Our community

I should be writing lesson plans. I am clearly not.
I should be at book club. Ditto.
Lesson plans are why I am not at bookclub. We have a sort of mini inspection tomorrow. I was beginning to hyperventilate about being inspected, and then I thought.... just tell them you are doing your best, if they ask. So I will. That is the plan at the moment. But I will do the lesson plans in a minute. I promise.

Did I mention I killed the printer at work? Spectacularly. I was sending reports to it from another room, and after 10 mins or so, there was a horrendous noise, and ye olde printer upped and expired. Sounding like a demented woodpecker with a microphone to amplify its demise. I unjammed it, and then bits sort of fell off. Lots of bits. Bits I know nothing about and have no desire to know about. Important looking bits. It is a laser printer, and all the teachers in our department use it all the time. There is now a vacant space where it used to live, and I am the recipient of many accusing glares. Especially with inspectors arriving, and the need to print dozens of pages for them. Hmmm. Me too.

Let me tell you a little bit about the community I live in.

I live in a village in middle England, of about 6 000 people, between 2 towns. It has 4 churches, 2 supermarkets, a chemist/emporium, a butcher, a baker, an electrical shop, a home and garden shop, a florist, a patchwork shop, a gallery, a post office, 3 takeaways...chinese, fish and chip and indian. Lots of hairdressers. A beautician. Some other small shops too. A junior school and a library. Doctors and dentists, playgroups and accountants. There are youth clubs, ballet classes, community based clubs, cricket and football clubs and so much more. We even have our own magazine!

I have spoken many times about my friends here. They are great. I have always been very blessed to have wonderful friends, wherever I have lived, and here is no different. Maybe I am just lucky!

Two of my friends were with me when Geoff died.
Another came out at midnight to be with my son.
We have a shared lunch once a month, and all take food and share together.
We all help decorate each other's homes.
When painting or gardening needs to be done, the word goes out, and people turn up to help.
We look after each other's children.
We organise meals when people are ill or have new babies, and we all take turns to help out.
We look after pets when our friends go away.
We take care of the mail, and watering each other's gardens.
We take each other to hospital for appointments, and stay for unpleasant tests if we need to.
We are there to man the kettle and arrange food for things like funerals.
We all volunteer in one way or another, for local groups.
We give each other lifts to places like airports and stations. Anywhere, really.
We arrange parties for each other, and do all the decorations.
We all combine to buy presents for special events like weddings and birthdays.
We take older relatives out for tea.
We have a lot of fun together, and we all know that help is just a call away when we need it.
We have parties, and quiet dinners, and chatty teas.
We have house groups and book clubs.
Everyone helped to make my son's wedding absolutely wonderful, but that is another post in the making.

But most of all, we really know each other, and try to be aware and "care-full" of each other.

This is a good place to be.