Slowly and surely I'm edging my way towards Christmas.
Every year, without fail, I tell myself I'll start earlier, but October comes around, my annual attack of Christmas resentment sets in and I vow I will have nothing to do with the whole rotten lot of it until at least December 1st. But time has a habit of disappearing into a black hole and the next thing you know, it's December 15th and you're in Boots, fighting with the rest of womankind over the last of the 3 for 2's.
I never learn. The day I actually do have my cards written and posted for December 1st is most likely the day they announce that hell has frozen over.
I have, however, made a big, huge concession to Christmas... I've Christmassed up my iPod. Yes, I agree, it's essential in terms of Christmas preparation. It is good to know I have my priorities in life sorted. ;-) I've uploaded all my Christmas music on to it. Unfortunately, I checked everything in iTunes by accident, so all the things I've carefully culled off during the past year as I've tired of them have found their way back on to my iPod and I'm doing an awful lot of skipping now.
My all time favourite Christmas track is I Believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake. When I hear this I'm instantly seven years old again and I can spontaneously burst into tears - as witnessed by the shop assistant in Paperchase on Tuesday in Milton Keynes. It just makes me long for the time when Christmas was wonderful and magical and not the sad reality of adulthood, which is hacking around packed out and overheated shops trying to decide what to get everyone.
I have bought my cards, but I haven't managed to write them yet, that's a job for the next couple of days, especially as some of them have to go overseas and should have gone a week ago.
DD has had a busy old time of it recently. She graded to Orange belt in Karate, sang in the Christmas concert at Church and again in the School concert on Tuesday night. Since half term (end of October), she's been having singing lessons; and I can tell already that there's been a marked improvement - she's not singing through her nose for one thing and can make a noise to extend over the footlights now.
Thankfully Guides and housegroup have now finished until January, so Tuesdays have two less things to be crammed in to them, which I'm extremely grateful for.
I happened to hear Blinded by the Light by Manfred Mann's Earth Band this morning, and as I gave one ear towards the lyrics I was suddenly struck by just how bonkers they were. What the hell is that song about? Great melody, but it's really not a good idea to write lyrics when you're off your head on Sherbert DibDabs is it? However, several of us came to the conclusion on Facebook that Stevie Nicks wrote some of her best stuff while she was off her head. My friend Lisa C tells me that Blinded by the Light was actually written by Bruce Springsteen, which confuses me even more. Springsteen is not known for perplexing lyrics - Born in the USA hardly needs explanation.
DD's been working on a great project in science. Basically, they have been using what they know about Geological and Geomorphological processes on Earth to equip a Martian exploration team with enough knowledge to see if they can explain any of the features or conditions on Mars. DD designed a Powerpoint presentation as her contribution. Simon did comment to her whilst she was researching it that we know 'virtually nothing' about Mars. Quite unfortunately, a little while later, I came across a comment about his own research project (AHOB), which said:
As one of the scientists involved in the project remarked, in relation to mapping the lost land bridge between Britain and Europe, so crucial to our understanding of early human activity here, 'We know more about the surface of Mars than we do this.'
So you know more about Mars than you do Earth? Do you need Year 8 to give you a hand? They have Mars all sorted now.
Actually AHOB I've just noticed is now up to Project 3 -
Dispersals of Early Humans: Adaptations, Frontiers and New Territories.
Frontiers...? Makes us sound like Wyoming!
Mind you, I suppose Milton Keynes was only finally colonised during the London Dispersal and New Town development during the 1950's... ;-) ;-)
And we can adapt... we already have our own Mini Ice Age going on at
Xscape...