Two Years On...

I was excited by the idea of the Coalition Government - after all, it was the only realistic way that the Liberal Democrats would be able to influence policies in the current system. The catalogue of disparaging comments aimed towards Nick Clegg was phenomenal, some with just cause.

I don't know enough about the inner workings of what goes on at Local or National Government to comment with any authority, but that seldom seems to stop anyone else, so maybe I should cough up my two pennyworth anyway. I can't see a way forward here - whilst Opposition and Conservative  backbenchers merrily berate Cameron and Osborne as "two posh boys who, when something goes wrong, sack the servants" where is Clegg? What is he doing to distance himself from the posh boy image?

At the risk of sounding like someone from my mother's generation, we appear to be going to hell in a hand basket.

One Day

One day.
One day that ripped apart so many families.
One day that ended 96 lives.
One day that left an indelible mark.
One day.
One day.
The truth will be revealed.
One day.

Hello?

Er.. hello. Hello? Anyone out there?

This poor blog has been very negleted of late. Too much time playing on Twitter, Ravelry, Flickr and the podcast.

Can't get the time back though, so no use wailing about it. I really don't have time for that hair shirt.

So what's happening in my world?

Well, I'm still working at the same place, still playing with yarn, still sharing my life with A and a cat. We have a conservatory now, where I am sitting as I type this (oh the joy of a wireless network) and it's fast becoming my favourite place. Much as I love it in the sun (oh the light!) I think I love it even more in the rain. It's like camping, but about a zillion times more comfortable.

So no promises, but I hope to start blogging a bit more about non-yarny stuff (do I do anything non-yarny? Can't remember) If any of you are still out there, come along for the ride. :)

It gets worse...

The first person facing the magistrates at Highbury this morning in connection with the rioting and looting earlier this week is 31 years old and works in a Primary School. That sets an example for the young, doesn't it?

Disbelief

I can't quite believe what is happening in our cities at the moment. I am not naive enough to believe that a 15-25 year old man growing up in a sink estate shouldn't feel aggrieved over some of the crap that he may have been dealt, but this isn't rioting aimed at changing a system that doesn't work. This is out and out lawlessness, destroying things for thrills and stealing items that other people work hard to save up for. At a supermarket in Salford that was being looted, whole families were allegedly turning up in cars looking to drive away with a hefty load. I could weep at the senselessness of it all. Why?

It's June already?

Where is the year going to? Today is Fathers Day, the third Sunday in June. How did we get to be here? I've written my reports and just got back from the Year 6 residential trip (tired but it went very well!) but the end of the year is hurtling toward me at an alarming rate. I think it must be my age - I'm now loosing whole weeks...

In Memory of Sarah and Victoria

Some of you may have been reading me long enough to remember the post I wrote two years ago today. Others may know about my 365 Day Project, a photography project I'm doing through Flickr. For today's photo I had a very strong urge to incorporate a photograph of Sarah's grave into my shot. The problems with this idea are many. Photos of Sarah's grave are to be found on the web but using them would infringe copyright. To avoid this I would really need to take a photograph myself, which would mean visiting her grave. Sarah is buried in Allerton Cemetery, only a 45 minute journey from my house, and actually less than half an hour from where I was this afternoon. However, Allerton Cemetry is huge, easily the largest cemetery I have ever visited in the UK and I had no idea where the grave was. I phoned Liverpool Council and spoke to a very kind man who told me that the record office could tell me the plot number and which section it was in, but that the turn-around for this would be within 48 hours. It seemed like a doomed mission.

However, I decided to go anyway. Cemeteries are calming places that sooth my soul when I am as restless as I was today. I have passed it before but never been in. I drove up the main drive and parked my car near the central chapel, with absolutely no idea where to go. I spotted a grave under a tree festooned with Liverpool scarves, but it was for a serviceman killed in action in Afghanistan in 2009. I wondered around in a large circle for maybe 30 minutes and spotted an urban fox, trotting through the cemetery towards the woodland area but nothing else. As I circled back again towards the chapel, resigned to giving it all up as a bad job, I saw the soldier's grave again and then, across the grass saw a tree with much older scarves hanging from it.



Amazingly, I had parked my car less than one minute's walk away.

RIP Sarah, Victoria and the other 94.

Jolly Holidays

All the Education Authorities in Merseyside have signed up to a common term format starting from this year, in an attempt to standardise terms. No half term shall be less than six weeks and no week shall have less than three working days. This means October half term will always be the third week, February half term will always be the second week and the Two week holiday between the Spring and Summer terms will always be the first two weeks of April, regardless of when Easter is. This means this year, of course, the end of April is very bitty, with four Bank Holidays in the first three weeks of term, thanks to the Royal Wedding adding to the mix with Easter being so close to the May Bank Holiday. Meanwhile, Cheshire are sticking to the traditional two weeks around Easter, so my holidays are very quiet - I've not been off when schools are in like this since I became a teacher. It's peaceful, but rather strange and leaves April as a very messy set of short weeks... Ah well, some you win, some you lose...

A Fond Farewell

I have just sniffed and gulped my way through the last ever episode of Lark Rise To Candleford. In true Lark Rise fashion, all loose ends have been tied up, but nevertheless I will miss it sorely. Being an Oxfordshire girl (albeit the other side of the county), one descended from Agricultural Labourers to boot, it resonated strongly.

Happy New Year!

Hope you all had a good might and I wish you all a Happy New Year. May 2011 treat you well. I'm off for a bracing walk along the beach shortly, but I give you with the funniest shot from last night - one of my sister-in-law's cats trying to get his food... Yes that is the picture rail above the door!

An Empty Lap

Today I was due to travel to my parents for Christmas, but due to their concerns that the weather would change for the worse and leave A stranded alone for Christmas, I'm having a "snow day" at home. I have to say I don't particularly share their concerns, as I'm confident that A would have managed the journey, but I didn't want to cause them any further concern or sleepless nights. This has given me a wonderful opportunity to clear all the ironing and wrap all the presents, which is why, of course, I find myself curled up in front of the fire with Poirrot and my knitting. Stella is asleep in her sheepskin bed in front of the fire and all is well with the world. But...

But... Something's not quite right. I have an empty lap. I have an empty lap and a cat in front of the fire who has recently been fed and has no desire for any human contact. At times like these, I really miss Lilly.

So where did this lot come from?

I don't remember this fresh snow being forecast last night! Two inches! There was nothing on my car when I went to bed last night...

Yum Yum!

Yesterday A and I had our Christmas dinner and beforehand I made these petits-fours - Medjool dates and Marzipan - what's not to like?

Testing Testing

I'm so behind the times, I'm only just trying mobile blogging now...

Snow!

Sorry I've been so quiet this term. Work hasn't been any less hectic even with only 21 or 22 in the class and I've been busy playing with photography in bits of free time as well as the knitting and crochet. I'll try to be a bit more interesting, I promise! To say sorry, here's a shot from my front door yesterday morning. The light was very strange and this shot is straight out of the camera, no manipulation at all. Hope you are all well and not dangerously snowed in anywhere...

One last full week

This week is my last full week of holiday. Term starts again for me next Tuesday, 31st August. 31st August, for goodness' sake! I had so many plans for today but the realisation of the lack of time and the dismal drizzle meant I spent the best part of the day curled up in a chair. I even needed to turn the light on to see my knitting. At 10 am.

August.

Gotta love a UK summer...

What I Learned at Knit Camp

1. I strangle fibre as I spin so my yarn isn't lofty.
2. Double knitting needs LOTS of bandwidth. I can't even listen and double knit, let alone talk and double knit.
3. Lucy Neatby wears odd yet matching pairs of shoes (I was particularly fond of the one pink, one blue pair of Docs). The inner teenager who wore one red baseball boot and one black baseball boot through most of Sixth Form thinks this is VERY cool. (Especially as I drew a smiley face on one of the toes of those baseball boots and Lucy has drawn smiley stitches all over her Docs.)
4. When you spend a long time balancing yarnovers and decreases around the edge of a lace pattern repeat, this is for a REASON. Knitting your swatch including just the pattern repeat and not the balanced parts on either side will only lead to pain and anguish. And frogging.
5. I only know about one hundredth of what my little digital camera will do and I really ought to read the instruction booklet.
6. That when a vendor won't sell you any more, you've probably bought enough fibre.
7. I can remember all of the steps of Carcassian Circle, St Bernard's Waltz, Dashing White Sargeants, Strip the Willow and the Gay Gordons
8. I'm a little out of condition for Ceilidh dancing.
9. That doesn't stop me though.

Look What I Made!

Lovely batts from EverImprovingMe, styling advice from Mary Jane Mucklestone!

Lilly

A true fireside fat-cat! 23rd January 2005

What's this on my magnet? 24th September 2007


Enjoying the garden, 7th August 2008



Stella(L) and Lilly(R) 17th April 2009



Lilly's favourite mode of transport! 21st June 2009




RIP my darling Lil.

At it again!

Despite not pounding the pavementa (or treadmill) for the best part of 3 or 4 years, I've signed up for the Race for Life at Arley Hall in July, to celebrate Dad's remission. If you could spare a dime I'd really appreciate it; please sponsor me at http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/njr .

Thanks.