31/08/2010, 19:16
Yesterday was exceptionally warm, today was a little cooler, but last night temperatures fell to zero in places and even a bit of frost was evident. I guess the summer is almost over and warmer wear needs to be unearthed sooner rather than later. Plants are having a final flourish and much has already been shorn in preparation for the coming winter. The electric blankets have been reinstated and the fans removed into storage. There's a distinct smell of autumn every day, and the panorama is now tinged with rust.All good things.....
It's been an unusual summer. We hadn't planned to have any children with us, but we succumbed and have had all of Dougie's boys, with a second visit from Marshall(Kenneth Williams reincarnated-the voice he has adopted for this visit).We'll see all three together when we drop off Marshall and spend tomorrow night in Carlisle.
No girls thus far, but given that they're to return to Lime House, we may well have a wee visit from them at their first half term. The tinier ones are too tiny to come yet, but we may manage to see them too-in their own home in Germany, before the whole clan returns to the UK at the beginning of next year.
The next few months will be a time to focus on family history, with our October visit to Lancashire confirming and hopefully offering further snippets about Joan's family. A visit or two to Edinburgh is a MUST for me over the next while to sample Register House first hand and perhaps answer one or two questions that have thus far managed to remain unanswered.
Our summer has been busy....the winter may well be its BUSIER self as we head towards the end of yet another year.
Phew...................!!!!!!
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24/08/2010, 22:20
Hard rock is not something I would generally listen to, but when a teenager is around and wants to share, it's an opportunity to home in on what the youth of today are into. Surprise surprise, one of the boy's favourite groups of the minute is The Who. We listened and enjoyed, and listened to more- Train-Finger 11- James Johnston- Iron Maiden to name but a few. I even downloaded some tracks to add to my itunes playlists. There's hope yet for the ageing hippie to become better informed about music of today!
Having raided our friends' dvd library, we're now multitasking as we do-laptops on knees, watching one of Billy Connelly's audiences. We haven't yet done our usual 'Still Game' or 'Sister Act'- but I daresay that'll come as the week moves on. It's great to have the boy or should I say 'Young man' with us. He's been coming for ten years and says that he'll STILL come for the NEXT ten years.I guess we must be doing something right when a youngster is happy to spend time with two old birds like us!
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23/08/2010, 09:24
Today Dougal and I will rest. Last week was a busy one. The bug which has plagued me over the last month is reluctant to leave and so instead of accompanying Joan to Carlisle today, I'm staying at home with instructions to REST!!
Rain is pouring from grey skies, so I won't be tempted to do anything outside other than take the boy for a quick walk or two between the heavier outbursts.
I may well be tempted to 'do' a bit of beading, but the opportunity to watch a few dvds may well be the preferred option and one that will make me sit and give my body a chance to recover, as I wait to hear news from down south.
I think I may well replay some of my 'Who do you think you are
?' series.
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18/08/2010, 08:55
Today, there's a bit of a nip in the air, a distinct change from last week's high temperature count. It will undoubtedly get warmer as the day progresses(or so we would hope)but the very change indicates the passing from one season to the next.
This week schools all over Scotland return for a brand new session and eager-faced youngsters, clad in brand new uniforms, meet their new teachers to begin work for the coming year. I remember it well.
I particularly remember my very first primary one class at Mosshead Primary. I think I was more excited than each and every one of my thirty three children, who appeared clutching their mothers' hands as the bell rang and they lined up for the first time before coming into their new classroom. It took an age to get them all out of their blazers, find their own peg with their name on it, then find their seat at a small friendly group table. I recall a few tears-from both mothers and weans- and I recall George, who wasn't for coming in. He clung tightly to his mum's hands and tried to pull her back into the playground so that he could escape home.She was crying too, but sensibly allowed me to extract her son from his grip on her before disappearing outside to no doubt cry all the way home. In those days there was little or no nursery provision, so children had only had short visits to school in the term before their official 'start'. George came with me very reluctantly, and very quickly scuttled away under a table to sob for a little while. All 33 others looked on, tears beginning to well up in many other little eyes. I immediately gathered them around me in the story corner I'd built with comfy scattered cushions, clouds floating from the ceiling and a huge rainbow painted on the wall. I began with a song that I'd taught them on their June visit,and by the time we progressed to a story, George was right there with us, smiling happily.He was still smiling when his mum came to collect him at lunchtime,much to her relief.
I'll never forget the exhaustion and elation of those first few days and weeks settling a new class into a school environment. Every second of it was memorable and for me the most rewarding period of my teaching career.
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17/08/2010, 17:52 - Living in retired style
Having taken a much-needed blog and internet 'rest' over the last few months, it's probably time to reacquaint myself with web matters and open up my mac a little more frequently now that summer is almost over and the months of winter are closing in on us.
It's been a relatively good summer if you discount July, and light nights still offer evenings to get out and about in. It's been a 'busy' summer, with lots of family orientated activity. The months ahead will be dedicated to friends and family in different ways, as my passion for family history reinstates itself on my waking hours, and vies for position with the newest passion- 'beading'.
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