It's A Level Results Day for the boy today. I'm not very hopeful for the high grades he was predicted, if we go by his dire AS Levels! He got brilliant GCSE results but he is a lazy boy coaster! Whatever today brings, I'm sure he will be fine. He's already deferred his Unconditional Offer from DMU until September 2016 so is in effect now on a gap year! He's decided that really he does want to earn while he learns and has been applying for lots of apprenticeships. It's all online assessments now and you have to pass two or three of those to go any further. Last week he had his first interview after weeks of online tests, a video phone call, an ordinary telephone call then finally he had to do a 15min presentation then a thirty minute interview. He had to wait a week to find out if he'd been successful. He said it went really well and I was very proud that he'd got to the final 12 candidates, but sadly he got the call yesterday that they were not taking his application any further. I was gutted for him. Also, How. Dare. They. Reject. My. Boy! He was absolutely fine and has at least got that experience under his belt. He's in the process of applying for lots of different apprenticeships - in the business/finance/accounting world. Something will turn up! As long as he is happy ( and earning! ) I'm happy.
His sister has absolutely no idea what job to go for with her degree. She is quite adamant she'd like to be a sea lion trainer. In the meantime she's working a zero hour contract job in a cafe supposedly saving up for her trip to Australia and New Zealand in the New Year! Both very different young adults, both equally loved.
So yesterday I met with the teacher I was TA for years ago. I'm the only TA she rates and keeps in touch with! She is, ( was - retired now ) the best teacher ever. We sat in M&S cafe chatting for TWO hours! She's cleaning out her study and had two great big bags of school related stuff for me - including files of resources I'd made! How funny! So that was a lovely pleasant morning. I bought another blue delph from a plant stall as I was passing! I read a blogpost last night about someone who'd been to Chatsworth House, it might have been Bovey Belle actually, and they had matching blue delph borders to the ones at Castle Howard. I'm sure both stately homes are linked because the guide I spoke to kept mentioning Chatsworth. I think I have 6 plants now. I need to do a bit of research into it I think because I'm not sure how to get mine so tall and flowering at the same time!
The knit is finally re underway. 
If you've followed my blog for a while, you'll know what a brat I am when it come to knitting sleeves( project No 5 is a tank top ). I hate them. So when this pattern started off with the instructions for knitting the sleeves first, I did one and then rebelled and started the fronts and back. Dear readers, this was a massive error on my part. I neeeeeded both sleeves it turns out! I'd not read the whole pattern first either! So yesterday I knit the second sleeve and could then start the yoke. Only to have the HG get in after a 12hour day wanting his tea! So by the time I'd made our tea ( bacon n sausage butties ), washed up and settled. It was time for Bake Off! So no more had been done yet.
Here's Barry, who joined me outside, nibbling on the freshest salad leaves he's ever had! Picked,rinsed,cage in 5 seconds! 
In the background of the first photo it looks like cherry tomatoes, but it's the fuschia bush that comes back year after year.
Here he is the other day- he cheekily just flew down from the light fitting and helped himself to my breakfast grapes!
Well, the boy just set off to school and I'm going to go clear the side in the kitchen. I'm having the gas man in! Boiler's annual service, though it has been hitting n missing this week, so it's rather timely. Going to ring a chimney sweep later too - normally the HG and me do it, but I cannot be messed with all the mess! Lazy and not very frugal. But £40 sounds like s good price to me and I'm keeping someone in business - perhaps he needs an apprentice- my boy is skinny enough - he could be sent up the chimneys!!
Lots of Love from
Rachel *cup of tea first* Radiostar xxx
Fingers crossed for your lad. It's my grandson's turn next week for his GCSEs. We're so proud of our boys, aren't we?
ReplyDeleteJ xxx
We are that J! Good luck for your Grandson next week!! I remember the stress well!
DeleteThat sounds like quite a lot of hoops to jump through to get an apprenticeship. But as you say- the experience will stand him in good stead. I love Barry! xx
ReplyDeleteBarry is a treasure - he's very comical to watch, he's a very chirpy boy mind! Sometimes he gets relegated to the other room to give my ears a rest!
DeleteWhen i ever got work rejections my mum always used to say, with total conviction, it's there loss. Please let us know how he does. We have AS results waiting. Good luck x
ReplyDeleteThat s exactly what I said! Their loss. I reckon an insider - someone's son/daughter got it! It wasn't for him, the next one might be! Thanks for the sentiment Hazzy x
DeleteFingers crossed and sending love from yer mate in the South West!
ReplyDeleteCheers chum! Hope you survived the rain down there!
DeleteI love the rude lady and her petticoats, I might have to make myself one in that colour. Barry is a cutie, we had canaries at home and the constant chattering and whistling put me off caged birds for life. Then my MIL retired and started breeding parrots and other exotic birds. I do love Delphs myself but it is so windy here that they would get battered to bits, I lost every single Glad to the wind last year, all the corms went over the road to a friend who now has a glorious display. Their garden is several feet lower than mine. Fingers crossed that an apprenticeship comes along soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pam. Barry is too cute for his own feathers! He's currently acrobat ting his way round the cage, head bobbing and calling me. He wants to come out! He's not though, as he's a swine for going back in once it gets dark!
DeleteI thought we'd stopped sending children up chimney's? Glad you're enjoying your summer and hope all exam results are good ones.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mitzi, in my opinion children should do as they are told!!!
DeleteGood luck to your son on recieving his results. Hope they're what he wanted
ReplyDeleteCarolx
They were better than his ASs so he was pleased! I'm one of those awful mothers who always wants more!!
DeleteHi there, thanks for visiting my blog. Yes, 'twas me that did a blog post on Chatsworth with lots of gorgeous Delphiniums. Perhaps Chatsworth and Castle Howard use the same nursery for Delph. seeds or young plants? Or share a slug eradication system? : )
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed for your son's A-level results.
I didn't see the copious slug pellets that I've got at Castle Howard! Thanks for popping by x
DeleteHi Rachel. Popped by especially today to see how The Boy had got on. I hope he gets the results he expected. Goodness me, that sounds a long winded process for an apprenticeship application, whatever happened to just going for an interview? I feel sorry for school leavers these days, so many hoops to jump through, but as you say on the positive side it's good experience. Your budgie is cute. I'm frightened of birds - well flapping wings around my head actually - but I do like watching them. xx
ReplyDeleteHi Suzanne, I've just posted about his results x you wouldn't like Barry - he likes to land on our heads!
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