So this term's classes are slowly winding up, although I have summer term planned and am in discussion about autumn and - rather frighteningly - even 2015 too. Now all I need is to do the prep and how I get a few students. Fingers crossed on that last one ( Read more... )

So far, so good on the work front. I have all three courses running next week. I do, I admit, need to see how many people turn up at this first lessons before I receive absolute confirmation that I can continue on beyond week one, but its better than them being cancelled outright before they even get off the ground. Fingers crossed, all three will ( Read more... )

It's awhile since I wrote here, which wasn't actually intentional, but was probably a reflection of there being little to write about. Since last time, I taught the classes I mentioned before, had a nicely quiet Christmas holiday, and am now back to finishing off my preparation for next term. I'm hopefully doing three courses, subject to a ( Read more... )

It's that time of year again. Yes, christmas pudding making season is upon us. I spent this morning mixing up the ingredients and putting them into pudding bowls. The first batch is in the steamer now. Christmas cake is pencilled in for tomorrow after I soak the fruit overnight in the booze. We're not making mincemeat this year since, after ( Read more... )

Organised chaos continues to reign, although it's slowly coming back under control. One bedroom now has fitted wardrobes and cupboards. The second, mine, should be done today. Tomorrow the carpet fitters are coming. After which, we can hopefully start to empty things out of their boxes and back into their rightful places. It will be nice to be able ( Read more... )

The decorating is coming along well. Both bedrooms are wallpapered and painted. Since we're apparently suckers for punishment, we did the hall and stairs too. Now we're just waiting for the workmen to arrive on Monday morning to do the furniture. The carpet fitters are coming later in the week. Hopefully by Friday we'll be able to start taking ( Read more... )

The temperature today is not quite as hot as it has been, which is good because we spent this morning tracking around stores in search of wallpaper, paint and carpets. The bedroom furniture has been finalised; we picked door styles, woods and handles first thing. Mum has picked ivory-painted wood for her furniture, mine is more of a honey-coloured ( Read more... )

I always feel a little bad complaining when it's warm because a) we don't get a lot of it sometimes and b) other places do get hotter, but yeesh... we've had getting on for a week or so now of high twenties or even thirty plus degrees C weather. For the UK that is hot; in fact, according to a news report I've just read, we're having what is ( Read more... )

The weather is improved this weekend, we actually have sunshine, although goodness knows how long it will last. The weather this year has been really unpredictable so far. However, as it was nice, I decided to take advantage of it to go and do some weeding in the garden. The fruit and veg are coming along well. We have carrots, beetroot, cabbages, ( Read more... )

Some interesting choices in this year's Classic FM Hall of Fame. Not so much for number 1 - Rachmaninov Piano 2 again! - but for the addition of two computer game series' music. I find this fascinating because film scores have gradually been creeping in and up in popularity - if you think about scores for things like Lord of the Rings you'll see ( Read more... )