I took our youngest into school. Came back and Gill was feeling very poorly and was wondering what to do. I told her to ring the hospital and/or her GP and she was offered an appointment for 3.40, but really she was so ill that I thought she needed something sooner, as she thought she was going to die. Our neighbour Marion has just retired from nursing, but is still qualified, so Gill went to ask her opinion. Dave, Marion's husband, offered to drive Gill to the surgery (shows how ill she was, as it's less than 10 mins walk but she couldn't face it. The doctor gave her a prescription for some strong antibiotics as she has an infection in her abdomen.
Somewhere in amongst this lot, we had a visit from our friend Maria who has just handed in her resignation to the school where she's recently started working. She found that the combination of so much prep and marking, having loads of different classes shared amongst relatively few teachers, and various other pressures was too much. Very sad, as she is in fact an excellent teacher... but it wasn't the teaching which she found to much, it was all the surrounding stuff. But she knows we are sympathetic and always have a cuppa and listening ear for her. I'm sure she'll find something else.
I also did a compostables collection by request from Freshways and came away with some interesting tubers which I might have a go at growing. Today I also harvested some Oca from the molasses drum at the side of the house... it's a frost-sensitive plant and the recent cold spell has rendered the tops into a collapsed state, but the soil was completely full of lovely shiny pink tubers, which can be eaten raw or stir-fried, and have a tangy lemony flavour and are crunchy. Latin name is Oxalis tuberosa, for pictures of Oca, see http://www.potager.dk/index.php?id=18&la=en and there's an excellent article with photos here: http://www.greenharvest.com.au/Plants/oca_info.html I will eat some and replant the smallest ones in pots so that I can grow them on in the conservatory for a few months before planting them out or letting other people have them.
At 2.30 I went down to school and helped prepare for the Blue Peter Mission Nutrition Bring and Buy. I got a load of tables out of the hall and put them up in the playground... Julia suggested a circular shape which did work well. One of the mums brought a load of fairy cakes and Julia had already collected some stuff to sell from a previous Mission Nutrition sale (afterwards, the stuff which hadn't sold) and parents brought stuff in today. By 3.15 we were ready to sell and it was a very busy few minutes. We hadn't put prices on anything... we just asked for offers and reminded people that it was for Mission Nutrition, and many parents and children were very generous. Lots of people got some fantastic bargains though. Later during the evening, I got an email saying we'd taken about £120. I was delighted!
I helped pack up and took some clothes which will be OK in the forthcoming York in Transition Clothes Swap, on 14th February. Then I cycled home with our little one who was pleased with his little computer game (50p) a laughing furry ball, a paper clip holder and a wooden snake for a pound, he also bought two buns, ate one and brought one back for his older brother.
Gill was back in the house when I got back but went to bed. I prepared the boys' tea on the woodstove: sliced and fried butternut squash, pasta parcels and shells with a leek, cabbage, tomato and cashew nut stew/sauce. Gill had a little bit afterwards... we all enjoyed this nosh.
At 8 our friend Will came round, as agreed during the week. He had wanted to play a game of 'co-operative Scrabble' but we also had a funding application form to fill in for the new LETS software, so we did that instead. Will left at 10.30 and I did a bit of wire stripping and Gill came down after midnight needing painkillers.
Showing posts with label Mission Nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mission Nutrition. Show all posts
Friday, 23 January 2009
Friday, 9 January 2009
Friday 9th January 09
Another late start following a late night. I am basically nocturnal if left to my own devices... if I didn't have children who woke me up so early and needed taking to school....
But our youngest, who needs taking to school, didn't this morning as his cough is still bad and so Gill decided to keep him at home. Our eldest, however, was fine and got himself out of the house at a normal time.
A fairly quiet day... dealt with a couple of Fiddlesticks enquiries and other 'admin' stuff.
At 1.45, headed down to school to see the Green Thumb Gang assembly which I wrote most of, for the children to advertise the Blue Peter Mission Nutrition Bring and Buy sale we're having in a fortnight, as well as explain what Green Thumb Gang does. Also showed a filmlet from Blue Peter emphasising the importance of having a good breakfast. The children did really well, and sang beautifully. I'm really pleased with Julia for bein so patient and good with them, and the children for all their effort.
After this, I did the usual playground bin emptying, as most of the children don't know it's wrong to put their fruit peels in the bin when there's a compostables recepticle next to it, and as it was the Key Stage 1 playtime, they were fascinated with what I was doing. I took the opportunity to get a lot of good messages through to them. A few converts to a less polluting lifestyle, I hope.
Popped in to see Melody and had a cuppa, then home via a log pile, overfilling my bike trailer as usual!
At 5pm, we had a visit from an electrician reccommended by another electrician friend who isn't quite as highly qualified to do domestic stuff (he works on cruise ships mainly!) and this lovely chap, Nick, fixed our gas boiler which hasn't worked for about 3 months. So, instant hot water is now available! Showers will be gratefully had by Gill, who's not as keen on baths as I am, and does her stand-up-wash only because she's had no option. I will continue to have my weekly deep and very hot woodstove-water bath plus daily cold-water stand-up washes. I think the boys will welcome the return of the shower!
Our eldest has started playing a role-playing game on the computer, and as this is one of my sister Anna's favourite activities, I rang her so she could chat to her nephew, but no-one was there. However, seconds later, Uncle Douglas rang back and had a good chat with him, me and Gill. Very nice!
Tea was one of Gill's fantastic quiches with small new potatoes and broccoli. Pudding was home-made chocolate cake and non-dairy ice cream.
A nice family evening, house toastie, boys good, all relaxed.
But our youngest, who needs taking to school, didn't this morning as his cough is still bad and so Gill decided to keep him at home. Our eldest, however, was fine and got himself out of the house at a normal time.
A fairly quiet day... dealt with a couple of Fiddlesticks enquiries and other 'admin' stuff.
At 1.45, headed down to school to see the Green Thumb Gang assembly which I wrote most of, for the children to advertise the Blue Peter Mission Nutrition Bring and Buy sale we're having in a fortnight, as well as explain what Green Thumb Gang does. Also showed a filmlet from Blue Peter emphasising the importance of having a good breakfast. The children did really well, and sang beautifully. I'm really pleased with Julia for bein so patient and good with them, and the children for all their effort.
After this, I did the usual playground bin emptying, as most of the children don't know it's wrong to put their fruit peels in the bin when there's a compostables recepticle next to it, and as it was the Key Stage 1 playtime, they were fascinated with what I was doing. I took the opportunity to get a lot of good messages through to them. A few converts to a less polluting lifestyle, I hope.
Popped in to see Melody and had a cuppa, then home via a log pile, overfilling my bike trailer as usual!
At 5pm, we had a visit from an electrician reccommended by another electrician friend who isn't quite as highly qualified to do domestic stuff (he works on cruise ships mainly!) and this lovely chap, Nick, fixed our gas boiler which hasn't worked for about 3 months. So, instant hot water is now available! Showers will be gratefully had by Gill, who's not as keen on baths as I am, and does her stand-up-wash only because she's had no option. I will continue to have my weekly deep and very hot woodstove-water bath plus daily cold-water stand-up washes. I think the boys will welcome the return of the shower!
Our eldest has started playing a role-playing game on the computer, and as this is one of my sister Anna's favourite activities, I rang her so she could chat to her nephew, but no-one was there. However, seconds later, Uncle Douglas rang back and had a good chat with him, me and Gill. Very nice!
Tea was one of Gill's fantastic quiches with small new potatoes and broccoli. Pudding was home-made chocolate cake and non-dairy ice cream.
A nice family evening, house toastie, boys good, all relaxed.
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Wednesday 17th December 08
I did the school run, or should that be school ride or school cycle? Then I got out the electrics and did a bit of chainsawing and splitting, til about 10.30 when came in for a coffee and started to prepare to write last weekend's Community Care blog which has got a tad late... but got distracted reading about the latest Climate Camp meeting and a couple of other email newsletters that I receive.. But, hey, it's all really interesting stuff and some of the stuff I get makes its way into my CC blog...
I did manage to do my blog.... eventually! Did it on the church in Bradford I visited on Sunday.
Also had a phone call from Blue Peter about the Green Thumbs Gang 'Mission Nutrition' Bring and Buy plus Assembly... they are looking for things to film. They wanted to speak to someone in the school, so I suggested ringing the Head. I cycled into school very excited and happy with the small possibliity of our project being filmed for Blue Peter...
Had a good chat with Ali late on and offered to go over tomorrow to support her during an interview she has to have... it will also give me the chance to deliver assorted Xmas presents to family over there.
I did manage to do my blog.... eventually! Did it on the church in Bradford I visited on Sunday.
Also had a phone call from Blue Peter about the Green Thumbs Gang 'Mission Nutrition' Bring and Buy plus Assembly... they are looking for things to film. They wanted to speak to someone in the school, so I suggested ringing the Head. I cycled into school very excited and happy with the small possibliity of our project being filmed for Blue Peter...
Had a good chat with Ali late on and offered to go over tomorrow to support her during an interview she has to have... it will also give me the chance to deliver assorted Xmas presents to family over there.
Thursday, 27 November 2008
Thursday 27th November 08
A late start to the morning... but I did feel a bit better than yesterday. Gill went out and I made a nutloaf for tonight's tea.
At midday I cycled round to Steve with the logs... he'd got the tree out and I chopped off the top trunks and trimmed off the roots and loaded it all up into my trailer and brought it home.
Gill got in just after me and we had lunch together. I finished the nutloaf and started cooking it before following Gill to school... she was going to collect our youngest and I was doing the Green Thumbs Gang. The Green Thumbs were finishing off their creative stuff for the Christmas fair and I went to find a branch to hang the tree-decorations onto, to allow them to be seen 'at their best' at the stall. Came back with two willow branches which will do very well. Towards the end, a musical mum who does an activity called 'Songbox' came in, as her daughter had written a song to perform at the assembly in January, to advertise the Mission Nutrition Bring and Buy Sale. Kerry explained that her daughter, who is only 6 years old, had written the melody and together they'd worked up a song about Mission Nutrition, about the numbers of hungry children and how the sale would raise money to help. Kerry sang the song to a backing tape she'd prepared... it was so pertinent that it brought tears to my eyes. I promised to try to write the basics of the assembly... Julia said that my letter to Blue Peter was really good and I should include some bits from that.
Home to a quiet house and Gill getting tea ready. I ate with everyone else and at 7ish got myself ready to go to yet another York in Transition core group works out what it's doing meeting... at the Stables project, ably chaired for a fourth time in a row by Jennie. We looked at our core values and what we should do with the list, and our structure... based on our application to become a Company Limited by Guarantee and a Charity, and on the next steps... a quite difficult meeting. I was feeling a bit unwell and left as soon as I could to go home, where I crashed out til midnight.. Then came down for a hot drink and finish this off....
At midday I cycled round to Steve with the logs... he'd got the tree out and I chopped off the top trunks and trimmed off the roots and loaded it all up into my trailer and brought it home.
Gill got in just after me and we had lunch together. I finished the nutloaf and started cooking it before following Gill to school... she was going to collect our youngest and I was doing the Green Thumbs Gang. The Green Thumbs were finishing off their creative stuff for the Christmas fair and I went to find a branch to hang the tree-decorations onto, to allow them to be seen 'at their best' at the stall. Came back with two willow branches which will do very well. Towards the end, a musical mum who does an activity called 'Songbox' came in, as her daughter had written a song to perform at the assembly in January, to advertise the Mission Nutrition Bring and Buy Sale. Kerry explained that her daughter, who is only 6 years old, had written the melody and together they'd worked up a song about Mission Nutrition, about the numbers of hungry children and how the sale would raise money to help. Kerry sang the song to a backing tape she'd prepared... it was so pertinent that it brought tears to my eyes. I promised to try to write the basics of the assembly... Julia said that my letter to Blue Peter was really good and I should include some bits from that.
Home to a quiet house and Gill getting tea ready. I ate with everyone else and at 7ish got myself ready to go to yet another York in Transition core group works out what it's doing meeting... at the Stables project, ably chaired for a fourth time in a row by Jennie. We looked at our core values and what we should do with the list, and our structure... based on our application to become a Company Limited by Guarantee and a Charity, and on the next steps... a quite difficult meeting. I was feeling a bit unwell and left as soon as I could to go home, where I crashed out til midnight.. Then came down for a hot drink and finish this off....
Friday, 21 November 2008
Thursday 20th November 08
Fab day, spent a good bit of it with my lovely wife just doing bits and bobs around the house.
At 2pm, just as Gill was popping into town on her bike to get a dressing gown that she'll need when she goes into hospital, I had a visitor who contacted me yesterday, a trainee journalist called Kerry. She is doing a story about renewable energy and had found me and so we talked about stuff for half the time, and then she got some pics of the stove and my feet (in Fiddlesticks' boots) and then the logpile outside.
But we had to finish at 3 as I was due to go and tell Green Thumbs about the letter from Blue Peter about our successful application to have a Mission Nutrition Bring and Buy Sale, which they are very excited about. I went to have a chat with Mrs P. the headteacher, and she suggested the Gang do an assembly about Green Thumbs and Mission Nutrition, on 9th Jan. So I've just created a whole lot more work for myself.... but why not, life is short and I try to pack as much in as I possibly can.
A lovely evening... strangely peaceful without our eldest... we hope he's having a good time. Gill and I had an early game of Scrabble, and our youngest helped Gill. I won. Later, much later, we both enjoyed a TV programme by Derren Brown about how he can (allegedly) predict the outcome of horse races. A superbly crafted programme, he is a genius and one of the top entertainers living today. I am a big fan... and obviously have no idea at all how he does what he does! Amazing, weird and wonderful.
At 2pm, just as Gill was popping into town on her bike to get a dressing gown that she'll need when she goes into hospital, I had a visitor who contacted me yesterday, a trainee journalist called Kerry. She is doing a story about renewable energy and had found me and so we talked about stuff for half the time, and then she got some pics of the stove and my feet (in Fiddlesticks' boots) and then the logpile outside.
But we had to finish at 3 as I was due to go and tell Green Thumbs about the letter from Blue Peter about our successful application to have a Mission Nutrition Bring and Buy Sale, which they are very excited about. I went to have a chat with Mrs P. the headteacher, and she suggested the Gang do an assembly about Green Thumbs and Mission Nutrition, on 9th Jan. So I've just created a whole lot more work for myself.... but why not, life is short and I try to pack as much in as I possibly can.
A lovely evening... strangely peaceful without our eldest... we hope he's having a good time. Gill and I had an early game of Scrabble, and our youngest helped Gill. I won. Later, much later, we both enjoyed a TV programme by Derren Brown about how he can (allegedly) predict the outcome of horse races. A superbly crafted programme, he is a genius and one of the top entertainers living today. I am a big fan... and obviously have no idea at all how he does what he does! Amazing, weird and wonderful.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
