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Pic of the week 11/4/21

And so the hols draw to a close.

Due to covid, we’ve not done a lot (and should be flying off to Seville tomorrow …) and the weather has been changeable (cold this week – Tuesday was the worst day, with sleet and snow, and it was v. cold referee-ing that evening), but everything is greening up, the days lengthening and there is warmth in the sun when it shines.

Sam is back in work today, I return to work tomorrow. I must confess, the last twelve months have left me somewhat discombobulated – the rhythm of the year has been shattered. A long first half of term ahead, followed by a sprint to the end of the academic year – I’m hoping the coming term restores some balance to may day to day, week by week existence.

Pic of the week 28/3/21

Its my birthday! 52 today.

I spent much of the day outside cutting wood and measuring up for the new front flower bed (a post to come, perhaps) the day was grey but not too cold. Quite enjoyed myself to begin with, but then my jigsaw gave up the ghost and my handsaw was blunt and so the morning’s enthusiasm had waned by the afternoon.

However, all was well come tea-time. Becky was back from work, the children made tea and then I opened all my pressies – far more than I could have expected. The Mark Corrigan T-shirt was from Sam, Sophie bought me a book about the “Serpent” – watched the TV series of this serial killer in January, looking forward to reading the book, headphones, chocolate, a book and other treats from Becky. And then an evening of crime drama, watching the Unforgotten, followed  by Line of Duty – what more could a 52 year want?

Pic of the week 21/3/21

And so the Easter hols have arrived – a week early. (Our Head made the sensible decision to shorten this term by a week, and extend the summer term by a week, to maximise “in school” time)

On Saturday Becky and I went for a long walk, to Ham Wall again, but this time continued into the nature reserve. We sat and enjoyed a coffee (and I, a snickers) and then I sampled every bench we encountered.  (The sculpture “dentists chair” was surprisingly comfortable – I know it doesn’t look that way in the picture.)

It was a lovely start to the holidays – not warm, but not cold, a sense that spring is on its way.

With lockdown still in force (although some restrictions being eased from a week tomorrow) no real plans other than rest, recuperate and exercise; read, watch TV and do a few jobs. (for the record, today I planted 100 snowdrops “in the green” in the corner of the lawn nearest the sitting room.)

Pic of the week 14/3/21

Today I had my Covid jab.

I had the AstraZenca jab at the West Mendip Hospital,

Was thinking it would still be another week or so until we Cat 9s (50 to 55 yr olds) could start booking our jabs, but on Thursday I got a text from the surgery, I booked my slot for today, turned up and, within 10 mins of parking up, I’d been jabbed. Locally, we are obviously doing well as nationally it is still only cat 8s that are getting the jab.

A huge achievement – perhaps humanities greatest in my lifetime? A year ago, it was becoming obvious that the virus was going to impact us, one year on and I’ve had my jab.  Becky gets hers tomorrow. It is the one good thing that we are doing as a nation and I hope that it won’t be too long (June, perhaps?) by the time the children get theirs.

So far, no side effects other than a big grin and a sense of hope.

Pic of the week 7/3/21

First up, its hard to believe that March has arrived (and we are now a week into it) – I think one of the features of lockdown is losing a sense of time; it feels like we are in a perpetual February. (After last week’s lovely  weather, this last week has been cold and grey, although the sun has shone today.)

The week began with me being told I had got one of the new roles, so as of September I shall be an “AHOS” – assistant Head of Section in the middle school (basically Head of Year 10 ). A little more money, a little less teaching and a lot of extra work I suspect!  After the roller-coaster of the process I must admit I am pleased, and beginning to come to terms with the idea.

Tomorrow sees us start back in school for two weeks, and I must admit I am looking forward to it. It’ll be good to see other people, to break the groundhog of remote learning, and also a sense of change, a sense that, perhaps, things are getting back to normal.

The pic of the week shows some visitors that we have discovered hovering up spilt bird food on the deck.  Not surprisingly, Becky is not keen on these little fellas and so the bird food has been moved well away from deck, and poison placed under the deck. (I did fish out some mouse traps I had in the shed, but decided not to deploy them when I almost suffered a broken finger that nearly got caught whilst trying to set one of the traps.)

On Friday evening a cat got run over on the road outside our house. Becky and a work colleague (who was in the car behind the murder weapon) moved the cat to the bank outside Elmhurst school and I put a message on All New Spotted. By the morning it was gone.

Pic of the week 28/2/21

Two significant events this week …

1. The weather turned. It’s stopped raining, its warmed up and the sun has shone, and …
2. on Monday Boris Johnson announced that all children are to return to school from the 8th of March.

The latter led our Head to change tack, and (physically) re-open the school from Monday 8th. Combined, both have led to a sense of hope and excitement, a sense that different days are coming.

So one more week of remote learning, and then two weeks of school, before the Easter holidays.  I think it is the relentless “groundhog-ness” of remote teaching that makes its so difficult, so to have an end in sight has, in me at least, generated an excitement that has been lacking for a while.

This time next week I’ll be polishing my shoes!

(In other news, I took advantage of the good weather today to mow the lawn for the fist time this season.)

Pic of the week 21/2/21

And so half term draws to a close …

Nothing major to write home about – after all, we’re still in lockdown 3, so there’s not much you can do – but I definitely needed the week off.

I’ve run a few times – did another 10K today: little/no wind and on the flat sections was starting to post a semi-respectable time.

On Thursday Becky & I went for a long (10K) walk – very pleasant, and even enjoyed some warm spring sunshine on the skin. But, about fifteen minutes from “home” (the car) the sky went black and hail lashed down. It was painful – particularly when a blob of ice would strike the tip of an ear!

On the whole, the weather has warmed up this week, but it has been fairly wet throughout. However, when the rain stays away you do get a sense that spring may be round the corner – the days are lengthening and bushes and trees are starting to bud up.

The decision has been made to shorten this term by a week and add it on to the summer term. So only four weeks more of the groundhog of remote teaching: coupled with the improving weather, a sense of hope is beginning to permeate my world. (Although the 7 week first half of the summer term will be long!)