Nothing like turning a perfect heel without a pattern for making a girl feel Extremely Clever.
And EZ's sock pattern is my favourite memorable knit.

I've had a really full on week, but I've got a day off tomorrow!

...and I've done 3 alcohol free days this week, so looking forward to a glass of wine later - just got to get some practice done first.

Hearing a friendly voice after a not too nice week

Happy (and slightly nervous) parent warning....

Just found out daughter (13) is being considered for the swim team for the Island Games in Bermuda next year!! She has made a MASSIVE effort in training for the last month and it's obviously been noticed. She's the only one from squad B that is attending the meeting. No promises as her times have to come down yet, but a real shot in the arm non the less as they obviously think she can do it.

For those who don't know, the Island Games is like a commonwealth games but for all the smaller Islands/colonies. The Isle of Man has a team, we do, bermuda, Falklands etc For her it is a ladder rung towards the Commonwealth Games....

Fundraising needs to start now LOL

That's great


It's Friday and it's the ELCC playday tomorrow

Full of endorphins
Just completed the second week of "Couch to 5K" (NHS version). Just staggered that I've managed that much, as I simply Do Not Run. So even little bits of running separated by walking is amazing for me! Next week I have to run for three minutes in a row
Nearly light enough to be out on a bike in the morning though, if this running lark gets too much (yes, I have streetlights, and very good bike lights - this helps with pot holes, but it doesn't help with seeing shattered glass, or whether that splodgy dark bit is a pile of wet leaves which are really slippery and will send you over, etc...)

Something seems to be coming of my teaching AND OH has declared I'm now much better at playing piano than he s at sightreading ... considering he can sightread amazingly and plays at diploma level, it means my work is paying off and I'm CATCHING HIM UP!!

Yay!!! Now just keep it up!!

WOW! Congratulations to your daughter, that is very impressive.

Just found out that one of my students has been voted as 'Young Musician of the Year' for year 8 at school!

She just happens to be a friend of the young gossiper in my other thread! Hopefully news will spread now.

That's really good news!

I'm happy because OH has finally learned the words for the song he is singing at a Burns night supper tonight - and that means I don't have to hear it too many more times. "Ae Fond Kiss" can get a bit same-y after a while!

Day off
Lie in
Flute lesson
Sunshine
Submitting LTCL application

Handing in a college assignment
the thought of meeting a load of forumites (not including Barry ) tomorrow

Daughter (and OH) visiting.

Oh, and four really good lessons.

I forgot to put about tomorrow...

You get three guesses

A Terribly Cheering Letter?

how could you? noone can forget the playday. That's why i've been getting excited.





i can probably guess.

is it the thought of tomorrow?

also the fact you got your atcl?

I know! How could I have forgotten?

*drum roll, cymbal crash*

Congratulations, Barry!

Piano (1 hour), flute (20 mins) and clarinet (30 mins) practise, done. Piano scales, done. 4 instruments put on ebay, check. CRB check docs, sent. Fell back in love with Poulencs Clarinet Sonata and relived my "youth", absolutely CHECK!



All before 8.30pm!

I'm tired - hard week and I've just sent some guests home after hosting them for dinner. I mis-read your post as "...relieving my youth...." not quite sure what that means...

Well done to your daughter! It should encourage her to train even harder, and I hope she gets the times she needs as it would be a great experience for her. Do keep us posted.


Well done! Were the comments useful?

Thanks all for the lovely comments on daughter's swimming. She is so fired up, I've never seen her like this about anything before. She's putting singing on hold to do it, but going to continue her piano. As everyone says, singing can come later.....

It's great news!!!

Should be yesterday really but still glowing from positive, complimentary and encouraging comments from lesson. A rare treat.

It certainly is Which stroke is she hoping to swim? And what are the qualifying times she has to achieve? I do so hope she makes the squad, but it's such an achievement even to be considered

She swims breaststroke....she needs to drop at least another 5 or 6 seconds off her 50m, 10 to beat last years medallists (!!), but she has just dropped 2 secs in 2 months (before upping the training) so I think it's doable to get her to qualify. I don't care if she comes last, I would just love her to get the opportunity to experience it. She can work at getting higher up the field for the next one 2 years later!!!
Winning times - 31 secs 50m, 1:04 (!!) 100m and 2:21 on the 200m breaststroke.....a long way to go!!

An email from my former? possibly-future? teacher
After over-thinking all week about what to write, this afternoon I just briefly wrote offering best wishes, and saying thanks for three years of lessons I've enjoyed immensely, and along the lines of "if you're ever back teaching in the UK, I'm sure I won't be the only one camped out on the doorstep waiting".

And then I went and had a two hour nap

And then when I woke up I had a lovely response, basically saying that a resumption of teaching was not impossible, and I'd be among the first to know if it did happen

Which made me very happy (and also makes me slightly more secure that I'm not being sacked in a really elaborate way )

Got lots of piano practise in, worked on the MG and bought some stock for the business, YAY I love Saturdays

Apologies to swell box but I'm back on cats again!

Our latest rescue, Th?o, originally skin and bones but now a great ball of warm fur, actually climbed up on my bed and slept at my feet for the first time last night. Not long after we first had the poor soul I put him on my bed to sleep. He relaxed on his back in a way that he obvioulsy hadn't been able to do for years and fell into a deep sleep. Unfortunatley his bladder muscles also relaxed and when the damp woke him (and me!) he fell of the bed in horror at what he had done. The same thing happened a fortnight later when we tried again.

But a few days ago I found him on the settee downstairs. As soon as I went into the room he jumped off. The next step was to pick him up and put him on my lap while we watched television. The next day he very shyly got on the settee by himself and sat between us. then last night while I was reading my Kindle in bed he scrabbled himself up over the wooden foot of the bed - why he didn't just jump on from the side I don't know! He settled himself by my feet and slept - wapm and dry - until this morning. I think we have crossed another bridge!

Don't mind me.

SB

Awww....that's really excellent!

Aw I know what you mean. It took months to get mine from hissing thing hiding under cupboards to purring thing sitting on the end of my bed.

Feeling better having slept until 2.30pm today...

...and seeing my latest article ('pulse and rhythm' this time), and a fabby one on early years music by my friend and colleague Lucinda Geoghegan, in this month's 'Music Teacher'.

Glad you're feeling better Cyrilla


Had a fab time at band last night

Listening through ATCL clarinet list and looking through some clarinet music ... my enthusiasm for clarinet isn't back ... surely??

^ deserves a

I'm STILL trying to work out how some people find time for "own repertoire" I've narrowed down my list to 17 ... yes 17 pieces on the list I like and want to try!! For this reason I am now absoluttly dreading piano diploma preparation as there is 3 (yes THREE pages of piece to choose from!!)

Perhaps I'm just very easily pleased??

Suddenly feeling contented, for no particular reason.

Getting my scholarship application in well before the deadline (well, more than 24 hours before!).

Now, fingers crossed for a happy outcome.

Have paid deposit on holiday rental for May holiday

So we now have May, July and September holidays all booked and ready to go (one week each time!)

Large bunch of pink roses from OH.

Glorious sunshine

Just got a phone call, I have an interview for the supply teaching assistant job I applied for in September...I had given up hope!! GULP now I have to think about what I'm going to say!

ooo! Good luck with the interview!

Thanks B-C! I'm still a bit shocked, it's been 4 months since the app went in!! Now I'm trying to find a suit v. cheaply as I appear to have seriously shrunk since I used mine, it swamps me....