Friday 21 February 2020

This and That

Well we avoided the February homeschool blahs, but instead were assailed with additional health problems and hassles with the Department of Work and Pensions thanks to our 'lovely'Government's desire to hassle the sick and disabled!  As a result a document the size of a dissertation should give the pen pushers plenty to think about!! Never a dull moment round here :-)

Pip has passed her bronze arts award and will receive her certificate next Thursday.  She has already begun working on her silver and one of her first self imposed challenges was to replicate a piece of animation.  Admittedly she has had help from Dave with the software challenges and the animation itself was shot using Uncle Bernard's bridge camera.  I think he would be really pleased to know that she is making good use of it.

Ben was officially on college break this past week, but he went on campus for four days to help with looking after the animals.  It looks like he might be able to help on a more formal basis for weekends and holidays but a start date has yet to be confirmed.

I am under Doctor's orders to do something just for me so I have unearthed two unfinished icons and have been working on them.  It's been an interesting process as you say a prayer before beginning and then work in silence.  All thoughts and worries are displaced by the sacred image before me and I feel really rested by the end of the session.

Here are some images from the past few weeks:

John Muir Conservation Award

The first session was mapping the fell and learning about John Muir.  In addition to the map, Pip collected various items from around the fell to turn into a collage once home.







Silver Arts Award

Pip has decide to look at various forms of illustration for this award:
Comic books from the Marvel series to The Beano and The Dandy.
Quentin Blake associated with the Roald Dahl books.
Tony Ross characters for the David Walliams novels.
Animation in the form of 'Mary, Mungo and Midge,' and Captain Pugwash courtesy of John Ryan studios.
Walt Disney
The Katie Morag stories
Once she has investigated each of the styles she will then choose one to teach in a workshop.














We have been following a hands on rabbit trail for History which included watching "The 1940s House" and having a go at some ration book recipes.  Typically I went hunting for my book associated with the series and realised in all the moving chaos it was culled!  Thankfully we were able to purchase a copy for £2.00 and I've enjoyed reading it snuggled under a blanket this afternoon.  We have thankfully avoided the floods but the weather has been pretty horrendous these past few weeks and another round of storms are on the horizon.  I think we will all be glad when Spring rolls around :-)

Wartime vegetable stew with dumplings.

10 comments:

elli said...

Lovely to have a post San, glad you had the time/energy, etc! 🤗 ... So sorry about the government assessment and all ... last year I had to undergo a disability review, 'proving' i am yet disabled and that yes, it is still permanent; repeating all of the assessments of just a few years ago. *sigh* it was decided in my favor, yes, so grateful, however — they will insist on doing this again every few years! Awful. Truly does feel like harassment ... disabilities like mine don't simply go away! Ah well. Turn it over to the Lord, no!? Writing icons sounds wonderful!! xoxo

sustainablemum said...

I am sorry to hear that you have had to fill in a very long, and most likely tedious, form. I trust that will be the end of it for now. Congratulations to Pip on achieving her Bronze Award, C is working on this level too. I am sure that Pip will love the John Muir Award too, C is working towards the last level which is a lot of hours! We are about 2/3 of the way there. Then I will start all over again with A! It will feel like we have been doing the John Muir Award for years by the time we have finished.

I am glad to hear that you have found an activity that is helping you to get some rest, it is not easy as a mother and home educating to achieve that is it?

Sandra Ann said...

Yes Trust is a small word with a very big meaning ;-). So sorry to read that you too face the dreaded assessments. Yes writing those icons is pure balm for a weary soul, sending much love to you xx

Sandra Ann said...

I admire you organising the arts award and the John Muir, I'm so glad that I have an external influence for both of these. In fact I have you to thank for both of them since I learned of the awards through your writings. In particular I was able to tell the beacon Fell adventure team if the JM award, they investigated further and decided it was a doable project, so many thanks for sharing :-). The icon writing in my outside work space is a much needed respite from my caring role within the family. It also provides a welcome distraction on really bad pain days. Hope you are enjoying a restful weekend xx

dorinalouise said...

Hello San, your stew looks so delicious. I'm sorry you haven't been feeling well, but happy that you began to work on your icons again :) I know that the weather has not been calm (I hear it from Morgana). I think you are getting all the storms that we normally get in the winter, but haven't gotten this year . . because they all blew over by you! We usually have several heavy snowstorms, but none this year.

Pip's work for the John Muir Conservation Award sounds challenging and fun. She's learning so much. I love her collection of ferns, grasses and catkins (pine cones?). It looks very pretty in the pictures.

What animals is Ben working with? It sounds great!

I'm sorry you had such a hassle with the Department of Work and Pensions. Writing such a tome can be exhausting. I hope you get everything you need now.

Take good care, San. If you would like to share a pic of your icon, I'd love to see :) xoxoxoxo

Kezzie said...

Urgh, the forms! The government are so unkind- they have no idea!!!
Well done to Pip for her bronze award! The animation sounds intriguing!
OOh, what is Ben actually studying at college? I am intrigued- is he doing animal related studying?
Your wartime food looks very wholesome!

Eva said...

Even our library has the "1940s House." I had never heard of that one. Are those nature pictures for the award as well? They are cute :).

Eva said...

Does Ben like working with animals? Are the storms really so bad?

Sandra Ann said...

Yes the forms are horrendous, we were refused and now have asked for mandatory reconsideration with a tribunal as last resort. Very unsettling and distressing. Ben is studying for an animal related qualification and he volunteers on the unit during the holidays. The animation worked so will have to share on the blog :-) xx

Sandra Ann said...

Yes the nature pictures will be added to Pip's conservation folder. The 1940's house book is really interested, you can watch the series on YouTube. Ben loves working with the animals especially during the holidays when it is just staff and volunteers. The storms have been awful but thank God we have been ok xx