I am here to report on the most luxurious of days, a day when I was tethered to the house – grounded if you will – in order to greet the arrival of a lovely man scheduled to fit a new hob. It is the least that I can do for the lovely friends who…

I realise that there has been silence on the blog front recently. In truth it has been a challenging time, but the remit of this blog is to chase the dragonflies when they show themselves and to trust that they will return when they are hiding. Sad songs can say so much but it feels…

It is not unheard of for a teacher to be on their knees at the end of term. We soldier on, knowing that the WFH crew has no time – or inclination – to cry our pity party. In the words of Favourite Man, ‘You are a tired – and quite frankly, grouchy and unlikeable…

I have spent a lot of time with my 95 year old mother of late and know the value that she brings to my life. I also know how tough Mother’s Day can be for those who are missing their mothers; those who are missing their children; those with mothers who are unwell and those…

It is hard navigating through these mid-life years with humour and irreverence, but now I need to negotiate some additional hurdles – namely social etiquette and punctuality. I fear I have been reprogrammed to become quite rude over the past two years. I am now noticing my inability to be punctual, my struggle to be…

After a half term trip to London, I consider a third change of career – or a third ‘pivot’ as those folks on social media would have us say. I am toying with the idea of becoming a mudlark- someone who scavenges in river mud for items of value. Stay with me on this; naturally I would…

Half term break and surely it is time for Dora the Explorer to be treated to a Bank Holiday car valet; she has been very, very patient and looks a little grubby. On Radio 4 I hear someone describing an app which will apparently count the number of bugs collected on Dora’s number plate during…

Funny old week in the world of teaching; students and teachers have all been in need of some additional TLC. Non-assessment assessments (‘call them what you like Miss, they are exams’) and lethargy about booking a ballgown or tan when the prom could get cancelled for the second year in a row, have made this…

I am tasked with preparing an on-line assembly for students to highlight the start of Mental Health Awareness week 2021, but find myself feeling quite hesitant about this. You may find this surprising , but I will try to explain why. As you know, I am an enthusiastic wellbeing advocate, encouraging people to take care…