Private Message to Aurora Sinistra

[alt_poppy]

Auri, dear, I'm sorry to write at the last moment, but I seem to have had something off at lunch and am feeling quite poorly now. Well, I suspect the worst has passed, but I don't think I ought to try Apparating.

How were your other visits this week? The young ladies were charming, I'm sure. And how did you manage with the flying?

Comments

[alt_poppy]

Yes, this is so clearly the author's intended conclusion to the series. It satisfies all the threads set in motion in the first two. Easy to see, though, why it is difficult to obtain a copy!

Hm. I like what you say about choices. Yes.

I do hope you find a way to swim. St Nectan's Kieve is, indeed, a wonderful place!

Before I forget. I was hoping to see your mother this weekend, but instead found myself with her colleague, Gilbert Morrison. We were meeting with Scottish primary teachers and regional administrators, discussing the challenges for village schools, particularly those in the Highlands where so many families face real financial challenges and where staffing is difficult to secure, supplies are difficult to procure, and proper nutrition is dear. I was there to speak to the deficits I see when children reach us at Hogwarts.

In any case, I've been thinking that I might tempt you with a project some of the teachers proposed. It would involve a fair amount of baking, if that's something you'd feel up to. I know you're fond of it in general terms. Not sure whether it would sound good at the present moment, though.

[alt_sinistra]

Quite a few reasons why it's difficult to get a copy, indeed. And I'm just getting to near the end, and some of the implications of how things come out.

Oh, yes. Mum mentioned wanting to go, but the dynamics in Education are complicated, and Mum wasn't up to pointing out that nutrition's really more her thing than anyone else's. (And I gather it wasn't just the nutrition, from what Dad said on Friday.)

I did manage baking this week. Took me to the fourth round to manage something edible, but various visitors seemed to enjoy the final results. I do find baking soothing when it goes right. Suggest, if you like, and it sounds like too much, I'll say no.

[alt_poppy]

My apologies. My host came up with a tray for me and stayed to chat. And stayed. And stayed.

As for the conference, that's true, it wasn't just about nutrition, but that was a significant theme. Mostly because it seems so many of the other challenges they face circle back to the problem of children not having enough properly healthful food. It's very difficult for them to concentrate and behave well, let alone learn anything, if they've not had anything but transfigured turnips and the odd apple or pumpkin mash. It was suggested we ought to reverse the calendar, so they've their long vacation in January and February, but then it was rightly pointed out that the families depend on their children having the noon meal on the Protectorate's budget during winter when private stores run thin. And besides, the families that are really living close to the margin need their children helping in the gardens and animal pens during the growing season.

The teachers, though, told us how little of their funding can really be spared for those dinners and how meagre the food is that they do provide. They asked us if anyone could think of a creative way to stretch their budgets (since the Minister is hardly likely to find a sizeable pot of gold and decide to shuttle it in the direction of Education).

We put our heads together and decided we might find a willing group of volunteers (I think they envisioned a platoon of grannies, so you know!) who could bake nutritionally-enhanced biscuits for the children's lunches. One of the Healers suggested that we appeal to St Mungo's for a grant that would allow purchase of a particular supplement that St Mungo's nutrition staff endorse. That's in progress already (imagine something happening expeditiously!), so here I am, recruiting volunteers to bake. I believe they've already settled on a recipe and have agreed that if people will bake and stasis charm and pack the biscuits, the committee (naturally it's involving a committee) will collect and store and distribute them to the schools in most need.

It's quite a hands-on sort of project that makes a clear, direct contribution to a good cause.

If you think you might be interested, let me know, and as soon as we've got the supplement in-hand, I'll get it to you along with the recipe and other information.


I expect you've finished reading?

[alt_sinistra]

Oh, goodness.

You're quite right, that kind of thing being helpful. (See, I have been an attentive daughter and listened to my mother over the years.) If the recipe's not too complicated, I think I can manage well enough now.

And it would feel good to feel useful, really.

(Also, during the school year, I have two exceedingly bored house elves at Spence, and while baking is not their best skill, they're quite competent. More satisfying to have my hands doing the work, of course, but if your committee winds up short on quantity come autumn, they're an option.)

I mean. I assume I'll be busy with other things then. (I am still nervous about teaching, but we've talked about that. And today was all right, but I rather wish I had a sort of mental sheepdog to keep me in line. I keep losing the ends of my sentences part way through.)

On the book, yes. Your talkative host meant I got through the very tail of the epilogue. Which was better than the other epilogue, by a long shot, but it does rather gloss over how one gets from the end of the book to happily ever after.

I'm still thinking about way it ends. Before that. Finding the hoard of magic and opening it up to everyone. About generosity of spirit rather than scarcity. Hope rather than fear. (Not just this one, but I've been thinking about that other one I was reading, the Tey, and a couple of others.)

Right. Stars for me for a bit, I think. And more thinking, maybe.