A sad day

I don't want to have this conversation:

What do we do when someone does something really bad?
"we kill them, kill kill kill!"
"No, darling...that doesn't make things better"
"but ..."

I woke up with a nightmare very early this morning, I couldn't understand why at the time, but this sometimes happens to me when something really bad has happened in the world.

I'm sorry but I don't want to tell them about this right now.

Crazy world. I want a better world.

videos? we don't watch them...

I'm still not 100% and the weather is dreadful. This morning, before I was fully awake, the children did this: Enjoy.

(note the back-to front clothes)

and this...

and this...(Canned laughter provided by me)

Lord-of-the-rings-athon

We rose around 10.30, which was not bad going. It was as much as I could do to make porridge, drink tea, drink coffee, and get the fire going, before lunch. I'm not feeling that ill, just very slow. This afternoon we played Lord of the Rings monopoly for hours. I was made bankrupt by landing on a fortress, in time to make tea, but things quickly deteriorated soon after that.

Freddie had kept himself busy by just bimbling about, coming to sit on my lap and see what we were doing every now and then, going off to look at a computer and, mainly, playing with all the playmobil, castles, and riding stable that are strewn all over the place. I really don't mind them there, actually- it's just the furniture that gets in the way, but who needs furniture?

It was nice and calm all day. Only Joy was a bit restless- She really needs to get out and have some excerise! (Maybe a giant hamster wheel would come in handy right now?). I think Fergus is a bit ill, as he was hot and sleepless, though quiet, last night, and tonight. I left him with a book with loads of pictures in it becasue I needed a bit of time on my own before I go to bed. At least he hasn't been climbing the walls since their trip to Howarth was cancelled yesterday, due to their cousin having to go to see a doctor. (And, yes, I glibly remarked to her dad that doctors are rubbish with skin complaints, forgetting that he is one!).

And we later on listened to three of "Old Peter's Russian Tales", including Baba Yaga, which we have just read, from the library, and which is the Woman's hour story this week, but you can replay them here or read the here.

Then to bed, and we read a couple of chapters of Lord of the Rings (part 1). I had to do a bit of catching up myself, as it had been started by daddy, who is now back in Holland, but having read the Hobbit recently I kind of got the gist of it: Bilbo is now eleventy-one (I thought this was Fergus getting things mixed up!) and Frodo is is cousin. Right. I recognised some of the places from the game, ie Rivendell and Farmer Magotts. I thought Fergus might have been a bit scared of the Dark Riders last night, having seen a bit of the film, but I think he was just feeling a bit unwell. It didn't seem too scary to me, and I got into the swing of it quite easily.

Last night I finished No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, and started dwelling on all the books I have read this year and what I want to read. I might have to do a seperate post about this, if I can remember them.

Our trouble with boys

Still feeling too grogg to blog. But this contains some of the stuff that has been going round my head, amongst the cotton wool:

Guardian Unlimited Comment is free Our trouble with boys

Christmas cold- bang on cue

The children have gone off to the grandparent's. In their new scarves.

I'm knitting me one now. I need one- I've got that horrible sore troaty thing they had. It just started on Sunday night. Well I am not without a scarf, but I need a short one I can wear inside while I'm doing stuff, that doesn't dangle into stuff. Joy finished Megs one, too. Not that I'm doing much, just sitting knitting- thats all I feel like doing.

Yesterday I had to get up while hey opened presents. Then I went back to bed till lunchtime. I was grumpy and badly behaved. I made Christmas dinner, with some help from Meg. I made a heart-shaped hazelnut and cranberry roast with apricot and walnut stuffing in the middle, decorated with cranberries. We had crackers and napkins and a tablecloth and candlesticks holly with berries. They reluctantly ate it with the help of the magic sprout stick. They got giddy on a mouthful of cava. We had Chrismas pudding, set on fire with the help of brandy. This was all a bit of a blur and I remember people shouting at me that I hadn't warmed the brandy, but it still worked. We had it with custard. It was all very nice.

Santa in Saudi Arabia

Christmas eve: the children spent a lot of time Tracking Santa on Google Earth, and getting generally excited. Here is Santa visting Saudi Arabia. Freddie was running around singing "Here comes Santa claus" and acting out Santa coming down the chimney. Brendan took them down to Ann and Mick's, who gave them all a pressie, and they had breakfast in Coffee Cali. They bought a few presents for me!

I escaped for a while, down to Josee's, taking her the new computer for her kids, and picking up my big pans. Her mum was a bit grumpy and I didn't feel like hanging around too long. Shame I didn't stay for stew because while I when I got home they had eaten tea and not left me any. Fortunately Meg had brought some left over ciabattas from the cafe, and chocolate brownies, which I had hot.
I am knitting lots of scarves.

Jesus is born...

...in a stable, tonight, here in Hebden Bridge. Joy's riding school presented a nativity play with ponies. She was chief angel, riding Del-boy. There was lots of Christian Rock, tea and hotpot, and it was cold enough to permeate my angora socks. Joseph had to double up as the third king. At the end they all waved candle torches to I Believe. It was fantastic.






And Joy won her first ever showjumping rosette. She came third after falling at the last fence in the jump-off, having completed the first round with no faults, on Arnie. Arnie being a space-hopper, this being a space-hopper showjumping contest. She has done real showjumping, but this was fun.

Solstice skating

I took Joy outdoor skating in Halifax. The rink wasn't very busy; it was booked for home educators. I haven't skated for ages but I quite enjoyed myself and practised my 'trying to look like it was easy- without looking down, or flailing arms about' technique. Joy skated round with some friends.
Whoops! this is what happens when I give someone my camera to take a picture- I was going too fast for Joy, as if I go slow I think I'm going to fall over.

So we tried it again without holding hands.

Later on we went to a Solstice party at Cordilia's (who actually teaches Joy music, but her son is in Joy's class too). There was singing and dancing, food, and other solsticy activities, as Joy called it.

yule log

I found this great hunk of birch, which was worthy of a yule log. We decorated it with lavender, rosemary, bay, rowan berries, pine cones, and dried orange slices tied on with string, and cloves stuck in the cracks. We tied on wishes made from paper and put it in the fire.


I love celebrating winter solstice. There is no anticipation- it's very of the moment and spontaneous. This is really the best time for me. Now I don't have to worry about Christmas as we have done the important stuff now, without really planning or buying anything. The time of the winter solstice has just passed.

O Tannenbaum

After we came back inside from lighting the bonfire, there was a shout at the door, and in came Martin with an enourmous tree, that I had ordered yesterday from The Little Fir Tree. It was fantastic. I got out the boxes of decorations and left them to it while I made soup. Ok, I did join in and put the star on top and was handed some precious glass baubles to be placed on high branches. It smells lovely and I got sticky resin on my hands.



Later on, after tea, (which we had outside, round the fire), I had a phonecall from Josee, which I took in the utility room, so as to be able to hear amongst all the excitement. When I came out, there had appeared a decorated tree in the hall! They had between them brought it in (it was all I could do to lift it myself), place it on a stool and decorated it. It was the little tree from last year- so they did like it after all. They just had a great time decorating them, and were so proud they posed to be photographed.

Solstice bonfire

The day went from bad to...well, not bad at all, really. I got 4 annoyingly adressed Christmas cards, which I flet like tearing up instead of opening them (see earlier post). I ranted about this while the children went out in the garden.
After a phonecall from Sarah I decided against going up to the Solstice celebration next to hers and to have a bonfire here instead, to which she was welcomed, but didn't eventually make it, but the thought was there, and it did motivate me to do the bonfire.

The kids were more than happy to go off wooding, which was just what I needed to get me out of crazy mode. They wanted to go back and finish decorating their little secret tree in the graveyard, which they did with ivy and fallen holly berries, stuck onto birch twigs. They found a fantastic wooded place to explore and we found plenty of wood, although a lot of it was somewhat rotten, we did manage to get it to burn eventually, with the help of a few logs that were too big for the stove.


We watched the solstice eve sun go down and when we got home Fergus lit the bonfire.

Later, after it got dark, we went back out and sat round the blazing fire eating soup, hot mince pies and drinking hot mulled wine, which tasted good from enamel mugs. meanwhile the owl was hooting away in the graveyard. They then had a fire-stick twirling/waving session, possibly fuelled by the mulled wine.

Christmas cards are rubbish

I mean, just look at them: they are never an attractive addition to any home decor scheme. Just look at a picture of Xmas cards in magazine and they look very tasteful. Look at your own Xmas cards- they look tacky. That's because they are a random selection of images on the theme of "Xmas", which can include anything, from snowy landscapes to religious icons to cutesie animals, all in a vast and ugly array of styles, colours, shapes and sizes. What do you do with them? Is it obligatory to have them on display? and if so, how do you do it so they aren't offensive to your aesthetic eye?

And what a wast of trees!

But, my biggest complaint about them is this: they actually wind me up. The are annoying or even down right offensive. Here's how:

What are these Xmas cards actually saying to me?
a few examples:

I can't remember what all your children are called or, indeed how many you have. (It is not important enough to me whether this offends you ar not, so I won't play it safe, by putting 'the children.")

I am using the name written on your birth certificate because I can't remember what your'e actually called.

I hereby confirm that all those names written on this card are bound together in one happy nuclear family unit.

This is underlined by the fact that I have used one collective name for all of you "the .......'s , or .....&..... You do not exist in your own right.

I know you are not and have never been married, but I am addressing you using the man's name who you used to live with as you really should be married to him.

I am the grandparent of 3 of your children, but not the other one as we are not blood-related.

I have spent so long writing that my hand now actually aches/you are on a Xmas card list database on my computer.

I know we never see each other and are never in touch, but we are somehow related/used to be friends so I am obliged to send you a card. If you do not send me one it is just out of rudeness.

I know you don't belive in wasting all that paper but I don't really care about that.

By writing "Merry/Happy Christmas" I am actually wishing upon you merriyment/happiness, which will, by some magical act of fairy dust will actually make you happy.

bringing in the green

This afternoon we all went out to gather holly and ivy. Just look at those berries! They're fantastic. There were absolutely loads of berries on the holly tree with lots of birds enjoying them. While I was out there I received a reply text to my emergency Xmas tree request from The Little Fir Tree Co (AKA my friend Jill) as last year's sad little tree was just not cutting the mustard and they were rebelling. It seems to have shrunk and dropped a lot of needles and doesn't look that nice really. Anyway, we should have one delivered tomorrow, hopefully.





After tea they were all playing a mad game but came back in the kitchen and calmed down with a bit of clove-sticking. They all enjoyed these and they smell gorgeous. We used a cocktail stick to make the holes in the oranges first. Freddie was really proud of his orange and ran round with it saying "I made this, I made this" and hung it on the door handle "look, it's on the door, and Fergus's is on the other door. Mines's a tiny one: it's a tangerine. I like tiny ones best."
Meanwhile I got on with making some ivy wreaths. I made three with a few pine cones, ivy flowers and a few rowan berries, and one with a bit of green and white holly from the garden.

We have been invited to two solstice parties- one tomorrow and one on Friday, so we may be busy for the next couple of days, so Happy Solstice if I don't see you before then ;-)

school party

At the school Christmas party Joy's class performed a short pirate play, which they created themselves, guided by Nic, who teaches drama.

Joy backstage before the play.

They sang a Christingle song, and a did Hannukah dance/song

It all made me realise how much Joy gets out of being there with the other children.

view from riding school

The day we went to Halifax

We had a trip out to Halifax today. I had to fix the slow puncture as is was getting a bit less slow, and I was supposed to be partaking in a scrapstore joint membership with Alethea, among others. I have been meaning to get over to the Halifax meeting to see Gill. I also had to pick up my hat, which I left in the Square Chapel.
Maybe that was too many things to fit into one day, but I did manage it all, plus another trip to Home Bargains to get knitting yarn. Joy has just managed to teach herself to knit since I came back with some funky fluffy pink stuff. Its a bit difficult to knit with, though hides the mistakes! She has now started on a less difficult, yet novelty yarn in blues and greens- a sort of thick and thin hand-spun effect, very soft, with giant wooden needles, about 10mm. Thes are last minute Christmas presents: The boys chose their own colours too, so looks like I'll be busy. Must photograph the results so far- I've done 1 1/2 scarves already.

It was lovely to see Gill and everyone at the Halifax meeting (Hi, Lucy!). We hadn't managed to bring any mince pies but there was plenty of stuff there, which impressed Joy.

I just had a funny conversation with my BIL, who was completely outraged with this picture. He said it was a health and safety nightmare, but I thought it was less dangerous than them running about the garage. Anyway- they need to learn about danger and real life. This is the only way. It's not as bad as the garage where I had the MOT done, anyway, where I had to go inside to pay, stepping over airlines and avoiding the pit, taking the boys with me. It hadn't really bothered me, really- I was just careful not to let them rock the car about or get out on that side. I had to get a new tyre as it had a nail near the side wall. Anyway, got some 'L' plates for Meg while I was there.
After all that they were still up for a massive Xmas food shop, so we got that done too. Amazing.

There was a bit of a fiasco yesterday: Joy was invited to a skating party in Picadilly Gardens, Manchester so I asked Brendan to take her as he was going there anyway, and someone else to bring her back. But he missed the train so it was nearly finished, and sounds like no-one else would co-operate and stay on the ice with Joy for an extra 10 minutes so she could have a go. A bit mean. Anyway, she got to go to the party in Cafe Nero for hot chocolate and birthday cake, and saw some police horses doing a poo, which seemed to make up for the gross dissappointment of not skating for more than 2 minutes, which I think I was more upset about than her. Hopefully I will be taking her to the outdoor rink in Halifax on Friday.

chasing rainbows; dreaming snow

Chasing rainbows in a car is never very good. But we were on the way back from Joy's ballet fairy party (bless). And we saw this totally amazing bright double rainbow going right down into the craggs and it seemed as though we went right under it, as the clouds came and it faded away, but not before we were able to look down and see it against the trees.




Look: child (a) doing what he's supposed to be doing- making nice salt dough shapes with rolling pin and cutter.



Look at this! child (b) is playing at frosty the snowman.

Then they all dressed up as snowmen/Santa. "I'm not Fred, I'm Santa Claus." And made a sleigh with a reindeer and bells and presents.
I think they knew I had been *shopping* this afternoon and were very excited!

theatre trip

Went to see a schools performance of In the Shadow of Trees by Horse and bamboo theatre and the Square Chapel in Halifax. It was enchanting and magical. I didn't have a very good experience of it as we were put right at the back (being home educators, presumably?, no it was because we were first there) and everyone else was standing up most of the time. Unfortunately a lot of the action took place at floor level: lovely badger puppets snuffling about and other little woodland animals. Freddie didn't like it much and squirmed on my lap although it wasn't loud or scary, he just doesn't like going to see anything. But I think the other children liked it. Fergus wanted to know what that ghosty creature was, so we asked one of the actors at the end- it was the guardian of the forest. Joy didn't understand why the masked characters hadn't come out and bowed at the end, till I explained that they had, with their masks off. The music was wonderfully atmospheric, as usual. I would recommend an evening performance, near the front.

This was all we did today. I am completely shattered, but I did have to trudge across town and back in the pouring rain because someone selfishly changed the meeting arrangements at the very last minute, having paid for our tickets after I told them the kids were probably too ill to go, and then proceeded to march off with half my kids across busy town centre road while I was carrying soggy wet and very heavy 3 year old, (there was no hurry, this was on the way back) Grrr, but I'm done sounding off about that one. I am having a rest tomorrow.

Dear Santa...

SLOE motion
urm, yes, I know Gill, its not exactly what you meant but I just got a bit sidetracked!

oranges and APPLESAUCE

I found a use for some of the surplus oranges I got for school, plus one I found in the back of the cupboard. Fergus said, "That's a waste; they're for eating." I suppose I could have told him that it's not a waste to make decorations or an offering to the gods. I never feel bad about buying flowers, from a money point of view, as our souls need nourishment, too.
They're drying out nicely now. I'll hang them in a string above the fire when they're hard enough, to let them dry a bit more. I've got shed loads of bay leaves from Kath, the friendly librarian's tree. I just need a few more spicy bits to make some garlands. I may even make some cinnamon dough hearts, but I need apple sauce. APPLE SAUCE! get me some APPLE SAUCE FROM HOLLAND please, BRENDAN. I have a phone. I have a new phone, you can ring it! And please remember the apple sauce! And don't tell me your'e not allowed to bring it- just stuff it into one of your old socks, no-one will look in there!

Anyway, Day Three of the washing and most of it's put away now, upstairs at least. And we had shopping part 2, today, as I had to put the rest of it away, which invovled cleaning out three cupboards (the fridge, I did yesterday). What a mess! What planet have I been on for the last 2 years? I had to throw away several jars of mincemeat that was too old.

I had to sort out tomorrow. We are supposed to be going to see Horse and Bamboo and taking Imogen and Sol, but Joy was feeling really poorly with a sore throat. Fergus has been obviously ill, too, but displaying it in more of a behavioural way (ahem), but when I checked them both he seemed to be more hot round the neck and to have swollen tonsils. O dear. I gave them both plenty of vitamin C and some of Meg's nasty medicine, which Freddie had to try too. Afterwards he said, "Mum, look at my toungue, look in my mouth, too, arrrh", which made me laugh- he wasn't feeling poorly, just wanted to join in.

So I had a job sorting out arrangments because I couldn't remember where I had put the bit of paper with all the phone numbers on...O, that bit of paper, I thought I must have tidied it away into the recycling when I did a major paper clear-out the other day. By the time I found it he person organising the trip was out so I had to hope my message about the children possibly being too ill to go, but I would phone in the morning to let them know, didn't get too mixed up. Imi and Sol are sorted if we don't go but I don't want to have to end up paying for all 4 of us and not going.

wrappings

OK, I know- I haven't been near a computer for 3 days and there are a lot of emails, etc to catch up on, so please bear with me. I know it's not that unusual, but I seem to have been glued to my laptop of late, so 3 days seems like a long time.

Sooo... Saturday night, well, I saw Dick Gaughan at the Trades Club along with 3 friends and 196 extremely folky Dick Gaughan fans with beards. (Where did they come from? I heard a rumour it was Huddersfield.) He is like a cross between Billy Connelly and Christie Moore, who takes himself too seriously, and can sing and play the guitar really well and gets really pissed off if anyone decides to get up to go to the bar during his performance, even between songs! "would you do me a favour? and shut the f*** up? I'm trying to sing here." Ahem...
Anyway, so Sarah and I walked Kelly home and we ended up at hers till after 2! Then I decided to give Sarah a lift home as it was so icy cold, so I made it at least half way up the track. When I got back Freddie was up, of course! But at least the fire was lit. I got to bed at 3 o'clock. I had been woken up by a very annoying cricket-sounding BlackBerry alarm at 5am that morning, and only managed 2 more hours sleep...how did I stay awake that long? Must have been having a good time.

So, Sunday of course I did almost nothing, well, I did manage to produce some meals. I watched a film on TV.

Monday I spent all day doing about 5 loads of washing. I tidied and hoovered my room, which involved completely sorting out Freddie's and Fergus's drawers so I could put their clothes away. I also had to sort out the leaky ceiling as it was dripping on the stairs again and creating a bit of a danger zone. This involved emptying the receptacle in the loft which catches the rainwater. I can't get into the loft, I can just about get my head into it to see. I managed to get a hose into the container and syphon the water out. Of course I had to suck on the pipe and as I was so much lower than the water, and teetering on the top of a stepladder, which was at the top of the stairs, I ended up with more than a mouthful of water before I got it in the bucket. At this point Joy very kindly pointed out that the last time the hose was used it was to empty out the fish tank- bleurh!!

I had been trying very hard not to go on the computer all day, so as to not ignore the children, anyway I was too busy. Meg wouldn't let me in the evening and shut my laptop when I tried to glance at it. Then I had a phonecall- at 11pm, if you please. Then I had to go to bed. So no 'me time' at all.

Today I had to go shopping, so we did that after dropping Joy off at school, and called in on the way back with my offering for the fruit rota, which was "obviously too much" so I took away some of the satsumas- they don't eat much fruit those children, "obviously". I also brought I hideously chocolate Santa: my comment on/contribution to the chocolate tombola ;-)

When we got home we did a bit of present wrapping, for which I found his rather lovely paper, which, in the words of many a Blue Peter presenter, I made earlier ;-) . It is made by rubbing with leaves under the paper, using a gold crayon and block beeswax crayons. Freddie made some gift tags, using card, a hole punch and gold stars while Fergus did some wrapping with paper and string.

Aw, what a lovely pre-christmas scene! Have been thinking about christmas trees- they were talking about the one we had 2 years ago that was enourmous and shed needles everwhere. It was a hired one, and it came far too early but I had to bring it in because it was really windy. It must have been 11 feet high!
Actually it doesn't look as big as all that now but you can't see it's bent over at the top.

advent fair

So I found out the home-ed group was doing a stall at the Steiner Advent Fair, two days ago. Only two people had volunteered to run it so I thought I'd better go down and give them a hand setting up and put on some of my Waldorf Dolls. I found all the EO leaflets and posters and banner, and got some boxes of books and stuff from the attic, where we had stashed them from the last stall. It was in the room where the group meets, so it was handy.
It all went OK, despite my concerns about them not having enough stuff or people. One of the teenagers from the group and her friend helped (even worked out how much to give me after taking the 10% for my dolls). I sold 2 of them and somehow ended up with a ticket to go and see Dick Gaughan at the Trades Club tonight. So I shall be heading off down there soon, with Sarah.

making a snowflake

This is a bit of an experiment; let me know what you think!

Here are my step by step for making the snowflake I made earlier. It's just like a god's eye but with six points instead of four. I just used some straight sticks I found on the way home and some oddments of wool, string, cord and glittery stuff. I used a few pale colours: mainly white, with silver, mauves, pinks and pale blue, but you could use just white or any colour combination you like. I used different textures of yarn, like boucle and mohair, shiny string and holographic shreds, which I doubled and wound with a length of wool as it is so fine.
The sticks are about as long as my outstretched hand.


1. Get all your materials together. You'll need some scissors, too.
of the cross both ways until they hold together.

2. Start with 2 sticks. Make a cross with them and wind some wool around the centre

3. Add your third stick and wind the wool around the centre as before until it holds.

4. Now start to wind the wool around each stick in turn, turning the star each time.


5. To start a new colour cut off the wool and tie on the new colour. You can wind round each stick a few times to create a bump, and vary the spaces between the rows.

6. When you have finished - when there is just enough stick sticking out at each end- Leave a long end of wool and tie it firmly to create a hanging thread. You could decorate the stick ends with glitter, but I haven't with this one.

just can't resist...

vintage decorations! So I picked up another shoebox full at the market jumble sale this morning. Loads of lovely glass baubles, and I think my favourite has to be the clip-on mushroom. Looks like I'm going all shmultzy after all- I'm going to need a tree...

mother of the 3

Yay! Freedom!

Our passports came- just 6 days after I sent off for them. (Of course I had to get one each- that's 4, not including Meg, who hasn't done hers yet.)

Now we can go anywhere- the world is our classroom! We can go away for Christmas! We can emigrate!

"Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State Requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary"

But, hold on a minute...what's that little thing on the last page?
"Biometric passports can be identified by this symbol on the front cover. The symbol shows there is an electronic chip inside the book...
The back page of that book also holds an electronic chip and antenna"

Presumably for tracking purposes. So everywhere you go with your passport you can be tracked. So when they bring in the requirement to carry around your passport (/ID Card) at all times....you will be trackable at all times. I know this is theoretically possible with a mobile phone, but no-one is requiring us to carry them around- I usually don't.

Furthermore: "If your passport or the chip is damaged [say, by being hit by a big hammer] it may prevent you from travelling and you may need to get a replacement passport...passport fees will apply." No, it will not prevent you from travelling: someone may prevent you from travelling.

So why didn't I get them before they brought in the biometrics? I couldn't afford it. It was 229 + 14 for the photo's. That's more than the MOT.

Mother of the free

not all bah humbug

Ok so St. Nick came last night and brought chocolate money, spiced biscuits and shiny red apples.

O, and I made this snowflake star. (please leave a comment if you would like instructions!)