Time to restore past lessons?

It's been a warm weekend out as I ditched a thicker coat for a thinner jacket which was just waterproof for showers if needed and dropped a layer off in the sun or indoors.

In so far as food goes it doesn't really alter what I eat around midday as that's meat salads unless I'm going out to lunch which don't take a long time to prepare unless you really want to go to town with it, hard boiling eggs by saucepan full and making your own dips.

I do sometimes thing in our quest to both increase employment opportunities for all and avoid gender based biases in children's education we lost track of the importance of Home Economics, learning basic cooking and hygiene or learning how to mend and clean clothes together with how to run a home.

Rather than seeing it something everyone should learn, we seemed to take the view it was a lesser option forced on girls that needed to go.

It shouldn't surprise us the number of people who do not know how to prepare a meal from fresh ingredients and would be lost without a ready meal because we're at least a couple of generations loss from learning and using those skills on a everyday basis.

Equally much clothing is tossed aside that could easily be repaired and given a second life. 

Perhaps it's time to rethink just what we do teach given that for most you don't leave education until you're eighteen today unlike in the past.

January lessons

As I tend to say on Tumblr, I do live the life as it were so for me this middle/little thing isn't just me and a  caregiver pretty much surrounded by  four walls with a computer running, it does involve actually being with  people face to face who are part of 'real' communities.
This last weekend, I was unexpectedly away with friends and for me this began with making travel arrangements by myself involving booking a taxi to our rail station as the local bus services are poor at the weekend and ordering train tickets for that part of the journey, made easier for London Midland's acceptance of PayPal as payment.
I left in good time for my train which was running from a small local platform whose overhead signs weren't working and arrived to meet the person who would be looking after me oblivious to not checking messages which was dealt with on arrival (*cough*).
I was in my recently acquired maroon V neck sweatshirt, wine coloured pleated skirt and white socks, sporting a red and white tie for the entire visit. 
A classroom had been set up for me to study in one anyone familiar with education in the 1970's and 80's would be familiar with whatever side of the Atlantic you were on complete with interactive chalkboard and chalk as everything was going to be taught 'talk and chalk style' the way it used to before workbooks and ICT moved in.
After a warm drink, it was time for some formal studying starting with Math where we looked at expressing numbers as words, multiplication, imperial and decimal fractions, algebra which to be honest isn't my strong point but I didn't do too badly on them although not paying proper attention to one question was corrected.
Afterward, I had English were we looked at Alliterations where I got 11/12 correct although this term isn't one we used at my schools and then had to filling the missing alliterations in a series of sentences to which I got 3/5 on although it was agreed one question didn't really seem to have a alliteration that would make sense . As well I got 9/10 for a sentence that used a lot alliterations.
We looked at words that have the same sound and adjectives which I was a little unstuck on mistaking an adjective for a word used to describe an action rather than a property or quality of the subject.
I had to write a few sentences based on a picture of  a little girl helping in the kitchen as if I were her and what I would be saying so I wrote this:
"Hello Miss Green", "May I help out in the kitchen today please?"
"I'd like to make an apple and raspberry pie today because Miss Andi is coming for tea. "I am not really at kneading flour and things but I like to be a good girl and help out".
I pause, awaiting Miss Green's response because I know she is busy but likes me to help out.  Maybe she will let me today?
I got 11/12 for it.
I did some colouring too before going on to eat a steak pie.

 I was trying to avoid the more stereotypical Disney princess colours here and I think I succeeded. It's also was very neatly coloured by pencil with my name and school form on the bottom right.
After a pause we went on to do some cookery which was what were were to eat for that evening's two course meal as everything was to be prepared from scratch although a few ingredients were ready prepared.
The first course was a Roast Beef Dinner which needed an hour and a half at 180 degrees C (aka 350F).
I peeled the potatoes  in bowl with water, cutting them into small pieces placing afterwards in a saucepan with water before washing topping and tailing the carrots ready to be diced to join the potatoes in the saucepan.
This was because they were to be put on a ring to boil before I them mashed them with some margarine making sure they were all done.
We did slithers of Parsnip, slicing them to go on tray with a bit of fat, put some Yorkshire Puddings in the oven and just before serving, make the gravy.
The other thing was we were going to have a desert so I was going to be involved in making this which also included making the pastry from flour and Stork Margarine in a 2 to 1 ratio so we needed 4oz of flour that was weighed  and 2oz of margarine which was kneaded together (I used a spoon) in a bowl adding water before taking out and putting on board to be rolled to make the bottom and top of the pie case.
Meanwhile fresh apples grown in the garden were cored, peeled and chopped up to go into  saucepan with water to be boiled before adding the drained tinned raspberries which were put on the pie bottom then covered with the top, putting two slits on top ready to go in the oven while we were eating the first cause ready to tuck into.
The pie would be served with single cream.
Miss Green put the things in the oven as my paws aren't much good as is my balance but I did  rather a lot and fairly well even if I'm a bit slow.
While all of this was going on, Auntie Andi arrived so we talked in the front room around various things before eating.
The food turned out rather well with everything cooked properly and much appreciated before we retired to the front room to talk and listen to music before going to bed.
We had a quiet day on Monday before I had to be back home for his gingerness, the oh so fussy Marmalade so we got up a bit later than I'm used to (anyone who's been with me knows I'm an early to bed, early to rise sort) before fixing breakfast and for me carefully packing my stuff ready and as ever putting my ticket in the Hello Kitty flight bag ready for the train conductor to inspect.
Auntie Andi kindly offered me a lift to the rail station as I sped through Staffordshire to the biggest rail station in the North-west Midlands, taking a cab home as the weather was very iffy.

What I think I have learned from this set of experiences is although I have great difficulties, there are somethings I fairly good at such as written english when I do put my mind more to it, dodgy spelling aside and although there remains some significant weakness in my math abilities which let me down, I am doing better at this than I did  in childhood.
I did better than I honestly expected when it came to cookery even if I do need some help with essential tasks in it and so could not be fully independent which supports the targeting more of my attitude toward looking at abilities and potential that people are helping me with rather than seeing things more from the side of my disabilities which came from my upbringing and has held me back.

GHS Halloween and Bonfire Party 2016

Introduction
If anyone wondered where I might of been  over the last few days it was because I was away with friends over a three day period and it is usual for me to be off line during the period so  get the break away from the cyber world and deal exclusively with the real one.
After arriving and changing into my tunic, as it was the start of the weekend I had a math lesson covering measurement using imperial measurement which wasn't something I had when I went to school and in a country that commonly uses them being brought up on Metric, I am confused by them so we covered inches and and yards, pounds, ounces, stones and hundred weights. I also did some multiplication and division.I wasn't as attentive as might of been which was picked up upon!

I also did some cake making  too, which is a bit of first for me even if  it was a ready bought cake mix, cracking open and stirring  the egg in,ladling the egged mixture in the cases before putting in the oven for fifteen minutes. Miracle of miracles they actually rose!!!
 I made the icing although some landed where it shouldn't like on  the grown up in charge of me and then  spooned it onto the risen cakes before applying  the decorative stickers made from icing.
We were going to have cottage pie for tea and as it's 2016 I was to help out so I helped chop onions (that made me cry), potatoes for mashing ,dice carrots and cabbage while the grown up sealed the mince beef adding the onions before taking that adding to the carrots and cabbage with gravy  to cook putting the now mashed potatoes on top. The grown up put it in the oven so it all cooked.
It tasted really well and was the first time I had something I made a substantial contribution toward making.
On the Saturday morning, I got up, wished up any outstanding dishes and fixed some breakfast before setting down at the desk to do some more Frozen colouring while we waited for the others to arrive. I also showed them my English study guide I work with.
Upon their arrival we had home beefburgers made from local ingredients and served in tasty white bread buns.
Thankfully the weather held up well so were able to hold our Willy Wonka themed treasure hunt with clues from the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory book and movies outside in a big garden looking for clues and finding lots and lots of Wonka Bars! I won three of them!
By that point we went inside so while the bonfire people were talking, four of us including my best friend on an other site made Pumpkin Lanterns from the pumpkins she and an other had provided together with some child-safe tools.
Making one is a bit messy, which may be a part of why we like it  and this is the one I made.

Having finished them off, the Tea Lights were put in them and taken outside.
As well, connected with the Willly Wonka theme we had kits to make our own chocolate although you did need grown up help with melting the chocolate and putting it into the mould so I made this bunny rabbit shaped one from milk chocolate. Sammy made a chocolate Shark.

We also played with play-doh making things and cutting out shapes which was fun.
After this we went outdoors having put coats and warmer attire on to observe at a safe distance our bonfire that had been made in the late afternoon laughing as it roared like a lion with an orangey glow.
After that we moved a bit further back as our fireworks we safely lit by Andi which included Catherine Wheels and rockets oohing and awwing as they lit up the night sky in brilliant colours and shapes.
After all that excitement we had a freestyle buffet to which everybody had contributed something including my cakes with some of us in our jim-jams as it was a little late eating in the front room with the coal fire going. Paul had found some  Ham in beer which was intriguing as although I had heard of it -it's Belgium- I've never tasted before and Andi's blancmange based trifle which was really lovely
We were all a bit late getting up with all the excitement of the previous day, stretching our backs and flexing the paws as we got a light breakfast. I had on my green pleated school skirt which Jennifer approved of.
We went for a bit of a walk the local canal observing the wildlife and the spectacular colours of the Fall and even a narrow boat in a flight of locks until we came to a public house that most over here does do food which was where we going to have lunch together before we left.
The one thing that struck me upon be escorted to the tables we'd booked was the relatively high number of reservations which suggested an air of confidence among locals and that passing trade while important wasn't their main thing.
After getting a class of orange, I ordered a turkey roast with trimmings with the vegetables coming separately to be shared between us  that was well cooked but not dry which matters not least with the turkey itself and the stuffing. For a desert I opted for the fudge cake which was a really large portion served with a drizzled sauce and ice cream which was very yummy.

We made our way back and it wasn't long before a group of us needed to get to the local rail station to take the train home so Andi kindly drove us there before she made her way back being more local.
I only had a short wait for the London Midland service to Liverpool that calls at Cheshire's biggest rail station to come on just slightly late on the platform (2b  not 2 3/4qtrs!) making my way into the disabled carriage area. I arrived at Crewe and with some assistance from Virgin station staff dealing with the ticket barrier went out of the concourse to the taxi rank where I got a cab back home.

To conclude this bit of a report it was interesting weekend  learning new things even if I do need supervision with them and an enjoyable one for being with friends that all contributed *something* to having fun together well away from the groan up world. I'd like to thank Andi for safely lightening the fireworks that were so much fun to watch which is important in addition taking three of us back home.

Cold smiles!

Would it surprise you to find actually there's something I do really love?

I first encountered this when I was chronologically little usually in folded over cardboard containers from the frozen food cabinet in our nearest towns store looking for something to have with our Sunday main meal.
Called Neapolitan Icecream, it has the strawberry, vanilla and chocolate flavours all in one arranged so when you slice it, you get equal portions of each flavour and it went well with jelly!
Just marvellous!

Millie and I's trip out

Hi Hi peoples.
Before we settle into the so hot we have to warned to stay in here's this weeks  entry.

Millie (above) and I went on an adventure this week that started as most of things do on a train from the big railway station near us after catching a couple of buses to get from our estate to it having package our bags the day before.
When we got to Stafford we encountered a girl around the ages of three to four who started to talk to us about her likes -Play-doh-,  why it was the door near the rest room went BANG! and all about the bus her Mommy and her were going to catch which was kinda fun. She just noticed us with our girlish stuff and started talking away!
When we arrived at our destination Jennifer took us on an exciting car trip across to that elevated part of the Midlands where Andi resides where fortunately Millie had a front seat view as our luggage went in the trunk of the car.
We had a bit of climb to Andi's home  as it's a bit steep but the views certainly do compensate for it even though you can see the trees swaying even on a less than really windy day. Needless to say it was a uniform day for me which I just love
One the best things for any of us littles is just being together face to face talking about anything and everything while playing plus Millie had a bit of a dance in her fetching uniform although later on by night time she was chilling out.
Andi is a great cook using gas no less - we have electric at our house - and made the most scrumptious beef Casserole with side vegetables which was followed by Apple Crumble with vanilla icecream that we like heaps.
As some of you might be aware I don't do alcohol for a lot of reasons we need not mention but enjoyed thoroughly an Eider pressed non alcohol wine like drink  during the evening.
After a sleep surrounded by teddies, I woked up sometime around 7 which is late by my norms to have a cooked breakfast which isn't something I generally have during the week which was lovely and much appreciated as I would be travelling across meal times.
We left with Andi kindly giving us a lift  and were able to catch a train back from the Station without much of wait as the train due didn't need us to take the lift to a platform. Instead we could just cut through the concourse and straight onto platform 2 and make our connecting buses.
We'd like to thank Jennifer for her company and lift as well as Andi for hospitality, wonderful food and generally making us feel at home.

The food edition

I don't know about you, but I think I almost ready for Christmas now having written the last card ever for this year and dealt with the present buying which is as well as it's been cold and windy for most of the week.
Yesterday Mommy made my tea and she come up with something really nice in lots of ways.

You somehow not feel like much before the big Christmas day dinner so she makes me Fish Fingers, peas and fries which is very yummy as these some of nicest ones you can buy and I liked them when I was younger too and my tastes aren't much more sophisticated today.
I mean I'd be happier eating from the children's menu as it has stuff I do like rather than stuff in sauces, on beds of this and that and so on and that's before we get to the too big for me portions even! We have Apple pie and ice cream after too so it doesn't just taste nice, it feels right too.
Before I forgets, the next post will be after Christmas so bye for now and Happy Christmas!