... Dove, don't know why you will need wrapping paper...we agreed no presents this year, unless you have a party time job as an elf I don't know about?!?
My family do a secret santa at Christmas. Spending was getting silly. We each write a list which my brother distributes (of course you're not meant to know who it is for but it is often easy to guess - so he throws in red herrings, normally extra gifts for him for organising it) and we are given a budget (last year it was £45, the year before £50. It takes so much pressure off things and is quite amusing!
With his lordships family however they seem to see Christmas as a time to go silly with gifts. They get ever so upset when I want practical things and frown at the luxurious stuff (last year I asked for a George Foreman.... so I could cook chicken for the dog!)
Hopefully one year they'll join in with the idea of Christmas being about relaxing and celebrating surviving another year... oh and the baby Jesus of course.
I have counted up school visitors through the museum so far this year: we're well over 3,000 already (it was only (it averaged 1211 in the three years before I started). Alas unless I can find another 150 students I wont be able to break the 4,000 mark....)
Hmm.... its almost worth my hunting down schools and trying to borrow a few students for the day!
Dull and grey but warm at 14C. Have been out to enquire about hedge cutting and compost at the local council but no go. Now to chat up the neighbours and see if they know anyone before we go thru the internet.
Himself went and had a practice on his new course this morning. Said he came across a fairly damp part and saw 3 beaver-like critters. Asked me if the region was known for having kumquats!! Didn't understand why I was so amused. Cloth head as well as cloth ears. They're probably descendants of coypu released some decades ago.
Presents are easy here in theory as there's just the 3 of us. Long since declared a present truce with the rest of the family however Possum really dislikes my continual requests for practical cooking or gardening stuff. Why don't I want perfume or jewelry or clothes? Cos I have enough to last me a lifetime and wear neither perfume nor jewelry in the garden or for schlepping at home which doesn't leave a lot of time left for being spruced.!
Clari - hope you can round up the extras needed. Good luck with the job hunt and your updated resumé.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Hello again folks! Finally found a signal after 3 days with nowt - it seems to depend on the weather, which seems odd to me.
Good to see Edd back again, and catch up with the last day's chat. Bit cold for going back further...
The moon woke me at 5.30 this morning, shining on my face through the skylight, so I took its photograph - can't post it from here so I'll save it for December. It was certainly bright, and we're getting very high and very low tides too.
Best of luck teaching colloquial English, DD. OH really found himself stretched by the questions asked by his adult pupils in Russia - it's so much easier when you hear the inflection of the spoken phrase. "I'm sorry, I've GOT to go..." etc.
Time for a cup of tea I think. Best wishes to all!
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Hello Liri - good to see you I love waking up with the moon shining on my face - we have Venetian blinds rather than curtains - we sometimes leave the blinds open on moonlit nights and watch the moonlight and shadows move across the wall.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Those "beaver-like critters" are quite probably specimens of Myocastor coypus which are pretty abundant (and making a nuisance of themselves) in La Vendée. In French they are called "ragondins", and are sometimes hunted to make "paté". But because people would hate the thought of paté made from river rats, that delicacy is sold under the name of "pâté de lièvre des marais". More about this (in French) at http://www.maison-marais-poitevin.fr/s-organiser/boutique/gastronomie/
Maybe your could suggest to your OH to catch ragondins whilst playing golf so you could cook some delicious pâté?
Posts
Its okay Dove, I'll graciously accept presents!
My family do a secret santa at Christmas. Spending was getting silly. We each write a list which my brother distributes (of course you're not meant to know who it is for but it is often easy to guess - so he throws in red herrings, normally extra gifts for him for organising it) and we are given a budget (last year it was £45, the year before £50. It takes so much pressure off things and is quite amusing!
With his lordships family however they seem to see Christmas as a time to go silly with gifts. They get ever so upset when I want practical things and frown at the luxurious stuff (last year I asked for a George Foreman.... so I could cook chicken for the dog!)
Hopefully one year they'll join in with the idea of Christmas being about relaxing and celebrating surviving another year... oh and the baby Jesus of course.
I have counted up school visitors through the museum so far this year: we're well over 3,000 already (it was only (it averaged 1211 in the three years before I started). Alas unless I can find another 150 students I wont be able to break the 4,000 mark....)
Hmm.... its almost worth my hunting down schools and trying to borrow a few students for the day!
Hi James, Is this the same survey that I completed this morning, or is it a different one?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Looks to be the same one as on the other thread Dove.
Not sure I'd go as far as to say "professional looking" I mean sure you didn't use Comic Sans but...
Ignoring surveys on this fred.
Dull and grey but warm at 14C. Have been out to enquire about hedge cutting and compost at the local council but no go. Now to chat up the neighbours and see if they know anyone before we go thru the internet.
Himself went and had a practice on his new course this morning. Said he came across a fairly damp part and saw 3 beaver-like critters. Asked me if the region was known for having kumquats!! Didn't understand why I was so amused. Cloth head as well as cloth ears. They're probably descendants of coypu released some decades ago.
Presents are easy here in theory as there's just the 3 of us. Long since declared a present truce with the rest of the family however Possum really dislikes my continual requests for practical cooking or gardening stuff. Why don't I want perfume or jewelry or clothes? Cos I have enough to last me a lifetime and wear neither perfume nor jewelry in the garden or for schlepping at home which doesn't leave a lot of time left for being spruced.!
Clari - hope you can round up the extras needed. Good luck with the job hunt and your updated resumé.
Hello again folks! Finally found a signal after 3 days with nowt - it seems to depend on the weather, which seems odd to me.
Good to see Edd back again, and catch up with the last day's chat. Bit cold for going back further...
The moon woke me at 5.30 this morning, shining on my face through the skylight, so I took its photograph - can't post it from here so I'll save it for December. It was certainly bright, and we're getting very high and very low tides too.
Best of luck teaching colloquial English, DD. OH really found himself stretched by the questions asked by his adult pupils in Russia - it's so much easier when you hear the inflection of the spoken phrase. "I'm sorry, I've GOT to go..." etc.
Time for a cup of tea I think. Best wishes to all!
Hello Liri - good to see you
I love waking up with the moon shining on my face - we have Venetian blinds rather than curtains - we sometimes leave the blinds open on moonlit nights and watch the moonlight and shadows move across the wall.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
@Obelixx
Those "beaver-like critters" are quite probably specimens of Myocastor coypus which are pretty abundant (and making a nuisance of themselves) in La Vendée. In French they are called "ragondins", and are sometimes hunted to make "paté". But because people would hate the thought of paté made from river rats, that delicacy is sold under the name of "pâté de lièvre des marais". More about this (in French) at http://www.maison-marais-poitevin.fr/s-organiser/boutique/gastronomie/
Maybe your could suggest to your OH to catch ragondins whilst playing golf so you could cook some delicious pâté?
Thanks, but no thanks, Papi Jo.
mmmmm pate.
His lordship is working late. How long can a doting spouse wait before eating dinner?