Katie and her mental meanderings

My own gargh

Fri, 4 Jul 2008 11:22:19 +0100

(see Cal's blog...)

We thought we had a lovely little house lined up in a great location for our Overseas Adventures. Just after the owner sent us some swoony pictures she told us she'd found a renter for the whole year (we only want it for 8 months)...

We've been looking at other things on line and have found a couple of maybes. Both more expensive but we might be able to get away with a month less rent so would be not too bad overall. But I got some photos from one of them today and the place was advertised as 3 beds - but she says she wants to lock up one of the bedrooms! And it's more expensive than the original 3 bedroom place! Cheeky or what!

In other news I went for a run this morning - my second in about a year (the first being last weekend). I'm happy to report I'm a lot fitter than when I started up running 18 months ago. Probably something to do with the minimum of 18 hilly miles I'm cycling each week.

Things 5-year-olds cannot do

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 22:47:22 +0100

1) Write S forwards (I knew this)
2) Peel the back of sticky bits of paper (I also knew this)
3) Fold paper with a sharp crease. Even if you tell them to press hard on the edge.

No cooking at Rainbows

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:36:09 +0100

The Rainbows wanted to cook, but we don't have a cooker at the school we meet at. Most of the "no cook" recipes are lying - they mean "no bake". But there were a few I could think of and some more in recent issues of Guiding magazine. I decided to do sweets because a) they are popular with children and b) the ingredients are compact and I was on my bike. The other limitation was things that are available in the mini Spar on campus. So we made:

Peanut butter creams
Mix peanut butter, icing sugar, and chocolate chips (we used cut-up chocolate buttons). Shape into balls.

Vanilla fudge
Mix condensed milk and icing sugar. Roll into logs on an icing-sugar covered board or plate (if you don't have a chopping board). Slice into pieces.

Marshmallow snowballs
Melt chocolate (in a bowl over boiling water, thankfully there is an urn in the staffroom). Dip in marshmallows held on a fork (because the Spar does not sell skewers. Though it does sell disposable barbeques. I know the University groundskeepers are ever so grateful for that.). Roll in coconut or chocolate sprinkles.

Pssst.... Back copies of Third Way, free for postage

Mon, 19 May 2008 15:03:26 +0100

I have a very large number of these and am willing to post anywhere in the world if you pay for it. They start about 1993 and finish about 2002. Some of these issues are either available or indexed here.

I have:
1991 June
1992 May-June
1993 Feb-June, Sept-Oct, Dec
1994 Jul, Sep, Nov, Dec
1995 Feb-Oct
1996 April
1998 Dec, Nov
1999 Feb, April, June-Jul
2000 Mar, May, Sep-Dec
2001 Feb-Aug
2002 Jan-May, Jul-Dec
2003 Jan-April, "Summer"-Dec
2004 Jan-Oct, Dec

~~I also have a couple of issues of Winebibber, vintage evangelical comedy (Viz for Christians).~~ Taken

And I have a few issues of re:generation quarterly:
Vol 4 no 4
Vol 6 no 2 (2 copies for some reason), no 3 and no 4
Vol 7 nos 1 and 3
Vol 8 no 2

Put a comment here to claim some, or PM me on the ship with your details.

Common sense? Naah...

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:24:38 +0100

It is our fourth wedding anniversary (Fruits and Flowers) on the 1st May. Hops are flowers, I reasoned... So the mixed box of beer was delivered today and a card put through the door - The Spouse\™ arrived home 10 minutes before me and checked outside and saw... it had been left ON TOP of the recycling box where it had blown over and one of the bottles had smashed. Beery smell and broken glass...

And a surprise ruined... waaah...

Pursuit

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:26:59 +0100

You ring him up, after several messages you agree on a time to meet. You wait and wait, he doesn't come, you ring his mobile, no answer. Eventually you give up, you have been stood up.

Later you moan to your friend, is it me? Did I do something wrong? This isn't the first time it's happened. No, they assure you, it's him, it's always happening, it's just a fact of life.

Anyone else suffer this way with workmen?

Dear parents

Sun, 9 Mar 2008 21:21:30 +0000

Do not take your seven-year-old onto the fells in tracksuit bottoms and wellies, in a hailstorm, and then be surprised when they are miserable. This wasn't a Rainbow parent, I hasten to add.

We, in our waterproofs and boots, had quite a nice afternoon, despite the visibility varying from Next Wall to Blackpool Tower...

Rainbows this week had a Mexican evening and one of them drew this picture for the girls in Mexico.

Dogma

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 12:07:12 +0000

We watched this last night - I'd had it for ages and it's in the pile of things to sell on ebay and thought we'd watch it again. It is completely mad but I really find it thought-provoking. How far does free will go? What if God were indeed female (and looked like Alanis Morisette)? How would humans react if they really did hear God's voice?

I'm trying to do more during Lent on updating the Saints blog I was working on with some others before. If you are interested in participating, email me (if you have my email) or leave your email in a comment on that blog. Those with any theological training whatsoever are particularly welcome. As you'll see, mine's nonexistent.

I've left Valentine for Clare. There's even a draft post for you if you go to Edit Posts, dear.

I've tidied up and rearranged things in our attic to create a sewing space. From this:

to this

Rainbows

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 19:01:14 +0000

Some of you may know I have been a Brownie leader for a while now. Well, I've finished my Guide Leader qualification and decided it was time for a challenge. This came in the form of:

Rainbows.

If you don't know (especially if you are old, like me), Rainbows comes before Brownies. They are aged 5-7 and so in some ways it is a bit of a Challenge but one good thing about them is they take aaaages to do everything so you don't have to timetable much per session. The group needed a leader with a warrant (qualification) and since I have just got it I am In Charge.

This week we made rosettes and gave them to their friends (one girl got three, though since some girls kept them for Mum or sister, this meant that almost none of the others got any so we didn't have the One Left Out Girl Syndrome). Fortunately we have only 10 girls and 4 young leaders (school leavers) and one assistant who's been doing this group for ages, so there is always someone who knows what they are doing. However, I do seem to have to watch the younger leaders as they would rather do the crafts than help with the crafts.

Watch this space for more Rainbow loveliness. I have been given permission by the parents to send photos to a Rainbow group in Mexico (where they are called Girasoles - Sunflowers) but I'm not sure putting photos of girls on here would be approved of, somehow, or safe. However, if I get a chance to do an anonymous photo, or one of a craft etc., perhaps we'll have that.

Been knitting

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:16:22 +0000

This took me a really long time to make, because the wrap part is a really tedious stitch called Fisherman's Rib, that basically takes two rows to knit one.

I had to redo the cast offs at the ends of the arms as they were too tight and I'm not completely happy with them yet so I'm going to hang on to the last bit of yarn in case I want to do them again.

Anyway it's nice and warm and cosy, and I like it.

However, when your husband who is slightly taller than you takes your photo, you look short.