Now and then

This week I've had a conversation with DS's teachers and next week I'm seeing DD2's teachers. Things are looking up on the school front and I hope we won't be having any more major upsets. I am left puzzled, though by the concept of 'student-led' conferences which this year are taking the place of the traditional parent-teacher conference at the middle school. By the time conference day rolls around I hope we will already have resolved our problems, but supposing I had decided to wait until the day to air my concerns and then discovered there was no opportunity to speak with the teachers in confidence? I'm not sure what this is all about except I'm sure it makes for an easier conference for the teachers.

This week and next are both four-day weeks for the kids, which means two extra sleep-ins for me. I made good headway with the housework yesterday, but this morning I have to go to the dentist to get my new crown fitted. I fear my teeth are not in good shape. I counted them the other day and I only have 27 teeth and now four of them are crowned. I wish I could prevent any more of them from going the same way. Root canals and crowns are very expensive.

I'm making some jewellery as Christmas gifts this year. I've bought some semi-precious stone beads and started making something the other day, but I've realised that a necklace made just with those beads can be quite heavy on the neck, so I'm going to buy some smaller, lightweight beads to put with them and then try again. Hopefully if I finish my chores today, I'll have time to work on that tomorrow.

I let my Ancestry subscription expire this week in order to save some money and to prevent myself from getting too deeply involved in the family history. I do find that when I'm working on it, I become more stressed with trying to keep it organised and with all the information buzzing around in my head. I fret over who was doing what, when and with whom 150 years ago and all the problems that need solving in order to piece together the puzzle occupy my thoughts night and day. I think that what I really need to do is do it for a month at a time during the quieter times of the year, and then put it away for a while to regroup and remind myself that I live in the 21st century, not the 19th! I don't think I'll be working on it again until the new year now.

I'm excited that on Saturday we are going to a local theatre to see Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. Apparently Ian Anderson is the only original member of JT - but then again, who even knew any of the rest of them? Jethro Tull's appeal for me has always been Ian Anderson's voice and the haunting highlights of his flute, so what does it matter? I hope they play some of the old songs but it will be nice to hear new material too. I expect the audience will be filled with middle-aged and aging hippies - I wonder what they'll all be wearing? If I'd gone to a JT concert in my youth I'd have worn a maxi dress, platform shoes, a 12-foot long scarf and glitter in my hair. Perhaps not this time though... I never thought we'd all get old and be going to see old performers. In fact, often the old performers' voices don't hold up so well, but I'm hoping. Ian Anderson: my generation's Bing Crosby*. Actually, I should have said Russ Conway, my mum's favourite popular pianist, but I doubt you've heard of him and I don't have a Russ Conway joke. :)


*(Scottish joke: Q - What's the difference between Walt Disney and Bing Crosby? A - Bing sings but Walt dis nae.)