spider season

 My Saturday started with a nice cup of tea and BigA  made a delicious pumpkin soup and I pottered about thinking of my beautiful garden. I picked lemons and walked into far too many spiders webs, talked to my lovely mum and my lovely Rosie on line and a live appearance from Keith. I held the catch up session for my year 11 class - 7 came such was great and then the show. I cried at the end when A got an extra bow for it being her last show at SAIntS. We then headed to Becky and Duncan's for after show pizza and drinks. 

Maybe one too many on the drinks front as I had a thick head on Sunday morning but it didn't stop me doing a little morning work out. The garden has been very happy with the rain, and I've been delighted to find passion fruit ready to be picked. It was something I had really hoped I would see - the literal fruits of my labour. I can more happily now leave this garden to a new owner knowing I got the first ones. They will have soooo many next year they could easily make a small fortune if they sold them on. 

Despite the fact we have just under 4 months left here, BigA has this week built an extra bit in our kitchen and it has added so much surface space and it feels a little more complete. The new Deputy will be very happy here I'm sure, particularly if she sees other peoples kitchens - ours is certainly the nicest. 

A completed her final school show and had her drama assessment this week, some extra mock exams for English and Maths and various other things to do. She's doing well but she is clearly tired and putting pressure on herself. I was so pleased by the quality of her performance for drama, easily the best piece in the class. She also had a slightly worrying moment with a scorpion on her towel that she was wrapped in after a shower. It didn't sting her luckily. And yesterday she was showing me a nasty spot that was painful - I lifted my glasses to take a closer look, I can't see with them on at close range anymore, and she gave it a squeeze. I heard and felt it pop as the debris squirted into my face and my eye. It was disgusting but A's cackles of laughter quickly made us both fall about. I washed out my eye and applied liberal amounts of germoline to her burst spot! 

Work wise I've still been feeling the effects of my nasty cold and so I've been taking a bit of time at home in the afternoons when I can. BigA and I agreed I probably need to up my dose of hydrocortisone for a bit longer, let it do its job. 

It's been another tough week in terms of staff and following up on complaints and carrying out mediation. All part of the fun! I ran a really useful training session for non teaching staff yesterday on safeguarding which I think was very successful. I'll try and get some feedback on it. 

We had people over for sundowners last night. It's that time of year where it feels cold - 16 degrees in an evening, so BigA set a fire in our front room. Conor played guitar for a bit, he doesn't know but one was the Jimmy Hendricks one that makes me think of Conrad. But it was nice and calm and very likely the reason I dreamt about him last night. The teenager that I remember being a bit moody with me because I kept thinking him we thought he was dead. 'well I'm not' he said and we just got on with whatever we were doing. 

Most people then went out or home and I stayed in, on my own. Crisps and ice cream and TV show I've been enjoying with the fire and cats for company.

The cats have both had an eye infection this week. 

I haven't applied for anything this week. I nearly did but I'm still not feeling it. There's nothing I'm willing to travel back to interview for. I've been considering my options and talking to a few people about maybe doing something a bit different to start with so I can really visit schools when I get back. The main resignation date is May. There's bound to be something if I want it. But my current feeling is I don't want to get stuck with a school I don't like with a long commute. Life is too short.