Ya Couldn't Make It Up!

Earlier this week I was early for an appointment in town so I looked about for somewhere to sit. The early morning sunshine had that lovely autumn tinge and a freshness to the air so I sat me down on the Courthouse steps. I was sitting there singing through a piece of music I'm working on and people walking past on their business when one of the town drunks ambled to a stop in front of me.

(Yes I know some of them, living in the centre of town a while I got to know and enjoy all sorts of  irregular people.)

Anyhow he stops and weaves about trying to focus on me and after a minute asks anxiously, 'Are you alright there?'

'Arrah yes, I'm fine thanks. I'm not waiting to go inside if you're concerned.'

'Well that's grand.' And off he ambles...

Dacency en't entirely lost so it isn't.

All Kinds of Everything

Colletta is having a Valentine's Book Giveaway:
Of course I'd much rather you didn't enter it, but since one of the rules to enter is posting about it- here's the post...and here's the ace review...sigh...now you'll all want it and I definitely won't win...

I've been playing:

'Well m'dear,' sez yez, 'and when are you not?'

But you see I got these great vintage postcard scans from Tricia at French Kissed, Au Bon Marché and Hotel de l'Opéra (I love the appearance of the written word) and I thought I could use them to make shop tags:

Don't laugh, but I fished the pack of little blank cards out of the paper bin in school a few years ago. I printed off the scans, but as the printer is misbehaving they came out greenish so then I tried printing them in black and white. The size of the cards meant I had to cut up the individual printouts, but I think that gives the old handwriting more impact, in some ways.

Then I wrote 'Heckety Beckety Crafts' with silver or gold or green gel pens,

added a bit of glitter on some but not sure if I like that idea

and am adding fabric scraps and teeny buttons on them to embellish them.

I know its only a tag but how often do you keep a pretty tag as a book mark? I do, and thought it might be a nice 'touch'?

Anyhow I'm having great fun! I love cutting and sticking...the child in me I guess! (which is why I still read Winnie-the-Pooh, Dr Seuss, Richard Scarry, Brian Wildsmith, Maurice Sendak- doncha LOVE 'Chicken Soup With Rice'?)

Don't know if you remember but awhile back I ordered online a DIY Desk Calendar for my Dad using his photography (see next door for his photos).
Due to the snow in Britain and the postal system being disrupted it took longer to arrive, but it has turned out beautifully. The photos look even more impressive than on the computer screen as the printing paper is of a very high quality, and Dad is delighted with it.

If you are curious here's the link to the company, I'll certainly be using them again as my sisters enjoy photography too.

After dropping B off at school (she's in the middle of mock Inter. Cert. Exams poor thing) I had to buy dog food and treated myself to a new tea!

I'm Irish amn't I? Besides talking, tea drinking is the National Pastime you know! Although Earl Grey would be my usual treat I really like this tea too. Rooibos I drink all the day, but sometimes I need a change!

Oh, I nearly forgot- Check out here for several new freebie ETSY Banner Designs! As you know I like playing with banners, and I think these are rather delectable!

Apologies for sending you all over the shop today, but I hope you each find at least one useful thing!

Oh one last thing (Proud Mommy Moment here); B got into the second round of a local singing Competition Wednesday night, ma baba!

Out of Context

I saw this picture on eBay-isn't it hilarious?
This morning in School was good. The children are enjoying preparing the Christmas Music and classes almost sing themselves. This is the good time, when they are excited, and before they become too tired. The weather continues to be terrible so music and art projects are particularly popular just now.

Earlier in class one of the children asked a question and another teacher looked at him as though he had two heads. It made me think about things said during Class and how, taken out of context, some comments appear really bizarre. Here are a few examples:

Will we breathe?

Who is counting?

Will we start at the beginning?

I've lost my volume control!

Somebody ate my sheet!

Sorry but we forgot to stop.

I think I swallowed my word endings.

Do we need our pencils to sing?

(this last is my favourite, I forget what its called grammatically, but it arose from me not allowing them to write on their music sheets in Biro!)

Aren't they great? Sometimes School is such a tonic!

By the way, I just noticed that this is my 100th post! If I'd noticed earlier I might have had a celebration. I'll think of something for another significant number!

Bits and Bobs!

I thought you would like to see yesterday's rainbow? It was lovely, and if you knew the amount of rain we've had this week you'd be thankful for God's promise not to flood the earth again too!
The Hub lit the stove yesterday morning so the house was lovely and warm when I returned from school. The singing went fine, it was the first session this term with all four senior classes- 112 children. Its always exciting for them and me when we start getting eveyone together and yesterday was no exception.

D'you remember the children's cartoon 'The Land that Time Forgot'? I think it was about dinosaurs though I never actually saw it since we didn't have TV in East Africa; well this is some fabric from 'The Trunk that Time Forgot'!

Some of it is truly awful, and its only '80's fabric, not even '70's! And to think I just loved the garments which Mom made me, AND thought I was the bee's knees - the orange check was a dress with flared skirt, blue striped flannel was pyjamas, blue flowery was harem pants (~+>#<~+!), tie dye was a duvet cover I believe, muzzy brown a circular skirt, and those fluorescent jobs were shorts...and in case you are very charitably thinking 'well I'm sure she had a smaller bum back then', its very kind of you but you're WRONG! I've always had an outsize backside and likely to continue so!

Have you noticed that the Christmas Charity and Donations ad.s have begun on TV? Last night we were watching one about sponsoring a dog so I asked Ben and Bertie what they thought? Ben-dog said that he wasn't interested unless it was a sponsored Stone Throwing contest, honestly! Talk about disinterest!

If you need a laugh or cheering up you've got to check out this Friday Funny! (http://godsheart-heart2heart.blogspot.com/2009/11/beware-of-treadmills-friday-funnies.html )

I had to watch it twice and I laughed until I cried!

Yesterday in the Staffroom I was successfully wound up two new members of staff- I wonder whether the Principal includes it in the fine print of their contract because very rarely does anyone stop me, and frequently they join in! One teacher commented that I was drinking water and I insisted it was vodka until she began to wonder and someone else had to soothe her!

The the new Learning Support teacher (who happens to be Canadian) was asking how the Swimming Sessions worked because today will be the first one. The Principal told him he would be expected to go with the children and I could see he thought the Principal meant 'go swimming' as opposed to 'go supervise'. I'm sorry to say I leaped into the breach and told him he'd need his wet-suit rather than togs because they didn't go swimming in the Sports Complex any more but out at Rosses Point. The beach? sez he. Oh no, sez I, the pool, haven't you seen it, there's an old tidal swimming pool which is used. Another teacher added that due to the Recession, parents decided to cut the swimming costs.

Well we had the poor guy fairly going, not knowing what to think, before the Principal burst out laughing and gave away the game!

Yeah! yeah! I know! But he's a good sport- and five minutes later I heard another teacher telling him that this awful weather was all coming from Canada! Anyone coming to teach would need to be well able for us! And most are, luckily!