Well...the holidays have gone by for another year. We have a fresh start, insomuch as anyone ever does with the weight of our lives trailing out behind us. Sherlock and Mycroft are still with their mum, L has gone to work, and the dogs are looking pitifully up at me as if they haven't been walked for weeks when in fact I took them out just an hour ago. But they're booooooored, can't I see they're boooooored? And when will Mycroft be home? And why doesn't Maf want to play?
Maf doesn't want to play so much that she has installed herself on the mantle and is looking down on everyone with her tail twitching back and forth like a pendulum. Occasionally one of the dogs comes to stare sadly up at her and she fluffs up her tail and takes a half hearted swipe at his nose.
Although it's no longer the season for Christmas jumpers, I am wearing the one that my husband lovingly/mockingly purchased for me. I think it's very nice, and if he didn't want me to wear it all winter (although possibly not out of the house), he probably shouldn't have bought it for me, right?
Also, one of Sherlock's presents arrived late, yesterday before the boys left, and he said I should put up a picture of it, so here it is. An antique human tooth from a collection being sold off. He was very pleased with it.
I hope you are all equally pleased with your holidays, and a happy new year to you all!
Maf doesn't want to play so much that she has installed herself on the mantle and is looking down on everyone with her tail twitching back and forth like a pendulum. Occasionally one of the dogs comes to stare sadly up at her and she fluffs up her tail and takes a half hearted swipe at his nose.
Although it's no longer the season for Christmas jumpers, I am wearing the one that my husband lovingly/mockingly purchased for me. I think it's very nice, and if he didn't want me to wear it all winter (although possibly not out of the house), he probably shouldn't have bought it for me, right?
Also, one of Sherlock's presents arrived late, yesterday before the boys left, and he said I should put up a picture of it, so here it is. An antique human tooth from a collection being sold off. He was very pleased with it.
I hope you are all equally pleased with your holidays, and a happy new year to you all!
120 comments:
I bought that jumper specifically for you to wear out of the house - preferably when I'm not with you! I'm certain that most people won't notice what the reindeer are up to on it.
I could escape for a coffee, if you were as bored as the dogs, if you wanted? I have to go and visit a fire station, could meet you on the way?
I would love to. I'll wear the jumper :)
Excellent. Can I also give you a shopping list? I got a text from Sherlock earlier. It went along the lines of 'Mummy gave us Florentines I like Florentines we have to bake Florentines'. So...we should probably do that?
Yeah, of course. Give it to me when I see you and I'll pick it up on the way home. And let's meet somewhere with food, I've suddenly realised I'm starving.
Mm, me too. Good thinking, Doc. I'll text you.
YES florentines they are delicious but you have to put chocolate on them I looked at recipes and some don't have chocolate ours HAVE TO HAVE chocolate.
You should play with the degus if you're bored because they're interesting.
I totally agree that jumper had to be bought - and worn wherever possible. ;)
Enjoy your lunch meet-up - a lovely way to start your new year together & I hope the Florentines are delicious later too.
Happy New Year everyone. :)
I will ensure chocolate is on the shopping list, kiddo. I hope you're having fun with your mum.
ha, bravely bought and bravely worn! :D
Happy new year to my favorite bloggers.
It's great that the boys got to spend some time with their mum. What are Florentines? clearly something good if it involves chocolate.
S
Florentines are nice and they're nuts and biscuit but really thin and peel and cherries and everything and then covered in chocolate and crispy and chewy and really nice.
Home time! To my husband who I may start calling Dr Doolittle, as he spends his days talking only to animals now.
Excellent jumper.
Slightly late - I've been away - but Happy New Year to everyone. Wishing you all the best for 2015.
That is a quite interesting tooth, Sherlock--and I loooove the jumper, John!
I had to look up florentines, and they do look extremely delicious! It seems to me that they are very similar to a kind of biscuit my mother occasionally makes that she calls pralines (although they are nothing like the candy called pralines), which so far as I can tell are just like florentines but without the fruit, and which are also yummy. She always says they are not hard to make, they just take a lot of time.
Playing with the degus sounds like an excellent way to combat boredom.
It's a beautiful day. My husband is a gorgeous man. Our boys are back tonight, I think. 2015 has started well. Hope the rest of you are doing okay too.
That jumper is totally awesome I don't know who I should congratulate more, the purchaser or the lucky person who gets to wear it ;-)
I half expected to wake up in oz today but it seems my house has sounder foundations than I thought not the the wind has calmed much over night but it is very sunny :-)
I'm glad your new year is going well Greg, I hope the boys are full of stories on their return :-)
AnonyBob - I was rather pleased when I found the jumper, I admit!
It is perhaps one of the most hideous pieces of knitwear available on the planet, Lestrade. Nothing to do with the pattern or motif, I hasten to add. Just the fact that it appears to be made from knitted bailer twine, and produces enough static to stick Maftet to John.
There's nothing wrong with the judicious use of bailer twine, although I have to admit to not having tried knitting with it.
Sadly they didn't offer it in Merino wool, Mycroft. I admit it's...not the nicest texture.
Sherlock has studied the ingredients we have for Florentines, and decided they might be satisfactory, but has complained about our lack of nuts...
Sweaters of not-the-nicest texture are fine for testing the observational skills of the general public and entertainment value. It's just for cuddling that they must be removed/replaced. (photo of Maftet stuck to John by static electricity or I will suspect hyperbole.)
2015 is on an uptick here, as my patient is greatly improved from the first 18 or 20 hours which were not at all serious but miserable for everyone.
fA
That's a odd thing for your house to be short of Greg ;-)
I did almost make that observation, AnonyBob - not something I ever feel like we're short of! ;)
Mycroft and John are literally tutting at me and Sherlock cooking florentines. It's not our fault we don't have everything in the recipe! We're...improvising.
How else are great new culinary works of art created?
Although, of course, instead of tutting they could have gone out for the ingredients ;)
Ah, well, in their defence, it was probably a bit late, by the time we started... they smell okay!
They shall be eating their skepticism, no doubt. Even if not the defining example of Florentines, you & Sherlock have enough baking experience that I'm sure they're tasty.
(we have blue skies & SUNSHINE today! feels like it's been forever)
fA
fA
They're DELICIOUS except Lestrade said we should toast the almonds next time and we need cherries but they're delicious anyway and he said we would have had cherries if I hadn't eaten them all which is true but there were only three anyway and once the chocolate has set we'll take a picture for you.
I'm glad they're good Sherlock and I'm glad you've had fun making them :-)
There is a distinct weather distribution problem. You can take my sunshine, all 34degC or so of it, as long as you take the 87% humidity too....
Glad they're delicious, Sherlock. And Lestrade's adjustments sound good.
Nope, sorry Rider. This is our 'winter' (mild though it is). We have plenty of months with temps between 34 and 40 C, thank-you (though only a few weeks with your kind of humidity, thankfully.)
fA
John would probably swap. He's like a...lizard. Could happily bask in billion degree temperatures and still seem cool.
which do you reckon is harder - solving murders, or preparing Sherlock for going back to school?
Depends, does Mycroft go back some day other than tomorrow?
Does it help him to know quite a lot of teachers feel the same?
Mycroft doesn't go back for another week.
Do teachers discover they've had a growth spurt and their trousers are too short in the two weeks they've been off? Clearly we've fed him too much...
School. Definitely school.
oh, without a doubt.
That's where a less than seven year age difference comes in handy!
There's only a six year age gap between me and John - I'm not entirely over the hill yet. Well...clinging on to the summit with my fingertips, maybe ;)
(Or were you talking about the boys :) )
Dunno, how far off wearing John's trousers is Sherlock?
Oh! I see. Yeah, probably a couple of years off, sadly. Sherlock takes at least a 10/11yr old for length. John's still in the 7/8yr old range ;)
I fear you may find that Maf has been encouraged to occupy the whole of your half of the bed tonight ;)
She needs no encouragement!
Actually, I fear 'my half' of the bed tonight might've been re-classified to be 'the sofa' ;)
They're DELICIOUS except Lestrade said we should toast the almonds next time and we need cherries but they're delicious anyway
Hooray for a successful adaptation! I hope you two took notes so you can reproduce the deliciousness.
I have a memory that once upon a time, growth spurts meant getting taller instead of rounder... *sigh*
Have a good first day back at school, Sherlock. It should be fun swapping stories about your holidays and your gifts with your classmates, anyway!
Good luck with the day, all. It's the first 'real' day back for many of us workers, as well, Sherlock, so your reluctance will be joining a sizable cloud. You're a bit young to value the rhythm of going out to engage with the world and then (if we're lucky,) having a place and/or people that feel like home to return to. But it is considerable.
fA
He does enjoy school once he's there... It's just reminding him of that that's hard. I kind of wish i'd stayed in bed though!
I hope everyone's day went smoothly after that!
What's going on down on the common? The Wombles are giving Liverpool a good game, eh?
they aren't doing badly are they? lets hope they make it in the end :-)
The crowd noise confuses me - like going to the local match when you're a kid, rather than a great big stadium, that very muted noise. Really takes me back.
can anyone explain fairness to me?
I went to work for 12 hours.
Mycroft not only went to work for 8 hours, but also returned with some meringues and olives.
Sherlock went to school for 6 hours but that wasn't fair because 'some of it was maths'...
(John had to listen to this debate rage, which was undoubtedly the least fair of all.)
I had to go to school today for 4 hours while my kids played at home which means my day has been the unfairest of all and even Sherlock couldn't convince me otherwise ;-)
I hope he's asleep by now and you're getting some peace :-)
The unfairness lies in the fact that school is a known quantity, and work is not; also, only one person had to go to school.
(Sherlock, there is a reason they call it "work" and not "fun time in Paradise," alas.)
Pandabob, I think you win the unfairness wars. John comes in second, though, because he didn't get to "come home from work," it just stayed there with him all the hours he was awake. (If L. had to endure more than 4 hours of meetings or was forced into contact with the bodily fluids of the [alleged] criminal elements, I'll give him & John a tie for 2nd.)
fA
Sherlock says none of you understand because maths is 'so boring'.
Maths is ace if you know how to use it but sadly you have to learn the 'boring' stuff first!
I hope your day is really really interesting and completely not unfair Greg ;-) you too John.
Exactly, Sherlock! Even dream jobs, perfect jobs, jobs that people love and are exactly what they want to do, even those jobs have boring parts. Which is why they call them "work."
Oh Sherlock, little do you know how right RR is. I hope you find or devise the perfect job for yourself when you are an adult as the amount of 'boring' in an ordinary job might come close to driving you mad.
fA
RR is so right, I love my work too, wouldn't trade it for anything, and my studio is just across the driveway. but there are still days when I have to drag myself over there!
S
Sherlock's beef with maths is - i think - that 'everyone already knows the answers'...well, i don't, but i suppose his teacher does. Like Anony says, it's the boring bit, before you go off and do your own thing.
We waver between being terrified for hsi future and confident...
I hated maths, but I think that was because I had a lot of bad teachers who didn't take the time to explain things to me. I'm not very good with numbers, and one teacher would actually yell at me if I said I was confused. Luckily, once I hit college, I found a really good professor who could explain things amazingly, and I found the fun in long equations. Sometimes, to get to the fun stuff, you have to slog through the icky stuff. Trust me, Sherlock, being an adult doesn't change that. But you do get to reward yourself with ice cream when you get home!
Do I dare admit that we have a thin, pretty coat of snow here today? (It's really cold, though--windy and 21F, and it was in the teens last night. So the pretty layer of snow is also icy.)
Mycroft worked his last day today - now all downhill 'til he's back at school.
Sherlock has also picked up the phrase 'What's cookin' good lookin'?' and has said it to me about 6 times tonight. John only just survived the giggling attack he had after the first one.
Who says schools don't teach enough anymore?
;D
hmm, I suppose this part of maths where the teacher knows the answer already, could be a bit tedious... but maybe think of it as practicing cooking from established recipes, to get the hang of it, so you can go on into new territory? The Florentines you semi-improvised recently, were made on such a foundation. Math at this stage is building a toolbox, or a set of skills, which you can then use when you see something and wonder, how's that work? can I make that? what would it take to do...? and that can be anything from a household budget to a construction project to a moon shot.
S
Where, exactly does a kid pick up "what's cookin' good lookin,?" Surely the song I vaguely remember with that in it isn't in current youtube rotation?
Makes me smile though.
fA
Can I have one of these? Sal calls me a space cadet...
http://odditymall.com/apollo-11-astronaut-sweatshirt-and-sweatpants
<>I'd<> say yes you can. They're fun. Might lose you any sartorial high ground you have/imagine you have in your home, though, I'd think.
fA
Oh, I don't imagine I have any high ground at all, let alone sartorial! My clothes are purely functional. Just cover up the bits of me that would scare the horses ;)
Can I have one of these? Sal calls me a space cadet...
Sure! (But any photos in said sweats will likely be used to prove her point... ;))
Very powerful scenes from Paris tonight. And horrific ones from earlier. My thoughts are with everyone touched by the horror.
I am disgusted by some of our press. Those of you unfortunate enough to see the front pages tomorrow will realise why. Actually makes me feel sick that they'd use such a picture to sell their papers.
I don't know what pictures you are talking about specifically, but I can make a good guess, roughly speaking, and I surely know what you mean (and it's not just some of the UK press).
It also makes me sad that using pictures like that actually works to sell papers...
Just cover up the bits of me that would scare the horses
Really? So now we know why the Doc is so tired, it isn't Sherlock at all!
Totally agree, L. Pity they can't be done for posting inflamatory pictures. Shame they couldn't have used pictures of the crowd with "Not afraid".
Rider, I miss your contributions when you're busy elsewhere. :-)
It's disturbing, but living in the States, especially over the last year, I have become sooo fatigued with the vagaries and opportunisms and agendas of journalistic entities that I can't muster up anything more than mild depression over each new incident in the more-or-less continuous stream.
fA
Well, for once I ended the day smelling sweet because of a criminal.
Knocked on the door of a house, the bloke did a runner out the back, so I chased him, brought him down and we had a bit of a roll around and a tussle - right in his mum's lavender bushes. And to top it all off, he wasn't even the brother we wanted! But I'll chase anyone who runs - it doesn't make you look innocent, that's for sure.
It's the instinct of terriers and policemen
I'm not sure if I should comment (as it seems it is a really really really long conversation), but I will anyway. I really like this blog! Its funny (no duh). So...... yeah. Yup. This just got awkward.........
Everyone's welcome to comment! It is a really long conversation, and people can drop in and out as hey please. Don't feel awkward.
Anon - I have been told I'm a bit like a terrier...I think it's the unruly hair and the teeth ;)
Okay... not really sure what this conversations about though. I was to lazy to read the comments. Weird question, but whats it like to be British?
Ha, that's an impossible question! I suppose...we're known for being more polite, and maybe reserved, but that's not a side of people I see so much of in my job. But it's true we're obsessed by the weather. At the moment it makes me sad to see the very right-wing side of the country feeling like it's rising up - pretending to have pride in this country, but using it as a thin veil for hatred. Sorry, I'm sure that's not a very good answer.
No, that's fine! Its just that I watch a lot of British t.v. and was wondering if they were actually like how they were portrayed on t.v. Is being a Detective Inspector cool? I mean, solving mysteries and stuff must be pretty cool
Generally, no, it's not like tv. No one would watch if they did it realistically! Lots of paperwork, lots of meetings, lots of waiting for experts to get back to you about phones, computers, or forensics to get back about evidence. It can be very frustrating. But yes, when you catch someone and they're sent down for a good stretch, that is a great feeling. But it's never good enough to get you over the bad times, when you don't catch anyone, really.
Anon beat me to it, except I was going to say 'greyhound'. :-)
Your work makes a real difference to people's lives, L. We can't all say that--but we can say thank you! :)
The weather forecast here says "slight chance of snow showers--but looking out the window says there's a substantial coat of white on the ground out there, and it's still coming down! (Does the national weather service ever look out a window?)
I wish I could trade you, RR! It's been gloomy and rainy my way for the past week, and just cold enough to get into your bones, but apparently not cold enough to snow and make it worth the cold. Ugh.
It is FREEZING here, even indoors! (I mean that literally for outdoors--it hasn't reached above freezing all week, brrrrr.)
We have it much the same, Piplover, boring rain and cold, I'd love a nice bit of snow. Anyone know what happened to the excess winds we were supposed to have last night (and I don't mean the husband- caused variety)? ;)
I think its raining everywhere. And the fact that its so cold doesn't help anything! Every things turned to ice!
Well, part of the storm is here, on this side of the atlantic. We've been promised dramatic high winds tomorrow, and something like 12 C. Usually it would be about -2 C or even less. Weather is strange sometimes.
I'm in the pacific and yesterday it was over -17C. It sucks. I hope it doesn't get to bad over there.
It's fine here. Warmer than it has been, although due to get windy, apparently. Up north obviously getting in the shorts though.
Hope you're all okay anywhere with less than pleasurable conditions!
Well, it is winter! I guess it's only fair to get wintry weather. :)
Winter weather should be snow and ice and all we get is wind and rain and more rain and it's not fair.
Be glad for the rain Sherlock. It may suck, but its better than four feet of snow. I have a friend who every year used to get over four feet of snow. Be glad for the rain.
Sorry if that sounded rude.
It's only the beginning of January, Sherlock--there's still plenty of time for you to get some snow, and I hope you do. (Not ice, though--ice brings down power lines, and if snow ices up you can't play in or with it. Just snow!)
Shiawase - Sherlock doesn't believe there's such a thing as 'too much snow', because he's never needed to be anywhere or do anything when he's seen the tiny amount of snow we get - let alone loads of it.
Hahaha! Then I hope he gets all the snow he wants! Just so Sherlock knows, to make a good snowman the snow has to be damp. Not fluffy, but not hard either.
I hope we get some snow. When neither John or I are working, and can enjoy it with him ;)
We've got the wind, my marker for that, the old Severn Bridge, is partially shut and speed restricted. Not as bad as "oop north" though.
By the time I left home for the weekend I was fairly sure the top of my house won't be there when I get back on Sunday it was that windy!! The drive was full of those lovely moments where you suddenly hit a huge puddle on a dark corner and spend what feels like an hour waiting for your windscreen to clear enough to see anything out of it which was rather scary!! I'm glad I'm not any further north at the minute that's for sure!!
I want some snow Sherlock, my little ones love it and I REALLY want to build a snowman!!
We're hovering around freezing, over/under/over etc. with wind to make it feel sharper than it is, but so far only rain, no ice.
I know Sherlock's feelings - I LOVED living in Minnesota as a child during the winters. I particularly liked drifting snow above my head, and when sleet formed a half inch of ice on top of the snow - nothing more fun than jumping on it and feeling it crack into chunks! As an adult, I would absolutely loathe weather like that.
Hope you get some nice snow, enough to play in.
fA
I think one day I need to stop worrying about being old and brittle and agree that we can all go skiing/somewhere snowy. He'd love it so much. And if we put him in a ski school we wouldn't even see him for half the day...
I've been trying not to grumble at the cold here, but instead think of it as training, since I'm off to Minnesota today for a longish visit. Longest I've been away since the trip to England in '09 with my morris lads. eek! good thing I have a down coat.
I have discovered bbcradio4 on line! I'm sure I would have ages ago if I had pursued ideas mentioned in these blogs way back when, I remember there was discussion of "new episodes of cabin pressure" discussed with great excitement. well, now I've heard the finale-2-parter, which of course meant the tying -up of story lines I don't have the beginnings of. BUT woohoo, they are apparently going to re-play the whole series, maybe one a week, and have started with the first. I have listened to it on my computer! It is wonderful! now I know where you guys got all those fun word games and stuff. :)
welcome Mangagirl, join the fun!
S
Thanks! I'll make sure I will!
S. - I am terrible at following series over time, but it's good to hear Cabin Pressure's is going to be repeated. I've never heard the beginning! (or the majority of it, period.) Thanks for mentioning it.
fA
So in the past 8 days, we've had 8 murders in London, mainly young people, mainly knives. I really hope today might be our first murder-free day.
Mainly knives? That sounds pleasant... Could you describe it to me? Hahaha if you don't want to, that's fine. Murders are horrible things that make for a good novel. That sounds a bit weird...
I'm not really sure I understand the question. I certainly can't describe any individual murder - all the cases are currently pre-trial, and even if they were over it wouldn't be fair to the family to describe how their loved one died on an internet blog.
Yeah. That was a stupid question. Sorry.
no sillier than a million questions I've been asked by professional journalists over the years! :)
Hey all, hope everyone is staying warm.
I've been away for the last two week, first visiting one half of the family (about to welcome it's second great-grandchild) and then the other, where my Nana just turned 90. It was a lovely time, except for the part where my vertigo meant the flights were horrid and the cruise ship NEVER STOPPED MOVING.
So next week I'm getting a brain MRI to find out what's causing it. Here's hoping it's not cancer.
Well, I'll hope it's not cancer (unless it's the totally operable kind that will never come back and will not leave you with any lingering after effects of the surgery.) I also hope they figure out your vertigo and can fix it. "Not cancer" would be good, but "not cancer" AND "it's this and we can fix it" would be better.
I (and I'm sure many others) will be thinking of you and doing our various versions of praying/sending positive energy/wishful thinking.
fA
A friend who very recently had a scare calls it Schroedinger's cancer--I hope when your box is opened, Becca, it's not-cancer.
I think one day I need to stop worrying about being old and brittle and agree that we can all go skiing/somewhere snowy.
Says the man who rides a motorcycle in London traffic! (There's always cross country skiing... :))
John - I'm rather late to the party, I know, but that jumper is really something special. I hope you wore it with pride!
Becca - Sending good thoughts your way.
Lestrade, Anonybob - good weekend for you in the footy! I'll just be in the corner weeping gently :-p
You'll have the last laugh Nameless you normally do ;-)
Nameless - I'm afraid I've already been far too gleeful about the footy on my blog. Doubtless setting us up for a horrible defeat soon!
Post a Comment