Festve Photo Frenzy - Day 22

For a grinch, I have a remarkable amount of Festive head-gear!

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 21

Kaye's Tree. Pretty!

Festive Photo - Day 20

The 3 faces of the Christmas Revue: Ellie, head of tech crew and stage-manager, being an overworked and tired elf; Westie, proving that age and staff parties do eventually take their toll - backstage, pre rock-god moment; K, dancing like there's nobody watching, and getting her Christmas on! 

AND NOW IT IS THE END OF TERM..... whoop whoop!

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 19

Contrary to popular rumour, sometimes teachers don't get the longest holidays - it doesn't seem entirely fair that every other school in the land has broken up, and we still have 2 days left.

The photo shows a tired and pale Ms Clark after some light rigging and late night rehearsals. Note the streak of white in my hair, and the tinsel behind me - old and festive all at once!

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 18

Tee hee.

Google have done a cool thing - if you search 'let it snow' it does - all over the screen, and I had a druggrd up moment of festiveness... here 'tis.

Festive Photo catch up - Day 16 & 17

Having been a bit on the tired and grotty side, it would seem that my festive spirit has vanished. Half way through Saturday a nasty rotten cold came and bit me, and now I'm feeling thoroughly sorry for myself. 

Anyway, on with the frenzy of photos....

FRIDAY

Friday Evening on Riddlesdown - Sunset before 4.30. Must be deepest midwinter then!

SATURDAY

Writing Christmas cards - obviously not me, but it is a festive thing - Thanks Dani & Steve! 

There is a chance that I will take the next pic today - but standing up is fraught with danger (room spins around my head) so we shall see.

One week to go.

Oh God.

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 15

In my determination to not be a day behind for the rest of December, I went for a stroll at break time, intending to capture everyone's office decoration. These are in pupil services....

Mair was quick to point out that the tree is animated. Watch the video. Lol.

Background giggles/despairing laughter by me. Thanks to Cheryll Rice for providing tree!

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 14

I meant to do this yesterday, fell asleep on the sofa...

This, I'm told is an Xmas Decoration in the making

Ah yes, every home should have one!

Painting backdrop for Xmas show (Hammer and Mary painting!)

The finished product!

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 13

So today was Christmas Lunch Day at School.

Andy with a cracker and a very sexy hat!

How crackers were invented - things you learn over lunch!

Janathon 2012 - What was I thinking??

So, I seem to have accidentally signed up to something ... opps!
Janathon 2012 is a kind of New Year's resolution which I will doubtless break in full view of all on the www.
Exercise everyday. Blog about it. Yay!

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 12

I didn't have time to blog yesterday - there were other priorities.

But I did take some pictures, at my Grandmother's wake, of my nephew Henry, posing by the Christmas Tree in the hotel lobby.

A little off-the -shoulder moment

'I'll be your Christmas present, Nicki.'

Bless.

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 11

We call this edition of the festive photo frenzy 'Cafe Nero Heaven'

Festive Hot Chocolate

All Gone! (omnomnom)

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 10

No comment!

Woman of mystery

The Son - with a beard!

Pious Pete praying peacefully

Jen is Jolly

What is this on my head?

Get it off!

me... oh dear!

There we go! lots of silliness!

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 9

My second card of the season - and the first handmade one!

Guess who made it???

 

Amy did!

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 8

A day late because of the lateness of the hour...

Christmas Carol Concert.... yay!

The picture is of the school Christmas tree, with its pretty decs! 

This is proof that times are hard - a plastic tree in the School Hall

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 7

I confess that this photo was taken yesterday, and will put up extra ones later to make up for it... too tired today.

This is a shot of the end of the walk home last night - and it is festive because it's of the season.

So there!

zzz zzzz WAH?

Today I am ridiculously tired.

The sort of tired that makes you dizzy, makes your knees fold up under you. Yay for caffine based products...

The reason for the tiredness is partly because I didn't finish adding photos to the parkrun event report until silly 0'clock in the morning, and partly because of  cat created insomnia - see the video below for roughly how it goes - only in  my world there are 2 of them, and they do the same when they want to be let out as well as when they want food. *sigh*

for more amazing cat cartoons, see Simon's Cat on youtube

Inspiration from So Fawned - thanks!

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 6 - The Great Escape....

Today I didn't go to school.
Instead I went on a practical standardisation meeting.
In Covent Garden.
Which finished whilst it was still light, but but too late to get back to school before the end of the day.
Wasn't that a shame!!

Not surprisingly, there were a lot of very pretty Xmas Decs around, but I was looking for something a bit special ... and then I saw something that I actually thought I was dreaming - in the pic I was reviewing there seemed to be a cat on a man's shoulder...surely not, right??? A quick zoom in and ... omg... a cat in a Santa Suit.... I went to say hello, and I was utterly smitten.

Such a Beautiful Kitteh

This is a friendly Kitteh, he likes tickles.

He's also huge - and sits on his human's shoulder like a King!

'My thinks dis is my good side'!!

For me, nothing really beats this Kitteh & his human. They were in harmony. Which is particularly poignant when his full story comes to light. Human is homeless, working for the Big Issue. Kitteh is the official Big Issue Kitteh. I don't know whether they both sleep on the streets, but please don't feel that this cat is at risk - he is in beautiful condition, and obviously gets fed first. He obviously adores his human.

If kitteh-cat has melted your heart (and he has mine) spare a thought for those people who won't be getting 'just what they want' on the streets this this Christmas. There are many ways you can help - buy the magazine from this website or have a look at what these guys do - maybe you can help... 

There were a lot of other, very beautiful, very festive, things which ended up on my sd card. (Some can be seen below) But the kitteh, the human, their bond, and his little red sweater made me cry.... and no, Kaye, Frankie will NOT be following this fashion trend...unless you want to try and put a jumper on him....

Many faces of Xmas - Covent Garden 2011

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 5 .... the catch up Queen is back in town!

Yesterday was the day of tired.... I did take the photos on the way home, came in and fell asleep on the sofa  but was too busy to put them up *ahem*

Anyway, here is Whyteleafe at its very best - the tree in the middle of the roundabout (which I suspect has been lit by subterfuge, as one of the lamps above the blue-circles-with-an arrow-in isn't working, and a lead is protruding from it...) makes me smile when I drive past - and after a long day, it's a much needed smile!!

and to make up for it being late, here's a second photo from Monday - another of the lights in Whyteleafe, with a follow-the-star kind of thing going on with the street lamp *sigh - gotta love Christmas*

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 4

Today I am slightly irritated with myself - I had intended to take some pics of the lights along the Godstone Road on my way to Rob's (for x-factor worship - I know, I know!) The thing that put paid to this was forgetting my camera ... fail!

However, as I started to transfer photos into flickr from this morning's Junior parkrun at Bushy Park, I spotted this - and decided it would do!

The Santa hat is fetchingly sported by Trevor Cummings, a grass root volunteer for the junior event. (the 'tall bald bloke' is Danny Norman of the parkrun show - who was along to name a fox... and ended up smelling of dog poo... I could say more, but wouldn't want to spoil this week's broadcast)

'til tomorrow - sleep well!

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 3

Today's picture was taken at the post parkrun coffee location - aptly named the Good Companions.

Gotta love sunshine on decorations 

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 2

Today was a long day - which started at 7 in the morning and finished at 8 in the evening. 5 lessons and 4 performance exams... not for the faint hearted.

Once it was all over, I popped into the Site Staff Office to let Paul know we were leaving, and spotted this little fellow on the desk. He made me smile!

All ready for the snow!!

Festive Photo Frenzy : Welcome to the party!

And so, the fun has begun.
4 people are playing along so far:

Dani over at A Lime Less Ordinary hasn't let the fact that she too put up a post everyday in November (sometimes more than one!) and has put up her first festive photo, I'm looking forward to the next one...

Jenny, from JJ's Corner has also said she'll play - and as she is a very new blogger indeed, I think this is very cool! Pop over and have a look!



The third member of our merry band is, of course the lovely Amy.  I say of course, because if festive spirit had was made flesh, it would probably be made into Amy! Amy writes The Happy Daisy, and is also running her own festive special - click on the beautiful button to take a peak...
Amy says she's going to put her photos into flickr, and then do a weekly post with them all in. Part of me feels that this may be cheating - but that part is much smaller than the bit which just doesn't like rules!



And the 4th person?? Oh yes... Me!
The 'rules' are very simple. 1 photo a day everyday in December, of something festive in your world! If you want to play along, grab the button below, and get snapping!!




<a href="http://dqnic.blogspot.com/search/label/Festive%20Photo%20Frenzy"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6432411935_a284b608bd_m.jpg"/></a>

Festive Photo Frenzy - Day 1

Possibly the most festive person I know came round to panic about  show off her new outfit (for a Christmas Ball on Saturday, obviously!)  Anyway, I took full advantage of her finery (doesn't she look gorgeous, btw?) to grab today's photo.....

Amy has patent leather yellow shoes!

The tiny shiny tree is a label from a pressie a couple of Christmases ago - it has spent some time stuck onto the side of a mirror - all the year round. Not bad for a Grinch!

December's Project - The Festive Photo Frenzy.

Well, hello!

As promised this morning, I've been thinking about a project for December.
I am aware that I'm rapidly developing a reputation for being a Scrooge/Grinch type character, which feels a little bit unfair... I don't hate Christmas at all, but I do hate the commercialism which surrounds it, and the fact that the hype starts so early.

As far as I'm concerned, Christmas starts in December, and personally I wouldn't put the tree up until a fortnight before the big day, largely because of pine-needle hell (takes a tree, central heating and cats to create!) That aside, I love Christmas, and all is trappings. It's just not so much fun these days, and full of memories. Phil was a total Christmas fanatic, we had a loft full of decorations, all of which stir up emotions I tend to lock tightly away. So Christmas is ....difficult.

Over the last few years, I've ignored Christmas, volunteered at a Crisis Christmas Homeless Shelter, and avoided any of the places we went in the past. None of these made it better, but they did enable me to cope. Last year I had a Christmas Tree, and I decorated it. It nearly destroyed me, did that little tree. So many memories, so much happiness... so far away.

*sigh*

As December approaches, planning Christmas and New Year parkruns has pushed Christmas firmly into the picture, and it occurs to me that perhaps I should approach things differently this year. I'm not going to ignore Christmas, nor am I going to soak myself in it until I nearly drown.  I'm going to try to make some new memories, savour some of the old memories, and to enjoy what is happening around me.

One of the things that I'm going to do in order to try and ensure this happens, is to take photos of things which are festive - anything which makes me smile and has a vaguely festive theme. And I'd like to share this project:
One photo of something festive to be put up on my blog everyday in December - a record of the mission which regaining my Christmas Spirit will be.
I'm calling this project  Festive Photo Frenzy and you're all invited to join in.
One photo a day, of something festive in your world. If you like, a couple of lines of explanation!

I've made a button, and a grab box, and everything, so if you fancy it, please have a go - pop the button on your blog, leave a comment, and I'll .... be really grateful!!



GRAB THE BUTTON HERE - copy and paste the contents of the text box.....






<a href="http://dqnic.blogspot.com/search/label/Festive%20Photo%20Frenzy"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6432411935_a284b608bd_m.jpg"/></a>

Day 30 - 3 wonderful things that happened this month

First things first - the most wonderful thing is that I actually completed the 30DHN project. OK, so some posts went up late, some were left with huge gaps in and filled in later, but they were all done. And possibly as a result, I have gone from having 3 followers to having 7. I can cross of one of the tasks from my '50' list, and I actually - for the most part - enjoyed it! It's surprising how difficult it is to find time everyday to put a few lines together, and it's very easy to leave the blog un-touched for days.  It really helped to have a focus for each day's post so a huge "Thank You!" to Desiree Fawn for her beautiful blog from which this idea originated.

And now for something which some people wouldn't give even a second glance to:

Photographer: Iain Morton

My companion for all 4 parkruns this month has been the lovely Matilda Stockwell. Possibly better known to the world at large as Lime, this little one actually seems to have perfectly content to spend 30 or so minutes at a frighteningly early hour every Saturday perched on my shoulders, or on my hip, or even tucked under my arm! I've really enjoyed looking after her, and feel kinda honoured that her Mama trusts me enough to leave her in my care - thanks Dani!

The reason that this is wonderful, other than the things I've said above, is that I don't generally like Baby children (they're fine once they can talk, and are responsible for their own toilet needs!) but this particular Babe has captivated me somewhat... and I'm looking forward to seeing her grow! 

Also, as the picture below shows, we've now reached the point where Lime is actually having fun whilst the parents punish themselves enjoy themselves on the parkrun course!

Photographer: Lucy Wernham

The Third wonderful thing that this month has held was the discovery of the mooncup. I'm not going to go into great details here - just want to say that as an alternative to tampons/sanitary towels, the mooncup is life-changingly fabulous. (and it's environmentally friendly!) if you want to know more, click here.

PMT - Jacky Fleming

And so we are at the end of November... but maybe not at the end of daily blogging... watch this space...