My secret news!

 A few months ago, I alluded to something exciting (for me) that had happened, but I was not able to say what it was.

Well, today, I can finally say.

One of my poems, Big Sounds, was selected for inclusion in Issue 9 of Tyger Tyger magazine!

This is a lovely online poetry magazine for children aged 7-11 which is free to read, has free teaching resources with it and includes poets from all over the world.

I wrote this poem last September (2024).  I was in  Forest Philharmonic rehearsal, playing Shostakovitch's Symphony no.9, 2nd flute.  Unfortunately for me, the second flute part is very sparse, doesn't play in two whole movements whereas the first flute and piccolo get all the glory.  Even more irritatingly, I had forgotten my book, must have left it at school and I had nothing to do.  The first flute player doesn't like people sitting on phones in rehearsals too so I couldn't do that either (and to be honest, is not a thing I'm prone to do in rehearsals).  I had twice, unsuccessfully submitted poems to Tyger Tyger.  A poem about Mud and about Sums had both not been chosen and I'd received the email that day saying that the new theme for the next issue was Big Things.  As I sat there in the rehearsal, I started thinking about big musical instruments as at that moment, the Bassoon had a massive solo.  And I started writing the poem about big instruments.  The poem came to me really quickly and by the break, I already had a finished poem.  The lovely piccolo player, C, had seen me writing and asked me what I was doing. I bashfully mentioned I was trying to write a poem and mentioned this issue's theme.  She asked me if she could hear it and I read it to her. When I got to the final line, she roared with laughter and told me she loved it.  The deadline for submission was December.  I sat on the poem for a while, thinking that I wasn't sure whether to submit but I also wondered if I could write anything better- you can submit up to three poems per issue.  By the time the deadline was looming, I'd written two other poems, one about relatives and one about a Giant and submitted them.

Oh, the months of waiting felt long and in the meantime, I'd written many, many other poems.  I knew it was probably unlikely I'd get chosen though I knew I liked me first poem very much.  It was also very much inspired by that thing my work colleague John had said at the Testing Ground open mic night I'd attended at Bard Books that very week.  He said, "Write about what you know."  Music is what I know best.  Part of me had a flame of hope.

Finally, back in March, I received an email from Rachel Piercey, editor of Tyger Tyger and to my delight, told me they would love to include my Big Sounds poem if it were still available.  I cannot tell you the utter joy I felt at that time. Having had a very difficult start to the year in terms of personal anxiety and depression, this was an exquisite ray of hope and sunshine.  She asked the chosen poets not to make any announcements on social media until the issue launched and so  I sat on the news, only telling CBC and C, my piccolo-playing friend who had been my first reader.  C was delighted for me.

I've noticed a curious coincidence today, as I write this.  My poem includes reference to the Contrabassoon.  Interestingly enough, the only other time I have been selected for something when there are a huge number of submissions is when I was chosen up as a runner up out of 29,000 people who entered a Blue Peter competition to design a cartoon character for Oscar's Orchestra for my depiction of Cassius the Contrabassoon. 

Rachel was very busy and the release date was put back but we exchanged several emails over the months regarding a few edits and things and FINALLY, yesterday was publication day!

Here was Rachel's post announcing it:

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A post shared by Rachel Piercey (@rachelpierceywriter)

You can see all the poems here including mine:

Big Sounds:

I want to learn the Double Bass!
Big Granddaddy of the strings.
I’d grunt and growl and scrape and scowl
And play the deepest things!

I want to learn the Contrabassoon!
The size of a rocket ship.
It farts and parps and plops and honks,
Each note I’d just let rip!

I want to learn the Tuba!
It’s a chasm of shining gold.
Like warthog snorts and elephant trumps,
It’s big and bass and bold!

I want to learn the Big Bass Drum!
The vastest of all drums.
The thud and thump, rumble and boom.
I’ll startle everyone!

I want to play the biggest sounds
And shake the entire house!
But sadly, it seems that wishes stay dreams,
Since I’m only a tiny mouse!

Having received a rejection again this week, for another submission, it was lovely that this publication coincided with that.  I am aware that is is probably a one-off and I won't be lucky enough for this to happen again, if I do submit any poems to any publications (I've only tried 3 different publications) but for this moment, I shall rejoice in Big Sounds x Tyger Tyger!

10 reasons to be thankful or 10 happy things

 1. Bird app- CBC was looking a bird app which can identify bird song and he speculated as to whether it could be tricked into recognising bird song. When he tried whistling, it said it could not identify it!  I declared that I could trick it.  CBC was very cynical and said he bet it couldn't.  I decided to do my best Nuthatch impression and to his sheer disbelief and my delight, it identified me as a Eurasian Nuthatch!  My second attempt at a Wood Pigeon was again successfully accepted as such but when I tried my third attempt at a Blackbird, it told me I was human!!!  2/3 isn't bad!!!

2.  Rescuing a Pallet from the bin!  For our treasure Island production we don't really have much scenery but as I walked past the big bin at school yesterday, I saw a large wooden pallet sticking out.  I went to get my partner in crime, J to come and inspect it and we hauled it out of the bin for a closer look.  We then tried dancing on it and then turned it on its side to try and see what else it could be used for.  We then manhandled it down the corridor, into the lift and up the stairs like the Chucklebrothers, giggling, and then covered it with blankets, took a comedy photo of ourselves standing by it to inform staff it was there and then went to get on with stuff.  It's bittersweet because my colleague is leaving and I am really going to miss him, as one of my closest friends at school, one of the most genuine and astute people, an absolutely hilarious raconteur, a wonderful person who the children adore and we only got to do 2 productions together because of Covid and having no hall.

3.  Making a lego bumblebee with a child yesterday!

4.  Picking cherries for free from nearby flats carpark.  I picked some last year when there were few left after being annoyed at them littering the pavement without being picked and this year, I saw they were in prime, I went and picked a load!

5.  Actually having my voice for choir this week.  N, one of my lovely Y6 girls told me, delightedly, "It was so nice to actually hear your voice properly this week, I missed it!" (I've been croaky for a while!) 

6. The sheer delight of the year 2's playing handbells.  They loved it! When you see children managing to organise themselves 

7. I am having to play tenor saxophone for Chicago as well as all the other winds. I am so grateful that CBC's school had a really good Tenor saxophone donated only a few weeks ago and that it was not too difficult to play despite my having not played Tenor before and having not played my own alto saxophone for about 12 years!

8.  The weather has been quite good this week. I have enjoyed wearing warmer weather clothing such as some lighter dresses and wafty tops.

9.  Thought we had run out of toothpaste and was getting very desperate having rummaged the drawers to find a new tube but then suddenly found a tube!!

10.  The first part of this is not happy. I had a bit of an accident on my bike this morning on my way to work. I accidentally drove into the fence at the station entrance and got my wheel caught in the ditch and fell of my bike quite heavily and ripped the knee of my favourite trousers (the ones I wear for all my Clara and Yaz cosplays) and scraped my knee and hurt my wrist.  I am thankful I did not hurt myself any more than that or that if I were to have a bike accident, it was something like this and not on the road.

What are you thankful for?

xx

The end of a school year!

 

It's over for another year. As I write this, I am sitting at a table in my Mother-in-Law's house, Hexham trying to not kill CBC book our accommodation for our forthcoming trip to Switzerland. It's our 10 year anniversary this year so we are returning to our honeymoon destination.  I realise that I NEVER did share our epic honeymoon tour. It was rather a daunting  prospect as there was so much to write about (I kept a daily diary as did CBC).

As I write this, I am hopeful that...

I AM GETTING MY MUSIC ROOM BACK AFTER 2 YEARS OF MOVING ROOM!!!!

It is going to be weird getting back in. I will have to put up all new displays, deal with a skanky carpet that has had 2 years of filthy year 1 children dropping glue, paint, glitter, food, sick, raisins, apples and all sorts of grim things, I will have to teach the children how to put the instruments away properly, where they go and they will have to get used to sitting on carpet for the entire lesson (which they will not find easy, esp the little ones) and I have got used to having a big interactive whiteboard screen for everything but...

IT IS MINE!

My deputy head teacher did say to me that I have done so well to have continued to teach to my high standard (hmmmm...debatable...she's not seen what it is like with the  crazy year 2 children) and to have put up with the levels of stress and everyone in the school has said to me that me, above absolutely everyone else, has had to put up with the most inconvenience.

I can hardly believe it will happen! But apparently it will.

I still keep expecting them to tell me that they need to turn my room into an SEND room or a computer room since I have proved I can be itinerant.

It's been a hard year in a great number of ways:

Complete disruption of strikes, bank holidays, public holidays,snow days, INSET days.

Some very difficult behaviour from some children

Cancelled performances- Christmas because of icy roads, our Summer interschool festival because of a security threat.

New methods of assessing that just haven't worked out.

Always missing subject leader meetings  because of clubs

Staff shortages.

Leadership changes

Also, two of my closest colleague friends  have left.  One at Easter, one recently. They had both been at the school over 23 years

But...

there have been some amazing moments:

1.  The relationships I have had with some children with regard to sharing reading books and enthusing over books

2. My wonderful year 5-6 choir. We've had some amazing moments and fun. I had 14 children from ONE class in choir which is the most from one class ever and they were confident and really showed their appreciation of choir. We had a great time at the Royal Albert Hall despite VOMIT-GATE (yes, my child projectile vomited in 6 directions in the middle of Gary Barlow's Sing).  I had between 25-35 children the entire year.

3.  The Year 5 Vltava performances- they loved it! In fact, year 5 have been a pleasure to teach all year (one class less so but still good).

4.  Winning the Aurora Orchestra competition for a family ticket to their children's concert. I was able to pass this onto a family who had a lovely time.  I also then purchased a family ticket for my own orchestra concert with Forest Philharmonic Orchestra in June and it was won by a lovely enthuastic Nigerian girl. She and her Mum adored the concert and said she'd love to come again! It was special for me having her there and being able to give that pleasure and experience to families was amazing.

4. Encouraging a young artist.  I learnt, from another teacher,  that a girl in Year 4 is a really keen artist. I asked her to come and see the seascapes I had been painting with year 5. She (and her pal) were really happy to be asked. I said I knew she was interested in art. She told me about her Instagram where she started posting her art in lockdown.  I meant to message her mum to ask permission to look at it (as social media is a dodgy area) but she had already messaged me to say her daughter had asked me to send her a link to her insta.  I sent some feedback (not on Insta because I don't want to share my insta with pupils obvs) via her mum and Mum was super pleased I'd shown an interest in her art. I then issued her an art challenge using recycled envelope inards  (and gave her the resources) which she rose to with great aplomb and then shared her work in the newsletter from school. That one gesture of showing an interest made ALL the difference to one pupil and her mum has shown her apprecation. I hope I will have more time to show interest in individuals more again without excessive equipment removals next year.  

5.  Developed good relations with a couple of colleagues. One who is very cautious of people and she has shown she trusts me.

6. The day I chucked an entire litre of water at my Sports coach colleague and he just laughed.

7.  Helping a colleague to tidy his room when he was going through some mental turmoil and it really helping him. (*especially funny since I am renowned as one of the messiest staff members)

8.  The year 4 classes who have developed over the year.  This is due to (sadly) a couple of disruptive children leaving, and a change of staff.  By the end of the year, we had a really good relationship.

9.  Having 3 children with SEND statements in Drumming club this past half term.  Seeing them do something they are so good at and enjoy has been a JOY.  All the staff who watched them perform were SO proud of them.  I am very inclusive in my clubs and will take anyone as long as a) they want to be there, b) they are actually participating and not just disrupting so this has been wonderful to see it work. It didn't work for one child in year 4 who joined my choir in the Christmas term, but I knew it wouldn't as I know my children. Despite my professional opinion, I still accommodated them at first.

10. Having 2 past pupils back for Work experience (in fact there were 4)- who performed wonderful clarinet music for the whole school. It was a joy!

11. Playing my flute for nursery.  They loved it! I MUST go and do this more! I forgot what awe and wonder it inspires!

12. Giving 6 demo lessons for Reception class music. Then having the children greeting me whenever I saw them around the school.

13.  The day one of the year 6 girls was lying in the playground on the ground and not getting up.  Her friends couldn't get her to move. I said, "Watch how the professionals do it."  I went a distance back and then started galloping in the style of a horse whinnying as loud as I could.  I then LEAPT over the girl and landed with a thud on the other side of her.   She immediately sat up and opened her eyes. I was applauded! Similarly when the choir children were trying to make the Sports coach say "Slay!", I said something similar and tricked him into it. He was FUMING when he realised I'd made him to do it!

14.  The beautiful present I received from a Year 6 pupil. Her grandad ( a keen gardener) had grown 3 tamarind plants from seed. They kept one, gave one to the family and I was given the third one. I am SO touched as she really understood me.  When we said goodbye, she gave me a massive hug and told me she loved me. She is not a child given to saying affectionate things like this so I knew she meant it. Her Mum sent a lovely message too!

15. So many appreciative messages from parents.

16.  Having a final goodbye photo with K, a boy in year 6.  We went and fetched the vintage clear beaters from the vintage glockenspiel and held them high for the photo! It was a joke between the two of us. His leaving card message was also really special since he told me Thursdays were the highlight of his year because of Choir.

17.  Being invited to the Year 5 final day's breakfast.  

18.  The Coronation performances with the whole school in the playground.  Drumming club performed an impressive military-style Snare drum performance. Choir sang a Coronation song, Reception, Year 1 and 2 sang one song (from memory), Year 3-4 sang another song and Year 5-6 sang another song. All from memory. It was a really proud moment and made me ambitious to try something else.

19. Organising an inter-school concert with another local primary school choir to enable parents who couldn't make our Royal Albert Hall performance, to see it.

20. My year 6 pupil who, in the space of one year: a) auditioned for and was awarded one of 30 places (out of 250 auditionees) for the Royal Opera House Youth Choir, b) performed for an entire run of the Royal Opera House's pro production of Turandot, c) was nominated for and won a TruHero award.   

There are probably MANY more things I could write about but I am sure it will get boring.

It has been the hardest year in so many ways but there have ALWAYS been shining moments throughout!

xx

Be thankful for what you have.

  The sermon at church last week ended with giving thanks for what you actually have. I think noting any tiny bit of joy, be it something that made you laugh, something you ate that was tasty, something you found comfortable as well as the gratitude for all you have, own and have, is really important.  Others may think a happy life is only about having the big things and yes, gratitude for these is super important, but actively thinking of those things that helped or made your life easier in any way is a good way of helping make a time which is difficult a bit better. It might not make a huge difficult situation any easier but it still helps in its own little way. I also love recording little moments and incidents that made me happy.

1.  I joined my inlaw's 'Wordle Nerdles' whatsapp group when on holiday in France. It's fun having a little group and doing that challenge with them each day. They are really good at it. I am ok but sometimes take more guesses than them.  Today, My MiL got the word in 5, then BiL got it in 4, then SiL got it in 3.  They said I should try to get it in 2 as the last player to go.  With a very lucky 1st guess, I did INDEED get it in 2 guesses!!! This made me feel happy!

2. I had to go cover 1st flute at my local  orchestra today as my friend, who plays 1st, was ill. I was a bit grouchy about going because I had had a busy day yesterday and really wanted to be at home (particularly as I had work to do). CBC was even grouchier about going and HE is doing the concert (I am not). My old singing teacher from childhood plays 1st oboe and we were just really silly together and had a really fun time being generally naughty and chatty together (but not loud enough to disturb the rehearsal) and it was great fun!

3. Yesterday's concert with Kensington Chamber orchestra went really well in the end. The rehearsals had been a bit hardgoing (with different conductor) but the concert went really successfully and I felt really well-rehearsed on my part and felt I, and the orchestra, did a good job.

4. My MiL (CBC's Mum) came on the train from Northumberland to watch our concert. It was so lovely to have her in the audience. She's a musician so it's really nice to have her opinion on the concerts.

5. Some difficult classes were not SO difficult as they could have been on Thursday last week.

6. Year 6's were sweet in their music lesson on Friday.

7. I enjoyed having a slight lie-in yesterday morning and today.

8.  Really enjoyed rereading a good book I read in 2020!

9. Still getting ripe tomatoes from the garden

10.  Since CBC changed my Brompton's flat inner tube (and we have given her a clean), my Brompton has been really lovely to ride again.

11. Had a really lovely 1st session with my new drumming club on Monday. I remembered a game I learnt when working at the Royal Academy of music and I tried it with the kids which worked out really fun.

12.  With exception of 1 child, most of my Year 3-4 choir children tried very hard in our 2nd session on Tuesday including 2 who I thought were going to be difficult.

13. Year 5-6 choir working well so far and after a lot of prompting and messages, I've managed to get it up to 25 children. I'm using a different space this year as the upstairs corridor (where the piano is) has so much extra furniture in it to move (and we know I'm rather tired of moving things...) I really would like the piano but a keyboard will have to do.

14. I actually remembered to sort TARDIS Tuesday a bit earlier!

15. I have a work colleague who makes dried flower arrangements and I've been taking her prunings from the garden and she's really liked them!

And in addition to all those little trivial things, I am grateful for my family, food, home and that my cold is going away.

What are you grateful for?

xxx 

Thankfulness

Hi there,

I didn't manage to post yesterday because the computer I was using was not interested in loading the internet properly yesterday so I gave up.

The sermon at the church I visited yesterday spoke to me in various ways but the main one was a reminder to give thanks in all circumstances, for all things, be they big or small. My joy of being thankful for things is long documented on this blog but I will hold to it again and again.  I absolutely think that making a point of identifying the things that I am thankful for is super important and as well as giving one a little perspective on things, it really does make you feel better.  It's an important part of prayer, thankfulness and it's one aspect that anyone should be able to try and do!

So, in the interests of that, here are some things I am thankful for:

1.  I had a really lovely weekend.  I had no fixed plans but this was a good thing.

2. CBC and I enjoyed a 5 mile round walk from near Leigh/Chalkwell to Southend and back. It was cold but sunny.  We were glad to have the time to do this.

3.  We went out for a Thai meal on Friday night. It was delicious but we couldn't eat it all so luckily, I had brought containers so we boxed up our remainders and that was our Saturday night dinner.  I love Thai food so much! I had Tofu for a change instead of Prawns in my Green curry and it was so scrumptious! Also really enjoyed the Egg-battered aubergine!

4.  I enjoyed the 2.2mile cycle ride to the church I have been to for the past 2 weeks. Admittedly, I was a sweating wreck by the time I got there, but it was still good to have done it. It was much nicer on the downhill way home! Much better that way round!

5.  I stopped to pick nettles in the church yard on the way home and made Nettle soup when I got home.  CBC and I enjoyed a portion for a late Sunday lunch (with sourdough) and then I carefully took 3 portions in my pannier for lunches at school this week. The nettles were young and tender looking and I am gleeful at how tasty, yet healthy it is! CBC was also grateful for it after his 82 mile cycle ride! I'm happy to have lunch ready for 3 days!

6.  Managed to stock up on lots of lovely vegetables from the Greengrocer on Saturday in Leigh- so many options PLASTIC FREE!

7.  The privileges we have.  CBC and I were able to eat a healthy lunch out on Saturday at Wild Health.  All vegan, lots of fresh, healthy ingredients.  Not everyone can afford to do this.  We are fortunate.

8.  The majority of children today in year 3,4 were willing to work hard at what we were doing. Yes, there were a few limited individuals who weren't (and I am sad about them) and they make me a bit blue, but the major part, they TRY!  The ones that didn't, are quite hard to crack but I suppose there's always another week, even if they depress me.  Also, very dominant and domineering (clever and works but does constantly demand your attention negatively and leads others astray, which detracts from giving your attention to those who need it) child was away today in one class and it was therefore a really peaceful and personable class today.  I think the children really enjoyed the change in atmosphere afforded by the freedom from the dominance temporarily.

9.It's only 2 weeks till the Easter holidays! So grateful to have a holiday always on the horizon!

10. Picked some Perpetual spinach and onion scapes in the garden this weekend- my Perpetual spinach is FINALLY growing! Hope the wee beasties stay away from it!

11. Staff at school are getting used to the official 'tea bag caddy' and are directing others to use it- it may be a small thing but at least 400 teabags have been saved from landfill and instead have been ripped open and composted since January.

12.  I actually had fun playing my viola last week at the local orchestra I attended.  Had great fun with the desk partner I was with. She's really good and the funny thing was, there were only 2 of us, compared to 6 1st violins 8 2nd violins and 6 cellos. We got told off for playing too loudly! TWO of us compared to the others! We had a hilarious moment where we discovered that the viola part had TWO extra bars at the end of the first movement of the Tschaikovsky we were playing- it's a good thing we realised now as otherwise, we might have made a very loud mistake at the end! Must be the ultimate viola joke!

13.  Daffodil bulbs I planted in my 40th birthday planter in my front garden have started to flower!

14.  Having had a really chilled Sunday, I am SO grateful for the calmness of where I live, my comfortable and spacious home and the solitude of a quiet afternoon.

I challenge you to make a gratitude list for all the things you are grateful for this week on your blog! You feel super positive once you have done it!

x

Some 2021 highlights

 dfdfd

• I won a £50 book voucher!!! I entered a daily competition from Northumberland County Council (only once!) to win a £50 voucher from some local shops to promote shopping local! Imagine  my delight on 23rd December, driving up to Northumberland, to receive an email telling me I'd won a £50 voucher for Forum Books in Corbridge- one of my favourite Northumbrian businesses! I always make a point to visit there and buy a book when I'm ooop north.  I was SOOOO happy! Not spent it yet but gleeful at the prospect.  My Hexham-based friend was amazed when I told her.  "But you don't even live in Northumberland!??" she exclaimed!  But I really do like to support Northumbrian small businesses.  I bought a lot of my Christmas and birthday presents for people when I was up there in May, July and October and my facecream of choice comes from a Blanchland based business (CBC's choice too!) and I always take containers to refill!
• Our first ever family holiday to Portreath in Cornwall in the Summer. 9 of us travelled together to go there.  We had a photoshoot which I'd booked for my Dad's 70th birthday present and we had some marvellous photos taken.  Another memory was getting to meet the wonderful Sarah (our photographer) who I first met through her blog, a Salty sea blog!
• Finding 2 shops in Padstow with my name as the title!
• Getting to meet the wonderful Ang Almond after being blog friends for so long!  And how easy it was to chat to each other!
• My flute trio recital in September which I was granted the day off school to perform in! Was a wonderful day!
• Getting apples at last from our Apple tree!
• Growing spinach successfully!
• Having the lovely worship group at church performing my Christmas song.
• Getting to perform Bach's Mass in B Minor with the Elysian singers in September was a scary but wonderful experience.
• Getting to play twice with City of London Symphonic Winds and to play with Essex Chamber Orchestra on my flute.
• Finally getting to play flute in a proper orchestra next to my childhood flute teacher who was playing oboe!
• My epic 40th birthday TARDIS Tuesday post- having so many wonderful people from around the world dressing up in Doctor Who-inspired outfits for ME was a joyful, joyful thing!
• Finding lots of interesting fungi on my walks!
• Lots of wonderful local walks in Lockdown! Many by myself.  For me, who gets lost very easily, this was a proud feat!
• Two joyous weddings with good friends.  Getting to play music for my friend M's wedding was a privilege and a joy.
• Although the theft of my toast from the toaster at school was not funny at the time because I was hungry, the hilarity and conversations it prompted at school were a highlight.
• Going out to dinner with my work colleague and her finally wanting me as a friend after being very cautious of people.
• Finding where I can forage for Wild Garlic in Essex at long last!
• Mum giving me her beautiful blue 70's kaftan at long last!
• Growing dahlias from Tubers for the first time!
• Sharing my Contemporary Children's authors reading challenge on Instagram and having well known authors such as Piers Torday and Katherine Woodfine sharing my post on their Instagrams. Katherine Woodfine even followed me on Instagram (she is my FAVOURITE children's author)! Other lovely authors such as MG Leonard and Abi Elphinstone all commented on my posts too which was really nice!
• Finding three cornered leek in the wild and making pesto from it!
• Getting my hair cut after 2 years of not having it cut!
• Finally getting to visit Mousehole after having sung in the children's choir in the Animated film version of this wonderful book and always wanting to go there!.
• Egyptian Day at school where I got to act as the Wicked Wife of the dead Pharaoh and embracing my inner villain and getting all the children to bow down to me repeatedly!
• Swimming at my local(ish) beach a few times with my niece and loving it!
• Walking almost a mile at low tide into the sea bed with my friend N on the most beautiful day in August. So strange, so beautiful!
• Walking 17.5 miles with my friend M after lockdown along the seafront in April.   So tiring but such an achievement!
• A wonderful games evening in July at my house with my Godmother, her daughter and my Mum.  So, so many giggles and nice to have finally hosted THEM!
• Seeing the Hexham Abbey angels!
• Seeing the Flying Scotsman in Northumberland!
• Jane Austen-themed Hen party for M! Innocent, gentile fun!
• Mum staying over at my house twice in the Summer!
• Playing Gamelan again!  Especially loved playing for Colourscape!
• Lots of wonderful garden harvests!
• The joy of playing my flute at church after so many months of not being able to go or being able to have musicians when we could go!
• The joy of seeing family after not being able to do for so long!
• The joy of a permitted visit to the Opticians in another town in February or March last year which meant I could visit Wilkos and a new Zerowaste shop! It was amazing how exciting this was in Lockdown!
• The joy of returning to school in March meaning no more online teaching and real children in real life!

There's lots of things I am sure I have missed but these are what I remembered.  What were some of your 2021 highlights?

Happy things last week

 A few lovely things from the past week or so. I've felt really quite sad and gloomy at times this past week but there have been many bright times despite this.

1.  Tuesday, whilst waiting by the school office with my remaining choir members who parents were tardy, all of a sudden, I heard my name called from the gate.  It was a past pupil of mine who is now 17 and in year 12.  He is one my most favourite pupils of all time so I ran down to the gate for a catch up. I love the fact that he was there with his cool girlfriend, aged 17 and chose to call out my name when he saw me some 12 metres away by the office.We had a quick catch up and I said to him, "I will never forget you." to which he replied, "And I will never forget you Miss.". I was SO happy to see him and the fact he said that, was so lovely. 

2.  I received a message from the mother of a child. I think I wrote about how he had become transfixed by the Bagpipes last December and said he wanted to learn them.  I told his mum at the time and she had been interested.  Fast forward to July this year and she was late one day and I was standing with him. When she arrived, I asked her if she had thought about signing him up for music lessons.  She said yes, but had been disorganised and forgotten about it.  When we asked him what he was interested in, he said, "Bagpipes" which wasn't an option so I suggested the oboe as a good starting point.  They signed up and he'd been playing the oboe since the half term holiday. She messaged me on Wednesday to say that he absolutely LOVES the oboe and practises every day and wants to show her his notes and she is really proud of his dedication. That message meant so much to me because that thing happened because of my lessons.  Giving him access to hearing and seeing something led to that! It was a great feeling.

3.  The messages keep coming over the past  3 weeks where parents ask if it is too late for their child to join choir.  It's really exciting that they want to join and that their parents want them to!

4.  Happy Year 4's.  It was totally worth the hideous amount of time it took to locate and move 25 'exotic' instruments, including Harmoniums, mbiras, Angklungs, violins, mandolins, timpani, metallophones, xylophones, guitars, harps, hand bells and all sorts for my 1 off lesson allowing them experience of accompanying songs with different drone instruments.  Everyone was hugely positive and excited by it.  It is usually time consuming setting up that lesson in my own music room but as you can imagine, finding and doing that in a different building was a nightmare...but worth it!

5. Meeting my lovely blog friend Ang! Still smiling!

6.  A very productive Gamelan rehearsal.  I've been struggling in gamelan for the past 2 week as I'd missed so many sessions and didn't know my part and no one who plays my part was there last week so this time, I spent an hour or so watching videos of our teacher in Bali playing the piece and I transcribed my part. What a difference at the rehearsal- I knew it and when I got stuck, I could look down at my notebook! It was especially crucial as the person who knows the part was away again. Another fun part was that we played Baris,  piece I know very well and I had great fun playing the Reyong which I haven't touched for years! Also, I went secretly dressed as Patrick McGoohan from the Prisoner and it was funny!

7.  Had a lovely relaxing Saturday with CBC. We went to an Eco-fair and had a mooch around the shops. I found a lovely 3/4 length Autograph M&S cashmere cardigan in the charity shop for £5 which was very exciting!

8.  Had a hysterical time with a child tonight after choir. His mum was late picking up and he was talking about being a Russian spy and suddenly noticed some teachers in a meeting in the classrooms by the office. I had the 'bright idea' of us being spies and launched into 'Mission Impossible' whilst we cavorted over to the window- a hilarious spell of us acting like total loons (and excellent acting skills!) as we acted like comical spies working our way along all the windows.  We were laughing so much by the time we finished.

9.  Happy time with my Year 5-6 choir tonight.  Fun rehearsal and they are doing really well with my Ring out the Bells song from a few years ago.

10. Yay, after my aforementioned Year 4 lesson on Friday where I allowed the children to play the violin, there are 3 new signups for the violin in school! All very capable children!

11. We had the most hilarious- time in the staff room at lunchtime last week where someone chucked a piece of balled up foil at another colleague.  We then ended up having an en masse game of Pigeon hole ball where everyone tried to get the ball of foil into someone's pigeonhole. The deal then was that you had to secretly buy a tiny present for the person whose pigeonhole the ball went into.  It was so much fun. We had such a wonderful time, we laughed so much and there was such a sense of comradery  

12. Got some great books for the School library in the charity shops on the past few Saturdays very reasonably. I've read a few to vet them and they were really good!

13.  Nice morning hugs with CBC this morning. He texted to me to say Thank you for warm, morning hugs which was lovely as I was thinking the same. 

14.  Had another fun time with the City of London Symphonic Winds on Sunday afternoon. I was really grateful to join them again!

15. My Year 3 recorders are starting to make progress and today, lots of the children tried to help others put their fingers in the right place the way I usually do when I was unable to get to them (tight table formations!)  Other two classes weren't too bad on Monday either.

16.  Lovely Selective-mute boy who began speaking to me and singing in class at the end of last year (after me teaching him for 1.5 years without either of those things...doesn't really speak to any other adults) , today, told me what he was drawing in our music lesson and when I delightedly repeated what he said, he gave me the most beautiful smile.  It makes me happy that he trusts me enough to speak to me!

17.  Kind colleague who I was talking to about how anxious I felt yesterday was really sweet to me. I like her a lot. She's definitely my kind of person and like me, doesn't have class (but is only part time) and is also really fed up by not having a proper working space with the building situation. Empathy is important.

18.  Every child in Year 2 can play London's Burning on their glockenspiels!  One bright shining thing was that a little autistic boy who doesn't really join in much in music and can't communicate by speech (unless prompted), learnt to play it totally by himself correctly without any help! I was so delighted and glad for him. His face shone when I told him how impressed I was.

19.  In year 5, we were learning how to improvise and create interesting drum rhythms and the children seemed to have lots of fun doing that and actually, some of the children who have struggled with the work this term, did a really good job. Nice to see them shine!

20.  I bought a tray of mince reduced for Quick sale in the CO-OP in July and I got it out of the freezer on Monday as I wanted to clear the freezer.  When I was feeling miserable on Tuesday, it was the best thing to know I could come home and make Spaghetti bolognaise which I never eat as CBC doesn't eat meat (usually....occasionally).  Very much enjoyed it.

21.  Pickled Onion Monster Munch. Enough said.

I have a good life in so many ways but that doesn't stop me from getting sad and worried about things.  Finding all the happy things always helps!

10 things to be thankful for

Hello there,

Just me, dropping in for a little counting of blessings!  I'd love to see if you posted the same! Do leave me a link if you do.

1.  So grateful to see my Dad, Stepmum and Sister today for my sister's birthday. Obviously, it has been the first time we've seen them  for a long time (since February 21st).  They have a huuuuuuuge garden and loads of space in it so it was very easy to be able to visit them.  We had SUCH a lovely time and lots and lots of giggles as well as delicious food!
2.  For having survived my first BIG supermarket trip. We went to Waitrose yesterday (a big one) to get my dad some bits and pieces for a birthday hamper and it was fine.  People in there were so much at waiting (though not everyone) and it had nice wide aisles and plenty of tills so it was fine...unlike Lidl near school.
3.  For the delicious Teriyaki tofu I ate yesterday! On the way back from going to get my Dad's presents, we passed a new Takeaway place called Little Tofu Co and they had amazing tofu and everything they package is 100% biodegradable! So nice not to get plastic!
4.  For our garden.  Every day, I am amazed, humbled and grateful!
5. For my Deputy Head taking into account the fact that I have such a huge journey by Public transport and making it so my going to school time is only 2 days a week whilst they have manpower to make it like this (it may change if more children come in). I am grateful that I won't have to battle with Public transport every day of the week whilst having the time to get my music lessons online for the children. Whether or not they are accessing them, it is important to do it for those who ARE doing it! My school are going back tomorrow with Year 6 (the other year groups will be going back 3 days later, and then 3 days later subsequently).
6.  For lovely time with CBC.  Anyone who knows CBC and I in real life, knows we can bicker for England, but we really have been glad to spend this time with each other in lockdown. We've had a lovely weekend with each other and the past few months.
7.  Especially at the moment, I am grateful for good health.
8.  For space.  I have said this before but having the space to move around, be separate from CBC if I needed to be (he cannot work in the same room as me...he needs silence to work...and gets put off by me).  I cannot imagine how hard it
9.  For free speech and for the privileges I have and have had.  As we are seeing movement to try and become a more anti-racist society, I am thankful that I have not had difficulties purely because of my skin colour or ethnic background.  I am grateful that we have opportunities to try and change things for the better,
10. I am grateful for friendships and kindness in the world. Every good thing that happens, every kind gesture, every positive thought, every sign of gratitude, every show of friendship, every good thing.

What are you grateful for today?
x

16 things to be thankful for.

Hello there,

I hope you are well. Well, things have got quite serious, haven't they?  I do hope and pray that you are well.  I am fine but have a bit of a cold- just a bit bunged up and runny nose.   I've been at school this week and we are back in on Monday to look after the children of key workers whilst schools are closed.

In these times where things are looking very bleak, I thought I'd think about things I am grateful for.

1.  I have a warm, spacious house to be in. I can't think how hard it is for families cooped up inside in small houses where there are a myriad people. I know that these are the conditions for many of the families I work with.
2.  Having skills which have suddenly come in useful. Because of what I have learnt from running this blog over the past 14 years, I've been running a blog at school for music for the past 7 years.  With the children suddenly being off with the current world crisis, it's suddenly become a much-needed and useful resource. I've been going around the classes showing them all very carefully how to access it, use it, learn from it and comment on posts and for many, I hope it will be a lifeline. I've already had lots of comments daily from pupils who aren't in and they seem very grateful for it. I've been trying to work out blog post version of my lessons so they can try and do them at home.
3.  For having CBC.  I have some work colleagues and friends who live alone and I imagine, for them, it is a frightening time, especially if in quarantine.  I am so glad we have each other.
4.  CBC did all the hoovering and washed the kitchen, utility room and hall floors! It was looking disgusting so I am grateful!
5.  I am SO glad I have had that busy spell.  Remember when I talked of all the orchestras and activities I have been taking part in since the start of January? Now, when everything in the foreseeable future has been cancelled, I am SO grateful that I took all those opportunities to play music, be with others and be busy.
6.  Though I am still going to school for the present, I am grateful that I have so many interests and hobbies should I be restricted to home- I can make cards, read books, play board games, compose music, write blog posts, write poems and stories, dress up, paint, draw, garden, learn Greek, write letters, learn new pieces on the flute, recorder, viola, piano, Javanese Rebab, Balinese Pemade etc.
7.  I am grateful for the provisions and resources we have.  We haven't really done a big shop for ages but we always have cupboards with dry provisions because of going to zerowaste places which require a drive so therefore I stock up to ensure that we don't have to go there too often. Apart from last Saturday's visit to the Refill room to buy red lentils (500g), pasta (800g), puy lentils (400g), coffee (200g), Bran flakes (200g) and some cardboard deodorant, I have not bought any dry goods, hopefully meaning I am not contributing to the madness and stockpiling madness.  I went to Home Bargains and got a jar of Bolognaise sauce, bottle of soy sauce, jar of pesto, tin of beans and a single pack of chilli noodles but this is standard fare.  What we have bought is fresh vegetables from Waitrose (chicory, swiss chard, radishes, cucumber- nobody seems to want those)  & from an international shop near school (2 red peppers, 2 courgettes, 10 tomatoes, 4 lemons)- I am glad we have been able to continue as normal.
8.  Grateful for free food- kale from the school garden which is going to seed (no-one else except the caretaker seems keen)- the school gardener was going to pull it all up to mulch over for new seeds 2 weeks ago but I stopped her as I didn't want the kale wasted.  Also some broccoli and parsnips from the food cooperative that gives out of date veg to churches last Sunday.
9.  It was sunny today. I very much enjoyed going to empty the compost and splitting open all the teabags from school.  Also nice to help CBC put all the foliage from the Passiflora and Jasmine which he has decimated murdered pruned this week. It was windy but the sun was beautiful.  The sun felt good and the breeze was delicious!
10.  For my family all being safe and well so far. My sister and Brother-in-law are in a crucial job right now, so I pray they stay safe
11.  So glad I spent last Sunday with my Mum.  If we can't see her because of avoiding unnecessary journeys, I am glad we got to see her then.
12.  For the hard-working Pharmacist in town who is exhausted as he stayed open till midnight this week. I went into see if I could get Lanzoprozane for Acid-Reflux without prescription as I think this is what has been causing the uncomfortable feeling in my throat after eating dinner since the Tonsilitis. I didn't want to make an appointment with the Doctor as they are needed for proper people. I am glad he was able to give me something that will hopefully sort it.
13.  Grateful that I was able to use some very, very old carrots (bought from MiL's house on 19th Feb) plus very old cabbage to make veg stir-fry tonight. Hate things being wasted!
14. I am grateful that I am financially stable and in a job with a guaranteed income. I feel for all my self-employed and low-waged acquaintances. I am trying to use my resources to make little purchases from small businesses and charities that will be hard-hit right now and feeling anxious. Not what  I was planning for Lent but I think they need it!
15. I am grateful for you, my blogging friends, dear, loyal and true- I pray you all stay safe and well.
16. I am so grateful for my faith in God. I honestly don't know how I'd cope if I didn't have God to pray to, to hear from and feel comfort.

What are you grateful for?

xxx

15 happy moments I am grateful for during the holidays

There have been many wonderful moments this holiday.  Many of them.  Here are a few that come to mind.

1.  I am touched that my little sister invited her new boyfriend to meet me and CBC when we were meeting up. I am grateful that he is really nice and that she is more relaxed about this new relationship.

2.  For the opportunity to FINALLY play the William Overture 1st flute part!

3.  For having swum every day of my holiday (except the first and last) during our Tuscany holiday.

4.  For CBC and I both having enjoyed our camp in so many ways.  CBC was a bit worried about it as it has been a bit cliquey in recent years but he had a lovely time and that made me happy.

5. Bananagrams! Both at camp and in Italy and I am grateful for my kind sister in law for giving me her spare set.

6.  A delightful walk (including foraging) with Lara and Tim.

7.  For the 15 enjoyable books I read this month.

8.  We took Mum to hospital appointments after her Knee-replacement and every time we have spent time with her, it's been lovely- a meal at our favourite Madieran restaurant and brunch at two of our favourite lunch places, silly conversations and giggling in the toilets before appointments, garden shenanigans, e.g. me mowing the lawn and cutting back Toadflax, visiting the Refill Room- every day spent with Mum and CBC was fun even though I found myself wincing and almost fainting in sympathy of her pain.

9.  Our new swing-seat:  It's made reading, eating, relaxing and garden time fun.

10.  The raspberries in profusion!!!

11.  How good it felt to sleep in our bed after 10 days camping!

12.  On our journey home from Italy, we stayed at a hotel near Gare de Lyon in Paris as it was too late to get a Eurostar home.  It was the best night's sleep I'd had in 10 days: a) no mozzies, b) aircon made it the perfect temperature, c)  Such a comfy mattress, d) the duvet and the pillow were most welcome.

13. The lovely day I went swimming with my friend Libby during camp. It was a glorious day and the pool felt wonderful and it was a really lovely bonding experience.

14.  On our way to Italy, CBC, J and I stopped for lunch at a bistro by Gare du Nord and I ordered French onion soup which is my favourite thing to eat in France. CBC, J and I were all excited about the holiday and we ended up sitting there doing the silly Capri Sun Word challenge on the placemat in the bistro. It was a silly and fun moment!

15.  Silly swimming games with CBC and M in the pool. We invented a game called Donut in the Deep end and it was fun and really enjoyable afternoon.

What happy moments are you grateful for this holiday?

15 Happy things this week (a bit like my 10 things to be thankful for!)

1.  The year 2 child who is part of a family who have never been particularly or overly fond of music, who isn't particularly strong in any other subject who gently comes and thanks me after every music lesson and this week told me she is going to be a music teacher like me when she is older. My heart melted.
2.  I was getting off the train with my bike and walking down the platform and I heard the stampede of someone desperately trying to make the train on the rickety bridge above me, so I pressed the 'open doors' button on the nearest door to me at that moment just as the driver had pressed the 'Close doors' button- it opened but then shut as the guy tried to reach the doors. Just as I was saying, "Sorry, I did try to open it" and he said, "Don't worry!", the driver must have seen it and reopened the doors! I helped!!!
3.  The funniness of reaching to the train station (via train) and having precisely 4.5 minutes to cycle to the postal delivery office to fetch two parcels (the reason I was there) and return to catch the train.  It was like The Crystal Maze or Challenge Anneka.  I ran through the station, leapt out the doors onto my bike, dashed into the delivery office and the guys in there raced to get the parcel, spurred on by my, "Gotta make a train and my husband says I won't make it!" (the added incentive was that CBC happened to be just at the station already waiting on the same train on his way home from work- I'd phoned him as I was 2 stations away to discover this!). They volunteered to sign for it for me to save me time and I cycled back.  Alas, I missed the train by 30 seconds (meaning the whole process took 5 minutes exactly!)and thus CBC and I didn't get to travel together but the whole thing was FUN!
4.  The sweetness of internet friends!  An Australian cosplay friend from Instagram was sending me a Clara dress from Australia and the sweetie that she is, she put in a beautiful elephant tote bag and a pair of blue bunny earrings into the parcel!
5.  I went and sat in my colleague Paddy's classroom to write in notes to some recorder parts & it was really nice to sit and chat to him.  I promised I wouldn't disturb him whilst doing his reports and yet somehow, we ended up chatting as we worked. It's nice to have colleagues to chat to. He's such a nice guy- he's young but treats everyone in exactly the same way no matter what their age or position.
6. I discovered that another young work colleague is a Dr Who and Clara fan last week purely by accident and told him about TARDIS Tuesday and today, he saw me in the corridor and said, "Ooooh, is that a Clara dress, it looks very Clara!". Also, the IT guy commented too!  How nice to have Dr Who friends at work!!
7.  I forgot that it was going to be my birthday today (yesterday) and my colleague (whose birthday it also is) reminded me by asking me which day I was going to bring cakes in on to work.  I laughed at the fact I had completely forgotten it!
8.  CBC gave me a late Valentines card as he was in a complete stew about work and getting ready for his skiing holiday on the actual day (I didn't even mind).  It was a really sweet card that apparently he'd bought ages ago from Gaia, my favourite Hexham-based hippy shop and his message was really sweet.
9. Yay, exciting rare Clara item as mentioned in number 4 arrived as well as another item!
10.  Having the time and the thought to do something to encourage a child with a very little resilience in dealing with things she finds hard.  I made her cry today when trying to tell her she needed to stop giving up and believe in herself which made me feel very guilty. She really does have an 'Eeyore' downtrodden approach to life and challenge and I wish that could change.  Over lunchtime after our discussion, I got on the computer and made her a poster with a message for her with a beautiful background of a forest background painting and gave it to her and she was really touched by it.
11. The train driver who waited for me on my birthday day rather than doing what they ALWAYS do in the mornings which is meanly ignore your desperate efforts to reach the train.  Alas, the next day, it was back to business as usual BUT THEY DEPARTED 30 SECONDS BEFORE THE TIME THE TRAIN IS DUE TO ARRIVE!!
12.  Lovely classes! I used to DREAD Fridays last year because 3 out of 4 lessons, I had year 5 (who were tough) and I had a crazy Year 2 music club.  This year, all of year 5 are lovely and the one year 4 class I have, are also the nicest class and my Year 2 club are really sweet (plus I have a year 5 child who is coming along as my helper). Thus, Fridays are the day I look forward to.  Yesterday was a particularly nice day teaching them about the musical textures that developed in the Renaissance era- Homophony, Polyphony and Antiphony. Mondays and Wednesdays on the other hand...
13.  Eating Thai food.  Tried a new restaurant last night and it was tasty!
14.  Colleagues who thought I was about 30 instead of 2x4 years older...
15.  Having a relatively tidy house!

What happy things have you thought of this week?
xx

10 things to be thankful for

Ah, it's good to ponder upon and remember things which make life bearable, especially in Blue January, the bleak time in the cold wastes of Winter!

1.  I've had two weekends with few plans- I was tired, I needed to rest- this allowed me to. Getting up hideously late. I felt guilty but needed it and revelled in it.
2.  Yet, I have the following two weekends with lots of plans, so I don't get into bad habits!
3.  Kind work colleagues. My deputy-head teacher retired at Christmas so yet another of my favourites and my main friends at work has not gone which I am sad about- she was old school, if you know what I mean, which I am too.  She invited some of us out on Friday night and about 12-14 of us went out to dinner and it was all my favourite people, which makes sense if they were her kind of people too!  It was a lovely occasion and I was glad I worked with and still work with some nice people.
4.  Grateful for having found the Zero Waste shop so to be able to make some changes AND the greengrocer in town.
5.  Grateful that CBC is really trying to be careful about plastic waste and recycling- even if some of my work colleagues don't care; some do and others are trying.
6.  Grateful to be spending half term with my Dad and family- we haven't spent a long time together for a little while so I am excited to be spending the holiday with them in Suffolk! Nice to have that to look forward to even if I am sad that I don't get to spend it with CBC (Skiing with school. Boo!)
7.  I am grateful that our Caretaker at school is trying to alleviate waste and cares just as much as I do- he keeps bringing over left-over milk and carrots that might be chucked out and we are taking/eating/drinking them!
8. I am glad for yesterday.  I arrived at the station for my orchestra rehearsal to settled snow and a real blizzard- it was totally unexpected and I had non-grippy boots on but had to walk up a steep hill and then down a scary slope to get to my rehearsal with my bike and a heavy pannier as well as a rucksack.  Being very scared about this, I called my fellow flute and she came and rescued me and drove me. When we reached the treacherous slope to the car park, her car skidded all over the place and her brakes wouldn't grip.  Her brakes started to smell burning.  She had a major panic and I suggested we try to get out and drive back to the main street and park on the flat. We did this and then I persuaded her to try and walk to the rehearsal.  We made it in safely and then had a lovely rehearsal. I'm grateful for her kindness, for none of us having an accident and being there to help each other.  At the end of the rehearsal, we returned to the car to discover that my door was open!  And she'd accidentally left her handbag in there and I, my Brompton bike.  Both were still there!
9.  I'm glad for warm items of clothing to keep me cosy on my cold cycles each day!
10.  I'm glad that you came to read this.

What are you grateful for?
xx

10 reasons to be thankful July 2017

I love to think of things that I am thankful for. Active Gratitude is essential for avoiding discontent and to help us to realise how much we do have. I read this lovely article by Sandra on the website she writes for and she talks about how gratitude should be a daily practice.   I was thinking about things I was really grateful for earlier and how I haven't written one of these for ages, so it was really appropriate that I just read her article.

1.  I am thankful that year 3 went to the Hindu temple today and gave me a lesson off in which I got some useful admin for the school concert done. It meant I was able to chase certain children personally for replies.
2. I am also grateful that our Deputy Head rearranged things so that my concert rehearsal on Tuesday would not be compromised by something that had been put into the diary over my rehearsal which was going to render the whole concert rehearsal and setting up a complete nightmare. Children need rehearsal time or they get anxious. It meant she will probably face a lot of stick now for it and I am grateful for her sticking her neck out.
3.  Oh my swim!  I am so happy that we have this great local swimming pool just by the station. It fills my heart with joy to be swimming. I swam once a week for the last few weeks and the sense of excitement I had to be able to go home and go straight to the pool was wonderful.
4. I am grateful that I had sweet potatoes, jersey potatoes, courgettes and fish cakes to cook for dinner tonight.
5.  Two mint plants that are growing abundantly so I can drink fresh mint tea every night.
6.  My two readers who I read with this afternoon. I have been taking 4 children for a reading session each week (though I haven't done it for quite a few weeks now) and their enthusiasm and enjoyment of the sessions makes me happy especially the boy who loves to then explain what new vocabulary in his own words with actions. Chasm? "That's basically like a bottomless pit!".  Condescending?  "Oh yes, SMUG basically!".  Sheer?  "Just like that brick wall- smooth and impossible to climb!"
7.  My flute.  It is really nice to have a motivation to practice. I have been asked to perform a Flute Concertino by our friend from Tunbridge Wells so I am practising for this as I really would like to play it from memory and do the best job I can. Consequently- practice is happening!
8.   I am grateful for Sandra's article in reminding me why I need to be praying. I just don't work properly. I am horrid, grumpy, mean and every other type of horrid when I don't pray and there is a reason I have been feeling so out of sorts for such a long time.
9. I am grateful for holidays. Especially the 6 week one. A chance to regenerate!
10. I am glad that YOU came to visit- thank you!

What are you grateful for this week?
xx

10 things to be thankful for...

Life can feel difficult at times but there are always nice things to console one. Counting one's blessings is always a fruitful and great exercise!

1.  For my parents and siblings being alive and well to talk to and love whenever I need them. I know some of you are not so lucky in that respect and I will cherish them whilst I have them.

2.  For CBC making me a really nice dinner and washing up after a day in which I spectacularly messed up in terms of timings and he was grumpy maximo about it.

3.  For the time to do simple pottering activities such as making cards.

4.  For old friends- it was so nice to speak to much beloved friends from my old church.  We may not speak regularly or see each other regularly but that love will still remain.

5.  For my nice 'new to me' Robin jumper and my old cashmere scarf that kept me cosy all day!

6.  For the blessings of others' experiences. I was really challenged by the wonderful speaker at church today who was a Rwandan refugee who works consistently to help refugees and to speak for them and to do what she can in manifold ways despite the fact that she was one too and has managed to get past all the trauma and find her calling in life.

7.  For my flute. I played at church this morning and I thank God that my Mum gave me the opportunity to learn the instrument I wanted to learn when I was young and that I have managed to maintain it throughout my life. I have friends who were fellow musicians but who do not play now.

8.  For my warm house.  Thank God for central heating!!! Having lived in a house for 32 years without, I am eternally grateful for it now I have it!

9.  Despite ongoing house searches and the gloom over it, I am SO grateful for this house we live in. That those kind church friends took the chance to rent it to us and that they are still letting us stay here. Some people who are also saving for a house are not in such a fortunate situation and we should remember that everytime we get gloomy.

10.  For the hope of forthcoming holidays! Teaching may be hard but there's always light at the end of a tunnel (or a holiday at the end of a term!) We are planning to head to the North Yorkshire Moors at Half term to get away and I am very excited.


What are you grateful for today?

xxx

10 things to be grateful for

Many, many good things in my life which I cannot take for granted!!! I don't do these often enough but I should do!

 1. Lovely to see most of my family today at my niece's 6th birthday party- so nice to see them and to enjoy family time together!

 2. Carol services: We had 2 practices this week for the advent carol service next Sunday at church and it was so lovely getting together and doing that. I just adore Advent and the carols and the sense of community and fun we had practising. I even enjoyed playing my viola for See amid the winter snow with cello and violin, plus singing O holy night which is my favourite, and playing flute for many others! I am so grateful to have the opportunity to experience such joy

3.  The fact I DID NOT muck up playing the piano for the service this morning- I get nervous playing the piano for a service or any situation with a large number of people so I am grateful that I managed to get through the songs calmly and not make too much of a hash of them, even 'What can it be?' with an organish part!

4. A warm coat, hat, scarf and gloves- makes SUCH a difference!

5.  Time to have a rest when I had a horrid headache yesterday!

6.  The fact that things are coming together in terms of Christmas music at school. KS1 did their first full practice of their nativity. Despite the fact I only started teaching them the songs 3 weeks ago, they know all 11 or 12 songs from memory with actions and did it well! Glad we got organised with it so well this year! My little choir is also adorably great! So proud of them! In KS2, we're getting through the songs and hopefully on track! I've also organised a 'Come and sing' for parents and their kids from all year groups on the last Tuesday to sing songs together like 'The twelve days of Christmas' or 'Have yourself a merry little Christmas'- I really hope it goes well- really glad to have the opportunity to do it!

7.  Of course, not wanting to sound TOO saccharine, CBC annoys me like anyone does whom you live with 365 but having been able to spend time with and have fun with him in the evenings this weekend (he's been DoE leader training all weekend) is lovely.  We sat and watched Strictly come dancing together (he likes it now, he likes it!) on Catch-Up and have a giggle or things is lovely.  Even a five minute hug is lovely!

8.  Speaking of which- lovely to be cooked for last night!!! CBC makes things taste amazing- who'd have thought Cavalo Nero with mustard would be so tasty!

9.  Having space. I lived in a tiny house for so many years of my life. I do appreciate the space we have in our little house, even if CBC gets cross with me for filling every available space with something or other!

10. YOU, lovely, lovely people who have all voted for me in the Lady V contest, I am overwhelmed by how kind you have been. I'm currently in 3rd place with votes. I kind of doubt I can catch up with the front two ladies as they are at least 30 votes ahead of me and I expect they will get more (and there's someone just behind me) but it's so nice to feel supported! THANK YOU!

In case, you missed it, I have entered Lady Vintage's Hall of Fame photo competition with my outfit and I would be SO grateful if you liked my outfit out of those who have entered enough to give it a like on Facebook.   If your husband, boyfriend, cat, dog or significant other felt so inclined to take a look too, (like a few have!), I would be very grateful!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.864013323713000.1073741877.144939495620390&type=1&l=8c4891a181


xxx

What are YOU grateful for this week!?!?

When the world is going mad, do something good

Hello All,

I hope that you are well, safe, contented and warm.   Usually, I live in a bit of a news/media bubble- I don't have a TV, I don't read the newspaper or internet news, listen to radio news or really know what is going on in the world.  I prefer it this way.  Yet, of course, I know about the atrocious events of Friday in France.  CBC told me as he was reading the news.  And another attempt to frighten, intimidate, threaten, maim, hurt, terrorize and try to spread dischord, fear, xenophobia and hate.

Our reaction has to be loving, kind, reaching out, doing what we can, trying to keep to the things we do whilst acknowledging, sympathising and doing what we can.

Thus, on Saturday morning, I headed off to the church hall where it was time for 'Operation Christmas Child' shoebox packing. If you don't know the premise of this, Samaritan's Purse, a charity, organises the transportation of filled shoe boxes, full of presents to children in poor countries who might otherwise not know love and receive a gift at Christmas. I came across this many years ago through My Weekly magazine and took great delight in sending off a shoebox, decorated in cheerful wrapping paper filled with gifts for a child which was then sent to Romania, to children in orphanages.

It is the custom of the church I go to, to offer people the opportunity to contribute individual gifts as well as or a filled shoe box. I've been having fun over the last month or so, buying little bits and dropping them off in the boxes at church- a cuddly unicorn, a pack of rubbers, a box of African toy animals, a pack of toothbrushes, bright soaps, necklaces, pencils, colouring pencils, toothpaste and the suchlike.

I turned up to the hall on Saturday (late!) to see a hive of activity.  Gifts had been organised into tables.  (these photos were taken an hour in)

Toiletries and hygiene essentials:

Toys:

Stationery:

Sweets:

 The leaflets for labelling the age of the child the box was intended for:

 Hats, scarves,gloves:

And then there was a production line of wrappers of shoeboxes.
An amazing collection of shoeboxes was piled up in the corner and sheets of wrapping paper, scissors and sellotape were laid out.
I decided to join the production line of box wrappers and left the filling of boxes to the kids.

  I joined the lovely Pip, organiser of it all, and had a lovely, jolly time wrapping the boxes.

 Anyone who has ever received a present from me knows that wrapping is not my forte. You can guarantee your present looks like it's been through a bush backwards, twice.

My first box was rather ramshackle, particularly as the paper was too small and I had to do an extensive patchwork job.

 We had a giggle over trying to get this T-rex into a box- he was huge and awkward but we found a box that he fitted into!

 After my first box, I decided to get mathematical over it and found a ruler and measured the exact dimensions of my shoebox, drew dots for positioning  and then found 2 identical-sized boxes and cut around my template so the next three were super neat.

 After we finished, there was not quite enough items to totally fill the last few boxes so I headed off to town later when CBC was back and bought a selection of items from Poundland for a boy aged 10-14's box.  I decided to go for this as I know that girls are easier to cater for at this age so I grabbed a calculator, pinball game, thicksocks, soaps, notebooks, pens, pencils, sweets, toothbrushes and toothpaste and handed them over to Pip today at church to fill one of the empty boxes.

 Here's the pile.  There were 150 boxes filled yesterday by the volunteers before today.  It was nice to get involved in this, particularly given the timing, to be able to do something for someone, when otherwise it is easy to feel helpless.

Today's service was led by the Youth-worker Liz.  The bible reading was on Psalm 37:

By the waters of Babylon,

there we sat down and wept,

when we remembered Zion.

2 On the willows there

we hung up our lyres.

3For there our captors

required of us songs,

and our tormentors, mirth, saying,

“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

The river of Babylon, the Euphrates, was laid across and the children were invited to build boats to sail on it with messages of thanks for the things were are grateful for.

 and stones too.

I am grateful for being safe today, and I hope and pray that we can continue to do something good if we cannot know what to do to help.  One small bit of good done by many people makes the world better somewhere, even just for a moment.

xxx