My little life

See good in something every day…..

Such sadness over the last few weeks both privately and publicly! There is a need for happier, joyful news……

My dear friend, Debbie, posted the above today and it is so true. It is better to look for something to smile about than dwell on the sadder elements of life.

I have decided for a variety of reasons to begin 365 happy days from July and see where I am in a year’s time.

I enjoyed the company of my parents last weekend and we spent time laughing and being our usual deprecating selves!

It has been wonderful to share Nina and Jay’s excitement for their week’s break from work and as Georgina approaches her 22nd birthday I know she will be thoroughly spoilt.

The happiness I derive from seeing my family happy and achieving things, no matter how big or small, is uplifting and I cherish that.

Life is short, for some too short, so live, laugh, love and look around to see the wonderful things that surround us! Happiness can be a way of life. 💕💕😀😀

Flower of Scotland

Yesterday brought sad news, once again, that a very special teacher at school, had passed away. Tony Ward had suffered a stroke whilst on a field trip on the 21st March and spent his remaining days in hospital, surrounded by family and friends.

He appeared to rally, then falter, rally and then pneumonia set in. His passing was peaceful and no doubt he was secure in the knowledge that he was well loved by all who had the privilege to know him.

He was fit, running and excercising at a high level, but his passion was for teaching. He had high expectations, but the 15+ hours a day ensured that students achieved, often above and beyond.

He had a wicked sense of humour, a wonderful home, many friends and inspired so many. He taught my three children, and they are saddened by the news.

I could eulogise for longer and many ex students have posted fantastic tributes to the legend of Tony.

Suffice to say he will be hugely missed by the school community: I don’t think we are fully aware of how much yet.

He was a true gentleman, a fellow Scot, and, as in the song, I’m unsure as to ‘when will we see yer like again!’

Tony Ward RIP.

Celebration of life

I have been dreading today as it was the day that I would say farewell to my dear friend Sian. Her mum had said that they wanted to celebrate her life and that was achieved in no small measure.

The tributes began with her brother Aled recanting stories from her younger years and beyond. The words made me smile as memories of our 30 year friendship washed over me.

The music choices were inspired as they so reflected Sian’s love of Tolkein and Sci-fi.

Aaron and Matthew’s tribute was so touching and conveyed how loved, cherished and fortunate they are in having her as their mother and was reminiscent of another mother born in 1961 who lost their life too soon, Princess Diana. The shared memories, hopes and dreams will sustain them in the future.

Alec’s tribute was, understandably, difficult for him, but he persevered and once again here was someone in awe of Sian: her courage, her innate kindness and her ability to make everyone feel special. Alec pointedly mentioned her cuddles: Sian was a hugger and the warmth she radiated enveloped you, as well as her arms. I will miss that too.

A poem called the afterglow was read by Ros, Sian’s sister in law. I marvelled at her composure to read the verse.

Beautiful – as Sian was in every way. The committal came all too soon and I said a final goodbye to Sian, although I will keep her in my thoughts forever.

Sian had a great chocolate cake recipe and Georgina suggested we bake it on her birthday to celebrate, washed down with her favourite tipple, Bacardi and coke!

We left the chapel to the strains of ‘where my heart will take me’ again emotion overtook and we left to greet family before travelling to the golf club.

The serenity shown by all today was a worthy testament to a wonderful woman I was privileged to call my friend and Sian will remain with me always.

The sun shone and the floral tributes were wonderous.

Once home I waited for the sun to begin to set as I wanted a picture to capture the end of today

Life will be different for us all that shared today but we are better people for having shared precious time with Sian and that is worth celebrating.

Parental guidance

For mum’s 80th birthday we bought her an iPad and to her credit she has coped wonderfully with the technology. We rarely speak on the phone these days, preferring FaceTime and that provides the opportunity to see each other too. Oh and occasionally I enjoy the waist high view of my Dad!

Mum sent me a picture from Sunday and it is lovely.

Hard to believe they are octogenarians and reading an article today about Sophia Loren has made me reflect. Mum is the same age as Sophia and has always felt an affinity with her and boy my mum scrubs up as well as Sophia, without the, perhaps, cosmetic assistance miss Loren may have had!

In the article Sophia said that when she was 20 she didn’t think that one day she would be 80. But she is, as are my parents :they are lucky and we are blessed that they are still with us and in good health!

They have certainly enjoyed their new home in Scotland for the last 11 years, moving back to their birthplace.

There are twists and turns, highs and lows in life but with close family, no matter how far apart they may be, we can always give support and love. It is a privilege to have both my parents to share and still make memories with. They will spend a few days with us in April and I am looking forward to it immensely.

Kevin is fortunate that his mum at almost 76 is alive, as is his Nan at nearly 95.

His dad died 26 years ago at 54 and we feel that loss every day , although there are times when you feel it more keenly. We often talk about what he would’ve thought about how all his grandchildren have grown, their life choices , and John would have been so proud of them.

When Andrew and Lis got engaged my dad said that when they were born he never expected that he would be around to see the children as adults, and certainly not married. How wonderful that he has and that he went to Australia for their wedding.

The longevity has hopefully been passed on to Kevin and I so that we can be a part of our three’s lives, and have health to enjoy our own.

The last few weeks have shown we can’t take this for granted as cruel twists of fate can intervene at any time.

So my parental guidance is smile, be happy, follow your dreams and share your life with those you love, laugh and make memories!

My friend Sian

Today brought the saddest news that my dear friend Sian had lost her monumental battle against cancer.

What can I say, she believed she could beat this and did all she could to try.

I have been in awe of her courage and the support and love that her family and friends have given.

An amazing friend, mother, daughter and sister. Calm and just one of the nicest and uncomplicated people I had the privilege of knowing and loving.

I will miss her beyond belief but I will remember her for the rest of my life.

Sian, I love you and miss you and you have left an indelible mark on me.

No words can express fully what I feel right now but that is nothing compared to the loss Alec, Aaron, Matt, your parents and brothers must feel. Shine brightly for us! Xxx💕👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Rome, history and rugger

Since booking flights etc to Rome and the tickets for the Italy v Scotland game, my anticipation has been palpable.

The trip was another part of Elaine’s 50th birthday celebrations and it has been wonderous!

Arriving on Thursday afternoon at our hotel , Kevin and I went for a trip into the city to find our bearings and acclimatize ourselves to the transport system etc.

On Friday we met up with Elaine, Jane, Mark and Matt and spent 3 hours in the colosseum and surroundings.

The weather was amazing and the guide was exceptional in providing information that really brought the whole tour to life. You could imagine the animals, gladiators and the crowds there it was awesome now so full would have been amazing!

Kevin and I then made our way to the Vatican for another 3 hour tour, and I was hoping for so much. I was in awe at the Sistine Chapel and the riches that you behold in the museums. Unfortunately a poor experience from our guide made for us wanting to leave earlier than planned. Time was tight so we missed St Peter’s Basilica – so that leaves me with no choice but to return!

We all met up for dinner and a taxi to our hotel was order of the day due to aching feet!

Saturday-game day! The long awaited game of rugby was here. We made our way to the stadia olympico in good time. We met under mussolini’s obelisk. A trip over the Tiber and an uninspiring lunch was consumed. We followed a sea of supporters to the ground and took our seats, after soaking up the atmosphere, the kilts and the good humour of the crowd.

Our seats were excellent and we were the right side for the anthems and also for the first two Scottish tries! A Scottish team win was what our hearts wanted-and what we got! Sergio Parisse, the Italian captain, was clearly disappointed with how the match progressed.

We then began the journey back to the centre. A very tight squeeze in a tram, followed by bus and on foot to trastevere. We arranged somewhere to eat and all met up for our last supper.

Food was good , alcohol flowed and these few days have been so enjoyable. Once again spending time with Elaine and Jane and, who they refer to affectionately, as the boys. Seeing Elaine so happy and experiencing her cheekiness is delightful!

A fantastic memory for us all and I hope we can do this again in the future! 😎😎🏉

A birthday celebration🎉🍾

My sister turned 50 yesterday – a milestone birthday. I can no longer lie about my age to our shared friends and acquaintances!

Elaine very kindly invited us to join the celebrations and we made an early start to Brighton. We stopped off near Crawley for lunch at the Heathy Farm pub although I misread that as Healthy initially! Bloody lenses 👀

We continued our journey and arrived in the rain to Jane and Elaine earnestly completing tasks for the party. We had a tea break where I presented Elaine with a scrapbook of photos over the last 50 years. Much laughter ensued with memories to the fore of our wonderful childhood.

Food prepped, faces made up we awaited the guests. They were laden with food or alcohol. Joe was mixologist for the start of the evening and I tried a fair few!

The evening was full of laughter, singing, and on occasion dodgy dancing. Elaine is a great sister, she is also a great boss, friend, and partner. Loved and respected and it was a pleasure to share in her joy and happiness as she begins her sixth decade!

Elaine and I are very different in so many ways but that is why, I feel, we appreciate the differences and compliment each other. We share mannerisms, a wicked sense of humour and affection for our family that will bind us forever.

I fell into my sleeping bag on the couch after 2:30 with the alarm set for 5:30!

I feel tired but no hangover or any ill effects which is great and considering my age – not bad at all!

Taking out the clutter

As it is half term I am having a few days away from the office and today I am going to take stock of what I have and what needs to go.

I have a wardrobe full of clothes👗 most of which I can’t or don’t wear: so that will be dramatically culled.

The loft will be a job for the summer, just too much stuff apart from keeping suitcases and Christmas decorations: I think a skip will be necessary to get that sorted!

I’ve never been one for ornaments, but have a few. To me memories and people are more than a piece of glass or ceramics, although some can evoke memories of a special time – a birthday, a holiday…..

I am hoping that this de clutter will make more room in my wardrobe and make me feel lighter, even happier and also give me time to spend with those that are most precious to me.

The wardrobe beckons here’s hoping there is no lion or a witch!

I am also going to declutter emails that I have held onto as they just harbour frustration and don’t fulfill any purpose!🙊🙉🙈

Calcutta cup

So a long weekend was in front of us to go to murrayfield for the Calcutta cup. Not the best of starts to be told our train ‘wasn’t happening’ by a gentleman who was to customer service what genghis Khan was to UN peace. A stop at Carlisle for an hour to await our bus replacement was boring. The bus journey was filled with drunken whistling, singing and not by us though.
After a lovely meal and good night’s sleep we made our way into Edinburgh where we went for a curry.
a slow walk to murrayfield ensued and the atmosphere was fantastic. Anthems sung, the game began. Error strewn, it just didn’t ignite for me as a Scotland supporter, so I will wait another year.

A damp walk to the Caledonian brewery and a couple of drinks made for a long but thoroughly enjoyable day.

Here’s hoping our return journey fares better.

As always a great time spent with Debbie and another rugby memory!

One twelfth of 2016 gone!

So that was January and we have celebrated a couple of birthdays wth my successful completion of dry January!

We celebrated Joe’ s birthday last Thursday at the giggling squid, with a few giggles of our own!

This was closely followed by a night out on Monday , courtesy of groupon. Sliders and prosecco.

My first alcohol in a month, which I enjoyed. Again there was laughter and it’s just nice to be together.

I have been looking forward to this upcoming weekend for so many weeks and I will be packing my bag later for my trip to Edinburgh. Work woes will get left behind to enjoy time with my friend Debbie with a Calcutta cup rugby game to watch!

I wasn’t expecting that!

On Monday I was expecting to be home early as SLT was postponed to Tuesday and relishing the chance to spend time with family. A phone call before lunchtime changed that as the school got ‘the call’ from ofsted.

Meeting back on, preparations afoot for the visit the next day, and possibly Wednesday, I had to be in for a 7:30 meeting and retreated to my office for solace and lit a candle for some calm.

The chaps were going to see the Star Wars film and Nina and I had a dinner date – much shortened by my tardy arrival. I think we had 40 minutes, but at least we enjoyed our meal at Harry’s Bar!

Two further consecutive late nights ensued and we await the published report.

I even had time for ofsted nails!

We have been waiting for almost two years for the call and whilst you know it’s coming, it’s still a shock when it does.

On Friday we laid on breakfast and cakes at break time for staff and the week certainly seemed longer than the five days!

A beautiful sunset was captured on my way to the farm shop on Friday night and a lie in on Saturday was de rigeur!

I was glad to have a quiet weekend and the chance to visit my dear friend Sian, who has been awesome and shown such courage in her cancer battle. I feel very humble in her presence and to witness the love, care and support her family shower on her was wonderful to see.

The visited prompted me to look through some old photos and in doing so brings back such memories of when the kids were small. What, at the time, you think is good, or funny can after the passage of time look baffling, with the question why, but these things are of their age and all part of life’s rich tapestry!

So this morning I had cards to make. One of my 2014 resolutions was to make all cards for family and so far I have kept it!

I made 8 and that is up to March!

Housework is beckoning and Kevin is busy with financial wizardry!

A week into the new year!

my gorgeous daughter and my lovely husband

I’m not going to lie, I struggled after the festive break to get my mindset right to go back to work. But, I did and in a flash a week has passed.

The decorations are down and routines become familiar once more. I had to decide whether to apply for a job and after a bit of soul searching, decided that the change I am seeking is more from within and so that is where I am at.

I have booked myself on a coaching and mentoring skills course for April, and hope that it will provide me with some insight into encouraging staff and students to be the best they can be. I also hope along the way that it will allow me to both personally and professionally develop. This in turn will effect a change in me.

I have also taken the decision to follow dry January and so far so good, not that I drink that much, despite photos of various glasses of prosecco and cocktails littering my Facebook!

I am awaiting the better sleep patterns and glowing skin, this occurs around day 17. Until then I am enjoying green tea, coconut water and a variety of alcohol free libations!

One week in with a few more things to look forward to arranged, including another Lords afternoon tea in April. February and March is pretty full on, and a trip to Scotland will be squeezed in too.

Here’s hoping week 2 is as fulfilling as winter takes hold!

No Resolutions for 2016!

Where did 2015 go, it seems to have gone in a flash. I have many wonderful memories, most documented here, so no need to cover the same ground.

Yesterday I had the start of a head cold, which just appeared from nowhere, so I admit to languishing in bed longer than I should have. When I did stir, I found I had a refund for the cost of my journey home from Scotland in December, Georgina had a win from the Old Ruts 200 club, and at last I was getting somewhere with an issue mum and dad had been having regarding a refund due to them.

I felt buoyed by this and dosed myself up to see me through the day!

Kevin arrived home, we enjoyed a meal, and we received an unexpected call from Andrew in Melbourne, whilst he was walking home from his NYE revellery. It was lovely to speak with him and we had a glimpse of his and Lis’s plans for 2016. With Lis securing employment from February it will be great to see them plan things and starting to live a little! I have nothing but admiration as to how they have supported each other over the last few years.

Then we were off to do our NYE recent tradition of a trip to the cinema. Most enjoyable and home by 9pm. I took some more medication, watched some of the drivel they put on TV, and drifted to sleep.

I woke up about 11:20 and Kevin and I drove to Brentwood to where Joe,Jay and Nina were working. Kevin and I had a couple of drinks and had the opportunity of seeing the NY in with them. Precious time!

We left shortly after 1:00am, they returned home about 4:00 am, only to be up and away by 11:30 for NYD lunch and dinner service. They have worked really hard over the last five weeks so spare a thought for those in the hospitality industry at this time of year!

I wish all my friends and family a great 2016. Health, happiness and love to all. 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

For some there will be highs and for others lows. There will be a mixture of both for many and if I can help and support anyone don’t be afraid to ask!

Nor to share in your happiness and joy!

This year my plans are to follow the 3 C’s. To make a Choice to take a Chance, and not be afraid of Change! Or in any other order!

I have a few trips already booked and will document these on here!

Tis the season to be jolly…..

Christmas 2015 has been a strange one. Never eaten out on Christmas Day, but this year we had the opportunity and it meant at least me, Joe and Kevin were in the vicinity of Jay and NIna as they had to work. Waking up seeing posts on Facebook and pictures of families, and friends, were at odds with two getting ready to go off to work. No festive drinks, no opening presents.

We spoke to Andrew and Lis enjoying the end of their day in Tasmania. Thoughts always wander to if we will ever have a family Christmas together in the future, always something I struggle with, it isn’t good to linger, instead to make the most of precious time with who we are with as many have no choice or hope of being with their loved ones.

We arrived in good time for our dinner and had a cocktail to start. The food was delicious, well presented and plentiful. Joe was keen that we had a bottle of chateauneuf de pape, but wasn’t too keen on stumping up the £63.50, so a modest Malbec was ordered.

We returned home and had a drink and Kevin had a nap, obligatory for every occasion!

A text was received to say Jay and Nina were on their way home, so we eagerly awaited that after their almost 10 hour day!

Nina, still in her elf costume, bounded in and after a quick change Christmas could begin: drink, food and presents. Everyone seemed pleased with their array of gifts, with a few surprises too.

After doing very little, I went to bed, exhausted as I spent most of the day quite emotional. It was lovely to see so many family moments posted on social media, and FaceTime with the Ramsay, Bentham clan was short but sweet.

I am about to get up to start our Christmas dinner on Boxing Day, so while others are kicking back, relaxing with leftovers, i’ll be in the thick of it-just how I like it! We will raise our glasses to absent family and friends and belatedly have a very Merry Christmas! 🎄🍾💕😃😃🎉