*normal service resumes!!*

Good evening, peeps :) - yes, I'm back, after a self-imposed absence from being online - just needed a little time away from the computer, but now I am back and raring to blog!! Just to reassure any of my buds who may have been worrying that I'd fallen into a black hole, here I am, larking about last week taking self-portraits in the mirror:



And, especially for Charlotty, a cheery photo of the little beans:



So, I feel like I've been haring around all over the place over the past couple of weeks. Have been in school a lot, performing various governor duties, been on a school trip, have cooked lots (although managed to avoid any caterpillars that may have been lurking), perfected my carrot cake (one in the oven as I type), shopped for a couple of advent swaps in which I'm taking part (yay - first parcel opening tomorrow!!), rehearsed with the wind band (playing Christmas carols at the village fête on Saturday)...I could go on - but I won't!!! BUT!!! The biggest excitement of all, and something that I haven't dared to go on about before now, because I just didn't ever think it would happen, is that my little sister, who has spent the past 6 years living in Sydney, is coming home for good tomorrow! I am collecting her from the airport tomorrow morning - her flight lands at 11.40, and we are all extremely excited! I have just about managed to keep a lid on my own emotions, for the sake of the girls, so that they didn't get too wound up, but now, knowing that I will see her in approximately 12 hours, I am beside myself!! I will try and take photos tomorrow at the airport (through a haze of salt water, prob'ly)

By way of a wonderful diversion, I spent a good chunk of the middle of the day today with another friend I've made through the www. world of blogging - I had placed an order for Christmas cards with Gretel, and since she is only 35 minutes away, I went and picked them up, rather than have them posted to me. We went for a fab walk in some of the beautiful West Oxfordshire woodland, and then came back to homemade soup, and some of my carrot cake. A perfect way to spend a late morning and early afternoon. Had I not had to rush back to collect the chicklets from school, I could have happily spent the rest of the afternoon chatting to Gretel. A good friend.

And finally, thank you for coming back - I am going to try and get round my regular reads over the next couple of days, and catch up with everyone's news.