IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH

Well I know I haven’t written again for a while, but this damned flu, cold, chest infection, sinusitis, whatever, is really hanging on to me for dear life. I feel really old at the moment and tired and fed up – I really would like to feel well again instead of feeling this awful lethargy and apathy that seems to have invaded my body. That’s it, aliens have invaded my body and I think they are getting comfortable and setting up home in my 47 year old body, yeuchh!!

It was half term last week and I did manage to go out a couple of times. The first was with my friend Steve, who is an avid photographer. We went out for the afternoon to Kew Gardens, where we managed to take some really nice shots of spring flowers and many other hothouse plants including Orchids and Flamingo Lilies. For a look at some of the photos I took, look at my Deviantart web page.

I did also get out one night to a Salsa class, which even though I had a temperature of 101 degrees, I still seemed to manage to enjoy myself. I paid for it the next few days and confined myself to my bed, with aching joints (salsa & flu) and a hacking cough.

I do intend to go back to work on Thursday; I get withdrawal symptoms if I don’t work – so with or without the flu symptoms I will be soldiering on regardless. The Easter break is coming up in about a month, so I can rest then …

Yours in sickness and in health.

Jo xx

WAR, PEACE AND PANCAKES

So today is Pancake Day in Commercial World and Shrove Tuesday in the Christian World – traditionally a day when you get rid of all your good decadent stuff to prepare for the 40 days of Lent and fasting and abstinence – not for me, I eat what I like, when I like – in case you hadn’t noticed.

My children have always enjoyed a pancake or two on this day, I find it a bit of a bind and cheat a little with a pancake mix - A bit of lemon and sugar and Bob’s your uncle!! When I was a child my parents would make a big thing of this day (we are Catholics) - (I am lapsed) - we would have an evening of flipping pancakes and filling them up with whatever we fancied – bananas, nutella, jam, honey – it was a happy time, simple pleasures and all seven of us kids enjoyed it immensely. It was a good bonding time, slightly competitive i.e. who could flip the pancake higher, without hitting the ceiling, who would be the most inventive with their fillings, or recipes as we called them, but always with good humour.

Competitiveness in children is not a bad thing as long as they learn to take the winning and the losing equally well. All too often I hear children jeering and making fun of the losers – or should I say ‘those who have not won’, then again those who have won are terrorised for winning, which takes the pleasure out of the whole event.

Just recently I have been listening/watching my sons playing on their new Xbox 360, it has a microphone attachment so that when they are playing on line the players, from all over the world can speak to each other. Lovely I thought, communication with other people from all walks of life – not really – I have never heard so many insults fly around in my life: My own sons seem to have a thing about Northerners (English) and constantly make references to the way they speak, my elder son told me that there is actually far worse language coming from the majority of other players, regarding Race, Colour, Creed and even Sexual orientation. So not only is there a war raging on the gaming platform (Gears of War) but there is also a war of words happening at the same time – not a good thing. Let’s see what happens with this one, will it actually increase intolerance of differences or will it be a forum for venting your spleen – either way war is war.

On a much lighter note ‘The Boyfriend’ surpassed himself this Valentine’s Day and bought me an assortment of odd items. The one pictured below is of a cow car – it moos!! He also bought me a light-up Duck (Darth) Vader, which lights up in the bath and a squidgy ’I Love You’ pillow, chocolates and a pair of Minnie Mouse briefs – two sizes too small (Is he trying to tell me something?)



Well until the next time ‘MAKE LOVE NOT WAR’

Jo xx

VALENTINE'S DAY - AGAIN!!

Here we go again.


He loves me
He loves me not

He loves me
He loves me not

Who bloody cares anyway??

Everyone as usual is going mad, because the advertising campaigns tell us, that if we don’t spend a fortune on our loved ones this day, we are bad, uncaring people

Why the hell would you want to spend £30 on flowers, which would normally cost only £9.99 – why – because we are suckers!!

I am not saying that I wouldn’t want a bunch of flowers, but for £30, I can buy a bunch of flowers and a takeaway on any other day of the year – and enjoy it a lot more.

I have no idea what ‘The Boyfriend’ has been suckered into buying as I haven’t seen him today – later – well at least I know I will be fed, because he is a really good cook and loves cooking.

I being as usual short of the readies, have bought him some: chocolate mini muffins, Cadbury’s crème eggs and two bars of chocolate coated Marzipan, which he loves – Total cost £10 – and I will tell him that I love him – well it seems that men need to be told that they are loved – come to think of it, women do too.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!



Jo xx

Snow days and Holidays

Well another week has gone by and not very much has changed with regards to: financial situation, staffing situation and health situation.

Thursday here in London and I think most of Great Britain was a snow day (My back garden above) – I stupidly struggled in to work – I’m a bit of a glutton for punishment – only to find that most of the rest of the staff had not bothered, so we got sent home at around 2pm. Most of the kids that go to my school live in the surrounding area, so they had all turned up for a normal school day, they looked quite sad to be in. The sadness turned to joy, when they were released at 10 am to go back home. Many of them hung around the school grounds, making snowmen and giant snowballs, some of which reached a height of 5 feet – the giant balls are still in the playing fields, gently melting!

One of my colleagues, who is quite short in stature, but rather large in the breast department (40JJ) – took a couple of falls in the snow and ice and hurt her back and elbows – I don’t know why everyone laughs when I tell them this?? I had to drop her home as she was in some considerable pain. On the way we passed a group of our pupils at least 50 strong – I was just behind a bus and they pelted the bus with snowballs as it drove by – I gritted my teeth and nearly closed my eyes; gave them a steely look and almost dared them to throw a snowball at me – not one of them did. Am I really that scary?? Well am I punk?

This morning I went shopping to Brent Cross shopping Centre with my two sons. My eldest needed a new suit for work and I needed to buy my Dad, who is 76 on Tuesday a birthday present. It’s really difficult to buy him anything now as he seems to have lost interest in reading books (he has eye problems) he can’t drink too much as he is diabetic and has kidney problems and he doesn’t eat a lot of things as he has problems chewing (bad teeth). Well I ended up buying him a short-sleeved shirt from Marks and Spencer and a bottle of Harvey’s Bristol Cream (sherry), of which he drinks one small glass per day with his lunch. My youngest son just came along for the ride – and the burger and chips his brother bought him from Burger King.

What I did notice in the shopping centre are all the signs advertising special offers for the School’s half-term break, which is next week. Why would you want to spend £300 on a new games system to keep your children entertained for the week – why don’t people take their children out anymore? Wouldn’t if be better to take them to see something interesting, or go out to a park, visit a museum or just take a walk around the area you live in? For me living in London has always been something amazing and I used to enjoy taking my children out to places, not necessarily to spend money – a walk by the River Thames to see the sights and hear the sounds, free museums and galleries, loads of beautiful parks – all free!! Just walking around London especially the City of London can turn up interesting features and can enrich you and your child far more than plonking them in front of a TV ever could.

Have a look at these websites for ideas of what to do with your precious little angels or even your precious little devils!!

Enjoy England

For some reason the one above doesn’t seem to load up the right page – you may have to type the URL into the address bar, but it is worth it – this is a really good site.

365 Tickets

UK Government

London Visions





All you Mums and Dads out there - TAKE THE KIDS OUT!!!!

Jo xx

LIFE'S UPS AND DOWNS

Life lately has been a little of a roller coaster ride - maybe not as high or as low - but it certain has had it's ups and downs. I still haven’t been in the mood for much posting, but I thought I should put a few words down, if only to have a record of what I have been getting up to.

First High - The 'boyfriend' has been particularly sweet and supportive, although he is having considerable problems with his own employment. I have been extra nice to him - only one outburst recently - but it was for his own good!! Nice dinners, Candlelit baths, TV programmes taped for me – what more could a girl/woman want.

First Low - I have been feeling really run down and ill since the beginning of the New Year, sinus problems, insomnia, coughing (and spluttering), chest infection.... etc.
I am taking anti-biotics as we speak, but it doesn't seem to be helping with the hacking cough and breathlessness.

Second High - Went out on Friday night for my friend Jill's birthday. We started off in the local pub 'Moons' in Kingsbury High Road. This pub is the hub of all the local schools and on most Friday nights and End of Terms; you can find a minimum of 50 teachers from all the surrounding schools, coming here to let their hair down. It can be quite scary to see how much alcohol some of these teachers pack away!!

After a few drinks – I wasn’t drinking (anti-biotics) – we made a move to another local pub/ Indian restaurant (Great Eastern), for a curry. This seems to be a great British tradition now and no night out is complete without the obligatory curry. The food was fantastic! I don’t eat very hot curry, so I ordered a Lamb Shahi Korma, which was delicately spiced and creamy, with nice tender chunks of Lamb. I also ordered a Kashmiri Rice, which was Basmati rice with Cashew nuts, Apricots and Sultanas - absolutely delicious! I will definitely be going back there again to try out some of the other dishes.

Second Low - I already mentioned that I have lost a couple of members of staff, so it has been incredibly stressful at work, I have had to deal with the increased workload and try and find replacements - one bit of good news (little high) is that we now have a new person - in situ - for one of the jobs. The other position will be filled by Monday - thank God!!

Third High – It looks like my finances are well on the way to be sorted. I have several plans in the pipeline and life could be financially rosy within the month – well here’s hoping anyway.

Let’s hope that March will be better??

Jo xx