Where have I been?

Only 10 days until I start my PGCE. Am feeling vastly underprepared at the moment, as the tidying of my room and house has been like opening a can of worms, and is still continuing since my last blog, but I hope things are improving, well I can definitely see my bedroom floor now, and several bags of stuff have (and are to) left the house. Am awaiting the arrival of my laptop, which is kindly being lent to me by my dear sister, and I hope then, that things will improve!

However, I had a lovely time in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire last week or so. Kath's new flat is fantastic and even has a larder, and the village she's moved to Chadlington is simply glorious. It really does seem to have everything. After intense painting sessions on Saturday, Christine, Andrew and Matt arrived from London and joined in the fray. At long last, we stopped for dinner, a lovely beef stew served on a makeshift table crafted by Christine and myself (consisting of a cardboard box, a shoe box and several catalogues, nicely hidden by a table cloth. After dinner, we got out the crafting materials and between us, improvised an impressive 12 wedding invitations for Christine's wedding, all incorporating the theme of silver organza, pink and hearts.

As we went to sleep on airbeds, I was in the same room as Christine and Andrew, and caused myself considerable pain by trying to smother my laughter into my pillow at the prolific and varied variety and indeed sheer volume of Andrew's snoring (I mean, wouldnt it scare you if someone was laughing manically in the same room as you trying to sleep?!)

Sunday morning, I skipped off to church in the village, which was actually a baptisimal service in the gardens of a wealthy Chadlington inhabitant as opposed to the church, with a baptism in the swimming pool. It was a lovely and blessed experience which I felt priviledged to be at, and certainly the first time I have ever had communion by a swimming pool! I then had the opportunity to talk to some 'villagers' over tea and even discovered a lady whose daughter is studying at the IoE!

Sunday night Kath and I returned to Gloucester where I stayed until Monday afternoon, returning to London laden with green gages, plums, beans, tomatoes, peppers, beetroot, apples and courgettes courtesy of the cheap, delicious roadside organic shop. I also enjoyed the priviledge of meeting a cat called Lola!

Thursday was lovely as I spent a lovely afternoon playing flute quartets in Danbury, which was a blessed relief, as I have barely touched my flute all holiday and really needed to!

Monday was the Music Camp 150th Anniversary, where I saw many friends, sang Mozart Requiem, a lovely Haiku by Vonnipops and even played my flute in Schubert's Unfinished. I realise that the title probably gave it away, but I was surprised to turn the page at the end of the Second movement and find that was the end- DOH! Seems like they had a fab time, and I was sad to have missed the rendition of Zadok the Priest on kazoos!
Right, I must go back to tidying, oooooh, and Neighbours- I could get used to this holiday lark!

Off to Coventry tomorrow to see Rach!!!!!! Hurrah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A feeling of HORROR, of DISMAY, of SHOCK, of feeling like a MONSTER

So it all began last night, during my crafting material audit. This was a none-to-unpleasant side-effect, sorry necessity of stopping the stampede of entropy taking over my house (It's either the mess or me). I released a large box which was full of random craft items which has been lurking under my bed, along with various other large boxes stuffed miscellaneously around the house (this aside to the more organised craft supplies) and started to sort them out on the living room floor. This included colour coding all scraps of card and paper and bits (usually cut from a pretty piece of packaging, or a tissue box...) into folders. And I felt completely overwhelmed, as I have far more materials than any large colony of crafters could want for an entire life-time, and filled with horror at the level of THINGS which I have. I got rid of loads of stuff, but still there's stacks. And I have to admit it:

I....


AM....


A...


CRAFT MATERIALAHOLIC.


Please, please, please, if you are ever near me when shopping, or speak to me, if I display any intention whatsoever of buying craft materials, STOP me. Do whatever neccessary, just do not let me near any more.

AHRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

However, it isn't all bad...

Becaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaause:

"Mummy's taking me to a Spa tomorrow,
Spa tomorrow, Spa tomorrow.
Mummy's taking me to a Spa tomorrow,
We can stay all day.

We're going to a Spa, Spa, Spa
Ladi da da da
Smug, yes we are, are are
We're going to a Spa, Spa Spa!!!!!!!!!"



Oh, and also am off to Gloucester and some random village in Oxfordshire for the weekend to stay with lovely Kathy, to enjoy lovely countryside, decorate her new flat, walk, make wedding invitations (legitimate excuse for buying specific craft materials earlier). Yipppeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Fear

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahrgh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There was this one time at band camp...

I have returned from another magical week at 'Band Camp'. It was different from other times but still good fun. Highlights include:
- An After Cocoa performance of Fanfare for the Camper Van , that famous Copland fanfare as you've never heard it arranged for handchimes in honour of the first outing of Beryl Jones new camper van. Having spent a happy hour chatting to Beryl in said camper van I can deem it worthy of such an honour.
- Sitting singing one to a part madrigals in a glade (not a dell or a copse, but definitely a glade) with several lovely people. Listened to by a wandering Monkjack. It reminded me of just how much fun singing can be when not in a large choir!
- Listening to a beautiful After cocoa performance of some Vaughn Williams and Finzi songs which were sabotaged by some randy Gliss-glisses (edible doormice) who were indulging in some rodent action in the rafters of the roof. I'm not sure if Mrs Gliss-gliss was too happy about this, as she was squeaking and scampering around in some very alarmed manner for some minutes and seemed ready to leap off the rafters. I had to sit with holding my nose and mouth to ensure that no laughter could erupt from me. Felt rather like a time bomb.
- Going to church-in-the-park on Sunday for a beautiful peaceful 8am service with my friends. It's a stunning exhibition of the beauty of God's creation. We returned to the cards to find them surrounded by amorous cows who had been licking the windows.
- A blessed time singing songs of praise with Oliver, Juliet and Robin- amazing!
- Telling someone that I liked around 3 years ago that I once liked him. Have never done that before and feel remarkably at ease now. Hope he doesnt think I still like him!
- Noticing for the first time, how beautiful moths can be. There was one who had markings rather like a Mr Kipling bakewell tart and another metallic looking one.
- My showing of bravery when confronted with arachnids. I woke up to find a large tabby spider poised above me in my tent. I shooed her out and only uttered cries when she leapt back in again. Firmly ejected her (Alive- I don't kill them) under the side of the tent. (Unfortunately it ended when confronted with 3 VERY large black evil looking spiders on the last night when there were only 10 of us left, as I moved my towel, I screamed so loudly it was heard from a distance away. Ah well)
- A Touch of Venus by Kurt Weill. Fantastic show. For any snobs who think that only Weill's German works are good- you are wrong! Oooh and some fantastic 'modern' art work was produced for the set!
- Playing Stravinsky's Song of the Nightingale everytime the flute had any birdy flourishes a very melodic bird outside responded. I experienced reactions similar to the Gliss-gliss episode.
- Singing Scheiber Yugoslavian folksongs with Tom and Schutz Sacred works. Beautiful beautiful beautiful!!!
- Getting to wash up the bowls and spoons from the making of chocolate profeterols for 110 people. You can imagine the amount of residue chocolate and cream!
-'Trying' to play 2nd clarinet for Tschaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet overture. It all started so well...