First, thank you everyone for your lovely comments on my disjointed chaos complaining post.
Today was my last day of work until January 5th. I finished a really big project today which I'm about 75% happy with... I promised to circulate it "this week" prior to presenting at a meeting today.. and I circulated it 15 minutes before the meeting started. But it's sort of the first big project of my new role and I feel like I'll have lots to come back to in 2026.
Yesterday evening I stayed up super late but finally packed my box for the USA, and booked shipping. I have to drop it off tomorrow at a local corner shop (weirdly, FedEx is only received at a weird shop about 5 minutes away that sells mostly booze and cigarettes). I feel relieved to have this in progress, and will feel even better when it is in the post.
Tomorrow I will also go to the post office to buy stamps and mail some UK presents.
It's my last Friday morning with the twins, because in January they start a morning nursery (drop off!) for 2.5 hours on Fridays. Well, they will start it if I get the paperwork done at some point. Add it to the growing list of things to do.
We are halfway through Hanukkah now and I've managed to do presents every night so far. Without buying much I had collected presents enough for 8 nights, although Aubrey & Clara are currently sharing presents and that's not going to work next year.
About a week ago I told the local Synagogue I didn't feel like it was safe to go to any events right now and then two days later the Hanukkah shooting happened in Australia. I know that's Australia and not the UK, but I'm not particularly inclined to put the Menorah in the window right now, or go to the one public lighting in Wales (it apparently went fine?). Which is... sad. I find it disheartening to feel like the safest places to be openly Jewish are probably Israel or the USA.
In other news, today I did my annual Christmas blood donation
The Bondi Beach shooting is so horrific. And I hate that it doesn’t feel safe to go to your synagogue. Sigh. There is so much anger and violence in our world right now. It is so terrible and my heart especially hurts for my Jewish friends. :(
ReplyDeleteWell done on your first big project at work! Enjoy your time off over the next several weeks. My husband can’t take time off at this time of year because of the nature of his finance job so we never take much time off. But it’s also a rough time of year for weather (currently -3F) so I am kind of glad we have a mostly normal schedule with a good amount of childcare for the kids? I do like the thought of a cozy week off with the kids so maybe when they are older and sturdier, I will take the week off and do some things with them? Time will tell!
Thank you Lisa - I know I just kind of shunted that rather sad thought in the middle of a post! I guess sometimes I feel more foreign in the UK than other times, Or maybe it's just growing up in 2020 is different than growing up in 1980.
Delete-3F is crazy cold! I would definitely be leaning on some childcare fun in that type of hostile weather!
I had a summer where we just had childcare and worked and it was totally nice... I think that if not everyone has Christmas off then it's going to be a lovely holdiay for you with the family for whatever time period it lasts. Although I've always had about 1-2 weeks off for Christmas since moving to the UK I don't always really remember these weeks as anything other than normal winter life. So I hope you either have a memorable lovely time or just a normal lovely time :-)
The Bondi shooting is truly horrific. I absolutely hate the increase in antisemitism...again. And I am so, so sorry you can't celebrate freely and openly. The world can be a very scary, dark place and that truly sucks.
ReplyDeleteGreat job on the work project and I hope this Christmas break is wonderful <3
Thanks Elisabeth - I know I just shunted that sad thought in the middle of a blog post. I am feeling more accomplished today after finally posting my parcel to the US and all my international cards (ie, yours and Sweden!)... the holiday is here whether I'm ready or not :-)
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