Move On Monday

Well it was quite a tough day. I got p at 5am and walked to the train station, caught the train and then walked from the station to school. I was Ok at school a little sore but generally coped well with the day.
Graham met me after school and drove me to Chatham to pick up the car.
Here she is! This is Hettie. Hattie's older, somewhat quirkier cousin. She seems to drive well but there s the odd unfamiliar squeak which I am monitoring.
It was scary driving around the roundabout where I had my crash but I figured it has to be a bit like getting back on a horse or bicycle when you fall off. The sooner you pluck up courage the easier it is.
I feel tired now as the past days have been rather emotional but I feel very happy to be back on the road!

Sociable Sunday

I have my parents visiting this weekend which is lovely. I feel a little sore following my accident on Friday but feel remarkably OK. I hope the other woman involved in the crash isn't feeling too uncomfortable today.
I am glad I haven't spent too much time alone since the accident as it is when you are on your own you can dwell on things a little.
Hopefully I have bought another car that looks as good as Hattie and all being well I pick her up tomorrow. The train is very expensive between home and work and in around 4 weeks I will save money by purchasing another car straight away.

Having a car was not something I wanted or thought I needed for years but since having one I find I can get about so much easier being able to drive.
I am hoping to sell my house and move soon too and having a car enables me to do that much more conveniently.
I would love to see the day when using public transport was more economically viable as I do enjoy being on trains and buses but the costs and delays make it very difficult when you are dependent on public transport.

Superb Saturday!

I have had a great day. Graham stayed over and we walked the dogs and and then after he went my parents arrived and they were very sympathetic and supportive regarding the crash. I looked on Ebay and all being well I have a replacement for Hattie! I should be picking her up on Monday evening. I will let you know how it all goes! I am excited and hoping that all works out well.
I am off to bed soon as I got to bed really late on Friday.

Freaky Friday!

I was driving home after work when Boom! I hit another car. A kind passer by stopped to check on me and the other motorist involved and called the ambulance. Trainee Paramedics returning from their shift also supported us. The roundabout was closed and the Fire Brigade arrived, cut both our cars in half and we were immobilised and lifted into ambulances. We arrived at hospital where I was scanned and xrayed and once they had ruled out any major problems I was allowed to go home. I hope the other motorist was just as lucky.
I am home now and Graham rescued me by coming to the house to walk Ollie and then took me Supermarket shopping.
I was able to talk to both my kids on the phone to reassure them I am OK.
I have never felt so fortunate to be alive or so grateful to so many people who helped me in so many ways.
My car is no more. Poor Hattie. She was a brilliant car and I really hope I am able to get back on the road with an equally good car as soon as possible.
Experiences like this remind me to focus on what is truly important in life and not to get bogged down by trivialities.

Thoughtful Thursday

I had an interesting day today. After work I drove to Sevenoaks to drop paperwork off at the Solicitors as I am putting the house on the market. I needed to have my ID signed etc. On the way there I felt excited and a little nervous. I worked out that this is because this marks the end of an era. I have lived here for over 10 years and that is the longest I have ever lived anywhere. I am so grateful for this house it has provided me with a cosy roof over my head for years but now it is time to downsize and hopefully a new family can benefit from living here.
After leaving the Solicitors I went to meet friends at The Parrot in Canterbury.
I do love it there the staff are so friendly, the food is delicious and the pub is very attractive.
What a great evening....

Now I am looking forward to my next trip to my beautiful caravan....

Wonderful Wednesday...

It has been a productive day. I have (hopefully) sorted out the information the Student Finance People need for my son's next year uni funding and have had an entertaining day at school. There is never a dull moment working there and I find the children very rewarding, unique and individual. It can be hard for teachers and support staff not to feel a little jaded with all the external pressures and criticisms that educators face from the Government and the general public on a regular basis but it is so important to remember none of this is the Children's fault. We are providing them with an education. Education is precious and we owe it to the children to give them the most exciting and rewarding experience we possibly can.
There are 4 weeks left of term. I hope we are all able to give them an enjoyable few weeks with some happy memories to look back on in future.

Exploring is Educational!

Terrific Tuesday!

It has been an interesting day today. I took a group of year 11's out for a taster day- work experience at a local Distribution Centre. It was good for them to see a bit of real life.
Schools try their best to prepare their pupils for the future but it is so hard for young people to be able to visualise the next step. Seeing people in their working environment has hopefully made the next step easier for them to visualise.
If we could play our lives backwards it would be much easier to encourage pupils to put in the work now to increase their life choices in future but as we can't do this it is hard for the pupils to truly see the importance and the point of some of the things we aim to teach them within school.
I am very grateful to The Open University as I wasn't ready to embrace further education when I left school- in fact I couldn't wait to leave. A few years later I realised the value of further education and was able to sign up for my degree.
Education is such an important thing and many of us don't know what we have 'til it's gone!
I have enjoyed today.I enjoyed being at work, driving home and now being at home with Ollie.
 Even watching England play football knowing they have already been knocked out held my interest.
I have enjoyed today's warm weather and even the build up to what I think will be a big storm here tonight as it is so hot and humid right now.
Let's see what Wonderful Wednesday will bring us!

June is so refreshing!

Magnificent Monday!

When I took the decision to take control of my life and start to shape it the way I wanted I stopped dreading Mondays! It is as simple as that.
It was scary deciding to walk away from full time work and look for something different but I am so glad I made the jump.
I am still working a lot of hours. In fact I do boot-fairs now and attend events that help me to build my business but this doesn't feel like work. I now have the energy to do this alongside my teaching role.

I have realised that life truly is what I make it and if any aspect of my life doesn't feel right to me then I owe it to myself to change it.
I was driving to school this morning with the radio on singing along and thinking 'Should I really be having this much fun on a Monday morning?!'

Sunny Sunday!

What a beautiful day. I got up at 4.30am to get ready for the boot-fair. The weather was perfect today for a boot-fair. People were walking along smiling with their families/friends/dogs basking in th sunshine.
A lot of people had time to stop and chat and quite a lot of people showed interest in my business cards so that was great.
I also am starting the process of clearing my house as I aim to sell it soon and so books and DVD's etc are all going to the boot-fair. I like the process of de-cluttering once I get started. It is hard to get started though. Now that I am off and running there will be no stopping me!

Sunshine!!!!!

My Gran

Its my Gran's birthday this weekend. I really hope she has a wonderful time. She was born in India, met Grandad when he was in the army over there, during the war. She married him, gave up all she knew and came to England to start a new life. That was before a lot of people emigrated to England. What an exciting and brave thing to do!
She embraced her life over here living as an army wife, being posted somewhere new every few years and brought up two daughters, Helen and Rosey.
As I grew up I have many happy memories of going to see my grandparents. They lived near Chesterfield. I loved visiting them in Derbyshire and when they travelled to Norfolk to see me and my sisters.
My Mum became ill and Gran and Grandad moved down to our village so they could help look after my little sister Madeline as Dad had a full time job and Madeline was only little.
When Mum died it was so sad for us all but for Gran it was devastating. Despite her grief, Gran focussed on her family and did all that she could to help us.
Time moved on and Dad met someone else and Gran and Grandad moved to Matlock.
I loved visiting them there, the countryside around there is so beautiful.
Gran and Grandad continued to be there for me and also my children when they were born.
I have had all kinds of adventures and experiences in my life. Some of my actions did not meet with the approval of some family members but Gran was always supportive, encouraging and loving.
When Grandad died this was a major blow for Gran and she decided she would like to sell their home and live in a Lifestyle Village with warden support.
She appeared to be happy there for quite some time but then it became apparent she was lonely and needed family around her and so Aunty Rosey flew over and brought Gran to love with her in
Florida.
Gran misses living in England but I know she is in absolutely the best place for her living with family around her.
Gran is such a support and source of inspiration and love to anyone who knows her and words can't express how grateful I am that she is my Gran.
Happy Birthday Gran!

Passion

When you come across people who have passion and commitment for what they do it is inspiring. I just watched some of the Italy V Costa Rica football match and the energy and determination put in by Costa Rica was refreshing to see.
When you hear music that has been created with passion or Art  or anything really you can sense it.
I really believe people are happiest when they find a way to do the things that make them happy and the things that they have a talent for. It is exciting when you find yourself in the presence of someone who is totally committed to what they do!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQvUBf5l7Vw&feature=kp

Exciting times!

Well I have lived in my house for over 10 years now but the time has come for me to move on. Clarrie and Jack have moved out and are doing well at Uni and I don't need a 3 bedroom house. I have informed the Housing Association and appointed a Solicitor and so very soon now the wheels will be put in motion.
I have loved living here but it is time to move on.
I am hopeful that the house will sell quickly. Ideally the Summer Holidays would be an excellent time to move.
I hope the house will be sold to a family who will enjoy living here as much as I have. It is a peaceful place to live and yet is within easy walking distance of Canterbury so it provides the best of both Worlds!

a bizarre happening...

I was driving along early this morning, singing along to the radio. I was driving behind a Transit van who was behind a recovery vehicle which had a car and a van on board.
All of a sudden it seemed as if someone had hurled an entire bucket of grit forcefully at my windscreen!
I couldn't see through the windscreen so I put the windscreen wipers on. It took ages to figure out a plausible explanation- What I think happened was this:
One of the recovered vehicles may have had a broken windscreen which finally gave out and the shards of glass flew up and hit my car. My bonnet was covered in glass for a while and then I managed to remove most of the remains with the wipers. I was lucky that the incident didn't put me or anyone else off as we could easily have had a crashed!
I feel so grateful that the majority of my car journeys are safe and non eventful.
I actually love driving. This was not something I would have imagined a few years ago when I couldn't drive.

Summer is definitely here!

It is lovely driving along with sunglasses on and sunshine beaming down. It was a beautiful day today. We are getting closer to the longest days of Summer. My Gran's birthday falls on the Summer Solstice - I have always really liked that especially as my birthday is the day after the winter Solstice and my Mum's was the day before.
This is a wonderful time of year. It is nice that the kids can complete their day at school then go home and play outside for a while. Children love being outside. I love being outside. I doubt I will ever tire of that.
Older people like being outside too. It is important to give everyone the opportunity to spend time in nature. It is a great way of reminding us all what is really important in life.

Eco houses

I keep seeing inspiring and beautiful homes made by people with incredible imaginations! Most are tiny and are made out of wood or built somewhere unusual like between two rocks. Some have solar energy, others a grass roof but what they have in common is that they have been made lovingly by people with imagination and flair who want to change the way buildings impact on the natural environment.
I am looking forward to living in a caravan. I really don't need a lot of space and I really enjoy the simplicity of living in a caravan. It will give me the chance to de-clutter- recycling, giving away, selling and donating the things I no longer need.
I am very impressed by people who are able to build their own homes and do so in a low impact way.
The more people who choose to live a low impact life the better!

Me in my caravan!

I love my caravan!

I have just come back from a wonderful weekend at the caravan. I spent it with Graham and the dogs and we were very lucky with the weather. We went on a couple of wonderful walks. It's so good seeing the dogs running about together in the woods and on the beach. The flowers are beautiful at the moment too. We saw a lot of orchids and other wild plants and generally enjoyed being in nature!

World Cup

It is amazing to think that however many years ago someone invented the game of football and that as time has passed more and more people have played the game. Many love the game and it can unite people. In the war there was the famous football match, for example and people from different countries and many different walks of life can share their common interest in the game. On the other hand there are those who use their alleged love of football as an excuse to be violent either at the matches or back at home. There are still others who have no interest in football and resent the hours of TV devoted to it.

I like football. I particularly enjoy watching it with my son. I can get quite carried away when the team I am supporting score a goal.
I hope England do well in their match and are able to cope with the humid conditions and rather dodgy looking pitch!

thinking about Romania.

In Bucharest drug addicted teenagers live in the sewers under the ground. Today I watched a News programme where a group led by dealer-'Bruce Lee -'King of the Sewers' were featured. It was actually a follow up programme as one of the girls- an 18 year old infected with HIV died two weeks ago and they held her funeral. It was such a sad sight. The children came out of the sewers to show their respects. Despite all the loss they have experienced in their life they are not immune to sorrow and were openly weeping. Many of the teenagers were abandoned at birth and had grown up in the orphanages. They live together in the sewers with their own rules and showing complete loyalty to their leader.
The leader is regularly banned from Bucharest but still he returns.
He attended the girls funeral - his hair was covered in the silver spray paint that contains the solvent that he abuses.
I hope that one day the lives of these young people improve to the extent that they feel safe, secure, happy and accepted in somewhere more healthy and uplifting than the sewers.
I am glad that there are good people across the world who are trying to make the world a better place in any way that they can.
Every good act any one person does makes a positive difference. I believe that little by little things will improve for the worlds lost and forgotten people.

#100happydays

I have taken part in the #100happydays challenge and today is day 100!
I have really enjoyed doing this. It has encouraged me to look at the happy times in my life and there are many I realise. All I do is look through photo's and post up a photo that reminds me of a happy day in my life.
Doing this has made happy days happy and tougher days easier and I genuinely think it has made me feel more positive in general.
I worry less, smile more and it has been easy and so I have decided to work on another #100happydays and will be posting the pictures up on Facebook
again.

Here's to the next 100!
(P.S this was not a happy day for Burt as he had to go to the DOG WASH!!!!)

The antics of Ollie!

Ollie my dog is so funny.
It is sunny and warm at the moment. ( quite unusual for UK I know....) Ollie sits on my bed for a while and then decides its too warm and so he hops off and throws himself onto the floor quite dramatically and lies on the floor wagging his tail.
When we go walkies he has a fan club.
There is an older man who enjoys sitting out in the sun. Ollie runs up to him and wags his tail and sniffs him and the man always has something nice to say to put a smile on my face.
There is a young Mum who lives nearby. She and Ollie really love each other. We have got to the point that if she is sitting on her step as we walk by Ollie has to bound through her garden gate and rush up for a cuddle.
He has certain dogs he barks at as they walk past and other dogs he greets happily.
He has cats he tries to chase and other cats he is scared of. If he is scared he tries not to show it but starts to trot across the road to get away at the earliest opportunity.
He has his favourite posts and patches of grass where he likes to cock his leg....
All in all he is a joy-filled creature of habit who delights in just about everything that life brings him.

Strawberries!

I love strawberries.
At work there was a punnet on the staffroom table and we were free to help ourselves.
I picked one at random and it was one of the most delicious strawberries I have ever eaten.
Every so often you eat something that blows your taste-buds into a new dimension....oh to have another strawberry like that one again soon!

Hattie is happy again!

poor ol'Hattie my beautiful car was feeling rather sorry for herself. One of her tyres was getting worn. I phoned the tyre man from work and they had the right size in stock so we drove over and in minutes Hattie is the proud owner of a brand new tyre.
This is good for Hattie and good for me as if I had left this much longer I think it may have become a problem.
I guess we cover quite a few miles Hattie and I on a daily basis and its good to know we are now good to go!

wild weather!

I listened to the weather forecast on Friday and was warned that we would be having severe storms in these parts so when I woke up on Saturday I was surprised to find it was beautiful, sunny and hot. I went into town to post my Gran her birthday card and then collected Ollie and we set off for Essex to see Graham, Rufus and Burt. As I drove along I must admit the clouds did look rather threatening. All of a sudden the heavens opened and it was very hard to see but luckily all drivers were being sensible slowing down and leaving spaces between vehicles and the storm passed.
I was convinced that there was more to come and this put me off going to the Strawberry Fair in Cambridge as we had been planning.
We didn't go and the weather stayed fine so we could have gone.
The moral in this story is don't believe everything you hear when it comes to weather!
On a positive note - Rufus has a poorly leg and so if we had gone he may have strained it further - instead he was able to rest it this weekend and as a result seems much better.
Ollie has such a good time with his canine buddies and gets so excited whenever he sees Graham.
We are home now, still the weather is hot and sunny and Ollie is asleep showing off purple front paws!
I have no idea how he achieved his purple paw status, my best guess is he has chewed up a purple pen?

Blogs

Blogs are great. I like the fact that you can put your ideas and thoughts out into the World and people can choose to read or not to read. The very act of deciding what to write each day helps me to focus in on what I am focusing on at the time. Looking back over blog entries helps me to see what is really important to me and how I change and develop over time.
I like looking at other people's blogs for the same reasons. It is good coming across other people with similar dreams and desires.
Blogs are quite different to diaries in that diaries record your inner-most secret thoughts. Blogs are public and can be potentially read by others. I think blogging is a creative process and a very useful tool.

Hay House Summit

People who know me well will know that I have always had an interest in personal development. I started off reading some incredible books Paulo Coelho's- The Alchemist was one of the first and the wonderful words I read slowly and surely started to change the way I think, feel and look at things. As I gradually opened my mind to the realisation that The Universe (including our Minds) are full of infinite possibilities I found that one inspirational author would signpost and alert me to the existence of another and so my journey progressed.
Books were supplemented with Webinars and on-line events as I started to tap into the benefits of The Internet which helps to bring people together who are divided by distance and united by ideas.
Hay House Summit is one such transformational event. You can sign up free and listen to three speakers a day or choose to upgrade and have access to more speakers.
There are so many opportunities out there that I couldn't possibly access them all so I use my intuition to help me decide which to listen to in the time I have available.
The Summit also has a Facebook forum where like minded people can share their ideas, insights and experiences.
The Summit would be of enormous benefit to anyone who has an open mind and would like to act to bring about positive changes for themselves, their loved ones and The World.

I thoroughly recommend dipping your toes in the water if you have the feeling that life should be happy and joy filled rather than a drudge or a trial!
If you would like to find out for yourself visit:
http://www.hayhouseworldsummit.com

looking forward to tonight!

I am off to meet some of my good friends in a pub in Canterbury- we meet about once a month and we have such a laugh! We swap the latest news- what is happening in our lives, talk about Education as each of us has (past/present) strong links in this area and generally put the World to rights. It is hard to explain how important such lovely rituals are. We don't always go to the same place and sometimes one or two people can't make it but we have been meeting for a significant time now and here's to many more wonderful meet ups!

What or who guides you?

I have been thinking about what things inspire people and what or who people rely on to guide them through life. For some- organised religion plays a very important part and for others they have family or friends who they rely on for advice and support. For other people meditation and other alternative approaches provide signposts through life and for others music and art inspire them and help them to decide on the direction they are going to take.
In work and business colleagues can be mentors offering their wisdom and for many personal development coaches provide a vital service. There are books and webinars, seminars and summits that are available to offer guidance too.
I find it exciting learning about many approaches and find if I keep my mind open I can benefit from advice and guidance in many forms.
I think one of the most exciting things about life is knowing we are on our own unique journey and what is right for one person may not necessarily work for another.

Music

Where would we be without music? I have said before how many times a good song has cheered me from the tedium of a traffic jam and I usually have one or more songs floating about in my head. I love music in many forms and certain songs really resonate with me. It is hard to pin down a top 10 or anything like that and at different times in my life one song will stand out above the others for a time then settle down in line and another will rise up to touch me more.
My son is a musician and I am very happy about this. My Mum was good at the piano and her Dad too. I can play the odd tune ( very odd tune!) on the recorder and managed Grade 1 piano many moons ago so the musical talent did not channel through me but the appreciation of music certainly did. Music makes such a difference to my life and is good for the soul!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2mZVOd0jWY

In praise of unsung heroes

I am not very good at asking for help when I need it. I much prefer being the giver than the taker. I think a lot of people can relate to this. If I ever ask anyone for help I need to 100% trust them and that takes a lot. This blog goes out to all the unsung heroes of our wonderful world. They are the sort of people that others come to rely on as they have a 'problem solving' approach to life. If something doesn't work they either know how to fix it or they learn how to. They are the sort of person who is always getting phoned up by people who have experienced some disaster/crisis or other and they know that the person they call can be relied upon to try their very best to help in any way that they can.
Knowing that this type of person walks the earth is such a relief!
To all you unsung heroes- Thank you from the rest of us! xxx

getting things done...

Well last time I wrote this I was putting off the dreadful tasks of mowing and weeding. I made myself do these things yesterday and so now I am feeling all virtuous!
Mind you the grass grows so quickly this time of year I will need to psyche myself up to do the mowing all over again in around 2 weeks!

All would be well if the lawn looked like this when I leave it but alas no....