Fab40 foibles

Silent Sunday

To blog, or not to blog - that is the question

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As you can see below I made  the decision to stop blogging a while ago, I was completely overloaded and something had to give.

Although  haven't any more free time, if anything things got worse towards the end of the year, I have missed having a place to share my views and an outlet for the little creativity I possess. 

I've missed not telling you about running with courir...ensemble a fantastic charity which works with children with cancer.

I would have loved your advice on how to deal with my new primary class and a few SEN pupils I've tried to help this school year.

I'm sure I'd have made you chuckle with the adventures of Cookie, the sofa-eating puppy.

You could have helped me find prezzies for the husband who wants nothing and the football crazy boy.

Although I haven't been blogging I've still been keeping an eye on blogs I enjoy, such as the brilliant Bibsey and  gorgeous Get Real France . I've also been frustrated by some blogs that I used to enjoy, but now find that every time I log on they're advertising some product or other - a prickly subject I imagine.

So, after all this procrastinating.... I'm back... perhaps, what do you think? Should I stay or should I go?

Goodbye

 

 

As I sat listening to some favourite songs on youtube last night, finally relaxing after a busy week, thinking about all the things I hadn't found time to do - like post - it hit me.

 

The answer is this, I don't have time to blog anymore, so I'm stopping.

 

I've learnt an awful lot in the nine months since I started this blog, not only about the technical aspects, but also about the world of blogging. I've "met" some great people, and had fantastic fun.

 

However, I have a lot more work this year, I've started a runnning club with a few friends - and joined another running club in a nearby town. I've joined a charity to run with children witth cancer, and I'm organising our village race with over 400 participants, the race may be in July, but the work starts now.

 

I'd like to think I don't ressemble Cheri Blair in many aspects, but in one I do, I can't juggle this well, something will get dropped and it might break, unless I take a ball or two out of the equation.

 

It's more an au revoir than an adieu, I'm still tweeting, and on facebook. I would like to start a new blog one day, but for the next few months I'll be taking a break.

 

See you soon,

love always,

 

Fabxxx

Silent Sunday

 

 meet the rest of the gang here !!

Shock, horror, no poem today

 

 

My humble apologies for the lack of post this week.

 

I've always managed it before, even posting every day for a month while being away in April for the A to Z blog challenge, but this week has just been too wizzy for words.

 

Firstly the puppy managed to knock a jug of water on TN, (trusty notebook), meaning I couldn't have posted if I had wanted to, which I did actually, but I'll tell you about that idea next week instead.

 

Fortunately my hairdryer came in useful in fixing TN. 

 

It's handy that I kept it because it's only used for drying out electronic equipment, did I tell you about the time Daughter put her new digital camera in the fish tank, on Christmas morning, thinking it was waterproof ?

 

The only reason I bought a hairdryer thirteen years ago was to take to hospital to dry episiotomy stitches, so it's nice that it's being used a bit.

 

Even worse, work. I'd forgotten what big portions of one's day it takes up, it's very badly planned if you ask me.

 

The couple of nonoseconds free I did find this week were taken up by the running club a bunch of us have started, including  a morning advertising aforementioned club at a village hall thingy.

 

Finally, now, when I could find a poem and write a couple of posts I can't because I'm about to go and run a local half marathon to support a children's cancer charity, but more about that next time I find a couple of minutes.

 

My excuses may be crap, but their all mine and I'm rather attached to them, besides you probably haven't got time to read a poem today anyway.

Silent Sunday

Saturday is Poetry day...and back to School

This week has been pretty busy for a lot of people I think.

 

Although, as a teacher my first days are not that fearful I do feel for these kids, throwing themselves into new lives with no safety net. 

 

Us adults tend to forget the stress of new situations with our cosy houses, jobs, families and social lives. Imagine if you had to change company and job every September...

 

So this poem is for all those brave kids out there, remember you're not alone.

 

 

First Day at School by Roger McGough

A millionbillionwillion miles from home
Waiting for the bell to go. (To go where?)
Why are they all so big, other children?
So noisy? So much at home they
Must have been born in uniform
Lived all their lives in playgrounds
Spent the years inventing games
That don't let me in. Games
That are rough, that swallow you up.

And the railings.
All around, the railings.
Are they to keep out wolves and monsters?
Things that carry off and eat children?
Things you don't take sweets from?
Perhaps they're to stop us getting out
Running away from the lessins. Lessin.
What does a lessin look like?
Sounds small and slimy.
They keep them in the glassrooms.
Whole rooms made out of glass. Imagine.

I wish I could remember my name
Mummy said it would come in useful.
Like wellies. When there's puddles.
Yellowwellies. I wish she was here.
I think my name is sewn on somewhere
Perhaps the teacher will read it for me.
Tea-cher. The one who makes the tea.

 

 

 

The Top five songs I grew up with

 

Back to school means back to all those good habits I told you about the other day.

 

That is why I was just grazing a few favourite blogs in the staffroom when I came across Kate’s new listography, one that had my name all over it, songs we grew up with.

 

I have absolutely no problem finding five such songs, as everyone who knows me knows I listen to the same songs all  the time, adding a couple of new ones every year at the most.

 

The problem will be choosing only five among them, but rules are rules.

 

Number one will have to be ...

 

 

I remember it from Swing into Shape, where I went with mum and her friends, all in bright and various colours of leotards, leggings and leg warmers, enough to give a migraine to any but the hardiest.

 

It was also the final song at the disco we had on the last night of our primary school trip to the Isle of Wight for a week. I was wearing my best outfit – grey and pink striped batwing top, matching grey and pink rara skirt, pink tights and leggings. I looked amazing; to this day I can’t understand why Adrian Cook didn’t declare his undying (and non-existing) love for me on the spot.

 

Number two must be something by Stevie Wonder, or something by Randi Crawford,  or the Beatles.

 

 

 

Not that this was my generation I insist, however whenever my dad was decorating a room, (and it seemed to be a Seven bridge size project) I would sleep on a mattress in the middle of pots of paint, wallpaper and glue.

 

As he would work in the evening I got to stay awake later than usual, reading Swallows & Amazons and listening to dad’s choice of the day on an old tape recorder, flecked with a bluer shade of pale or something similar.

 

Number three is ...

 

 

Already a big fan of the Material girl since I had seen ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’, I would hum along to this at the school disco on Friday nights as my heart broke watching Francis Ktenedis  snogging someone else.

Number four would have to be...

 

 

 

Not because it is a particular anthem of my life but because I still remember it being number one on the chart show that Sunday evening after receiving a fab tape player for my birthday. I sat there for an hour, hunched over the machine of my dreams, turning the tape with split second accuracy.

 

When you listen back to this tape you can hear my bother flush the loo during Bonnie Tyler, and mum yelling me down for dinner while the Phils debated the difficulty of their shared girlfriend.

 

Last, but not least is my hands down winner.

 

 

I was lucky enough to realize at the time that the summer I was 19 would be one of the best moments of my life. My BFF and I ended up au pairs in the same family ( the kids were so tough, our cleaning and cooking skills so crap it took two of us…)

 

The summer was spent swimming in the sun all day and partying with sexy French boyfriends all night.

 

The fact that I’m still with my sexy French boyfriend (and friends with BFF) over twenty years later makes this song extra special, in fact when the local school kids sang it at their end of year show I promptly burst into tears, of happiness I hasten to add.

 

If you want to check out which songs were in the charts at special moments in your life then hop over to Mine of useless information to find out.

 

 

New Term's Resolutions

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It’s the first Sunday evening that’s felt like a Sunday evening for a loooong time, and although the kids don’t start until Tuesday, I’m back at work tomorrow.

 

I quite like my usual Sunday evening routine, it’s very therapeutic after what has usually been a pretty hectic weekend - ironing in front of a DVD, and getting stuff ready for the next morning.

 

It’s the only time I watch films so I can spoil myself,  at the moment I’m  folding my way slowly but surely through Glee, and will be looking out for something new soon, any suggestions gratefully accepted.

 

Along with Mr. Shuester’s antics this evening I also thought about my new term’s resolutions, as this is also a spanking new school year I get to make a few extra ones.

 

I’ll be up every morning before the crack of dawn to walk the dogs before work…

 

 

… I will spend my breaks at work catching up on marking and planning, and not randomly surfing the web with a glazed expression and an instant wipe-clean concentration span…

 

 

… I will go regularly to running club, even the Sunday morning 8am killer one…

 

 

…I will write and blog regularly and not gaze at random rubbish on the net instead…

 

 

… I will be pleasant to everyone I meet, especially at school pick up when I’m absolutely knackered and envious of the mums who have the energy to chat with each other while I avoid eye contact with every member of the human race, including my own children…

 

 

…and this year I will keep every resolution, forever, honest.

 

What about you, do you make resolutions at this time of year? What? And will you keep them?

 

 

Silent Sunday