Learning new skills - Art

I love my job working as a Teaching Assistant in a local secondary school and I love being back in school learning new things, meeting new people and generally feeling like going to work Monday to Friday in term time is more than just a job.

We've been doing things outside of school in small and large groups, from Pottery Painting, to nights out and coffees after work.

I decorated a jug, we use it in the van.

And 'a very useful pot'

Before firing

After. It's now filled with bits and bobs for my granddaughter to 'find' on her next visit.

I've been enjoying art lessons in school with years 7 & 9. I support students in 3 lessons a week. Most of the time I help the students work on their pieces, show them what the teacher has asked them to do and help them with ideas. Occassionally I join in and work alongside the students showing them how to implement their ideas.

I had a go at drawing with a pen.

Then using water colours.

I've got a variety of projects on the go at home that I've started and just never finished. There are piles of sewing projects, a dolls house to finish painting, embroideries to start and complete. I've tried knitting, had crochet lessons, but I just can't get to grips with it.

There's a felting project on the go since 2020 and a tapestry I started in 1994 for my eldest child, he's 32 next month. Do you think he'll want it if I finish it?

2024 Week 15 One Daily Positive, Project 365 and A Selfie a Day

April

99  Monday Inset day in work, only 7 of us in with on the same contract. Some generic training, time to catch up with paperwork, our line manager bought us pizza at lunch time. We attended Vulnerability and Exploitation Training then we had a lockdown drill. Home via the dentist to get permanent crown fitted, then to sort some online banking, dinner and evening spent blogging, watching TV and reading.

100  Tuesday Lift into town after work to go to the post office and have a coffee. Peter picked me up, arrived home to the neighbours kids on the doorstep wanting to come in and watch Blue, they're 2 and 4. Mum had a coffee with us. Peter then cooked dinner and I did some gardening, weeding pots and the front border and cutting back the bushes. Rest of the evening spent watching TV and blogging. I iced some cakes for the students for Eid.

101  Wednesday Lift to work and home again. Parent meeting first thing, then normal lessons. I stayed on till 4pm for homework club to settle in a new student. Home for dinner, reading, bath, TV and early night.

102  Thursday Normal day in work. Broke the news to work I've been shortlisted for a job in Worcester as Safeguarding/Pastoral Officer at a secondary school. Stayed on to settle another student into homework club then met colleagues for coffee, then the Doctors, home, dinner, reading, bath, TV and an early night.

103  Friday Work and home for chips and wine with friend. Peter took the last pieces of the shed down to the tip and tidied up the rest of the garden.

104  Saturday Up early and off to Gloucester to see child 1 after her medical procedure on Tuesday, results next week, but all good at the moment. On to the Forest of Dean to visit grandchild, call in at mums then drop off some presents with friends ending up in Monmouth for a coffee before coming home around 6pm. Migraine meds taken.

105  Sunday A visit to the garden centre for coffee and gluten free cake. Some work in the garden. Popped out in the afternoon to buy a roast for dinner, bumped into two colleagues from work and had coffee, home to watch a movie, bath and early night. Migraine meds taken.

Books read this week: Angels - Marian Keyes

Words written towards book: 1012

Clothes bought: 0 

Unnecessary items bought this week: replacement Air pods £129 Currys (hubby lost his in the tip) bedding £96 plants £36.

On the blog this week: Days out in March

Things that made me happy this week:

The garden taking shape. Visits with daughter, grandchild and friends, coffee, baking, long soaks in the bath, new bedding and plants.

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12th-14th April 2024 Post Comment Love

Welcome back to #PoCoLo with Stephanie from Bosworth.Life and I.

Post Comment Love #PoCoLo is a friendly weekly linky where you can link up any blog post you've written this week. If you're new or a regular visitor we're sure you'll find something of interest.

Hope you all had a good Easter, I'm back to work after 2 weeks off. I love working in a school with all the holidays. We went to Northern Ireland to visit our son, his wife and our 2 and a half year old grandson. 

We've started work in the garden by dismantling the old shed, there have been several runs to the local tip, the base is in perfect condition so other than a bit of edging its ready for the table and chairs to go on, then the other smaller shed can come down and we can start to plan the raised flower beds and decide where the new compost bin will be going.

We'd also appreciate your help spreading the #PoCoLo word on Twitter, tag us and we'll RT. You can find us on twitter here: Stephanie - @BosworthLife and Suzanne - @ChickenRuby 

I'll be catching up with reading your posts, sharing and commenting over the next few days. 

Want to find out more about Post Comment Love #PoCoLo? 

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March 2024 - Days out in the camper van

We didn't get up to much in March due to the constant rain, but when we did go it, it was great to have somewhere to store our wet coats, get changed if needed and brew up a cup of tea with the heating on. 

We started the month with snow. It didn't last long and our theory is these days if we're out anywhere and get stuck, it really doesn't matter anymore, there's no need to attempt to drive anywhere whether we're out or at home. 

Mostly we just used the van to go to work and the shops.

We visited child 2, his wife and our grandson over Easter and travelled on the ferry from Liverpool to Belfast. 

We used to take the dog with us, now we have to check the cat hasn't snook her way in.

Our grandson was very excited to 'go in Granny's caravan' 

We did get parked up on the beach for a couple of hours when the weather improved at Benone where ice creams were enjoyed, free from sand.

April will see us camping in the van for the first time as we head to the Sussex coast for a couple of weekends to drop mum off to visit her siblings. 

We've got a new cable tidy and we've removed the camping toilet as we'll only need that as a legal requirement if we travel in Europe, so there's more space for storing walking gear.

Other than packing our clothes and chucking in a pillow or two the van is all set to go.

 

2024 Week 14 One Daily Positive, Project 365 and A Selfie a Day

April

92  Monday Whilst son and Dil cleaned and packed up the caravan, Peter and I took grandson and the dogs for a coffee and a walk along the sand dunes and the beach before spending some time in the park. I helped out with cleaning the fridge and the bathroom and Peter entertained grandson in the van. We drove the 90mins back to theirs to unpack their car, put the washing on and enjoy our last bit of time with them before we went to the in laws for dinner and hear all about their 3 week cruise they'd just returned from. They cooked dinner, son, Dil and grandson left, we stayed for another drink then said our goodbyes and drove to the ferry. I went straight to the cabin for a shower and bed, while Peter diverted via the bar.

93  Tuesday Ferry docked at 6.15am, we were off, on the road and at the services for coffee within an hour. Home by 10.30am to be greeted by a very angry cat, whose 15th birthday was celebrated. So tired I did cry, every bone and muscle in my body ached, I couldn't grip anything and my eyes hurt as well as feeling sick all day. I managed to unpack, did some washing with help from Peter, watched a lot of TV in bed, had a long bath and an early night.

94  Wednesday I spent the day in bed with a migraine, watching TV and sleeping. Peter went into Worcester for a hair cut and to do the food shopping. At 4.30pm I got an invite for coffee, so I thought some fresh air would do me good and I met up with a friend from work for an hour, she bought me some daffodils. Evening spent on the sofa, bath and an early night.

95  Thursday A lazy morning followed by the removal of the shed at last. 2 years after the new shed went up, the old one started to come down. I spent the morning making sure I was close at hand to labour for Peter and make sure he didn't fall off the roof. I then went to the bank and coffee shop to fill in a job application. Home for dinner, a bath and an evening spent blogging and phone call with my cousin in the states. I made an application to appear on the Repair Shop. 

96  Friday A lie in then to the tip with the roofing felt, a coffee and some blogging, home to spend the day with granddaughter and DIL. Evening spent with friend with chips and wine.

97  Saturday A lie in then off to the nail bar mid morning. I then went for coffee and did some blogging. Rest of the day spent tidying the garden and removing the last of the shed. In-between helping Peter, I read my book and sorted some paperwork.

98  Sunday Day spent on labouring for Peter, cooking dinner and ironing. I've finished writing my 4 years in South Africa for now with almost 20,000 words. I've just got to decide what, if anything I want to do with it. Publish as a keepsake for future generations or find out if a wider audience would be interested in reading it. I did a couple of tip runs and met a friend for coffee. Bath and an early night ready for work in the morning.

Books read this week: 61 Hours - Lee Child

Words written towards book: 957

Clothes bought: Laura Ashley Coat Charity Shop £8

On the blog this week: Nothing.

Things that made me happy this week:

Family, washing on the line, reading, painting, clean bedding to come home to, the shed coming down, a Laura Ashley Coat from a charity shop, Pushkins 15th Birthday, getting my nails done and a visit from granddaughter.

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