Back to work....doh!

Hello Everyone, Wow its been ages since I last blogged and as Dad has kindly left his Mac here (he is in the pub with Will - hello Will!) I thought I would seize the chance! We have the new self titled Bebel Gilberto cd playing & cheeky glass of 1997 Rioja on the go. We naturally assumed the wine was a Christmas present from Rosemary (Clive's boss) , but today Clive found out it was extra generous (£13 in Bottoms Up!) as Rosemary was awarded the MBE in this years Honours List for Services to Scholarship, for her work as Sub Editor of the Oxford Dictionary National Biography! (You can't get an entry in this great tombe till you are pushing up the daisies).

Bebels's cd comes highly recommended for all you lovers of the relaxed latin beat. We think she is either Gil Gilberto's niece or daughter so a strong brazilian heritage there. It sounds like a lazy summer beach party which is just as well as its been dark & gloomy all day here in Oxford.

Christmas Day was very chilled & relaxing here at No 32. Will came over Christmas eve on the day we had a roast lamb dinner with Delia Smith's homemade chocloate orange mousse for afters. Top rceipe; basically melt down the highest % chocolate you can find add juice & rind of an orange, cool then add egg yolk for each person, then add whipped egg whites, leave to set then if feeling cheeky add booze (rum or brandy)and cream to serve mmmmmm....

Back to work with a crash this morning. I had to be at work for 830! At my morning break I was reminising about my holiday &ornings of waking gently (no alarm call) with a lie-in, followed by a lazy bubble bath and having a slap up breakfast while catching the next episode of Simon Schama's excellent History of Britain programme which the Beeb were repeating over the holidays. History ranged from Mary Queen of Scots all the way up to WWII. Yesterday it was discussing the political similarities of 'The Two Winstons'. A reference to Winston Churchill & Winston Smith, the hero of Orwell's 1984. Although on different sides of the political fence with Churchill stubbornly believing in the defence of the British Empire, and Orwell against imperialist rule these two Great Britons were lone warning voices during Chamberlain's occupancy of No 10 to the threat of the' nazi war machine' and threat to the idea of English freedom. And who says TV can't teach? Top stuff. All I've got to do now is read '1984' & 'Animal Farm' which they showed over Christmas! I have also signed up for an OU course starting next month seeing as I can study for free being an OU employee. So my first course will be a biology course studying the life of mammals. Its been 5 years since I last studied so starting off with a short course and see how I get on.It was written in conjunction with the Attenborough BBC programme 'Life of Mammals' so I'm looking forward to the DVD set of all the shows which support the course. So with all the brainy kids in the family I may be asking you out there for help with my homework!

Well Clive tells me my supper is ready (so spoiled) so signing off now..

love Gem xxx

Ps Will I heard from an OU student that if you work for the UN t you don't pay UK tax as you are in effect servant of the 'Nations'. Sounds like a good deal to me- Can anyone verifiy?