I am not deliberately ignoring my somewhat mysterious comment on Wednesday's 'on my desk' post. I said 'something's afoot' and something is indeed afoot. However at this stage I don't know enough to make it worthwhile posting about it and it may all come to nothing anyway. Decisions have to made and thoughts must be thought. Once I have more information you will be the first (or thirty eighth) to know.
In the meantime just sit there humming quietly to yourselves.
I have been so busy this week I haven't been near the computer long enough to write a decent post and, until this morning, had only made brief visits to my favourite blogs. It's an outrage!
It's been one of those weeks where everything congegrates to demand attention - you know how it is, there can be weeks of nothing then all of a sudden you're running around attending to things, seeing people, showing up as required and generally exhausting yourself with 2 sometimes 3 appointments a day. That was last week for me. I'm very tired and just slightly cranky.
Quite a few things were school related. Hannah's class are doing some screen printing for an art exhibition and the call went out for Mums to come in and help. I volunteered and went in and spent an afternoon getting covered in paint and a very sore back from bending over child sized sinks to clean the silk screens. It was fun though.
Today Aislin's class had a 'mini Olympics' and while I boycotted the real Olympics I was ok with this one because no small countries were harmed in the making of it. It started at 9.30am and ended with a sausage sizzle at about 12.30pm. There was a flame relay .....
The cauldron was lit.
There was a parade of athletes then the national anthem was sung....
There were the usual Olympic sports - scoopies....
....hoopies....
....and bean bags...
Then there was a closing ceremony and lunch. As with every outside event held at that school it was freezing. I don't know what it is, even the Christmas carol service, held outside in the height of summer managed to be so cold that one of the other Mums and I were huddled together wrapped in a picnic blanket.
Anyway, when it finished I had a couple of hours to kill before school pick up, I went to library then did a little bit of grocery shopping, got myself a coffee and went back to the school where I parked under a tree, tilted the car seat back a little and settled down with my book, planning an hour of peace and quiet reading and warming myself up with a hot coffee. About this time another Mum arrived to do her shift on the screen prints. She came over and asked me if I was helping too, I said 'no, I did it yesterday and I've been here all day today and I'm freezing so now I'm having a rest and drinking coffee - go away' she told me that she wasn't sure the other Mum would turn up and it needs two to do it - sigh - I told her to go and set it up and if the other Mum wasn't there by then she could come and get me and I'd help (you know where this is going don't you?). Yep, five minutes later there she is, in her apron, waving at me to come in. I tearfully abandoned my coffee and my book and did another shift on the screen prints.
I deserve a medal. Really I do.
....sound of crickets chirruping.
There's nothing on my desk because I've been out all day.....something's afoot.
More later.
....I just know it. Because of this at our place last night......
It arced right across the sky but was too close and too big to get a picture of the whole thing. And it was so bright, the photo doesn't do it justice.
Can you see it's a double (it's very faint)? Even it's second one was bright, but once again my feeble camera doesn't catch it's full glory.
Not only are we getting lots and lots of lovely rain, we're getting lots and lots of lovely rainbows.
So here we have a 'little' quiz about stuff we've eaten. Feel free to join in if you'd like to, here's what you do......
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating. (I can't be bothered with all the HTML in crossing out so I'll just put a little * if I'd never eat it).
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results.
The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred (remember I'm not a meat eater any more but many of these things I've eaten in the past):
1. Venison - No. For reasons entirely my own deer are sacred to me and I would never eat venison.
2. Nettle tea - Yep.
3. Huevos rancheros - I'm not a huge fan of Mexican food, so no.
4. Steak tartare - yes.
5. Crocodile - I have indeed.
6. Black pudding - OMG, yes! YUM!!! I miss it so.
7. Cheese fondue - Yes, I don't see what all the fuss is about. I find it a bit soggy and icky.
8. Carp - Yeah. Meh.
9. Borscht - Yes, I love it.
10. Baba ghanoush - I loathe aubergine.
11. Calamari - Delicious if it's cooked properly.
12. Pho* - No, it's a bit fatty for my taste
13. PB&J sandwich - Of course!
14. Aloo gobi - Indian food is one of my favourites and we are fortunate to live within walking distance of a great Indian restaurant and a short drive from the most fantastic Indian restaurant outside India. So yes, I've eaten aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart - Not from a street cart, no. I have had hot dogs though and liked them despite the fact I know they're made from arses and eyeballs.
16. Epoisses* - Boozy cheese, what a joy - but sadly, too stinky.
17. Black truffle - Oh yes I have and I want to try the Tasmanian ones.
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes - Yes, with varying enjoyment.
19. Steamed pork buns* - Not a fan of pig meat of any kind really.
20. Pistachio ice cream - Yes.
21. Heirloom tomatoes - God yes, the best tomatoes EVER!
22. Fresh wild berries - Hasn't everyone?
23. Foie gras - Look, I have tried it (I spent a lot of time in France a few years back) but I'm not proud of the fact, I kind of object. I'll never eat it again.
24. Rice and beans - Not this kind no, but I'm willing.
25. Brawn or head cheese - Well yes, I'm Scottish, we eat stuff like this. What can I say?
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper* - Despite loving Indian food I don't like too much heat and I really don't eat chilli.
27. Dulce de leche - No, but it's sweet so I'd like it.
28. Oysters - Yes, I like oysters.
29. Baklava - Yes - sweet again.
30. Bagna cauda - Not yet.
31. Wasabi peas - Here's a thing....I don't like (spicy) hot food but I do love horseradish, I haven't had wasabi peas but I do eat wasabi and I would eat these.
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl - Sadly no, but I'd like to (except for the whole being a vegetarian thing).
33. Salted lassi - I love lassi, but don't think I've had salted.
34. Sauerkraut - yes, very nice.
35. Root beer float - Not root beer, no.
36. Cognac with a fat cigar - I've had cognac with a slim cigar - does that count?
37. Clotted cream tea - OH YES!!! But not for a long time - sob - homesick again.
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O - I really must make this.
39. Gumbo - Probably not the genuine one, but a variation.
40. Oxtail - Soup only, but yes.
41. Curried goat - Yes, goat is very good - I prefer it to lamb, at least I would if I ate meat.
42. Whole insects* - You know, greedy as I am even I draw the line here.
43. Phaal* - Too hot for me.
44. Goat’s milk - Yes.
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more - Absolutely.
46. Fugu* - No, this frightens me.
47. Chicken tikka masala - YUM!
48. Eel* - I just can't.
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut - Yes (thanks Shaun).
50. Sea urchin* - No. Can't.
51. Prickly pear* - Never had the opportunity and not sure I care.
52. Umeboshi - These are the strangest little things, I've had them a couple of times and also tried them during pregnancy because someone told me they were good for morning sickness. A Japanese student of mine used to snack on them all the time. Salty and weird but not revolting. Oh and they did nothing for my morning sickness.
53. Abalone - Yes, Tom went snorkelling one morning when we were at the beach house and he brought me one back (probably illegally). He cooked it up that night in butter and garlic. It was ok. Not unpleasant but once again I don't really see what all the fuss is about.
54. Paneer - Yes, I like this.
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal - Oh the shame. Yes, yes I have. Crap food, crap company.
56. Spaetzle - No, I haven't had spaetzle yet.
57. Dirty gin martini - Martini yes, dirty gin martini - I don't think so. Is it better?
58. Beer above 8% ABV - I do believe I have, I recall Tom bringing home a beer and making a great noise over the percentage - it meant nothing to me but the fact I can't remember it may be telling.
59. Poutine - No, I certainly did the chips and gravy in my younger days - usually in the high street at about 3am - but I'm not sure this is appealing to me.
60. Carob chips - Carob - pshaw!!
61. S’mores - No, I hear they're good though.
62. Sweetbreads* - Funny....I don't really fancy these.
63. Kaolin - No, but as a child I used to chew the pink stuff off the heads of matches. I knew I wasn't supposed to because I would hide and do it. I don't think it was related to any strange eating disorder like pica or geophagy I just liked the taste. I don't do it anymore.
64. Currywurst* - Pork again, no.
65. Durian - Nope, never tried it.
66. Frogs’ legs - Yes, many times. Very good they are too.
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake - Beignets, in France, yes I have.
68. Haggis - Well duh.
69. Fried plantain - No, but I will.
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette* - One word. Pig.
71. Gazpacho - Love it.
72. Caviar and blini - Yes.
73. Louche absinthe - Unfortunately not. And as the modern versions have reduced hallucinogenic qualities I won't bother. But if they ever bring back the thujone.......
74. Gjetost, or brunost - No I haven't tried this.
75. Roadkill* - I'd have to be pretty hungry.
76. Baijiu - No. It sounds.....interesting.
77. Hostess Fruit Pie - Fruit pies....many, Hostess? No.
78. Snail - Yes. Not keen, can't get the snailiness out of my head.
79. Lapsang souchong - Yes. Not a favourite though.
80. Bellini - Now you're talking.
81. Tom yum - Yep.
82. Eggs Benedict - Love these.
83. Pocky - You know I have had these....Japanese student again.
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant. - Not a degustation no.
85. Kobe beef - No.
86. Hare - No. In Celtic mythology hares represent the Goddess. Eating them just seems wrong.
87. Goulash - Sure.
88. Flowers - Yes.
89. Horse - No.
90. Criollo chocolate - So much chocolate, so little time.
91. Spam - It's been a long time but yes. Again with the arses and eyeballs.
92. Soft shell crab - Not soft shell no.
93. Rose harissa* - No. Hot. Yikes!
94. Catfish* - No. Too whiskery.
95. Mole poblano - Guacamole but no others.
96. Bagel and lox - Yup! Yum!
97. Lobster Thermidor - Yes.
98. Polenta - Yes, we have this occasionally. I'm indifferent to polenta.
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee - Oooooh yes. I love coffee nearly as much as chocolate especially this one.
100. Snake - I haven't. But for some reason given the choice between snake and eel I'd rather eat snake. I don't know why.
Well now you know some more stuff about me. Fascinating and enigmatic aren't I?
Yesterday I went to the doctor on a completely unrelated matter and she informed me that my fluey virus had now developed into a secondary bacterial infection of the upper respitory tract ....oh and I have sinusitis too. Nice. However I now have some antibiotics (sigh) and I'm sure I'll be fit as a fiddle in a few days. It does explain why I've been feeling so utterly miserable. Good to know there was a curable reason.
Tom was with me (well in the waiting room, I don't actually need anyone to accompany me into the doctor's surgery) because we were going to pick up the girls from school afterwards. For some reason they get a tremendous thrill when both of us arrive to collect them so we've been doing that all week. Anyway after the doctor we had some time kill and it was a sunny day (the first in weeks) so we decided to take a walk around a nearby lake.
When we got there I noticed a group of people standing by the water with little boxes in their hands, as we got closer I realised they had remote control boats and were sailing them on the lake. It all looked rather serious as a couple of them had clipboards and self-important expressions (the people not the boats). Anyway, the little yachts were beautiful. Once again please excuse the photos, they were taken on my mobile phone as I was not anticipating a walk so hadn't brought the camera. My mobile doesn't have zoom so they are a bit distant but try to imagine a peaceful stillness, broken only by birdsong and the sound of tiny waves lapping on the shore as these little boats cut swiftly through the water.
Aren't they lovely? Here's another lonely little yacht making it's silent way back to its owner.
And another, just having a little rest.
Look at those blue skies - it was absolutely freezing though, today the rain is back and outside is dark and grey (but I'm still not complaining - keep it coming I say!).
Sadly, on my desk today is this.....
Yes, it's tax time and I must stop procrastinating and get on with the dreaded tax return. Is there anything more tedious? I doubt it.
I also have to sort through this.....
Because I'm quite sure I don't need most of the stuff in those folders. So I got them out and put them on the desk to remind me to do it. Only now I can't really be bothered doing it and I'm resisting the urge to just slip them back into the filing cabinet and walk away whistling innocently. However you can guarantee that if I do that today will be the day that the file police decide to raid my cabinet and they'll discover my guilty secret and it will be all over the tabloids tomorrow.
No, I do not take my filing system too seriously and there is too such a thing as the file police.
Can I just say that having Tom home on holiday has completely disrupted my routine. Don't get me wrong, it's very nice having him around but I just can't get on with things the way I normally do. I told him today he's cramping my blogging style. He was indifferent.
And he's eaten all the cashews.
Anyway despite still feeling a bit tired I'm attempting a post. I'm only using one finger to type because I have it on good authority that it's not as tiring if you do it that way.
I don't have a lot to report (the cashews were the highlight really). Today I glanced out of the window and noticed a visitor sitting on the washing line.
Please excuse the blurry photograph, these guys tend not to hang around long so there isn't much time to get it right. I think you can still tell how handsome he is. What is not so obvious is how big he is. They're surprisingly large birds these kookaburras. We have quite a lot of them around here and they regularly laugh, it's a wonderful thing to hear because it's a greeting and the first bird will begin with a faint chuckling sound and the others gradually join in until there is a whole crowd of them indulging in raucous hilarity. I never tire of it and it always makes me smile.
Ok, that's it.
Bet you're glad you stopped by.
Well I think I overdid things. I haven't fully recovered from the virus I had last week but went ahead and started sanding and painting anyway and then fell in a bit of heap. It took me a while to work out what was wrong, then I realised I just wasn't quite well enough yet. So I've put the painting on hold for a few days. I did finish the dining area though and it looks very nice.
So today I'm just resting, reading and doing some crafty activities with the girls. Tom is on holiday until the 25th when he starts his new job - I'm hoping I might get some help with the sanding and painting.
Yesterday was the last day at his old job and they treated him to a nice lunch and gave him a bottle of single malt as a farewell gift - he was happy with that. He's really looking forward to starting his new job. Tom is an environmental scientist, for the past 6 or 7 years he has been working for the state government with the group that stops people cutting down trees they shouldn't cut down and clearing valuable vegetation that should be left alone. His job was on the research side of things and he quite enjoyed it. During that time he's gone off a few times on secondment to other environmental workgroups doing lots of interesting things. He has become increasingly interested in policy and legislation and did a short spell in the Minister's office. Because he has a vast knowledge of the Acts and legislation regarding Natural Resource Management in South Australia and is fluent in public service speak he has now secured a position writing policy. Mainly water policy. Which is an issue in this state. Just slightly.
He's going to busy.
I'm bringing you a quick 'on my desk' while I wait for the first coat to dry. As you can imagine the desk isn't getting a look in at the moment, it's all about the painting and the planning. So on my desk you'll find...
....paint charts....for obvious reasons.....
.....and magazines - a couple of well worn examples from my enormous collection of Country Living and Country Homes....I have House Beautifuls too. Inspiration (or 'house p0rn'* as a friend of mine used to call it).
Tom came home last night to alarming questions like 'can you reinstall that air conditioner somewhere else?' and 'how do I move kitchen units?'.
He looked a little frightened - especially as he's on holiday next week, in theory to have a rest before starting his new job on the 25th, but I think he knew I was making a mental list of jobs for him to do (that's a list in my head not a list that's mental....although.....).
I was going to tell you about his new job wasn't I? Well, not today.
Back to it.
*Yes I've disguised that word to fool the spiders, don't want to encourage anyone over here when they're clearly looking for something else. They'd be very disappointed to find pictures of paint charts.
We moved into our current house about 3 years ago. We'd been looking for a while and couldn't find anything we liked (or could at least tolerate) within our budget. Lots of tiny, beige, boxes on blocks of land so small that we could have reached out the window and brought in the neighbours washing for them (not that we would do such a thing but I'm making a point). Horrible. All of them. Then we saw this one advertised, the price had been reduced by $50,000 (they were dreaming, trust me on that) but it was still slightly out of our budget. We decided to have a look anyway.
We arrived on a rainy August afternoon, the sky was black and the house looked pretty bleak. We came inside and tried not cry out in anguish at the sight that met our eyes. Brown. Everything was brown. With 1970s fixtures and fittings and the smell of cats. As we walked through (didn't take long, it's tiny) I kept hissing at Tom (so the estate agent wouldn't hear) 'no way, it's hideous!' and 'I'm not living here!'. Then we stepped out of the back door and I liked the garden, it was big with lots of trees and a couple of large outbuildings. The estate agent invited us to come down and look at the creek so we wandered down and stepped under the weeping branches of the willow trees, looked at the meandering winter creek and I sighed.....and smiled.....and said 'we'll take it'.
And we did. We did all the sums and we were still about $12,000 short of the asking price. So we decided to take a chance and offered them what we had and they accepted.
It needed a lot of work, first we had to pull up all the carpets, they were stained and smelly from the previous owner's cats. We did that, scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed the floors, painted the bedrooms and cleaned the whole place from top to bottom and moved in. We had plans to paint the rest of the place, do something with the floors and generally brighten and lighten the place up. Then things got really hectic, work, uni, the business etc. Time passed, not much was done. Most of our furniture and books and bookcases are in the shed, waiting for some rooms to be finished so that we can bring them in. We've been pretty much camping here for 3 years. I'm tired of the awful brown walls (hideous dark wood veneer panelling - it just doesn't work in a place so small) and the bare floors and the brown palm frond wallpaper in the toilet and green palm frond wallpaper in the laundry and half finished everything else. So, now that I can no longer use busy-ness as an excuse it's time to get on with it. Today, I dragged the table out of the dining area, put down some dust sheets and started sanding the walls. It's done and tomorrow I'll paint it.
I don't know that it will ever be a house I love, I doubt it, but there are many things about living here that make up for it. Especially my willows, I do love them. And for now we're just trying to make the house into something we can at least be happy to come home to. So be prepared for ongoing updates and discussions about home decor.
Now, if you'll excuse me I'm all dusty from sanding all day so must away hoover myself.
I had a lovely start to the week. Not only am I starting to feel moderately human again (apart from an impressive consumptive cough) but this morning a friend came over for coffee. I met this particular friend 8 years ago as I sat in hospital, bored to death, awaiting the arrival of my first baby. I'd had complications in my pregnancy and was facing a premature delivery. I was all alone in a twin room and the door opened and she was brought in, she too was having problems and her baby was scheduled to be delivered 3 days later. It was a tense and emotional time but within minutes of meeting she and I were laughing hysterically over something and we bonded. During the few days that we shared a room we got on like a house on fire and met each others families and visitors but there was never a time when our respective husbands were there at the same time so they didn't meet. After our babies were born we didn't see each other for a few days although we both had babies in NICU. One morning Tom and I were waiting for the lift to take us up to NICU and the doors opened and out stepped my friend, she and I greeted each other enthusiastically only to stop dead and stare in amazement at our husbands who were also greeting each other enthusiastically. Turned out they already knew each other. Small world.
Anyway, we've been the best of friends ever since, we even had our second babies around the same time (not deliberately, it was one of those 'guess what? I'm pregnant' and she said 'guess what? I'm pregnant too!') and she is just one of those friends that you can totally rely on, she's hilariously funny and always there when you need her. Today we had coffee and talked and ate some home made apple spice muffins that I'd made and talked and looked through House Beautiful and Country Living and planned the decorating I'm about to do and talked some more and we may have gossiped just a tiny wee bit (but not vindictively)...oh and we laughed. Our heads off. A lot.
It was great and it was just what I needed. Thanks Mish.
Yes! Here I am! Returned! Special thanks to Leanne for the fabulous remedies she posted on her blog - were it not for them I may still be abed (no, not really they were repugnant). I stuck to the traditional treatments (as did she) and I am beginning to recover. I just had to get back here so I wouldn't have to read any more of Dave's impatient comments. He is quite exasperated by feeble constitution.
I've had an interesting few days, the highlight was Thursday night which found me lying in front of TWO heaters, wearing several layers of clothing and a jacket and scarf, shivering uncontrollably convinced I was freezing to death. There is a lot about that evening I don't remember, however I do vaguely recall Hannah examining me carefully for a moment, before covering me with a blanket and heading off to the kitchen to make herself and Aislin some dinner. She did a fine job for an 8 year old, spaghetti on toast followed by fruit and yoghurt. She even packed the dishwasher afterwards. Bless her little heart.
This has been a particularly unpleasant virus that arrives suddenly with some basic cold type symptoms, then ramps itself up a few days later just when you think you should be feeling better. The school is under siege with it all, in Aislin's class 11 children were sent home in one day. A couple of the littlies have been briefly hospitalised. It's nasty.
Anyway, apart from a lingering cough and congestion and the general feeling of recently having been hit by a train I am ok. However, I have unfortunately had to cancel my appearance in Beijing* - just not up to it.
*that is the first and only time you will see any reference to the you-know-whats. I have no interest in them and my boycott is personal and almost totally political and not open to discussion. I do not have any intention of explaining myself or getting into a debate about it. If this offends you in any way I quite understand that you may wish to depart this blog and perhaps we'll see you again after the games if you choose to return.
Thanks to Leanne for the olympic button.
Today, 'on my desk' is brought to you from the dining room table. This flu has finally peaked unpleasantly and add to that last night's insomnia* I'm not feeling up to sitting in the office today, so I've brought the laptop to the table - it's warmer here. I went back to bed for an hour after Tom and the girls left this morning and I'm heading back there again shortly. I'm not good for much else today.
I did consider blogging from my bed or the sofa but decided against it. It's a precedent I don't want to set.
It's quite nice sitting here, listening to the crackling fire and looking out of the window, watching the torrential rain**. If I didn't feel like death warmed up I might actually be enjoying myself.
So on my 'desk' today all I have is tea and tissues (and a few random papers in the background there)....
..did you notice it's the big, ugly 'comfort' mug today again? Whenever you see that mug know that things aren't quite right.
My busybody book diary - a wonderful thing with a column for each family member, very handy and I highly recommend it if you need to keep track of more than one person or project.
Fortunately (and unusually) we have a very quiet week ....
.....so although I could be working hard on any number of things, there is nothing so pressing that I can't rest and recuperate. Which is just as well really.
*I have previously mentioned that I suffer from insomnia from time to time. The last two nights I have been wide awake in the early hours. It's not nice. I did however manage to show some restraint and did not hurt my sleeping husband (as suggested in that post I linked to***).
**In the first 4 days of August we had more rain than we had in all of August and September last year. Fingers crossed it keeps up.
***Clumsy grammar. I'm sick and I'm tired. Try to ignore it.
It's back to business as usual now that I have dealt with numerous computer problems. I have disabled my phishing filter and everything is working well again. I can't tell you how distressing I find it when I have computer problems, which is a sad reflection on how attached I am to this object and my beloved internet.
I mentioned last week that the girls each had a part to play in a school mass on Sunday, Aislin in particular was really looking forward to it because it was the first one she'd been involved in since starting school so she was quite excited to have the special role of holding the candle for Father John. However, she was coughing all night on Saturday and woke on Sunday with a raging temperature. As did I. Tom suggested that Aislin and I stay at home and he would take Hannah to mass (she had a reading). Aislin had an apoplexy at this, she did not want to miss her opportunity to play a part, so in the end we dosed her up with children's panadol and we all went off to mass. She performed her role perfectly - here is the evidence.....looks tricky doesn't it?
This was all I could show because there were so many identifying signs and notices in the photo* and while I air all kinds of dirty laundry on this blog I draw the line at advertising my childrens' school. Not because I distrust my blog friends, just in case some crazy internet stalker type is secretly reading.
Aislin and I are still ill, she's been home from school for two days now, even though she was desperate to go today because she is supposed to be a lion in a short circus performance this afternoon. I'm not sure how it will go because half the school is down with this flu. On Sunday there were 13 members of the choir missing, yesterday 12 from Hannah's class were off sick. It's extremely unpleasant and I could happily rip my own head off to alleviate the throbbing.
So that's it for today, join me tomorrow for 'On My Desk' and on Thursday I'll tell you all about Tom's new job.
*I've now blurred out the offending lettering and cropped it to avoid other children in the photo, not having permission to plaster them all over the internet and all.Outside - cold, freezing cold. Hail. Thunder and lightening. Inside - warm, big crackling fire.
Despite the cold outside there is a bottle of Sparkling Burgundy chilling in the fridge - it's our wedding anniversary today so we shall have a glass tonight and sit in wonder that we have survived another year.
Then we will have another glass to celebrate Tom's new job. YES! A new job!! More about that next week. But for now I will say he is delighted.
This Sunday we have a special mass at the school. The girls each have a part in the mass and this is Aislin's first official school mass, she's thrilled to be carrying the eucharist candle to Father John. I shall take photos. This mass is being held in the school hall instead of the church because it's a special celebration for the school being (amost) The Feast of St Dominic (it's a Dominican school). So I should be safe enough from divine bolts of lightening as I enter (something I'm always wary of when entering the real church - so far so good, but you just never know). Who says I never have any fun.
Tomorrow I start my 'Simplify Your Life week' jobs with some decluttering and reorganising. I shall share, in tedious detail I'm sure, how that goes.
