This Week: 21st January 2013

The weather ... Snow!!! An inch or two last Friday, followed by more on Sunday giving about 4 inches in total. Helen and Marie's school had a snow day, but Rose's stayed open. Tevye decided to stay home, but I made it to work ok, doubling up with a colleague who lives nearby. The roads were actually surprisingly good - usually any significant snowfall in the UK creates traffic chaos.

I am wearing ... Black jeans, black t-shirt, black and maroon striped sweater

I am reading ... Swiss Watch (but haven't read much this week)

I am creating ... Cream sweater for myself. Just the neckline to go.

I am listening ... Still on an English classical composers kick

I am watching ... Miranda and a new series of Call the Midwife

I am enjoying ... The snow turning everything into a winter wonderland.

From the learning rooms ... Two GCSE science exams for Marie last week. I don't think she is very optimistic about the results.

On the menu ...
Monday: Sausages and mash, sweetcorn
Tuesday: Fish and chips
Wednesday: Chicken, veggies
Thursday: Something from the freezer (I have to work late)
Friday: ??
Saturday: Chicken soup
Sunday: Turkey leftovers with roast potatoes and parsnips

On the calendar ... Not too much!
Thursday: Open evening at the archive to celebrate our centenary
Saturday: Local drama group panto - I know a few of the cast so Tevye and I are going along to watch. Pantomimes are considered too scary by
Rose.
Sunday: Helen has her final assessment for her gymnastics coaching qualification

A picture from last week ...

This Week: 14th January 2013

The weather ... an inch or two of snow yesterday. Now thawing slowly, but freezing temperatures predicted for the rest of the week.

I am wearing ... warm winter pyjamas. It is Tuesday night already. Decided it was better late than never with this daybook.

I am reading ... Swiss Watch. Enjoying the book, but not much time to read.

I am creating ... a sweater for myself, knitted in the round from the bottom up. I've reached the yoke so not much more to go and I want to finish it while the weather is still cold enough to wear it. I am repurposing the yarn from last year's aran cardigan that had become ridiculously large thanks to a combination of weight loss and having deliberately knit it oversized.

I am listening ... to English composers. I have started back at orchestra after skipping it last term and we are playing Vaughan Williams' London Symphony, In the South by Elgar and Walton's viola concerto. I'm enjoying listening to all three.

I am watching ... Miranda, and not a lot else.

I am enjoying ... playing my violin again.

On the menu ...
Monday: chicken stir fry
Tuesday: fish in breadcrumbs, potato waffles, green veg
Wednesday: chicken fillets, sweet potato, carrots
Thursday: baked potatoes and chilli
Friday: ??
Saturday: vegetable soup
Sunday: left overs of Christmas turkey with roast potatoes and veg

On the calendar ...
Tuesday: orthodontist for Marie, and a meeting about her trip to Bulgaria in the evening
Wednesday: brass band for myself and Rose (who is beginning to read music, although her ability to actually play the notes is lagging behind her ability to read them - most kids do it the other way round!)
Thursday: orchestra in the evening, and I have promised to go to the gym with Marie while Rose is in her swimming lesson.
Another quiet weekend with nothing on the calendar.

A picture from last week ... we received two large archive collections at work last week. This was about one-third of the total amount that had to be reboxed and shelved during the one weekday we are closed to the public. It was a long, hard day, but we made it!

This Week: 7th January 2013

The weather ... miserable. Last year was the wettest on record for England. This year has started the way last year ended - grey, damp and depressing. I have had enough of rain in all its forms.

I am wearing ... pyjamas. I forgot to finish this post earlier and now it's bedtime.

I am reading ... Swiss Watching: Inside the Land of Milk and Moneyby Diccon Bewes. I was inspired by the posts of blogging friends who live in or regularly visit Switzerland to pick this one up in Amazon's Kindle sale and learn more about this beautiful country.

I am creating ... belated Christmas socks for my brother. I gave him a ball of yarn and a knitting IOU. I'm part way through the foot of the second sock so should be done in a day or two. Then I have more socks to knit and a sweater to finish.

I am listening ... to silence!

I am watching ... Miranda. Ridiculous but funny.

I am enjoying ... a box of chocolate covered marzipan. No one else in the family eats it, so it's all mine!

On the menu ... I have to think about menu planning again? Yikes! I have no idea. Brainstorming what is in the fridge and freezer:
... left over turkey for a casserole
... marinated boneless chicken thighs
... box of Costco's seasoned sole fillets (love these!)
... bagels and salt beef
... various root vegetables - roasted veggies? soup?
... frozen cauliflower (cauliflower cheese?)
... baking potatoes
... minced beef (cottage pie?)

On the calendar ...
Monday: Rose back to school
Tuesday: Helen and Marie back to school
Thursday: our larger, older car is being serviced. Hoping no major repairs are needed. Busy, physical day at work as we are expecting delivery of lots of stuff previously held in a museum store.
A quiet weekend?

A picture from last week ...

Spotted in the supermarket - chocolate eggs, bunnies and chicks. For Easter. At the beginning of January. What????

Happy New Year from London

We celebrated New Year with local friends so were actually about 40 miles from London, but we enjoyed the fireworks on TV (the pictures are iPhone shots from the TV screen). Marie was planning to go and watch them live, but changed plans at the last minute due to the damp weather and some of her friends not having enough money for the train fare.

Happy New Year from Tevye and myself. I hope it will be a good one for you all.