Thinking of making bread sauce tomorrow (home-made is massively better than shop), have just checked for cloves. I have some, BBE 2007. They'll be fine, won't they?

Final morning of #AdventCalendar

Some ink that isn't sparkly blue! "Carousel", a proper scarlet from this year's calendar.

Given how many pens I have, and how many different ink colours I have, really ought to fill at least one of them in something other than a shade of sparkly blue! (Yes I do have this year's Diamine calendar).

We've all lost a big friend in @wombat37.bsky.social. I've written up a thing over on Blipfoto www.blipfoto.com/entry/345006... What a top fella, sail on well my friend.

And for the morning crowd!

Posted yesterday, but still relevant.

I realise this is completely the wrong time of day to post it (will boost in the morning), but for anyone who would like a traditional 9 Lessons and Carols service, this was ours on Sunday evening. youtu.be/wsq1cIDlJGU?...

What i would like for Christmas... (impossible edition) World peace No more whipped-up hate campaigns against the vulnerable and "othered" All intrusive "AI" helper software to be opt-in ONLY... off by default (and no sneaking).

Post-flu clean bedlinen achieved!

3/10! Worst in a very long time.

##Harkageddon achieved! The proper way, by tanking the descant at the end of our 9 Lessons and Carols @stjohnschoir.bsky.social

heritageireland.ie/visit/newgra... For anyone who wants to watch the sunrise through the light-box at Newgrange.

Just seen the most *awful* concept being advertised on FB... an AI tutor for you smart child! Nooooo... given there's already evidence that reliance on LLM tools turns your brain into mush, can't think of anything worse!

This is GLORIOUS

Nikita's leather trousers for the paso were sexier than these PVC ones for the show dance! #Strictly

Anyone else waiting for Craig's "but" then...? #Strictly

I think I'm Team Karen tonight. #Strictly

Wishing everyone working in any service industry at this time of year polite and patient patrons! The rest of us... don't be a dick!

PSA... YouTube appear to have The Princess Bride on free at the moment! youtu.be/A-7q9Hw3Erk?...

I like the movie that was no 1 when I was 10... but I'm not posting it, because a) shows how old I am b) is data mining!

Other than JKR, who has been responsible for generating hate of people who were just trying to mind their own business and get on with life? It has to have come from somewhere! (Trans people).

Random annoyance... how difficult it is to find out how much postage actually costs! Took a parcel up to the PO today, had calculated how many second class stamps would be needed to cover £4.99 first class post. (6). Spoiler alert... if you go to the PO in person it's £5.09, not £4.99.

Can someone with access to Oxford Academic please obtain this article for me, please? DO A GOOD DEED THIS CHRISTMAS. academic.oup.com/histres/arti...

Assuming it is just a cold, this season's cold is EVIL. (Yes I've had both the Covid and flu jabs. Tested negative for Covid, don't have flu tests in the house).

#AdventCalendar for December 16th, today we have the crib.

#AdventCalendar for December 15th. Today we visit France on our tour of Europe.

To my #academic and #history and #genderstudies friends: THE INTERMEDIARIES is exactly the kind of book the current admin don’t want you to teach— #trans history, #LGBTQ fight against nazis, real 🧪 science. Knowing y’all, you may be teaching it anyhow. If so, please say! wwnorton.com/books/978132...

#AdventCalendar for December 14th.

8/10 including some lucky guesses, and purples first! I'll take that :-) Connections #917 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦

Help! To my #academic and #history and #genderstudies friends: THE INTERMEDIARIES is exactly the kind of book the current admin don’t want you to teach— #trans history, #LGBTQ fight against nazis, real 🧪 science. Knowing y’all, you may be teaching it anyhow (yay!) if so TELL ME. I will come.

#AdventCalendar for December 13th, St Lucia's day.

And not only no dark chocolate Tunnocks, but #Whamageddon in Craigleith Sainsbury's!!!

No dark chocolate Tunnocks to be had in Sainsbury's, not even for ready money :-(

#AdventCalendar for 12th December.

Anyone else shouting at the radio "Evensong didn't exist in Venice in 1610"!! Come on Radio 3, you can do better. Evensong isn't just the Anglican version of Vespers.

9/10... fell for the "scientific billion"... gave the answer for the British (as opposed to American) billion.

#AdventCalendar for December 11th. Today in the tour of Europe the window is in central France, although the reference is to "various countries".

Dear Radio 3, it's still only half-way through Advent, definitely too early in the season for the full Willcocks "Hark the Herald"!

This was a fluke! Connections #914 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟪🟦🟪 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟦

Recruitment closing lunchtime (U.K.) on Thursday the 11th.

8/10, nice Connections Connections #913 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟨🟪🟨 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟪🟪🟪🟪

The world's greatest detective, as interpreted by Sesame Street. www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJxz...

#AdventCalendar for December 10th, now to Italy on our tour of Europe.

More highly flavoured gravy for breakfast...

The bin is out.

It's bin night, and I need to put my blue bin (paper and card recycling) out because it's full... What's the betting Storm Dracula will scatter it all over the street before tomorrow morning? (I can't afford to wait until next collection, the blue bin only gets uplifted every 4 weeks).

Astonished that nobody seems to have mentioned this. youtu.be/sAz_UvnUeuU...

Once you advertise you're committed! So here we go. George Harris: A Retrospective - Paintings from 1979 to 2025 St John’s Hall, Princes Street Friday 23rd January 4.00-8.00 - Saturday 24th 9.00 -5.00 - Sunday 25th 9.00 – 4.00 (Refreshments available)