A Quiet Sunday

My pajamas were still on at one o clock, though I was doing things such as washing. When I finally got dressed we popped to Greenwich like we so often do. It was near packing up time in the market but there were still some traders there despite the rain. It has been monsoon like at times today. 

We wandered back to the car a different way and I spotted this hand-painted sign. I like the name, the style of lettering and the shadows under the letters. Nearly as good a name as Mermaid St in Rye.

On Saturday I found the cake slice for £2 in a charity shop. It has a sharp stainless steel blade and a silver handle. I wanted a cake slice and this is a good one! So I had to cheat and buy a cake as there was no time to make one. I had to then get out the pretty cups and plates to take a photo. Silly I know but fun.

 Later on I watched part of the film about the Morgans whilst quilting my small piece of patchwork. I have a wish to do hand sewing at the moment as I love that slow process which contrasts so much with the rush of life now I am back at school.

 Cassie enjoyed this box which was not big enough to get into, but with a bit of unfolding and squashing made a good tunnel and weird bed. I have got to take her to the vets tomorrow as she has this weird wheezy cough which she has had for a little while but which has got more frequent and worse. Of course, I scared myself by looking up information on the internet about possible causes last night so am a bit worried. She hasn't done it this evening. Wish me luck!

A Special Tomato

Special because it grew on one of our tomato plants from last term, and was picked and brought into school for me by the child who took that plant home. It sat on my windowsill for a couple of days and then I ate it. It was sweet and quite tasty. Roll on planting time this year!

Heron in a Carpark

I had to pop to the shops after work the other night to get creative area and mark making area storage boxes. As I pulled into the carpark I was amazed to see this Heron just wandering around. He had been pecking at a fast food bag and I thought he would fly off as soon as I got out of the car so I took a couple of pictures from there. I got out and watched him and he wandered around behind a bush quite casually and as I went around the other side just stood there not looking bothered by me at all. I tried to walk a bit closer and he did then fly off-to the roof of KFC! He was still there 15 minutes later when I came out of the shop. 

If you would like to see some Herons in their more normal habitat then visit Anne here, here or here.
Though having said that, this one is not far from marshland, large ponds and the river. He is just a bit confused by the temptation of chips which I can sympathize with!

Brought to you by the colour green...

We have nearly done all of our home visits now. I do get a bit tired of saying the same things over and over again, but I don't get tired of wandering around Woolwich. People are not always very nice about Woolwich, but it has many interesting areas, buildings and little quirky sights. 

 Green garages to add to my no parking collection.

 The eye of the alligator. I started him last week. He is on a wire armature which does cause some problems as you can't put the felting needle into those parts. it works well to do a sideways movement and move the needle backwards as you do, but this does not work on extremities. I solved the problem by making felt fabric feet. His eyes are attached to a piece of felt fabric which makes them easy to attach.

 I wanted to buy a very small stuffed alligator at Battlesbridge, but by the time I saw him I had spent all my money. So I decided to make my own. He still needs teeth.

 A large piece of ground behind some local flats. Apparently it is used a lot by drug users which is a shame as it would make a perfect Forest School site.

 A useful map in soft greens.

 A small piece of patchwork I am making out of some fabrics we found during the unpacking. My classroom is looking like a classroom instead of a rubbish tip now which is good! I will put some pictures up when it is finished. Everyone has worked really hard to sort everything out.

 Sun in an alley.

 The dark green wall of clocks in a new Woolwich café.

 Morrison's are misting salad! I have never seen this done anywhere. It was attracting quite a lot of attention and causing people ( including me)  to put their hands under the mist! It looked beautiful but everything was very wet so your shopping might get a bit soggy.

 Last of all, a picture of an early stage of a recent phone scrabble game. This is the only game I really play. It is much better than scrabble in real time as it is very quick and you don't have to add up your own scores. I took this picture because it was as if the scrabble game was laughing at me. An excess of U's which often are very elusive when I have a Q in my hand, and then the Z too!

Ken and other little bits and pieces.

Another instant craft project. I got really excited when I saw a Barbie head ring on Pinterest (saved on my dolls board) and rushed off to make my own. It was bizarrely satisfying to rip Ken's head off, then cut it in half with a knife. I can understand a little more the way my nieces used to treat their Barbies! I had to fiddle around with it and sew it up at the back and may never wear it apart from at home but I love it! It was only after going back to Pinterest that I realised the one I saw was from this great shop. So clever!

 Sorry Ken, but being out and about might be better than living in the drawer under the bed which you have been until recently.

This is the grand entrance to the pub I went to after work on Friday. It is called The Dial Arch and is just down the road in the Royal Arsenal part of Woolwich. It was fun to go to the pub on a Friday for a change. I came home quite early as I was driving and had only paid a few hours parking. I then went round to my friend's house just up the road and we had French cheese, wine and Mauritian rum. A lovely evening!

 Another lovely Woolwich building which is hidden away quite near to school. Seen on home visits on Friday.

 A living wall on the local community centre. A man in white shirt, straw hat and braces comes out to water it each day. I love the way it is planted in diagonal stripes.

 And look at this garden! Beautiful!

This is the main entrance to the school. I prefer this to the side view. I am not sure why it is quite so wide though!

A poodle cloud, a wicker head, sugar faces and a cat in a box.

The cloud was this afternoon, the head came in the box today and the sugar faces are an idea from Kirstie Allsop that I saw the other night and had to try immediately. You get a mug of sugar, add a teaspoon of water and mix until it is evenly distributed. It really is only a tiny amount of water and the sugar just looks a little damp. Add a tiny amount of food colouring and mix. Press into your mould and leave overnight to dry. I turned them out on a baking tray by putting the tray over the top and carefully turning. It is a bit messy. The smaller more compact shapes worked best. The noses were still not dried and I ruined a couple but the ones I left alone dried out fine.

Today

Today was a much better one than the last two which, in the interests of positivity I won't go on about. All I will say is that inset days are not what they used to be. Now the initial ones of the year are always about the behaviour policy and repeat training about child protection which is obviously important but could be done in half the time. The reason it was even more frustrating to sit there this year is because of the need to sort out the nursery! As you will see below, that need is quite great. Anyway, today has been the start of our home visits which I enjoy for themselves, and also as a mini adventure around Woolwich, finding its little hidden back streets and small wonders. 

The vast and featureless new nursery playground in the morning fog.

To the left, the building work continues.

One part of the pile of stuff we have to sort through. This is the stuff that we sent to storage two years ago.

The things that were brought over from our temporary classrooms. Just dumped! 

The Rowan tree covered in beautiful berries.

Now the start of the home visits...

We found a great and new place to park, with no restrictions and lots of interesting things to look at. This is a pile of wood chippings mysteriously under a tree, with lots of mushrooms growing out of the top. You have to look closely.

The view looking down the hill from the carpark. Yet another of Woolwich's many pieces of hidden wasteground which is great for wildlife. It is full of dumped furniture hiding in the long grass but does look good at a glance.

Some unskilled Millwall graffiti. Nice choice of paint colour though.

A cheery looking no parking sign. One of my favourites out of the ones I have photographed so far. It is supported by some sort of official police notices.

Near to here I had a lucky find of three wooden drawers from an old desk-the handles look 1930s but I don't know. Dovetail joints and a good size to make a stack of shelves.

Isn't this lily amazing? One flower but all those huge leaves.

A sunny playground with child art.

A slinky alley cat. This one reminded me of Cassie, except it is much thinner. She is getting a bit rounded and needs to go on a diet soon I think!

Back to school in the afternoon and I saw this builder scattering grass seed. Not sure if a hi-vis jacket and hard hat are strictly necessary for this kind of job!

Back home, and a crow is bothering the cats by sitting on top of the chimney and cawing. The end of a pretty good and productive day. More of the same tomorrow!