Snow Drift

Yes, I know, it's been so long that all my regular readers (both of you) have wandered off to read someone else's blog. I can't say I blame you. I've been snowed under with too much work and not enough time. Ho hum. The school I'm at originally wanted me for 6 weeks until October half term. They keep extending the contract, and now it is until May. I'm quite enjoying having a regular income, and mostly nice classes too. They didn't know who they were getting so I have no exam classes at all - Y12, Y9, Y8 and Y7 - which takes the pressure off a bit. On the other hand, I still can't cope with the work load. I just want a job that finishes when I go home.

Nick's hard work.

I didn't go in to work last Friday because of the snow. In fact, the snow has been so severe up here on our hill, that we haven't made it out of the house at all for three days. Nick spent two hours this afternoon digging out the drive to make sure we can get the cars out in the morning. 

Icicles

Snow Field

Then I took the dog for a walk to a neighbouring field, whilst the kids went off and sledged down one with sheep in. The dog leapt over a stile and disappeared up to his ears in snow. I followed him, but ended up up to my knees (literally) making post holes with every step. There is a video for the non-believers, who think I may be exaggerating.

 In the end I just stood there for a while and then took the dog home again. It means I'm about 10 miles down on this week's MoonJoggers target, but I'll make up the miles later in the year when the weather isn't so unseasonal. The spring equinox celebrations had to happen without us down in the woods in Gloucestershire. We would have needed a snow plough to get there.

Snow Field

Meanwhile I've been introducing Mel to Red Dwarf. So far he's watched season 1, 2 and 6. We've been sitting in front of the screen doubled over with laughter at it. I guess he shares my sense of humour. 

Drifts on the side of the road.

Year Eight Challenge

Bothe Donny and Mel have been told they have to "Learn something new" by about March for their Y8 Challenge. Donny has yet to decide, so I hope she picks something easy. Mel went for what he likes - cooking. He decided to learn how to cook a number of different desserts. The first one here is a banana split. 

Mel's Split:
Take one banana and halve it lengthways.

1

2

Add three scoops of vanilla ice-cream.

3

Squirt and inordinate amount of squirty cream over the top.

4

Sprinkle grated milk chocolate over that.

Eat carefully.

5

Not recommended for the faint hearted, or those on a diet.

Moon Jogging

Moon Jogging - no, that doesn't mean jostling the heavenly bodies for position. My friend Heather got involved and I thought it looked like a good idea. A whole bunch of people from all over the world have signed up and pledged to walk 1000 miles in a year. The idea being that when all those miles are added together, they will be the distance to the moon. So far, I'm off to a flying start, with just over 23 miles logged this week. To achive the 1000 miles, I need to average 20 miles/week or 3 miles/day give or take. I can see it being very hard to achieve, as it wouldn't take many missed days before you realise you have to walk 38 miles/day for the next month to get back on target. 

Lake Lugg

Will I manage it? I don't know, but there are a lot of motivational people on the site posting pictures of their 12 mile runs and whatever to make me feel like getting out there (or possibly that I've bitten off more than I can chew, depending on my mood). I do feel a lot better for having done some exercise this week though.

King Rat

Dick Whittington

We went to the panto, as every year, on NYE. It was Dick Whittington, or Puss in Boots, and it was, once again, most enjoyable. The dame was a new actor, who was particularly camp. At first I didn't know what to make of him, then he grew on me and his muddled rendition of the 12 days of Christmas was absolutely hilarious. 

Alice

Puss

The Dame

Afterwards we went for a meal, driving past the floods of the River Lugg - we renamed it Lake Lugg. I took some photos the next day when I went out to interview the Wolf Paw Tipi Villagers for Pagan Radio. The River Severn has also burst its banks and looked spectacular in Worcester. 

Lake Lugg

Lake Lugg

 

Severn Flood

Severn Flood

Donny and Mel had their 13th birthday this week. I can't believe they are getting so old. Before I know it they will be off at university doing their own thing and I won't know where the time has gone.

Nick and Eartha bringing the cakes.

 

Donny and Mel blowing out their candles

But Only Just

I cannot begin to tell you how hard I have been working these past few months. Everything, and I mean everything, has been put on hold. I work a full day, then race home with just enough time to stuff some food into me before heading back out to tutor more children in the evenings. Finally,  having done a 13 hour day, or so, I come back in and need to do marking or planning. Exhausted doesn't cover it. And I don't even get sick pay or a pension out of this madness. There is something wrong in the world.

Things I haven't done include blogging - I'm not up to date with even last summer's travelpod, which makes me sad. It is one of the things I love doing, that I'm quite proud of. I feel a part of me is missing because I have had my creativity removed by so much work. I feel like an automoton, who travels the country, spouting science and maths facts at young people endlessly. It feels like a type of Sisyphisian punishment, where I'm doomed to spend eternity repeating the same thing over and over again.

I have also cut out exercise. I've cancelled several trips to the mountains, failed to go swimming, not run a step and given the poor dog short shrift. Consequently, I'm getting heavier and more unfit and my blood sugar is rising significantly. It all sucks. I can't keep it up, but what to do?

Noxy

Slowly, as my strength returns over the winter break, I am feeling panicky attacks. My throat is closing up with a condition called globus hysterica that I first experienced four years ago when working for the Bad Headmistress. She has since retired, but her legacy lives on. This psychological condition is caused by the muscles in my throat tightening due to stress and tension. It is bizarre that it is happening now that the pressure has eased. What's that all about then? I've just had a bit of a rest and I think it is a manifestation of the fear of going back to teaching next term. Ho hum. I gotta get a life.

Around the autumn equinox, Mel finally persuaded me to get a hamster. This beautiful creature, Noxy, came to live with us briefly and soon became a much loved addition to the family. Sadly Noxy escaped one evening in December and was not a match for our more predatory pets. Noxy was buried with full honours in the front garden.

Hiro

Once the initial trauma had subsided, we decided to get another hamster. This one is thankfully still alive and has been named Hiro (after one of the characters in the TV series Heroes that the kids have been watching). He's a friendly little thing, and is filling a Noxy shaped hole quite well.

Nick is the Holly King

Just after the Winter Solstice, we headed off to Stonehenge for the Druidic ceremony that we get invited to at this time of year. The kids were under very strict instructions not to touch the stones, as they got into trouble for it last summer. The weather this year has been appalling. It has rained constantly since April. I'm not even exaggerating. There is widespread flooding and anywhere off-path has been turned into a quagmire. I'm actually looking forward to cold weather so the mud freezes up a bit. 

The Three Maidens

Anyway, the threat of yet more rain meant several regulars cried off the ceremony. Afterall, the thought of standing in the rain for two hours getting the ritual robes sodden wasn't all that enthralling. Anyway, we risked it and it did in fact stay dry. The knock on effect of fewer people attending, meant we all ended up with jobs to do. Nick was the Holly King, the girls handed out the mead and snacks and we all joined in mourning the demise of the Holly King, as his reign wanes before the return of the sun. 

Christmas Day itself was spent at Mum's. We'd done the preparation the day before, so there was only the actual cooking part to do, and the opening of presents and the eating marathon to get through. I think we judged the presents OK this year. The kids all seemed quite happy. Donny got a nook, which is like a kindle, but half the price. She and Eartha have been glued to it ever since. Mel's top present was an alarm clock, something he'd asked for. Saskia's most used so far have been a book of puzzles and a book on how to draw cartoons. Nick and I got a great selection of music, books and clothes. Not a single smelly bath product in sight. Hurray! Mel is making up for it on the smelly front though. He got a packet of Lily flavoured joss sticks, which he is now polluting the house with.

Xmas Lunch

So, onwards to 2013!

I'm Still Alive

Just a quick note to say I'm still here, and still alive, just that I haven't posted in a while. I got another teaching job in September and it has taken over my life. I'm back to working 50, 60 hours a week and having no personal time to think or move. I have got to get out of this profession! I did apply to retrain as a paramedic, but pending an appeal, I didn't get one of the 24 places on offer, sadly. It knocked me back a bit as I think I was counting on it to get me out of here, but I guess the universe has other plans for me.

There are lots of things to tell you - like Mum writing her car off in a spectacular roll down the road, but I don't think I can catch up with everything in five minutes and still do it justice. Here's some of it in bullet points:

• The kids are doing fine at school.
• Our nephew had a baby in July. He's got Down's but he's doing fine and I can't wait to meet him.
• We had the dining room tiled with a groovy green and cream design.
• The kids got a hamster, whom they've called Noxy.
• I've done no exercise or writing for over two months and I'm starting to go stir crazy.
• Skyfall was epic. Frankenweenie made us cry. 
• We're going to Portugal on holiday next year. 
• An elderly woman with grey hair and a wrinkled face, driving a small, scratched, white car tried to snatch Saskia. Thankfully Saskia ran away. Our village was crawling with police for a while.

That's it for this installment, folks. I will write more as soon as I get my life back!

Bikes, Vikings and Karma

We spent the last few weeks dodging the raindrops of the torrential English summer. One of the days we managed to get some of the kids's friends together for a cycle round the forest with the dog. Then they all came back to our place to watch Cowboys and Aliens and to eat popcorn. Both were a bit messy, but as my brother pointed out, there were some nice close-up of Daniel Craig's tight trousers. I think that was lost on the kids. (Probably a good thing.)

Cyclists

Then, in my capacity as chief interviewer of anything I like for Pagan Radio, I added to my Tewkesbury success by interviewing the Svartland Vikings. It seems my friend Chrissy, whom I've known since the year dot, has taken an interest in the group. She and her eldest son were at the camp re-enactment, dressed in the traditional clothes, chopping up carrots for the stew. 

Vikings

We had a lovely Norwegian Couchsurfer to stay. Asbjorn came climbing with me, amongst other things, and came for a walk in the forest with the kids and Kate. He also came with us when the kids tried the luge - skateboarding down a steep path. Woot! Loads of fun. Mel got a prize for fastest time and Saskia and Donny got prizes for Most Epic Crashes.

Kate, Asbjorn and the kids

I've been having some problems with someone who owes me a lot of money for some work I did for him. He's refusing to pay because someone else didn't pay him and he's basically saving his own bacon instead of manning up to his responsibilties. I've been really mad at him, so I thought I would do some spiritual work to try to get him to change his view point. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the right frame of mind, and I drifted off to sleep projecting thoughts of violently breaking his windscreen with a brick. This is not really what I wanted to send out and, unsurprisingly, the karma of such negativity came bouncing right back at me.

Saskia on the Luge

The very next day, driving down the motorway, a stone hit my windshield and left a big chip in the middle. Worse still, it also left a chip which cracked down at the bottom of the screen. There is now a spiderweb of cracks creeping their way up the glass and I'm stuck in waiting for the Autoglass men to call and bring me a whole new windscreen, instead of enjoying my holiday. And it cost me money too. So the moral of this story is: don't get mad when you are trying to influence the universe - it's bigger than you!

Smashing!

Tewkesbury Medieval Festival

Wow, what an excellent day out. For a start it didn't rain, and that's a miracle this summer. We went off to the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival, which stages a re-enactment of one of the battles that happened during the War of the Roses back in about 1471 or thereabouts. The Yorkists fought the Lancastrians and on this occasion the Lancastrians lost, although they won the greater war a few years later.

My family, together with Pal. Pal didn't like the cannons much, but the others did.

Donny and friend.

As well as the re-enactment of the battle, with over 2000 people taking part, all dressed in authentic gear, wielding big weapons, there was a medieval market packed full of traders selling everything from archery equipment to rabbit skins. There were games for the kids to play, juggling equipment, story-telling and a merry-go-round. Eartha made her own hobby-horse and they all got to try out firing a bow and arrow.

Morris, with excellent music, much yelling and clashing of sticks.

Mel plays big chess. This is what they mean when they refer to Grand Masters.

Donny and Saskia discover naughts and crosses.

A knight and his steed.

I had an additional reason for wanting to go. Some time back I'd been roped into becoming a contributor to paganradio.co.uk. I got given a voice recorder and it has taken me some time to find my voice. That is, I tried being the presenter, but found the sound of my own voice droning on to be both boring and embarrassing. I didn't want to feel so exposed to the world as I did when it was just my ideas and mind being recorded for posterity, so I started to interview other people. It is much easier to let them do the talking. 

The Lancastrians take aim.

Lining up for battle.

Battle standards.

 Today was fantastic for interviewing people. I got to chat to all sorts of stall-holders and the organisers of the festival, listening to how they created their products and the history behind them. I learnt loads of interesting things - far more than I ever would have done just looking round the stalls. I loved it. 

It's hot in here.

Parley before the battle.

Darn it! Another job I love, for which I don't get paid!