I am back again!

My sister has been and gone. I need a holiday to recover! Even though I was working a great deal of the time, we still managed to get to most shops in the county, and she had a good time. We had a bbq for friends here on Saturday evening, and it DID NOT RAIN! I hope you are as amazed as we were. My friends were here from Scotland for a flying visit, and so it was great to all catch up with each other.

On Sunday, we drove down to lunch with Andrew and Ann in London, and once again, we had sun. In London, mind you. Not on the road home. Oh no, the rain was definitely back with a vengeance then. David managed to take this photo of Marge, which I happen to think is lovely. She says I am saying that just because her face is blocked out. But I really do like it anyway. And yestaerday was a 3am start to get them to the airport to catch the plane back to Switzerland. I was home by 6, and did a couple of loads of laundry, wrote some letters, filled in a form or 2 and loaded the dishwasher, before I left for school at 7.45. So by last night, I was a trifle comatose.

And now I have just 2 more days of school left. One and a half, really. My girls are not happy I am leaving, and I am wary of walking about in the grounds at the moment, as they all come and wail, and that sets me off too, and I can do without it. I just have to get through the next 2 days. I dropped off some things I had been carrying about for some girls after sports day yesterday at student services (it was washed out half way through, and I was in the middle of the field, drenched and clearly wearing a transparent skirt. I decided I was too old to worry about it..... but I digress....), and the staff there said....if you knew how many distraught girls we have had in complaining that you are leaving..... And I just said... I can't talk about any of this, and went off to teach. Sigh. It is hard, you know?

Anyway, word is out that I am going, and I now have anything between 20 and 40 kids in each lunch time to sew. They keep flying through the door and saying...Miss, can we PLEASE make cushions/bags/wallets etc etc etc. And so I say yes. Of course. And that is another reason I am comatose. And every teacher on the planet seems to be beating a path down to my room too, clutching things they want me to repair. And remembering that they meant to ask me to do a, b, c. Bigger sigh.

I looked at the overlocker at the end of the day, and it was jammed solid with a piece of material, and the needles were broken and I walked into the staffroom and told the other teachers to come out and attempt to unblock it, on the grounds that they are going to have to do this when I am gone. No-one has a clue what to do. I showed them how, and it took 20 mins, and the department head said...No, I am just going to phone you and beg. So, I am trying to tidy up loose ends, leave instructions for the girls and idiot proof guides on how to make their projects when the time comes, and which teachers in the school may be able to help when and then there is the paperwork....... Oh well.

Yes. I am sad to be going. I still think I made the right decision, given the circumstances. But it is sad. I am sad for the kids.

But then, just look at the rainbow that appeared last night. I have never seen one so bright. We seem to be having monsoon like weather. Torrential rain for short periods, floods all over the country, and then blazing sun the next minute. Within 15 minutes of the rain, the ground is bone dry. Summer is distinctly weird this year. I have managed 2 bbqs so far though, so that is better than none.

And then tonight, I saw the first balloons for a long while. They were up and flying over the garden, and to me, this means summer is here. It is time for the rain to stop. I have rarely had to wear a short sleeved anything so far.

And so that is the news. I have missed you all, and now that my laptop has been returned to school, I have to duel with David to get a chance to use the main one. I need my own laptop. Having a son at home is lovely in one way, but a little inconvenient in another!

And soon we will be on our way to see Diana. I have not given it a thought yet. No time yet! After Friday I will be able to switch focus, I suppose. And YES, DIANA I AM VERY EXCITED THAT I AM COMING TO SEE MY ONLY DAUGHTER!!!!!!

So, I am back. I cannot tell you how much I have to go and read to catch up with everyone. But read I will. And anyway, the house was cleaned for the bbq. It is just fine, and I will ignore any dust. Holiday time is coming!