BLOGMAS ’21 (day 2)

Today has been a very long day. I woke up for my 9am lecture on Algorithms where the lectures spoke about SatNavs before learning about integration. I then ate porridge for my mid morning snack before completing some coding.

During the evening, I helped at a local Beaver unit to make Christmas decorations before helping at Scouts where we played the peel game. This was learning about capitalism and the unfair trade market. I then headed back to my flat and it was snowing.

BLOGMAS ’21 (day 1)

As usual, I am going to try and blog every single day leading up to Christmas (we shall ignore last year as I may or may not have given up on day 3/4). I will explain my chaotic day below:

Salem with their Christmas hat

I went to my SSAGO meeting and we made Christmas hats for our pom-pom duck. I then went back to my flat to write up my maths work before heading off house hunting with my future flatmates. We found a lovely house which we are gonna reserve for next year. After getting back in the rain (near hail), we cooked dinner (where Ella, nearly almost poisoned herself). Following this, we watched I’m a Celeb before dragging George out to game with Ella. For supper we ate garlic bread, opened our advent calendars, defrosted tomorrow’s dinner and listened to Christmas music.

BLOGMAS – last day of 2020 school

Yesterday was the last day of school for me this year and after some reflection, I realise it was very strange and chaotic. The year started off well working upon my Extended Project Qualification and applying for head student however, soon it took a strange turn. I was not offered a head student role but instead was offered the Centenary position. I flew out to Poland for a day with the Holocaust Education Trust to visit Auschwitz and continued Sixth Form usually until March the 20th when everything changed. Suddenly it was online school, copying from a textbook whilst revising for my year 12 mocks.

During England’s first national lockdown, we were not in school instead completing our school work at home (and sometimes completing an online lesson). We completed our year 12 mock examinations at home. Over June and July, I was able to attend school twice which I blogged about here and here. Then it was the summer holidays before returning back face to face in September, this raised many concerns for me and so I wrote to my school expressing my view.

I survived the first half term and then the second half term where I submitted my UCAS application and applied to American universities abroad. I wrote to my MP and was filmed for the schools Christmas concert. Yesterday was a half day at school so we had virtual events within our form groups. This included completing a virtual Christmas quiz, watching a virtual assembly and watching houses got talent (which my house won!). Overall the day went very quickly and it was a good way to end the strange year. I am now waiting to see what the New Year has in store for school.

BLOGMAS – Christmas food rankings

In today’s blog I will be ranking my typical Christmas dinner giving a my views on each item.

Pigs in blankets – 100/10 these are a stable to a British Christmas dinner where they only appear upon the 25th of December. For anyone who does not live in Britain, this dish is sausages wrapped in bacon.

Roast potatoes – 10/10 when made perfectly they are crispy on the outside being fluffy in the centre.

Cranberry sauce – 9/10 game changing to add a new flavour onto your plate.

Roasted parsnips – 9/10 parsnips are just below roasties due to being just as tasty but never as elite as roast potatoes.

Sage and Onion Stuffing – 9/10 stuffing brings the plate together and is my job to make on Christmas. The secret is to add butter to make it 10x better.

Gravy – 8/10 it is standard for a Sunday roast and adds a good flavour however, sometimes it can be too watery of too thick.

Turkey – 8/10 without this, you cannot consider this dish to be a Christmas dinner. Turkey is the pinnacle of the dish being the base of the other items.

Swede and carrot mash – 8/10 a lot better than normal mash but is more elite.

Brussels sprouts – 7/10 they are average. Could be better, could be worse but I’m not complaining.

Broccoli and cauliflower – 7/10 similar to sprouts, they are average but are needed for a Christmas dinner to be complete.

Bread sauce – 6/10 it’s good but sometimes I am not a big fan if it is cold.

What are your rankings? Leave your opinions in the comments below.

BLOGMAS – Christmas jokes

Howdy Blue here,

I am back with a fan favourite of Christmas jokes this season to spread the Christmas cheer:

Who hides in the bakery at Christmas? A mince spy!

How does Christmas Day end? With the letter Y!

What do you call an obnoxious reindeer? Rude-olph!

What do you call Santa living at the South Pole? A lost clause!

What did the Christmas tree say to the ornament? Quit hanging around

What do Santa’s little helpers learn at school? The elf-abet!

What goes “Oh, Oh, Oh”? Santa walking backwards!

Why is it getting harder to buy Advent calendars? Their days are numbered!

What do snowmen have for breakfast? Snowflakes!

BLOGMAS 2020 – the Boar’s Head

Howdy y’all and welcome to Blogmas 2020. After a chaotic year, I believe that bringing back Blogmas will help with the holiday cheer. This year I am going to do it slightly differently, with blog posts of Blue teaching and crafting with you as well as an update of my week from me (I may also bring back the fan favourite Christmas cheese jokes!). To start day one off I am going to write about the Boar’s Head Christmas Carol.

the Boars Head

The Boar’s Head Carol is a tradition at my school (and many others) which is sung by the sixth formers in acapella (aged 16-18). This (and last year), I am taking part in singing the traditional song. The carol is about a sacrificing a boar and resenting it at the head of a Yuletide festival. It has been around since the 15th century and has been sung at my school for 100 years. Usually we perform it in the dark with lanterns during the beginning of our Christmas concert however going this year it is being filmed to be shown virtually.

The lyrics are as follows:

Chorus: Caput apri defero. Redens laudes domino. Caput apri defero. Redens laudes domino.

Verse 1: The Boar’s head in hand bear I, Bedecked with bays and rosemary. And I pray you my masters be merry, Quot est-is convivio.

Chorus: Caput apri defero. Redens laudes domino. Caput apri defero. Redens laudes domino.

Verse 2: The Boar’s head as I understand, Is the rarest dish in all the land. Which thus be decked with a gay garland, Let us servire coniuco.

Chorus: Caput apri defero. Redens laudes domino. Caput apri defero. Redens laudes domino.

Verse 3: Our steward hath provided this, In honour of the kind of bliss. Which in this day to be served is, In reginensi a trio.

Chorus: Caput apri defero. Redens laudes domino. Caput apri defero. Redens laudes domino.

Verse 1 repeat: The Boar’s head in hand bear I, Bedecked with bays and rosemary. And I pray you my masters be merry, Quot est-is convivio.

BLOGMAS (day 24)

Happy Christmas Eve everyone (or as my friend is calling it Boxing day Eve Eve!).

Today I have been busy preparing for Christmas tomorrow by wrapping my presents. Sis84 and I have also put out our stockings as well as leaving Santa a mince pie, carrot for the Reindeers as well as a drink.

Tomorrow is Christmas day and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy time with your family and loved ones!

For now #BLOGMAS is over for 2019 but it will continue next year (hopefully). However, I ought to be heading to bed as I’ve heard Santa is in Germany!

BLOGMAS (day 23)

So tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I don’t quite know how to say it but I’m not feeling very festive. However, this morning, Sis84 and Mum84 joined me and we went out for a cooked breakfast. At breakfast, we overheard someone discussing how there husband had counted out 900 sprouts and exclaimed how that seemed like quite a lot before she replied saying grams, 900 grams of sprouts. This was quite funny to say the least.

I also don’t feel Christmasy even though on Friday, I broke up for Christmas at school and there was the yearly houses got talent, staff and sixth form entertainment as well as the Christmas assembly. I also sang the Boars head in front of the whole school which was very scary.

Finally, over the weekend I have been out bag packing in Waitrose, wearing my Christmas necker as a Bandana.

So Santa please tell me, how has Christmas crept up again?

BLOGMAS (day 22)

This weekend, I was bag packing in Waitrose in my county and I am going to share a few stories people told me throughout my bag packing sessions. I was bag packing to raise funds to go on the European Jamboree this summer.

My first story is this gentleman told me about his great grandfather who used to own Brownsea Island. He explained that Robert Baden Powell asked if he was able to host what today is know as the first Scout camp ever. The great grandfather said of course however as long as his grandchildren (who were girls) were allowed to attend. So, he now likes to be known that these girls were some of the first unofficial boy Scouts.

Another story is another gentleman’s son is friends with Bear Grylls’s son. So one Christmas, he got a Christmas card from Bear Grylls himself.

BLOGMAS (day 21)

I spent most of today Bag Packing and will be doing so again tomorrow, so to help keep spirits up here are a few christmas jokes.

A definition of Christmas
when everyone gets Santa-mental

What’s red, white and blue at Christmas time?
a sad candy cane

Why was the Christmas tree not feeling well?
it had tinsel-itus

What key does everyone have at Christmas?
turkey

Why is it so cold at Christmas?
because it’s Decembrrrrr

What’s a monkeys favourite Christmas song?
jungle bells