lip pressing, eye welling, mouth twitching, tear jerking, heart swelling, face laughing, SCHOOL PLAY!

You may click on the video, but to anyone who isn't a parent of one of these children, it's VERY VERY BORING! The end is nice though, this was the finale - 120 kids on the stage at the same time!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2MXSxCtbXDc

Well, I had a weird NIGHT last night. Firstly, I was awakened at about 2.45am to the sound of a man's voice. Waking suddenly, with heart pounding I realised that Andy had had a call from work and was talking to someone on his phone in the sitting room. When he came back we had a brief chat and then I tried to get back to sleep. Then my phone made a weird unfamiliar noise. We had a bit of an argument as to whose phone had made the noise until I was forced to get up and check. It was mine, it was my phone reminding me that I had Alice's parents evening at 3.45 PM and it was telling me at 3.30 AM! Obviously I should have used the 24 hour clock. Doh!

Then as I was getting to sleep there was a strange light, like a mobile phone light. But I had turned mine off lest it interrupt me again. Andy and I had a brief argument as to what this light might have been. I then lay in bed for a long time in anxiety that someone with a torch was wandering around the house!! Andy, got up for work at his usual time (5am) and I slept fitfully until getting up time 6am! Bloody hell! Is all I can say.

Yesterday, I spent three hours on my allotment! This is how it currently looks!

As you can see, (those of you who might have a modicum of interest - that'll be just Meg then, I have dug the foreground. The background is still ploughed field. My neighbour (him with the black bags) gave me loads of seed potatoes and the neighbour on the other side gave me loads of onion sets. The field warden, took pity on me when I said how I loved rhubarb but only have one plant and divided his up for me. I now have a row of rhubarb! Oh joy!


UPDATE: JUST FOUND OUT THAT MY DREAM HOUSE HAS SOLD TO SOMEONE ELSE. NOW I HAVE HOUSE BUYER'S TOURETTES! (oh f**k, b****r, b*****d!)

A bit of Wood, a bit of Wind!

My weekend has had woodwind at either end of it!

I shall begin. On Friday, with my friend N, (so annoying these initials, let's call her Nic - for that is her name!). We were going to go to a giant plant and shrub sale and we did. But first Nic had chores to do. Firstly, she had to take two saxophones to a man who mends saxophones (among other things). This might sound boring but it wasn't! We drove out into the wilds and stopped outside a fally downy cottage. We stepped inside to find a fally downy kitchen, all beams and oak floors. But lo and behold the back bit of the cottage had been removed and fantastic high ceilinged oak framed extension had been built, overlooking this man's fantastic garden! There he sat at his table surrounded by sick and broken woodwind instruments. He said we could wait while he fixed the sax so we did. He plied us with expresso coffee and mixed nuts and raisins and we sat for a lovely hour talking about how much we hated estate agents and solicitors, discussing vegetable growing and his teenage son's love affairs. What a fantastic man! I came away thinking what a lovely man and how lucky I am to have a glimpse into people's lives who I probably wouldn't otherwise have come across.

The next 'chore' (if you can call it that) was to take the dog for a walk. Nic took me (and the dog) to Alton Water, a giant boating/wildlife reservoir nearby. It was fantastic. Quiet, peaceful and teeming with bird life. And to top it all, the sun came out!

I was feeling so happy that I gushed to Nic 'I'm so happy I met you'. And instead of getting embarrassed she said 'I'm so happy I met you too! - aaaaahhhhh.

Then we had lunch at her house and on to the plant show. Which was as you would expect, full of plants. (I bought quite a lot)

Today, oldest (who's back) had to go to the Secondary school she will be attending in September for a music day. (Woodwind and percussion). She plays the piano but today was put on bongo's, tambourine and all manner of other stuff. There was a concert for the parents at 4pm. Here's a tip: If you ever want to stop yourself crying, press your lips together really hard. It kind of works..... Just listening to all those children making wonderful music just swells your heart and your eyes well up! It was fabulous. They played with older kids too. When they played Here, There and Everywhere, I had to really press my lips together, hard.

No time Toulouse

Looking at Lettuce's picture of me from behind I am reminded of how BADLY I need a haircut and a spring set of highlights. I've only had my hair cut once since I arrived in the nether lands (of East Anglia) because the cut was awful, I looked about 6- but in a bad way. I haven't dared to make another appointment at another hairdressers yet. I think I will wait until the Easter holidays and go in London (coward that I am). I heard the other day from someone that they had their hair highlighted and had to go back because it didn't show. I asked, how did they do it and she said, with a hat and they pulled the hair through (like a home highlight kit). Can you believe that salons still do that? My hairdresser (in Greenwich, who I love and revere) used foils and then put me under some lamp to speed up the process. I was only in there for about 2 and a half hours instead of the whole day as used to be the case.

That reminds me that I didn't mention the White Supremecist woman I met last Friday at a 'laydee's who lunch' lunch did I? Well, my nice friend W, thought it would be nice to get some of her friends together for a lunch at a restaurant. I only knew W and N, all the others were mums from the private school her son goes to. Well, I sat next to this woman, who I shall dub 'D Terre Blanche'. I was very diplomatic. I shouldn't have been. N said to me afterwards that she daren't open her mouth for fear of what she might say to this rascist woman, who prefixed her sentences with 'I'm not racsist but.....'. God, sometimes! This woman, had moved from Eltham in the last couple of years!! (Which is where I worked, and Betty still does). The school where I worked (and Betty still) is a real wonderful 'melting pot' of different cultures. It's wonderful. I loved it for that very reason. I love multiculturalism. Yes, there can be problems, but I'd rather that than all white middle class enclaves. Oooooh you should have heard this woman......I should have clouted her. Grrrrrr.

Anyway, that's all for today. Soon I will publish the story of 'How I met my husband' and 'the day I had lunch with Jeff Beck' but I haven't got time. I'm off to a giant 'Plant and Shrub sale ' with N at the Suffolk Show Ground! Oooh I know how to live, me. H is coming home today (hooray) and we are all going to Pizza Express tonight to celebrate her homecoming. (hubby's suggestion!)

Have a great weekend everyone.

Setting the record straight

Well, as I was saying to Lettuce recently and Le Chat mentioned it too that my poor husband, Andy (for that is his name) comes out looking like the husband from hell on this blog. Which has been making feel bad, for he's not, not in the least. J'adore mon mari - in a 'we've been married for 16 years this May' - kind of way.

Not only is he handsome and very fit (a big plus at our age), he is also kind, and fiercely loyal to those he loves. He has a very strong sense of duty and if he was your friend he wouldn't keep in touch very often but he would come to your aid the minute you needed him. I can depend on him 100%. He is in no way a 'flaky' person. He works hard and takes his responsibilities extremely seriously. He has supported (and paid for) me to take a degree and part of my masters. He never complains when I go out, or go abroad with friends. More importantly, he allows me to be me. I could say much more but it's not necessary. (Ah, James Taylor has just come on the radio - You've got a friend - how apt.) He loves me, and I love him. There we go. Now can I go back to complaining about him now?

Here is a video of Andy dancing. He is the less visible one on the right. The other one is my brother in law, Kevin. The little one is my youngest and the one who runs in to protect her poor father from being laughed at at the end is our oldest.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3-s9ewST_iI

And while I am feel technically clever, here is a video of youngest doing something silly. Please keep your eyes on her (not the cat)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAYqwHf93R0

Feel Good Factor

Robert Downey Jnr, if you stay off the drugs, I'll marry you.

I went to my book club last night. Last time I went there were seven of us. Last night there were thirteen. The book we read was 'Let's Talk about Kevin' by Lionel Shriver. If you haven't read this book I recommend it if you want to feel really depressed! (Not a good choice if you've just been turned down for PGCE/job or having trouble with your child!!!) Having said that I did enjoy the book, the story was 'interesting' and it was really well written. It caused a great deal of discussion in our book club I can tell you. During a discussion about 'nature over nurture', one woman said that when her daughter was old enough to talk and up to the age of about four, kept telling her that she wasn't her mummy, her real mummy was dead, and she had brothers and sisters and that her real name was Elizabeth. This woman firmly believed in re-incarnation for this reason! Her daughter is now six and doesn't remember her 'former' family (!!). (Make of that what you will!) Anyway, a merry time was had by all and I left 'my perfect friends R's' house at 11.45! I'd had way too many salty snacks and felt 'hungover' this morning so I forewent breakfast thinking 'I ate too much last night, I'll just have fruit when I feel hungry up until lunch'. However, as I meandered around Ipswich this morning buying petrol and seeds and stuff, my eyes rested upon a packet of Bombay Mix, my hand picked them up and paid for them and my mouth ate them! Note to self: When these magazines tell you having a good breakfast will prevent cravings later on - BELIEVE THEM!

While checking my other blog I happened to notice a comment left by a certain JW. These initials happen to be my father's. I really don't want my parents infiltrating my blog even though I have nothing to hide. (Must have got the blogspot from my brother who had it for the VERY RICH FRIEND (who incidentally has NOT contacted me). I'm beginning to worry that with detective work he will find his way from that blog to this. (see me knawing my fingernails)

Well, that house, here are some more pictures as everyone seemed to love it so much (including me) - if we have a whip round do you think we could muster up another 20 thousand pounds to secure the deal? Agent phoned me to say they said 'thank you for the offer, we might consider it in a couple of months if property hasn't sold'. When questioned, agent also told me that 'there are people all over it and all of them bar one is in a position to proceed' . Hummmm, am I to believe that or not? He also said that this kind of property attracts developers (duh) and doctors and dentists wanting to set up practices. Now in my naive way I'm thinking that this house has been in the same family for 50 years, the children who are now selling this house, might in some sentimental way, want their family home to go to another family and as the money they will make on the property is all profit then 'let's give them their just over ten percent discount and let them have the house and all the lovely trendy/retro furniture it and throw in the first edition books too). Aaaaahhhhhh, I may never wake up from this dream....

Rabbit, Rabbit

This is what I saw when I opened my curtains last week. These darn critters are ruining my lawn! Good job it's not my lawn then, isn't it?




Well, I have hauled myself up by the bootstraps out of a slough of despondency to write this blog. Might as well get the depressing news out of the way; I didn't get on the PGCE course. I decided not to take it as a personal failure as they wrote me a lovely letter saying I was on the waiting list and there were 12 people going for four places. Even so, can't help feeling down. It just means I have to think of something else. I've looked online at other PGCE courses but they are all full for 2006 and even if I got on one it would mean either travelling UP to Norwich or DOWN to Colchester which would be fine but it's an added stress when you have kids. The application forms are so darn long winded as well. I can't remember what year I did my O'level English, and all other things I have done over the years. Blah blah bloody blah. Don't sound too positive do I? Hubby, upset me further by saying the letter they sent was generic and don't set any store by it. (In other words 'you were shit'). I'm constantly having to tell myself 'of course you are brilliant, you've achieved so much in your life' and then I think 'I'm forty one and I have NO career, HE earns all the money, what the f**k am I going to do?). I'm having a little cry now as I write this, didn't know I was that down about it. Maybe I should go back and wallow in my slough of despondency!

Hubby thinks I really should concentrate on my art. Sometimes, I just don't know what's stopping me. I think it's so hard to get motivated to paint especially when one doesn't have 'a room of one's own'. (or indeed a 'house' of one's own!). But maybe it's deeper than that! (fear of failure? lack of confidence?)

The owners of the house we made an offer on finally came back to us last night as we were looking around another house that we liked more!! However, the house we liked more is a wreck and much more expensive! But, it made us think that the 'house we made an offer on' is not exactly what we want - the garden is too small and the back bit of the house is also too small. So we're going to withdraw our offer today! Hubby says 'nyah nyah nyah' to the vendor and estate agent for being so TARDY! He says I should say something to that effect when I ring up - but we have to deal with this estate agent and it's not a good idea for them to think you're 'arsy' (oooh this Tourettes is really taking hold now)

Here's a picture of the house we saw yesterday and quite frankly fell in love with despite the fact is nearly falling down! It belonged to an old person who is 'no longer with us'. You should have seen the amount of books. One whole bookshelf for penguin paperpacks - looked like first editions!

There was a walk in larder and the wall paper looked like something the V&A would be interested in!

Discussing it last night:

Hubby: We can't afford it. It's too much
Me: I'll shop at Morrisons and Lidl!
Hubby: You know you won't
Me: I will, I will

Guess, who won? Moi! We made an offer today but it was a low one. All we could afford. If it's meant to be it's meant to be! (whoever said that was a twat, it's a load of crap (feck))


Well, you know, I've had a little cry writing this (well, quite a big blub actually). Please don't write back nice encouraging comments because I will just cry further. I'm OK, really. I'm a very positive person but we all have blips now and again. And to add to all my lachrymosity (sp?) or lachrymoseness (!) or even moroseness, oldest has gone away with the school for week and I can't go in her room because it makes me miss her too much!

And on a brighter note....... If you happened to venture out in the cold on Saturday and wondered where all the middle class, middle aged women were they were with me and Lettuce at the Country Living Show in London. Where a good time was had by all!

More of the same....

I think I have seasonal affective disorder with Tourettes. Every time I step outside the door I swear like Hugh Grant and that poor woman who died of an asthma attack at the beginning of Four Weddings and a Funeral!

Well, hubby came home last night. Me and the girls were at Olympic swimming so didn't arrive home until 9. We all had a bit of 'family time' and then we put the girls to bed. After doing this is was about 9.40 and hubby then said he was knackered and had to go to bed too. Feeling that we just hadn't communicated for four days I texted him this morning and asked; 'do you love me?' to which he replied 'Yup, why what have you done?' (!!!!)

I then asked him what he wanted for his birthday (week after next) to which he replied with an email with all the links in to what he wants! I haven't bothered to see what they are yet, but I can guess they are either DVD's or books on, yes, you've guessed it, cycling. The man's obsessed!

Thought I'd try this:

1. Name of band/artist: The Floyd
2. Are you male or female: Matilda Mother
3. Describe yourself: Comfortably numb
4. How do you feel about yourself: Marooned
5. Describe your exgirlfriend/boyfriend: Paranoid eyes
6. Describe current girlfriend/boyfriend: High hopes
7. Describe where you want to be: Fletcher memorial home
8. Describe how you live: Get your filthy hands off my desert!
9. Describe how you love: Wearing the inside out!
10.What would you ask for if you had just one wish? Money
11. Share a few words of wisdom: Run like hell
12. Now say goodbye: Goodbye cruel world

Dr Clementi in ER is HOT! I think spring is on the way because I feel the sap rising! (Despite the SAD Tourettes)

PS: No news!

Oh yes, finally, the house we made an offer on. We made a low offer which wasn't exactly rejected. They said 'well, if it's still not sold in a few weeks we might consider it' . But today the estate agent phoned to say that there might be another offer coming in ten grand higher than our offer and they can proceed. He asked us if we wanted to up our offer. I said I'd discuss it with my husband and phone him in the morning. Discussing it with A tonight we concluded that we just aren't sure that what the estate agent said was true. Is he just saying this to make us increase our offer? There's just no way of knowing, these estate agents are so unscrupulous. We've made a decision that we are prepared to pay ten more than our offer so that's what we'll offer tomorrow.

This and that, that and this.

Well, firstly for those logging on to see my news....there is none. Postman brought not a sausage of news. Apart from a pair of earrings and a sock, sent by C that I'd left on a floor somewhere. Something official addressed to both me and hubby that I haven't bothered to open and will leave for him to open tonight when he gets back (somewhere where he can find it of course!!) (Not in the bathroom as I sometimes do....whoops). Our front door is in such a stupid place round the back of the house by the bedrooms that I pick up the post and I'm half a mile from the kitchen which is where most people put their post, so quite often wander into one of the bedrooms to do something and put the post down somewhere....(must try harder).

Yesterday, after school we were supposed to have one of youngest's friends to tea. We haven't had this little girl before. Anyway, when I got to school to pick them all up her father came up to me to say that J couldn't come. He's not English (Phillipine) and his English is poor so it was rather hard to get to the reason why J couldn't come even though he'd agreed last week. I think it was something to do with J's mother who never picks J up. Maybe it's because she just didn't want her little girl going to tea at a strangers. To be honest I don't blame her, they don't know me from Adam, and what with it all being a new culture for them. Needless, to say, poor J, was in pieces. A has her birthday party coming up in a couple of weeks so we will make sure J gets an invitation to that, we will even offer to pick her up and take her home if it helps.

I had a tennis lesson today. We worked on my serve (and boy does it need work). We played outside and dare I say that the wind had a little less ice in it than yesterday and the sun tried to shine and felt warm....should I get my hopes up?

And finally, Emma Thompson, yes Emma Thompson. I read an article about her yesterday and the journalist said that Emma Thompson was the same age as Madonna. Madonna has been doing yoga 24/7 for ten years (maybe it's her blog Lettuce?) but Emma looks better than her even though she just does a bit of jogging in her back garden. Well, I say, bo****ks to that! Of course, Emma Thompson has had work done, and had a personal trainer. There's no way she could just all of a sudden at 47 (or whatever) look that good. I just don't believe it! I saw her in Tate Britain a couple of years ago and she did look good in the flesh actually. She had really lovely honey coloured skin. (She was with her husband, her child and the child's nanny - well with one child and you take the nanny out with you on a family outing - what's that all about then? -no wonder age hasn't withered her. Bet she doesn't have hands that do dishes. )Looking at these pictures she's definitely had eye work done! (Note to Betty, I wonder if Heat magazine had run something like this yet. Do you still get it?)

Rant over. I'm off to the allotment in a mo to meet R (woman with Pink Floyd pictures, remember?). We are going to dig together (hers at her plot, me at mine and then meet up for a flask of something that she is bringing!) By the way, she owns a cake shop in a nearby village and makes all the cakes every morning for said shop. I will ask her about recipes!

Ice Station bloody Ipswich

I'm so fed up of this cold that I feel I've been done out of a spring. All around me spring is springing - crocuses are out, daffodils are budding, forsythia is nearly budding, flowering currant is putting on growth but still it's SO DARN COLD. So I've decided to post a nice, summery photo of Lettuce, Tat and two of her girls in Perp last spring (I took the photo)

I'm confused. I heard on the radio this morning that they can now de-fur your clogged arteries with a drug. They said that they could never do that before. Does that mean that if you are overweight your arteries are clogged and there's nothing you can do? So losing weight and taking exercise doesn't improve the arteries? As I said, I'm confused.

If I play my cards right this week I can manage to play tennis every day!! I played with my friend W yesterday, tonight is club night - N has offered to have the girls at hers (with her older kids) while we play, tomorrow I have a coaching session, Thursday is 'laydees' for two hours, and Friday? probably collapse in a heap somewhere.

I haven't had anything in the post regarding a yay or nay for the course. Tomorrow hopefully....
Also no news on house, we've made the offer, they are thinking....

Boring old blogger today...... (cold, confused and cantankerous)

Look, look!

My amaryllis has sprouted some more leaves (they were probably there before but I turned the plant round!)

I had a great weekend with C and B (apart from rather too much dog talk). You see when all the blogsters discussed the merits or otherwise of dog ownership on Tat's blog, noone mentioned the risk of becoming a DOG BORE! I plan to have my revenge soon. When (and indeed if) we ever become a house owner again we intend to get ourselves two dogs (one after the other I'm told is best - you see I nearly became one then!). By which time they will be bored of talking about their dogs but I won't!

Actually, it was wonderful to catch up with them and their children after six months. The kids are all growing up, the oldest B's is 15 next month! We've been meeting up on a regular basis like this since she was a tiny tot and before mine and c's youngests were born. But we have been friends since primary school, did sixth form together, B and I moved up to London and lived together for a bit in London (until I found a flat share), a few years later I spent a year in Brighton with B (whilst she was training to be a midwife) - one of the best year's of my life in fact! All the while, C was popping in and out of our lives - she was married already but her hubby was away for long periods (RAF then) so we have all partied together over the years!

However, we did remark that now we are just past the 40 marks we no longer have the stamina or drinking ability we once had. At about half past midnight, as we were talking C dropped off in her chair before our very eyes! There was nothing we could do to rouse her to go to bed so we left her there and carried on chatting. One hour later she woke and up and joined in the conversation as if she'd never been asleep - power napping at it's best.

Her pilot husband is about to go part time as he's just had enough of jetting around the world - he keeps telling me that having an eight day stopover in Cuba or Goa gets REALLY BORING after years of doing it!! (I seem to remember him taking his guitar, and doing the Telegraph hard crossword to do with his co-pilot as they were flying over the oceans of the world! -hold that image next time you fly long haul - I won't tell you which airline it is). They have a dream of living in France and have bought an enormous ex-presbytery near Tats which they are gradually doing up until the final move when the kids are in Uni (only eight years to go!).

Well, today might be interesting......might hear whether I got on the course or not. Might get our offer accepted on the house I saw last week and hubby saw on Saturday.

Hubby has gone to Edinburgh today until Wednesday. As I write he is getting on the plane! I wonder if the pilot is planning on doing the Sudoku? (Only one hour to Edinburgh from Stanstead so would have to be the 'gentle' one!)

Playing Catchup!

Well, I've had a busy few days and I have to thank you all for working so hard on winning me the Easter Prize at my childrens' school. I will post a picture of me eating all the lovely chocolate, OK? (btw I haven't won it yet, but I will....muhahahahhahaha).

Tuesday night I went to 'Club night' at my local tennis club. Club members just turn up and play doubles with whoever is there. I was a little apprehensive as I thought I would be so much worse than everyone. I can play quite well but I'm quite sporadic. There are some wondrous shots and some pants ones. I played again this morning and we 'perfected' our backhand slice. I really feel like my tennis is, at last coming together. I'm really thinking about it and my positioning in doubles is getting much more second nature.


Anyway, that's enough tennis (yawn). Last night hubby and I WENT OUT - ON OUR OWN!
Well not quite on our own. I think there were another 800 or so people with us! We went to see this man. Oh, how funny he was. It's a long time since I've seen a stand up comic - maybe 8 years. The only joke from last night that I can remember is this one:

"In Ireland they don't have 'illegal' and 'legal' they have 'oh, that's grand', 'oh, you're taking the piss' and 'oh, you've gone too far now' (say it in an Irish accent it's funnier).

My friend N's daughter babysat for us....which was nice.

Oh, yes, and yesterday I went to Bury St Edmunds with my big sis (I have two big sis's but the other one lives in Bangladesh so don't assume it was her, haha. Although she probably would have come if she could have. She's also a GOOD shopper - if I remember rightly she spent nearly three hours in our local TK Maxx one year (they don't have many shopping opportunities in Dhaka as you can imagine). Anyway, I digress, we had a lovely time, coffee, shopping, lunch (Tapas), shopping, home. I bought a luvverly pure silk dress in East for £20 in the sale (orig price £99). And yes, it does fit, and yes, I do like it!


And here is today's Amaryllis watch! It's definitely grown hasn't it, doctor. (sorry I keep repeating that joke but I can't help it)

















Oh, and here are the latest graves. As promised they are related to the porn industry. I apologize now for some of them being VERY VERY BAD TASTE!



Hmmm, we'll say no more about those!

I'm away tomorrow night until Saturday night. Every six months, me and the kids meet up with two old and extremely good friends and their kids. It was B's wedding I went to way back before Christmas when I was still a Londoner. We haven't seen each other since then so we have some catching up to do. I really love these friends. One of them B, went through a nasty divorce a few years ago and myself and C (my other friend) pulled the stops out to support her through the dark days...we had fun along the way too! It's brought us all very close and we are very supportive of each other. But more to the point, they are a great laugh and love alcohol!! Both C and B have now got dogs, so looking forward to meeting them. We are meeting at C's house as we usually do because her husband is a long haul pilot and so we are completely 'sans men' apart from their two sons who are rapidly growing up!

Bon weekend a tous!

normal service will resume soon

Sorry about the lack of blog. Bin busy innit? Went to see another house today and looked at the one we made an offer on again. Took my friend N for her opinion. The house we made an offer on is much smaller on second visit (isn't it always the way) but might still make a higher offer (first one was rejected). Anyway, too boring to go on about. When there is something to say, I will say it.

In the meantime here are some clues for my daughters' Easter School Quiz. We have most of them but these we can't get. They are all sweets or chocolates..... (eg. Turkish Delight, Mars etc)

1. Tom Cruise in Top Gun
2. Easily blown
3. Lost them...?
4. Middle position poetically
5. Lie flat to paddle canoe
6. Mind you don't get these in the middle of the night


If you can do them, I'll share the prize with you, (virtually you understand, there's no way I'm sharing chocolate with anyone!)

Just on a sad note. I heard on the news that Christopher Reeve's widow has died aged 44 of lung cancer. That's sad isn't it?

I'm off to Bury St Edmunds for the day tomorrow with my big sis. I hardly ever see her as she works nearly all the time, but she has a day off tomorrow. Posh shops here we come!

oh crap!

hello, it's eeyore here. Feeling a little despondent about my interview. I am just too blaze for words. I think I should have prepared more (how many times have I said that in life?)

Most of it went well. I had to 'interview' four children about their thoughts on school uniforms while being observed. That was fine. (I think). Then I had to do a 'critical appreciation of a poem' which was also fine (I enjoyed it, in fact). It was just the interview. Most of the stuff was OK but then he asked me what aspect of educational research interested me and that I had been reading about recently. Well, I had to admit that I hadn't been reading anything about it - doh! But sort of flannelled my way about talking about Academies and secondary school changes. Probably clear to him that I didn't know that much. He also asked me about the last book I had read. I was able to talk about it but he asked really deep GCSE questions about what I liked about it. Heck, I read for pleasure, not analysis!!! He asked me what book I'd really LOVE to teach and why! Double bloody hell! Didn't see that one coming! I said Othello, because I love Othello and really enjoyed helping the teacher teach it in my last job. I harped on about the themes being universal and all that, but he said, it wasn't a Citizenship lesson I was teaching, tell me about the iambic pentameter. Shit again!!!! I was OK on questions like 'what would you do if a child was being disruptive in the class' that was OK. Other questions like 'what can be done with a Smart Board' which was also OK. I don't know.....

By the way there are twenty interviewees chasing four places! I thought there would be loads of us and I would have the advantage because of my experience, but the other two interviewees I saw were both 'mature' women who both worked in schools as teaching assistants. One of them had been a journalist. I'm not a negative person, but I don't think I'm going to get it. The sad thing is I think I'll make a good teacher but whether they saw any of that is another matter.

Ho hum, will hear next week. Fingers crossed.

It was nice being in a school again and sitting in a staff room. Funny, all female teachers seem to shop at the same place! Same place as me, probably! I like the way teachers dress! Slightly quirky, not too officy and interesting jewellery.

Well, made an offer on this house

Those of you who know me will be thinking 'but that's the same house as she moved from, fancy upping sticks and leaving for the country and ending up in a house exactly the same as the one she moved from' . Well, we were never that fussy, we loved our old house except for the fact we were a terrace, this one is end of terrace and you can get down the side to the back. The other one had a tiny front garden and no offstreet parking. This one has a larger front garden AND off street parking. The old one had a narrow hall which annoyed us. This one has a slightly wider hall which won't annoy us as much. This one also has a south facing garden - which is a BIG plus. It also has four bedrooms, a downstairs shower room, utility room as well as two reception rooms and kitchen. The only thing worrying hubby is where to put the bikes - eternal question. But there really is not much on the market and this house is affordable and in a prime, sought after location right next to the park. Well, the offer is in, let's wait and see.

early one morning, just as the sun was rising, i heard a maiden worrying in the house by the cemetery

(title to be sung - remember that song?)

Just to say I have my interview this morning (three hours of it!) 9 - 12. Can't think of anything else but 'why do I want to teach' (that is actually quite a hard one to answer if I don't want to sound like a Miss World contestant - "oh, I just LURVE teenagers and I just want to spread joy and happiness and knowledge to the youth of today, who are our future" (barf)

What could you bring to the course? "Oh, my enthusiasm and LURVE for the subject. It's all I've EVER wanted to do" (double barf)

No, don't worry those of you who might be teacherly inclined (that's quite a few of you who read this blog), I'll come up with something better than that in the two hours I have before it starts.....aaaargghhhhh.

See you on the other side!

Stuff!

I spent the whole of yesterday having fun! But paid the price for it later in the form of 'grumpy hubby' who accused me of being lax and disorganised and 'how can you ever hope to be a teacher if you are this disorganised' - well that was below the belt. He has no idea how organised I am. I'm just not anally repressed like dear hubby! He's forty six years old, soon to be forty seven and I'm a bit worried he's becoming like those middle aged men who just can't have fun or relax, and spends all his time pottering in his garage and straightening his edges. You can always tell a male gardener in suburbia because their gardens are SO neat, and their edges are SO straight and trimmed. They like nothing better than keeping hedges clipped and fences painted. Well, that's what he's becoming. I must try and avert this disaster and try to stave off his middle agedness. Anyway, luckily hubby DOESN'T do gardens. I do! I'm pleased to say my edges and borders will always be blowsy and overgrown but full of flowers and colour and interest!

I place a lot of importance on building up my social life because if I don't I will be lonely and I've been lonely before when I had just had H, our oldest. I'd finished work, was at home with a baby and had NO friends nearby. You just don't make them when you work in central London and only see your house in the evenings. (I'd never heard of the NCT or mother and baby groups!). I was lonely, and I didn't like that feeling. Now it is eleven years later and I recognise and now know that if you want to make friends you have to go out and make them, they won't come to you! So that is why I took up 'N's offer yesterday after tennis of going down into town and having coffee and generally looking at shops. Yes, aimless and achieving no goals but a hundred million times more important than straightening my edges, and putting the post(mail) in a place he could find it (which was what his grump was all about to start with).

Hmmph. In his defence I have to say that, yes, he is extremely infuriating in many ways but makes up for it in others! You see, I feel guilty now. (catholic upbringing!)

Anyway, no laxness or lazyness for me today! We have 'The W's' from London coming for weekend tomorrow. Really looking forward to seeing them but I'd better go and do some food shopping and clean the bathrooms. Oh yes, and strip the bed and wash the sheets which haven't been done since Lettuce's visit at half term. (lazy, moi?)

The landlord phoned last night to say he's bringing someone round next Friday who is VERY interested in buying the house. If this person wants to buy it then we will HAVE to be out by 1st June. So no pressure to go and BUY a house then! OMG, OMG, OMG!

Here's today's memorial of the moment.... today's themes are biblical/historical/mythological/literary (can't wait until tomorrow's theme - porn stars - or as they say in Life on Mars 'porno' stars)





And here's today's Amaryllis watch....do you think it's grown in two days? Still a bit phallic though ,doctor....fnar fnar




Coming soon.....allotment watch! Quelle excitement! (It's the amaryllis that does it!)

ipswich audit

Hi Blog!

Yesterday I had a tennis lesson. I would like to tell you that my tennis coach is a young, muscular, virile and gorgeous man who just oozes testosterone. I'd also like to tell you that the sexual chemistry in the lesson is electric! But I can't because I'm afraid he isn't any of these!!! Just as well really as I have to concentrate SO hard to get it right, if he was good looking to boot it would be a complete waste of money. He'd booked us an outside court instead of an inside one (what luxury inside courts), and although it was freezing yesterday, it was lovely and sunny. It was great to be outside. I feel very lucky, that through this freezing, bloody winter (that I have complained vociferously about) I have still managed to get out and about on my bike, or walking, or tennis. Once you are out and warmed up, it's just lovely to be in the fresh air.

I was thinking yesterday that as I had started this blog to write about my move from London to Ipswich, I thought I would do a quick audit. Well, at this moment in time, even in the depths of winter I feel we've definitely done the right thing. The girls, even though they have bad days at school, particularly H, who has had a bit of a rocky time finding friends she feels comfortable with, enjoy their school. They both love the countryside here, and I noticed particularly with H who was quite nervy in London when we were out and about, has noticeably relaxed (well to the point of having been out to town with her friends on quite a number of occasions). She has a residential trip coming up. She goes away for a week to an outward bound centre in Norfolk, on the coast. We had a meeting about it yesterday. It seems that they spend nearly every waking hour, either orienteering, rockpooling, doing assault courses, and generally being outside! On the down side I have to go to shopping to buy her about ten track suit bottoms, eighteen fleeces and three pairs of trainers! (she goes in three weeks - they are expecting cold weather but by then it could be warm!). Anyway, that's her. She gets her letter soon about which secondary school she has been allocated. If it's the one we want her to get into (which it should be given the fact we live in the catchment) then we will be even happier about this move.

As for youngest, A. Well, she's just slotted in naturally. She's got good friends who come and play and she loves her teacher. Great!

As for Hubby, he loves it too. He has to commute on a train for over an hour every day, but he has his book and his ipod and time to think! He's a natural early riser and full of energy so it suits him. When he goes out on his bike at the weekend he comes back stimulated and full of chat about the beauty of the countryside. He never went out in London - a: there was nowhere to ride at speed and b: getting the bike on the car to drive to the country was too much faff.

So, finally, me. Well, it was hard to start with as I am a real people person and miss my friends. But the geographical difference hasn't made a difference to any of my friendships which is great. I loved living in London because I enjoy all things 'cultural' (sniff). However, I've been down to London a couple of times to do 'cultural' things and have more things planned (two Tate private views coming up, and the National Gallery with Lettuce this month).

And, (bad grammar, I know) finally, I just love the countryside. It's so good for the soul. When I am riding my bike through the country lanes (and bearing in mind this is winter, when the buds on the hedgerows start budding it will be stunning). I've made some really nice friends. I have a social life. There are great pubs round here too, lots of rivers, lakes and places to do family things too. All in all, I love it!

Audit over.

Here is today's 'memorial of the moment'. Just the one today but I think you will agree it was worth it!