Malawi & More

  I had a quite different week, given that it was a 'normal' school one. I was only at school for 2 or the 5 days. The other a strange mix of events. On Saturday, after the usual house tidy, and both girls at work I headed off to meet up with Jay, Daren's girlfriend. I was a strange sort of nervous about it. I wasn't sure what to take, quite what level of intimacy we might forge given our mutual sadness and love for him and that we'd only ever met once before. She has two children, both kind and nice and keen to know who I was, and I think to see if they needed to protect their mum from all this hurt. And after some memories, getting to know you, Chinese and seeing their bedrooms and their trinkets and favourite things, they settled in front of the TV and Jay and I went through some of Daren's last things. Last letter and the drafts she found. I don't know what I expected but I'm glad I have a copy and I feel a strange honour to be one of the people on h...

 I very much miss having a house keeper, mostly the regular bed sheets changing (and ironed) and the ironing. I'm thinking of this because on Saturday I mostly changed sheets and washed them while the sun was still shining. I thought I might not have been able to because my mate was coming over, she was however almost definitely still a bit drunk from the night before, didn't want to cancel so came and then, after a short spell in the garden we agreed it would be best for her to get some sleep. I tucked her up on our sofa bed and left her with water. This gave me time to get several loads done and do some weeding and a few other things.  The girls worked a fair amount of the weekend. Both shattered by hour busy they were. And before we knew it - back to school.  With BIgA away M has been doing lots of the cooking. We missed him and still had loads of leftovers because we forget how much he eats. He'll always polish off the evening meal.  Work was very intense this we...

 I didn't get out of my pajamas until quite late in the afternoon. I did plenty about the house but just didn't get out of them until I really had to.  And that was to get ready for a friend's birthday party. Fancy dress, professions begining with S, H or B and Paola and I went as baristas. She had made us Sam themed Starbucks aprons. Very cool. It was a nice night, because Paola and I could talk the night away but we didn't know many other people at all. Sunday wasn't very different to Saturday except no party.  BigA has been doing the decking at the back of the house. I'm very excited to have the garden feel more finished and have a place to sit out in and possibly have lunch in the sun. Although of course the weather has turned and the nights are drawing in. He's away though, cheeky so and so is in Italy. Playing Frisbee.  The girls should both be well and truly back into the routine of Sixth Form life but alas they have been off for three days beca...

  I had a delightful Saturday - we went to pals who we know from Malawi and spent the day eating and chatting then BigA took the Brady's suitcases to Heathrow and off they went to Malawi. Their last year.  Then I cooked a pretty good risotto happily plenty of if because BigA had forgotten to tell me Edgar was coming over. We shared this with Bella too. A kind of last meal because she left the next day in time for M's return. She looks fantastic, healthy and happy. It's good to have her home. Then into the term proper - 2 INSET days and 3 with students. Busy doesn't even come close to describing the week but I still managed to have my new boss over for dinner, have dinner at my wonderful pal Joe's and believe it or not but I also made it to frisbee on Thursday. I felt like an old woman after my joints had almost seized up - to be fair I hadn't warmed up or down. I also got eaten by a large number of mosquitos.  Last night, I set off to Bedford to have dinner with...