Friday round-up of thoughts and happenings

Today, I am bringing you a selection this weeks happenings, and some thoughts. On a personal level, the week has been uneventful and peaceful although of course I do feel rattled by the U.S. elections and the impact it will have on the rest of world. So I'll start with my thoughts on that topic before moving on to lighter and more cheerful things.

:: The president elect. The United States have elected their president. A man with no political experience, a poor grasp of foreign policy and a mouth that talks before he thinks. I am not surprised but disappointed nonetheless. For the president of the United States is a person of great importance not just in the United States. Time will tell how many of his frightful election promises he is able to turn into reality. I know many Americans that are utterly devastated about the outcome of their elections, some here, some there. I have a feeling that many more will be disappointed later. Already I read statements such as 'it is time to accept and move on'. I disagree. Lets not move on and pretend all is in order just yet, lets think about why the people have chosen a man who displays behaviour you would never accept in your own children. We need to continue to fight ignorance, racism and misogyny. Not just in the United States but everywhere. There is more than enough of all that in our post Brexit Britain, too. We need  to think, to speak out, to act, to contradict, to protest, to lead by example, to lead the way away from small mindedness. On to more domestic things now.

:: Quince. I brought these home from Turkey. I was hoping to wait until our new kitchen is fitted to make quince jelly but the fruit started to show first signs of decay and immediate action was required. The quince were picked ripe and ripe fruit is unfortunately not ideal for long term storage. Did you know that quince are eaten just like pears and apples in climates where they actually ripen fully?  I stewed the cut fruit gently in a little water. Then I searched for my nifty straining thingy in the kitchen boxes around the house for a while. Making jelly on a camping cooker didn't appeal and I froze to juice. The stewed fruit went through the moulis and is also awaiting processing in the freezer. Something to look forward to!

:: Kitchen. This is ours, currently in the guest bedroom. You can see the slats of the upright daybed on the right... Meals are simple, dinners are eaten from paper plates. Water comes from the bathroom, which has been re-assigned the function of temporary wash-up facilities.

:: Dust. There is a lot of it in my house. I don't seem to be able to get it off my hands and I can feel it in my lungs. We keep all doors closed and have washed the floors every single day this week to prevent further spread of the desert. So much dust. The good news is that all walls that need to come down have come down. There is no further destruction scheduled and I am exited about the next phase of the build. Already I can see it is going to be fabulous.

:: Hats. I made this one and a green one last year but the dog chewed off the pompons. He probably thought it was a furry creature, possibly a native haggis. It didn't seem worthwhile starting new skeins just to make pompons so I went to my leftover Noro Kureyon bag for inspiration. This I keep to repair my two blankets made from this yarn, should they be damaged. I rather like the colourful pompons and James and Alistair are delighted with their 'new' hats.

:: Knitting. I have not done enough of this lately. I went to knit night last night. This is a regular highlight in my life but I haven't been for a long time for one reason or the other. So long in fat that I didn't know one of my friends had moved house and started a new job... I am feeling a little bit ashamed. It was such a relaxing evening! I promised myself to not miss the next knit night. I pretended to knit socks (I did about four rounds).

:: School performance. I went to see Alistair's assembly performance about the history of Guy Fawkes night and firework safety. It was a week late and not great. In fact, it was downright tedious. The finale, a rap was the most entertaining part. I remember only one line: .... don't put fireworks in your pockets, underpants weren't made for rockets. The children enjoyed their performance and I was happy that I managed my time well and could go. It means a lot to the children. And it means a lot to me that I can show my support.

:: Skies. These have been stunning lately. Photos never quite do the glory justice. I took photos of buildings illuminated by the morning sun instead. There is beauty where we least expect it.

:: Snow. Yes, snow. We've had a brief interlude of typical November weather on Tuesday. In the evening, snow was falling fast and thick. There was still the thinnest of layers left in the morning but now this first snow is just a memory. I am hoping for lots of snow this year, enough to go sledging and make snow angels at the very least. There is something immensely cheerful about making snow angels.

:: Cake. There was cake at work every single day of the week. I am no longer able to close the zipper of my jeans and even my feet feel fat.

With this, I am wishing you a lovely weekend. I hope the thought of my fat feet is not keeping you awake. Thank you for stopping by and reading my ramblings, I love to see you here. If you are new here, I am glad you found my space. I look forward to getting to know you all. xx