unexpected holiday consequences

live tea making
Originally uploaded by etcher67

Somewhere in between rainy moor walks, cream teas and swimming in the sea I have developed the urge to buy a concertina.

I think it may all be Bella Hardy's fault.

Hmmm.

I can't stand up

It is the holidays at long last. Marvellous.

Today I foolishly forgot that I was a middle aged woman for a brief moment and played stick-in-the-mud with my class in the warm afternoon sun. This was brilliant until I fell over; resulting in a loud bang and an impressive set of grazes. I had forgotten how much falling over at speed hurts (the relative speed of a 40yr old, though there's a lot more mass to test gravity than there used to be) and nowadays one cannot burst into dramatic tears* and be half carried limping to the first-aid room, you just have to sit on the floor for a moment and feel like a bit of a twat. The kids were great though: they pointed and laughed. Bless 'em.

Our school is now officially in special measures. Um, hooray; or something**.

*dunno why really, I do dramatic tears on a fairly regular basis to be honest.
** something more like 'Oh: shiiit'.

got my arms got my legs got my fingers got my head

It's the end of term! I can make a list of 4378 things which must be done right now, immediately, and then ignore it*. I can lie in the bath and think 'Maybe I'll go to Devon. Maybe I'll go tonight'. I can forget what breakfast radio sounds like. I can stay up past 10. I can read more books. Eat less saturated fat. Play more ukulele. Speak to friends. Ride my bike. Go dancing. Sleep.

In the meantime I plan to look at the rain and wait for the carpet fitter.


* Including: not writing an article for the TES, not getting someone in to do my bathroom, not painting the front wall or windows, not not sorting out the concrete garden monstrosity and not buying any furniture for my almost finished bedroom.

i've told him once or twice to stop playing cards and shooting dice

I give up. I shall write a blog post about things what I have done. At least I am reliably inconsistent.

Here are the things:

1. I have begun stage two of 'slay the bushes' in preparation for the moving of the compost bin. There would be photos if my camera was working.
2. I have mown the lawn; something I have been getting around to for about a month now.
3. I have made a new bit of fence out of bamboo and cup hooks (no, really).
4. I have re potted the palm thing.
5. I have put up a new and excitingly wobbly bit of trellis.
6. I have weeded the front garden a bit.
7. I have put up the bird feeder and am anxiously awaiting great flocks of birds. Where are the birds? Send birds now! (I know, I know).


Ukulele update:

I now have the actual callouses at the end of my fingers where they make the chords. I am able to play 'In the Jailhouse Now' slowly and exceptionally badly (including yodelling). I am dealing rather well with the fact that P can pick up the Uke and make it sound like an actual instrument instead of something used for torturing small children and musical types. I think the 'D' chord (or is it D7) is the hardest of the four-and-a-half that I know. Plans for world Ukulele domination seem a way off yet.

In unrelated news I have plans for a Simnel cake, it being Easter and all that.

Oh, and last night I went to see Bryan Talbot talk about his new book (er graphic novel er comic er thing) 'Alice in Sunderland'. It was most enjoyable. So was the second brandy.