*sigh*
I think this is the first time I've truly been able to sit and relax all week. Though I feel like I've been running all week, there's little to report really. No emergencies or big events, really, just a hundred tiny things which ahve taken up what spare time I've had.
At least whatever bug I had is gone--I went to see Madam Pomfrey about a week ago (or was it more? I've lost all track of time) and a dose of Pepper-Up Potion seems to have got rid of it. I'm quite glad of it--it seems I get sick every February, like clockwork, and I seem to have dodged the bullet this year (touch wood).
But I'm relatively calm at the moment. I've been exploring the internet, a cup of tea to hand, a warm shawl about my shoulders, and a sleepy, purring Pippin in my lap. I've found quite a few interesting sites so far; my "bookmarks" file is growing by leaps and bounds. I only just realized the other day that you could probably find knitting information on the web, and I've uncovered quite a few repositories of patterns, how-to sites and, better yet, yarn suppliers. I've also found a large number of knitting discussion lists, and I've joined a couple, routing them through a Yahoo.uk e-mail address I've set up.
I really must get back into knitting; it's sort of gone by the wayside since Christmas, and today in Hogsmeade I found a good-sized basket to hold my knitting, so I can take it to my classroom (for knitting during breaks, NOT during class!) or to the staffroom. It also has a lid, so Pippin can't get her claws into my projects. I went to the wool shop in Hogsmeade as well, and I've found some lovely yarn which I think will be perfect for a friend's scarf. Online I found the perfect pattern for the scarf, a cabled pattern which mimics the look of Celtic knotwork. I can't wait to get to it--knitting is so relaxing, something about the repetetiveness of the motions.
Classes are going fairly well. My sixth-years are reading Shakespeare's Hamlet which can be fun. I have the students read a few scenes for homework, then in class we read it aloud, with students taking different parts. Like any group of teenagers, there are those that enjoy the dramatic readings and give it their best, while others just plough through in a monotone. About the same as you'd find in any A-level class, really. We do have quite a good Hamlet though; Anne Weddle (Hufflepuff) seems to have been born for the stage.
I've been in contact with the friend of a friend in the Ministry, and I'm working on getting a television and video player in Hogwarts. I'd love to be able to show my sixth-years' Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, as it might help some of the students understand the play. Of course I'd also show them Branagh's In the Bleak Midwinter as well, for some comic relief.
Pippin has just hopped off my lap, waltzed into my bedroom and settled herself on my bed--is that supposed to be a hint? I think I'll read some Jane Eyre before going to sleep.
At least whatever bug I had is gone--I went to see Madam Pomfrey about a week ago (or was it more? I've lost all track of time) and a dose of Pepper-Up Potion seems to have got rid of it. I'm quite glad of it--it seems I get sick every February, like clockwork, and I seem to have dodged the bullet this year (touch wood).
But I'm relatively calm at the moment. I've been exploring the internet, a cup of tea to hand, a warm shawl about my shoulders, and a sleepy, purring Pippin in my lap. I've found quite a few interesting sites so far; my "bookmarks" file is growing by leaps and bounds. I only just realized the other day that you could probably find knitting information on the web, and I've uncovered quite a few repositories of patterns, how-to sites and, better yet, yarn suppliers. I've also found a large number of knitting discussion lists, and I've joined a couple, routing them through a Yahoo.uk e-mail address I've set up.
I really must get back into knitting; it's sort of gone by the wayside since Christmas, and today in Hogsmeade I found a good-sized basket to hold my knitting, so I can take it to my classroom (for knitting during breaks, NOT during class!) or to the staffroom. It also has a lid, so Pippin can't get her claws into my projects. I went to the wool shop in Hogsmeade as well, and I've found some lovely yarn which I think will be perfect for a friend's scarf. Online I found the perfect pattern for the scarf, a cabled pattern which mimics the look of Celtic knotwork. I can't wait to get to it--knitting is so relaxing, something about the repetetiveness of the motions.
Classes are going fairly well. My sixth-years are reading Shakespeare's Hamlet which can be fun. I have the students read a few scenes for homework, then in class we read it aloud, with students taking different parts. Like any group of teenagers, there are those that enjoy the dramatic readings and give it their best, while others just plough through in a monotone. About the same as you'd find in any A-level class, really. We do have quite a good Hamlet though; Anne Weddle (Hufflepuff) seems to have been born for the stage.
I've been in contact with the friend of a friend in the Ministry, and I'm working on getting a television and video player in Hogwarts. I'd love to be able to show my sixth-years' Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, as it might help some of the students understand the play. Of course I'd also show them Branagh's In the Bleak Midwinter as well, for some comic relief.
Pippin has just hopped off my lap, waltzed into my bedroom and settled herself on my bed--is that supposed to be a hint? I think I'll read some Jane Eyre before going to sleep.