Model Renewable Energy Sources

"Joseph assembled a woodcraft renewable energy project -- watermill and windmill kits, photos of which he says he'll post up here," said Judith yesterday. Not here, because they wouldn't display as I'd want them to; so they're now on my personal website -- follow this link to see the results.

Joyeux Annee Nouvelle

So, have you all survived Xmas okay? We have been reading our Xmas books -- I'm posting reviews on my LiveJournal. We've been for healthy scenic yomps: around the local parks and cemetery on Xmas Day, down along the Lea to Walthamstow Marsh on Boxing Day (because the reservoirs were closed); around Walthamstow Reservoirs the day after Boxing Day -- lots of assorted ducks, geese, swans, herons, cormorants, great and little grebes and a flash of kingfisher. Around the Tottenham Hale retail park after the Lea/Reservoirs walks. Walked to Wood Green Shopping City yesterday, and back home again after satisfactory looting expedition. I've managed swims about every other day. Joseph assembled a woodcraft renewable energy project -- watermill and windmill kits, photos of which he says he'll post up here. I'm putting a new (moss green) lining in a crimson wool overcoats that came from Mum's magic store: simpler than you'd think -- the old lining provides the template for cutting the new pieces. And of course, we are eating lavishly and watching telly. Prevailing weather is clear and v. cold: about 2C daytime maximum, with patches of frost and ice lasting all through the day in the shadows.

Christmas Greetings!

Fraternal Christmas greetings to all on the Hanna family blogsite from the Jansons Road History and Horticulture Collective. Our photograph shows the General Secretary for Vegetable Production and Allied Matters, Cde J Hanna, with the All-Union Representative for Ideology and CD-Buying, Cde J Nicholas. At this moment in the crisis of late-stage monopoly capitalism, we offer this word of comfort and cheer: Venceremos!

Not Quite a Christmas Tree

We don't buy Christmas trees, even artificial ones, but we do have a (now rather leggy) weeping fig which sits by my chair. Most years, we hang something from it; this year, it's origami humming birds and cranes, made from (respectively) silver foil and paper. Here are some photographs of the results -- including one showing just how closely the tree hangs over my head when I sit in the chair. Hours of fun -- but at least they're paper birds, so won't drop poop everywhere.

Cricket and Christmas

Hamish, Mark and I has a great day at the cricket yesterday courtesy of Kelly - who is membership services manager at the WACA. Hamish was lucky enough to be invited to be a Flag Bearer along with his friend Tom. This basically meant that Hamish and Tom got to lead the Australian and South African cricket teams onto the WACA and to hold the respective flags when they went back onto the field after lunch and tea. They both had a great time and got to see all their favourite cricketers and even got a few autographs from team members.

I'll post up some photos when I get hold of these.

Today is the last day of school for the year before the long Christmas break. All the kids are excited and tired and truly in need of a holiday. Only problem is that there seems to be an endless stream of Christmas parties planned for the next couple of days so they will probably get more tired still before getting the rest they need...

I think we are all off to Albany on Monday (or maybe Tuesday) next week and I am not sure when we will return. I spoke to Julian yesterday and I think we will probably pick Jack up on the way through to Albany from Mt Barker or Kojonup - very convenient that both places are right on the Highway reallly.

Judith and Joseph, I will try and ring you before we leave here - there is no landline in the old house so it is a bit difficult from there.

Chrsitmas Cheers to everyone

Facebook - just for the Y generation?

Plans for the Kojonup DHS reunion for our year are evidently continuing.

I have been contacted by about three ex-classmates now via facebook. This is pretty amazing really as I was (until recently) listed under Roslyn Blanchard(now Roslyn Hanna Blanchard) and I don't even remember setting up an account. I think I must have done so last year when I decided I should have a look just to see what people were talking about.

So far I have been contacted by the following:
Tania (Beattie) Harris - Tania started going out with Gary Harris when she was in year 10! She has three grown-up children and works at the school as an assistance.
Karen Marinoni. (Not sure what she is doing)
Leanne Fleay - who is selling Tupperware somewhere in Perth.
Kaylene Shepherd - who is divorced now. I remember she was a 7-Day Adventist or prehaps 4-square and wasn't allowed any music or make-up. She has two children and appeared to be divorced or separated.
Peter Hawkins -who was always very bright at school - but "never really applied himself". He is working on a gold mine in NZ.
And Tony Guest is living in Nth Freo with his mum and dad. He says that Joanne Guest lives in Melville and I saw her contact details were on Facebook too.

I also managed to dig up a couple of Uni friends and have a peek into what they were doing with themselves.

I find the whole concept of Facebook pretty amazing really - talk about instant and continual communication - some people seem to write in when they are going to the bathroom and what they had for breakfast - all the same it is a good way to get in touch or keep in touch with people all over the world with a minimum of effort.

I saw Scott and Kellie are both big Facebook fans. I have about 10 "friends" but they have more than 200 each!! But maybe they are just more popular than me.

Lean Down on The Pedal and We're Ready to Roll

My first visit to this blog for a couple of weeks -- much too busy at work, and too much to do in the evenings as well. (But then I would no doubt be expected to do work at work, not play on blogsites.) Last weekend was party-party-party (as Judith wrote); this coming weekend we make the traditional pre-Christmas visit to my parents in Lyme Regis (apart from anything else, it will be my 55th birthday); next week it's all go-go-go -- Agency-wide Christmas party on 16 December; divisional Christmas event on the afternoon of 17 December followed in the evening by a Tottenham & Wood Green Friends of the Earth seasonal meal at a local restaurant; Unit Christmas lunch at a swish hotel (better not wear a denim skirt!) on 18 December; then a day off before we collect our goose from Stoke Newington Farmers Market on Saturday 20 December. Then, perhaps, I'll have to make some time to dust and vacuum the house in preparation for our typical Christmas past-times of making a big jigsaw on the floor, playing Scrabble (actually, this will be new for this Christmas, since we haven't previously had a set), and making up some wooden kits of sailing ships as a Christmas project (i.e., like the medieval siege engines I made last Christmas, but different). And (doubtless) watching lotsanlots of television (there'll be a Dr Who Christmas Special, a new Wallace and Gromit, perhaps some decent films...).

Hmm. I seem to have failed to make any room in that for any Christmas shopping. Well, we've already got a couple of items for my parents (although Mutti will have to be given hers, an orchid from Ally Pally Garden Centre, at the weekend, because it's not something which can be wrapped up and left under a tree for a week -- I can say this, there's no danger of her reading this because my parents neither have nor use computers) but I have still to find something for Judith. Better start thinking hard v. soon, eh wot?

Count down until Christmas

It is getting easier to count the number of sleeps until Christmas.. but so much to do before the term finishes (Thursday next week for us)

Today is the kids'dance concert at school. Swimming lessons and cricket after school. Thursday- swimming squad again. Friday - Swimming party, soccer finals and Hamish's class party. Saturday - 40th at the bowling club. Sunday - Neighbourhood xmas drinks. Monday - Piano lessons, Connor's teachers leaving party, Kumon. Tuesday - Connor's class party. Wednesday - Hamish is a flag bearer at the cricket test match all day and Bella's class party. Thursday - last day of school. Friday - relax time.

I still have a mountain of Christmas shopping to do, some work to finish, an obscene amount of mess to control before holidays...

So why am I sitting writing all this instead of doing something useful? Not really sure ... so I'd better go now!!

calling Julian, Pete, Scott, Kellie, Hamish....

Now - you guys all know you can add whatever you like to the blog don't you.
All you have to do is log in and create a "new post".
I realise everyone is really busy - but it would be great to hear all your big and little news.

Winter warmer

Weather here v. chilly: snow oop north, but not here. Bookies shortening their odds on a white Xmas. I've been Werking At Home yesterday and today: laptop on knee in front of window looking out over garden and birds at the various feeding stations JN keeps topped up. Today I finished what I needed to get done about 1500, just as the grey light was turning into grey dark, so headed off for a Swim -- about 50 lengths in 40 mins, and I was definitely fastest in the pool.

Another packed weekend coming up: tonight we have local 'Winter Warmer' social with wild dancing etc -- fundraising for the Save Wards Corner campaign, with its strong Latino involvement. JN normally doesn't do dancing in public... but perhaps he'll tai chi to the music? I have a shimmery gold pleaty-satin swirly skirt to wear. Then tomorrow morning, it's manure delivery at the allotments... followed by tomorrow evening, Tottenham Civic Society Xmas dinner at a local Italian restaurant.

Next week, I have a Social Research Association conference, where I should get elected onto exec board, then off to Birmingham for our Team Meeting -- arriving in time for dinner, followed by some sort of social. We are under orders to put on fancy dress (Good or Evil): so far, I think we're all planning to be Evil -- haul out vaguely Gothic bits of Morticia Addams style black... Then on to JN's folks at Lyme Regis for the weekend. Getting from Birmingham to Lyme is not quick or easy: either a 4 or 5 hour train trip, depending on how long you wait for connecting train or bus at Exeter.

Meanwhile, our local Council is headline news again: failing to spot that Baby P was being tortured (physically abused) by his mother or her boyfriend and to stop the poor kid being killed. Really awful: and comes on the heels of a similar horrifying failure a few years back to stop 8-yo Victoria Climbie being tormented and killed by her foster-aunt and boyfriend. There have now been resignations at the top of the Council. What seems to be coming out of the news reports is that Government tightening up of paperwork procedures last time actually made things worse -- social workers having to spend time at computers, and therefore less time actually in contact with the people on their case-loads. It seems there are simply more cases needing help or protection than the existing numbers of social workers can adequately cope with (in almost every part of the country). Not enough public funding for the number of social worker posts needed -- but managers keep their paperwork in order by assigning cases to the front-line social workers, rather than reporting back up the line that front-line workers are already overloaded and therefore unable to look after existing cases. Human tragedies waiting to happen...

Oh yes, and it seems like this country no longer has a working economy to speak of...