Dedicated to Sainte Angela du Nounours Habillé

Reims 2009. God is on our side!

Day 30: It is finished!

Phew! Thirty days of making things- I'm sure it didn't at all count if you just made lots of the same thing over and over again, but some of us just don't have Angela's versatility of craft!

We were all very pleased with the results, however! I would hasten to add that there were nearly as many bottles of wine as apples, and we went clinking into school this morning in a hideously inappropriate way for the nice, local Primary School!

Other things are finishing with the month as well. I think that being a very part-time term-time Information assistant at the nice, local University library (it's a nice, local suburb, really!) disqualifies you as a REAL stay-at-home mother, but there will be no more structured (regularly paid) teaching for the foreseeable future.

What I have loved about crocheting masses of apple cosies, has been the reassuring sense of moving gently around and around a growing reflection of the turning earth, the revolving seasons, the time for everything. My first attempt in the month of making was an attempt to recall the possibilities in creation from someone who most assuredly knows what He is making. My last attempts will be showcased tomorrow- one month over, the new one starts.

Most importantly, it's the holidays for us all as of 12.15 today, which can only mean one thing- down to the library for this year's Summer Reading Challenge!

days 22 and 23 Gift tags and radio and TV!

This has been a very exciting week, dear readers! And for reasons I shall discuss tomorrow, it shouldn't have been so at all!

We were interviewed at 8.40 am on Good Morning, Ulster, and then all appeared on BBC1 Newsline at 1.30pm. Our road safety campaigning group- three walking buses coming down the road with 200 of our pupils and their parents. Three count stations, media coverage, our local Stormont MLA- bless you, Alastair Ross, and sunshine for the first time all week. I don't believe in coincidence!

Lots of gift tag making for teachers just now, for two establishments. Must get back to the ribbon. If you'd like to hear a squeaky middle aged woman ranting in the voice of an irate 8 year old, move the Radio Ulster timer on to 2:05:30....

Days 20 and 21: Solstice

So it's the longest day. Last year Prince Charming and I were enjoying this, but this year we are enjoying torrential rain and all is grey!

Black and white photography is definitely not grey, when it looks like the above. Darragh Casey, photographer and parent at the suns' school, has started the visual campaign. So, between making a difference and making apple cosies, and the usual, the making month goes on, the earth turns, and life revolves.

Darragh's website is fabulous- in the Exhibition section there are very beautiful portaits of poets and authors alike. More than enough to brighten a grey night!

Days 18 and 19 An apple for each teacher

Do you know when we got to town yesterday we walked straight into an empty space on the pavement on Royal Avenue just in time for the Lord Mayor's Parade to go drumming, dancing, waving past? And I can't tell you what a joy it is to hear the loud, booming beat of drums other than the old ones resounding through those streets!

Anyway on Days 18 and 19 I made three apple cozies. Three down, nine to go. Because not only is it an apple for each teacher (and they're both in job-share classes), they also have two classroom assistants each, and then there's the school nurse (who worries about inhalers and epipens when I don't have to), the school secretary (who is worried by me), and when they saw the things taking shape they thought of Mr W Principal who apparently eats an apple every day in the dining hall, and they'd like him to benefit too. They each want him to benefit too.

Thankfully there were also bright cheery cherries, and lots of them! And thanks to Gladsome Lights, and Pom Pom, and the others- yours looked/sounded luscious too!

A cherry challenge for a cheery weekend!

Pom Pom has a big bowl of cherries today, and Gretchen Joanna has just bought some too. I'm heading into town with everyone soon, and now have cherries on my list as well! I think we should all eat cherries today and post luscious pictures! I'm buying mine in Sawyer's, my favourite tiny speciality shop in my favourite tiny speciality street where maybe we'll even eat lunch in my favourite tiny speciality cafe. Mmmm- have a cheery cherry weekend, bloggistes!

Day 17: I made it!

I made it to the end of today- this is cause for great celebration; please have even a little whoop of something on my behalf! After work we made gingerbread men. (The flying elephant is so Chagall, n'est-ce pas? Not to mention the dancing Matisse lady on the right!!)

Then we played Junior Scrabble, and I made it to the end of Divorcing Jack in between goes! Then I made it eventually to Book Club, Divorcing Jack ringing in my ears as I drove. Not quite hot off the press- in fact, when we met Colin Bateman last night I felt quite sheepish when he asked which book we were reading for tonight, and we said Divorcing Jack (published in 1994) and he said, "Oh. The first one."

It has been a veritable rollercoaster of a day in my land- I do hope your weekend is beginning with much more peace and tranquillity! And speaking of peace and tranquillity (Yeats reference alert) tomorrow I must arise and go then, and go into town to find a fabulous Father's Day present. No. I'm not making one! If I make up the paper bunting for my giveaway I shall be extremely satisfied- last chance to comment here!