ICE

The drive up to Norfolk was stress free, eventually getting the Bluetooth thing sorted so we could listen to A's play list. We had a lovely day, seeing Teresa and then heading over to my niece Jessie. A meal out and then I watched my second ever full episode of Strictly Come Dancing. 
Mass on Sunday was rather cold and amusing - it would seem the people responsible for getting everything ready, well, hadn't and so there were people dashing about to sort things out. It was a little funny, if it hadn't made things take longer and I'd been warm. We got back, got tea and croissants followed by mum opening her gifts. Then a meal out before the drive back to London. My first standstill on the M11 since we returned and although there's always that horrible feeling that it usually means someone is badly hurt, A and I did our best to sit it out and entertain each other. I'm glad I wasn't alone. 

The week before we had reached out to the daughter of our old Malawi neighbours and so this week Amy came for dinner on Monday. She's at university in London. So lovely to see her and to see her flourishing as an adult. 

As the week went by December of course, crept closer. I dug out the decorations I'd brought back from Malawi - just needs a tree to go on. And got excited by the prospect of the girls opening their Advent calendars. We talked about it at the dinner table, they were both looking forward to the 1st. A hoping for snow. BigA then headed out to make sure M got to work ok, and came back with the tallest Advent calendar I've ever seen. All for me. I was so thrilled. 

We've created a little makeshift Christmas area in the front room, until we get a tree and I've put up all the cards I brought back from Malawi, so I can smile at those, the best one has to be one from Keith. 

School has been fine, I found the source of the fruitflies that have been irritating us all in the office. A batch of apples at the bottom of a basket left over from the show they did in July, various levels of decomposition. Quite disgusting and yet satisfying. I'm obviously getting better known by students too, lots of 'hi miss' in corridors and I feel like I'm teaching more, except year 9 - I don't feel they are getting much out of me. Happily only 4 of those a week.

No news on surgery date, despite the MRI and emails. 

BigA has hurt his back. He's not really letting it stop him, but it is because it obviously really hurts in different ways each day. 

We went out for dinner with Dan, and Margaret and Dick last night. Fantastic food, I had a very rich beef stew. And today Margaret will come over to do a bit more in the garden. Which I'm very happy about. 

A a brought home a cold which she kindly gave to M who had now given it to me. I'm quite snotty. 

 

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