And I'm back.
It's been ages since I last posted, but I had a lot of stuff on one way and another.
Firstly, my buddy Cat had her baby back in October, she had a lovely little girl. My blanket arrived just in time for their homecoming. I'm waiting eagerly for new pictures but I hear that they're both doing well. It's so weird, it feel like hardly any time at all that we were having cocoa at Newnham and now she's someone's mum. Still, she'll be great, I'm sure. I need to be sure I get their presents in the post so they'll get them in time.
Much to my own surprise, I went along to the Unitarian Octagon Chapel for their Sunday Service today. It was their Remembrance Sunday service, and so different from the formal, ceremonial service I used to go to when I was in the choir in Attleborough. Still, it's interesting and different in a good way to be in a service without a creed that sticks in my throat, and be in a congregation where there's no official party doctrine or formal party line to toe. I'm not stupid enough to think that politics don't exist even in that environment, but it's a strangely comfortable place. I'll see how I feel after a few weeks.
I was also at a class yesterday - blind embossing with a local artist Sally Hirst at Muspole Studios.She was a nice lady, and she showed us how to do three different types of embossing on paper - card, engraved lino and photopolymer. The lino is engraved with wood gouges so you get an effect close to a woodcut, a bit irregular and primitive-folk - I did a bauble decorated with snowflakes which came out pretty well, though my hands ached like hell from the effort of carving out the lino. My favourite was the photopolymer, which gives you a really sharp and detailed image. There was a lady there who did a wonderful William-Morris-esque flower and leaves that made a wonderful card with the cream papers. I enjoyed it a lot, and I think I may go back when she does other courses in the new year. I also noticed that there's a calligraphy course running the next few weeks at the arts foundation, which would also be interesting.
Work is not so good. We got communications from the head office of how well the Service has been doing and how proud we can be about our teamwork - and we then get notice of a voluntary exit scheme. They want to get rid of 150 people, and either 150 people choose to go or the number will be chosen. Yet again just before Christmas. They really know how to time their announcements, don't they? I'm not going voluntarily - I can't while I still have the sick record from hell - but I'm still seriously wondering if it will not soon be time to walk. Let's be honest, I never planned to work in insolvency to start with, and I'm stuck without promotion prospects here.
And then there's family. Niece is unemployed again, with a deadbeat boyfriend around. What fun. I'm not going home for Christmas, as having three days at home with no means of escape will be an exercise in going totally nuts. Not going there.
Oh well - I've decided that by the end of the year I'll finish as many of my outstanding projects as I can, to free up room space and headspace. I'm working on a lacy handkerchief at present, in a lovely soft cotton lace. I've done about half of the edging, so I'm thinking of cueing up The Hobbit and working on that.
Firstly, my buddy Cat had her baby back in October, she had a lovely little girl. My blanket arrived just in time for their homecoming. I'm waiting eagerly for new pictures but I hear that they're both doing well. It's so weird, it feel like hardly any time at all that we were having cocoa at Newnham and now she's someone's mum. Still, she'll be great, I'm sure. I need to be sure I get their presents in the post so they'll get them in time.
Much to my own surprise, I went along to the Unitarian Octagon Chapel for their Sunday Service today. It was their Remembrance Sunday service, and so different from the formal, ceremonial service I used to go to when I was in the choir in Attleborough. Still, it's interesting and different in a good way to be in a service without a creed that sticks in my throat, and be in a congregation where there's no official party doctrine or formal party line to toe. I'm not stupid enough to think that politics don't exist even in that environment, but it's a strangely comfortable place. I'll see how I feel after a few weeks.
I was also at a class yesterday - blind embossing with a local artist Sally Hirst at Muspole Studios.She was a nice lady, and she showed us how to do three different types of embossing on paper - card, engraved lino and photopolymer. The lino is engraved with wood gouges so you get an effect close to a woodcut, a bit irregular and primitive-folk - I did a bauble decorated with snowflakes which came out pretty well, though my hands ached like hell from the effort of carving out the lino. My favourite was the photopolymer, which gives you a really sharp and detailed image. There was a lady there who did a wonderful William-Morris-esque flower and leaves that made a wonderful card with the cream papers. I enjoyed it a lot, and I think I may go back when she does other courses in the new year. I also noticed that there's a calligraphy course running the next few weeks at the arts foundation, which would also be interesting.
Work is not so good. We got communications from the head office of how well the Service has been doing and how proud we can be about our teamwork - and we then get notice of a voluntary exit scheme. They want to get rid of 150 people, and either 150 people choose to go or the number will be chosen. Yet again just before Christmas. They really know how to time their announcements, don't they? I'm not going voluntarily - I can't while I still have the sick record from hell - but I'm still seriously wondering if it will not soon be time to walk. Let's be honest, I never planned to work in insolvency to start with, and I'm stuck without promotion prospects here.
And then there's family. Niece is unemployed again, with a deadbeat boyfriend around. What fun. I'm not going home for Christmas, as having three days at home with no means of escape will be an exercise in going totally nuts. Not going there.
Oh well - I've decided that by the end of the year I'll finish as many of my outstanding projects as I can, to free up room space and headspace. I'm working on a lacy handkerchief at present, in a lovely soft cotton lace. I've done about half of the edging, so I'm thinking of cueing up The Hobbit and working on that.