Friday

Good morning, everyone.  Yesterday was a pretty quiet day which was nice.  I managed to catch up with the Great Pottery Throwdown (some amazing creativity) as I knitted and the ironing basket is now empty.  I did put the washing out in hopes but the forecasted wind never materialised so it just hung there, limp and soggy, for four hours before I noticed it had started drizzling slightly so brought it in and dried it on the rack.  Oh, well - I tried!

Pottery went loads better this week.  The first candle stand had had its first firing and I set to making the second one which is a bit taller.  Thankfully, the clay was not so wet and soft this week and therefore so much easier to handle and, to my delight, the art department now has a machine that rolls out slabs of clay.  Brilliant!
Here's the fired one which now needs glazing . . .

And here's the one I made this week.  It needs to dry out and be tidied up a bit before firing.

Today I have plenty to get done this morning before driving over to Dad's later on.   So I'd better get going, I think.  Have a great day.  xx

Thursday

Good morning to you.  It's not so cold this morning, thankfully, but it's not expected to be as sunny as yesterday either.  A shame.  However, a moderate breeze should see the rest of my washing dried enough to iron and air so that's OK.

Reliable Jeff turned up to give my garden another little haircut so now it's looking neat and tidy again.  I do love it when the bulbs start coming up; the snowdrops are doing well and there's lots of intriguing little spikes peeping through the soil.  I don't have a great variety - just snowdrops, hyacinths and daffs of various kinds as well as tulips )a few) and bluebells later on.  Oh, and a tiny little clump of scillas which come up year after year and never seem to spread.  I hope they come up again - they are such tiny, shy little things and such a glorious blue.

(borrowed from Google Images)

Later on, I had a most enjoyable hour or so chatting to Christine over a cuppa and some knitting, catching up on all her news and sharing mine.

Then I did housework, etc, until it was time for governors' meeting which was quite interesting, well worth the time.  For obvious reasons, I can't talk about the contents, but I do think we make a difference, we're not just yes-men.  We have six meeting a year (every other half term) plus the visits to school for various reasons and purposes.

Today I have a great stack of ironing to get sorted, some washing in the machine to hang out and a spare bedroom to sort out and get ready for the next visitor, whoever that will be.
There's one tuition session and then pottery - cheers!  Must sort out my pottery bag - I think the tools and equipment needs to be shared amongst two bags as it can be hard to find stuff.

Wishing us all a happy Thursday.  xx

Wednesday

Good morning!  Beeb was right again.  Yesterday was cold but beautifully sunny and what a cheering sight it was too.  Today, they say, will be very much the same - excellent.

Yesterday turned out very pleasantly.  SW was good and I was slimmer of the month which was unexpected and very pleasing.  Motivating too.

Then I came home and set to with my knitting - or, rather, my sewing up.  It's finished now, what I was making) so I've started on that lovely variegated yarn which is knitting up very nicely.  WIth all the hand knits I have, I'm not going to feel cold for years to come!

Tuition was fun, as usual, and there was no need to run me home yesterday; it was still sunny and quite bright as the days are noticeably longer as the sun sets later.  Beth came round at about six (with a bunch of flowers for me) and forty minutes later the taxi arrived so off we set.

It was lovely.  We both started with cocktails, something I hardly ever do, so it was goodbye to dry January for the evening.  We had olives with garlic bread, then a pizza and finally a dessert while we talked and talked and talked.  A really super evening, thanks very much, Beth.

Today starts with Jeff at eight thirty, moves on to a cuppa with Chris over the road at eleven thirty and finishes with a governors' meeting at six, so I must look out all the paperwork.  It between times, I must take advantage of the fine weather and get some washing done and out on the line.  Beth has stayed here overnight and, I think, will be doing some sorting out of her office/workroom.  I have plenty of black bags, if needed!!

So that's that for today.  Have a great day, everyone.  xx

Tuesday

Morning, everyone!

It's too dark to see what the weather is doing and, as I have towels wrapped around hair and body, there's no way I'm stepping out to check!!  However, the Beeb says that it's dry, skies are clearing and we may very well have sunshine for most of the day so that's cheering!

Yesterday held no surprises.  Knitter Knatter was spend undoing and re-kitting certain efforts but generally they are doing very well, bless them.
When I walked to tuition (just down the road) it was spitting with rain but by the time the hour was over it was throwing it down so one of the adults very kindly dropped me back in their car.  I was very grateful for that kindness; I'd have been soaked otherwise.

Today should be pleasant.  It is Slimming World group first thing and then, assuming the Beeb weather forecast is accurate, I want to spend some time planting bulbs.
I know that sounds odd and no, they aren't summer bulbs.  Last time I was at Hyde Hall, I bought some crocuses (I don't have any in the garden) and some tulips and I had a free gift of some scented narcissi.  I did mean to get them out in October/November but didn't.
On the bags it says best before the end of this January and a bonus is that I can see where all the other bulbs are as they're all coming up now.
So they're going out and, as they are already starting to shoot, maybe I will get a few flowers and, at the very least, some green colour where there are currently bare patches of soil.
Fingers crossed.

Later on there's a tuition session and after that Beth's coming over and she's treating me to a meal at Prezzo for my Christmas present.  We're getting a taxi there and back so I daresay something chilled, dry and white may be consumed and Slimming World won't get a look in!

And in between times, I have a jumper to stitch up and another one to get on with.  Also, Beth's staying the night so I must just check her room is OK.

It should be a nice day, hopefully for us all.
xx

Monday

Good morning.
The Beeb was right - we did get some very hazy sunshine in the morning.  It first came out as I was having breakfast so I popped upstairs to get properly dressed but, annoyingly, it had clouded over again by the time I came back down.  Oh well, thought I, never mind, but out it came again so I went straight out, having decided to take a stroll around Oaklands Park.

Oaklands is a smallish place, just outside the town centre and where the Chelmsford Museum is sited.  It's the sort of place to take the kids to what with the museum and two playground areas as well as a few tennis course, a cafe and adequate loos as well as car parking.

I sauntered right round the perimeter (as much as I could for mud) before going into the museum, partly to look around and partly to warm up before going back to the car and home.  I took some photos, of course, and here's a few.

 The Essex Regiment Museum is housed within the main museum and there are military reminders dotted all over the place.

 The old house to the left and the new block to the right.  They merge together pretty well, despite being very different in style.

 A carved 'totem tree'.

 There are a few 'scupture' thingies dotted around.

 In past times, this was a walled garden.  It would be lovely if they brought it back to its past glory.  As it is, it's a shut off waste of space, sadly.

 There are a few flowers out but it will look a lot nicer later on in spring and summer.

 A tram of the past.  Its sit up straight style led it to be called the 'toast rack tram'

Something to do with Crompton ( can't remember what) who was an electrical engineer, inventor and industrialist who was based in Chelmsford after his return from India.

It wasn't long after I got home that the clouds thickened and, indeed, it was already feeling a lot colder towards the end of my walk.  Then it started raining and by four fifteen all the curtains were closed to shut out the increasing gloom.  I'm glad I seized the opportunity to get some fresh air when I could.

I noticed that my snowdrops were looking rather nice so took a few photos.  I thinned them out a couple of years ago and they weren't great last year but it was worth it as they're coming up better this year.

Today is a normal Monday so it's knitter knatter club at twelve thirty followed by helping out in FS and then tuition.  Enough to keep me busy and out of trouble without being too much.  Before then it is planning, washing and drying, housework generally - the usual, in fact.
May the day go well for us all.  xx

Sunday

Good morning.  First of all, a slightly belated welcome to new(ish) followers and thank you all who make comments on my daily ramblings.  I do love to get comments and yours are always so positive (I delete all the spammy stuff!).  They and you are truly appreciated.

Yesterday was embarrassing.  I know I remembered that a potential parent and student were coming round because I mentioned it in yesterday's blog.  However, after the usual early morning routine things (meds, emptying the dishwasher, getting meals prepped for the day, etc), I settled down to making some beeswax wraps from some fat quarters.  It's absorbing and strangely satisfying, slowly moving the iron over the parchment and seeing the wax underneath the top layer gently melting and being absorbed into the cotton.

As a result, I forgot to watch the clock and eleven my visitors knocked on the door and I was STILL IN MY BED CLOTHES!!!!  Eeeek.  I suppose it could have been worse - I could have just had a towel wrapped round me!  And of course, the living room was really messy with squares of cotton, bits and bobs, ironing board, iron, plastic bin bag protecting the table, etc.

Oh, my!

Fortunately, they were both the jolly kind so I dashed upstairs to get dressed super-speedily and when I came down, we all had a chuckle about it.  I know it would be OK when I said 'I'm really sorry, I was making beeswax wraps and forgot the time' as if it were the most normal occupation in the world and mum didn't blink an eyelid!  I think I'd rather not know what she said to others later, mind you!

And the outcome is that I have a new student.  I've actually taught this child before, when I was in my first year of retirement and did a three week cover of a Y1 class.  A very pleasant child and I know we will work well together.
It's really nice that people are talking positively about what I do - all my students apart from the very first one have come to me by word of mouth.

After that little contretemps, the rest of the day flowed much better, thank goodness.  It was so gloomy and damp that I stayed inside in the warm and did some inside exercise.  I finished the wrap-making and tidied up before settling down with knitting, book and telly.

I had some vague plans about getting the train to Colchester today and having a wander round, this being one of the items on my get-out-and-about list.  I looked up the trains and, unfortunately, there's no train between Chelmsford and the station I want (Colchester Town) at the weekends as it's a sort of off shoot of the main line, presumably for commuters.  The main line station is on the outskirts and too far away from the interesting bits!  I looked into a two day stay at the in town Premier Inn but very quickly realised that it was a very silly idea.  A day return is under a tenner, using my railcard so it would make much more financial sense to 'commute', using bus into town and train.  At the other end, the interesting bits are all within walking distance of the Colchester Town station.
So that's something for half term - a visit on the Monday and again on the Tuesday, if I would like to.  Fingers crossed for good weather now.

The weather forecast isn't great for today.  Light rain and a moderate breeze, says the Beeb, with the vague possibility of a bit of tantalising sunshine for an hour around midday.  Well, I will wait and see and, if the sun does poke its nose through the clouds, I will seize the opportunity.  Otherwise it's another day inside - good for the knitting anyway!

This dull and dismal weather, while not exactly getting me down, is becoming very boring.  Where's the sun?  Or snow?  On anything else really (apart from high winds)?  I really shouldn't complain - I'm snug and warm and retired, all very positive things so I'll put on my happy face and enjoy the day.  I hope you do too.  xx

Saturday

Morning!  Welcome to the weekend.

Yesterday started off early so I decided to do something that irritated me for ages.  I took all the tins down from my tinned goods shelf, sorted them out and put them back in an organised way.  I ought to do that more often really as, to my shame, there were some jars of stuff right at the back that were so past their date I'm surprised they didn't explode when light reached them.  That was the bad thing.  The good thing is that now I know what's on that shelf, things are in order and I have plenty of choice when it comes to the Slimmer of the Week basket at SW.

After that, I picked up my prescription and then hopped a hundred metres down the road to Aldi where I stocked up for the week.  I won't go hungry now!
On the way back, and honestly, only just out of my way, I stopped off at Hobbycraft and had a most satisfying look round before finishing the journey home.

After unpacking and putting away, I did homey things until the cleaner arrived.  I do like to give her a clear run so I set out on my walk, thankful that the drizle had ceased and, while it was pretty damp underfoot, the air was dry.  I decided to walk down the main road to the traffic lights at the bottom and back and then to go up to Morrisons as there were a few things Aldi didn't have.  All in all, I was walking (or on my feet, anyway) for an hour and a half, which I was pleased with.

I had a message to say that my student had a bad cold and was staying off school so she was cancelling tuition.  Quite right too and I hope they feel better soon.

And I slept so well!  Lovely!

Today I have a meeting with a possible 'parent' but apart from that the house is clean and tidy and day's mine.  I'm getting on well with the beeswax wraps and need some more plus I'm making a few for friends as well so I'll get that done at some point, get on with my knitting and, perhaps, go out somewhere.

I rather fancied a trip to Ingatestone Hall but it's closed at the moment so maybe I will pop out to Danbury Park, another place I am ashamed to say I have never visited.  It depends on the weather really - I'm not going if it is wet.

Have a lovely day, everyone.  xx