A general chit chat

Just thought I'd write a post to say, "Hello there."
I wonder how you are feeling about the events of the world, the changing of lockdown rules, what the future holds and how you feel generally.

It's weird for me that since returning to school for an increasing number of days, I've felt more harassed again and struggling to fit things into the hours.

Getting used to the strange being at school not teaching music.

I did 2 days a week for 2 weeks, this week I was asked to do 3 days, next week 4 and the following week 5.  I'm a bit nervous about returning to work more, particularly as the trains have been getting a bit busier. Still ok but I've had quite a few occasions on my TfL rail train that I've had multiple people not wearing their masks (some wearing it like a chin strap). I've made a comment like, "Guys, aren't we supposed to be wearing our masks?" on two occasions. The first time, I was ignored by the two men. One woman was wearing one when she got on the train and took it off completely for the journey. When she got up to get off the same station as me, I said, "Have you forgotten your mask?". She said, "Oh yeh," as if she hadn't got one full stop and got off the train. In the entrance hall, she put it on to exit. At the gates, I told the staff that 4 people in my carriage had not been wearing them and they said all they could do was tell people to wear them, but couldn't make them as they aren't the police. It's very annoying.

Yesterday, I said it to the same woman from above and another man and said, "Aren't we supposed to be wearing masks guys?" to which the woman quickly looked to see what the man would say.  He said, "Yeh, I've got one." and I said, "Are you going to wear it?" and he said, "Yeah, in a minute."
When I replied, "Glad to hear it," he huffed and puffed and tutted but at least put it on. It made me feel really uncomfortable though.
Also, there have been a few occasions at my penultimate station where someone sits directly opposite me despite there being more distanced options.
Tis annoying.
Had some lovely fun times at school as well as some difficult times with one particular pupil.
Luckily, he had a good day today and we all did some fun activities including a very silly Science experiment involving trying to carry beanbags with the aid of two pencils from one hoop to another.
Also, we have CHICKS! The Happy Egg company sent us fertilized eggs and an incubator and they've all nearly hatched. It is a joy to have bundles of yellow fluffy chirping in the room.
In the garden, I've been picking gluts of strawberries daily- 48 today, probably about 200 in total so far. 13 Blueberries today also. A yellow courgette is on the way. The squashes keep growing but then they seem to go moudly or something which is annoying- just grow big, guys!
Enjoying getting to know some different members of staff a bit more through this.

Last week, did I mention that I got some lovely free big terracotta pots from the skip of someone round the corner from me (I did ask).  On the same walk, I also got 3 free Runner bean plants which had been left out to be taken. 

Happily managed to order a couple of M&S cotton non-wired bras of a type I like from someone new on eBay as some of mine need replacing.
Joyfully, I won a prize from the lovely jewellery maker, Esoteric London yesterday for sharing my pictures of her jewellery so that's something nice to look forward to! Her things are really pretty!

I've been enjoying playing online Scrabble with the lovely Katie who used to blog but has been my penpal for at least 6 years!   Yes, I have a new phone. I meant to do an eulogy to my old phone at some point, so need to do that still!

I went to the field behind my house (involves quite a walk to get round the railway line) to collect some horse manure.  I went with an old compost sack and a trowel.  It's currently sitting in a pot by the shed so it can rot down. Might get some more soon. I like a bit of free compost!

Yummy, had something from the Chip shop tonight- on the way home from school, CBC said he hadn't had lunch so I persuaded him to pop in!

Been chatting a lot to one of my work colleagues by phone and Whatsapp- she's been going through some issues and it's really nice to be able to share and help out. Likewise, she (and her sister who I've got to know via phone) have been really kind and listened to me about the work dilemma etc.

CBC is having a small selection of work colleagues over for a socially distanced garden 'thing' tomorrow. I'm none-too-happy about it obviously, as well as the fact, I'll come across as the party-pooper as I always do with some of the more 'gregarious', young ladies who generally make me feel hideously uncomfortable. I'm just not that type of smoker/drinker/social butterfly and it just makes me awkward. I always get on with the older people. Tempted to just hide inside.  Hope they don't stay for very long.

S and I, the PE coach, are taking our Keyworker bubble and we're going to repeat the 'science' experiment tomorrow. We've had a few laughs and I had the great pleasure of mortifying him by beating him in the 'How many star jumps can you do in 30 seconds?' data handling lesson last week!  No one in the room, least of all myself, was expecting me to beat him but there you are. He was sweating today when I was doing the Beanbag challenge as it looked like I might beat him again. Luckily for him, I just missed getting one more than him!
I taught him a game I played at primary school which he's adapted into a really fun game which we played with the children yesterday.

We went to see kittens last Saturday....we may get some....

We saw my Mum, sister and niece last Saturday. It was lovely to sit in my sister's garden chatting on her (humph, grr) new fake grass.

My lovely Nasturtiums, sent by the lovely Ann, have started to germinate!

Hope you are well.

Here endeth the waffle.
xx

Meme? Meh meh? Meee mee???

So these Meme things…? Does one pronounce it Meh-meh (as in, well I don’t know what, but a meh sound) or Meeee-meeee as in ‘All all about meeeeeeeeeee’. I’ve always wondered! Can usually not be bothered, as I am not all that interesting, but as I walked through Stepney Green park today and saw a Lord of the Rings advertisement, I started thinking about favourite movie stars and all that, so I thought I would do a mehmeh/meme. I’d be interesting to read if anyone has a go at it though I presume no-one reads my blog as I am not very regular... I tag Welshy, Stephen, Chris and Luvlylittlesister.

Top 6 things I am watching on TV.

1. Dr Who – you know you love it!

2. Ugly Betty- Fabulous, funny, the lovely lovely Henry, Justin the sweetiepie!

3. Hustle – ok so I haven’t managed to watch this much this season, but it’s great!

4. Any dream will do – Fab fab fab! Hurrah for Lee from Southend on Sea!

5. Home and away: not fab, but it’s usually something I might just make it home in time for, whilst I have a brief chill before starting planning.

6. My goodness, I can’t think of anything else!!!!

Top 6 things to read

Always changing, but at the moment

1. Michael Morpugo – writes beautiful books for children. They are so evocative, beautifully written and carry wonderful themes, ideas and characters. The Butterfly Lion is particularly fab!

2. Millgate court in my Mum’s magazine. Ok, so My weekly is for your slightly older reader perhaps, but I like this magazine, it has integrity, is not full of gratuitous sex, being mean to celebrities or indeed much about celebrities, but lovely stories, Romania Appeal, one page of fashion and always some lovely features.

3. Jacqueline Wilson books. Ok, so the characters are annoying, since they are always argumentative, rebellious, and her modes of communication aren’t beautiful but I do enjoy reading them…

4. My utmost for his highest… Oswald Chambers. First seen in the bathroom at Rach and Dan’s, this is a lovely book with a small bible extract and meditation on this for each day, that gives you a thinking point. It’s beautiful and surprisingly when I read it, it seems to show me what I need to know and remember…

5. La Bible: Am on 2 Kings at the moment in my lectionary: must say the Israelites annoy me, always turning back to Baal worship and all that. Silly people. But the new testament reading is John, which is so beautiful and encouraging. His book is written so beautifully and you sense the awesomeness of God.

6. Louisa M. Alcott - who did not want to be Jo???!

7. Because I am feeling greedy, you cant beat a good Enid Blyton book. She writes great stuff. Ooh, I’ll read the Faraway tree books in the holiday again!

Top 6 female movie/TV stars I admire/would most like to look like/think are very beautiful!

1. Liv Tyler

2. Emmy Rossum (Phantom of the Opera)

3. Gemma Craven (Cinderella in the Slipper and the Rose)

4. Sophia Myles. (played Madam Pompadour in DW)

5. Anne Hathaway.

6. I did admire Katie Holmes, though that was when she was younger (and not married to Mr Cruise!)

Top TV/movie guys I’ve noticed recently or still have a lurking preference for…

1. Have to say, though I don’t watch it, Bradley in Eastenders looks a sweetie.

2. Christopher Gorman, AKA Henry in Ugly Betty

3. Paul McGann (maybe in his 40’s but still has that McGann magic)

4. David Tennant: Hello doctor!

5. The guy who played Edmund in the recent ‘Mansfield Park’

6. JJ Field (Freddie in Ruby in the smoke and the guy in Northanger abbey

7. Colin Firth. Still lovely…

Top 6 films to watch when bored.

1. The Slipper and The Rose: a film I have loved since childhood. It has soooo much more meaning now. Beautiful music with lots of lovely flute,

2. I capture the Castle:

3. Princess Diaries1 and Princess Diaries 2

4. Any of the Jane Austen’s that were on recently esp. Mansfield Park

5. Singing in the rain: Lovely film, lovely sentiment, and I love the splashing in the rain. You know, Gene Kelly was very ill when that was filmed that bit!

6. The railway children: Can’t beat it, so beautiful. Either of them- the original or the recent one.

6 things I would do if I had the time

1. Learn Greek (I started so I’ll finish, but when, I don’t know)

2. Learn ballroom dancing. A lovely man called Richard taught me some once, I wish I had learnt it properly

3. Have some flute lessons or singing lessons- I haven’t had lessons for so long, and I really really miss them and wish I could have some.

4. Be in a musical: It’s sooooo much fun! I’m hoping we will be doing one at camp in the summer, but I am fluting so whether I could be in it or not, I don’t know.

5. Paint, draw…

6. Go to aerobics or something like that!

Top 6 chocolaty treats to cheer oneself up with.

1. Ben and Jerry’s Phish food

2. Green and Black’s Maya gold hot chocolate

3. Dairy milk

4. Chocolate mini rolls

5. Chocolate buttons

6. Wispa. The dairymilk bubbles is not the same!