Snail’s Pace

…the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like a snail
Unwillingly to school.

…so wrote Shakespeare [in As You Like It] I went off to school yesterday with a ‘shining morning face’ – but quite willingly, very grateful for the unexpected opportunity of a day’s supply teaching.

The Year 2 children I worked with were wonderful! They had been researching snails earlier in the week, and their morning task was to prepare an information sheet about these gastropods.

I learned some amazing facts, which I will share with you

The biggest snail in the world was found in Africa, Miss

It was 15 inches long, no, 15 metres, or was it 15 centimetres ?

[Nobody was quite sure of the answer to that!]

And what about these gems of information…

Snails are mainly eaten by Frenchmen and birds

Snails are deft because they have no ears

Snails can lay eggs without mating, and they are “Maphrodites”

The one fact they all remembered was

“If you pour salt on a snail, it will DIE!”

The afternoon involved RE, and the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah

I was fine with this, but a little confused by the material I was given to work with. After I had told the story of Antiochus Epiphanes, Judas Maccabeus, the desecration of the Temple, and the miraculous provision of oil, we were supposed to go to the ICT Suite and use an interactive RE programme.

I had been pronouncing the baddie’s name as “Ann-Tie-O-Cuss” – but the video clip the children were watching called him instead “Anti – Ockers”. I told the class that I thought that the man on the video was wrong!

The class did some great role play, acting out the story. One little girl got quite carried away scrubbing the Temple clean of all the pig’s blood! Another got really concerned as he hunted for fresh oil – “What if the light goes out and God leaves us?”

We finished up talking about modern day Hannukah celebrations, the menorahs, the potato latkes, the gold coins, and the dreidels, and they all learned to say

A Great Miracle Happened There!

I had a lovely day – I hope the children did too! Now I have this overwhelming urge to make some delicious, but fattening potato latkes or Sufganiyot! 

 

 

Petite Dressing

No not this…

… I am talking about salad dressing. The problem is that one of us likes quite a lot of dressing on the salad, the other prefers a little less. So I tend to serve the salad undressed [naked?] with the dressing ‘on the side’. But there are only two of us, and I don’t like making too much dressing, in case it goes to waste. I wanted an attractive small container.

I had a poke around, and then remembered a Christmas present from a few years back. I had a set of three glass ‘crocus vases’ – and they were in the garage.

Only a few inches tall, one of these would hold just the right amount of dressing.

After a very thorough cleansing, and finding a cork which would fit the aperture beautifully, I present to you my ‘petite dressing carafe’

I am ridiculously satisfied with this. Not least because I can dribble my oil, vinegar etc. into the carafe, put the cork firmly in place, and then [holding it firmly with my thumb on the top] shake it like crazy to make my dressing. Minimal washing up!

If we don’t use all the dressing at one meal, it keeps well in the fridge for another day.

As the prophet Zechariah says “Who dares despise the day of small things?”

I’ll Have A ‘P’ Please, Bob

great programme!

What is my Bob doing, out in the garage? He came inside to put on his overalls [usually a sign of something messy about to happen]

He appears to be sorting out my wooden letter templates

He is working on recycling an old sign into a new one

If you are anywhere near our village on Saturday 1st June, then please call in to the Church Hall to pick up a bargain or two [and support our Re-Creation Project]

Fifty Is Nifty

Happy Birthday to my friend Debbie, who hits her half century today

This was a DMC kit – but I added the greetings, and the Bible verse  [1 Peter 5:7] According to the Language Of Flowers guide I consulted, scarlet geraniums signify both comfort and friendship.

Cast your cares upon him, for he cares for you.

I’m The Urban Spaceman…

…baby, I got style!

You have to be Quite Old to remember the Bonzo Dog Doodah Band singing that mad ditty on TOTP in the 60s. Here’s the Python version

TOTP = Top Of The Pops

Recently I have been humming this a lot, because I am getting ready for Holiday Club [again!] and we are using this programme

There have been experiments with acrylic paint and plastic bottles in the kitchen.

And discussion with friends in Blackpool the other weekend about which of the crafts in the programme book worked well [and which didn’t]

I’ll forget any ideas about soap carving then – thanks Juliet for that advice!

I have been visiting craft supplies and checking out catalogues too.

Full marks to the team at Hobbycraft Warrington [we called in on our way back from Blackpool] who were incredibly helpful. Thank you. And to Bob for spotting some extremely useful stuff in the Hobbycraft clearance bins!

Baker Ross supply playgroups, primary schools and children's groups. They have recently expanded their range of ‘faith-related’ crafts quite considerably. Well worth checking out if you are a Sunday School Teacher, or running Holiday Bible Clubs.

ESPO is Eastern Shires Purchasing, and they supply schools, church groups etc with equipment, stationery and craft stuff at very reasonable prices. The Works now have an OnLine store- worth checking out – and until May 31st, you can get 10% off your order using promotion code MA10.

Watch this space for more about the craft activities. Meanwhile I shall go on humming that crazy song [I do wish I could tap dance]

To Boldly Go…

…to the cinema on a Monday afternoon. There were a dozen of us in Screen 6 – it did seem that half were excited looking blokes, and half were indulgent women. At least, that was how Bob described them!

“Star Trek-Into Darkness” is really a bloke film, I think. But I had been given a cinema gift voucher, and knew Bob wanted to see the film [and I do like Benedict Cumberbatch myself…]

There are no plot spoilers in this post!

Despite not being a Trekkie, I have to admit that I did enjoy the film and found some parts very clever, other bits quite witty. But it does have an awful lot of references, both subtle and blatant, to other parts of the Trek saga – almost to the point of self-parody [but I suppose that is nothing unusual for Kirk & Co]

Cumberbatch is great as the baddie Khan. I thought he was brilliant as the buttoned-up Christopher Tietjens in Parade’s End, and love his super-intelligent Sherlock…and he is convincing in this role too. Have you noticed how he often sits amazingly still, as if all the energy in his body is being concentrated into his brain?

I did particularly enjoy Simon Pegg’s portrayal of Scotty too. I am not giving away anything about the plot, as i don’t want to spoil it for those who might be going to see it.

If you liked the 2009 Star Trek film I think you will enjoy this one. If you go just to keep your other half company, then watch out for the three stuffed toys [esp the cute little grey rabbit] and count the number of variations on Star Fleet Uniform [esp Bones McCoy’s doctor gear]

Live long and prosper!

I score “Star Trek Into Darkness” with ****

Bags One For Me!

I found this book in the library

After all my bag-making sessions with my students, I thought it was time to have a go at a bag myself. I chose the “Glenda” style clutch

Here is my progress so far, using fabric from the Great Stash - a scrap of IKEA curtaining for the outside, and silky polyester as lining.

The pattern and instructions were very well set out and easy to follow. I liked the way the told you to do something and then explained why [e.g. regarding pressing the darts in opposite directions so that things would lie flat and not be lumpy]

Here are front and back views of the opened bag, which Bob declared to be very ‘on–trend’ [oooh! cliché!]

I have yet to put a button on the front- mainly because I cannot decide what colour to use. Black, white, pastel? What do you think?

Hats Off To Kezzie!

My blogfriend Kezzie is an amazing person – she is a fulltime music teacher, playing in an orchestra in her ‘spare time’, learning LindyHop dancing, planning her wedding for this summer, writing a fascinating blog and still finding time to hand out Giveaway prizes! Oh, the energy of the girl! My prize arrived yesterday – a lovely Rainbow Card [made especially for me]

and these super warm turquoise gloves and angora beret to match.

The ruched cuffs and jaunty beret will look trés chic with my new black winter coat! They also go very well with my M&S pjs. I know this because the post arrived so early yesterday. Sadly Bob refused to take a picture of me wearing pyjamas, beret and gloves saying I was bonkers.

You will just have to make do with this shot from the M&S website!

Thank you Kezzie for your generosity [and your fun blog]

Getting The Light Fixed

Our theme last weekend was “Like Stars in The Universe” [taken from verses in Philippians and Daniel, see below]

When we checked into our bedroom at the Norbreck Hotel, the lights over the bed looked like this. They did work – but it was impossible to get them to stay in the right place to shine on your book. They drooped and sagged, and were rather ineffective.

To be honest, that’s a bit how I felt on arrival. Tired, sagging, and wanting to shine for Jesus, but not quite managing to be as effective as I wanted.

I had a word about our bedroom lights with the lady on the front desk, and she sent the maintenance chap round immediately to replace the missing screw, and tighten everything up.

I glad to say that I came away from the Assembly feeling encouraged and re-invigorated – ready to get back to the work of ministry and mission, ready to sparkle brightly again.

“Become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life”

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”