Friday

Good morning.  Isn't amazing how quickly a place can warm up.  After yesterday's heavy frost, this morning feels really mild and, according to the Beeb, it's at least ten degrees warmer.  It also seems to be raining a bit which is not so nice.

Yesterday, after a very easy drive over, I got to Jackie's and we had a jolly good chat, finishing off by sorting out the next get together (lunch in January) and three coach trips, one in March and two in April.  Bruges, Oxford and the Milestones Living Museum.  I've never been to any of them so it should be good, although how much time we will actually have in Bruges is questionable (or whether we will get there at all, given the whole Brexit fiasco).

Dad replied to my email saying that he'd much rather not risk getting any kind of chest/lung problem right now so that's the weekend plans cancelled.  It's a shame because we were eating out this evening followed by a Christmas Concert given by the Arcadians, an excellent local operatic drama society.  It can't be helped but it is such a shame.

I also heard from Beth who is feeling very unwell, poor love.  There's some very nasty bugs going around at the moment, particularly one that isn't flu but is pretty close and Beth seems to have got it badly.  She was doing a school Christmas fair this evening but has had to pull out of that.

After all of that, I had a think and messaged the mum of my Thursday student, saying I was ready and happy to tutor but I did have a nasty cold and she ought to know.  The result was that she decided to cancel, sensible mum.  She was apologetic but she didn't need to be - I quite understood.  At least there will be no prep needed for next Thursday.

I went to pottery but Beth didn't, she wasn't well enough.  It was good, as always, although people have finished off their projects more or less and were making little things like Christmas decorations.  Only one of my glazed decorations had been finished as the kiln has been working overtime this week but the others had been loaded in by the end of the evening so I'll have them next week.  I'm not totally happy with the one that was finished; the glaze has hidden the patterning on it more or less.  Something learnt, I guess.
Earlier on yesterday, I had prepared my templates for the candle holder so I got going with a bigger slab of clay to roll it out, cut the shapes, do the patterning and by the end of the evening Alex had taught me how to construct something using clay, tools and what she calls 'slurry' which sounds disgusting but is only clay scraps and water that form a sort of 'glue'.
I didn't get beyond the four sides so it's all wrapped up well ready for next week which is the last session of the term.  Hopefully, Beth will be well enough to come by then.

What a day!!

Today, I have a busy morning.  I'm paying a governor's visit to the school so that should be great fun and I will fill up with some sort of ache-killer before hand  Once that's over, I will come home and rest.
The Christmas themed thing today will be to make the pigs in blankets and get them into the freezer.  I'll pop them into the oven tray I intend to use so there will be no extra faffing about before they go in the oven on The Day.  I was going to get the necessary from Chapmans, a really good butcher in Baldock, over the weekend, but seeing as that's now off, I will get the bacon and sausages in Morrisons after I've finished at school

Today's performance always makes me laugh - from the incomparable Kings Singers, Deck the Hall.
Enjoy!  xx