So I got meself all dolled up and trundled off for my interview. 2 years ago this would have been a dream job and I would have killed for it. Today I really wasnt bothered if I get it or not. There does actually seem to be more reasons NOT to take it then Take it. Anyway I answered most of the questions, admitted on a few that there were huge gaps in my knowledge, and waffled my way through some others that I only half knew about and now have to wait until Thursday's post to see how I did.In the meantime I am still getting a steady trickle of supply work from the agency so am not too fussed as that at least means I can have plenty of time off to play (or even do housework if the mood takes me!)And ....
I made some more christmas cards - really cant get into scrapping this close to christmas with so much to do to prepare for that so......
This is NOT my own design, but one I scrap lifted from here only having no Kelly Panacci stuff (isn't it all lush?) I attempted to make my own. The tree is stamped with an Autumn leaves swirl stamp and then eembossed with lovely green sparkly powder, the Joy I printed out and hand cut then added glitter to it.
And ...
This is one of the magnolia images from the image swap I took part. The same autumn leaves swirl stamp, again embossed, some really old paper from one of the first 12x12 scrap book mags and...yes I admit, a peel-off Happy Christmas!
Ok just discovered the battery is flat in my camera so only two for now, will upload rest tomorrow.
My youngest daughter has had a little moan about my lack of blogging updates lately (*little wave to Laura*). I mentioned in a little email to the supply agency that more supply would be nice and suddenly they are phoning me with work at every moment of the day. Now I would have thought a supply agency would know when you were actually in the classroom teaching and not ring you on your mobile, but the young ladies running my SA don't seem to be worried about how unprofessional answering your mobile in the middle of a lesson is. Mine is a really old Nokia, despite being a computer wizz I just cant seem to get the hang of mobile phones, their menu logic doesnt work for me, so even with my simple antique there are still features I cant get to grips with, and the silent ring is one of them. I like to have my mobile on because only my direct family (and the SA) have my number so if it does ring it is likely to be for a family emergency.
Anyway all that was to say why I hadnt blogged, I am either covering other teachers or too tired to be bothered to blog. Plus the end of the cold is still hanging about, making me feel down in the dumps so I havent even taken glue and scissors to paper in any meaningful way. I have started projects, but the minute any thinking is involved, I have pushed them to one side and surfed the net instead.
However:
Today I am not working.
Today I feel much more positive.
Today I am going to start organising my Christmas shopping
And on Monday I have an interview for a full time job!
I think I have been suffering a bit from SAD this week, I have felt really fed up and not really been able to set my mind to much. I have done some supply work at several schools this week, suddenly I am Miss Popularity at the agency and they not only keep offering me work but also want me to write a testimonial for them. I have just finished two days at a school with, shall we say, pupils with somewhat challenging behaviour? So as well as being down in the dumps I am now exhausted. And i still cant shake the last of this cold. And to top it all on Monday I have to go have my 13 week interview at the Job Centre, who have asked for loads of paperwork I dont have. I'm not sure when I am supposed to look for jobs and fill in application forms?
On the plus side Martin is really enjoying his new role at work so thats a positive. He definately looks much happier and healthier.
Anyway my images from the second Magnolia Stamp swap arrived today, and that jolted me into making a few more cards. These are not from the image swap but are actually my own stamp.
Background papers Barbara Schiefer snowflake collection, DMD Joy stamp, lots of stickles and peewee glitter, glittery paints from The Works and snowflake die is a thincut I think
Background paper K Teague Berry Days (2 peas in a bucket), more glittery paint, Studio g stamp, holly leaf punch, more peewee glitter and staedtler triplus fineliner pens.
Its been a rotten kind of week.
But it ended really well!
This cold is a particularly nasty strain and will not let go. I spent most of my birthday, Tuesday and Wednesday in bed dosed up on cough sweets and painkillers. I didnt really feel much better on Thursday when the supply agency phoned to ask me to go work in the same school as last week again. I pulled myself together and headed off, only to spend 40 minutes in a traffic jam as they were resurfacing the main road out of Thanet!By the end of the day I had lost my voice and felt like death warmed up so when my phone went half way through Friday morning I was glad the battery was flat, as I was sure it was the Agency asking me to cover Friday afternoon. I managed a Tesco shop with my parents but that was all I could cope with.
I'm not sure what was the matter with the world on Friday. Tesco was packed to the rafters, worse so than Christmas. I think they were panic buying because of the flood alerts. Similar conditions prevailed to those in 1953 when most of Whitstable ended up under water so perhaps they were all barricading themselves in with their Tesco goodies? We had been to the seafront and seen the huge huge waves crashing over parts of the sea wall. At Hampton the car park was already flooded and at HerneBay the tops of the waves were hitting the bottom of the pieir! Of course Dad's camera - as usual - was in the boot of the car and it was far too windy to get it out. We saw one rather substantially large lady loose her footing so we knew how strong the gusts were!
Saturday the girls were organising a little bonfire party for my birthday, a small affair with just the family. That was all I had wanted. So after I struggled to cook baked potatoes, and make a few pots of homemade veggie soup, and Martin (no better than me because of the cold) struggled in the same way through the hoovering, I was sent up to my room by Laura to put on makeup, listen to music and mainly keep out the way.
When I was finally allowed down I was met by a room decorated with balloons, and banners, a table full of sweets and party nibbles, a caterpillar shaped cake, and sausages being cooked. What a honey she is. So with Mum and Dad, Kelly and Ollie, Laura and Wayne, we set too munching, drinking, chatting and laughing. They finally gave me my birthday present. They had all clubbed together to buy me two tickets to see Lord of the Rings, on the stage in London, plus an overnight hotel stay so we dont have to rush back on the train. Wow!!!
Then we all traipsed outside to light our boxes of fireworks. A running joke because eversince I was tiny ALL my parties have consisted of lighting boxes of fireworks in the garden, even if they are naff. As we stood there waiting for Ollie and Kelly to find the fuse on the rocket, the air was suddenly rent by a lone bagpipe playing 'Happy Birthday'!!! Laura had managed to find and phone my friend Val from Uni who plays in a pipe band. Not that practiced herself on the pipes, her other half (who I had never met) had agreed to come play for me. God alone knows what the neighbours thought as he played 'Congratulations' into the night air.
Val had bought another friend from Uni along and we left the men in the conservatory as we chatted and caught up with all the news.
Thank you Laura, it was a lovely surprise and a lovely evening.
I am just waiting for Kelly to post her photos now, as for once I didnt take any. In fact, I went through all my photos last night and as the family's official photographer, it would seem I never do take any on my birthday as I could only find 2 photos to cover 50 years worth of celebrations
to
ME!!!
Half a century today.
And I feel like death warmed up as I sit here in bed surrounded by birthday cards, suffering from a really bad head cold :(
So far the postie hasnt been yet but I have had a few hand delivered cards, phone calls from both my daughters, a text from my sonin-law (congratulating me on getting to 40 at last, bless him) and gifts of a box of tissues and two packets of soothers from my mum and dad.
It can only get better LOL
This is NOT my own design, but one I scrap lifted from here only having no Kelly Panacci stuff (isn't it all lush?) I attempted to make my own. The tree is stamped with an Autumn leaves swirl stamp and then eembossed with lovely green sparkly powder, the Joy I printed out and hand cut then added glitter to it.
