Category Archives: Out and About

Writing in retrospect

Posted on September 25, 2006 by | 1 comment

We didn’t go to to Gressenhall in the end, partly cos I’m going near there tomorrow, and the drive 2ce put me off. Instead we went to a National trust watermill. We had a lovely time there. Its really good, with lots of children friendly demonstrations of how bits work, and it is still milling flour. So we all enjoyed wandering around it – even BB [who got soaked by the watery activities!]. Should be some good flickr pics eventually.

We also did some explode the code, and SB read another magic key book – this time about the red planet. She is asking to read to me now [well, 3 days in a row anyway!] so I have bought some more books from the book people. Well, I haven’t ordered for over a year. i took more than half of the order out of the basket before I paid as well [:rolls eyes:]

Otherwise we did lots of running about in the garden playing and discussing various imponderables – all of which I have now forgotten, but at least 2 I thought I should blog. Oh well. She finished a hama princess. Must buy some clay from Bead Merrily! We watched the next bit of the dvd about living in the ice. She was predictably very interested in the antartica bit
Today I nipped into work for some how to work in a non-NHS enviromnent discussions – difficult! but on returning, SB has been building the whitehouse, and having a chat about america with chris, and looking up virtual tours on the internet. obviously, she forgot instantly about the president! Se as exploded the code. Book 4 she has to think about a bit more. We have missed maths for 2 days unless I persuade her to do some now? We are going to do a piano lesson when I have finished typing this though. Ha Ha! suggested the maths, and she’s doing it!!! OK, not autonomous, but no complaining as I actually only said it cos she was asking me what she could do next.

So what else, oh, we have another cake experiment in the oven. This time a chocolate mayonaise cake. SOunds a bit wierd, but lets see. Always good with both BB and SB doing it. Actually, SB does it, and I try and stop BB from doing anything too dreaddul by letting her mix up a small bowl of chocolate gunk. The cups work really well though. For example, she need 2 cups of flour, but only the 1/3 and 1/4 ones fit in the bag easily, so she worked out she needed 6 of the 1/3. Unfortunately she forgot what number she had counted to somewhere on the way to the 6, so lets see! [i'm also baking it in the wrong sized tin, so timing uncertain.]

BB is being gorgeous still, kicking a ball about and giggling. She loves the fish – they are prob being fed too much as a result. She likes being read to and jiggled about still. Operation attention is going well, but no noticeable loss in bf antics!

Anyway, guess I’m done now, will help her on this second page, and then to the piano. Tonight I’m out for a work meal. Hopefully we will flickr monster’s party soon, and then with yesterday we are up to date – wahayy!

edited to add – the cake is out of the oven and looks and smells delicious – oh the temptation!

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, geography, history, literacy, numeracy, Out and About, science, Stringbean's HE, writing

In fear of hibernation!

Posted on September 23, 2006 by | 5 comments

So we have done multiple postings today. TBH, home ed has meandered on, but I feel we aren’t quite getting it right. This might be more that I am not getting it right, as I have let my life get unbalanced recently. However, I don’t do unbalanced for very long :grin: , so time to rebalance and get my ‘carpe diem’ motto back in action. SO I have.

On the home ed front, we have been getting into a habit of a bit of explode the code, and a bit of singapore maths near every day, just 2-4 sides depending on mood. This is working well. Explode the code has been good for us, as SB was adamant she couldn’t read, and actually still thinks she can’t, and wasn’t going to try. Explode the code has never been reading to her, so has never hit the can’t read so won’t button. However, now she can read the singpore maths instructions, words all over the place to make sure I am telling the truth – sigh! but very excitingly for her, she read one of the usbourne young readers on pirates and an oxford magic key on robin hood with barely any stumbling or help. So thanks Merry for the introduction to ExTC!!!

We’ve done a fair bit of bobbing back and forth on history. She likes books about Henry VIII, and Elizabeth I. We have also carried on reading about ancient greeks, minoans and the legends and myths from these cultures. Some nipping to Roman times, 1066 and the mediaeval times [well, Robin Hood myths mostly] to fit with various history re-enactment outings we have done, and also with the street through… and city through time books. I really like the Story of the World text and activity, as it breaks things up into SB chunks. We get pictures from DK eyewitness books and the Usbourne ancient civilisations book. i don’t imagine SB will remember great chunks, but she does enjoy it, and weird facts pop out all the time. Today we were doing Medea and Persia in SoTW, and she i quite good at paraphrasing, but also seeing stories are similar – particularly the abandon your baby one, as she thought it was going to be about Perseus.

I haven’t got to grips with regular music lessons [piano or violin] – which is very bad of me, since it is a passion! We listen to classic fm alot, and SB tries to describe the type of music. today one of the planets came on, so I said it was the planet. Initially she said she could hear the words jupiter, but then decided it had to be about Uranus or Pluto as it sounded so cold and far away. I was impressed [and it was Uranus]. We do do alot of singing, and she makes up music for her dances, so I will just put it in my list of thinks to get into the habit of!

Another thing in my blogroll of shame is languages. I really mus just get bottom in motion and sort this out! Still very tempted by Rosetta stone. Merry suggested I should relook at education city – as something computer oriented may overide my inertia!!

Geography is covered well at the moment – possibly driven by the mediteranean history we are doing, but also by gettting a free globe ball from the kids national geographic subscription [we are awaiting our first magazine] . We also watch are fair number of the David attenborough DVD’s, and this covers natural history and geography regularly. Must look up what this evenings one was, but essentially it was about volcanos. SOmething SB quite keen on.

Science is mostly from books – the why does… and the usbourne ones get a regular reading. We have looked at caterpillar lifecycles on the brassicas this summer. Unfortunately BB likes feeding the ‘snakes’ to the goldfish, so they don’t really get to complete the cycle. Also the free fish are rather good. It would be better if we actually knew what they were. Linked to a photo on the rare offchance anyone might hazard a guess! but we have done crystal experiments, talked A LOT about dinosaurs [and the 2 have played games with the cheap ones from tesco], and thought more about surface tension and sound and light rays in a number of ways.

SB has dance and swimming lessons, puts on countless dance shows for me and is still keen that we find her football lessons. i can’t believe that she won’t just wail… We still aren’t at the top of the rainbows waiting list, so at this rate we will be starting with brownies! She’s going to more CHEF and PBEO group meets, which is good.

Crafts are never underrepresented! Today we have drawn and coloured with SoTW, a birthdaycard for my niece as well as various other pictures. We also try to regularly bake or be involved in food prep. today we tried that choc spread cake again, but using oil to see if it could be adapted – no! but its still edible.

We are also spending alot of time outside, to get the most of the last of the good weather. We are still harvesting bits and bobs from the garden, and SB and BB love the swings and climbing frame and slide. Actually the most amazing harvest has to be the carrots, as i thought we had smothered them in weeds months ago, but they aare doing well! The butternut squash also a surprise last minute success. We have just started harvesting the grapes too – yummy!

if all this sounds rather busy, it has to be said that SB plays for the majority of the time, hearing me read to her is never turned down, she chooses the books on the whole. We play set, uno, made up princesses/queens/roman slaves etc etc regularly [I wonder what the people in the pub think!!]

BB is adorable. Mostly speaks in full sentences, with one comprehendable word embedded in it. She dances, sings, draws [on absolutely everything - the menace] and likes to copy SB in everything she does. BB and SB usually play reasonably well together, with dollies, lego, happy street and outside. BB not good at recognising when SB not in a sharing mood – and both give no quarter! Weaning is not progressing, though BB usually play feeds now, which is a nuisance, and I presume territory marking! So I am trying to develop other 1:1 times with reading, doing jigsaws etc, and sharing SB’s activities [not altogether impressing SB] so that it becomes less necessary to play bf acrobatics.

So, I guess in summary I am enjoying my children more again. I can’t altogether switch off work and the worries, but I am doing better at not letting it get between me and my family. Hopefully this will in turn reassure them, so SB less waily, and BB less feedy in time.

oh, and I rather liked those Gressenhall piccies K. hmm, I wonder about going tomorrow???

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Posted in art and crafts, Books, Cooking, Dance/drama, General, geography, history, literacy, music, numeracy, Out and About, science, writing

What we been up to then?

Posted on September 23, 2006 by | 2 comments

Oh dear, our electronic life seems to have gone AWOL lately, not much blooging or Flickr-ing – what’s the world coming to?

So, what’s been happening?

Yesterday we went to Mountfichet Castle with a few other HE families from a local group.

It is the site of a Norman Castle, though little was left above ground other than humps and bumps. A replica of an early Norman wooden motte and bailey castle has been built on the site. It was interesting – certainly looked like I would imagine it to be. but the weather put a dampener on things as it rained rather too heavily for rather too long for what is basically and outside atraction. So didn’t entirley get our moneys worth really (it was fairly expensive) as would have spent a fair bit longer there I imagine, but once we had got out of the rain we didn’t feel like going back into it.

But we did find it enjoyable and interesting, Seeing as we visit a fair few ruins it was good for Stringbean to see the variety of things that would have gone on in the castle.

When we got home just dried out, flopped and had chips for tea :-)

What else?

Thursday we were supposed to go to the next African Drama sessions, unfortunately it was cancleed at the last minute so we didn’t hear about it. So we went to the park instead with M , SB’s favourite pal from the group. Is this the ;atest in playground rides?

.

Monday was pottering about in the morning, We went Blackberrying in the afternooon and made rather lovley apple and blackberry crumble for dinner

Sunday me and the girsl went to a ‘Life in Roman Britian Day’ at a local country park. SB always enjoys this sort of thing and listens quiet intently to the talks.

We popped into see Helen at work, I thought we were bringing her lunch, but she didn’t and had had lunch, so didn’t communicate well there…..

They got a nice big slide on a heap of earth there now, and a arial ropeway thing so SB had fun on those. It was a beautifully warm day, still felt like summer.

In between times, there has been a fair bit of Explode the Coding going on – started book 4 now. and maths, moslty MPH 1B. We’d got a bit lost with what we were doing, so have been trying to work through this in a sensible order. Some reading, lost of drawing and colouring, and some writing.

The other day SB sat down with a sheaf of pages I’d printed off from Enchante dLearning a while back – a booklet about some dinosaurs. She coloured them all in – she is taken witht he idea that we had no idea what colour thet really were, so they are all a bit like Elmer the Dinosaur. Very jolly. She sat and carefully copied down the little bits of writing about each one – spent ages doing it.

She laos did a picture the other day with shadows on it. she gave each person a shadow, trees etc. Carefully all facing the same way, etc. I think this in the first tiem she has done this.

Oh that will do, moslty it’s just l;ife I guess :-)

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, history, literacy, numeracy, Out and About, photos, socialisation, Stringbean, Stringbean's HE, writing

today

Posted on August 28, 2006 by | 3 comments

well, Denny Abbey was lovely, but the mediaeval re-enactment sucked!! These things seem to do so periodically, so not desperately disappointed, but as the blurb was

Medieval Life at Denny.Come and meet the lively Medieval Pilgrims as they camp at Denny Abbey with lots of have a go activities from making rushlights to coin stamping as well as archery demonstrations. 12-5pm

I did think there may be some of the above there! well, there was coin stamping I guess. but not much pilgrim-ishness. however, the herbalist lass was good, and SB enjoyed making a headache poultice and looking at the surgical instruments. She also chatted with the cord maker and the the coin stamper – and liked looking at the coins. SHe would have had a go with a quill, but the chap was only giving to the crowd of older children, so we went off. Did like looking round the abbey again, and making arches etc. The farmland museaum bit had a basket maker – and SB told her all about the MP basket making! and she got to weave a fish – very easy, suitable for wee ones at MP camp that struggle with baskets! Also do the usual crafts there whilst we discussed rural life. SO it was a geat afternoon out, but seriously slack in the pilgrimage dept!

I am back-flickring at the mo – uploading is SO slow!

oh, and I REALLY rate the city through time book

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Posted in General, Out and About

Bank Hols

Posted on August 27, 2006 by | 3 comments

TBH, I’m finding it hard to blog atm. Sure it will come back, but its the most expendable activity of my day, so I’m not doing it – or reading blogs much for that matter. i have had my nose stuck in as many alternate realities as possible – a good thin I have a wide number to chose from on the bookshelves! No, I don’t know yet. Though now very belated, I might find out Thursday – so rumour has it. luckilly, there has been a change in redundancy payouts so that they are not age discrimintory, and it looks like I would get 13 months now not 13 weeks as my notice period would be beyond 31st Oct – so there’s something to be greatful for. A soon as I can be bothered to fill out forms etc, I am going to plunge into the hitherto completely unwanted world of private practice. No idea how much of a living I can make from it, but feel I need to start at least, so that if the day comes, I might have some income. One of my colleagues made ?2000 after tax last year – hardly encouraging! Also, where would be the time? finding it hard to keep up with everything at the mo. The bank balance however is not encouraging me to be slack!
Had a lovely party with parents last week, but too many people commiserated, so felt quite moody and fed up by the end. Day went really well for them, which was the most important thing. All my work days finish really late now, so don’t always get back in time for bedtime. Good wednesdays and weekends though. and when at home I try to be REALLY noticeable – cue much roaring and chasing.

Yesterday was crafts and books, and then a much overdue visit in the afternoon to flag fen. We all enjoyed it – BB shouting and running around, and SB spying the things to find and pretending to be ancient. I don’t know how much handling of the stuff in the roundhouses you are supposed to do, but we did a lot, but it was all put back. BB was most disappointed in the fake apple… SB and I had re-read the usbourne first people, and the DK story of a street recently, so she was fairly clued up anyway, but its nice getting a real visual.
we did buy a dinosaur egg thing [her money] and DK story of a city [mine] while out, so read some of the book when we got home, and otherwise played.

today was an in day, an easy HE day as well, as things seemed to flow – we started on her dinosaur egg – the tools with it are hopeless! form that moved on to some enchanted learning colour by numbers dinosaurs – but the numbers are sums to work out. We a read a bit more of story of a city – whch is quite different from the street as not UK, and then got out a crystal kit that we have had for a while – SB had a mad crystal phase and then cooled off a bit. we’ve read a number of other history through the ages type books as well – the ‘really intersting bits’. london and some more ancients people. SOme explode the code – SB is finally grasping that perhaps she can read as we near the end of book 3.

Sounds a lot, but threaded through the day were costume changes, being ballerinas/ fairies/ princesses and servants. Apparently she enjoyed being my servant best of all! SB was in her belle dress for a bit. BB refused point blank to be dressed as a pirate [which she normally seems to like, being able to say pirate] but was keen to be a fairy – thus it starts! We played outside and in, reading storybooks and making up stories. Quite a bit of chase…

We baked chocolate brownies – nice and quick! SB was rather proud to harvest some carrots from the veg bed. they are, well, diminutive! But certainly carrot, and more than bitesize – well, 2 out of the 3 plucked were! more yummy were figs.

bB has done a fair bit of peg boards. jigsaw and joint book reading today as well. She is always up for chase, dancing and singing with SB, and when SB doing a def not for BB activity, a good bit of playdough keeps her endlessly amused.

Tomorrow maybe to Denny Abbey.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, Cooking, General, history, literacy, music, numeracy, Out and About, science, Stringbean's HE, writing

Roar! – Meat !

Posted on August 25, 2006 by | Leave a comment

No we haven’t all suddenly turned into rabid carnivores. Been doing some Dinosaury stuff this afternoon and it finished off before bedtime with a lot of chasing around upstairs with everyone being Dinosaurs.? SB and BB were baby T-Rex, we had to go and get meat for them to eat :-). BB loves being chased so that was very noisy.

Morning was domestic stuff – washing and stuff. then once we were eventually organised off to do some shopping. Sb had been inspired by something on Smart – or whatever the older version of Smarteenies (SB was quite excited to see Kirsten O’Brien from the Little Toe Show on there) is called which reminded us we needed to buy some more tissue paper, so we went to the stationery/art shop. Got said tissue paper – though they had? miriad colours so getting SB to choose which ones, rather than just one of each was time consuming, until the lady showed us the mixed pack.? Bought a couple of packs of Berol felt tips. We have the nremains of various cheap and free felt tip packs around the house in various places, but of course half don’t work, have lost lids, can’t find the colour you want etc. , weedy colour when it does work, and generally just a waste of time.And BB is? total pain with felt tips at the moment. So have been meaning to get some decent ones for a while. I know from school use that Berol last ages, even with lids left off, and have decent colour etc. So found some at a reduced price, so got some. SB is charged with keeping them in their packs and away from BB.

Must now try to colect all the pens/pencils/crayons etc. together and to try and rationalise them a bit and remove anything not BB proof from the general pool.

Continued via the fair trade shop in a local church – where BB entertained the woman behind the counter by singing various songs to herself – such as Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush and Row, Row Row Your Boat – words not exactly intelliligible, but the tune is clear. BB seems amazingly good and picking up such tunes, I don’t remember SB being like that, -? their cafe for a snack stop – where I explained what Fair Trade was all about? and then went to see upstairs where there was an Art Exhibition by a local Art Group. Didn’t get to look at much as SB went to touch one of them, and the man who asked here not to (quite mildly) scared her apparently, so we left. She likes the stained glass windows though.

Next via the market stalls for some fruit and veg, where BB (again…) entertained the woman behind the stall by spotting the Strawberries and shouting ‘Strawb, Strawb, Strawb!’ (or somesuch) at the top of her voice :-), finished off with picking up some things in the supermarket.

Once home it was a lateish lunch with Little Toe Radio Show on listen again. Some Maths – Singapore Maths Weekly Revision book some bits about completeing number sequences. Then we looked a bit at some books/web pages about Dinosaurs as SB has been into them recently from watching the Walking With Dinosaurs series on DVD. Printed off a? few things from Enchanted Learning, while SB went off to draw a picture of a wobbly house made of Jelly with her new felt tips…… Then it was time for a bit of Explode the Code followed by colouring in a Dinosaur maths puzzle – T-Rex, her favourite, of course, which Helen joined in with as she got home about now.

BB’s milestone of the day was to ask for something on the TV. Doing her shouting, push/pull you thing she got me into the living room, pointed at the TV, pointed at the ‘on’ button, pointed at the DVD box :-). So I settled her down with the Clangers DVD. I went toff to get one with dinner, but she evidently wanted me in there becuase she kept coming after me shouting ‘Back, Back’. so in the end, I put it on the laptop in the kitchen. Which was ok until she started hitting keys and buttons…….

Which is where we came in really.

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Posted in art and crafts, Butterbean, IT, literacy, numeracy, Out and About, science, Stringbean, writing

very long catch up

Posted on August 14, 2006 by | 5 comments

about me – well still waiting, have offered up 10% paycut [yes another one!] and awaiting outcome.

SB this week has had a lot of fun playing with cousin Oren, including a fun visit to Hunstanton with grandparents and funfair adventure. Oren was here today as going back to France tomorrow.

We have been less match and sorty – though some going on! But I have read loads of books on history, geography, science, lots of chats and discussions and geomagging and brainbox electronics. We have also baked!

BB getting alot more words. She is very clear over some directions – like get up and move it!! She can shout ‘thumb out’ at SB [which causes a riot!] and lots of other small words appear to be peppered in her still largely incomprehensible [but long!] sentences. She is gettng good at shape sorting, and having a bash at pegboards – but not so good at rotation! She is a know-no-fear climber – loves steps of any kind! A passion second only to that for ‘bicbic, coctut, cake, fapjak’

SO to the weekend – a really fab time at SOTP. they have a great camping field, lovely atmosphere and a good guest list, so that we were too busy wathicng children having fun and nattering rather than taking pictures!!! one of the good things about having met each other a number of times before, is that I no longer am concerned about either of my childs little foibles [wailing/eating everythng in sight] and their responses to other children’s foibles, so it is far more relaxing, and this seeing them used to each othr and adapting, and occaissional nudging into better behaviour [after all, lord of the flies is better as a book than in real life!], should help SB avoid the social pariah trap that I didn’t if things didn’t go my way, or I didn’t ‘get’ the game.

Mmmm to food – pancakes was inspired! Was that a standard pancake mixture or a slightly thicker one? We have gazillions of guests this weekend, so thought i might copy!

ANyway, many thanks to the hosts, hope chaos has been magically transformed back to the oasis of tranquility! lovely seeing everyone. oh, I want one of these for xmas!

IMG 7458 IMG 7479 The usual suspects! playing against Mummy!

oh, and after lots of meddling, I still can’t get flickrbadge to work properly! link to my set.

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Posted in Butterbean, Cooking, General, geography, history, literacy, numeracy, Out and About, science, socialisation, writing

Romp through the week.

Posted on July 23, 2006 by | 1 comment

Well, I am at work, and there is a hiatus until I am actually required.

So, CHEF sprts day on Tuesday was good. The children really enjoyed it, and we met Amanda in the flesh, who has already blogged the sports day, and also Katy and children [do you like links or not Katy/Bob?]. I was feeling rough as had been on call, got migraine and obviously not at my best mood-wise anyway. however, the children had such a blast, the sports day was really good? with egg and spoon, sack race, and lots of team races. SB was convinced she had won every race [OK, she said winned!]. BB carried on on escapologist front, and raided everyone’s fruit. We cooled off afterwards in the pools. SB ran around with her friends, and BB took the oportunity to float and investigate getting about in the water. I chatted with Katy in the shade with our toes in the water – bliss. Probably the best place to be on such a warm day. More photos on the flickr set

actually realised?I had saved this not posted, and noticed chris has done it too!Still at work, so will continue! Actually have done a lot of playing with SB and BB in the evenings, and read lots of books. I love BB’s surprised face!

BB is saying lots of words now, and trying really hard to copy lots of words. particular skill at words like biscuit and flapjack are noted! She loves manipulating lego – and also the wacky wigglers – getting things to fit together and pull apart, and can work out how to make it join. Lots of dancing and singing too. Dheloves playing with SB, and always tries to get a lookin. still adamantly breastfed!

SB and I have also read lots of books – about egyptians, space, why is series, greek myths and legends?and general reading books. Our caterpillar life cycle experiment is doing well, with the cabbage white caterpillars hatching out – hopefully chris today has found a better container, and less pongy brassica leaves! We made a mean gears wacky wiggler, with SB designing it, and me helping when required [and BB deconstructing too!], chatted in the thunderstorm outside [sorry Merry] about thunder and lightening, how it works, where not to be when it strikes, electrical conductance etc etc. We have also done a lot of dressing up play – pricesses, pirates and doctors and generally had fun. She has also been very proud of the match and sort she has done this week and the jump ahead year 1. When we chat, she does have a good memory of many snippets of info – all I could ask for really.

Sadly I have beena t work since 5am, but hoping to go home soon! [though still on call]

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Posted in Butterbean, General, geography, history, literacy, numeracy, Out and About, SB-PE, science, socialisation, writing

Sports Day

Posted on July 23, 2006 by | 9 comments

On Wednesday we had a sports day with a local Home Ed group. nothing to dramatic, so little team races -run back and forth, doing stuff like squats and sit ups, sacks race, egg and spoon, tug of war, daft dressing up race etc. didn’t have to run too far, so although it was very hot (supposed to be around 35- 36 a bit later) we had lots of shade from big trees and there was a nice little breeze to cool us down a bit. Races were followed by a picnic. it was great fun anjoyed by kids and grownups a like. I recommend it to any local groups. afterwards we cooled off by the paddling pools.

Really, Flickr tells the story better than words.

Worst part of the day was driving 40 mins home in the hot humid late afternoon in car in which the aircon isn’t working -esp. if you are a Mum with persistent migraine :-( Much flaking out once we got home


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Posted in Butterbean, Out and About, photos, SB-PE, socialisation, Stringbean

local fete

Posted on July 2, 2006 by | 4 comments

with a colleague and wife, who kindly catered also! and met there by another colleague and her family.

lovely sunny day out – we tried not to talk tooo much shop [but in the circs, it is quite difficult]

there was a plastic duck race down the river [we didn't win] SB played on climbing frames, painted a mug [with the eengerland flag!!! to remind her of the world cup], and also filled a pendant with coloured sand in layers – very pretty.

lots of icecream eaten as a scorcher. evening feels very close, and think it will prob thunder.

the bees appear to have swarmed again, and a couple of hundred are resting on our parasol. presumably they will move off again, as not an ideal bee home.

thanks to a great friend for a helpful letter.

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Posted in art and crafts, General, Out and About