For Mise

Mise has, as always, pronounced le mot juste in the her commentary on mon petit bloggisme. I wasn't thinking of cake stands per se, except that obviously subliminally I was. I am delighted!


Maybe if any old subbing money ever leaves County Hall and discovers the location of my non-Swiss bank account I'll get the Portia cake stand. This would be suitably appropriate after a part-time month of coaxing Year 9 through A Merchant of Venice.

This is the cake stand I'd send to Mise. Elegant perfection. Cake only to be served by lady-at-home in hat to match surrounded by an intelligent but still cake-appreciating circle of fine acquaintances.

Or perhaps we need something for Valentine's Day?
If a cake stand did appear, and actually, what a fine idea, it would perhaps be one of these.
Which one do you want? I'll ring County Hall tomorrow...

Greatitudes 451- 470

Oh dear, 'twould seem 'twas November last when last I moved through blessings bestowed towards the one thousand goal. This is not good. And really I have a cosy home, a breath-taking family, interesting friends, much to do and the health with which to do it.

And also. Over the last month, suddenly and slightly overwhelmingly, I have been asked to sub. In two schools over five weeks now, and I have even been able to choose how many days I want to do and which ones. I have turned days down, and still been rung again. This is more than I can comprehend, and to be honest it is certainly more than slightly stressful, but nonetheless, I have discovered that not only can I still speak French/understand Shakespeare/know a paragraph from a parenthesis, but also teach it, and I do not dissolve into water at just any blast of teenage hot air. Oh no, it takes more than one blast of that. I get wobbly after five...

So. There we go! I am deeply grateful to Angela for all encouraging advice on the life of the substitute teacher. I am deeply, deeply grateful for the procession of local friends who enthusiastically offer school runs and for the willingness of grandmothers to spend a whole hour toasting pancakes and resolving conflict. I am tearfully grateful for a Prince Charming who will leap into action as the phone rings and pick up the slack, and will appear unexpectedly at the leisure centre straight after the latest phone call just when the thought of organising logistics as well as sitting through a swimming lesson is just too much!

Back at the strawberry ranch I am grateful for the excitement of a new slow cooker toy with which admittedly I have played only once, for tulips from HB and a very cheery cherry cake, for a super night at Book Club last week that resulted in a great idea for next time (see next time), and a homework that called for strawberries.

Finally, do you still have snow? I am determined to be thankful that we haven't had to clear our paths, grit our drives, rush outside with sledges and tubs for snowfort bricks. I am trying hard to remember that my parents can get around safely, that roads are not treacherous, and that it is gorgeous to bask in warm sun in February. However, I am also very grateful that Jo has "In the snow" as one of his reading books this week. Living vicariously is better than living entirely without!

Hooks amid books

Is it snowing where you are? Gosh, the weather from England does look wintry! But still snowless here. Lots of cold rain and grey skies, I gather from the safety of windows, not having been out all day! Did I ripple? No. Did I read? Well, yes, a bit. I finished The Blessing this morning while men were at rugby and I had gone back to bed with two croissants and a refusal to open curtains. Mostly since then I have avoided the presence of copious boys and school-friends playing hide and seek all over the house!

My utter lack of ripple progress was plainly seen on Wednesday night. Three of us are crocheting at breaktime now. Patricia is our guru, and Heather Boss claimed to be the novice. However, I think we can agree that I am sternly in the catch-up category, given that HB's blanket (hanging below my sad attempt) is now finished and she was that night working on its successor, and Patricia's blanket is actually her third project since we all started hookery in the bookery shortly before Christmas.

Come on, Mags, give yourself a shake!

A wool shop and Wexford

This is where I was on Friday morning when I should have been at home packing for a weekend in gorgeous Gorey! Hence the dusk departure from the city!



Too warm for snow. Too cold for surf. It's definitely turning into Jo's winter of discontent!

One wedding and a marryoke...

Barra and the book of snow

This is Barra Best. He is our BBC weather man and I love his name. He did warn us, Jo. He did say that those who were hoping for another white Christmas would be disappointed.But we still are. One of us cries if the word itself is mentioned. Now, don't feel the need to burst our snowball. I believe that nothing divides us like snow. Not politics, gender, class or even our opinion of Cath Kidston. It's just that, in the immortal words of our Mick Inkpen, "Kipper was very positive about snow."
So instead of Amazoning times tables and time: the telling of, I am looking at all the lovely books about snow. Some I might even read.

But this one, this one we are reading night by breathtaking night. It's our snow dance. I think the fascinating author would approve...

Just to say

My goodness- here we all are in another year! Just to say anything other than what I have said before to have a new thing to glance at when I arrive here to read what you are saying! Incoherent? Yes, I fear so- too many late mornings, late nights and much too much food and vin to fit into the dress hanging upstairs for the Big Family Wedding on Thursday.

No great philosophy here yet on the old new year thing. Need to get past boys' new term tomorrow, Wedding on Thursday,and then maybe I'll try some coherent thought at the weekend. In between taking down decorations- I have promised Mattman that we can wait until after 6th to see if we turn into goblins. I think my transformation may already be underway...

Have you seen Frances' quilt, read Scarlet's recent posts, counted down through Different Drum's list of books? And it's nearly time for the Willows to go European- no time for resolution in the face of such inspiring distraction!