That was the week that was: mid Feb 2014

I used to write more on Facebook. More of the daily diary; the little moments.

These days, I’m writing here – which means I don’t always keep track of what is happening each week.

Last week, I wrote a post which included some of that ‘what’s current’ information. So for my own sake, and my future reading self, I might just note down a few more things from time to time.

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We finished reading Atticus Claw Breaks the Law this week. Who could resist a hero with the name Atticus Cattypus Grammaticus Claw – and one who doesn’t mind a good tickle in the ribs?

Needing a new book, we’ve turned to Mr Gum and the Biscuit Billionaire. We’re only a chapter in, and there is a talking gingerbread man who throws money around, and has just bought himself a mansion.

Given that I’m quite happy to read about talking food, this one should be fun. (Plus there’s the February break due soon – cue lots more reading time.)

Dan is working his way through The Tower of Geburah as the other chapter book read, as a breather between Narnia books. As this one is in a similar vein, it is also being well-received. (‘Read more! read more!’.)

There is much drawing going on – thanks to a Draw Your Own Monster book. So we’ve had battling seamonsters, and a very scary one with a rotary whisk attachment.

A recent kids’ TV programme gave rise to enquiries about my own days of working at a hotel. So I’ve now started writing down some stories of my own childhood/teenage years.

I know some stories of my parents’ past, but not so many, and as these things are often told verbally, I sometimes get details muddled up. It may not be riveting reading for others, but I am enjoying capturing the details.

Dan and I are enjoying a certain amount of Winter Olympics highlights after Junior Reader’s bedtime, some of which can pretty much give you whiplash just watching. (Short track speed skating, for one.)

I have finished a re-read of Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow, a book I’ve probably read a good four or five times now, and one I shall probably return to again.

(There may be a Lit Grit genre of posts emerging – seem to be reading (and re-reading) a lot of crime novels at the moment.)

Dan has now chosen and acquired his birthday chair. How do you celebrate turning 40?
With a chair, of course.

He has a more modernist number; I’m choosing to have a well-loved armchair recovered. (Once I’ve finished clearing out the attic, that is.) Grateful thanks to family for supporting our respective chair projects.

We have now been in our home for long enough to have the washing machine start to give warning signs (having been bought when we moved in). Aiming to do something about it before disaster really does strike.

In a similar vein, there will soon be rolling up of sleeves and rollering of walls, on the one room that hasn’t seen any new paint since just after we got the place.

This week includes learning about haiku poetry at school; avoiding heavy rain and sleet (but doing far better than many who are so waterlogged this week). Subtraction with borrowing from the tens column.

I learn the difference between tornados and twisters, thanks to Junior Reader’s class project on extreme weather. Tornados start from the ground; twisters start from above and go down. (Now you know.)

I try my friend’s recommendation of using up leftover pizza from a pizzeria: freeze it, then bake it again when you are ready to eat.

Junior Reader was very happy to oblige in sampling it.

All of it.

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