December, at last

So here we are, in December. You'll be pleased to read that I am less grumpy. I managed to get to the end of what can only be described as my busiest work week all year. I ran a two day practical teaching classes, twice, with a break on Wednesday, when I assessed oral presentations for over six hours (online), finishing at 8:30 pm. It was a physically and intellectually demanding week but what I found hardest was being in a room with ~ 30 people. I haven't been in the company of that many since March 2020. Safety regulations in the lab were even tighter than in previous years, before Covid. Wearing lab coats, lab safety goggles and masks made us all look like aliens but it made no difference to the experience. I dusted off my bike and cycled into work like in the good old days. My bum has now recovered from the pain. I have one more deadline to meet on the 9th, then things will ease up a bit at work.

I enjoyed a very quiet and slow weekend, which was fantastic.

I was so glad when Richard offered to take James for his cross country race on Saturday. I really didn't fancy standing in the rain for an extended period of time, managing the pre-race excitement of a 14 year old. I think Richard was a bit crestfallen when I accepted his offer because let's be honest, nobody really likes to go to muddy cross country races in December. I went for a dog walk in the rain instead. James will be running his first park run next Saturday. He'll find that so easy, no mud no spikes and no treacherous hills. 

There was some light cleaning duty on my weekend programme but most was done by that superhero husband of mine. Our downstairs floor was covered in tracks of muddy paw prints. Jack's mostly. He is a bit daft. He sees a fox through the living room window at the front of the house, races out of the room through the kitchen, my study and cat flap into the back garden to show the fox who is in charge. Then he races back through the cat flap to the living room to check if there are any other foxes that need to be put in their place. He has figured out the fastest route, skirting around corners like a formula one driver. This is evidenced by the narrow paw print tracks. 

I did a little bit of sewing this weekend. I started making a Lyra Dress by Tilly and the Buttons, using dark blue denim chambray fabric, which I rather like. I haven't actually finished my last dress, it is hanging in my wardrobe unhemmed. It is a summer dress so no rush. I have also been cutting fabrics for my Ice Cream Soda quilt. It is a slow progress but there is no rush with this either. 

We are of course hopelessly behind with Christmas gift planning but I am sure it will all come together as if by magic. Christmas does not really start in our house until 14 December (Alistair's birthday) but of we have advent calendars and I decorated the living room window with my star fairy lights. The solar powered fairy lights on the apple tree are still working so all good. I also have an advent candle, which I like to light every day for a brief while, until the corresponding day number is melted. I forgot to extinguish the flame on Friday, accidentally burning the wax all the way to the 7th of December. Ah well. 

Not much else to report so I will go and read some of your blog posts instead. Thanks for visiting.