Today I've mostly bin...

[clvrlad]

although the poor little mite was at first clearly puzzled

well scurra does that to people

[Bunnylump]

Aw, nice pic, Scurra. And well done for not dropping him. (Although, thankfully, most babies bounce really well, good job when they have a mother like me). And oh, yes, he will get to LOVE that beard. Still, if he pulls it out it'd save on shaving.

I've been making cakes. Lots of them. (Raspberry and white chocolate, carrot, pistachio and cardomom, date and walnut, lemon drizzle with marscapone and home made lemon curd filling, and chocolate muffins). And there is hardly anything left, so I assume they were enjoyed by our guests!!

(No saxophone, sadly.)

And MBH - So THAT'S what did it? I did wonder what that was all about. It's happened TWICE. Suddenly I realise why my Mother told me to be a good girl. I'd better make sure that never happens again.

[giraffe]

The cakes sound great!

Kingsley finished off her saxophone cake, but on Friday she got her birthday present. She's spent all weekend playing it!

[pebbles]

Lovely picture Scurra!

[pebbles]

Where do you find the time to make all those cakes Bunny? They sound yummy!

[Bunnylump]

Well, all I can say is that they took a damned sight longer to make than they took everyone to eat!!

[pebbles]

I know what you mean!

[tricia]

remember to keep hold of him Scurra - and don't get side tracked by nes puzzles. Nice photopgraph.


today I've been to Nordwjk to see Disney sand sculptures - I'll post some pictures when I get back.
also went for a walk in the sand dunes which filter amsterdams water. I THINK WE FOUND THE ONLY HILLY AREA IN HOLLAND -and I was wearing open toed sandals - I now have cuts on my feet and have had to cut holes in my trainers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So far it has been a fantastic weekend - haVE LOGGED ON BUT NOT BEEN ABLE TO TRY ANY PUZZLES- SUFFERING SLEEP DEPRavation. Please excuse the typing - but I am using a
dutch keyboard and it is getting confusing.

Tomorow we are watching the opening of the Dutch parliament and I will be resting my poor feet. KEEP PUZZLING AND I will be searching for some help this weekend. I have some ideas - but thaT MAY BE As a result of the wine I have been drinking - the party has continued since
saturday - greaT FUN.

tRICIA

[MBH]

Don't worry "tRICIA", I think we all tend to use Double-Dutch keyboards from time to time

Sounds like you're having a great time apart from your poor feet. Look after them and enjoy the rest of your trip.

[Bunnylump]

Ouch, don't like the sound of those feet Tricia. But I do like the sound of the trip. Looking forward to the pictures.

[Laura]

Today I've mostly bin...
helping my grandad pick pears. They have three old pear trees in their garden; one is just a trunk with roses climbing up it now, the second has fruit, but they're always infested, and the third provides more fruit than the whole family and the entire congregation at church can eat. 4 buckets, a trug and a couple of carrier bags. I ache!!! My grandad has all sorts of implements for getting them down, including a step ladder with a box balanced on top (he's 84 ). Anyhow, all harvested for this year, only minor injuries incurred (quite a lot landed on my head, and one got me right on the nose!!!) - a good day's work!

[Bunnylump]

...getting bored with damned admin. I haven't managed to get into any classes yet!!!!!!! I had a teacher coming to me today and saying "Where have you been? I NEED you. Sod the timetables and Extra English classes and testing all the year 7s reading. Just come back. I'll do anything. I'll make all the year 8s salute you as you walk in and only allow them to address you as "Wonderful Mrs. E*" if that would help. Or how MUCH chocolate do you need?"

*And he actually would, too!

I know this sounds like I am showing off again (and that isn't what I intended). It just really mad me think that he obviously does really consider I'm worth having around. And that cheered me up loads.

[Biscuit]

You are obviously missed when you are not there - brilliant. I think teaching children is soo important and am taking on board all the tips you give me.

Today I have been mostly sorting out my daughter's uni. I feel sorry for anyone entering our house as my "Loughborough to be daughter" grabs them and makes them watch the "loughborough freshers dvd" she got in the post. I hope uni lives up to her expectations. She is actually counting down on facebook.

Don't you just hate grandparents that say why are your children studying psychology - why not law, business studies or medicine. What future will they have? I try to tell them that loughborough and exeter are good universities and that psychology has a lot of applications.... my niece is doing business studies at sheffield hallam and they think the sun shines out of her for this. - ignoring the fact that she failed her exams, got it through clearing and can't get a placement.

I must stop ranting, I must stop ranting...

Really proud of my children even if grandparents do not understand and I think give it five years and they will have to eat their words. but at present is pretty demotivating for them.

I even tried to sort out a placement at my neighbours firm for my niece but she had left it so late they had all gone.

Biscuit

[Laura]

I wouldn't worry biscuit. My cousin did a geography degree, and is now an accountant. Her employers weren't bothered what her degree was in, just that she could get through it and pass. She'd showed that she could learn quickly and express herself properly, and that was enough, even though it was totally unconnected to what they wanted her to do.

[maisie ladybird]

Oh, what a coincidence, I've been in Loughborough this morning booking theatre tickets. I live a few miles away. It's a lovely market town and the university has a good reputation. I hope she'll be very happy here!
Maisie

[Biscuit]

thats great to hear. I think she will enjoy the experience of uni and she is a quick learner. I haven't actually been to loughborough yet as she decided that was what she wanted and once she makes up her mind there is no point arguing.

She is now worried about the money but I have told her she will be fine if she budgets.

Biscuit

[Bunnylump]

Both my next door neighbours went to Loughborough (they are both teachers, one's PE and one's English). They said it was a fabulous uni and they loved every minute of it. I wish your daughter well, Biscuit. And don't worry about grandparents, they are probably just stuck in the past, when you tended to train for a specific job. My neice did a music degree at Southampton, and now she's training to be a Paralegal person!! This involves lots of extra study and exams, but this time on the job. They just wanted someone who had an aptitude to learn and the right work ethic.

And if anyone should be worrying, I've had one studying music and another doing conservation biology and ecology. What can you do with that?? My son keeps telling people when they ask what he's doing:
"I'll mostly be studying...whelks". So. A nice degree in whelk studies should set him up for a bright future, don't you think? Tell the grandparents that and they'll think her choice is marvellous!!

[MBH]

I must stop ranting, I must stop ranting...

I'm finding I need to say this more and more often these days - I think I'm finally getting older

Just a casual question (related to one of my rants) is there anyone these days NOT going to University?

I was so horrified by the stories I heard about Uni life that I went out of my way to make sure it was impossible to go - setting myself up to only take 2 'A' levels (and in truth, they were beyond me). The main reason for me staying on from 16-18 was that at 16 I didn't know what I wanted to do - and the extra 2 years would give me time to look.

As it turns out, in that time the school had their first ever computer classes, and I found my talent. But the impression was always that I needed to get out into the workplace and bring some money in for the household.

In talking to people at work, I find I'm more regularly mentioning that "In my day..." (Oh Lord!!!!) University was only for the TOP 10% of brains, and I didn't have one. Things seem so different now

[I know that I struggled with Pure and Applied Maths at 'A' level, but I did scrape a pass - as such I'm pretty sure that 50% of the population cannot be the cleverest 10%]

Back at the software house I found out that one guy with less experience than me was being paid more because he was "Dr ........". For all his doctorate (in Marine Biology ) he had just as many bugs in his programmes That always struck me as unfair.

[kathlyn]

My window cleaner is ill so today I had my windows cleaned by another window cleaner and he has a degree in psychology!!!!!! He has had several jobs all of which have been in a higher job bracket and his parents think he's mad giving it all up for window cleaning but he enjoys it and likes being his own boss.

.......made lots of damson jam today, ran out of jars, so have a nice dishful of it to dip into when I open the fridge, yummy.

[Cenwulf]

Back at the software house I found out that one guy with less experience than me was being paid more because he was "Dr ........". For all his doctorate (in Marine Biology ) he had just as many bugs in his programmes. That always struck me as unfair.

Sounds like you need to get a degree in something from somewhere to even things up.
How about one from USWaC?
Sam Ragan might let you qualify in Nodography - the study of puzzles.