Age Appropriate?

Went shopping yesterday with a clutch of my christmas book tokens.

Bought Cormac McCarthy's The Road (which I note is a short book, spread out thin across the pages to look like a bigger book) and the latest John Grisham - on Buy one Get one Half Price - for myself, and three large, full colour wildlife and general reference books to keep on hand for my nephew.

He is due to visit next weekend, and last year when he came by there was a bit of a problem that we had nothing for him to do in the quiet times before and after lunch. We had tried at the last minute to buy a wildlife magazine at the local supermarket but hadn't been able to find one, and the failure was glaringly awkward.

It may sound like this is a worry about nothing, but with special educational needs our nephew has an interest level way behind his chronological age of 18+, so that nothing we have in the house these days is remotely suitable for him.

Better late than never then, I have realised we need to keep a Rummage Box ready for visits, where nephew can root around for something to catch his eye. And to this end I have bought the books, a couple of 'educational' games for early readers and counters, and the beginnings of a collection of plastic animals. Very small beginnings it has to be said, due to the outlay on other items.

Next time I will hope to add some larger and more dramatic models including items from the ever-popular dinosaur family!

Chewing the Fat

There's been a bit of a public debate this week about whether heavily obese people should be able to get weight reduction surgery free of cost on the National Health Service.

Different people have different views, but one opinion that's expressed quite commonly is that there are overweight people who have tried their best with diets over the years, but diets just don't work for them so that they need the extra help offered by surgery.

And I think I may have uncovered the reason why their dieting fails:

We were shown a short piece to camera by one woman who was making a sandwich while telling us about her failure to lose weight - and we watched her ladle that butter (or low fat spread, or mayo, or whatever) onto the bread in a layer thick enough to swim in, making sure to cover every minute corner.

The notion of a thin scrape of butter and not bothering to go to the edges, had apparently not occurred to her. Or to her health advisors.

Return Confirmed

of the wonderful chocolate superfood that is the Ritter Square.

After its strange absence last year, Christmas found supplies back on the regular shelves and to my great delight several examples found their way into my Christmas stocking.

There's just nothing quite like them!

New President - New Language?

Heard an interesting new word the other day - a radio commentator was talking about President Obama's administration and towards the end of the piece he came out with the brilliant contraction: Obamastration.

But perhaps people have been saying that for the last fourteen months and I've just missed it?

Those who can't ...

...won't be allowed to teach if the next UK government has its way.

News that there is a plan afoot to restrict teaching to top graduates only, reminded me of a rather mean joke I heard some years ago.

When a university lecturer walks in and says Good morning, the students take no notice.

When a polytechnic lecturer walks in and says Good morning, the students respond by saying Good morning.

When a lecturer in a teacher training college walks in and says Good morning, the students break up into groups and discuss it.

Oh dear.

happy new year!

we seem to have survived christmas without actual murder taking place - though there were one or two pretty vivid threats.

now packing for a few days away in our favourite villa-in-the-forest. hope threatened snowfall doesn't block the route.

moderately successful so far in blocking thoughts of work - still another week to go before we need to think about getting the packed lunches together...