Hello Monday

Hello to another dog training class. However, as there has been very little homework done this week I suspect one of us may be held back after school for a telling off.

Hello to working a day of overtime this week.  That's the trouble with not working half term holidays, the work you would have done in that week still has to be done.

Hello to the new shed moving from 6 pieces of wood on the ground to an actual structure. This involves a friend coming over to help and beer.  Which will explain any slight inaccuracies, leaky roofs or less than perfect corner joints.

Hello to trying to convince my husband that he does want to come and see The Great Gatsby with me.  Will it live up to the Robert Redford one that I loved and saw four times in the 70s?

Hello to trying out the new 'Bapas' menu at Le Belgique. The Belgian version of Tapas.  When we originally spoke about going, we had visions of sitting outside on the patio on a warm Spring evening. Somehow I think it's going to be a table for four inside near a heater.

Hello to the week before half term.  To not having to wear a sarong at all unless we have a sudden heat wave (unlikely). 

Race for Life

This morning thousands of women will be congregating at Harlow town park to run or walk either 10k or 5k in the Cancer Research Race for Life.  There will be people who have cancer, people who have survived cancer or people who have lost family or friends to this awful disease.   

Thousands of women, all touched by this in some part of their life.  I took part three times in the past and it is such an emotional event when you look at that sea of people, all of whom have one thing in common - A personal reason to raise some money and find a cure.  I only ever jogged/walked the 5k route, but this year my daughter is running the 10k in memory of my lovely mum who died in December 1997. 

Good luck, my gorgeous girl 

And any other duties you may be requested to do

That's the final point on my job description.  As a school secretary you assume it may mean filing, ringing up parents, consoling upset students - maybe even looking after a stray dog that turns up on the premises.  All of which I have done.  But the other duty that I unenthusiastically take on is to assist in the final work experience  briefing to Year 10 students. 

For this is the one where we discuss the nitty gritty of work experience, what to expect, how to act and what to wear.  In previous years we just said 'suitable smart office clothing' (unless they are going to work in a stables or an animal rescue centre where clearly this would not be sensible!) Then came the fateful year of 2011 when a young lady doing work experience at the local Catholic Primary School turned up wearing a leopard print bra top underneath a skimpy 'playsuit' which comprised of a very short pair of shorts. Oh yes, someone's mother saw their daughter go out the door wearing that and thought 'ah, doesn't she look smart for her first day of work experience.' Needless to say, the headteacher took one look, sent her home to change and we realised that we needed to be a little more specific. 

So my friend who is in overall control of work experience decided it would be fun (?) for us to take the final briefing assembly dressed inappropriately.  Her in her poshest evening dress with gold bolero top and very elaborate jewellery (well we ask for smart!) and me in sarong, flip flops, sunglasses and this year, a floppy sun hat (we tell them to be comfortable and in clothes suitable for a warm sunny day).  I suggested that this year we swap roles and I do the posh outfit but she pulled rank on me and that was that.

So, today's the day.  I thought I had got out of it as the Headteacher wanted me involved in a meeting with the Senior Leadership team at the time the assembly was.  But it was agreed that as I was such an integral part of the assembly (clearly no one else rocks the sarong look like me) I could take part in the first half and then leave when it got to the part where it is mainly powerpoint presentation and the Comic Relief Catherine Tate/Tony Blair sketch.  Providing everything ran to time, I could divert into the loo and get changed before joining the great and the good in the Head's office. 

10 minutes before we started, I tiptoed down the corridor to the Ladies so that I could get changed.  I don't always tiptoe in school (because that would just be silly) but it's exam time and we have to be silent outside the hall. So like Wonderwoman spinning in a phone box, I entered the Ladies in smart black trousers, high heels and a top and came out in a multi-coloured sarong and flip flops. Looked left and right, no one around, I could escape to the main office without anyone seeing me.  Tiptoe past the hall and as I almost make it to the swing doors of reception I see the Head of Drama heading towards me.  He's kind of new to the school, only ever knows me as the part time lady in the office, his jaw literally dropped, a frown appeared on his brow and his lips made the silent shape of 'What????'.  Shortly before they changed into a large grin of 'what DO you look like?!'  

Anyhow, as I said, if all went to plan, I could make my change back comfortably and take my place in the meeting.  Only it didn't run to time, did it?  The Head of Year took forever to register the girls and we ended up starting about 10 minutes late.

Which is how I ended up taking part in an important meeting with the Head wearing just a sarong and flip flops.

Next year I'm insisting on the posh dress.



Simply a moment in May

The room is completely dark, except for one slim slice of moonlight creeping through the gap between blind and windowsill.  I try to guess the time.  It must be later than midnight as the depth of the darkness shows that no streetlights are on.  It feels as if I have not slept at all, despite coming to bed at 10.45, reading a little until about 11 and then switching off the light.

I can hear the rhythmic snoring of P laying beside me.  I envy him his sleeping.  I am not aware of any issues playing on my mind which would keep me from falling asleep, yet who knows what the subconscious may be dwelling upon.  I try to clear my mind. The more I try to think of nothing, the more random thoughts appear.  The relaxation techniques learnt at ante natal classes many years ago make me feel relaxed but still sleep evades me.  I reach out to the clock to give it a brief tap.  The illuminated figures 12.45 shine out at me.  I try to recall the winding down exercises that end any exercise class.  Control my breathing.  The silence of the house encompasses me.  The daytime sounds of heating and water pipes and the comfort they bring are missing.  I sigh deeply, trying to make my body feel as heavy as possible.  Warm, heavy, relaxed.  Something, somewhere has worked.  Next time I open my eyes, the room is light, the heating is on, cars are driving past outside the window and birds are singing.

This post is written in conjunction with an idea from Alexa   A monthly moment in time.

Hello Monday

Hello , it's been many a Monday since I joined in with this

Hello to the 2nd dog training class. I hope we have done enough homework

Hello to the pieces of the new shed arriving. My husband has been preparing and clearing the end of the garden for this for weeks. What is it about men and sheds?

Hello to 2 meals out with friends this week

Hello to sending off my package for The Big Swap of Very Small Things

Hello to having to stand on stage wearing a sarong in front of 160 fifteen year old girls in Friday ( best you don't ask)

Sub zero

Of course, having just had the hottest two days of the year so far, it's totally inappropriate to have a blog post entitled Sub Zero, but having made a layout for the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, it was only right and proper that I should make a layout to show the other part of my surprise day out in London with Rachel.  She had arranged for us to have cocktails at the Ice Bar in London and I had lots of photos to choose from.  I knew that this was an ideal project to do in the morning at the crop on Saturday when we are free to work on our own layouts before the class in the afternoon.  I chose 3 photos and browsed the internet for layouts using a trio of pictures.  Then I gathered all the papers etc that I wanted to use and promptly forgot to print off any of the sketches I had found.  It wasn't the only thing I forgot that day.  I managed to leave my cutting board and guillotine at home too.  Yes, they are kind of important parts of a scrapbooking day - funny how the obvious things somehow get overlooked.  Maybe I was just overexcited about the thoughts of those cupcakes ...

Anyhow this is the layout I came up with

 

 

One of the snowflakes may, or may not, be covering up a tiny bit of cupcake icing that accidentally got dropped on the cardstock. 

 

Whilst there I got to see the start of Karen's contribution to Cate's Baby Shower that Deb is hosting at the end of this month.  Needless to say that having seen how beautifully hers is already, it is making me seriously reconsider what I was planning to do! 
Coco and I are off to a one-to-one dog training class tomorrow where I am being trained to be brave enough to let her off the lead.  She's a bit of an escape artist if anyone leaves the front door open and I need to know how to get her to come back - quickly and reliably.  It seems to be a family trait, my son used to be one of those kids who would head for the hills as soon as you let go of his hand.  I sat him down one day and said to him 'now what would you do if you got so far ahead of me that when you stopped and turned round, you couldn't find me?  Wouldn't you be worried?' to which he replied 'I don't have to worry Mum, you love me so much you would always come and find me'  There was no answer to that was there? 

Cupcakes and Minibooks

There are many good parts to going to a EK crop.  First, the obvious.  Lovely ladies to chat with.  Second, equally obvious - cupcakes.  As this month's crop was on International Scrapbooking Day, Karen had made commemorative cupcakes.  Yummy with a capital Yum! 

 



oh dear, one's gone already!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thirdly, the opportunity to learn new things.  This month Sandie took the class and she had designed a little mini book for us.  When the requirement list was sent out it called for about 14 photos.  The last time I'd been out and taken a lot of photos was my birthday and I've already done a few layouts using those.  14 photos, hmmm what could I use?  Then I remembered the photos that the rest of the family took on their 3 Peaks challenge - what a perfect way to use those.  It turned out that they were an ideal theme for the book as Sandie had brought some totally appropriate stamps along with her with the theme of journeys.

I spent Sunday afternoon putting the finishing touches to the mini book and I'm really pleased with how it turned out, I think it's a great thing to have learnt and I will definitely have a go at making another one.  {Might need to get Sandie's phone number on speed dial in case I've forgotten something crucial!} 

The book has a boxy cover with a concertina of pages inside.  I really like it, although it's not that easy to show it off to it's full advantage!  I've done my best and hope you get the idea.  The thing that is clever about it is that there is plenty of scope for hidden journaling or adding more pictures under various flaps. 

 

Actually, my husband and 2 friends are going on a cycling holiday to Germany next month.  Maybe I'll use this technique to display any photos they take. They fly out to Frankfurt and follow the river, every day they stay in the next town/village along the route and the holiday company transport their luggage to the next destination.  Three middle aged men on bikes, cycling along the riverside in June - it just begs for the title 'Last of the Summer Rhein'! {This pun may not be obvious to anyone outside of UK tv}