Catch Up

I think we will have bullet points for efficacy in transfer of information:

(Youngest is doing a Career Skills course for six weeks and I am being dragged from Neanderthal to 21stC I'm told...the phrase 'nothing new under the sun' springs to mind, but I listen and hope to learn something new which will give me the edge in any interviews I might receive...apparently bullet points are 'in'!)

• One calendar month left until Middlest's Wedding- (holy smoke-aagh) she finished her College Finals last Friday.
• Two bridesmaids dresses to alter and one wedding dress.
• guitar needs three new strings (glad someone else got the organ repaired!)
• I didn't get a place on the course in Dublin, over the disappointment now though.
• Haven't even got as far as an interview for any of the teaching jobs I've applied for, actually, not even a request for references, guess its really dung-heap time...
• Need a new music stand- why can't someone manufacture an unbreakable foldable music stand?
• Sheet music for seven pieces of music...then learn to play, two guitar, five organ.
• 130 tea cups and saucers needed, but hey! do I mind hanging out in Charity shops for the next month?
• Important School service on Friday week, grand opening for the new school, which we moved into Patrick's weekend a year ago! Hairy caniptions? not me, more the rest of the teachers having to deal with me...actually funny story later.
• general sewing (belated gifts!) to give to family members who will be at wedding, in order to save postage!!

I'm certain the list will lengthen, in the way of lists, but its bearable so far. Middlest is playing flute accompaniment for the School Service by way of a last hurrah, which is fun.

Funny story: in school yesterday after morning break  I took all eight classes up to the Church to work out seating and manoeuvring for Friday week...as anyone working with children knows, the logistics of moving groups of children around in a confined space like a Church takes a bit of thought in order to avoid congestion or mishaps.

I thought I had cleared it with the Principal and everyone but as I took off out of school he called after me: 'I have visitors coming to see around the school and there's not a single child left in the place!'

The hilarity of it struck me later- how many of you when asked what you did today can answer, 'I walked off with two hundred children!'

Lots of love,
Pied Piper.

Little People, Heavenly Host and Music

Did I disappear? Wish I could as for a supposedly unemployed person of insignificance I seem to be beyond busy.

The main focus this week, and last week, but not the week before, is the school's Carol Service. Big eejit here overstretched herself somewhat in the choice of this year's music and the children and I have struggled to work our way through the Nativity songs. The teachers say it is sounding ok now but I think we will all be grey by Friday- I'm talking Junior Infants upwards here...

This morning I spent some time in the Church with the Organist (long-suffering man) and the bass guitarist (who is having far too much fun), over two hundred weary and over-excited small people, the Principal and all their teachers. I really don't know how it's going to pan out as the little people are wildly unpredictable, the heavenly host are having dodgy moments, Gabriel temporarily muddled his words and Michelangelo put his hoodie on back to front with the hood up, to hide...

We'll see.

Implosion pending, tunefully and musically, of course.

The Shop was quieter the last two Mondays, and on Saturday I wound up the children's sewing classes until mid-January. There seem to be eleven children now in the Sewing Club but as they never all turn up at one time it is do-able. Its been a fun but tough learning curve for me as well as them, since teaching outside school is vastly different to school teaching. Or that's my experience.

The Sunday school teacher has rounded up sixteen small people for the Church Nativity, and has her hands very full I think...putting the Church Carol Service together might be the next thing on my 'to do' list...I talked to the adult Choir last Sunday so we will begin by doing a number on 'Once in Royal' and then progress to doing a number on the Nativity Story. I say every year that our God must have an incredible sense of humour considering all the many ways in which the Christmas Story is told...and I'm saying it again this year.

Think of us on Friday at 10am...then again, you may actually hear us...

Granny Squares

Yesterday, after hauling my butt round various government offices, the library, the bank, and sundry other really exciting places (including a short cut to the river which was more of a looooong cut...) I sat me down with me feets on the table (hobbit-like) and crocheted. Well I knat (past tense of knit) too, but that was in the evening during Star Trek!

I needed a jug cover, but couldn't remember where the muslin was so just crocheted a doily...a good strong colour of a doily, as my granny would have said. And, in the hopes of it draping ever so slightly I strung a bunch of beads around the edge...horrible plastic beads remaining from an old children's kit of my girls I think.

The result is quite hideous, but for the sake of self-esteem we will refer to it as 'funky'...my #*#*!

Funky doily

It doesn't drape or look good but heck! it'll keep out the dust and the bugs, and I can use it as a coaster later! (or give it away?) Besides which, does this face look bovvered to you?

Then I decided to look up Granny Squares because I couldn't remember how many chains between groups of double crochet and I thought it would save the boggles if I got it right first time. I'm sure boggles have their place but with me they do tend to turn up in the wrong places. I've lots of wool oddments and have wanted to make a Granny Squares afghan for ages.

So, here's the trial sample:

Trial Granny Square.

(There are two chain stitches in between clumps, in case you wondered!)

Short question here:
Just why are they called 'Granny' squares?
Does it mean they should only be crocheted by grannies?
Or they are only fit to be made by grannies?
Or only grannies have the time?
But if they have the time wouldn't grannies be doing far more complicated fancy work?

I was intending to get to some sewing over the next few weeks, partly because I need to do some dressmaking, but firstly I need to clear the sewing table:

A well tidy sewing table.

(Just a little tidying?)

I finished school on Wednesday so am now officially either 'on holiday' or 'unemployed' depending on one's point of view. I am chasing up a few jobs, hours here and there, so we will see. But, either because I'm the eternal optimist or because I'm just a total feather-head, I feel more at peace than I have in months. Maybe its just a combination of faith that God and The State will provide!

Don't know.

Meanwhile I have Granny Squares to crochet! A woman with a mission, ha ha!!

Time Flies...

That expression always makes me imagine small bugs buzzing around with clocks on their backs! If I could draw I'd make a cartoon...

A lot has happened this last few weeks, some of it in my head and some in 'real' life. But the thing which makes me realise that I'm handling problems better is that I haven't slid down into the black pit. That's an achievemnet for Yours' Truly here!

The outcome of all the mental swings and roundabouts is that I have managed to wangle back enough salary from the Hub to pay the rent on an artisan's studio in town! How amazingly, incredibly awesome is that? I'm already calling it 'The Bolt Hole' in my mind, and today I overheard Youngest refer to it as 'The Escape'!

I've paid four weeks' rent and tomorrow I go to sign the lease after which I can move in; its really exciting as I've never done anything like this before! Imagine having a whole room to sew in? With no one to object to the mess or stuff lying around or the sound of the machine or shout at me? Being in town, Youngest will be able to walk down after school next term and study in the evenings until we're ready to return home.

The studio is located in the yard of a shop which sells all Irish handmade artisan wares. It's a bit difficult to describe as it's not a Craft shop, but its not a high-end designer shop either although the items would be Irish designed and made. The sort of shop you'd visit to sigh and dream over the contents!! In the yard are the jewellry workshops and folk working, so I think it will be a lovely place to work.

Tomorrow after school Youngest and I are going to have a look in the Market Yard Auction rooms to see if we can find some shelves, two tall stools and a chair, and then to Argos to buy an iron...the Hub would take serious umbrage if the house was left ironless and his shirts ceased to be de-creased...Doncha love auction rooms? The ultimate Aladdin's Cave!

So there ya have it! Excitin' stuff hey?!

Thankful Thursday and a Funny Story

My! Don't Thursday's come around fast!

1. After yesterday's grizzle, just look what we got up to today!

Blazing sunshine, blue sky, and scarcely a cloud in sight! Oh THANK YOU LORD!

2. Here we have a 22 year old sewing machine (ignore the mess please, its not part of the Thankful) which has been in use almost every day of its life.

Mom brought it out to East Africa as a Wedding present for us, and promptly set it up on the dining table and made my wedding dress! (Well she made her own, and her bridesmaids' dresses so why stop at that?)

Thankful for this machine and the employment it gives me- to occupy me, to save money (as in clothes and curtain making), to earn something (as in sewing for other folks), to make friends (as in quilting circles and household mending for people); its been bumped and bashed halfway round the world and back, and I haven't arrived in a new home until it is set up!

3. Behold! An equally battered piano! Although this is not my original piano, we bought it soon after we arrived in 2000 and it has done trusty service albeit rather tuneless at times. (please excuse the black tail, Ben thought I was photographing him!)My two Grandmothers gave us Wedding money which was used for the first piano as I was teaching Music at the time, and to be able to do so from home was a financial asset, but in 2000 we sold that piano to pay for our air fares to move back to Ireland.
Thankful that I can sit down and play any time I want or need to; for me, playing the piano has always been a safety valve!

4. I know you have met these two lunatics many times before!
Caption:

Bertie, 'Why the heck won't she open the door? Its freezing out here!'

Ben, 'Photo op, bro, keep your fur on!'
Thankful for these two, their attention, nosiness, and especially their 'new-every-morning' attitude to life!

5. And after the long day that's invariably in it-
...my comfortable African bed!

Those are my regular, un-Godly, material, non-essential, everyday Thankfuls, all else is transitory!

Funny Story

As you'll know, yesterday was Ash Wednesday and as it happened, I was playing for the Evening Service. We had a clergyman who comes to us once every three weeks to help our rector, so although folk enjoy his preaching (good solid Bible based), as yet he doesn't really know us and our congregational idiosyncrasies...(this is relevant to the amusement factor!)

Last night, after the Penitential Service of Holy Communion, whilst I was playing the Recessional Voluntary, I watched the congregation file down the aisle to the porch, shake hands with and thank the Canon, then loop back and file solemnly back UP the aisle to the sanctuary...I don't think the Canon realised as he was busy greeting, and the look on his face when he came through the porch doors and saw most of the congregation on their knees by the altar rail was PRICELESS!

(The Altar is in the Chancel at present.)

Well the reason for it all is this: some years ago the vault under the Sanctuary pushed up and destroyed the floor. Now the vault is repaired, the floor replaced, and over the past five weeks a craftsman has been laying a new 'encaustic' tiled floor. Last night it was complete except for the grouting and it is simply a work of art...hence the viewing from hands and knees at the altar rail!!!!

(I'll try remember to take a photo on Sunday for you!)

And to finish 2009...

We've just been watching a partial Lunar Eclipse. I think it is always amazing to watch any type of Eclipse , you can understand why the ancients might have been really worried when they happened. Last night there was a fresh, fairly heavy, fall of snow on the mountains. The roads were icy nearly the whole day as the temperature hardly rose above freezing. At least the wind has died down. These are the books I am planning to read in the coming year- they are not all mine and most are secondhand, but they are all on my 'thatlooksinteresting' list! The four books at the lower lefthand corner are on the bedside table at present, the rest I put there as I sorted.

Dilly and Sos are off to a Masked Ball at their favourite venue in town and spending the night at Mum and Dad's, and B is spending the evening with a friend whose folks are having a party. I'm trying to tidy all my sewing so I at least begin the year organised!

Teacup Tuesday, Skylight and a new Bag.

This is one of my mum's favourite china patterns, the tea-set is brought out on special occasions like birthday teas. I tried to do a cross-stitch tablecloth for her to match the set but it was quite complicated doing it on linen and I never finished it.

Well this morning began with a trip to the folks for the Hub to investigate the leaking skylight in their kitchen. He climbed out onto the roof, took it apart and sort of re-sealed it with silicon stuff normally used around bathroom sinks. It’s rather ‘Heath Robinson’ but they went on holiday this morning and its been raining non-stop the past few days.

Then we took B out to Ballisodare to a fishing competition where two friends were competing. It was raining when we left and I forgot to remind her to bring an anorak so of course she forgot. When the Hub demanded to know how she would avoid getting wet she answered (in some indignation); ‘Well I’m not intending to fall in the river, you know!’ Ummm, that wasn’t really the point, dear. (But actually, she didn’t, to my surprise!)

In the traffic we were behind a very dirty van upon which some wise-guy had written: 'Also in green.' We laughed so much, and then Sos got out the camera and took some photos, but it's not very clear. (I love the humour here.)

The front hall is now a workshop as, with all the rain, the hub got fed up running in and out trying to keep the tools dry. So now the garden table is inside with all the wood and tools and he can carry on working through rain and shine. We will say nothing about the sawdust, mud, wet, etc. Luckily when we floored the hall, kitchen and passage-way we were able to buy reclaimed timber boards (apparently from a 100 year old Convent in Belfast which had been demolished some time previously), which is over an inch thick and well able to withstand the abuse it gets in this household. They say not to floor a kitchen in wood but its brilliant, is wearing well and has significantly reduced our breakages compared to the cement and lino flooring in the rented house.

I finished sewing myself a new shoulder-bag this afternoon as the previous one disintegrated some time ago. It turned out quite well I think although I used fabric that was a bit thick. I was trying to make it tough enough as I’m pretty hard on a bag and I hate having a new one. The embroidered bit is sort of broderie perse which came of a scrap of curtain material I found.

If you remember, I planted amaryllis seeds some weeks ago and I am delighted to say they are beginning to germinate. I am both amazed and delighted!

Last night I came across a students’ writing competition whilst on the internet so I showed B and Sos. The upper limit was 18 so Sos just made it. The prize is to meet Anthony Horowitz, children’s author, and the deadline is tomorrow night. Well both girls have written a story today and emailed it which is good going for them, not notably speedy these two gargoyles.

Well B has been collected from the river, pizzas are in the oven and suppose I had better find some supper for myself since I can’t eat pizza- they do smell good!

Beginning!

Well I've grabbed the bull by the horns and have started a blog- I think it could be a swift, steep learning curve, but as long as I don't fly off into hyperspace I'll be OK. My children are the computer fundis (experts), but I like to pretend I am sort of competant.
With the lovely weather that's been in it this last fortnight the Hub condescended to attack part of the garden at the weekend so that I could plant out part of the plant nursery taking up the driveway...the part of the driveway closest to the front door where he would like to be able to park on wet days! He chopped and swore through weeds and long grass, then hacked everything out in chunks...including ALL the spring bulbs. Then he spent another few hours retrieving the bulbs from the compost bin. Great start! Or as the eldest daughter would text, 'Urr'.
I've been dress-making in the evenings over the last fortnight as the youngest daughter, B, was going on a week's School Trip and didn't have enough clothes to last a whole week. School uniform has many advantages, but it turns holidays into laundry nightmares. Two skirts she needed; I made one with blue patchwork in a band around the middle to eke out the fabric. The second skirt was made using two pairs of torn jeans, ripped apart and resewn in panels. Both turned out ok.
Now I have begun a green knitted dress for the eldest against winter smart-wear, its tough being a student and having to fund one's own wardrobe so I thought I'd help out. She chose the wool herself and its a lovely soft shade of green.