queen Mary

My knee hurts! I hurt it a while ago and it still hurts. I should probably get it checked out. I know I'm almost definitely not going to!

Oof, I woke up very early and tried very hard to buy get up but after about an hour I gave in, cleaned the kitchen and then had a lovely cup of tea watching the foggy morning brighten up a bit. My day was very home focused, we were supposed to have a house guest this weekend but they were poorly so didn't come and, as it's the way once you turn 48, I was a mixture of slightly disappointed and relieved. Instead I did a few sorts, my lovely R will appreciate this. Went through the shelves in the hallway and dug out winter stuff. Made soup, tidied and binge watched a bit of TV. 

The week was happily another simple one, and like a very good pal of mine, I think it's the feeling of hibernation that means I am very happy to be snuggled up of an evening rather than doing anything that means I have to leave the house. Giving myself permission to not do a huge amount and enjoy the space and comfort of reading a good book or not getting out of your PJ's until your want to. Sunday wasn't very different, with the lovely and notable change in meal as H who is only here for another week it so made us a tasty Thai curry, a dish I love and one I never make myself. Oh and BigA and I put together our new compost bin, which is like a giant tombola. 

My work week was good, broken up with a trip on Thursday to Queen Mary university, which is the one my brother went to. It was for half of year 10. Very important that they know these places exist, most of our students don't come from families that have a background of graduates. Unfortunately it was a bit dull, the students were not massively excited by it. The highlight for me was one of my make 15 year old students being brave enough to ask me to tie his shoelaces for him. He's quite a bit taller than me and it was in the middle of a uni campus. Bless him. We then talked about how I can't tie my laces like most people do. 

I know the government advice is to stock up on tinned goods, I've 

bought myself a chocolate advent calendar and got a nice box of crackers, most of the ingredients for my epic Christmas trifle and a panettone, in anticipation of what ever Christmas turns into this year. I was trained from a young age to spread the cost of Christmas and so I've already got some bits for A&As stockings. I do keep getting tinned food but then we use it.

A update, she's finished the latest show, in which she was assistant set designer and did the wigs, hair and makeup. Her days have been very long, and I'm talking some 12 hours +. She's now to focus on the written part of her course. She assist visited M for her birthday, the two being super cute about it, doing miserably at a pub quiz! But I'm very pleased M wants to carry on our little Christmas Monday tradition. 

BigA is now teaching even more classes, I think he was up to 8 last week and I can tell he's figuring out how to speed up his planning, but I am actually a bit jealous of his mentor who will be left with some cracking lessons and more importantly fabulous resources. We have been having such great chats each day, sharing our stories and getting used to certain names that crop up. 

The cats are ok, and I know some of you have rejected social media - and for good reason - but there have been a few little things of late where I've stumbled (the algorithm knows me) where I've discovered useful things, and one was calcium drops for the cats water which helps their teeth and as we are very bad at brushing their teeth this felt like a life win. 

And last night M and C arrived. We had a lovely evening together. BigA was the first to bed!