Monday 19th December - Christmas Cake and Christmas Pudding

Which I made several weeks ago, amazingly doing some "getting ready for Christmas".

I had hoped to make them on "Sir Up Sunday" but in the event was a week late. I also had to use grated butted instead of suet, as the contents of the half-used packet were decidedly whiffy.

Let me tell you, grated unsalted french butter makes a Fabulous substitute for suet! I'll do that again!

Oh, yes. That word "again".

I had some difficulty finding currants, and in the end we found some in Sainsburys. I made a large square Christmas cake, the plan being to cut into half, to make a rectangular cake for Christmas, and then cut the other half into two squares, one to have a test cake before Christmas, and one to save for the New Year. I also made four individual puddings rather than a single big one, again with the view of having a test pud beforehand.

The cake, and the pudding, were absolutely delicious.

Oh yes. That word "were". Which is not to imply that we ate them all up.

I've had to throw the cake and the puddings away. They were delicious, but inedible. The currants were full of gritty, stoney bits, which grated in your mouth and threatened your teeth as you ate them. We tried, honestly, we tried to convince ourselves that they would do, but it was no good.

I've made a new cake, and it is maturing nicely, and now it is time for the puddings. And I have checked ALL the ingredients for grittiness before they go into the mix.

 

Thursday 15th December - From one generation to the next

Dali clock, snipped from amazon

Yesterday, or was it the day before? Doesn't matter.

The daughter volunteers in a charity shop, and a young customer came in, and said that they were sure they knew her... after a while they realised that I used to teach her the recorder in Primary School, probably about ten years ago...

Maths clock, snipped from amazon

Ten, or was it maybe maybe fifteen years ago? Doesn't matter.

I was walking towards the mirror at the top of the stairs, and was totally disconcerted, disorientated as it seemed as though my mother was walking towards me, apparently through a portal that doesn't exist....

Christmas tic toc clock, snipped from amazon

Thirty, or was it maybe thirty-five years ago? Doesn't matter.

My mother was having her portrait painted, out in Indonesia. For some reason, the artist started by covering the canvas with a swirling mist of pink, and then painted just my mother's eyes. "You can stop right there, and start again!" said my mother. "I'm not having Her looking out of MY picture!". The artist had painted a true and effective likeness of my mother's mother's eyes...

snipped from http://www.sundials.co.uk/~thames.htm

History repeating itself. Rather comforting, when you consider it. 

And I've found an idea for a sunny afternoon in London sometime.

  

Tuesday 13th December - Remembering this time last year

This season of the year is full of happy things and busy things and hassling things and preparation things... Our Christmas Tree, Christmas Shopping, Advent Calendars (yes, I have FOUR this year ), the Advent Candle

This year's candle

Last Year's Candle

This season of the year is also tinged with a little sadness; Last year I prefaced blog posts about my mother with a photograph of the Advent Candle














The white bear that arrived from Canada in December last year, to watch me put up the tree, and to provide hugs when I needed them.

This year's Christmas Cactus - in flower far too early!

A Christmas Cactus plant in flower will always have extra memories for me now. This is the one I bought for my mother when she was in the Nursing Home. It has already finished flowering this year, ;

Last year's plant

And here's my original one, photographed in full flower this time last year.

Sunday 11th December - Christmassy Sunday

I drove to church this morning through a misty frost. I was looking round the congregation with admiration; 9am in the morning, and here we all were, average age maybe sixty, maybe seventy? I reckon fewer than 10 people were younger than me, but we'd all made it, up, dressed, presentable and making a brave effort at singing the Advent Candle Lighting song, to the tune of As With Gladness Men Of Old in A major in the chilly early morning. I must let the other organists know that there's a version in G major in the blue hymn book!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath

We are up to the third candle, which in many churches (but not ours) is pink for Joy, because today is Gaudete Sunday. This is an example from wikipedia. I have made one for home, but not got round to lighting any candles. I think I may save it until I finally manage to clear the dining room table.

We must have been doing something right, because by the time I got home at 10:30, the sun had nearly finished burning through the mist. I didn't stop the engine, but waited until BB fetched his coat, and got into the passenger seat and we zoomed into town, beating the crowds who were still having breakfast.

Glorious.

I got to spend time in the wool shop (but didn't buy any this time). Then we had lunch in town, bought presents for various members of the family, browsed in the bookshop, and came home in time for a welcome cup of Advent Calendar Tea (Assam)

A bit more Christmassing has happened here at home: the Advent Calendar I sewed oh so many years ago is up now;

The baubles are in the pockets, to be hung on the tree every day.
We've also added tinsel and the star to the real Christmas Tree. I'm enjoying decorating it slowly, instead of all in one go.

Saturday 10th December - another week flown by

Last week was full-on, this week will be the same.

I've two keyboard end-of-term presentations to do this morning, and then the weekend can start. No, hang on, I've got to zap out a slew of emails to all the parents sending out invoices and informing them of next term's start date!

Having burned two days of the Advent candle by mistake, we are now a day behind - I reckon both those occurrences indicate how the weeks before Christmas overflow with end-of term work.

Next week I shall be spending every spare moment sorting out the percussion band for a school nativity. I'm beginning to evolve a plan for how to contain 17 children, four cymbals, two dozen chime bars, and a further selection of tambourines, boomwhackers, bells and woodblocks in the miniscule choir stalls of the little country church we will be in. There are also three flutes, a saxophone, a clarinet and three djembes to consider. I'll have a clearer idea of where to put the keyboard I'll be playing, (unless I hijack the church organ, or maybe there is a piano somewhere - who knows?). I'll see the church properly on Monday afternoon, and maybe by Friday morning all will be perfectly under control. At least I'm not in change of managing the infant, stars, sheep, shepherds, kings etc as they twirl around the church at appropriate, or not, moments.

Toodle oodle for now - time to get dressed and go.

Saturday 3rd December - Starting Early

I don't think we've ever put up our tree as early as this. Some years we've barely got it decorated by Christmas Day.

This year we agreed to start early. I plan to add to it every so often. Today was just the tree and the lights.

Thursday 1st December 2016 - Happy New Year

Again? We've had the first day of winter, and the first day of the Church Year (first Sunday in Advent which was last Sunday)

Apparently it is the first day of the meteorological New Year;

I've snipped the above from here:  http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/learn-about-the-weather/how-weather-works/seasons/winter/when-does-winter-start

I wonder if I'll remember to wish you all another Happy New Year on 21st December?

Meanwhile it is the first day of Advent Calendar Openings... I've got three this year; these two which involve tea and chocolate,

and a www.Jaquielawson.com  calendar. I don't mind at all advertising JacquieLawson cards and calendars on this blog as I so enjoy them!

This year she has created a sea-side theme. The clicking on the red bauble opened an amusing little film of a family taking a winter dip in the sea; rather them than me!

I've also got an Advent Candle. I wondered if I would find that too full of sad memories; it was about this time last year that my mother moved from hospital to nursing home for her final months. But candles are a sign of remembrance, and hope, and hymns such as  "Love Come Down At Christmas", and "Love Divine All Loves Excelling" and a beacon in the darkness.

It always reminds me of the words at the beginning of St John's Gospel, read out at carol services every year:

 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

 

Wednesday 30th November - It's still cold out there

There were frost patterns on the shed windows this morning. I tried to quickly take a photograph before leaving for my first school, the results weren't very good. They looked a bit like this:

http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2011/02/window-frost-patterns.html

I've taken this from the internet (and cropped it to remove the frozen spider...)

If you google "images for frost patterns on windows" you can arrive here  and be totally amazed at the variety of patterns. Here's a snap-shot:

Such variety.

Tuesday 29th November - It's cold

Last night, today, and tonight are to be the coldest days/nights so far this season. Bearing in mind that Winter starts on 7th November, there's probably a lot more even colder days and nights to come.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gijsbrecht_Leytens_-_A_winter_landscape_with_a_woodsman_and_travellers.jpg

Determined car scraping was necessary before I could set off for work, and the same will be needed tomorrow, I don't doubt. I spent a few minutes searching out his gloves for him, because one of his (many) kindnesses is scraping the ice off the windows for me before I leave.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Versoix,_Frozen_car_due_to_%5Equot,bise%5Equot,_wind_-_panoramio.jpg

Last week the gloves he used were a tight fit - I suspect they below to Number 1 Son. (I could wrap them up for Christmas as an extra present, except I know he reads this blog)

My car's thermometer claimed the temperature was -3C at 8:30 am, and then an amazing 23C when I left the first school at lunchtime to head off to the next educational establishment. I think that's because my car was sitting in full sun. The later reading of 6C as I turned for home at 3:30 pm seemed more likely. But when I was travelling through a road which had been in shadow all day, with the frost still gripping the grass, there was a sudden beep and a warning that the temperature had dropped to 3C so there could be ice on the road. Not too likely at four o'clock in the afternoon, but I was a little cautious just in case.

Well, I'm home, and the day's work has ended, and I've had my supper, and I'm sitting by the radiator, and I'm wearing a thermal vest, and my fingers are cold and I'm still not properly warm.

Time to sign off and make hot chocolate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_chocolate

Monday 28th November - The Christmas Story

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Master_Of_The_Castello_Nativity_-_The_Nativity_-_WGA14514.jpg

I'm bug-eyed from two hours solid work putting carols onto the computer with the adaptations and correct numbers of verses so that the children at a local primary school can get practising ready for their Christmas Service on the last day of term.

Not that I'm moaning - I'm really pleased that there will be traditional carols as well as "specially-written-for-children" carols. Not that I'm moaning about the specially-written-for-children carols either - I enjoy singing them as well. But so many of the children don't know any of the old carols apart from Away in a Manger, and I think it is a Good Thing for them to learn them.

Although the vocabulary is very challenging;

"Fear not" said he, for mighty dread had seized their troubled mind

"Ye who sang creation's story, now proclaim Messiah's birth"  

And I'd forgotten that the last verse of We Three Kings is a bit direct;

"Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in a cold stone tomb."





At least we are not singing the Coventry Carol in this service, or "Unto us a son is born"

"Thus did Herod sore affray
and did him bewilder
so he gave the word to slay
and slew the little childer, and slew the little childer...."



(I leave you to work out where the first two quotes come from...!)

Sunday 27th November - Happy New Year

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the start of the New Year of the church.

I celebrated by steaming the Christmas Puddings that I made yesterday (Delia Smith says to make them up, then leave them overnight before steaming). There have been a few substitutions and adaptations along the way. The suet that I had planned to use smelled distinctly "off", so, as there are only a few ounces required, I grated in some unsalted butter instead. Also, I hadn't bought and barley wine, so just used more rum and more stout.

Then, before church, I weighted out all the dried fruit for the Christmas Cake, and then hit another snag. "Add three tablespoons of brandy and leave overnight." The brandy was definitely lacking in oomph. We sniffed our way through the various alternatives and settled on some of his single malt whisky.  

Overnight. If you go to bed at about 11pm, and get up at about 8am, that's just nine hours. Which is why I reckoned it would be ok to continue with the Christmas Cake business at half part five - about nine hours after starting to soak the fruit.

My mini-magimix made short work of creaming the butter and sugar, and had a valiant attempt at whisking in four eggs, but by now the bowl was getting a bit full. Decanting the gloop into a bigger mixing bowl and finishing off the job by hand solved that problem, and the cake has now been in the oven for half an hour.

I reckon it should be done by bedtime.

I also managed to finish the second of the two advent calendar kits I've been sewing over the year, for the two offspring. It was a close call, but they were able to take them away when they went home this evening.

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture - now, if they read this, and if they email me pictures, I'll be able to show you what they look like!

Saturday 26th November - The Day

Look - even google seems to know which day it is! But they are sort of out by one day,

because we celebrated yesterday. That's one reason why I might not have posted a post yesterday. (No alcohol involved in the celebrations, but it has been a long, long week). Another reason might be because I was warmly tucked up in bed when I remembered that I had missed a post.

I had lots of presents from friends and family, which I opened yesterday, and lots of flowers which mostly arrived today.

One present was to have my advent calendar refilled - so that's a present that can;t be opened yet, but will last all the way until Christmas Day - whoop whoop!

Thursday 24th November - I've lost my pencil

Today I found a pen that I didn't know I'd lost;

LAMY abc Fountain pen

and I've lost my super-duper multi-coloured pencil and I don't think I'm going to be able to find it. 

Pentel multi 8 PH802

It could be in the school where I was teaching this morning, on the pavement, in my car, in a car park, or in the school where I was teaching this evening. It could be on the dining room table,

in my handbag, or in my teaching bag....

I discovered the zip compartment that I use for pens in my bag was open, when it should be closed, so the pencil could have fallen out at any time. I'll do a proper search in and around my car in day light, and also empty out my bag and investigate all the various compartments, but I'm not hopeful.

The multi-coloured pencil was a present this time last year. I've still got the lovely packaging and all the spare leads. If the pencil doesn't turn up, I'll just have to order a replacement.

That's rather how life goes at this stage of the term.

Wednesday 23rd November - Playing a baby cello

Today was the first time I tried using a baby cello (half-size) for cello teaching. I've borrowed it from the music dept stores for the duration; just one day of carting my full-size cello in its old-fashioned fibre-glass case was enough for me. I am teaching cello in four schools; in two of them the room is on the first floor (which, in commercial buildings, is more like a floor and a half-worth of stairs) and in the others I have to wend my way through corridors and up and down short flights of stairs.

By the time I'd made it to the music room I could hardly breathe, let alone teach!

I must admit I made a less than impressive noise on the little cello as I adapted to the differences. Where you put your hands, and the spacing between the fingers is all entirely different. Luckily the student ( a sixth-former) was amused by my horrible intonation, and occasional running out of bow (half-size cello, half size bow) as I played scales along with her in the lesson.

http://www.kennedyviolins.com/cello-rental/

Looking at this, I should be aged 7-11 and just over four feet tall. That could explain a lot!

Tuesday 22nd November st Cecilia's Day

Saint Cecilia with an Angel, by Orazio Gentileschi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Cecilia

A bit of a cheat this, but the music is so lovely... in stead of typing a post, here's a link to a blog I follow.

http://nancysblog-seeker.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/st-cecilias-day.html

Do go have have a look and listen.

Sunday 20th November - Sunday

This was the first official lie-in I've had for several weeks now, and I'm so glad I was awake to enjoy it. No, I mean it. Really.

Then off to church, for the second service as I was on the rota for this Sunday (I much prefer the first, quieter service, but my name crops up on the rota from time to time).

However, there had been a confusion, and I wasn't needed. I thought that I would just slip inside the door, collect a news sheet and some letters from my pigeonhole, drop off a number of "pink envelopes"...
  ....

... trip down memory lane...

 me, aged about nine maybe, staying with my grandmother in her thatched cottage opposite the ancient church in the tiny village.

That's her sitting-room window

There's the Church

The church bells ringing out, and my grandmother, wearing a good tweed suit, and a beret with a Cairngorm brooch stuck in it, limping heavily down the hallway. In the tray on the hall table are her hymn book, prayer book, gloves, and a pink envelope, just like mine today, with her collection money safely inside. We make our way down the steps from the high pavement to cross the road, and up the other side, along the path to the church. The organ wheezes out a gentle, solemn tune as we settle into the uncomfortable wooden pew. Bert, changed from his usual work clothes into his Sunday suit, topped off by a cassock and surplice, lights the altar candles.

The church bells fall silent, the organ changes up a gear into the opening hymn. Bert, carrying the cross leads the choir - Bert's Hilda, and Cora, and a few other villagers in their dusty choir robes, and the vicar (I think his name was Father Bodger, surely not?), all with an average age of at least 90, to my young eyes, up the aisle...

... I hadn't planned to stay, but then the pianist and the band played the very gentle song "To be in your presence, not rushing away..." so I found a spare seat and sat down...

Two very different church services;
one church 1000 years old, the other not yet sixty.
One vicar wearing the full gear - cassock, surplice, stole, preceded by a crucifer and a choir, the other, sitting in the front row of chairs wearing casual jacket and trousers, and a clerical collar wedged into the collar of his ordinary shirt and addressed by everyone by his Christian name.
An elderly organ, still with the original tracker action (but at least with an electric blower!) with the choir sitting in the choir stalls in the chancel; the band - two guitars, drum kit, electric keyboard and a couple of singers all with microphones connected to the speakers either side of the church.
Hymn books and prayer books; over-head projectors and power-point illustrations to the sermon

Both with altars, candles, silver chalice and pattern, carefully set out for a communion service, saying the same words... not so very different after all.

    

Saturday 19th November 2016 - Early this morning

As in Very Early....

Woke up at 3 am (why? wish I knew).

After spending a little while trying to get back to sleep, I decided to wake up properly. There was a odd brightness to the light coming through the gaps in the curtains, not entirely due to the neighbours ridiculously bright security light that comes on at random times of the day or night.

I peered out of the window - SNOW! When I put my glasses on to inspect the scene outside properly, it turned out to be a wondrous white frost, so that the grass and the shed roof, and the remaining leaves on the big oak tree were all a shimmering silver.

Still very beautiful.



And I was still awake. I finished my book, dozed, the alarm went off, and the real day began.

It is half past eight in the evening now and I am more than ready for bed after such an early start.

Friday 18th November 2016 - an old post that didn't seem to get published

Today was just instrumental teaching, a day in which I proved conclusively

I am out of practice at playing the cello- especially Grade 8 scales right at the high end of the fingerboard  

https://thecellocompanion.info/2011/01/15/developing-cello-technique-part-1/

Grade 1 violin is insufficient preparation for playing a viola and also for reading viola clef at sight

https://www.etsy.com/listing/160518628/hand-painted-alto-clef-plaque-viola

You cannot make a convincing sound playing a viola like a cello.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXclw49Oc6I

Don't even try to play a cello like a viola unless you have arms that extend forever!

https://ifunny.co/fun/JVe3oCK32

Friday 18th November - Nearly the weekend

Made it nearly to the end of the week!

Today was just instrumental teaching, a day in which I proved conclusively

I am out of practice at playing the cello- especially Grade 8 scales right at the high end of the fingerboard    

https://thecellocompanion.info/2011/01/15/developing-cello-technique-part-1/

Grade 1 violin is insufficient preparation for playing a viola and particularly reading viola clef at sight  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/160518628/hand-painted-alto-clef-plaque-viola

You cannot make a convincing sound playing a viola like a cello.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXclw49Oc6I

(Don't even try to play a cello like a viola unless you have arms that extend forever!)

https://ifunny.co/fun/JVe3oCK32

Apart from that, everything was more or less fine, until I got home, sat down, and decided to cancel the final two private piano lessons of the day because my eyes were closing, the energy meter was dropping to zero.

Just tomorrow morning to go, ( two piano lessons, two keyboard groups) and the week ends, the weekend begins. Easy peasy (ish)

Thursday 17th November - This week isn't going the way I'd like

My lovely husband came down with a Proper Cold two weeks ago. Raised temperature, sore throat, cough, wobbly knees; all that kind of thing.

By the following Monday he'd shared his bad luck with me, and I baled out of all my class teaching that week, after struggling through Monday.

I thought I was better this week - and got as far as lunchtime today before ringing in sick and starting on the anti-biotics....

However, I have learned a useful little tip which I will share with you...

When consuming soup and garlic bread whilst propped up in bed, I recommend that you hold a piece of bread in one hand, to wipe the bottom of the spoon on before raising said spoon to your lips. That way, you have eliminated the danger of dollops of soup (chicken, tomato and chorizo in this case) dripping onto the sheets or down the front of your jumper. Works like a charm.

Tomorrow, after having an easy afternoon and evening, I shall have another go at teaching - it's all individual or small group teaching, in 20 or 30 minute lessons. A great deal less exhausting than 45 minute class teaching, I can assure you.

Wednesday November 16th - F A I L

Another blog post fail.

Tough - life is just like that.

By the way, did you know that

F A I L 

stands for

First Attempt In Learning?

That makes me feel so much better.

Tuesday 15th November - BBC Radio World Service

Where would I be without it?

Last night was another restless, wakeful night, but I don't mind them so much now. A couple of years ago I spotted headphones like these at John Lewis, reduced in the post-Christmas sale (mine are a tasteful grey/black/white fair isle design) and, with some misgivings, forked out a tenner for them.

https://www.firebox.com/Knitted-Headphone-Earmuffs/p4848?mkt=en

They are much easier to sleep in than conventional "stick-'em-in-yer-ear" earphones.

So when I can't sleep, I connect myself up to my trusty mp3 player/radio and listen/doze to BBC World Service. I get to half listen to some fascinating topics which I wouldn't otherwise put myself in the way of. Sometimes it's a quiz, or book programme. Other times it can be factual reports about anything, anywhere in the world. Whatever it is, I'm almost certain to drop off to sleep.

 The only problem is that their hourly news service is heralded by an energetic trumpet/xylophone fanfare which can jolt me awake... 

Monday 14th November - Ukulele Lesson

I have a ukulele class on Monday afternoons.

No, let's rephrase that - I teach a ukulele class on Monday afternoons.

That's still not quite right - I stand in front of a pack of seven-year-olds, all armed with ukuleles and excited and "on the brink" of chaos, on Monday afternoons.

This week, we tackled Jingle Bells. We learned the C chord way back in September "put your finger on the red spot on your ukulele"). We've been tinkering with the F chord ("move your fingers to the blue spots") with limited success since the beginning of October. Today, I introduced G7  - awed pause - there are No Spots on the uke for G7 so you actually have to pay attention, read the chord chart and follow the instructions. There's novel for you, boyo.

To actually launch the ukulele/song event that is Jingle Bells, I let the children self-select into different groups, ending up with four unequal cohorts;

the large group, who are in charge of playing the C chord (the only one they can do),

the smaller group of hardy souls who play the F chord (for "Oh what fun it is to ride in a"),

a few brave souls who are keen to have a go at the G7 chord ("one horse open sleigh, Hey!").

In front of all of them are two wide eyed lads, bouncing with excitement, eager, concentrating hard, watching me as though their life depends on it, who are the "switchers", playing all the right chords (maybe) at all the right times (possibly). The look on their little faces when they managed to get all the chord right it why I love teaching. Actually, the look on all the children's faces when they manage what it was they set out to do ( I mean playing the music, not the larking about bit) is why I love teaching.

Even so, the concert in two weeks time should be an interesting sonic experience for the audience.

Sunday 14th November - Random Thoughts

When I got up this morning, I noticed that the oak trees behind our house still have a lot of green leaves left on them, along with the brown and gold.
Seen through patterned glass in the bathroom window, it looked like some kind of abstract impressionist, abstract painting. Later, once the sun was higher in the sky, the illusion vanished.

A bright sunny day in Autumn is one of my favourite kinds of day. Like today.

This year we didn't go to any Remembrance Parades, Church Services or anything like that. Which is not to say that I didn't do any remembering.

Saturday 12th November - Click and Collect

I have ordered a non-surprise present, and bought and non-surprise present on-line today. These presents don't have to be kept secret for Christmas Day, but I have also discovered a totally brilliant (I hope) Christmas Present for us, which somehow I will have to hide away until Christmas time. Oh, oh, oh - I am just so useless at this.


I remember when, back in about 1982, I bought a  lego technic racing car with a fully operational gear box and real rack-and-pinion steering at the beginning of November, managed to hide it for all of a week, and then gave it to BB just because he was in need of cheering up and I knew he would enjoy it so much...  

Anyway - it's over to collect what I clicked on tomorrow afternoon, and then the challenge to keep the surprise begins.

Friday 11th November 2016 - Cats

It has taken our two cats a long time to work out how to communicate with us. When we got them, we assigned them a birth date of 1st March 2003, on the grounds that they probably were around 6 weeks old. That makes them 13 years and 9 months old - properly grown up - past their prime, to be brutally honest.

 They have quite different personalities. Here's McCavity, the "downstairs" cat, trying out my new bag for size some time last year.

And Leo, the "upstairs" cat, enjoying a warm spot by the radiator in our bedroom.

Here's a VERY RARE moment indeed - both of them sharing the same piece of furniture without any hissy fits.

I think this has only happened once since; except, of course, when we dump them in the cattery, where they are forced to share a pen and put up with each other at close quarters for a week or more.

Anyway, McCavity has suddenly learned how indicate that she would like to be groomed; with her long fur she has always been susceptible to "Bad Hair Days". Leo has learned how to inform us their plates are empty, or that the kitchen door to upstairs is closed. She is also always encouraging me to to a take a duvet day so that she can spend hours asleep on my feet (keeping me awake in the process).

No such luck this week - although I have taken a couple of days off work with a sore throat and wobbly knees, I haven't stayed in bed this time.

 

Thursday 10th November - Viola Lesson

Today a colleague came and gave me a quick viola lesson.

I actually prefer playing it to a violin, even though this one is too big for me. She took a couple of pictures to help me when (If) I practise.

Apparently this is a good wrist position:

And this is me "accessing my back muscles" to support the viola on my shoulder.

I have to say it Really, Really makes my arm and shoulder ache, but I think that is more to do with having a lurgy, and lugging heavy bags, and knocking into a door frame the other day than to do with playing the viola.  

This is the same colleague (and one of my very many line managers) who just about collapsed with laughter that time she came across me demonstrating how (very difficult it is) to play a trumpet to my horrified and awestruck early years class a few years back.