Dolly's Dreamings

I always knew ...

I always knew this week would be patchy from a blog perspective

 

I always knew this week would be one I needed tissues for

 

I always knew this week would be hard and mixed with saddness and wonderful moments ... and it is

 

I am shattered and have more late nights to come - but things are going well and I am not crying too much.

 

I taught my very last lesson today ... that is quite a milestone. 34 years of teaching and suddenly no more teaching. It feels very strange.

 

I had the most wonderful card I have ever received today - and I certainly blubbed - and have been blessed with so many lovely gifts and cards. People are being very kind.

I love that I was also presented with a leavers hoody - the same as the girls ... with my name and all of theirs and the date. I love it.

 

We had our transition service today which, for me, was the most significant event of this whole process, and it was wonderful and moving and the girls were, as always, terrific. They sang beautifully, they behaved impeccably, they were just wonderful. Yes I cried. Course I did!

 

I was so happy Nigel could be there too. He knew how much it meant to me to get the girls into church for a service of thanksgiving. And they ended with a song that means so much to both of us and they executed it beautifully. It isn't a song that might spring to mind as a song to use at a church service but the words were perfect for the sentiments we wanted to convey. It is the final song at Epcot ... video of the song so you can hear the words. Of course, we didn't have the fireworks, just beautiful singing.

 

 

 

They also sang this - which I absolutely love ... obviously I cannot share our girls singing it ... they did it even better!

 

 

 

There is a special flash 50% sale on today at The Lily Pad. Dawn has several products on sale - go check them out - but it also includes Artworks Layered Templates Bundle

 

 

 

and here are two very different pages I made using two of the templates. All products used are by Dawn

 

 

 

There won't be a blog post for the next couple of days as I have some late nights at work and some special events ... not sure what some of them are ... they are secret!

 

And to end - how fitting

This was the final prayer of our service.

 

Starting to feel real

It is an exciting and yet a scary prospect that this time next week I will be retired.

I will no longer be a head teacher.

I will no longer have a role

I will no longer be anyone but me.

 

I think I am ready for it

I hope I am ready for it.

 

However - there is a doozy of a week to get through first and there may not be very many posts this week.

 

I do, however, have new scrapping to share today made with this collection by Created by Jill called Walk With Me

 

 

This is what I made with it - using photos taken of Nigel at Grand Teton on our Wild West Tour

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• some very unexpected gifts and cards
• air con in the car - it was hot
• The chance to raise money for charity - a charity dear to my heart Lewis Manning

 

Quite a weekend

After Friday's celebrations it was nice to have a quietish day Saturday and another celebration in the evening.

I also managed to get the storage drawers I was searching for and finished off the side of my study that needed sorting.

I have all the storage in place now - I just need to wait until I finish work and organise everything as it is not in a logical order. I think it will mean taking out every single piece of paper and sorting it out. Such fun! Then every embellishment.

I am looking forward to it - kind of!

Nigel's brother, wife and children (very grown up children) were down for the weekend and so we went to what has, over the years, been the 'family's favourite place' Vesuvio.

 

Good company and good food.

Outside on the beach patio before dinner.

 

 

Everyone except me - I was snapping!

 

 

Nigel, his brother and his Mom

 

 

and with my niece and nephew

 

 

I also have new scrapping to share - this time with a brand new collection from Dawn Inskip.

 

 

It is called Handbag Essentials and it is just so cute. It also coincided with me wanting a new firefly handbag as mine is getting very very old.

 

 

Today we did a little gardening, trimming and making things look nice for next weekend's party

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely day
• a neater garden and front of house
• sleeping late - I just KNOW I am going to get used to this.

A REMARKABLE DAY in every sense

A remarkable day in every sense

Yesterday – 24^th June 2016 – was a remarkable day in every sense of the word.

We woke to the shock news that everyone woke to. The Leave the EU vote had won – no-one expected it but it had happened and our world was likely to be changed for ever.

It was BR-EXIT day but it was also to be KL-EXIT day. The start of my exit process.  Please forgive this most self-indulgent of posts.

I officially finish work on 4^th July in just 6 days time, but school laid on a  wonderful leaving event for me at the end of the day yesterday – and it was just perfect in every way. I wouldn’t have liked a leaving do with just grownups. The children are why I teach, the children are why I am there, the children are the reason for all of it and so it was absolutely right for me to have a leaving do with children … and their parents, the staff and the governors of course.

 

I really hadn’t been sure what to expect and I was worried as the tea also included the unveiling of my portrait. For someone who doesn’t like having her photo taken, the idea of having a portrait painted was, to say the least, terrifying. It was also a tremendous honour. I would be the first head of the Junior School to have their portrait painted to be hung in the hall.

 

The tea party was lovely. There were so many people there – including Nigel .. he could not have been absent as he has been a part of my whole life there. And quite a long life too. I will have been there 29 years .. and I stress, as did my boss in her speech – I was very very young when I was appointed! Not only was the tea itself wonderful (no-one does cakes like our school) but it was wonderful to see the people there. So many governors came and so many parents. I also had a photo taken at some point with a selection of children who were pupils or had been pupils ranging from 3 years old to almost 40. I have obviously removed all of the faces ... they are other people's children. It doesn't make for a pretty picture - but it gives the idea.

 

The portrait was lovely… well as lovely as it could be … it was of me after all. He had done a wonderful job. Now if only I could find a cream that made the wrinkles vanish as his brush had done. My boss made the most wonderful speech about me – I cried and she almost did too. The chair of governors made a wonderful speech too – including saying he had heard the song from Wicked on the way to the tea … For Good  .. and he repeated the lines

‘But because I knew you

I have been changed for good’

He said they made him think of me and that there were so many girls lives I had changed for good by all that I had done. It was a very kind thing to say. And then, most remarkable of all, Jeff Williams spoke. Jeff Williams is the director of Education for the Diocese of Winchester, the school’s diocese, and I had chatted to him during the afternoon and thought how lovely that coincidentally he was in school on the day there happened to be a tea and wasn’t that lovely. Duh! I never made the connection that he was there FOR ME! I was staggered when he spoke and also said lovely things and brought with him a letter from the Bishop. I didn’t read the letter until I got home and it reduced me to tears. Such a wonderful thing to have said and the greatest tribute I could have prayed for.

 

 

 

I spoke extremely badly when I responded. I was just so blown away by it all and the emotion got to me and I couldn’t finish. I didn’t thank the people I wanted to thank and just bumbled and fluffed and then cried. Disaster. I will do better at Prize Giving I hope.

 

I had such lovely gifts. Flowers and a very generous voucher from the parents, two beautifully framed sketches for me to keep, produced by the artist and framed for me, and a beautiful, very significant crystal cross and book from the diocese.  I felt very spoilt by the whole thing and very humbled.

 

It is a huge thing to be contemplating leaving after 29 years, to be taking such early retirement and yes, there are times when I have had my doubts about it. However I know the time is right for me to leave. I am proud of what I have accomplished. I am proud of the way I have developed the school and nurtured the girls and it is time for school to enter a new phase. I know we are right to be looking towards a new and very different future for us as a couple. We have worked very hard – it is a full on job with no respite – and we want to enjoy some time together. You never know what is round the corner and the various health scares have shaken us. So I know it is the right time and I would feel the regrets of leaving the school and the girls if I waited until I was 60 or older. That would never change.  I won’t miss the policies, the paperwork, the accountability, the stress, the politics or the 12 – 14 hour days, but I will miss those girls, all of them, every day. They have been my purpose for so long and they will never be forgotten.

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• 29 years of helping to make a difference
• 29 years teaching hundreds of girls and trying to do the very best for them
• a wonderful tea and some lovely kind words from people
• lots of hugs from children and parents alike
• very generous gifts
• Nigel by my side through it all

 

Now - the last week to get through and what a week. Incredibly busy at school and all of it needing to be the very best I can possibly make it.

 

50% off bargains

Everyone loves a bargain don't they - well I do

 

Dawn Inskip has three sets on bargain offer over at the Lilypad.

It is the something old something new promotion and here are the deals you can steal

 

Love you to the moon and back at 50% off

 

And this is a page made with that.

Connect at 50% and a page made with it

 

 

And one of my all time favourite EVER collections by Dawn - Flip Book Essentials at 50%  ... that one you HAVE to grab ... seriously

 

 

Very very quick post today as so much to do.

But check out those bargains

 

Today I am thankful for

• courage
• strawberries
• getting rid of a bookcase

 

 

outdoor 'pleasure'

Today has been an outdoor day for the most part as it was a sports' day. And it was lovely and fun and so nice to be a part of - but the pleasure is mared by the blasted hay fever. My eyes are sore and streaming and just need to be closed. I will be so glad when the pollen level drops and I can resume normal outdoor activities.

 

The pollen is never as bad by the beach and that is the subject of my page today

 

It uses the new Light and Shade beach collection by Dawn Inskip

 

 

and this is the page I made with it

 

 

The picture is of my cousin Rick who lives in America and it was when we all met up at Jacksonville Beach in Florida and it was Emmaline's first ever trip to the ocean ... so very special and a very happy holiday to spend with family.

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a lovely day
• an unexpected gift
• a sweet treat of luscious tropical fruit when I got home

 

and finally some more of those dreadful adverts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crazy season and Oh My how politically incorrect

The last couple of weeks of term are always crazy - but a fun happy sort of crazy with special events and activities. It is tiring but a  happy sort of tired. Add into that that I have just two weeks to go until I retire and it is doubly crazy.

The blog posts may be a bit sparse at times at the moment. Bear with me - I will have oodles of time soon.

 

I do have another page to share made with another Pickle Barrel collection

This time I worked with Just Beachy by Jennifer Labre

 

 

and this is what I scrapped with it.

 

 

Me on the beach at the Caribbean Beach Resort.

 

Summertime - happy holidays and relaxation.

I guess that will be summer time and autumn time and winter time and spring time in the future.

 

Today I am thankful for

• a happy day with the children
• chocolate buttons and strawberries

 

 

And for a bit of a laugh these are some adverts from the past the like of which you would NEVER see these days. How times have changed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i have more to share tomorrow

 

 

He was right I was wrong

Don't you just hate it when that happens.

Nigel said it would rain. I said it wouldn't. Well in fairness to me the BBC - who I swear by - said it wouldn't happen.

We did Nigel's mom's washing and put it out and - of course it rained. By which time I had done our washing too so lots of damp washing that couldn't go in the tumble dryer.

 

The Pickle barrel promotion is still on at PBP and today I have a page to share made with a massive massive collection and add on collection by Jumpstart Designs called jammin Jungle Juice. It is awesome

 

 

 

This is one of the pages I made with it

 

 

and don't forget that you can still get Dawn Inskip's Light and Shade beach collection at a bargain price at the Lily pad.

 

 

Today I am thankful for

• a day at home
• catching up time
• a better night's sleep

 

 

and finally - Father's Day - a hard day when I don't have my beloved daddy any more other than in my heart and in my memories. He was an amazing man - a nutter on a bike, so clever at everything he did and I was and always will be a Daddy's girl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my abiding memories of Daddy is my wedding day. The house had been full of people and everyone except Daddy and I left. The chauffeur said we were too early so sent us back inside. we sat at the dining room table and Daddy said he would like a drink to calm our nerves but we better not use glasses as 'your mom will kill us if everyone comes back and there is washing up not done' so we sat at the table with a bottle of whisky and a bottle of southern comfort and had a wee nip out of the bottle and laughed at ourselves all dressed in finery and drinking from the bottle.   It was at that point he said he knew he was meant to make a speech but he hadn't really had time to think about it so he hoped it was OK if he just did a toast instead. Wicked man - he had a stonker of a speech ... of course!

 

 

 

 

Catching up

Today has been a catch up day

Catching upon work stuff

catching up on house sdtuff

catching up on CT stuff

And tomorrow I plan on catching up on relaxing stuff.

11 work days left and so much to do but I just need a bit of a break for one day.

 

However, it is Pickle barrel time .... and there is a new release from Dawn Inskip - so much to see and catch up on

 

I will share my Dawn Page tomorrow but have to share the lushness of her new collection

It is called Light and Shade beach collection and it is gorgeous

 

 

I made something pretty which I will share tomorrow

 

The new Pickle Barrel colours are lush this month

 

You know the deal - $1 packs all coordinating with so many FWP products too.

 

The first I am sharing is called in my garden (where I have been for the past hour weeding actually ) and is so pretty and is by Fanette

 

 

and this is what I made with it

 

 

Alice - beautiful at any age and every age!

 

• Today I am thankful for
• catching up
• tidiness
• seeing a gorgeous baby sand lizard when gardening. He was only tiny - no more than 1 1/2 " and so cute. Whenever I see one I say thank you because THEY are the reason why our heath is protected SSSI land. It is to preserve them. And also they are just darned cute!

 

 

 

 

He will grow up to be stunning like this

 

Hard but good

Today has been my 'hard' day - but we are almost there with the timetable - Catriona you were so right!

I am incredibly glad it is my last. It's hard.

 

Nigel has done a great job in the garden this afternoon as he figured best to be outside whilst I was stressed at my desk. Wise move. And a good garden too.

 

I have a new page to share today - another for the many many Florida albums. I have a serious number of these - but they make us smile whenever we look through them

 

 

We were not sure we would like Chef Mickey's. We didn't like it - we loved it. It was us to a T. Cheesy character greetings, kids food (and a mix of breakfast items and lunch) and totally made for two big kids like us.

Today I am thankful for

a timetable - yey!

a smarter garden  thanks to Nigel

Kira 'speaking' to me again. I have had a week of being totally ignored as she was so very cross with me and I felt so guilty. Last week she - or more likely HE - put her beloved baby... froggy ... in the litter tray. I had no option but to wash him in very hot water with proper washing liquid and obviously it killed all of his Kira smell. She won't go near her baby and won't go near me as it was me who 'killed' her baby! I feel so guilty. I have doused him in catnip, put him in all her favourite places but nope - he obviously doesn't smell like her baby any more. She can't make me feel any worse than I do - though she is trying!