Saturday 1 April 2017

School Holidays

as of today I have two glorious weeks ( and a day ) stretching in front of me. I'm in a current insomnia cycle which is why I'm blogging g at 4am. The HG is off for week 2 so there'll be days out and maybe a cheeky stopover somewhere as yet undecided. The garden needs my attention. The housework needs my attention. My TV planner needs my attention. I've sewing and knitting craving my attention and a good deal of lazing to do.
This half term seemed to zoom by in a flash.
Or
'As quick as a chimpanzee'
As a cherub wrote in a story recently, desperate to flex their new simile muscles!!! Ive loved being in the class I've been in, despite my qualms about dual role, but after the holidays a new pastoral role will see me once more out of class full time. I'm really looking forward to it but it's going to be challenging!
Our school is 'safe' budget wise for people's jobs this next academic year, but after that is anyone's guess. Our school is set to see £48000 slashed from its budget year 2019. The high school my two went to will lose £925000
It's crazy.
I just saw a story on fb where a school held a mufti day, but asked its parents for a donation of loo rolls and glee sticks in order to help the school.
How on earth can we meet the ridiculous standards imposed by ofsted when there is no money for resources and staff?? All the services are being cut too. One being 'Safenet' which provides much needed expert support and programmes for children from homes where they've witnessed Domestic Violence. No more after Easter. Will DV stop too then???

A bit ranty, probably due to being tired and cranky and passed off at being awake. I've already been trying to get back to sleep since 3.02am.

My garden is springing back to life and thanks to the warm rainy season, everything is lush and green. Good rhubarb growth. Lots of new rose activity on the cuttings I took in October. My purple osteospurnamthingies are flowering. My beautiful but oh so stinky deep true blue hyacinths are at it and my red Japanese maple just woke up too. We need a new fence but can't decide on which one to get. Bloody weeds everywhere too. Sorry, my native wild flower collection is growing!! The peonies are growing at a rate of 5cm a day it seems. My bird feeders are being visited a lot.

TV shows I'm loving are the new Quiz '5 gold rings' with Mr Silver Fox Philip Schofield. Broadchurch is stacked up in my planner for next week's knitting. I'm a complete Walking Dead and Talking Dead addict and that's about it. We don't really watch much else. Lately it's been Emmerdale ( poor Ashley ) and then we've been romping through Dexter box sets- almost at the last series! More often than not though the TV is off.  I've a stack of books to read and really fancy the Game of Thrones books. My friend has leant them all to me. So I'm going to make a conscious effort to read at least once a day.

Right it's 4.37am. I feel sleepy now. So am going to try and snoooooooze.
Oh before I do
This is a new loo product I bought. I'll try anything new if it's on offer! 

You 'pipe' it straight onto the loo bowl.

This second effort is far superior to my first. But it does look like I stuck two hating sweets in my loo!! Smells nice. 

Here I'm having a go at making Flying Geese out of foxes! Got carried away and got cocky. 



Sewed some in back to front! 


But look! How clever - zig zags out of triangles. A bit mind blowing!! It will eventually become a little shopping bag. But it makes me laugh as I'm cutting up various bits of material, to see together to make....material!!! 


Right I'm done 

Lots of love from 
Rachel *pray for sleep and ignore any typing errors* Radiostar xxx 

27 comments:

  1. Ugh
    Errors
    Hating sweets are
    Haribo sweets
    And I meant to say this info was especially for Sadie!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hope you managed to fall back to sleep Rachel and that you are able to relax and enjoy the next couple of weeks. (Frantically double checking our holiday dates which I'm sure are different).
    I love the adorable Fox fabric and I do wish I had the ability to create something with fabric occasionally as opposed to wool. X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The people on the telly say it's just sewing in straight lines mostly. I do feel though I'm better with wool than fabric.

      Delete
  3. I think you got the "hating" right on the nail, jelly sweets yeuk. I do have the telly on when I knit but can't stand the Living dead since the third series. I am binge watching Supernatural DVD,s and the odd podcast or five. Happy sewing, I sat and quilted 3/4,s of a quilt that has been ready for too many months yesterday and hope to finish it today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As you know Pam I am brand new to this quilting lark, but I'm learning every day! Trouble is...Not enough hours in said day!!

      Delete
  4. Nevear ming th tipos!

    Enjoy your Easter break and that last sentence is the reason I can't get my head round patchwork - cutting things up and sewing them together again? Nah

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is really daft these days when they were originally made by recycling old fabrics in a case of needs must.

      Delete
  5. Get some well deserved rest xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sounds like you are going to be super busy on your weeks off. I hope you get that night away.

    The school having to hold a day for coleecting loo rolls and glue sticks just beggars belief. I must admit to being a bit out of touch with what goes on in schools now but that shocked the hell out of me.

    Isn't it lovely now that the gardens are coming back to life? I have several large shoots on the beautiful pink peony so I'm hoping for more that one flower this year.

    Love your Flying Geese....the fox fabric is gorgeous.
    Andy doesn't get patchwork either. He was with me when I got the fabric for the latest quilt so knows how much it cost and can't believe that I have cut it all up and sewn it back together...lol.

    Enjoy your precious time off.
    Hugs-x-

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sheila - I'm thoroughly enjoying myself!

      Delete
  7. Happy holidays-much neede I'm sure! Catriona

    ReplyDelete
  8. Have a wonderful break! Sorry to hear about the insomnia - not pleasant. Our schools over here in Ontario are having to make due to far less, as well. They are also closing many of them and then bussing kids to schools farther away. Infuriating. I really like that foxy material you chose! -Jenn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The material was gifted to me by a friend which makes it even sweeter x

      Delete
  9. Here in the States if teachers didn't spend a small fortune in their classrooms it would be pretty empty.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is the case here too xx terrible shame seeing as the children are the future!

      Delete
  10. Sounds like you have lots of nice things planned for your holidays. Went out with my school teacher friends in the week. No money in their school either and no glue! It's ridiculous. Mind you it really is badly managed. There are 2 members of staff supposed to cover classes for PPA, sickness etc. but they're so rubbish the Head has found them other roles (made up I might add and of no benefit to anybody) and buys in supply instead! I know a lot of schools are struggling but there's also a lot who could probably do with a good audit.

    It does look like you've stuck strawberry haribos on your loo. I have visions of small children picking them off and eating them!

    The quilting looks lovely but when you think of it like that, it does seem an odd hobby doesn't it. Cutting up material only to sew it back together again. Still good fun though and very satisfying. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the haribo sweetie loo things are dangerous ! I'll not be buying them again. Hope you are having happy holidays x

      Delete
  11. Enjoy your break, do wonderful things ie have long lazy mornings while you can!

    ReplyDelete
  12. You need some magnesium, woman. When I get a moment I'll email you.

    Very frustrating about the school cuts xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey CT, caught up with your blogs, you are a running machine! I've reasearched magnesium on the strength of your comment and the HG is being despatched to town today to buy me some!

      Delete
  13. ha ha, thank you! And yes, it does look like you've stuck a couple of haribo down your loo! I've not seen that product, you know I'm going to hunt it down now don't you?

    Why is it we wake early when we can actually sleep in. It's so harsh.

    Wouldn't it be nice if rather than constantly banging on at parents about attendance, they concerned themselves more about shouting why they shouldn't get funding cuts to the government? Can you tell I'm sick of attendance grumbles?!

    Anyway. Enjoy your break. Hope you start sleeping normally. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lol do you know why school bang on about attendance so much??? The bloody government sets targets n schools get into heaps of shit if attendance is low!
      It's ALL shit!!!

      Delete
  14. I hope you're sleeping better Rachel...I love the wonderful fabric you chose for your patchwork. Enjoy your Easter break. Debbie x

    ReplyDelete

Many thanks for taking the time to read my words and respond with your own thoughts. I always try to reply so make sure you pop back to see!