Monthly Round Up (November '10)

Hello peeps. I know November isn't as long as the preceding month, but it's gone twice as quickly. We are now in the home straight, hurtling towards the 'C' thing of next month. How many of you are on the way to being ready in time? I was determined this year to start the shopping early, and am not doing too badly, thank you very much.

●●●●●●

Photo of thick frost on the bonnet of my car

I see this time last year I made mention of some galeforce winds and downpours of rain, and this year's November has been the same. Blimey, some days it felt like it would never stop, didn't it?! And then came the frost, snow and freezing cold winds. From a weather point of view, it's been less than pleasant ... but anyway, on to this month's doings.

●●●●●●

I have had reason to be proud of No.1 this month. Not that I'm not anyway, but you know what I mean. Her school had a 'Celebration Evening' during this month, at which students were awarded certificates for their input - both in terms of academic achievement and other facets of school life during the last academic year. We didn't know until the actual evening, but she received not one but two awards - one for her work in Graphics (ironically a subject she can no longer study because of the way the school has organised the GCSE options), and one for being a 'Music Mentor'. This was in recognition of her giving up some of her free time every week to teach younger kids how to play the guitar for the whole of last year. It's something she's continuing to do this year, although she says one of the boys she's working with just 'doesn't get it' and keeps trying to play the chords his own unique way (which translates as making a right pig's ear of it)!

Please excuse twirly bits - done to hide names

Anyway, it was extremely nerve wracking for No.1 to go up in front of a hall full of people to collect her awards, but she did it. I'd like to say a very public 'well done' to her.

●●●●●●

Speaking of No.1, she had an unexpectedly exciting day at school this month when, during one of her PE lessons, the bad weather outside started bringing down the school sports' dome whilst they were inside it. She said it was very scary as the roof and 'walls' started to come inwards, and people started screaming. The students were all evacuated safely and once everyone had calmed down, they did another sporting activity in the school hall. The dome has now been reinflated and is fine again, thankgoodness.

●●●●●●

This was the month I stepped on the scales to discover I was the heaviest non-pregnant weight I've ever been, and determined that things had to change. I acknowledge that I don't have a serious weight problem, but my clothes were becoming uncomfortable, and since I cannot afford new ones, I decided I needed to cut back a bit. My weakness is picking at biscuits and my favourite Milky Bar - usually at around 4pm in the afternoon. So ... a new regime of having fruit (especially apples and grapes) to hand has begun. Thus far I have lost 3lbs in 3 weeks, which means I'm halfway to being able to do up the buttons on a couple of items of clothing!

●●●●●●

Someone left a recent comment on the blog I posted about Scarlett back in May of this year asking if there was any news on her. Yes, as a matter of fact, I have some very good news. The fundraisers have been very busy indeed, and just this month, Scarlett's parents were able to tell people that a date has been set for Scarlett to come home and live with her family. They have finally raised enough money to buy all the specialist equipment they need for her to be able to live with them. On 31st January 2011, she will come home. Isn't that fantastic?

She has also had a small operation to make sure she can get nutrients through a tube which goes directly into her stomach, rather than the nasal tube she had before. She was mightily fed up with that nasal tube and kept pulling it out. She's a lovely little girl - has now lost most of the baby look; I'm so pleased her family are going to have her living with them.

●●●●●●

Georgie-cat has not had a happy month. The problem being this chap:-

Ladies and Gentlemen ... meet Gabriel ... he's moved in next door. My neighbour has rescued him from a friend who lives too near a main road to keep Gabriel safe. He (Gabriel, not the neighbour) was hit by a car earlier this year, and has had to have most of his tail amputated as a result. The owner felt it unfair to keep Gabriel there, so my next door neighbour has adopted him.

He is a 'posh' cat - an oriental type breed - and is relatively friendly and inquisitive. Oh, and he has a yowl on him that could raise the dead. I'm not kidding - I have never heard anything like it. When I first heard him, I thought someone with a baby must be visiting; his cry sounds just like a distressed infant.

Anyway, Gabriel decided to visit our garden, which is not, on the face of it, a bad thing. However, Georgie doesn't want another cat visiting her garden, thank you very much (not this one, anyway). She hissed, she spat, and she put all her fur up so it appeared to stick out at a 90° angle to her body. She lunged at him, and Gabriel, clearly being sensitive to the issue, scarpered. But he's been back. Quite often. Georgie is clearly very, very pi$$ed off about the matter.

I'm hoping that in time she will relent and become friends with him, but if first impressions count for much I don't really like his chances.

●●●●●●

I shall leave you with a picture I took this morning. It seemed like a good idea to venture up on to The Ridgeway to try to get some nice shots of the snow, but I didn't reckon on slipping and falling heavily on my spine. :( I think I'm going to have a lovely bruise in a few days' time! Let's hope December sees an end to this bitterly cold spell.

Keep warm folks!

●●●●●●

© Author