"Am I really doing this???" 

Levi Tafari

This week is Arts week in school, when we are off timetable and able to devote time to the more creative and fulfilling parts of the curriculum, the parts that often get squeezed out under the pressures of daily literacy and numeracy lessons. Not that I am decrying these. The '3 R's' are essential but weeks like this provide a timely reminder that those children who are not academically gifted often have talents in other areas, in which, because of the constraints of the curriculum, they are not usually able to show their ability.
So Arts week is welcomed by all. It's a chance to relax, do something different, limited only by the bounds of the imagination - oh, and lack of resources! But that's another story! (See previous post on wasting resources.)
This year's theme is Africa. In my class, we are making a jungle freize, inspired by the paintings of Henri Rousseau so there is green paint, tissue paper and crepe paper everwhere.
This morning we had a visit from the poet, Levi Tafari - yes I know, the link is tenuous as he originates from Jamaica but you can't have everything. This is Levi's second visit to our school and the children really enjoyed his visit and his suggestions for creating poetry. He has that rare gift of being able to engage the young children as well as older ones but hadn't reckoned on the complete lack of understanding of play on words of the average 5 to 7 year old! He talked about personificaion and mentioned that, for instance, a mountain has a foot and a face and some have ears - mountaineers. They're all still puzzling about that one!
On the home front, history has been made! Keith has once again, completely unprompted, mowed the lawn! Twice in 2 weeks!!!! I was therefore moved to take a photo - 2 in fact but one had to be deleted due to an unfortunate gesture being made by him as the shutter clicked!

Task avoidance strategies

It's that dreaded time of year again - no, not hayfever - report writing! Last time for me, but still a real chore. Last Monday should have been dedicated to report writing, but the sun and Moel Famau in all its glory beckoned and I am never one to resist temptation! So, while this year's tan got started, the reports didn't.
Lots of time at the weekend. Well, it's Saturday, but now another problem has reared its head - T.A.S. - otherwise known as Task Avoidance Strategy.
It kicked in when I first opened my eyes at 6 this morning. A lovely, sunny morning, the dawn chorus had been underway for some time - ideal for throwing off the bedclothes, leaping up to start a new day with a spot of report writing.
Unfortunately, having opened my eyes, I must had inadvertently closed them again....

8 o'clock. This time I did get out of bed - more of a crawl than a leap - but I got there. Breakfast, take Lucy for a walk - oh! Forgot! Have to go into town for some stuff for Arts Week which begins Monday (lack of resources in school again! :-( )
Reach town at 9.15. 3 hours later and some cash lighter, drive home. By the roundabout, B&Q looms. Bet they've got the garden table I wanted. Maybe I'd better pop in and have a look.

1 o'clock - unload the car. Should I have a go at assembling the garden table?
NO!!! Get those reports started!

15 minutes later, am sitting on the floor making a reasonable start at putting together the hosepipe stand, bought this morning (Yes, it was on the list). When I picked it up in the shop and studied the packaging, there was no hint that, not only did it have to be assembled, but a degree in light enginering was required to be able to complete the job. As I haven't got one, I had to abandon it half done until greater minds than mine could focus on it. Since then, there's been bed making, washing, kitchen cleaning, the ironing's looking very inviting. And it's now 3.30!! The garden table flat pack is there looking at me.....
Table or reports? Decisions, decisions!!

Driving home

Friday afternoon,driving home is a pain. The journey is an hour long anyway, longer if they are digging up Runcorn Bridge, which they are about to start doing again next week, but Friday evenings in the summer months, everyone in the whole world who possesses a caravan, and quite a few who don't, decide at 3.30pm. that they absolutely, simply MUST spend the weekend in North Wales, so having crawled over the Bridge and along the approach road to the M56, I eventually fight my way into the caravan train heading east. After that, it's crawl, crawl all the way. So, today I decided to go through the Wallasey tunnel instead. That way, all I have to do is crawl partway into Liverpool, streak through the tunnel and catch up with the same gridlog of caravans etc. near the end of the M53.
However, all is not lost! Not when Keith comes up with such mind-boggling ideas - and boy! was he on tip top mental form tonight! What I need, he suggested, was a flashing orange light on the roof of the car and, to go with it, a flashing sign saying
EMERGENCY! TEACHER GOING HOME!!!!

Then, he reckons, everyone will clear out of my way, the roads will be deserted in an instant and I shall be through Walton Vale and into that tunnel in a matter of minutes!
Now, why didn't I think of that?
All I have to do now is track down a manufacturer of the above sign - or better still - set up my own company - another possibility for my next career move???

My roses 

Reflexology

At an introduction to a reflexology course last Saturday, I picked up a great tip for protecting oneself from 'negative energy', 'bad vibes', whatever you want to call it. Apparently, when doing reflexology on a client, it is all too easy to absorb the negative energy being put out by that person and if that happens, it means you are less able to fulfil your function as a healer. The leader of the course suggested that, to avoid this, you should use mental visualisation of yourself being totally protected from outside influences of this sort. She suggested imagining that you are the yolk of an egg, totally protected by the white or being surrounded by a shower of protective light, or, wait for this one, stepping into a condom, drawing it up over your body and tying it in a knot over your head! Nice one!! Couldn't just be a binbag or plastic overalls could it? Well, at least it brightens the day when you step into the shower in the morning!!

The one blooming rosebush in the garden chez Jennytc now has 2 beautiful yellow flowers fully open, which shows an impressive fighting spirit, as, only a few days ago, it was involved in a death-struggle with the dreaded greenfly. The other plants are still battling well in spite of being the object of Lucy's tender ministrations. Never seen a dog with such a faultless aim.

Back to school

Back to school today, but the day was brightened up by a letter from Bartholemew Bear. Since his visit to us he and his minder have travelled to Edinburgh, Berwick on Tweed and then down to Exeter, where my friend is now packing his belongings before transporting them in a van back to Berwick on Tweed, to his new flat. Then he will return the van to Exeter, travel by train to a point somewhat short of Berwick before completing the journey on foot. I can just imagine Bartholemew's comments on that arrangement!
Yesterday was designated for beginning the annual Writing Of Reports! I spent it around the area of Moel Famau, acquiring the beginnings of a tan. Quite an art writing reports on top of a mountain, but one has to make the effort (not!!!) For the record, everyone else on the staff is sporting a respectable tan today!