The shortest day/longest night, and the day the Sun enters Capricorn too. And we have snow here in Welsh Wales! Not much, and it's gone all slushy and mushy, but enough to disrupt things and to make me feel totally justified in staying at home in the warm. I think the pusscat agrees with me, though he's not sure if he's going to settle down or not yet ...

Definitely a day for quiet reflection on what's done at this year's end and what's new to come into my life ... to enjoy the warmth and the quiet.

Thank the Gods - the term ended at last yesterday! It's been a time of children becoming more and more and MORE wound up as the days, hours and minutes went by ... and the panto put on by the support and guidance team resulted, in my case, in 30 or so little, extremely excited animals that had to be caged for 3 more hours in my lab. while the rest of the year groups got to see the panto. In the afternoon I gave up on film-time and gave my class word searches to do, which chilled them out totally and instantly! Not in a bad way - but they were totally fed up of films and sitting still and quiet ... something to actually DO was what they needed. A lesson for me to remember for next end of term ... And this was on Thursday!

Yesterday was the end of school trips, so there were very few pupils in school ... so a quiet time was had by all! I enjoyed a brunch of lentil dhal and naan breads - I'd cooked the dhal the night before but bought the naans - with my friend the head of art, and there were many appreciative voices passing the staffroom and my room commenting on the 'gorgeous smell of food'. And it was nice even if I do say so myself! And warming - it was bitter cold here yesterday and it took me hours to warm up in the evening.

At lunchtime my friend and I left school to go to Frankie and Benny's for a hot cinnamon waffle (she had ice-cream, I had custard) and coffee/tea before going to see her daughter's primary school's carol service in a little chapel not far from the school. It was delightful! It really was! And then we went back to her home for tea and for me to be given a pile of dvd's to watch over the holidays as apparently I really don't just relax and enjoy films or tv series I did, however, watch Kinky Boots and Nina's Heavenly Delights last night and enjoyed both of them!

I plan to keep warm and relaxed over the two weeks of hols, to create stuff, to write stuff and to enjoy making music! Pure 'me' time as I seem to have had precious little lately, which isn't a problem except that I need that kind of time to recharge and regenerate myself.