It's summer, nearly the end of term and decorating fever is upon me, much to Keith's horror. Not that I'm really a decorating addict; the resultant chaos and confusion is annoying to say the least, but when the house is 15 years old and still has the original paint and wallpaper throughout, I think the time has come to take the bull by the horns (Ugh! That conjures up visions of that appalling Veet ad!) at least downstairs.
So yesterday was spent collecting paint charts and considering colour combinations (maybe white and white?) and working out just how we were going to remove NASA from the immediate scene. To me, this presents an ideal opportunity to make it a little easier on the eye, but to Keith, the very thought is a threat to his happiness.
"We've had burglars!" he announced mournfully when he came downstairs this morning.
"They've taken the wallpaper."
Life in north east England (yes, we've moved!) with an eccentric Welshman and a small white dog that thinks he's a Rottweiler.
Being neighbourly
BBC Breakfast this morning, interviewing a designer (didn't catch the name or what he is a designer of, but he hails from Lancashire) about proposed new strategies for planning housing estates in a bid to make people who live in them more neighbourly. This was the gist of his argument:
Well, of course, up to now, new building has given too much consideration to the car. What we need to do is put the cars away from the houses, round the corner somewhere so that people have to walk to them and, on the way, they'll meet their neighbours. No problem about cars being broken into because new cars are practically burglar-proof. (So what about those people who don't have new cars / can't walk round the corner because of disability / need to carry heavy shopping back to the house?)
And as well as freeing up all the space to meet your neighbours in, we can free up even more by having a recycling point down the road somewhere rather than having individual wheelie bins. So you could meet Mrs Bloggs going down to the recycling bins with last night's take-away rubbish in her negligee and, who knows, she could eventually become your wife.
(So it doesn't matter that she is apparently already married then? And are the females among us, by the same token, going to get the chance of meeting Mr Universe by the same recycling bins? And is the wearing of negligees manditory? Even in winter?)
All joking aside, the whole interview was a joke, made worse by the interviewers sitting there with serious expressions on their faces, nodding solemnly to every ridiculous sentence that came out of 'Mr Designer's' mouth!
But my question is this:
What provision is there for your average British misanthropist who just doesn't WANT to meet the neighbours and exchange a friendly but meaningless quip on the way down the road to his car or to throw out last night's rubbish?
You see, no consideration for minority interests!
Well, of course, up to now, new building has given too much consideration to the car. What we need to do is put the cars away from the houses, round the corner somewhere so that people have to walk to them and, on the way, they'll meet their neighbours. No problem about cars being broken into because new cars are practically burglar-proof. (So what about those people who don't have new cars / can't walk round the corner because of disability / need to carry heavy shopping back to the house?)
And as well as freeing up all the space to meet your neighbours in, we can free up even more by having a recycling point down the road somewhere rather than having individual wheelie bins. So you could meet Mrs Bloggs going down to the recycling bins with last night's take-away rubbish in her negligee and, who knows, she could eventually become your wife.
(So it doesn't matter that she is apparently already married then? And are the females among us, by the same token, going to get the chance of meeting Mr Universe by the same recycling bins? And is the wearing of negligees manditory? Even in winter?)
All joking aside, the whole interview was a joke, made worse by the interviewers sitting there with serious expressions on their faces, nodding solemnly to every ridiculous sentence that came out of 'Mr Designer's' mouth!
But my question is this:
What provision is there for your average British misanthropist who just doesn't WANT to meet the neighbours and exchange a friendly but meaningless quip on the way down the road to his car or to throw out last night's rubbish?
You see, no consideration for minority interests!
A job!!!
It's been in the pipeline for a few weeks now but the superstitious in me hesitated to broadcast it until I was as sure as possible that it was actually going to happen.
What am I talking about?
Some kind headteacher has decided that she needs a 'mature and experienced' teacher for Y2 for the next academic year - and she thought of me!
Actually, what happened was that I was interviewed for a similar job at another school but didn't get it. However, the head who was on the interviewing panel is taking up that position in September but is presently head of the school where I shall be working next year. You with me so far?
So there we are. As from September, Jennyta will be in full time, gainful employment for twelve months...
And I never thought to hear myself say this but,
I can't wait!
What am I talking about?
Some kind headteacher has decided that she needs a 'mature and experienced' teacher for Y2 for the next academic year - and she thought of me!
Actually, what happened was that I was interviewed for a similar job at another school but didn't get it. However, the head who was on the interviewing panel is taking up that position in September but is presently head of the school where I shall be working next year. You with me so far?
So there we are. As from September, Jennyta will be in full time, gainful employment for twelve months...
And I never thought to hear myself say this but,
I can't wait!
Grace before meals
The Reception children I was teaching yesterday reminded me at lunchtime that they had to say grace before going to the hall for their lunch.
"Of course," I said. "Which grace do you say?"
Back came the reply.
"God bless this bunch as they munch their lunch."
I won't forget that one in a hurry...
"Of course," I said. "Which grace do you say?"
Back came the reply.
"God bless this bunch as they munch their lunch."
I won't forget that one in a hurry...
Celebrations?
Overheard this morning, a commentator on BBC1 News talking about reactions in Italy to their world cup win:
"So for the Romans this morning, waking up after an all-night party....."
Parties as boring as that, you should stay away from!
(Unless it was a sleep-over, of course!)
"So for the Romans this morning, waking up after an all-night party....."
Parties as boring as that, you should stay away from!
(Unless it was a sleep-over, of course!)
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