I was pleased to be able to get my booster jab this side of Christmas to get it out of the way, but the following day I’ve found myself in a state of full potato – headaches, fatigue and general hurtiness. I’d hoped to get some work done today but my body has other ideas!

Now that things are winding down for the holidays I’m planning to use the downtime to work on some marketing and content ideas (as may be apparent from this website, self promotion is not my strong suit), a bit of online learning I’ve not yet found time for (anyone else keep signing up for courses and not doing them?) and tackling the dreaded tax return which I have been putting off. I got it done so early last year, I knew that momentum couldn’t last!

ESL training

As you may remember I passed the CELTA at the end of last year, and now I have also recently completed additional training on teaching English for exams; tests such as IELTS, CAE etc are often required by English learners to access academic or professional opportunities. If you or anyone you know is looking for an ESL tutor do get in touch (online sessions only at the moment, because y’know… *gestures broadly at everything*)

Gardening services

I have finished my last customer visits this week and will likely resume in February (perhaps sooner for a couple of clients with larger properties if weather permits). It is so frustrating how our local council stops collecting garden waste over the winter when it is prime time for pruning and clearing up leaves! Our gardens never stop giving us work to do. At this time of year the wildlife don’t either, as they begin to need more food when it gets colder – I felt guilty at the sight of birds pecking at the empty feeders today so that is my first task tomorrow!

Now is a good time to prune apples and pears – if your pears are prone to the dreaded rust as mine are, it’s important to get rid of those leaves and not compost them or leave them to break down in the beds, the same goes for diseased rose leaves. Other leaves can be used to make leaf mould or left in some areas for hibernating wildlife, but it is best to rake them off any grass. Not all leaves are created equal, so check out the guidance here.

Omicrimbo

My nephew’s nickname for this Christmas… well you have to laugh or you’ll cry, or something. In all seriousness, whatever you have planned for the holidays I hope you all stay safe and are able to enjoy it despite the plagues and bleakness! After being way too optimistic about 2021 at the start of the year, I’m cautiously approaching 2022 like a scalding hot bath.

On the plus side hey – new episodes of The Expanse and Ghosts this month! If you’ve never seen either, I highly recommend you get involved 🙂