Illyria

Today is my last day at school for two weeks! Hooray! I hope that all of you have a lovely time where ever you are. I got a card yesterday saying, ‘To the best teacher in the world’ which almost makes it all worthwhile!

It looks like Ben and I will be having an informal drop-in type party on Hogmany if you’re not busy, and probably again during New Year’s afternoon. Bring boardgames, and don’t dress up if you don’t want to. Alcohol and snacks provided. The LEGO MACBETH should be available for critique in its initial stages.

Well, to be accurate, I missed the first half hour or so, but I liked it. I thought the casting was very good apart from the American wolf, and that Cair Paravel should have looked a little less like Minas Tirith. I think the people that have been disappointed are not in touch with their inner child, because that is how you have to see it. Nice scenery, courtesy of God more than CGI I believe.

And now Bleak House has finished, and I am pleased to see it has managed to achieve what it set out to do and make what was a rather hard book to follow at times into a series of well balanced episodes. Also lacking in sentimentality, and not your over-simplified romance plot either. Nice to see lots of characters of integrity as well as various shades of wicked.

I’m now looking forward to Under the Greenwood Tree, and wishing I had taped A Midsummer Night’s Dream as I may have to teach it next term.

I use a lot of glue. In my line of activities, I recently got very irritated by some totally useless Bostick that appeared to actually do best at inhibiting its own use. (The glue equivalent of a lemming!) This led me to reflect on my top three glues as follows:

1. PVA. Dries clear and holds virtually anything crafty that is lightweight, including fabric, and dries clear for special effects. You can make peelable stained glass if you add paint to it.

2. Prittstick. The teacher’s favourite. Accept no imitations! They really aren’t as good. Especially good for handmade paper and making cards.

3. Super epoxy resin. I use this for glass and bead work and some jewellery or accessory work. Holds the heavier tougher stuff like wood and metal etc.

I also like glitter glue, particularly in silver for a frosty effect.

My worst glue is the one that smells like sweat’n’sick. I think it might be called Copydex, but I’ve tried to blot the experience from my memory.

Speaking of lemmings, my whole SU group thought they were an animal I had made up to play a game called ‘Stop the Bus’ where you have to think of many things from the same letter of the alphabet. And that included two university educated adults!

Well, we found the rolling pin, but instead of making mince pies I am in bed.
And its only 9.20pm.

This is a favourite form of self preservation that actually works, particularly needed since I have travelled 400 miles in the last 36 hours in order to attend a friend’s baby’s christening. Cutest baby I have ever seen.

But on the long journey I suddenly wondered: what about the secret life of moths? How long do they live? Do they like snow in winter or do they die? What makes them happy? Can we get valium for our cat who has scratched 4 visitors in 4 days? How are moths born? Why do they make holes in clothes? Why do they like light?

If anybody knows the answers to these questions, I will add them to my grand research page for posting at a suitable date. With illustrations.

On Friday someone said I looked like Gwyneth Paltrow which was nice.

I am now descending rapidly into the foggy stream of Christmas preparation. I have bushels of marking to do and I haven’t made my mince pies (mainly because the rolling pin has disappeared since we moved) or fed the Christmas cake. I may not post for a while, or if I do I’m really in deep denial.

Ben and I will be having our New Year’s Day recovery gathering where we will feed you pizza and not make much noise. This year’s trilogy theme is going to be Indiana Jones but I won’t bother dressing up this time. If like us you won’t be with family feel free to drop in. Better wear your cat-proof clothes though.

There are lots of exciting book adaptations about at the moment. I have really been enjoying Bleak House and the modern Shakepeares, especially Much Ado and The Taming of the Shrew. I am planning to produce a Lego Macbeth - if anyone’s seen the Lego Bible, you’ll know what I mean. Very cool and funny! I like the beheading of John the Baptist.

It may have to wait until after Christmas - I don’t have a great Lady Macbeth as yet. Adequate, but not stunning. So some shopping may be in order, but not much.

We also have the upcoming Narnia film - premiered today in fact. I am very picky about how well the film interprets the book. There are some bits of LOTR that I am very unhappy with but they are in the minority. Mansfield Park was very good although Jonny Lee Miller was a bit namby pamby at times. I really disliked Lucy in the tv series of the LWW etc.

My favourite ever adaptation is Sense and Sensibilty, and Emma Thompson deserved both her Oscars in my opinion.