- Exercise at least 16 times (let's not get too carried away, since this is traditionally my month of hibernation, and I am away for two weekends. Again. And it's the 6th but I've only managed to go twice so far.)
- Lose 10lbs. Again.
- Recruit a cleaner.
- Clear out the wardrobe and organise The Tights.
- Finish the blue jumper.
- Make a good start on knitting the Christmas wreath I have my eye on. I think I need to knit 66 leaves for it. Maybe I can have knitted half by the end of the month? We'll see.
- Make some semblance of a start on Parpy Jo's black lace scarf that she requested on her birthday, in June.
- Create wider reading lists for all the units I'm teaching year 8 and 9 this year.
Wednesday, 6 November 2013
Goals for November
Tuesday, 5 November 2013
Tuesday Ten
This week....Ten Thoughts on Daylight Savings. I'm not sure I have ten thoughts on this, but here goes.
1. It's nice getting up to go to work in daylight again for a while.
2. It is pretty horrible when the rising sun over the top of Tog Hill (driving due east at this point) meets the horizon as I reach the summit. I cover 50-100 feet (no idea really - I'm terrible with distances) almost completely blind. If the road is wet, it's even worse. Thankfully, that only lasts a short while.
3. It's also a bit of a pain when driving home, directly west, as the sun sets. Thankfully (!) I seem to stay at work later these days so this is less of a hazard.
4. I do quite like darker evenings. It's a bit of a shock to start with but it's so COSY.
5. The bunny, Nause, doesn't like it in the depths of winter because he has no out-of-the-hutch time during the week. He gets a bit fractious. A couple of weeks ago he got his nose stuck in the bars of his hutch because he was trying so hard to push the door open when Mr Z was opening it.
As an aside, he does an awesome job of keeping the grass down. I haven't cut it since June. Ever since we got back from holiday and he returned from his bunny break with his previous owners, he has been eating extra hard in order to cut the jungle back, and now it's stopped growing again, he's making good progress.
6. A colleague came to work at 6.40am this morning because he forgot to change his clocks. He has a wife. And children - but clearly no smartphone or other automatically changing devices. And the biggest thing is that in this country (for any transatlantic readers) the clocks changed on October 26th, so they'd been like that all week! I'm amazed they managed it.
7. I appreciate the extra hour in bed, particularly when the change happens on a weekend during term time.
8. I also like the day or so before I get round to changing my manual clocks (of which we have only two) and when you look at the clock you think it's later than it actually is.
9. In the winter it is more difficult for my friend Beccy to Skype the UK from Australia, because when our clocks go back, theirs go forward, and the time difference is something like 13 hours which is really difficult.
10. If Scotland vote to secede next year, I reckon they will sack off British Summer Time. Whenever it comes up it always seems to be the Scottish MPs that have the biggest complaints about it. I don't really understand why, though it seems to be to do with livestock. That would be weird.
List prompt from Carole Knits, as usual. Thanks Carole!
1. It's nice getting up to go to work in daylight again for a while.
2. It is pretty horrible when the rising sun over the top of Tog Hill (driving due east at this point) meets the horizon as I reach the summit. I cover 50-100 feet (no idea really - I'm terrible with distances) almost completely blind. If the road is wet, it's even worse. Thankfully, that only lasts a short while.
3. It's also a bit of a pain when driving home, directly west, as the sun sets. Thankfully (!) I seem to stay at work later these days so this is less of a hazard.
4. I do quite like darker evenings. It's a bit of a shock to start with but it's so COSY.
5. The bunny, Nause, doesn't like it in the depths of winter because he has no out-of-the-hutch time during the week. He gets a bit fractious. A couple of weeks ago he got his nose stuck in the bars of his hutch because he was trying so hard to push the door open when Mr Z was opening it.
As an aside, he does an awesome job of keeping the grass down. I haven't cut it since June. Ever since we got back from holiday and he returned from his bunny break with his previous owners, he has been eating extra hard in order to cut the jungle back, and now it's stopped growing again, he's making good progress.
6. A colleague came to work at 6.40am this morning because he forgot to change his clocks. He has a wife. And children - but clearly no smartphone or other automatically changing devices. And the biggest thing is that in this country (for any transatlantic readers) the clocks changed on October 26th, so they'd been like that all week! I'm amazed they managed it.
7. I appreciate the extra hour in bed, particularly when the change happens on a weekend during term time.
8. I also like the day or so before I get round to changing my manual clocks (of which we have only two) and when you look at the clock you think it's later than it actually is.
9. In the winter it is more difficult for my friend Beccy to Skype the UK from Australia, because when our clocks go back, theirs go forward, and the time difference is something like 13 hours which is really difficult.
10. If Scotland vote to secede next year, I reckon they will sack off British Summer Time. Whenever it comes up it always seems to be the Scottish MPs that have the biggest complaints about it. I don't really understand why, though it seems to be to do with livestock. That would be weird.
List prompt from Carole Knits, as usual. Thanks Carole!
Monday, 4 November 2013
A small win.
I know I have already blogged once today but I wanted to make a note of this. Today at Circuits I worked so hard that (a) I almost threw up and (b) actual steam came off my face. But that's not even the best bit!
For several years now I have found myself unable to do a proper quad stretch - that one where you reach behind you and grab your own foot and stretch the front of the thigh. It has nothing to do with balance - my balance is usually quite good; I just can't reach my foot. I can grab my ankle, but not my foot. I had always been able to do it in the past, so when I lost the ability I assumed this was to do with weight or lack of flexibility or something and resigned myself to bracing my foot against a wall or chair so I could reach it.
Today, I finally managed to grab my foot. Very pleased! I can tell the difference all this exercise is making to my fitness; it's quite nice to be able to actually keep up with a whole circuits class, even if I do choose lower-impact versions of some exercises still. But it's even better when the improved fitness manifests itself in such an obvious way.
Totally going to be able to do the splits by Christmas. Maybe.
For several years now I have found myself unable to do a proper quad stretch - that one where you reach behind you and grab your own foot and stretch the front of the thigh. It has nothing to do with balance - my balance is usually quite good; I just can't reach my foot. I can grab my ankle, but not my foot. I had always been able to do it in the past, so when I lost the ability I assumed this was to do with weight or lack of flexibility or something and resigned myself to bracing my foot against a wall or chair so I could reach it.
Today, I finally managed to grab my foot. Very pleased! I can tell the difference all this exercise is making to my fitness; it's quite nice to be able to actually keep up with a whole circuits class, even if I do choose lower-impact versions of some exercises still. But it's even better when the improved fitness manifests itself in such an obvious way.
Totally going to be able to do the splits by Christmas. Maybe.
Weekend WIP
I was so desperate to have this finished by the end of this weekend! But, sadly, work got in the way.
As you can see, I am very nearly there.I finished the first sleeve on Saturday, sewed in all the ends, and sewed the collar down, so it is just the second sleeve to go. I think I probably have 60ish rows left to go.
The colour looks pretty good in this picture, particularly where the sun hits it. I think the little bits of pale yarn in the stitchwork look a bit like little waves out to sea. Perhaps it needs a new name, to reflect ocean instead of lake.
It's been very economical with the yarn. This is under four balls' worth of jumper. I am taking from two skeins for the sleeves, because one of the skeins was extremely patchy (grr) but I reckon I will have more than a skein left over, which makes it less than 900m all in. Not bad at all.
In fact, this opens up a world of possibilities for all those four-skein lots of Lorna's Laces I have...
As you can see, I am very nearly there.I finished the first sleeve on Saturday, sewed in all the ends, and sewed the collar down, so it is just the second sleeve to go. I think I probably have 60ish rows left to go.
The colour looks pretty good in this picture, particularly where the sun hits it. I think the little bits of pale yarn in the stitchwork look a bit like little waves out to sea. Perhaps it needs a new name, to reflect ocean instead of lake.
It's been very economical with the yarn. This is under four balls' worth of jumper. I am taking from two skeins for the sleeves, because one of the skeins was extremely patchy (grr) but I reckon I will have more than a skein left over, which makes it less than 900m all in. Not bad at all.
In fact, this opens up a world of possibilities for all those four-skein lots of Lorna's Laces I have...
Sunday, 3 November 2013
Crafty Photo Scavenger Hunt: October
This month's participants, along with me, are Emma and Rachie - please go along and peruse their pictures.
Something I Made
Well, it has been autumn, after all - so here is some of my gigantic stockpile of apple chutney.
Inspiration
Great big acres of blue!
I wanted something this month that reminded me of the summer holidays, which is why I started knitting the blue jumper. This is the lake it makes me think of.
Colour: Orange
I really love this colour of Cascade 220: so vibrant, so much going on - it's a real multi-layered orange. I bought and wound this to knit some pumpkins, last year. It hasn't happened yet; I am afraid the vibrancy will be lost when I felt. It might make it even better though, I suppose, as often seems to happen with Cascade when it is felted.
Motif: Cherries
I saw this shower cap in a shop window on my drive home from work some time last term. It was in an awkward place to get to, and I almost never drove past it when I had any time to linger or when it was open. Then it closed down! Boo. But luckily it reopened nearby. Hurrah! Then I went in and thought it had been sold, boo. But then I saw it was on a polystyrene head by the counter, HURRAH!
It is gloriously kitsch. I have held out against buying a shower cap for a very long time because I wanted one that was perfect. I think this is it.
Now that I have examined the label, I see that I could have bought it online, and any variety of other beautiful creations, from Dilly Daydream.
Cosy
Costa's spiced hot apple drink:
I must admit to being a bit disappointed that the "hot" was provided by a top up from the boiling water tap, and that it smelled very strongly of apple squash, but it was tasty and warming nonetheless. It made me feel very cosy when I poured it into my own mug and curled up in my chair with it. It's no Pumpkin Spiced Latte, but as long as Starbucks continue to be seemingly unaware that there is life and coffee drinkers outside of city centres, it is the best available option.
Something I Made
Well, it has been autumn, after all - so here is some of my gigantic stockpile of apple chutney.
Inspiration
Great big acres of blue!
I wanted something this month that reminded me of the summer holidays, which is why I started knitting the blue jumper. This is the lake it makes me think of.
Colour: Orange
I really love this colour of Cascade 220: so vibrant, so much going on - it's a real multi-layered orange. I bought and wound this to knit some pumpkins, last year. It hasn't happened yet; I am afraid the vibrancy will be lost when I felt. It might make it even better though, I suppose, as often seems to happen with Cascade when it is felted.
Motif: Cherries
I saw this shower cap in a shop window on my drive home from work some time last term. It was in an awkward place to get to, and I almost never drove past it when I had any time to linger or when it was open. Then it closed down! Boo. But luckily it reopened nearby. Hurrah! Then I went in and thought it had been sold, boo. But then I saw it was on a polystyrene head by the counter, HURRAH!
It is gloriously kitsch. I have held out against buying a shower cap for a very long time because I wanted one that was perfect. I think this is it.
Now that I have examined the label, I see that I could have bought it online, and any variety of other beautiful creations, from Dilly Daydream.
Cosy
Costa's spiced hot apple drink:
I must admit to being a bit disappointed that the "hot" was provided by a top up from the boiling water tap, and that it smelled very strongly of apple squash, but it was tasty and warming nonetheless. It made me feel very cosy when I poured it into my own mug and curled up in my chair with it. It's no Pumpkin Spiced Latte, but as long as Starbucks continue to be seemingly unaware that there is life and coffee drinkers outside of city centres, it is the best available option.
Saturday, 2 November 2013
October Goals Round Up
Go to the gym/a class/some exercise thing more than 15 times (thus beating September's total)
Yes. SIXTEEN! Still more than last month!
Lose 10lbs
I think I did. I have gained a little back this half term, but I'm pretty sure I got to 10.
Finish the Christmas jumper, aka "don't let the colourwork put you off"
Yes. It is finished. Looked great until I blocked it. Now looks like a festive tent.
Make a start on something else - gloves or socks or some kind of Christmassy thing. I have it in mind to knit the wreath from the latest Debbie Bliss magazine, and I want to make some more Yule trees
Yes - but none of those things. The blue jumper, instead, which I will hopefully have finished in time for a weekend FO post.
Do grandaughter duty, by phone or in person
No, I did not do this. Bad grandaughter.
Clear out the spare room
Sort of. I tidied it up. I found stuff I had unpacked from Lisbon, which I had forgotten about. It tends to be the room where I tip out my suitcase and then ignore the contents until I need them. There were still clothes from my summer holiday in the suitcase in there....but really, who needs summer holiday clothes in their real life? And who cares if I'm a slob? Really?
Visit Ikea for boxes and possible a sofa bed
Yes. I bought boxes, but no sofa bed, for the time being. Really I have to finish clearing out the spare room so there is space for the sofa bed, and so that I can arrange for someone to take our single bed away without being too embarrassed to let them in the room.
Something worky...hmm. The stuff from last month will defo have to be done this month so it feels like cheating to put it on there. Instead - plan the New Exciting Project I have conceived; find some sixth formers to run it and do the paperwork.
So, I did make a start on the New Exciting Plan but I need to chase up my collaborator who needs to get back to me before I can continue. Embarrassingly, I still haven't done the stuff from last month, and it's even more urgent now. I really did mean to do that in half term, too. Oh well. I'm greening it anyway because I did actually do the goal I had set myself.
A successful month, on the whole!
Yes. SIXTEEN! Still more than last month!
Lose 10lbs
I think I did. I have gained a little back this half term, but I'm pretty sure I got to 10.
Finish the Christmas jumper, aka "don't let the colourwork put you off"
Yes. It is finished. Looked great until I blocked it. Now looks like a festive tent.
Make a start on something else - gloves or socks or some kind of Christmassy thing. I have it in mind to knit the wreath from the latest Debbie Bliss magazine, and I want to make some more Yule trees
Yes - but none of those things. The blue jumper, instead, which I will hopefully have finished in time for a weekend FO post.
Do grandaughter duty, by phone or in person
No, I did not do this. Bad grandaughter.
Clear out the spare room
Sort of. I tidied it up. I found stuff I had unpacked from Lisbon, which I had forgotten about. It tends to be the room where I tip out my suitcase and then ignore the contents until I need them. There were still clothes from my summer holiday in the suitcase in there....but really, who needs summer holiday clothes in their real life? And who cares if I'm a slob? Really?
Visit Ikea for boxes and possible a sofa bed
Yes. I bought boxes, but no sofa bed, for the time being. Really I have to finish clearing out the spare room so there is space for the sofa bed, and so that I can arrange for someone to take our single bed away without being too embarrassed to let them in the room.
Something worky...hmm. The stuff from last month will defo have to be done this month so it feels like cheating to put it on there. Instead - plan the New Exciting Project I have conceived; find some sixth formers to run it and do the paperwork.
So, I did make a start on the New Exciting Plan but I need to chase up my collaborator who needs to get back to me before I can continue. Embarrassingly, I still haven't done the stuff from last month, and it's even more urgent now. I really did mean to do that in half term, too. Oh well. I'm greening it anyway because I did actually do the goal I had set myself.
A successful month, on the whole!
Friday, 1 November 2013
Fave Friday
A bath product, to celebrate the return of the long hot bath.
This one is a Fizzbanger, by Lush. They reckon it smells like toffee apples but don't let that put you off (I know toffee apples are luscious but I don't know many people who actually want to smell like one). It's a much more subtle perfume than that to me, a bit reminiscent of one of their old Be Never scents, Love. Or, more precisely, the accompanying Love Apple bath product.
The thing I like the most about this one though is that it lingers. I wash my hair in the bath when I use this and then I get a swish of the scent every time I flick my hair about the next day. Which is a lot, because it smells good. It becomes a bit like this -
Except, obviously, I am not surrounded by adoring stares, but annoyed children, stuck with their work and unable to attract my attention.
This one is a Fizzbanger, by Lush. They reckon it smells like toffee apples but don't let that put you off (I know toffee apples are luscious but I don't know many people who actually want to smell like one). It's a much more subtle perfume than that to me, a bit reminiscent of one of their old Be Never scents, Love. Or, more precisely, the accompanying Love Apple bath product.
The thing I like the most about this one though is that it lingers. I wash my hair in the bath when I use this and then I get a swish of the scent every time I flick my hair about the next day. Which is a lot, because it smells good. It becomes a bit like this -
Except, obviously, I am not surrounded by adoring stares, but annoyed children, stuck with their work and unable to attract my attention.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)