Presents

I mentioned I was behind with my posts. Two weeks ago, while Graeme was away at a conference, my mother and father-in-law visited and dropped off some lovely things for me. I was so excited and meant to write about them straight away but it's taken me this long to get some photos take and uploaded.

Some of you will remember how I was having trouble getting bobbins for my spinning wheel. Well Lorna and Bill arranged for a friend of a friend to make copies of the one bobbin I had as an early birthday present. They looked fabulous when they arrived, the bore was a little too small but Graeme widened it with the drill last weekend and they now work beautifully.

I managed to spin and ply some of my cheap generic sheeps fleece from WoolFest. I had to improvise a Lazy Kate but it worked fine.

I think the yarn has come out a bit overwound. I don't know if that's something I am doing or if it's to do with the ratio of the bobbin. I don't think it was winding onto the bobbin fast enough. I'll have to consult my spinning book when I get chance.

The next thing they brought was Lorna's friend Edith's old knitting stuff. There was a variety of old patterns (some good baby ones) and a lot of needles in this fab retro bag.

I now have a ridiculous number of needles and am wondering what to do with them all. Before that they all fitted into a metal jug.

The third thing was this fleece, which Lorna acquired on a Girl Guides trip to a farm.

I've forgotten already what type of fleece it is (I'm rubbish with names). Emily and I poked it when it arrived but I finally got it out this morning thinking I would wash it in the kitchen sink (I did this with the last lot). However when I unrolled it I realised that wasn't going to happen. I didn't realise how tightly packed it was. It's huge! I think it's going to need to go into the bath.

Lorna and Bill also brought some apples which I stewed and used to make apple and ginger scones, from my own made up recipe. What lovely in-laws I have.

P.S. Does anyone else find that Blogger now takes them to a german page when they post a comment? I only know what all the links are now because they're in the same positions as the English ones.

The Ladies' Bras

I'm really behind with my blog. There's been a couple of posts that I have intended to write but haven't got round too. Needless to say I'm working quite hard at school and sitting at the computer blogging seems far too much like more work at the moment.

To keep you going a little aside to anyone with a childish sense of humour. This song has the potential to be the shortest ever in the top 40. It's called "The Ladies' Bras", by Jonny Trunk and Wisbey.


Am I spending too much time with 13 year olds?

Brrr.....

This is officially the first morning of the school year that I've woken up and put off getting out of bed because it's too cold and dark. Urgh! The vernal equinox (equal day and night) is at the weekend on the night of the 22nd Sept. It's all downhill from here....

If my Nan were still here she'd say "Winter draws on" or "It'll soon be Christmas".

Memory

I forgot to mention in the post below that the Town and Country party was in celebration of the end of Dawn's treatment for breast cancer, which is something definitely worth celebrating. Why did I forget such an important thing? Well I have a good excuse that after two weeks of teaching my brain isn't functioning at normal capacity. Maybe I was partially blinded by hog. I think the main reason I forgot is because Dawn and Jim have done such a wonderful job in coping with everything that cancer treatment has thrown at them in the past year, the first of their married life. Dawn was back to her energetic self in the role of party hostess and I forgot to appreaciate what a fantastic thing it is to see. :)

Mmmmmmm....hog....

I'm getting a bit behind with my blog posting but I am surviving the school term. Things are going quite well. Last weekend I even managed to get myself to Jim and Dawn's "Town and Country" Party. I didn't manage the costume and I forgot the drinks and food I meant to take but since my brain has given up functioning it's hardly surprising. Here are Jim and Dawn in front of the spectacular hog roast. Lovely crackeling.

They had actually managed to pick a warm and sunny Saturday. No mean feat this year. I enjoyed sitting in the sunshine very much.

I'm ashamed to say that despite enjoying the party a lot I was in my tent asleep by 11pm. I think getting up at 6am every day isn't going to do much for my social life.

Back to school

As some of you might have guessed already I've been a bit busy for the last week ago. Schools in England are very much back in business and as an NQT in a new job, with my own form, I'm finding myself a bit overwhelmed and overworked. I can't complain too much. I'm at an independant school, and although it's not selective the majority of my classes are well behaved and eager to learn. I know many of my colleagues from my PGCE course last year must be having a much harder time that me, at challenging schools around the country.

So if you're a new teacher this week, of whatever kind, good luck to you. David Stancliffe's Science Army will prevail!