Stargazing and Scribbling

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This week I have continued to work on Stargazer Badge, by popping out in the evenings and staring at the heavens, trying to differentiate between stars, planets and aeroplanes. The weather is getting chillier at last and has resulted in clearer skies. I find that I do enjoy spending five or ten minutes gazing heavenwards puzzling over which constellation is which! I have also finished sewing all the badges I have claimed onto a new camp blanket.

To finish the Event Planner badge I am planning the department Christmas meal at a local pub that isn't doing a Christmas set menu, so have been tasked by a colleague to make it more festive than usual; to this end I am finding Christmas crackers, sparkly bits and may have to organise the dreaded Secret Santa (I am curmudgeonly at this time of year so don't usually take part). I am doing this instead of a birthday party as I don't have any of those to organise and this actually takes a bit more planning and is somewhat more stressful. Have you ever tried organising twenty teachers to do something together? Give me toddlers every time.

I am still working on the Birthday Challenge quarterly badge, and need to start and finish a badge from the Wellness section; I have completed badges from the other sections, or have them in hand. I am dithering between Apothecary and Mindfulness; Apothecary is potentially messy and may smell weird, and Mindfulness is tricky - I like some clauses but am not particularly fussed by others. I have completed most of the other badges in this section except Runner and that ain't gonna happen this time of year! Or any time if I am completely honest. I may have to choose something from book 2 but would really like to use book 1 for this challenge.

The monthly challenge is to write something every day; this is going well and I average between 150 and 500 words each day. I do not have a particular theme, and have written about home life, work, parenting, and have updated blogs. It is getting easier as the month goes on as a habit of writing is starting to form. I suspect that I will continue this challenge into next year!

I finally completed World Traveller badge by cooking a Persian meal consisting of spiced chicken served alongside rice combined with almonds, chickpeas and preserved lemon (hard to find in this not very worldly county), and harissa spiced yogurt. This tasted delicious, despite the coriander in the yoghurt sauce, and I will make it again. 



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