Friday 31 May 2013

31st May - Quotation week

This week was a quotation by me for Lucky Snapping Challenge May week 4

I chose this quote by Mahatma Gandi
“ The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” 

I never think about the quote beforehand so now I am confronted with a quote that I am finding quite difficult to blog!

I am going to be quite honest with myself and my readers......so here goes!!

I never wanted to be a teacher, it was my parents choice but the years I spent educating children I did on the whole enjoy. It was a varied career teaching Home Economics, the subjects I had trained to teach. Then going into primary education and ending up as a SENCO and then working in EBD (Emotional Behaviour Disorder) area with an LEA.  I definitely 'lost' myself in all those years in service to others and became so worn out I finished as a teacher at 55 and worked the next 5 years advising and training adults in EBD. 

The years as a SENCO and working with adults after early retirement were the most rewarding times and I definitely felt I played a vital role with parents and children with special needs. These people are some of the most vulnerable people in our society and I found a real passion to help and support them. The number of case conferences and meetings I went to for these children and also 'looked after children' took up a great deal of my time and energy. I started circle times for Emotional Literacy in all classes which were difficult to establish with teachers who had their own emotional problems! I had morning coffee drop in daily before and after school for angry, depressed and worried parents.....I was always there in my office for children who need to leave the class (or ran out of class too!). I frequently had to visit homes of children who were school refusers to encourage them back to a part time timetable!  This was a large primary school with a vulnerable and difficult catchment area, so yes I did lose myself in service to others sadly to the detriment of my health in my 50's!

I always thought that when I retired I would do 'good deeds', eg work weekly for a local charity especially our local hospice or volunteer for hospital work, ie lending library or coffee shop.  This has never happened and I know why, I never ever want to be tied to a weekly routine again, my clock watching hourly lesson/timetable routine in my job has made me never want this again! Daily I love getting up to wonder what will happen today and most days things just evolve!!

So do I give to others? yes I give my time to family and friends whether visiting or telephoning them daily/ weekly. I work within our church as a neighbourhood link to support those who are 'on the fringe' of church life. and I am a housegroup leader and look after all the church hall bookings. We support local and national charities by giving monies or goods or going to functions to raise money. 

Well that was really difficult to put in words but hope it all makes sense to readers and now 2 fund raising events I have photos of
Red Nose Day in 1988, my son and 2 friends off to school
 Red Nose Day for me and another teacher

I am now off to continue with my Lucky Snapping album, I have 3 view LO's to do and 3 Silver Lining pages too!!


Thursday 30 May 2013

FSM catch up for May

#21 - I care about this......
#22 Change all the euro coins I have left
#23 PJ's, I use for retreat weekends :)

#24 GO anywhere free in the UK with my bus pass!
#25 US
#26 Fave thing to do on Sunday - go to church
 #27 Can't live without 
#28  what you're doing now - watching the rain from my patio window

#29 - Kiss photo altered in Picasa
#30 - tool - for watching TV!
#31 Four things- 4 views from Jan - May

Wednesday 29 May 2013

MAY 29TH - Nostalgia -the wild days!!

Well I showed you all the boring Golden Wedding silver wedding celebrations!!

We have had loads of parties with children and grandchildren...well you would when you are nearly 68. I really don't feel that age and look back with sadness how life has become so staid!!

I have now had 'all my yesterday reminiscing' and gone through a lots of photo albums to scan these!!

Having been married in 1967 (1st time) and children born in 1970 and 1975 with very little photos in those days most of my photo memories are when my 1st husband left me and the wild 30's parties took place!!! Gosh how the thirties were such fun!!

Not showing you all the alchohol fueled filled parties we had but here goes
Before I met Peter and after my first DH left me I had a wonderful group of friends and the parties were always themed. I remember mask parties, cannot find any photos :(
Here is a Roman and Greek party that started with drinks at my house and then onto the party across the road in 1976... I am on the LH side and had an affair with the guy next to me in white :) He has now died! A lovely man.
 A meal at my dear friend Carol's house with her late DH, we had a aerosol cream fight LOL!! at the end of a meal. I would have been 32yrs!!
 On meeting Peter we went to a fancy dress party. Peter went as a rich Arab and I went as a  belly dancer!!

Sorry these were stuck in the photo album  so took a photo of the page. It was late 1970's before I met Peter. It was a  Nymph and Shepherd party, we certainly knew how to party!!

This is my friend Rosie now 80 this yr who I took shopping today, at 3am in the morning she found my ski boots and decided to wear them in 197. We were aall at work at 9am, though I had a very bad hangover!!

 My last photos of parties shows Peter's surprise 65th Party, where 90 people were invited and I cooked all through winter and left food frozen in friends freezers and bought alchohol also left in friend's garages.  He had now idea and came back from footie in London with his friend to the hall where all his friends and family were waiting. I had done a 'This is your Life' album. The last party I have done on this scale, it was hard work!!
I am feeling very sad and nostalgic about the fun times we had and don't have anymore. I guess this is life and I have been blessed with good friends who I still have and meet  but the parties have finished :(

Thank you Kathy for this challenge xxx

Saturday 25 May 2013

25th May Another Bank Holiday! Nostagia - Party Memories

Can you believe that it is another Bank holiday and June at the end of next week!

Yesterday was awful weather. It was so cold I put winter clothes back on and the CH on too and we were still cold. Like a lot of areas we had a big thunder storm accompanied by hail stones yesterday pm. I took photos from inside the house!



So now to this week's challenge from Kathi's Nostalgia theme. This week she asks us for past Memories whether they are birthdays, weddings, college parties,milestone celebrations or themed/fancy dress parties.

I am starting back to front with most recent to most distant as the older photos have to be scanned into the computer later today/tomorrow!

I reflected on past parties and realisd
1)I have no birthdaypart / party photos just memories as a child and at college and only my children's birthday parties which are very poorly taken photos!
2) that at about 50yrs sadly the wild theme parties finished and they became milestones and wedding anniversary milestones celebrations

So I am starting with WA photos from Golden weddings in last 5yrs
2009 Mike and Kath. Mike was my late ex husband's best man at our wedding, they live in France
Peter's cousin Bob and his wife Jean and all the family at a lunch meal Jan 2010
Peter with his 2 half sisters
Peter and his late wife would have celebrated 50yrs in 2010. Here he is with his son and daughter as we went out for a meal on that date in Feb
Close friends celebrated their Golden wedding in  Aug 2010 in their garden with a jazz band and group of singers in the evening!
 Another couple of friends had their meal at the same hotel as his cousins in Oct 2010
Now we go onto Silver Wedding celebrations with close friends in May 2009, I was the 'best lady'!! very casual, a BBQ which carried on into the evening
and of course ours in Oct 2010. My friend Inga wore the outfit she wore 25yrs ago!!

Off now to albums for the fun parties when we were younger to show you tomorrow!!

Thursday 23 May 2013

I'm back!! Not sure where to start! ...... View, Enjoy and holiday photos

Hello I seem to have been away a long time! It was only just over 2 weeks since we wnt away. We left on a Bank holiday and next weekend is another Bank holiday!!

So I think I will start with Jennie's week 1 View for May - well it is raining...are we surprised?
But since we left the cherry blossom tree has flowered and the bird tree cherry is also in flower. The willow tree is in leaf too. The tulips have nearly finished and you can see we have our mini green houses up, though we arrived home to find one had been blown away with the winds!!

From our kitchen window...same kind of view but a dull day !!
 From our front door the tree has leafed and the tulips are dying and poppies about to flower! All very green!

Now onto challenge week 2 from Anne  who asks use what do we do that makes us enjoy life?

Silver Linings Month 5 is E for ENJOY - to take delight or pleasure or to make a pleasant time.

Well having been away for Anne's week it was easy to do as we were away on holiday!

Since retiring I so enjoy life! The big enjoyment is to have holidays when ever I want! 

Peter and I have just spent 2 weeks in Brittany (Bretagne for Anne) It was the first time for Peter and my first time on the N coast for me). We have had a wonderful time...as we always do together :) and here are some photos to share with those of you who haven't see them on Facebook! Two collages of our  accomodations
week 1 on the pink granite coast N Brittany
week 2 nr Locudey and Leconsil SW Brittany
 We really enjoyed coastal walk especially the first week and markets and beaches the 2nd week.
Anne we love France, driving is so easy and the people so friendly too!!
Here is a collage of a typical french market
I just love all the bags and baskets they sell and of course I had to purchased a couple!!

Of course Brittany are known for their crepes. How I enjoyed both sweet and savoury crepes! Here I am eating the first of many!!
We both enjoy our food and here you can see how much we enjoyed meal times, eating our self catering and picnicing too!
Now to show you photos of other things we enjoyed, walking the cliffs, sitting in warm sunshine, watching the fishing boats bringing in their catch













 We are home now and back to all the old routines but I so enjoyed seeing Xanthe and Zac again and Xanthe and I really enjoyed making cookies!
 Oh and I will finish with the lovely frenchman I nearly traded DH for LOL!! A George Clooney look alike!!