Monday randoms

I am not feeling it just now, I really don't. It is difficult to resist the temptation of turning over in the morning and go back to sleep. I am also suffering from an inability to concentrate and can't follow one idea from beginning to end. I have eyed the thermostat this evening but have resisted the urge to put the heating on. We have a camping trip planned for the end of the month, and it would be silly to get used to cosy evenings before this is over!

Sam is out enjoying fresher's week. Fresher's fortnight it is now actually. I am glad he is a home student, fewer adjustments for all and less costly, too. I went to Tesco's the other day and it was jam packed full with parents and brand new students shopping for towels and bedding and whatnot. We still have to discuss an allowance to cover for general expenses, like an Uber home after a late night fresher's event. These all start at 11 pm! He's been to some kind of speed dating event where he met 100 other freshers in a very short time. I am tired just thinking about this.

James broke up with his "girlfriend" because his friends told him that the relationship is not going anywhere. No, I am not making this up and we are talking about 10 and 11 year olds. I spent two days fixing James' life because he really really likes this girl and they love hanging out, doing what friends in this age bracket do. The poor girl was upset, even more so because the message was conveyed via one of the pals,  a girl no less. James was upset and I am upset. It is all good now. It is not the first time that his pals have taken advantage of this gullible and emotionally immature little boy, getting him to do stuff they themselves would not do. It is only going to get worse. I am dreading James' teenage years to be honest. "Hey James, see that blue pill? Do you want to see what it does to you?" and "Hey James, see that train track? Lets walk on it, just for fun" are just two of a million scenarios that go through my mind, most ending in disaster.

James and Alistair have been grounded. Last Monday, they were allowed to go to the playground after dinner, with the instructions to return at a particular time. They didn't. I went to fetch them and they were not at the playground. I was cross and and mildly worried so asked Richard to go to the pitch where we both just knew they had gone instead, saving time as I still had to walk back home. The pitch is in the opposite direction and we had expressly forbidden them to go there (it is used for by a football club on Mondays). Richard found them in the middle of the t-junction near the pitch less than 10 metres from the pedestrian crossing with traffic lights. It is not a terribly busy road but one cannot be careful enough. They must have realised their tardiness and forgot all common sense. Well, they don't actually have much common sense, just impulse and action. They have been on a complete screen ban and playing outside with friends ban. I know it is going to happen again. As I said, impulse and action comes before thoughtful consideration. I am not sure what to do, accept and hope for the best, or persevere with trying to get the message through?

It is all go here!

I have been working on Alistair's quilt, you can see the photos here. It is a bit boring to be honest. The curves are easy, not the challenge I was hoping for. I suppose I sew garments with princess seams and set sleeves that need a bit of easing, both useful skills for curved quilt blocks. I have just a few more blocks to make and have sewn 2/3 of the top. I am curiously unexcited about this quilt but I hope once I reach the actual quilting stage, it will be more fun. I want to stitch around the circles, outside and inside. I am not bored of my hexagon quilt yet. I have just crossed the hallway mark and today, 360 hexagons are neatly sewed together. I have selected the next three rows of hexagons and packed each row into its little ziplock bag to take to work. Being a one woman team has its advantages!

Term is about to start and while I am looking forward to starting with a new cohort I am not looking forward to the evening tutorials. Our students are normally in full time work and evening tutorials suit best. It is a long slog until Christmas now, no half term for the grownups in this house. I may sneak in a day or two here and there, the hours are quite punishing and I end up with plenty of (unpaid) overtime. I am working this evening, and again on Wednesday evening. As with everything, it takes a bit of time to adjust.

I have been eating apples from the tree outside our front door. The taste sensation is a surprise every single time. The apple variety is tart and sweet at the same time but it takes a moment or two for the flavour to fully develop in my mouth. I don't remember the variety but it is not one that I have seen at the supermarket. The skin is quite tough and I am tempted to peel the fruit but I haven't done this so far. I am not sure if I love them or not. I probably do. An apple with a difference.

The dog is in the dog house. He has been running away on our walks. Sam and I both experienced this several times but not Richard. It is hugely annoying. Jack has excellent recall - when it suits him. I think the problem are the huge number of foxes this year, I have never seen as many. I am mostly worried about Jack being run over by a car, he has no road sense (a common theme in my family it appears). I also feel a bit silly walking along the canal, calling and whistling. It makes no difference whatsoever, Jack comes back when he's had enough, pretending that he has never left my side.

Now I must sew some hexagons on my quilt, I am behind my daily required minimum :-) Thanks for stopping by. xx