Annabel
@annabelgray.bsky.social
Very introverted woke snowflake, living in England. Work with asylum seekers & refugees. Love languages - English, Swedish, Arabic. Leeds Utd fan. Cyclist. Armchair explorer. Ally.
I've been lost in the forest of bad news for a while, but these arrived today to put on my work lanyard and they made me smile so much that they're worth sharing. Beautiful, aren't they! Helpful for students and helpful for me. I'll be fluent in no time...
March 17, 2025 at 5:06 PM
I've been lost in the forest of bad news for a while, but these arrived today to put on my work lanyard and they made me smile so much that they're worth sharing. Beautiful, aren't they! Helpful for students and helpful for me. I'll be fluent in no time...
I was so happy to see #joinin running on BSky yesterday, and still going. There's only positivity and people being nice to each other to get through a difficult day together. I had some lovely interactions. Can my whole life be like this please?
December 26, 2024 at 6:21 AM
I was so happy to see #joinin running on BSky yesterday, and still going. There's only positivity and people being nice to each other to get through a difficult day together. I had some lovely interactions. Can my whole life be like this please?
When you quietly hand in your notice and politely ask your manager to be discreet because you haven't told anyone yet, then THREE minutes later one of your colleagues rushes up to you and cries "you're leaving?!!", you know you've made the right decision.
December 23, 2024 at 9:16 AM
When you quietly hand in your notice and politely ask your manager to be discreet because you haven't told anyone yet, then THREE minutes later one of your colleagues rushes up to you and cries "you're leaving?!!", you know you've made the right decision.
This lovely haul is the result of my second brave visit to the Syrian market stall to buy the ingredients for a famous Arabic biscuit, maamoul, shown made properly (by someone else) in the other pic. The recipe looks entirely doable, which means it's probably fiendishly difficult. We'll see!
December 13, 2024 at 6:15 PM
This lovely haul is the result of my second brave visit to the Syrian market stall to buy the ingredients for a famous Arabic biscuit, maamoul, shown made properly (by someone else) in the other pic. The recipe looks entirely doable, which means it's probably fiendishly difficult. We'll see!
My mum brought me some homemade, traditional, English Christmas Cake yesterday - it's December today so completely fine to break into it now, right? I already know it's not going to last another 25 days... 🍽️
December 1, 2024 at 9:28 AM
My mum brought me some homemade, traditional, English Christmas Cake yesterday - it's December today so completely fine to break into it now, right? I already know it's not going to last another 25 days... 🍽️
Parents visiting in one hour. Cue frantic tidying and in the process, knocking a half-cup of coffee all over the sofa. So predictable it's ridiculous. By the way, I'm in my fifties.
November 30, 2024 at 9:45 AM
Parents visiting in one hour. Cue frantic tidying and in the process, knocking a half-cup of coffee all over the sofa. So predictable it's ridiculous. By the way, I'm in my fifties.
Optimist: the glass is half-full.
Pessimist: the glass is half-empty.
Me re: #LUFC : the glass is half empty and has a hole in the bottom.
We're going to win and go top, right? Right?? 😬
Pessimist: the glass is half-empty.
Me re: #LUFC : the glass is half empty and has a hole in the bottom.
We're going to win and go top, right? Right?? 😬
November 24, 2024 at 8:26 AM
Optimist: the glass is half-full.
Pessimist: the glass is half-empty.
Me re: #LUFC : the glass is half empty and has a hole in the bottom.
We're going to win and go top, right? Right?? 😬
Pessimist: the glass is half-empty.
Me re: #LUFC : the glass is half empty and has a hole in the bottom.
We're going to win and go top, right? Right?? 😬
I do my job for the students that I support and wholeheartedly believe in what I do. Even a small act of kindness or a smile can make a big difference to someone who has been through the unthinkable and is struggling to rebuild their life. You never know the pain behind someone's smile..
November 17, 2024 at 4:37 PM
I do my job for the students that I support and wholeheartedly believe in what I do. Even a small act of kindness or a smile can make a big difference to someone who has been through the unthinkable and is struggling to rebuild their life. You never know the pain behind someone's smile..
Reposted by Annabel
PSA for newbies:
Please include ALT text on your images.
This is an inclusive space for blind and visually impaired people.
Don't arrive late to the party and ignore a bunch of people.
Also, please share this skeet, rather than liking it, to ensure the message gets delivered.
Thanks!
Please include ALT text on your images.
This is an inclusive space for blind and visually impaired people.
Don't arrive late to the party and ignore a bunch of people.
Also, please share this skeet, rather than liking it, to ensure the message gets delivered.
Thanks!
November 16, 2024 at 12:18 PM
PSA for newbies:
Please include ALT text on your images.
This is an inclusive space for blind and visually impaired people.
Don't arrive late to the party and ignore a bunch of people.
Also, please share this skeet, rather than liking it, to ensure the message gets delivered.
Thanks!
Please include ALT text on your images.
This is an inclusive space for blind and visually impaired people.
Don't arrive late to the party and ignore a bunch of people.
Also, please share this skeet, rather than liking it, to ensure the message gets delivered.
Thanks!
Time for cheap rental-house window insulation again. Not pretty, but effective. Goodbye view of the other side of the street. See you in Spring.
October 13, 2024 at 2:43 PM
Time for cheap rental-house window insulation again. Not pretty, but effective. Goodbye view of the other side of the street. See you in Spring.
There's a special place in hell for the person at Sky who bought only series 3 of the drama I am watching, leaving 1,2 and 4 on Netflix. Utter, utter bastards.
a cartoon penguin is sitting at a table eating soup
Alt: Pingu glaring, angrily refusing to eat his soup.
media.tenor.com
September 28, 2024 at 6:07 PM
There's a special place in hell for the person at Sky who bought only series 3 of the drama I am watching, leaving 1,2 and 4 on Netflix. Utter, utter bastards.
Reposted by Annabel
as someone who has said "excuse me, sorry" to inanimate objects on multiple occasions out of a bone-deep, constant sense of shame and deference, i truly struggle to understand the psychology of people who listen to their phones on full volume without headphones in public spaces.
September 20, 2024 at 9:51 PM
as someone who has said "excuse me, sorry" to inanimate objects on multiple occasions out of a bone-deep, constant sense of shame and deference, i truly struggle to understand the psychology of people who listen to their phones on full volume without headphones in public spaces.
Horribly introverted and scaredy-cat me finally bit the bullet and spoke Arabic in a Syrian shop in order to buy these. Tomorrow I'm going to make Mloukhieh, something I only discovered existed yesterday. Forget skydiving, this is as exciting as I like my life to be.
September 20, 2024 at 2:39 PM
Horribly introverted and scaredy-cat me finally bit the bullet and spoke Arabic in a Syrian shop in order to buy these. Tomorrow I'm going to make Mloukhieh, something I only discovered existed yesterday. Forget skydiving, this is as exciting as I like my life to be.
Anyone else making full use of the #octopusenergy free electricity hour today? I'm doing a hot laundry wash, baking tandoori chicken, caramelising a LOT of onions slowly on the hob (for mjaddara) and having a looong hot shower. One whole hour of not penny-pinching. Luxury.
September 14, 2024 at 8:40 AM
Anyone else making full use of the #octopusenergy free electricity hour today? I'm doing a hot laundry wash, baking tandoori chicken, caramelising a LOT of onions slowly on the hob (for mjaddara) and having a looong hot shower. One whole hour of not penny-pinching. Luxury.
ESOL classes don't start until next week, but some students have been in today to enrol and do various admin stuff. It was so lovely to see them. Every spring, I count down the days to the end of term, then by September I can't wait to see them all again.
September 5, 2024 at 5:40 PM
ESOL classes don't start until next week, but some students have been in today to enrol and do various admin stuff. It was so lovely to see them. Every spring, I count down the days to the end of term, then by September I can't wait to see them all again.
About to go into a staff meeting with our new manager. He's so inexperienced and nervous that I don't know whether to feel sorry for him or resent him.
September 4, 2024 at 8:12 AM
About to go into a staff meeting with our new manager. He's so inexperienced and nervous that I don't know whether to feel sorry for him or resent him.
Age yourself with a movie you saw in the cinema as a kid.
September 1, 2024 at 7:37 AM
Age yourself with a movie you saw in the cinema as a kid.
Adventurous cooking today. Trying to make dosa and potato masala. Wish my blender luck.
August 30, 2024 at 1:09 PM
Adventurous cooking today. Trying to make dosa and potato masala. Wish my blender luck.
Back from 4 days visiting my parents. Conclusions: my father is not far from radicalised by GBeebies, making it almost impossible to have a conversation with him, and his temper is on the edge permanently. I think, at 71 years old, he's a lost cause. Sigh.
August 28, 2024 at 7:21 PM
Back from 4 days visiting my parents. Conclusions: my father is not far from radicalised by GBeebies, making it almost impossible to have a conversation with him, and his temper is on the edge permanently. I think, at 71 years old, he's a lost cause. Sigh.
My manager once told me that my collegues were scared of me because I was sullen & unfriendly, and that I needed to "make more effort". Of course, she didn't inform them that I'm actually very friendly, just quiet and hate the communal office, but instructed me to essentially change my personality.
August 23, 2024 at 7:02 AM
My manager once told me that my collegues were scared of me because I was sullen & unfriendly, and that I needed to "make more effort". Of course, she didn't inform them that I'm actually very friendly, just quiet and hate the communal office, but instructed me to essentially change my personality.
I just had to explain this to my Swedish friend (which of course ruined it). You get it, right? I laughed my head off.
August 22, 2024 at 6:31 AM
I just had to explain this to my Swedish friend (which of course ruined it). You get it, right? I laughed my head off.
And today's winner of the internet is:
A small story for you, Bluesky, in my occasional series of Things that Happen in London.
So my daughter (just turned 17) and two friends were on a late train the other night. Also present: an exceedingly drunk lady returning from Taylor Swift, snoozing in the opposite seat. /1
So my daughter (just turned 17) and two friends were on a late train the other night. Also present: an exceedingly drunk lady returning from Taylor Swift, snoozing in the opposite seat. /1
August 19, 2024 at 3:17 PM
And today's winner of the internet is: