Things I've loved this summer

Ok, let's just clarify that it is STILL SUMMER, no matter what the weather, the month, the bloggers of this world, the world in general, may think! But since it IS getting rather less summery, I thought I'd share my summer highlights- I saw the idea at Second Hand Susie!

1. Going to TWO mazes in the space of the week. 2 ticked off from my 'Mazes I want to visit' list.Yes, that's  real list!

2.  Runner bean success!!!! Up till today,I have harvested about 138 runner beans!

It's the first time I've grown veg by myself.  The carrots were successful too- the courgettes have been plagued by snails and slugs though I had one or two! I also have to say that concentrating on gardening has led me to spend time with my Mum - it was lovely to garden with her with excitable chatter or companionable silence!

3.  Igor Stravinsky violin concerto! Nicest flute part of the week at Music Camp.  Also loved playing Beethoven's 6th symphony, conducted by Tom, from the same parts we used when I last performed it with him conducting. It was like returning home!

4.  Walking on the Rannadale knots and paddling in Lake Crummock Water again with CBC and WOMOTM, my two favourite walking partners!

5.  Haltwhistle outdoor pool- it was lovely swimming there again after about 3 years!

6.  The best letter ever from my penpal KT- it was like a treasure hunt! An A3 sheet with numbered coloured shapes on which I had for  the subsequent numbered section!

7.  Going back to Barter Books in Alnwick!

 Loved it- ate cake, came home with several Whodunnits that I'd not heard of- Michael Bond, Monseur Pamplemousse, A Daisy Dalrymple book, The Moving toyshop and more!

8. Mammoth card-making sessiions! One of my favourite holiday activities! I made about 15 and it was great!

9. Giggling in the car with CBC about something ridiculous-not sure what but it was funny!

10.  CBC spotting a cloud that looked like an eagle! He pointed it out which surprised me since he usually groans at my, "Looooook, it's a cloud shaped like a t-rex!"-style exclamations!


11.  Cat time with Chloe! Even if she meow for England!

12.  Making an apple and blackberry crumble with apples from my Mum's friend Lin's garden and the blackberries I picked from the brambles which are pulling down the fence at the back of my garden. They're finally useful for a reason!  And the fact I got away with using veeeeeeeeeerry out of date flour in the mix without CBC suspecting! Don't tell him!

13.  Making a vegetable soup on a miserable day using my own carrots, runner beans, courgette and then adding onions, tomatoes, lentils and macaroni! It was really nice and made CBC say this is how Minestrone should be!

14.  Watching about 120 Lost episodes on DVD and Youtube- so nice to see Jack, Kate, Locke, Sawyer and co again and wonder about what the smoke monster was, what was down the Hatch and who The Others were!  I did this whilst making cards.

15.  Making my first skirt! SO proud of myself!!!


16.  Being a bookseller on Words on Water for 15 minutes!


There are so many, but these were some of the best!
What were your Summer highlights?

xx

10 things to be thankful for: 25/7/2013

1.  Oh joy of joys!  The end of term today!!!!!
2.  The comaradery and friendship at my school.  We shared a picnic together after fire training which was a lovely opportunity to chill and eat nice food together
3.  The skills and the kindness of friends and colleagues:  I wasn't totally happy with the trial I had with the hairdresser and one of the TAs who is training in beauty saw the picture I was hoping for and said she'd have a go at doing it and today she tried it out during breaktime.  I was really pleased with what she did with it- she's so clever!
4.  The anticipation of a lie in!
5.  The opportunity to see my lovely little sister tomorrow! (Who incidentally, is making my name cards for my wedding!! She's coming to try out her adjusted bridesmaid dress.)
6.  The opportunity to share with others. I have currently got 5 bunches of flowers in my house which were given to me as gifts.  I only have 2 vases.  I took a bunch to a friend tonight (stating the situation) and she was really pleased with them!  Hurrah!
7.  My homegroup from church.  There were only 4 of us tonight, but I do love them. I really felt we learnt something tonight which I don't want to lose but to carry through.
8.  Cold showers:  yep, my boiler is still broken (only because I haven't called the plumber back after his first attempt) but the cold showers have been just the ticket!
9. Appreciation from children.  Reeally does make a difference!
10.  The joy and blessings of a colleague's daughter being engaged and having achieved a wonderful, perfect new job at the same time.  She also won a designer wedding dress in a competition.  God has blessed her for her patience and honouring him!

What are you thankful for?

52 weeks of happy- flowers, caravans and Atomic Mildred!

1.  I was so happy to meet the lovely Miss Simmonds Says on Sunday at my weekend Music Camp performance.  It is really surreal to meet another blogger but really cool!  We didn't get a huge amount of time to chat but it was so so lovely to meet her and she is just as lovely, if not nicer, in real life!!! Plus her hair is the most awesome thing ever!!!  Thanks so much for coming Clare, it was a delight and I hope to meet you again another time soon!


2.  Speaking of camping, the rampant wildlife was a beauty to behold at the weekend.  There were flowers in abundance.  Everything was green and verdant.











It was lovely to sit in the arboretum and sitting doing some cross-stitch (yes, you heard that right!  Crafty-blog link ups have somehow inspired me to try new things!)
The sun shone and it was beautiful despite one or two cold spells.
It was a sheer pleasure to see friends old and newer and be with them in my happy place, a place that is so familiar for me, a place that rarely changes.  For me, a person who likes things to stay the same, it is always special, always meaningful.  It is always there, those friendships remain, those opportunities to make beautiful music remain, those ties remain.  Though much else may change, it will always be there, I am certain!

3.  I thought it was appropriate that the Apprentice was about caravans as I got to sleep in my friend Ellie's caravan this weekend as I arrived too late to put up a tent.  It was sheer luxury to be there and to have a heated caravan with hot water, toilet, bed, curtains so it wasn't light and to share it with a friend! Her caravan is beautiful!

4.  Oh my year 3 recorders!!!! They've been doing composition tasks based on road rhythms, making their own melodies!  Today, they created really successful pieces which made me really happy!!! I shall quite miss teaching them the recorder next year!

5.  We had a borough-wide singing festival today which I took my choir to.  They sang beautifully, we had a jolly good time. Their solo went really well, and though at the time, I wasn't sure how well it came across, and thought the other schools sang amazingly! However, several people came up and asked me how on earth I managed to get my children to sing in 4part harmony with completely independent lines.  I am lucky that my children this year are just not phased by singing harmony lines and indeed, really enjoy the challenge.  I also looked at the other school choirs and noticed there weren't more than 3 boys in other school choirs.  I looked and noticed that I had 9 boys- so glad that this is something that has changed in my choir 'demographic'.  It's a good thing if it is appealing to boys!

What's made you happy this week, apart from looking at sweetie earrings of course!? ;-)
xx

Happy talk, keep talking happy talk.

Happy:

Happy that 1+1=1

Happy that I have done 4 hours of dance this week

Happy that I have spent time with CBC.

Happy to have spent time with my sister.

Happy to have seen my Dad and Stepmum twice in a week.

Happy that I can sleep in in the mornings.

Happy that I bought a necklace for my wedding with my stepmum.

Happy that I have resisted the lure and temptation of buying new clothes except for a red sailor dress!

Happy that it is only 2 months until my wedding.  Just over.

Happy that it is half term.

Happy that I am making cat shoes.

Happy that I can invite family friends to the wedding who I thought I didn't have room for.

Happy that CBC makes nice dinner involving salmon, peppers, chickpeas, leeks, asparagus and that thing that looks like garlic that I can't remember what it is called! 

Happy that you're reading this.  

Happy that I know you!

What about you?x

Proud



And it's when I see these photos that I realise I rock up to school in creased item most days.  Peter pan collar checked shirt- Topshop via Charity shop, skirt- Monsoon, boots - Primark, amethyst earrings and pendant- presents, cardie- F&F



Tonight was my borough's Recorder Festival.  I took a group of 15 children there last year for the first time.  It's something I took part in myself every year for 11 years of my young life (7-18).  It's been quite hard getting them together this year: the year 4's were particularly flaky (or their parents were) but to my joy, all 18 children arrived on time.  They played really well, including our solo which they danced a Tudor dance to before playing a 3-part harmony version of Branle des Sabots.  I really do love my borough for things like this- they offer excitement, focus and an outlet for what I do. It's a great incentive and I am blessed to teach in my borough which has such a good name for music.  My recorder group started off this year with around 38 children and there are currently about 25 children in it, so I have lost some but still a good core.  My best recorder player in Year 6 (woe is me- she is leaving!) has a younger sister who joined the group at the start of the year but decided to 'quit' (urgh, can't stand the way they use that term!) which I thought was a GREAT shame because she has potential (she plays the piano and is my percussion player in orchestra) but I asked her to play the tambour drum for our solo so she came along (and ended up playing percussion parts for other pieces).  I gave her my spare recorder to play, seen as she was sitting there and yipppeeee, I have persuaded her to come back to the club after half-term holiday!  You have no idea how happy I am (and her Mum who is very musical!).  One other funny event of the evening was, I had to take a stream of children to visit the toilet and I was waiting outside for them and one of the Mums came. She sent her twin boys into the loo together and appararently, they like to go to the loo together, one on either side of the bowl, so she told me! I found this hilarious! Apparently, one pees on the other one sometimes! Still really funny!!!!

The day was also proud for me because one of my recorder classes (year 3) who have been learning the recorder, very well all year, gave a performance to Nursery and reception (3-5 years old).  They played 7 recorder pieces and sang and danced 2 songs.  They did absolutely magnificently and were so hyped about it.  Definitely something I want to repeat with other year groups! The other year 3 class is performing the same pieces to Year 1 and the afternoon nursery lot tomorrow afternoon so I look with alacrity towards this! (this is definitely part of my 52 weeks of happy!)

52 weeks of happy 16-5-2013

1.  CBC had a job interview today and got the job!!!!!
2.  My teeth are white again thanks to my dentist- yucky corsydol had stained my teeth.  It's brilliant for gums but not for nice white teeth!
3.  I had an amazing weekend last weekend- my concert went really well, really well, it was amazing to take part in, such gorgeous fluty pieces.  The conductor sent me the loveliest e-mail earlier about my playing which was really really touching and kind,

And 7 lovely people came to watch it including
CBC...

...WKWTTG
,
My work colleague B and her husband B and my lovely blogging friend Denise who came along with her lovely friend N and her daughter I finally got to meet Denise which was lovely.  She was just as beautiful and lovely as she was on her blog and so friendly!!! Thanks soooo much for coming Denise, it was soooo nice to meet you!!!


4.  I've been eating eggs and bacon all week from my friend's small holding - she's been selling them as this is what she's doing now and they are delicious! All the more so because I bought them from a friend!  Sorry veggies...



What's made you happy this week???

*Not my red wine by the way- just holding it for CBC- yeuch, red wine!!!

52 weeks of happy today!

1. Wooop, woop, my orchestra got a mention on a Guardian blog post!  It's about our soloist, but still, tis nice to have a mention!  Tres excited that I get to meet one of my blogging friends, Denise, tonight at the concert!

2. Last night, we went swing-dancing at a church in Primrose Hill, which a friend of CBC's had invited us to!  It was a surprisingly brilliant venue for it! The church space is really versatile and we had a huge amount of space to dance.  A small, friendly crowd who had lots of fun.  I danced with a couple of guys who have learnt Ceroc, a French form of jive, I believe, which was really interesting and did a couple of fun dips with CBC's friend.  CBC and I danced lots and practised some moves.  There was a bit of a slippery-slip in the middle of the church- a super-slidy tiled section, which made for some interesting skids!   I really enjoyed it and it was nice to dance in such a scenic setting.
The highlight was seeing the vicar (female), finally relent and dance rather brilliantly with our friend -she'd not swingdanced before!
3.  Invitations are out in the post and we've already had some replies!
4.  Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra with Year 4- FINALLY perfected the worksheet for the first lesson- they seemed to enjoy watching the piece!
5.  The gorgeous blossom around- it's SOOOOOOOO beautiful and I never fail to be overwhelmed by its splendour!

What's made you happy?

52 weeks of happy 15 does Friday letters

Dear Spring,
Thank you for allowing me to walk home coatless and to be able to wear Spring outfits!  I am enjoying it!



Dear Flowers,
You are so beautiful!  Thank you for gracing me with your presence, colour and vivacity!



Dear Freezer and cupboards,
Long have you held great mysteries.  What unknown depths must I explore in the coming months?  Let's enjoy this adventure of freeing food from your icy-prison and combining you with hidden items from the more temperate cupboard and combining you with lovely fresh salad to make pleasing meals!



Dear Debenhams at Taunton,
Thank you for sending me my beautiful wedding shoes.  I love them, they fit really nicely and I love you all the more for handwriting the parcel and obviously cobbling together what packing materials you could in order for my shoes to reach me safely!

Dear Aaron Copland,
Another composer who I admire and wish I could have met!  I adore your music.  Thank you for giving me and my Year 4 class a serene and beautiful afternoon of Appalachian Spring listening and inspiring us to compose

Linking to Friday letters with Ashley

52 weeks of happy (possibly 11- haven't got a clue!)

Hey! Lots of happy stuff this week (Stuff, the word that is the bane of the teacher trying to produce articulate children with high levels of oracy!  On the Ire-scale it is closely followed by thingie and thing)


1. Need I say, that Lindy-hop dance (and in fact swing dance in general- the shag and charleston too!) have been the highlight of my week!  Here I am dancing with a lovely old chap who kindly dances with me every time I see him despite him being really good and me being not so!)


2.  Finally wearing my birthday dress- the Cath Kidston train dress I hoped for (with a red petticoat underneath!).  However, then our eyes met across a crowded dance room and we noticed we were wearing the same dress!  We laughed lots and couldn't resist the opportunity for a twin photo!  Also, Char was wearing hers on Saturday too I think!!!!)


3.  Making really nice meals to come home to this week:  Salmon teriyaki with sweet potato mash with peas and sweetcorn on Monday (plus chinese leaf cabbage which I unfortunately consumed before plating!).  Wednesday- chicken fillet with chives and roasted with leeks, roast potatoes,  (and again, sweet corn and chinese leaf cabbage was consumed beforehand as I was in a hurry!).  A shame my camera battery died tonight as I had a smashing Chipolata, onion and tomato bake with boiled potatoes (with butter) and you've guessed it- chinese leaf cabbage (and peas!) with oodles of coriander on top

4.  Coriander!  Oh how I adore it!  It amused me greatly that as soon as I had left the Self-service checkout at Tescos, I greedily ate handfuls of the plant, much to the bemusement of shoppers entering the shop! It's quite fun being weird sometimes! Excuse Mr Aloe Vera who wanted in on the photo action!

5.  Over the top blingie jewellery inspired by Kate Middleton ring (Peacocks and Primark respectively) which prompted loads of 'Diana and Kate' comments.  Oh and finding a hat (handknitted by friend) in my collection that hasn't been shared on this blog (actually there are still a few that haven't!  Despite the fact I've shown about 45 on her)

What has made you happy this week???



Linking up to Claire Justine oxo

52 weeks of happy (9?)

Hello amigos!  How are you?  Happy and spring-like I do hope! 
1. I am feeling very positive, it really does feel, at for the last two days, like it's really becoming Spring! Sun in the sky, clear skies, I couldn't believe that I was able to wear a dress today with just leggings and a coat over the top and felt comfortable, not cold in the slightest- that's something definite to feel happy about!
When I came out into the garden to take these photos, I couldn't resist the temptation to jump about!  CBC thinks I am totally silly when I take photos of me jumping but part of me loves the challenge of trying to catch a jump on the timer and seeing how high I can go! It's a childish challenge game really!  I did try to do a jete though, for another shot and that hurt without warm-up, so better not to be too exuberant!!!
(Wearing my Orla Keilly Peter-pan collar dress- tres comfy with Primark leggings and sand-beret and turquoise Toms!)
The day was good- I ended up watching the woodwind quintet from the music service twice with my two classes as they came in to give a recital to the KS1 and KS2 classes I took!  The morning was spent with Year 3 who created their own lovely arrangements of 'Jelly on the plate' in 4-part harmony on the recorders! It really was nice!



Clockwise from top left:
2.  Buying fresh eggs from my double-bass playing friend at orchestra last night- she lives on a small-holding now and sells all manner of fresh and organic products- these eggs were HUGE!!!!
3. On Saturday, we went out in town and considering I was at a Gamelan rehearsal all day and I had gone to CBC's in a cricket jumper, sheepskin boots and red chinos (the turquoise cardie was from the previous night), this was not suitable. Thus, I just had to nip into Primarni on my way home to find something to wear in a hurry- I ended up with this pretty lace dress, black tights and nude ballet pumps and CBC thought it was a good idea, didn't tell me off! That made me happy! I've kind of liked the idea of a lace-dress in a light colour for a long while now! That also made me happy!
4.  Gorgeous birthday present from my deputy-head at school- she's missed her vocation as a personal shopper- how perfect is this White rabbit from Alice in Wonderland necklace?!?!
5.  More gamelan rehearsals to look forward to, and I can practice at home- I should really sweep the dust off my Pemade!!!!
6.  During the break, we wandered down Whitecross street and saw these hoardings covering up building work!  What a good idea, painting cute animals on them to make it look pretty rather then derelict!  They made me happy!
7. During the night out in town- a quite pub in which I could actually hear what was being said rather than lip-reading and smiling and nodding whilst not having a clue! They had bar billiards in this particular one! I'd not heard of that until Heston made an edible version of it!


What's making you happy??

52 weeks of happy! (2 week catch up!)

I don't really have any photos but...

1.  Swing dancing last week at the 100 club to a live swing band- Hot Waffle Band! So much fun!  Simon Selmon admiring my new hat!!!
2.  Cath Kidston train dress I received for my birthday! And some other really thoughtful pressies I was given!  Including a newly crocheted floppy hat from my Mummy!
3.  Nearly every child in the school wishing me a happy birthday when they met me!!!
4.  One of my year 6 English booster class telling me I am a good teacher!
5.  Unexpectedly finding the opportunity to get my drumming club to give a performance to the afternoon nursery class at the end of the day  And then realising that we had to go across the playground through all the parents to get back to the hall for our rehearsal. And impromptually giving a samba performance to all the parents.  Who all crowded round the stage and watched excitedly!And how excited the drumming club were!!! And me!!!  And what a fun rehearsal we had after!
6. Ugly Betty series 4 on DVD- my Christmas present from my sister!  I love seeing all these episodes I've never seen!!!
7.  The lovely, lovely 3 people who decided to follow my blog in the last 2 days- Emma-Kate, Sue and Sarah Evans!  How lovely and kind of you!!!!! (And to all you other lovelies who have too!)
8. Creating a beans on toast for luynch at school which was the envy of the staffroom (as far as beans on toast envy can go?) Salt-and-pepper bloomer with a layer of rocket, beans on top, goats cheese above that and a side of cherry tomatoes!  It was MOST tasty!
9.  Ravel's Mother Goose, Empress of the Pagodas  with year 4- I adore his music!
10.  Managing to find a solution to a problem which was found not by me but I got to 'sort' the final stage which was nice!

What has made you happy?

52 weeks of happy: 5?

This is a little over-due!
What has made me happy the past week? (meaning last week! I am a little behind!)
Many things many of which connect to not being at school- wonderful, blissful holidays!

Clockwise from top left:

1.  This picture combines lots of happy things:
a) it being half-term, meaning b) I could travel to my friend's birthday c) her happening to live in a gorgeous town on the Thames d) the fact I love rivers and water e) it was sunny
2.  CBC's cooking:  Delicious fish pie with beans, radishes and cabbage, delicious.
3.  Spring flowers:  We're not quite there yet,but these cheerful yellow ladies were brightening up the graveyard in Blackmore.
4. Interesting architecture and stucco-work (?) :   I loved the nursery rhyme characters on this house in Blackmore!
5.  Rediscovering old friends:  I found Crabbe and also Kreeket (bat. Get it?) and Pinky (Panther), not pictured who now have seats of honour:  Oh and that's CBC under there. Crabbe's friendly.
6.  Jamming with CBC- great fun playing music together!

Oh and in blogging world, what has made me happy?

1.  Katie at Hook, Line and Sink Her, making rainbow cakes. I adore rainbows!
2.  Louise at Ramblings of a roachling getting onto a teacher training course after 3 years- fantastic perseverance!
3.  Charlotte at Tuppeny Happeny dying her hair pink.
4.  Lauren at A Daisychain dream wearing a cute bunny top!
5.  Jille at Love to Craft making rainbow heart bunting! I adore rainbows, did I mention that?

What has made you happy this week?

52 weeks of happy (weeks 2 and 3)

Alas, I missed out on last week, so here's a 2x +2 post (i.e. two weeks worth of 4 plus a m=bonus 2).



1. Snow silliness! Yes, it can be scary walking and travelling, after my broken wrist and sprained wrist of 2 years ago, I am over-cautious, but it still puts a romantic, beautiful sheen on everything!

 
2. CBC’s experimental cookery-
Bear with me on this.  He'll be really cross I took and posted a photo but honestly, it was amazing!!!!!!!
Radishes, sugar-snap peas, tomatoes, red pointed peppers, chicory, pomegranate balsamic vinegar, olive oil with orange, goats yoghurt, coriander and a PieMinster Heidi-pie. It tasted absolutely wonderful!!!!!!!


3. Swimming:
I haven’t been for soo sooo long!!! It made me feel really relaxed, invigorated and it’s always fun to don a vintage-look polka dot swimsuit! I also love the fact that CBC enjoys the fun, silly games I do, like, see who can stay on the ledge the longest!



4. Healing- sometimes, you can be in receipt of a miracle! See previous post for why



5. Dressing like a mad old lady! I have been wearing the mad cat lady jumper, folk-fiddle t-shirt, and an old lady scarf-clip with a silk-scarf (vintage, via charity shop)


6. My snow-grips- they keep me upright and safe!!! If you've ever broken a limb slipping in the snow, you will know how it knocks your confidence in the snow, the worry of slipping- you can see from the footprints how these babies cut through the snow.


7. My church family. Old and young, I adore them- I really do- they are so kind, humble, funny, unique and caring. I sat in church on Thursday night and felt near to tears as I regarded these humble, loving people dancing in joy.



8. My new Tiffany Lamp. It prompted rearrangement of my front room to place it in a place of glory (and heck, not much would persuade me to move furniture!). I’ve wanted one for so long, ever since I saw Hale and Pace on a TV programme as a teenager where they had to try and create a catwalk collection- they used Tiffany Lamps as inspiration for their buttons in their collection. I’d never seen one before and I loved them. So pretty! CBC remembered this and bought me the perfect little one for Christmas.



9. Warm houses- I started to get a cold on Thursday and my house, as previously mentioned, has no central heating, so I have been without heat so it has been really comforting to be in CBC’s house with heating.




10. Warm hats and scarves:  So funny to get dressed up!  I love making people snigger and laugh on the Tube when I wear ridiculous hats and scarves! Oh by the way, this is a tea-cosy, not a hat! Though it would be fun to wear this on the Tube, just to see how people reacted! It's also fun to wear a tea-cosy on your hat. Essentially, that's what a beanie hat is anyway, isn't it?!



What has made you happy this week?