Wednesday

 Good morning, everyone.  It's a dull old start to the day and a bitter one is predicted - you know, a bitter sun, a bitter rain, a bitter cloud . . .

However, the day has started off with quite a laugh. 
I now check my spam folder regularly for genuine message that need moving over.  Blogger is getting better at it but now and again there's a genuine message there and I thought I had one this morning.  It was from a 'Robert Gill' (never heard or seen that name before) asking if I get a lot of spam comments and what I do to stop them - use a plug in or anything.  It all looked quite normal albeit unrelated to my blog - until I clicked on the three dots to view the rest of the message.
You've guessed it - line after line after line of links to goodness knows what!  Cheeky blighter (as my Dad would have said).  But it gave me a laugh out loud before I deleted it so thank you, Mr Gill, whoever or whatever you are.
Moral - in the spam folder, always check the whole message first!!

Sharon from Witham - I have asked T next door for the details of the tree surgeon and will post them in here when I have them.

Yesterday was such a lovely day, it really was.  I headed off to Groove which is back in the local hall again now and it was good.  A bit humid and a bit sweaty but great fun all the same.  I like the new sequences although there is one I have to practise - it's a sort of foot shuffle rather like the old Twist but a few of us found that instead of moving sideways, our feet just moved away from each other and then back together again.  It looked so funny!

After that, once home again, I freshened up and a bit later headed off into school for that meeting and had a really lovely time!  After Natalie and I had finished talking about what the meeting was for, she gave me a 'guided tour' of the school.  We worked out that it is at last three years since I was last there on a working day and, while a lot is still the same, so much has changed.  It was so interesting.  We went right round everywhere with lots of hugs and laughter with ex-colleagues I have known for so many years (while the children stared, amazed) and meetings with people who have started there in the last three years.  I went into the Grow building (here's the link for a bit more info about Grow   https://newlandsspring.essex.sch.uk/essex/primary/newlandsspring/site/pages/aboutus/strategicpartners/grow  ) which actually opened in the year I left but I'd never gone into because when it was open, I was working.  It's doing some amazing work.
I spent ages in the Nursery which has been open a couple of years, chatting to Jess and the little ones.  She's doing some amazing work there, I have to say, and the very smallest children in the school are thriving under her leadership and care.  I'll be popping back there sometime soon at her invitation.

For me, the most enjoyable thing was seeing how many people I have known for decades simply didn't recognise me with my new hair style.  The number of double takes was - well, brilliant!  I suppose what with the huge weight loss, the new smile (good old implants) and the new hair, that's a lot of changes and I do look very different.

No, Annabeth, they didn't ask me to go back but I may have muttered something about 'if there's room on the governing body' at some point.  There's is absolutely no way I would go back to active teaching now, not in a million years.  No way!

So I had a really lovely day!

Today looks pretty empty which is probably just as well.  There's nothing in the diary until personal training which means I can sit and crochet to my heart's content.  I did want to watch the cortege travel to Westminster and it rather clashes with personal training but I can set it to record so that will be OK.

I ended up undoing all of the cable section - it just didn't look right - and starting again and it's much better.  There was something not quite right about it's joining to the main blanket (it is worked the other way and joins at the sides) which I have now sorted out to my satisfaction.  The only other bit that was a problem was the Tunisian crochet section and I have got that now - I even have the right hooks to work it with (thanks, again, Annabeth).  So it is all go!

Well, time to stop rambling and get on with my other social mediating.  I do hope the weather isn't too bad where you are and that you have a lovely day.  xx