Room by Emma Donoghue

This was my book of the year for 2010. It is the most amazing book. I totally believed in Jack. I loved him. You must read it.

Naming the moon

The first full moon after the winter solstice is the moon after yule.
Then comes the wolf moon
The lenten moon
The moon after the vernal equinox is the egg moon
Milk moon
Flower moon
The moon after summer solstice is the hay moon
Grain moon
Fruit moon
The moon after the autumn equinox is the harvest moon
Hunter's moon
The moon before yule

If a season has 4 full moons, the third is a blue moon

Cranberry fizz

Spending Twixtmas in Snowdonia. All the snow has gone, and there is a light penetrating drizzle, so we are mooching with friends and knocking back the cranberry fizz - cointreau, prosecco and cranberry juice. Too easy to drink. Like a very sophisticated alcopop. Alison, who makes this as her signature cocktail every New Year, reminds me not to forget the orange zest and the cranberries. So I won't.

Bliss.

Less than a month until Christmas - what does Tove Jansson have to teach us?

"Is it spring already?" murmured Moomin.

"Spring?" exclaimed Hemulen irritably. "It's Christmas, don't you know? - Christmas. And I haven't got anything, and nothing's arranged; and then in the middle of it all, they send me to dig you out. I've lost my yellow gloves, I expect, and everyone's running around in circles, and nothing's ready..."

And Hemulen stamped up the stairs again and climbed out of the attic skylight.

"Mamma! Wake up" called Moomin, frightened. "Something awful's happened. They call it Christmas."

"What do you mean?" said Moominmamma and put out her nose.

"I don't know really," said her son. "But nothing's arranged, and someone's lost and everyone's running around in circles. Perhaps it's the water rising again."

He shook the Snorkmaiden gently and whispered:

"Don't be frightened, but something awful's happened."

"Calm!" said Moominpappa. "Calm above all!"

Back at the blog

Have been away for such a long time. So much has happened - Halloween, our Tour of the North, casting for the school Christmas play (  I  have one alien with lines and one dancing robot in the family), BT discovering Harry Potter...

My parents are having a clear out, so every time I go over there I am presented with stuff to take away. Some of it is exciting to get. Like this:

and this

Blast those katzenjammer kids

and this as well

What would Ma do?

So great to get them - all books that I loved.

fledgeling back

She's back! She had a great time! She got muddy! She abseiled! ("I'm not doing abseiling")! Abseiling was fun - once you got your feet over the edge (though apparently a chocolate bribe was used by the brownie leader - wise woman)! She wants to do it all over again!

My fledgeling flutters

My no 1 fledgeling is trying her wings out this weekend. Well, she's gone on a brownie trip to the local PGL, but she will be away for 2 nights, which seems immense to me. We dropped her off this evening, with vast amounts of luggage, and don't get her back until Sunday.

Interestingly, even though I would have said BT was the one who made all the noise, the house is very quiet.