The last Mexican...

Not a spaghetti western, but a genuine comment on the state of affairs around here.  The pop-up Mexican take out which has been operating on  Tuesday all summer has reached it's last evening.  This is very sad indeed, as it is delicious, cheap and I often meet friends in the queue!  I have ordered the daughter and I steak chilli, a steak burrito and chicken nachos - it'll be far too much, but I'm making the most of it! 

Today was another boggling and frustrating day at work and to top it off I think I have forgotten how to plan a lesson...I expect it will be OK when I actually have teenagers in front of me tomorrow.  I feel somewhat frazzled, so the joy that is my take out will be very welcome.  Despite deciding to reduce my alcohol intake, I think I may have the bottle of fruit cider which is in the fridge tonight before I enter the fray that is Autumn term in earnest.

Back to work...

Well, back to school today, so I need to get back to writing this regularly - holidays are over!  It was really hard going back after the summer break, especially as training days tend to lead to information overload and a boggled brain!

It was lovely, though, to catch up with colleagues, especially the Spotties (a group of friends who offer great support along with plenty of cake and tea in a  - sometimes- spotty teapot).  I had lots of compliments for my top, one of the ones I had made for me in India this summer, and compliments are always cheering.  After the session the Spotties went out for cake which was lovely.  Later I am going to go for a walk around the Otter Trail.  It looks so beautiful at this time of year with delicate purple seed heads on all the reeds and it is sunny and warm here this evening.  Exercise always lifts my mood, and at the start of term I need to be very aware of my mental equilibrium!

Champagne and friendship

I'm being a bit rubbish at blogging while in hols - lack of routine, I think. It's a shame, because there are loads of good things while off work!

Today I collected the GCSE results of the pupils I teach - they were pretty good but some in particular were very cheering due to individual pupils' circumstances. 

After collecting results and packing I left for Chester - I am going to be walking the Sandstone Trail with a friend I met in holiday a few years ago. We are currently drinking champagne and about to plan the walk/gossip. I am grabbing a blogging opportunity while she sorta out something for her daughter, who is at Reading Festival with mine. 

  

York

I'm in York tonight for a University Open Day with the daughter.  The drive was beautiful, including views of the North Wales mountains and the stunning, but slightly disturbing, Saddleworth  Moor. We are staying in the attic room of a

B and B near the walls and currently watching rubbish telly before bed. 

We have been out for dinner, which we had in a lovely little Mediterranean restaurant called The Olive Tree. The food was delicious, and there was abeam rogue small boy in there who spent some time on the castle mound opposite running about with his mum. It was lovely to watch. When they came back in, the waiters took over ( as waiters from the med do...) to give the mum a rest. The little boy sat at the bar being fussed over and having a great time. This has been a lovely day. 

Relaxation

Coming back from India really took it out of me - I was travelling pretty much for 4 days and dealing with jet lag too.  I don't function well when I am over tired, and on top of that, having managed to avoid stomach problems while in India I came down with something involving horrible stomach cramps as soon as I got home.  Not a happy few days...

It is very important in challenging moments to focus on the positive.  I have not done much for the last few days, but have really enjoyed falling asleep on the sofa and generally relaxing completely!  Today, the daughter got her AS results, which were fine (if a bit mixed) but she got an A in her English!  A really happy moment.

I was thwarted in trying to buy brioche for breakfast (a sudden craving).  Is there a world shortage or something?  I bought muffins, though (the proper, doughy bread toasting sort, not a big fairy cake) and enjoyed eating those.  Simple pleasures.

Daughter is at work, and I will be cooking her favourite mash for tea (probably with sausage and onion gravy) and I think I will open some fizz to celebrate her results.  We are going to York tomorrow for an Open Day, so I should have an enjoyable weekend!

Amazing India

India continues to amaze - the colours, sounds and indeed smells are extreme. We have been to a huge variety of places and seen some incredible things.

Often on holiday I have a day when I have a melt down as things can get a bit much for me sometimes (I go on adventure holidays, not a week by the pool). This time I have not done so, which is a happy thing in itself. 

A selection of happy things - beautiful, bright saris in the fields, cows wandering randomly about on the road (3 out of 4 lanes on a main road in one instance) being avoided by drivers because of their sacred status, having to wait at an intersection for an elephant to lumber past, children excited to have their photo taken so they can see it in the camera screen... 

Two more full days left - now that is a sad thought, so I'll leave it at that. 

Hippy dreams!

So, India... It's incredible. Everyone says it will be and that you will never be the same again, and you think 'Yeah,yeah'. Thing is, I suspect thy may be right!  It's noisy, smelly, chaotic and at the same time serene, timeless, beautiful. It does things to your mood ( and possibly your digestive system, but I'm ok so far...). The good things come thick and fast - a random elephant in the street, a blessing and garland at your hotel, a shopkeeper's chatter. It takes your breath away and leaves you feeling...different. Calmer. More centred. Sounds hippy? Yup. But it is, oddly, the truth

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