Dangerous Texting

Here’s a funny story from today for you- I met an 8 year old on the school stairs at break when I was texting.

Oh sorry, sez I, I shouldn’t be texting on the stairs should I?

You shouldn’t be texting in school, sez he.

Aren't teachers allowed to break the rules sometimes? asked I.

No, teachers have to extra obey absolutely every rule and always, sez himself.

I laughed- I thought that was a most excellent  answer!...especially coming from one of the boldest boys in the school!

Catch Up

I think we will have bullet points for efficacy in transfer of information:

(Youngest is doing a Career Skills course for six weeks and I am being dragged from Neanderthal to 21stC I'm told...the phrase 'nothing new under the sun' springs to mind, but I listen and hope to learn something new which will give me the edge in any interviews I might receive...apparently bullet points are 'in'!)

• One calendar month left until Middlest's Wedding- (holy smoke-aagh) she finished her College Finals last Friday.
• Two bridesmaids dresses to alter and one wedding dress.
• guitar needs three new strings (glad someone else got the organ repaired!)
• I didn't get a place on the course in Dublin, over the disappointment now though.
• Haven't even got as far as an interview for any of the teaching jobs I've applied for, actually, not even a request for references, guess its really dung-heap time...
• Need a new music stand- why can't someone manufacture an unbreakable foldable music stand?
• Sheet music for seven pieces of music...then learn to play, two guitar, five organ.
• 130 tea cups and saucers needed, but hey! do I mind hanging out in Charity shops for the next month?
• Important School service on Friday week, grand opening for the new school, which we moved into Patrick's weekend a year ago! Hairy caniptions? not me, more the rest of the teachers having to deal with me...actually funny story later.
• general sewing (belated gifts!) to give to family members who will be at wedding, in order to save postage!!

I'm certain the list will lengthen, in the way of lists, but its bearable so far. Middlest is playing flute accompaniment for the School Service by way of a last hurrah, which is fun.

Funny story: in school yesterday after morning break  I took all eight classes up to the Church to work out seating and manoeuvring for Friday week...as anyone working with children knows, the logistics of moving groups of children around in a confined space like a Church takes a bit of thought in order to avoid congestion or mishaps.

I thought I had cleared it with the Principal and everyone but as I took off out of school he called after me: 'I have visitors coming to see around the school and there's not a single child left in the place!'

The hilarity of it struck me later- how many of you when asked what you did today can answer, 'I walked off with two hundred children!'

Lots of love,
Pied Piper.

This'n'That

Yesterday I had a run-in with the Welfare Office and was so upset and annoyed I didn't know where to put myself. But then Wily Coyote took the time to phone and talk through a few ways of dealing with the problem, and Youngest joined me for a coffee in Costa, so I calmed down! This morning another friend came up with another suggestion so tomorrow I will go back to the Office and coolly, calmly deal with the situation.

Thank you for friends!

This morning in school I started working on musical 'rounds' with 1st and 2nd class, which took quite some explanation and practice before the concept was understood (I thought...). Eventually we managed to sing through the song as a round and got it to sound a bit more musical. They obviously still didn't understand the concept though because as I wound up that activity and began the next, one small boy told me in a puzzled voice: 'I still think its a very untidy way to sing.'

Thank you for honest little people!

Little People, Heavenly Host and Music

Did I disappear? Wish I could as for a supposedly unemployed person of insignificance I seem to be beyond busy.

The main focus this week, and last week, but not the week before, is the school's Carol Service. Big eejit here overstretched herself somewhat in the choice of this year's music and the children and I have struggled to work our way through the Nativity songs. The teachers say it is sounding ok now but I think we will all be grey by Friday- I'm talking Junior Infants upwards here...

This morning I spent some time in the Church with the Organist (long-suffering man) and the bass guitarist (who is having far too much fun), over two hundred weary and over-excited small people, the Principal and all their teachers. I really don't know how it's going to pan out as the little people are wildly unpredictable, the heavenly host are having dodgy moments, Gabriel temporarily muddled his words and Michelangelo put his hoodie on back to front with the hood up, to hide...

We'll see.

Implosion pending, tunefully and musically, of course.

The Shop was quieter the last two Mondays, and on Saturday I wound up the children's sewing classes until mid-January. There seem to be eleven children now in the Sewing Club but as they never all turn up at one time it is do-able. Its been a fun but tough learning curve for me as well as them, since teaching outside school is vastly different to school teaching. Or that's my experience.

The Sunday school teacher has rounded up sixteen small people for the Church Nativity, and has her hands very full I think...putting the Church Carol Service together might be the next thing on my 'to do' list...I talked to the adult Choir last Sunday so we will begin by doing a number on 'Once in Royal' and then progress to doing a number on the Nativity Story. I say every year that our God must have an incredible sense of humour considering all the many ways in which the Christmas Story is told...and I'm saying it again this year.

Think of us on Friday at 10am...then again, you may actually hear us...

Picture This...

Lovely new school...eight classrooms and various other rooms...eleven full time teachers and sundry other assistants etc...

Actually functioning this week:

one printer
one Internet outlet (not connected to each other)
plugs around school, intermittent, fuses blowing right left and centre
phones- two plug ins (neither cordless handset operational)

Was the temper frayed? No it was SHREDDED! In tatters! And that was the Principal, the secretary's temper was in the next county and her sanity was across the water in Wales, still running for its life...

Workmen- in and out all week either turning off essential services or trying to repair them around 200 inquisitive children, not the most efficient process. By Friday the knocking sound on the boiler was so bad the plumbers turned off water mains in fear of the system blowing up...

If there was anything else it pales to insignificance in comparison to the above!

On the plus side there is a swan nesting on the watershed by the school (the river runs right outside the building). Two hundred children are anxiously watching over the swan from the classroom windows, were there ever such eager god-parents-in-waiting?? Its just lovely for them to watch the wildlife at such close quarters and good for them to be so involved.


Final Verdict? Fab week...NOT!

Overheard in the Infant Class

Class Assistant: Have you just had a nosebleed, J?

J: NO!...ummmm...yes?

C.A.: Did I tell you not to pick your nose?

J (indignantly): But I wasn't!

C.A.: So how did it happen?

J: I was just checking...


Gross but true!!

Of Time Lost

Golly to Goodness but where does Time go? Blink and you miss a week...or two...or three! I know I've been busy but didn't realise I was THAT busy!

School's back and and after a crazy-mad few weeks, everything is beginning to settle into its usual hoppity skippity progress, as in one day you think you've almost got a grip on work and the next two you wonder if you ever will...

Since Middlest moved home at the start of the month I feel as though I'm running a student hostel which leads to some interesting scenarios- I thought I was waking up Middlest the other morning and another girl's head popped out from the duvet!! Poor thing, she didn't want to be woken up at all!

Middlest's man, Car-boy, for future reference, is also around a lot, which is fun as he is a gas character, also he is quite happy to hang out with Youngest, and not every boyfriend would be as easy- going.

Youngest has begun her final year of school, kinda scary, you never think your youngest will actually grow up, do you? Ok, you might, but I didn't! She's had two friends here for the weekend and they have baked, cooked, watched films, gone jogging and talked the hind leg off every donkey in Connaught!

So it goes. The greenhouse progresses not at all, the weather has been unseasonably (and unreasonably) cold, the charity shops have nothing in my (ginormous) size, and four horses broke into the garden a fortnight back and ate all my trees down to the ground.

Things gotta be lookin' up soon....

A Greenhouse?

Yup! A greenhouse!

The Hub has agreed to build me a lean-to greenhouse against his beloved shed:

Site of future greenhouse!

Materials (you may need a magnifying glass!) timber, plastic from skip, perspex.

Tidied up compost heap, courtesy of the Hub- he can't bear a mess not of his creating, and the compost heap is MY mess...

A jungle tamed!!

A nicely weeded and mulched bed- with SUCH a straight edge!

I've started off so many vegetable seeds and they have begun sprouting now so I hope he really does built the greenhouse as promised. I'm going to be the most organised vegetable grower in Ireland come Spring!!

Funny thing a friend said last week about when I told him about the proposed greenhouse: 'The Irish do love their lean-to's, they even build lean-to's onto lean-to's!' And when I thought about it, its true!!


On another note, back to work/school yesterday, although the children don't return until next Monday. I thought it would be a nice gentle ease-in but no such luck- parents wanting second-hand uniforms, phone hopping, returning messages, booking services for office machines, staff trying to get organised, builders problems, Principal catching up on paperwork...and just what does all this have to do with me I ask?

Dunno, but it sure keeps Muggins busy!

Where Have I Been??

Firstly- does anyone know whether its ok to clean the laptop screen with windscreen washer?
Because I just did and now I'm waiting for it to go kaboom or kersploj or whatever screens do when they are really, really annoyed...

Where have I been?

At school, and excessively, manically, completely and frantically busy. Did I mention at the start of March we were informed by the Department of Education that we'd be having a Whole School Inspection in April?
Cue for panic- and extreme indignation all round.

Temporary accommodation ie. prefabs?
Half the contents of each classroom either in storage or in boxes?
Rooms too small to accommodate the usual wide range of class activities?
No display or pin-boards?
No communal meeting area?
Constant statistical problems with lights, water, sewage, leaks, heavy doors, wrong loos, yadda yadda?
All community access to school on hold for 18 months?

Answer 'yes' to all the above and more. The Report from the Inspection will be online for anyone to read for the next ten years or so, and there is no way we will come up shining with all those restrictions. No quarter given from the Inspectors, right pair of bags they are too- we met them.

Not that it has much to do with the Office Witch here, but its the principle of the thing; when you know the staff are good, committed, hardworking teachers and you know the Principal runs a tight ship, and you know that the Report wont do them all justice, well, its enough to make the blood boil so it is.

Term finished on Friday but I went in to the Office today to finish up stuff I hadn't got done, and there were three teachers in working. Wednesday I said I'd be in the Office in case there is anything they can let me do to speed up their own work, and judging from various texts I've received, all the teachers will be there.

Easter Holidays howarya!
                                 *****************************************
Golly to goodness, her sisters have helped Eldest upstairs to get ready together to go out...how the heck do we get her back down again? Piggy back? Don't watch this space, and Please put your fingers in your ears...

Start But No Stop

Two Junior Infants bounced into the office with a piece of paper and an armful of yellow card...'Our teacher says can we have 31 yellows of this please?'

I set the photocopier going just as one of the Clergy enter, so I turn to greet him.

Quick as a flash JI One reaches out and presses the 'start' button again....AAAGH!!

(In order to get the full scenario on this, you need to imagine a rather decrepit and temperamental photocopy machine, whose individual buttons may or may not work at any given moment...particularly stubborn are the 'stop' and 'interrupt' buttons....also, like most schools, we are pretty strapped for resources and wasting paper is just.not.on!)

Heckety shrieks and ticks off JI One whilst trying desperately to prevent twice as many sheets of paper as needed spewing madly forth.

JI Two gasps and exclaims something along the lines of...'Oooh! that was bold isn't he a bold boy Mrs H. I would never do that he shouldn't have done that should he Mrs H. isn't he bold?' whilst JI One is dancing with excitement at all these pages coming and coming and me not able to stop 'em!

And the Clergyman? That stalwart, upstanding member of the Church? He leans against the wall doing a narrow-mouthed frog impersonation and trying not to double up....until the Junior Infants have run off clutching their booty, whereupon he collapses into the chair and roars laughing!

The moral of this story is simple:

Trade in the photocopier! and possibly also a certain Infant????

The League of...Oz?

Last night the League of Nations arrived for a sleepover. Only someone from a home with three opinionated dogs would understand the momentous occasion caused by any sort of arrival! Since I've been in bed for the last two days I let them get on with it, and lay here experiencing the bumps, crashes, woofs, wails, smells of burning, chatting, yells, laughter and chaos without having to do a single thing about it. Very restful...NOT!

The League is actually all of Middlest's flatmates- South African, German, Australian and Middlest. But oddly enough, combined, they can talk for Ireland!

Unfortunately Fluffster Dog has become very cranky of late, and Small Dog knows exactly how to wind him up. Christmas was a nightmare with the constant snarling and fighting- it got so bad I really didn't want to come home in the evenings. Oh well.

Youngest is rehearsing madly as 'The Wizard of Oz' opens in just over a week. Luckily she has a very small part as she really can not afford to be falling behind in her schoolwork. (Literally and figuratively, since she is a Munchkin- ha! ha!) Sixteen months from now she will be doing her Leaving Cert Exams, and then NO MORE SCHOOL! How I can't wait! It been years of miserable, thankless grind getting the younger two through Secondary School and I don't know who hates it more at this stage, them or myself.

Roll on the day!

But meanwhile? Let's 'Folllow, Follow, Follow, Follow, Follow the Yellow Brick Road..!!'

The Void!

Once upon a time (like about two weeks ago) between the red brick building and the river, there stood a school. It was a nice little school with five classrooms, also built from red brick. Many, many children passed through its doors, and over the thirty five years it sat by the river, it grew considerably until there were more temporary classrooms than original rooms. But over the years its health grew poor, with mould and leaks, poor drainage, and an even poorer heating system, until one day the Department of Education decided to retire it to the Great Schoolyard in the Sky.

So now there is a Void where our little school used to be. It is very odd looking across the river and seeing....nothing. Middlest's room is one of the windows you see in the red brick building, which is the boarding section of our Secondary school, and she too finds the void strange, having spent half of her primary years in the little school.

But the moral of this tale is to not despair!

Even as we speak, the ground works are being prepared for our new school, a bigger, better, modern, two-story building with space for everyone and everything which a school could possibly need. People are making detours across the river to moniter progress and the plans on the wall in the Principal's temporary office are being studied and admired. I don't know how long we'll have to wait for the new school, but in the end it will be worth it, it really will!

Been A While...

Its been a while since I posted, let alone posted regularly. How have you been keeping? Missed yez, missed yez lots and thought of you individually often, wondering how things were going?

During the Autumn I was getting to grips with the new job- just FYI, School Secretary is not for the faint- hearted! I love the children to bits, I even really like all the staff and the principal, but boy! for each lovely parent it seems you get one who couldn't care less and one who is as obnoxious as bedamned! Its truly another world out there folks! As a teacher you may receive a little respect, as secretary there is NONE!

Over Christmas the Hub, Middlest and Youngest went to East Africa for three weeks to see all his family and catch up. His Dad has not been well, and is taking ill health and age very badly- well why shouldn't he, I guess? He's probably only being the way most people would like to act??!!

Eldest stayed in Ireland and was up and down to Dublin. With the mild winter that's been in it her health has been much improved, as well as being prescribed new and much more suitable medication. The last few days she has crashed again but luckily she is at home so she can lie on the sofa and grump all she likes! Over the Christmas week she had all sorts of friends to stay and it was fun seeing how they are all growing into such lovely adults- if they are a sign of things to come, its lookin' good!!

To say that I have found things difficult over the last while would be rather an understatement. But at the same time I've been seeing someone as part of a CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) program, and I feel as though I am mentally beginning to get my feet under me once more. The idea (excuse me if you know this) is to change one's own thinking and reactions, to be more proactive and not reactive in life's ups and down....I think....

Its HARD WORK!!!!!!

And learning to stand my ground and think afresh is difficult too, but so far, worth it. I'm very, very lucky to be getting any help at all as the mental health services are over-run with demands. I'm also really lucky in the friends who are still standing by me as I grapple with the inside of my head!

I really need to get back to writing regularly. I also need to get back to visiting all of you because that too keeps me sane, and out of my own head- to say nothing of really enjoying your company, of course!!!

I'm playing for Church this morning, guess they might be a little shocked if the organist rocked up in her pyjamas and her hair all on end clutching a mug of tea...or maybe they'd take it in their stride, they know my foibles well enough by this time!!

Have a peaceful, restful day, folks and I hope to chat again soon!

PS I got a camera phone for Christmas and I've been taking some photos around the place; when I figure how to upload them here I'll share!

Size Matters...or Not?

This morning I was in School doing my usual Music teaching, as well as winding up sundry children...and got a real inadvertent wind-up myself!

I hadn't gone in to talk to the new Junior Infants last week, so thought I would do so today. I must admit that to teach them would, for me, be akin to sitting in a can of live worms, but in short bursts they can be terribly funny. After a bit of chat their teacher asked them whether they knew my name? To which one bright spark exclaimed: 'She's The Piano!'

Of course I am!

Does it give a whole new meaning to, 'Does my bum look big in this?' or what!!!

Of Computer Scans (lost) and Head-Days...

Onyhoos…as the aunt from Belfast used to say…

I was over at the folks on Friday using their scanner to copy some crochet patterns before passing on my old magazines, and found I’d forgotten how to file the scans once done. As a result, I had to hunt through Dad’s documents to recover everything, and even now I know I didn’t get them all.

I did warn him to watch out for stray crochet patterns, and he promised to check any reports in progress before emailing them off…can you imagine some big corporation mogul somewhere opening the latest report on European Medical Devices and finding a couple of crochet patterns included. Would that count as a twoferone d’you suppose?


On a good head-day I can get in the car for three destinations: the folks’ house, our Church, and ‘my’ School.
On a very good day I can teach in School, and I can also do the grocery shopping. So far this year I haven’t been able to teach which is a bummer as I do so enjoy the children; all I’ve done is play the piano once a week for Assembly, and many weeks, not even that. Playing the Organ on Sundays is mostly possible as well as a lifeline, as people come round and chat to me, whereas I could not go to them.
Also on a good head-day I can go out to the garden and do stuff, or even sit outside. Unless you’ve ever had the problem of going through a door, you wouldn’t believe the sheer frustration of watching all the weeds in the flowerbeds wave and snigger at you while at the same time growing taller and taller…

Mind you, if you’d had our weather lately you’d be thinking it was still winter! Not only has it rained constantly, and sometimes hail too, but it’s a rare day when the temperature gets to even 10 degrees! I’ve had the fire in for days in a row- and this is JUNE! And to add insult to injury, the Hub’s Aunt rang and was saying that where she is (in Surrey, I think) they are about to be having a hosepipe ban! I offered to post her a bucket of water, but like all of our extended family, she refused to accept any post from yours truly here…Spoil sport…

A Dim Day

This morning I was in school to take Assembly. After practising today's hymn I was talking to the children generally (whole school gathered in one room can throw up some great humour!), and someone remarked on what a dark and gloomy day it is.

I agreed, and suggested we were in the middle of a solar eclipse?

The older ones didn't think so.

Well, sez I, perhaps when the night was over, God forgot to switch on the sun?

The middle section got that, but thought it would be even darker if that was so.

Then, sez I, perhaps when God was switching on the sun, His elbow knocked the dimmer switch?

They all agreed that that was a possibility...except for one Junior Infant who put up her hand and explained: 'Its because it's the winter and the sun don't be so strong.'

I told her she was absolutely right, and was I the joker? She agreed!

Sometimes I don't know which is funniest-

winding children up,

being wound up,

some not getting the joke,

or being set right!

Then the Principal and the Clergy arrived, so we behaved ourselves after that, but I do soooo enjoy my 200 children!

School Carol Service

After WEEKS of preparation and anticipation, both in school, and in Church with the organist, finally Friday 17th dawned...

It was a county covered in snow!

But, despite abysmal road conditions, to say nothing of no school transports, the brave and hardy students of a certain enthusiastic National School turned out for their annual Carol Service! It began late, as parents struggled in and teachers dusted falling snow off their willing singers, but it HAPPENED!

And it went well!

And despite the weather I think there was a record attendance of families, as well as the next door secondary school students, which was lovely for all of us. The children sung their hearts out, and I hope the Story of Jesus' Nativity touched a few hearts and reminded folk of what this season is really about.

Snow Days

Today is the third 'Snow Day' out of School this week. I was there briefly on Monday, and the School Yard was one huge sheet of ice. Since then it has repeatedly snowed and freezed...fruzzed...frozen so we await the thaw.

I'm trying not to panic over the state of the Music for the Carol Service which happens Friday 17th, ready or not! But I have been promised free rein on Thursday to catch up with all the classes in the School- can you imagine what it'll be like?

Anyhow I have put the time to good use, craft-wise, and have been crocheting and knitting away. This morning I went shopping with Mom and the pavements in town and the parking lots remain just awful. It doesn't seem to have occurred to very many Businesses that clearing the paths outside their own doors would be a kindly public-spirited gesture.

However on the whole it seems that many people are looking out for their neighbours, and certainly, out by us, the farmers are all keeping the roads as passable as possible...say that ten times fast!

Still, roll on the thaw! I know that very many of you, like Ulla and Elaine and Diane deal with much worse snow and ice for the entire Winter months, but as one of you said last year, your places are better at coping...if this is going to become normal for Ireland, we are going to need to take lessons from you people!!

P.S. I've been playing with my Banners and have kind of matching ones for here and the shop! Don't you love stars?!

Still here....

Bet you're wondering if I'm still here!

Ummmm....sorta.....!

The computer has been playing silly b-....misbehaving, and raised my blood-pressure to stratospheric levels, so I stayed away from it for a while. Its still being annoyingly slow and un-cooperative...

Eldest returned to Dublin on Tuesday and is working hard, lots of light designs and playing with Theater spaces. As the Dublin Fringe Festival starts soon, so she won't have time to get into any mischief for the moment!

Unfortunately, before she left she helped to tidy the kitchen and we are missing a few things, namely the pepper pot and the Medicine box. You might think that's funny, but youngest and I are a bit put out!

Middl'st has spent the week in Donegal working with her new job, and is exhausted apparently. She's back tonight late, so we'll see her tomorrow. She's due to have her tonsils out soon, just to add to the fun and games.

Youngest returns to School on Tuesday for Transition Year. This happens in fourth year of Secondary School in many schools in Ireland where the students do a lot of extra-curricular activities and life skills, as well as four weeks of work-experience. Some students do as little as possible during the year, others embrace all the unusual activities and go at it 'hammer and tongs'! Youngest is really looking forward to it, and has her name down for a bizarre array of subject areas!!

The Hub had the second part of his annual leave cancelled this week so MUCH bad temper from yours' truly; I'm back at school next week too, Harvest and Christmas Music to get on with and of course I think I should be free when he has leave...ah well, bummers galore!

Youngest is cleaning the upstairs ready for a Slumber Party tomorrow night- whoop-di-doo! a clean upstairs!! And I've been weeding the veg beds ready for the winter crops to go in- all 'go' in this place, I tell ya!!

New Improved Pleasant Pheasant Alarm Clock!

We appear to have gone straight from Winter to high Summer here and skipped Spring entirely...not that I'm complaining but the flora and fauna are utterly discombobulated.

Hence the fact that the last few mornings we've been woken at 5.something am by our local cock pheasant standing on a stone outside the bedroom window and screeching his head off. Now I do realise there are many ways to advertise that one is available for an elegant mate but Janey Mac! if we all did that the neighbours wouldn't half complain!

He is rather a gorgeous specimen and I hope he lives long and prospers, but not outside my bedroom window! I suppose though, that if I was as gorgeous as that I'd stand on a rock and advertise myself too...actually, on second thoughts, if I had a speckled chest and long tail I'll be more likely to hide! I tried to get a photo of him this morning and was out stalking him in my PJ's but no luck. Perhaps tomorrow...if Marey Horse doesn't kick him into oblivion first as he was seriously aggravating her this morning and she was snorting and humphing at him big time!

Other news?

BBug is back at school this morning- minus her Easter Geography homework which she left too late to finish.

Dilly is home for a few days. Last week she was finally diagnosed with what's been wrong with her since last August, causing her to fall over, have no strength, and be in almost constant pain- Fibromyalgia, a form of Arthritis. NOT what you expect at age 20.

At least it counts as an official disability so she can have a writer for her exams and extensions for written work. It has brought her 'normal' life to a complete halt though and she is obviously having a bit of bother getting her head around it. Still, at least we know what it is, the alternatives could have been far, far worse.

Travelling Sister returned home Friday safe and sound, looking disgustingly healthy and tanned.

She brought me a Bolivian Doll- its about 5" tall and she says they really do mostly dress like this. Interesting huh?

Big Sister moved house/ flat on Thursday and Friday, just within Dublin, and is delighted to be unpacking all her things which have been in storage since she returned from South America in the Summer.

And the Hub cleared and tidied the shed out on Saturday- not before time, mark you!

So, from snow and gales to high Summer in a fortnight...and I've just answered the phone to my Dad: 'Hello hello? This is the Mountain Rescue- do you know that you have a sheep up on your roof?'

What next!