I experienced another milestone a few weeks ago when I was selected for the teachers’ team to play in a charity game of DodgeBall against students, in front of an audience of students. (I’d love to give the impression that this was a stadium invitation, but the reality was a packed spectators gallery in the…
Author: thedragonflyjar
I'm a sixty something working, single woman, navigating through all the challenges and opportunities of life - hopefully with a little irreverent humour and grace.
Colouring in
Years ago – I mean YEARS – I managed to persuade my boss that I needed to go on a course discussing the impact of colour in business. I worked in press relations at the time and to this day can’t remember why I – or he – thought some Kodachrome insight would add value…
In the land of the blind …
My sister often quotes the proverb, ‘in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king’, and I’m reminded of this as I sit across the kitchen from one of my dearest partners in crime – or ‘one of my besties’ as she likes to be known. She won’t let me sit any…
Mini dramas
Not being a Penelope Pitstop sort of lady, my car has proved one of my biggest challenges over the last 12 months. Like any good relationship we need each other – Mavis and I – but my goodness she has proved as temperamental and needy as her owner. The mini dramas she promised when we…
Don’t saw sawdust
Nearly the end of October, yet the week ends on the beach under a rose gold sun watching a group of swimmers take to the brine for their daily dip. Lots of surprises in one sentence. Firstly, not only am I sitting on the beach with Favourite Daughter and her lovely chap, but Favourite Son…
Run on lines
I think there must be a line similar to the one, ‘how do you know if someone’s a vegan?’ (Answer: ‘They’ll tell you) about running . How do you know if someone’s a runner? Not only will they tell you but they’ll also snore on about their injuries, split times and personal bests. Guilty as…
a semi colon kind of week
When a student asked last summer if she could sell t-shirts to reduce the stigma around mental health I was delighted. I was even more enthusiastic when she talked me through the semi colon campaign (Project; your story … is not over). Naturally, I literally bought the t shirt and have been wearing it ever…
Join Our Club
The highlight item in my 1970’s school pack lunch box was a Jacob’s chocolate bar (our’s was definitely a make-your-own-pack-lunch family, so forget 5-a-day, brown bread or layered rainbows of goodness displayed in a kiln jar, we’re talking dairylea triangles on pappy white bread). If you got to the treats cupboard at the start of…
Silver Service
The comeback kid – otherwise known as my mother – decides that her make up needs updating before leaving the care home and returning to her own house. This is a sentence I thought I’d never write for two reasons: This summer I thought I was saying goodbye to mum. Mum’s make up bag, and…
The Dragonfly Jar 