Saturday, July 21, 2007

Catching up

Well, let me see where to start.....
  1. School is over
  2. Holidays are here
  3. I was not wrong about looking for plans for Noah's Ark
  4. Harry Potter is out
  5. It is still raining
  6. NZ getting closer

One phase of my life is over. These phases seem to be passing very rapidly. Maybe that is because I am not a sweet young thing any more. By any stretch of the imagination. My very last day to school was bittersweet in a way. I said to my class...Shall we play a game? No! They yelled...We want to make things. So there we were, the only class in the school actually doing work in the last few hours before holidays, and all because the children chose to. One of the assistant heads just happened to pass through my classroom, and I can honestly say that I had a secret grin on my face as he looked rather astonished. I was dying to say...Well, we were told to teach up to the final bell. But that would have been nasty, pointed and not very nice. But I would have felt sooooooo good!

I had so many kids coming in to say goodbye and I got some lovely gifts too. Cards, and gifts from the kids, department, my boss, technician, the LSAs. One little girl had made me a sewing kit full of beads and sequins and stuff. How sweet is that. I stayed down in the department at the end of school, and we had a party there with the people I love. I didn't want to go to the main staffroom. And I came home. I will be doing a post ( writing a book!) on what I see is wrong in our schools one of these days. So many simple things which could make all the difference in the world. But that is for another day. Or maybe not.

You may have seen that Britain is under water. The rain yesterday was staggering. More fell in a couple of hours than usually does in a month, and driving home, there was water spouting out from the drains in the roads like geysers. The rain is still falling. People spent the night on motorways, and thousands of homes are flooded, villages cut off. We are fine in this area, and as I think I have said before, living on a hill has its advantages. But to the west of us and north and south, things are very different. The weather people say that maybe Tuesday will be a little brighter. TUESDAY??? That is days away! Then more rain. They try to look bright and cheerful as they say..But the rain won't be as heavy as yesterday! Hmmmm. It is still rain. Wet. Very wet.

The excitement of the day yesterday was going to queue at Tesco at midnight for Harry Potter. My 18 year old son has grown up with J K Rowling's books, and the queue stretched across the huge carpark. I breezed past and went to look at books for me in the store. And toilet paper, as one does at midnight. Of course. Then I went out to watch the queue and chat to half the population who I either knew or taught. Diana called from NZ to say it was going on sale at 11am there, and so all over the world, everyone could only buy it at exactly the same time. Unbelievable global arrangements. Apparently every outlet selling it is displaying posters of little Maddie who was abducted in early May, and never been found, at J. K. Rowling's request.

David came home to read, and I toppled into bed, and when I heard movement this morning I asked how far he was, and it was 400 and something pages, but he had fallen asleep at some stage. He is still reading, as I speak. Now I personally am not a Harry fan, but anything that can get the kids of the world reading through the night is brilliant as far as I am concerned. That is why the release date was midnight last night, as it was the beginning of the UK school holidays.

I bought the Memory Keeper's Daughter for myself while mooching about waiting for David last night, and I am looking forward to reading it. I know Mum wants to read it too. Mum???? I have got it! (Cheap at Tesco too!) I also bought the House at Riverton, by Kate Morton, which has had great reviews. It is her first novel, and looks excellent. I will report all.

It is so exciting to know I will have time to read, even if it is on the very, very long plane journey we will be going on soon. Because we are stopping briefly in LA, (to refuel I assume) I thought I would have the time to buy a couple of US magazines and one of the Rieses peanut thingys I have read so much about, but NO. My daughter tells me that there is absolutely nowhere to buy anything. We get off the plane, are fingerprinted and photographed go to a room with chairs and water, and get back on again. And fly off. So, if anyone in the LA airport staff happens to be reading this, I personally think it would be a very very kind thing to arrange for a magazine and sweet (candy) stand to be put in the transit place. For me. Hey, California, I WANT TO BUY SOMETHING! Sigh.

Right. I need to go and do something constructive. Like make coffee and recline in the rocking chair (which sadly no longer appears to have any springs, and which makes alarming noises when one reclines, but I am happy to overlook that. ) I may even watch some golf from Carnoustie.

8 comments:

  1. Our lives do seem to run in stages. Sort of like chapters in a book. I love the moment and try to live in it. But, I also look forward to the unknowns that the future holds for because I believe our steps are ordered by the Lord as His word says. Enjoy your new chapter!!!

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  2. The rain sounds miserable. I know it's creating all kinds of misery and I so wish it would end.

    I'm a big HP fan. Looking forward to the last book. It's madness here, too. JK Rowling's whole story still just amazes me. Imagine - she's richer than the queen.

    I'm happy for you, entering this new phase. I think you'll be happy too. And I, for one, would love to hear your thoughts on what's wrong with the school system today.

    Hope you have a nice, quiet weekend and I hope it dries out there soon!

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  3. Linds, I'm glad to see things went well with the end of the term. Be blessed sweet friend.

    I hadn't heard about all the rain- I've been out of touch with the move. No TV or internet. It's been ghastly, to be honest. It sounds miserable. However, I'm so glad you are safe.

    We now live on an acre of pure dirt in the desert. We need rain so bad, but I do worry about flash flooding once it actually gets here. Oh well-

    We are huge HP fans here, too and havent' had a chance to get the newest book- we are taking the kids to see the Order of the Phoenix this coming week. The theatre here has matinée tickets which get all four of us in for the price of ONE ticket where we used to live. I'm thinking we may actually go see movies again! Hooray!~! We will have to drive into the city to get the book. There's not a single bookstore in town. It's sad, really.

    Bug hugs to you from Arizona, sweet friend!!!

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  4. Anonymous12:35 am

    goes to show you how much your kids loved learning and beong creative with you

    Id be very interested in the book when you write it. I think it helps us be better teachers by learning from each other as what we feel is not right

    we were facing floods just last week so my thoughts are with those people

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  5. Well you survived that last day of school but I can imagine how bittersweet it was for you. You're right, as we get older those darn stages of our lives seem to go by faster! Ugh! Our local Chapters had a party until midnight last night for the Harry Potter book release and it was apparently a sell out! I haven't read any of the books but I have seen all the movies...except the latest one that's now out! You have such a wonderful trip to look forward to...if I was at that airport, I'd throw you a magazine and a candybar! lol xoxo

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  6. I absolutely identify with you about all the rain!! There was nine inches at my son's and parents' houses this past saturday (and it's been rainy for weeks). The crazy thing is last year we were in the midst of a terrible drought. I'm going to pray the rains let up.
    I am so happy school is over and you have your trip to look forward to. The books sound good. Let me know. I am desperate for a good story. I dug out my old Rosamunde Pilcher books that I've read so often I could probably quote many of the passages. She is such a wonderful writer.
    Enjoy the weekend!

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  7. Welcome to the world of the non-working!! It's a little scary but a whole lot more relaxing and interesting, thinking and planning about how to fill one's days. I'd love to hear your thoughts about the school system - please share with us! What a wonderful last day - to know that kids want to learn with their teacher is so rewarding and it means you were doing the right things!

    The rain sounds like too, too much! I hope it stops soon.

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  8. Anonymous8:45 pm

    School starts back again in 3 weeks, for us. Yikes, summer is waning. What age do you teach? I teach 4 & 5 yr-olds, 2 classes of 18 in each. I miss the routine. I do not miss the "what will I wear today?" challenge!

    If I lived in LA, I would hand over a bag of goodies! Have a great vacation :-)

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