Sorry about the long silence

Things have been remarkably busy in my world and the last two weeks seem just to have vanished.  It was busy last week with lots and lots of teaching sessions.  Julia and I had the first year Geography and Environment students in the first half of the week and the final year Construction and Surveying students in the latter part of the week.  The week, which had loomed in a threatening manner over the whole of the previous weekend, in the end passed off relatively painlessly.

The previous weekend had been busy too. I had volunteered to work three weekend shifts at the University's open days.  Each open day, irritatingly, falls on a weekend when we were already doing something on the alternate day!  On this occasion, we had Roger and Kate, Bea and Steve and Richard coming for lunch on the Sunday.  So we did all the shopping for our Sunday feast after work on Friday. I went to the open day on Saturday (and I must say I had a really good time).  I even had time for a glass of wine in the pub after work with some of my colleagues.  Then I went home and did some gentle preparation for Sunday's feast.

And a feast it was.  Richard told me quite sternly that self-praise is no praise.  But I must say that I really was very pleased with my steamed pork and ginger wontons and the steamed prawn and squid wontons.  (I have treated myself to a new bamboo steamer and it's LOVELY).  I was really, really pleased with my fried vegetable spring rolls. I wasn't unhappy with my crumbed pork and Japanese curry sauce, nor my fried noodles, but I do those quite often so was relatively confident.  We had Chinese style chicken with a plum and soya sauce and various vegetables for our main course and rather boringly fruit and cream for dessert. There was, of course, a lot of wine. There was soft drink for the drivers. I really enjoyed the afternoon.

And then, after the visitors had all gone away I had a lovely snooze in my armchair, while The Builder washed the dishes :-D

And now we are at the start of a new week, in which thing look much, much quieter. The weekend just gone was beautifully peaceful. Nothing at all of any interest happened :-)  And there's only five weeks to go until the start of the Grand World Tour!!!

Do you like our new mantel ornament?

Marlo. Saturday morning, early

Ketchup

It's been quite quiet lately.  Disconcertingly so at work.  It's the beginning of October so also the beginning of the academic year.  I would expect to be really quite seriously busy.  But no.  My diary for last week was remarkably quiet.  My diary for this week is likewise quiet.  I would be worrying that I had forgotten to put something in - but so far no one has rung asking why I am not where they were expecting me to be so I assume all is well!

It wasn't such a quiet weekend though.  We were at Bishops' House on Saturday morning. Not that it was frantically busy there - we had no visitors at all for the first hour and only around 8 between 11 and 1.  But it did mean that we had to be up relatively early and get moving on Saturday morning.  I have to say that it was a glorious morning for being at Bishops' House.  The sun shone and it was pleasantly warm and the air was beautifully clear.  There were some spectacular views over Sheffield.  Ross and Cally came to say hello and stayed for a cup of coffee. Then they went off to play on the swings, the afternoon volunteers arrived to take over, and The Builder and I moseyed on home.

Sunday I really did have to get up and get moving.  I was booked to speak to Stella and Tony at half past seven then at quarter past eight I left to come into work for the Unviersity Open Day.  A little band of us had volunteered to come in and show visitors around the Adsetts Centre.  I must admit that what had seemed a good idea when I had volunteered seemed much less so when I left home in the early morning sunshine yesterday.  But the GWT is only 8 weeks away and if the University is minded to pay me at double time for working six hours on a Sunday, then work for six hours on a Sunday I will!  There are two more Open Days coming up.  One on Saturday in a fortnight, and one on Sunday in four weeks.  I shall be working them as well! Actually, I quite enjoyed it.  Sheffield was shining in the sunshine, the visitors were all happy and cheerful and it was nice to show people around our building.  I wiswh I had had a pedometer though. I'm sure I walked several days worth of steps in the course of my six hours!

Otherwise there isn't much to report.  Life is trundling quietly along.  Which is good, of course.  Even if a bit disconcerting in October.



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