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First off, [personal profile] melagan  is running a Plot Bunny Dust-Off Challenge, which is running from now until 31 July, here

This is the perfect opportunity to carefully remove one bunny from its hutch and let it run...


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Secondly, as I mentioned in my last Book post, I like collecting the challenge bookmarks that Goodreads now do.  Here's the ones for the Readers' Pick Challenge Sept-Dec 2024



And lastly, our roses have started flowering:

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Facilitate family birthday celebration

It was J's birthday last Sunday.  Ideally he would have liked a family meal with us all together, but with one working shifts and booked for the weekend and the other working weeks, plus having wife and daughter, this wasn't going to work.  So instead the celebration was spread out.

We began by going to the launch party of the Elmore Chamber Music Festival.  Elmore is a village a few miles from us, and J enjoys chamber music, so when the launch party was the day before his birthday it seemed a good idea for a present, with the possibility of buying him tickets for some of the festival concerts at the same time.  It began with a piece by Haydn played by the Elmore Quartet, a chamber music quartet who J likes.  I'm not a fan of chamber music, nor of Haydn, so I let my mind wander.  He enjoyed it.

Elmore is one of those villages where you could easily imagine a cosy mystery being set, with the standard cast of characters.  I wonder if Miss Marple fancies going to the Music Festival?

family birthday )
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Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of ice covered tree branches and falling snowflakes on a blue background. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.

Talk about an unexpected joyous moment you experienced last year.


Going to The Daughter's graduation from Birmingham City University at Birmingham Symphony Hall.

Which might sound like a normal experience, but:
Instead of taking A-levels (the academic post-16 route in England), she went to college and gained a BTEC National Diploma in Outdoor Activities (with 3 distinctions)
She then trained as a paediatric nurse, getting a 2:2 degree from Coventry University
Then, eleven years later, having changed career and taking a block release degree, so working as an Ambulance Technician/Student Paramedic at the same time, she gained a First Class degree in Paramedic Science.

Hence the joy!


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As I mentioned in yesterday's post each quarter I plan to list 6 things relevant, either to the quarter or for the rest of the year.

2 Drink at least one litre of water each day
Now I know the recommendation is two litres, but I'm being realistic - make the target too high and I simply won't try.  When I mentioned this when we met The Daughter for pre-Christmas lunch she promptly ordered me a water bottle, so now I have plenty of encouragement.

3 Replace my current laptop
I need to upgrade to Windows 11, before Windows 10 finally gives up, and my current laptop is getting slower, so I can't put it off any longer.

4 Replace my current mobile
Again, although I still like my current phone, it has got to the point where it no longer receives system updates which I need to use banking apps apart from everything else.
Two expenses, but I have been preparing for them for some time so it's time to do something about it.

5 Use Library Plus
Our county library has recently introduced a new system where borrowers can sign up to access the library outside staffed hours.  I have done this, but haven't yet worked up the courage to use it.  It's probably not essential for me, but it will show support for the system.

6 Facilitating birthday celebration
We have a major birthday in the family coming up, so I need to make suggestions and do some sorting while making sure it's what the person actually wants.

7 Halve my current list of OpenLearn courses
I have 19 courses on my list and I aim to complete 10.  This, of course, takes no account of any I might subsequently add!


smallhobbit: (Easter cakes 2)
SM and I had been debating whether to make Easter cakes this year.  We had just decided to go ahead when I received the following message from The Daughter: I appear to be lacking an Easter cake... Please can you rectify this mistake.

SM sent a general family message saying: To all those concerned.. suggestions of 'forgotten' Easter cakes are misplaced but require patience

The Son duly replied with: It crossed my mind yesterday but I was going to refrain from panicking until tomorrow

And here are the cakes - ours on the left, the others on the right

   

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It was Mother's Day in the UK a couple of week's ago.

This is the card I received from The Son:



Matched only by the one from The Daughter:




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Thank you to all of you who wished me a Happy Birthday, it was greatly appreciated.

[personal profile] stonepicnicking_okapi wrote two ficlets for me, which was particularly generous: Mrs Hudson's Magic Broom (ACD Holmes), something we'd all like, and Scrap Iron (BBC Sherlock Moriarty/Moran) where Seb Moran is being very competent and turning Jim on.

As for presents, friends and family know me only too well:



which is beautiful

   

because one can never have too many bags!

  

I'm already working on the felt kit

   

I am most certainly the Mole!
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On Wednesday I went up to London to meet the daughter, because she'd suggested a theatre trip to celebrate my birthday.  She also suggested going shopping, which generally means she encourages me to buy something I wouldn't have planned on buying otherwise.  So, apart from her Christmas present, I ended up with a dark green hoodie with Pooh Bear on the front!

We took our shopping to our hotel and then returned to central London to have a meal - which, strangely enough, I also ended up paying for!.  After which we went to the Gillian Lynne theatre (previously the New London Theatre) for the performance.

The story was changed slightly from the original book, although the basic details remained the same.  The animal costumes were impressive and there was a lot of singing and dancing.  However, although entertaining enough, I wasn't really gripped by the performance, and looking at some of the reviews I wasn't alone in this.  For me, the best was the huge puppet of Aslan the lion, but there was also an actor playing Aslan so that lost some of the power.  And sadly, the lion didn't come on at the curtain call.

However, it was a pleasant way to spend the evening, and I bought the t-shirt because it's a really brightly coloured lion's head.

It was lovely to meet up with the daughter and have time to chat with her, catching up with all our news, and we both had a good time.
smallhobbit: sunshine through a tree (Sunshine Challenge 2021)


I struggled a bit with deciding how to interpret today's [community profile] sunshine_challenge but then it occurred to me that pink is often looked at as a female colour, but quartz implies something strong.  And I thought of the women in my family, and how that summed the generations up.

So, beginning with my grandmother, who died in 1980, sadly a few months before we married.  She was a very determined lady, who regretted having to stop teaching when she married, which would have been in the first half of the 1920s.  As soon as she was able to have a bank account of her own, she opened one at the bank which was the opposite end of the high street from the bank my grandfather used.

My mother, despite her physical state, remains as sharp as ever.  She will have a laugh with the staff, and although a product of her own times, seems willing to accept things are changing.  She cared for my father as long as she could, and he was only admitted to hospital when she could no longer manage physically - she is just over 5 foot, he was about 6 foot, so if he fell out of bed she had to get a neighbour to help, or call an ambulance.  A few years later she sold their property and moved to live closer to us.  She remained resolutely independent until illness overtook her, and then accepted the need first for respite care and then promptly agreed that it was better to remain in the care home - signing the forms herself.

My daughter has always carved her own path.  She didn't take A-levels, but went to college to study Outdoor Education, staying away during the week.  Failing to get into uni immediately, she had a year out and then studied as a paediatric nurse, where she worked for 7 years, before starting training to be a paramedic.  She's currently an Ambulance Technician and back at uni part-time, alternating studies with working as a technician.  One of the highlights has been driving down the motorway at 104mph.

And lastly, mini Hobbit, my son's daughter, and my granddaughter.  She's only 5, but she's bright and very logical - you definitely need to be one step in advance all the time (good job I had plenty of practice with her auntie!).  Initially deemed as lacking social skills when she started school last September, a change of teacher halfway through the first term and she's got excellent social skills, but is quite independent.  Like the rest of the family, if she doesn't see the point of doing something, she won't!

smallhobbit: (Gloucestershire Peregrine)
Taken from [personal profile] ride_4ever 

1. First name: I am the Small Hobbit, which is all you need to know
2. Age: Retired, slightly early but that gives you some idea
3. Location: Gloucestershire - my local places tag will give you some idea
4. Occupation: See answer to 2 above
5. Significant other: Currently making a cup of tea
6. Kids: The Son, the Daughter, plus Mini Hobbit. Also Son's wife and Mini Hobbit's mummy (we communicate regularly and far more efficiently than via the Son)
7. Siblings: No
8. Pets: Have had cats in the past, plus the obligatory fish, gerbils and hamsters
9. List the 3 biggest things going on in your life: Gloucestershire Bundles (I'm speaking at a local concert tonight where the retiring collection will be for us); family (we're actually seeing them all of them over the Easter break); everything else
10. Where and for what did you go to school: Mostly in Basingstoke - education was compulsory
11. Parents: I did indeed have them
12. Who are some of your closest friends: While I am friendly with people I meet, my actual friends all live at a greater distance


smallhobbit: (Christmas 2021)
We celebrated Christmas yesterday with the daughter.*  We opened presents and went out for a Christmas meal - turkey and all the trimmings, followed by Christmas pud.

And then we went with her to see A Christmas Carol at Coventry Belgrade Theatre.  I've been in the main theatre a couple of times, but this was a smaller venue, the B2, which was perfect for the two performers.

This is a one-man show, with David Bradley telling the story, in a format that is based on Charles Dickens' own one man readings.  Bradley was extremely good, conveying the action without the need for any props.  He was accompanied by a singer, who also provided the sound effects.  In addition the lighting was used to increase the atmosphere. 

It was extremely enjoyable and the perfect way to round off our Christmas celebrations.


* The Daughter, an ambulance technician, is working all over Christmas.
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As I said last week, I took early retirement at the end of March.  I was only working part-time before, and at the beginning of November I had cut back from four 5 hour days to three 4 hour days.  That time was quickly used up by volunteering at Gloucestershire Bundles on my newly free morning and having a less rushed lunch break.

Now, I am 'free' all the time!  The plan was to take it easy, with no additional long-term commitments for a while, and just use the time to relax and catch up on the 'To Be Done' pile - see my goals post for 2021/22.  With the thought that given lockdown easing and better weather we could have days out whenever we wished.

However, in the space of about 50 hours that all changed.  Not that I'm complaining, just surprised at how quickly it happened.  First, I've applied to do a course on Growth in Reflective Living, purely for my own benefit.  That's an evening course, and if I'm accepted, I now have the ability to move evening craft and writing activities into the day.

Then Bundles asked me if I'd like to become the Treasurer, since I was doing all the finance stuff anyway.  It is a logical next step, especially as the grant applications I'm making ask for financial information so I might as well do the job properly.  And, of course, if I was to be the Treasurer, would I like to become a Trustee and join the Board.  From previous jobs I've done I've seen how important it is for trustees/board members to have an idea about the state of the finances, so yes, I want the charity to succeed, so it's a worthwhile job and one that my abilities suit.  It will require a bit of extra time, but I was already thinking that there were things which needed doing but I hadn't had time for.  This way I'm not volunteering for a third day (which is something I didn't want) but fulfilling my role as Trustee.  Semantics possibly, but the Trustee part I will do at home at times which suit me rather than saying I'm coming in on a particular day.

Finally, we saw my son and granddaughter at the weekend.  She begins school in September, so we have confirmed we will pick her up from school one afternoon a week to enable her mother to continue to work.  The other grandparents will do a different afternoon.  This is one thing I was sure I wouldn't be drawn into a few years ago, but now I have the time and it's my own granddaughter I feel rather different :)

When I was asked why I was retiring I used to say to have the time to do more crafts and other things I wanted to do.  At least I won't get bored!
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I'm now working fewer hours each week on my job, which is good.  The charity I work for agreed to keep me on until the end of March, so although I'm still counting the weeks, the number of hours is less which is great!

Inevitably, Bundles is taking more of my time - keeping the finances up to date, applying for a few grants, and also replying to a couple of requests for further details.  And on Monday - 'our referrals need updating post completion...'  By the end of last week they'd received 372 referrals since the beginning of April, which is the same number as for the whole of 2018/19. 

Also, our flowers have decided that it's November, and therefore time to bloom:



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All things considered, I had a good birthday.  My mother phoned to wish me Happy Birthday - which wouldn't be unusual for many people, but she's in a care home and generally very woolly about dates, so that was a lovely way to begin the day.  We also got to see my son and granddaughter in the afternoon, which will be the last time for at least five weeks, so that was good.  And I treated myself to a livestream of a play from Chichester Festival Theatre.  I wasn't struck with the play, and it confirmed me in my view that live streaming isn't really for me, but I was treating more as a donation to a theatre we had liked when we'd been so I didn't regret it.

Birthday )
smallhobbit: (ocelot)


Three things which are orange:

1. Citrus fruits

I do like the smaller orange citrus fruits: satsumas, tangerines, etc.  When the kids were at home I used to sometimes make trifle with orange jelly and tinned mandarin slices, which was really nice.


2. Marigolds

And lots of other small orange flowers, plus roses.  So bright and cheerful.


3. Ginger cats (and goldfish)

At one point we had two cats - farm kittens, brothers who shared a brain.  One was ginger and the other was ginger and white.  Our previous cat had been extremely intelligent, this pair were useless - although one of them did manage to catch the neighbour's goldfish, which it brought home and we'd rescue the fish and send it back in a bucket of water.  To be accurate our son was sent back with the fish.


Fanfics I've written with orange:

Not many come to mind, so I will use the 60 word ficlets written for [community profile] sherlock60 due to the ACD short story The Five Orange Pips

The Ocelot Tales 

Entries in the Marylebone Monthly Illustrated

The Private Journal of Dr Watson



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[personal profile] brumeier did this, so I thought it would be fun to share some of the pictures we have on our walls.  We have a lot, so I've selected those with particular meanings for me.

pictures )
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Or really Downs and Ups, but that sounds odd.

Firstly the down: Having enthused about the idea of Richard Armitage reading Poirot last week, I, along with a lot of other Audible subscribers, have now received an email saying their current rights only entitle them to make the titles available in the US.  Which is rubbish - I do understand about rights and, albeit reluctantly, accept them.  But to be offered something and then having it taken away is particularly disappointing at a time when little things are disproportionally important to happiness.  That they made a bad error is obvious since they've now given me (and everyone else affected) an additional credit.  I may finally buy David Copperfield.

And onto the ups.  My mother phoned and said she wanted to do some crochet, could I see if we still had her wool and a crochet hook.  I'm fairly sure I got rid of the wool - I took it in for her when she first moved into the home but she said she didn't want it.  I told her I'd used some of it for Brownies, which is true, and she was very pleased that it had gone somewhere it was of use.  And I promised to buy her some wool and get it sent directly.  Not being sure how much wool she would need for a shawl I contacted my friend K via Twitter.  We had a conversation and she suggested an online craft supplier who had an offer on wool and even better an easy grip crochet hook.  It was really helpful having the recommendation, so at 10pm Sunday night I placed the order, and it was delivered to the home Friday morning.  My mother was very happy and delighted with the crochet hook.

Then yesterday I decided I really would buy myself a tablet.  I'd been thinking about it for ages, but with the current ongoing situation I decided it would be a good addition to my life.  After a bit of a search I decided to go with a Lenovo and ordered direct from the company.  It arrived today and so far I'm delighted with it.
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I.e. Three things make a post!

Firstly, a couple of pictures from last week's full moon:
moon, thoughts, rainbows )
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Firstly, yesterday I went to a church thing on Liturgy, creativity and inclusion.  They had a very good speaker on the liturgy, but on reflection I'm not sure how relevant what he said was to me.  The Bishop was there, and despite his being a bishop, I do like him.  He seems very positive and genuine.  The two inclusion workshops I did were interesting, but really only a start.  Overall not a bad day.

Secondly, TD (The Daughter) did the second part of her assessment for becoming a student paramedic.  That's been a long held dream for her - she originally applied for paramedic courses when she was looking to go to uni, but didn't get in and did her nursing instead.  The assessment involved a fitness test, driving awareness and then an interview.  She heard immediately that she's got in, and will start either in May or July.

Lastly, SM and I went to Tewkesbury, to hear [personal profile] vix_spes orchestra, Tewkesbury Camerata playing.  Vix was conducting and was brilliant.  It was an all Tchaikovsky concert, with the first half of the programme being the Romeo & Juliet overture, followed by ballet music from Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty.  The second half was the second symphony which I'd never heard before, but enjoyed.

smallhobbit: (Edel Lion)
The Daughter phoned me yesterday: "I've decided where we're going next year."

This was news to me, as I didn't know we were going anywhere.  Last year we went to the WWI battlefields, and we're going again next month, exploring rather more specific subjects.  So, extremely intelligently, I said "Oh!"

TD: "It's with Leger again."  (The coach company who run the tours.)

"Ah," I say, "Your Dad and I are doing their WWI Poets tour that summer.  I didn't think that was something you'd be interested in."  (That had been quite a surprise.  I'd mentioned to SM (husband of a significant amount of years) that I was interested in the tour and he had been all for it, so I'd booked before he changed his mind.)

TD:  "I'm not.  And that's fine.  We should do the D-Day landings tour."

"Oh, right!"  (Note the continued intelligent replies.)  We then discussed suitable dates, and I found myself agreeing to request the time off work and, once that's done, arranging the booking.

I am off to the Normandie beaches.

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