The Wandering Teacher

Eulogy for Una Beryl Willmot

2011-09-20T19:46:00.000-05:00

How well do we ever know our family and friends? Everyone here will have known a different aspect of the character of Una Beryl Willmot. And no two assessments will be the same. Even her children have different impressions of her. This is very likely because we see other people through our own eyes, which are coloured by our personality, and our own experiences both with,

Caring For My Mother

2011-09-05T16:21:00.000-05:00

After caring for a number of elderly people, I'm now caring for my mother. I've been living here since January due to not having anywhere else to go and have been planning to move on throughout the spring and summer. However all my plans came to nought and I came to the conclusion that somehow I was not meant to leave. I realised that my mother at least needed me to be near but now she actually

Moving on....

2011-01-23T09:25:00.000-06:00

I remember when I first took this job in Wookey Hole, I remarked that I wouldn't want to become an enemy of my employer S.... Before Christmas there were quite a few days when she couldn't hold her stall at the market due to bad weather. However I still looked after her mother while she worked at home. Since Christmas I've noticed a change in her attitude towards me. She has been curt and

The Fairy Car

2010-12-15T13:19:00.001-06:00

I promised to show you the car I have the use of and here it is! It's a good job I don't get embarrassed easily! I certainly need to drive considerately and carefully in this because I won't be anonymous especially in this small community. It's a good job I usually do, because when I'm driving I forget how conspicuous it is. The owner, my employer calls it the Fairy Car. They have two other

So, What's Positive About This Job?

2010-11-22T13:19:00.002-06:00

Quite a lot actually. Let me list them: A Car I have the use of a car. A small economical-to-run one. Mostly mine. May be used occasionally by S, she says, but they have another car and a van. This car deserves a short blog post of it's own - with a picture. Countryside I love the countryside and this bungalow is surrounded by it. Even in November it's very green around about. I love the green

Another New Adventure

2010-11-18T15:47:00.002-06:00

I was collected by my new employer this morning. I took with me much more possessions than I took to Hong Kong - more books, more yarn, material, a sewing machine and warm winter clothes. My job is to be a companion to an elderly lady who I'll call L.... in this blog. She has gone to live with her daughter S.... and son-in-law M.... who run a business. They sell aged balsamic vinegar and freshly

Leaving Hong Kong

2010-11-09T16:50:00.000-06:00

Last Friday I arrived at Heathrow airport with a single air ticket because the woman who engaged me for the job was buying one because they wanted me to stay a long time. I asked her if I needed a visa and she said no. She's employed several teachers for this family so I thought she knew what she was talking about. I check in and am told I either need a return or an ongoing ticket in order to

Life in Hong Kong

2010-11-05T05:08:00.008-05:00

Pollution I think the air is a little polluted as I've not seen a proper clear sky since I've been here. When I first arrived each day started out hazy, but cleared a little as the sun struggled through the haze to shine on all. The last few days however, it's been hazy the whole day and today it looks like we're living in a rain cloud. Some people go around the streets wearing breathing masks.

Royal Ascot in Hong Kong

2010-11-01T11:40:00.001-05:00

The father told me that he had persuaded the maid to move into the small room so I could move into her old room. Actually it looks more like a cupboard, with no windows and I'm sure she won't be able to stretch her legs. So he came to get me from the hotel. His apartment block has a luxurious entrance and is called Royal Ascot. This is because it overlooks the Hong Kong Jockey Club and (a very

Tai Chi and the Roar of the Traffic

2010-11-01T11:21:00.000-05:00

This morning I woke up to the sound of pleasant Chinese music being played over a PA system outside. I looked out and in the courtyard below there was a group of people doing Tai-Chi. Then more groups gathered in different spaces between buildings and trees. It was quite beautiful to watch. I'm sorry I didn't think to take a photo of the Tai Chi, but this was taken on Sunday. The roar of the

Wandering About Again

2010-10-31T06:37:00.000-05:00

I came back to England on 1st September and am starting a job on 1st November. I've never been out of work so long before. I did wonder if I was looking for the right work (housekeeper/nanny/carer jobs), so I applied to become a bus driver. I know I would enjoy the public service, meeting people and being cheery to brighten their day. However, before they could reply, i got a job as a nanny/tutor

Childhood Memories

2010-10-16T11:27:00.000-05:00

Elderberry tree at the bottom of the garden,Climbing and falling into the nettles,Surreptitious foray into the orchard beyond,Bitter, unripe apples,A just punishment for stealing.Guilt The den under the old plum tree,Shared with slugs and spiders,Made cosy with dolls blankets,Dashing to the back porch in the thunderstorm,Dashing back again for the sheer exhilaration of it. Danger Sitting on the

Reflecting on the Past - School and Hospitals

2010-08-28T22:01:00.000-05:00

Going Home from School When I was six my mum stopped collecting me from school. She had to push my younger sister in the pushchair on the two miles round trip. So she stopped doing it. My brother walked with me to school each day and when it was fine weather I walked home on my own. But when It was rainy I had to wait across the road in the junior's cloakroom for my brother for half an hour. My

Just Keep Swimming

2010-07-02T16:31:00.000-05:00

After the evening when the pool was as hot as a hot bath, and not really conducive to swimming, especially after a meal, the weather has been cloudy with rain for a few days. I've managed to swim in-between the rainy periods and each time, the pool has been cooler. In fact today it got down to a temperature where it took me a little getting used to before I immersed myself this morning! It's

Looking Up

2010-06-27T21:35:00.002-05:00

I've started swimming twice a day now. I went at 3 pm the other day, and was outside for 30 minutes and got sunburned! So I won't be doing that again. It was cooler than normal for 3 o'clock due to the rain in the morning, but still the concrete was too hot for bare feet.At 8 o'clock in the morning the temperature is the same as a hot summer day in Britain. Very pleasant, but the concrete is too

Swimming

2010-06-24T12:55:00.003-05:00

During my first week at Thurloxton Manor the weather was quite hot and the owners invited me to swim in the outdoor pool they have at the bottom of the garden. The thought was infinitely more lovely than the deed, due to temperature of the water. It took me a very long time to immerse myself, and I couldn't swim for long because my feet went numb. I'm told the water gets hot by August if there's

Redundancy

2010-06-22T21:44:00.002-05:00

[I've changed the title of this post from "Being Let Go" to "Redundancy", because I'm told the former phrase means being fired. As far as I recall, I've never been made redundant before, and hadn't matched the word in my head to the event.]My job started out part time. My main shifts were Saturday and Sunday 8am - 4pm, then 6pm -8pm. But I also did 3:15 - 4pm and 6pm - 8pm on Mondayd and Fridays.

Looking After Grace

2010-06-22T21:43:00.001-05:00

The owner's mother, Grace is dying, although I'm not sure she knows it. I was there one month and I noticed a great deterioration in her ability to care for herself. When I first arrived she managed to get herself to her toilet with only a little difficulty. Then she started needing help getting there, then she needed help with her hygiene, then she could only use the commode if it was near her,

Thurloxton Manor

2010-06-22T21:41:00.002-05:00

I wrote a blog post on the first day of my new job in May but for some reason i didn't post it. so here it is now. My first morning in my new place - I bring the curtain rail down as I open the curtains. My room is a little dark because there is a clump of trees outside my window. It's lovely to see the green. The old, rambling manor house is surrounded by green. The house has been extended

The Power of Feelings

2010-05-09T18:12:00.008-05:00

Here is a video that is well worth watching. Gregg Braden, in his illustrated interview 'Miracles of Healing', gives evidence of how our feelings can change our physical bodies and the world around us. He says "We must feel the feeling as if the prayer has already been answered, and in that feeling, we are speaking to the forces of creation, allowing the world to respond to us." "The words aren't

Shannon the Cat

2010-05-05T18:19:00.004-05:00

Before I leave this house I must post about the cats here. Well actually they are kittens. They are posh kittens in that they have certificates of pedigree and cost a lot of money. Because of their cost they aren't allowed outside in case someone steals them. The cats didn't know they were missing anything and never attempted to go outside, until they were taken away on a fishing trip. I don't

Moving On Again

2010-05-02T19:28:00.006-05:00

Today I was offered a job. I hadn't applied for it - well, I had applied for it at the beginning of February and hadn't been given an interview. I was disappointed. I was told my frequent job changes had been against me plus I was overqualified for the job. They thought a teacher would not be content with a housekeeper/cook job. The person they appointed is leaving. She has been given a chance of

A Voting Dilemma

2010-05-02T14:31:00.004-05:00

For the first time in my voting career my vote in these parliamentary elections may actually count!I've always lived in an area which has been a safe Labour seat. This time, although the sitting MP is Labour, it isn't a safe seat. I usually vote Conservative because they are the only party, as far as I can see, who is as keen on personal responsibility as I am. I have never voted Labour and never

Eating

2010-04-06T17:08:00.002-05:00

Claire asked if I wanted to visit the wholefood shop she goes to and loves and of course I said yes, especially as they serve cooked food in a cafe there. I was amazed to see it was a Whole Foods Market that I know and love from my time living in the USA. There isn't one in Bozeman, Montana, but they are most everywhere else in the country. I had heard there was a branch in the centre of London

Stately Homes

2010-04-06T16:43:00.007-05:00

Claire and I visited two stately homes this weekend. They was a very large contrast between the two. The first one Southside House. on the south side of Wimbledon Common is a 16 century house. Well, it's two houses built with an adjoining wall and made into one in the last century.The interest of this house is the story of the people who lived there. It is a small dwelling by stately homes

More Technological Wonders

2010-04-06T16:31:00.003-05:00

I have been so grateful for the SAT NAV this last weekend. I remember how stressful it is to drive around London using a map or a list of driving directions, but using the SAT NAV is a cinch! I let the technology deal with the hard part while I concentrate on being safe. It let me down twice however, but both times I was on a motorway so I just carried on and used my judgement. Both times it

The Wonders of Technology

2010-04-03T13:40:00.003-05:00

I thank God for the wonders of technology! Today I was able to watch and participate in my Granddaughter Cara's baptism even though I was thousands of miles away. Her parents had decided to have her baptised during the Easter conference of the Summit Lighthouse, which is broadcast via video streaming on the internet. I thank the person manning the camera for training it onto the family group

Change

2010-04-03T03:00:00.005-05:00

I seem to have chosen a life of change. (I mean the change that occurs when I do something different. I don't mean the money type change, although that might be true too because I don't see any big bucks in my life, just small change.) However, I don't find change easy at all. I get anxious before I travel anywhere. I even get anxious before I go out of the front door for any reason. I find ways

Getting the Car

2010-03-28T18:33:00.002-05:00

Saturday saw me working most of the day. I had to go down to Southampton with the family to pick up a replacement car for the Jeep, and drive it back to Corby. It's a 3 hour journey each way. The Jeep was the vehicle that I've been driving the girls around in. It feels a bit like driving a bus. It's long and wide and high from the ground. That sort of vehicle feels OK to drive in the USA. I had a

The End of the Hard Slog.

2010-03-20T11:40:00.003-05:00

The task of looking after a pair of girls whist their parents were away has not been an easy one. Physically it was hard working 14 hour days with no break. As an introvert, I gain my energy from being solitary, so I felt I wanted to spend some time 'doing my own thing' after the girls went to bed and the kitchen sorted, so my evening didn't start until 10 pm. This meant I got to bed late each

Being a Governess

2010-03-14T19:29:00.002-05:00

I'm now officially a governess and have started a new blog to record the 'education' of my charges. Of course I cannot actually tell what they are learning (and I defy any teacher and OFSTED inspector to authentically know what any child has 'learnt') but I will give them rich experiences for them to do with as they wish. Both girls will be learning different things from the same experience.

A Great Shower

2010-03-06T16:07:00.002-06:00

I like to have a shower before bed, and the night I arrived here I had a great one. I use the family bathroom along with the girls. There is a bath and a separate shower cubicle. The cubicle is large enough for me to bend down to clean my feet, the ceiling is high enough so I can stand up straight, the shower head is not blocked with limescale, the water pressure ranges from strong to stronger,

A Day in the Life

2010-03-05T05:01:00.001-06:00

I was late to bed last night despite good intentions of having more sleep. Subsequently late up in the morning. Not enough time to do all my devotions, but never mind, I'll finish them after taking the girls to school. But oh no! Youngest girl is ill and not going to school, so Mum is going to take Oldest to school and Youngest gets up and dressed and has a tantrum because she can't find the

All This Stuff!

2010-03-02T16:53:00.003-06:00

I'm wondering what's in me that's causing me to live in another house where people have loads of 'stuff'. Hmm, maybe a sign that I have loads of 'stuff' to transmute? This house has 4 rooms upstairs, designed to be bedrooms. Three of them have beds, a chests of drawers and wardrobes. The girl's bedrooms have a double wardrobe in each and the parents have two double wardrobes. There is another

First Day, New Job

2010-03-01T18:10:00.003-06:00

After a long weekend of 'settling in'. I started my job as Housekeeper/Nanny-soon-to-be-Governess. The mother is giving us a week to get to know each other before she takes the youngest out of school. Just in case the child changes her mind. Over the weekend I moved into the youngest child's room. Her things were dumped into the spare (storage) room. She sleeps in her parents bed so they

Saturday Nights

2010-02-21T17:53:00.006-06:00

Every Saturday I came home from work, ate the warmed up meal that my family had eaten for lunch, and got ready for my Saturday night out. I went out every Saturday whether I had a boyfriend or not. Well, how was I going to get another one if I didn't go out? There was one time my father told me "You I can't go out wearing that." I couldn't see the problem so I'm glad I had a father who cared

Saturday Job

2010-02-20T20:49:00.007-06:00

I started my first job on my 15th Birthday because that was the minimum legal age to work. My birthday fell on a Saturday that year and I had lined myself up with a Saturday job working at Boots the Chemist. (It's a drug store for my American readers.)The shop was laid out differently than it is today with a cash till at the end of each island of shelves. I was given the soap and shampoo section.

Davey

2010-02-20T19:48:00.005-06:00

Davey was still my boyfriend when my 15th birthday came around. He gave me a lovely watch. It wasn't expensive but I liked it and I needed a watch at the time. However my mum told me to give it him back. She had this idea that if he gave me a present then he would expect 'favours'. I couldn't get her to understand that this wasn't the case, that he was giving me a present because it was my

The Sunday Club

2010-02-19T04:13:00.004-06:00

Reading about John Holt's observations on the school system has reminded me of my own schooldays. I had the opposite view of school to everyone I knew. I loved the lessons but disliked the playtimes (recess). I enjoyed learning and found many of the lessons interesting, except when I had to hear a child, who was a slow reader, read. I was chosen for this task because I was a fluent reader, but I

School

2010-02-18T12:50:00.007-06:00

This is a quote from John Holt;"Children (like all people) will live better, learn more, and grow more able to cope with the world if they are not constantly bribed, wheedled, bullied, threatened, humiliated, and hurt; if they are not set endlessly against each other in a race which all but a few must lose; if they are not constantly made to feel incompetent, stupid, untrustworthy, guilty,

Designer Handbags

2010-02-08T17:24:00.003-06:00

As I was finding my gate in Toronto airport, on my way from Raleigh, North Carolina USA to London, England, I walked through the posh duty free shop. I don't often venture into these places as they don't usually interest me. I wandered past the designer bags and was really pleased that I couldn't find one I liked! I'd recently bought a bag from Walmart for $12 which I much preferred to any of

It's Snowing!

2010-02-01T14:28:00.002-06:00

Friday Night It's snowing! In North Carolina. Of course for the last few days it's been the talk of the state. Some parts of the state were told to expect an ice storm and earlier today it looked like we would have one. Ice storms are not good news because it's highly probable that branches and trees break with the weight of the ice, causing power cuts (or outages) as they say here. I'm

Robin Redbreast

2010-01-13T17:11:00.004-06:00

(A note to my readers from Facebook - click on the words "See original post" to view the whole of this post and also to see the photos.)It isn't just the size of the bird that distinguishes the British Robin from the American one. The British bird is cute and small with a distinctive shape. It's depicted on many British Christmas cards along with snow, but we rarely actually get snow in Britain

Journey to Montana

2010-01-09T17:18:00.001-06:00

Miraculously I received the funding to visit my new granddaughter (and her parents of course) for Christmas. I was so excited. I got a flight on December 23rd. Three planes via Atlanta, and Salt Lake City. I had spent the last few days making meals for the freezer for George and Marjorie, so they would have easy nutritious meals whilst i was away. I also cooked the turkey and bought all the

Louder than Words

2009-12-24T00:39:00.002-06:00

As I'm visiting the library on a regular basis I decided to read some inspiring biographies. I've just read 'Louder than Words. A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism.' by Jenny McCarthy.She writes; this is not really a book on autism but a book about faith.The person that Jenny reveals in the book is very different from the person she portrays in her picture on the cover and the person that she

America's Health Care?

2009-12-18T16:00:00.001-06:00

America has a drug problem. I'm not thinking about the crack, cocaine stuff young people get and use on the streets, or the marijuana, the older generation smoke in their homes, but the drugs that are advertised all day and night at frequent intervals on the TV and in all publications.When I was in North Carolina 7 years ago, a work colleague gave me an old TV and the girls watched a few programs

A New Role

2009-12-14T18:09:00.000-06:00

So now I'm a Grandma! My eldest daughter had her baby girl, Cara Isabella, in the early evening of 10th December 2009.Cara was born at home attended by her father, and a very experienced midwife, a midwife who is not so experienced and, having moved states, is not yet registered in Montana, and an assistant who is in training to become a midwife. Helen says they were all busy and doing a fine job

WWII Veteran

2009-12-08T15:18:00.000-06:00

Monday 7th November was the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and George put 'Old Glory", the flag of the USA outside his house.He took me to the WholeFoods store, and at my suggestion, sat in the cafe with a coffee and snack whilst I filled the cart.He told me later that he had sat by the door and as people passed him, several of them stopped to tell him "I sure do appreciate what you

Introversion is Due to Biology!

2009-12-06T15:06:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I was reading a personality test report (from www.personality100.com) that I had downloaded onto my computer and I came across this passage that explains the difference between how an introvert and an extrovert reacts to situations."From the instant an introvert enters the door of any party, his or her brain instinctually becomes highly active. He or she notices who is standing where,

The Moravian Candle Tea

2009-12-06T15:04:00.000-06:00

The first Saturday in December is always the Raleigh Moravian Church Candle Tea.The Morvian Church has it's roots in Moravia which is now part of the Czech Republic. Their beliefs and practices are similar to the Methodists. In fact when they first went to America they shared a ship with the Methodists. They went because they were concerned about the American Indians in 1735.During the Candle

A Good Turn Each Day

2009-12-03T17:55:00.000-06:00

The room I'm staying is is filled with stuff accumulated over the years by the family I'm living with. I'm slowly clearing out the things and today I came across a box of small items. Most of it is junk - old keys, hotel soaps, a box of paper clips, markers, a tub of small change and some bag ties.I found one item, though, of great value. It's probably only worth only a few cents if that, but I

Raking the leaves

2009-11-28T17:33:00.010-06:00

(A note for those reading this as a Facebook note; if you click on the View Original Post link you'll get the pictures that go with this post. Actually my blog posts are usually way longer than what Facebook shows on the note so if you don't click the lick you'll be missing most of it anyway). So, with that out of the way......Thanksgiving day in Garner North Carolina didn't start out beautiful

Reflections on a Summer Morn

2009-11-25T14:34:00.001-06:00

One morning in August I had an experience that I wanted to blog, but as I was very busy that day and had no time to get on the internet I jotted it down on a piece of paper to post later.Now is the 'later'. I've just come across the paper:At 7:15 this morning I saw an amazing sight.The sun shone through the leaves of a tree and projected a moving picture onto the wall through the open

Jeff's Room/My Room

2009-11-22T15:22:00.004-06:00

The room I'm staying in is less like a cave now that I've managed to get to the windows and opened the curtains.I've also sorted all the towels, and face cloths, putting most of them in black bags in the basement so I have room to store other stuff, like my clothes.This household has about 150 facecloths, 100 small towels and more than 50 large towels. My hosts had a visit from their son's family

Martha Beck

2009-11-22T15:19:00.002-06:00

I downloaded a happiness lesson from Martha Beck's site. I was shocked to hear her children are grown now! Why is it that when I read a book I expect time to stand still for those written about? Adam, her son with Down's Syndrome, doesn't talk but communicates to her, she says, via dreams.She is a little off the wall. She said that a few years ago she had accomplished all her dreams and so she

The Joy Diet

2009-11-17T18:06:00.000-06:00

I picked up a book at the library that I thought might help me write my website. It's called "The Joy Diet" by Martha Beck.The author's name seemed a little familiar and then I realised she wrote a wonderful book called "Expecting Adam" about her pregnancy of her 2nd child who had Downs Syndrome.She is now a life coach, so having a feeling of already knowing her I decided to read the book.She

Being Interested in Others

2009-11-17T18:02:00.000-06:00

I read 3 chapters of Mansfield Park, but Marjorie said she had difficulty understanding who was who. I can identify with that. If I hadn't seen the film I would also have trouble. So I went to buy a DVD of it for her.The store Best Buy had none in stock but very cleverly encouraged me to order it online at the store from them to be sent to me by post. This way they don't mss out on a sale.After I

Interpreting What People Mean

2009-11-15T14:45:00.001-06:00

G&M have been telling me I'm doing too much and I've eventually realised what they mean by this.They mean "Your doing too much other stuff and need to spend more time with Marjorie". Ah, but I prefer cleaning. Hm, I guess this is what I need to learn in this situation. Marjorie is a lovely lady but I'm not particularly a people person when it comes to interaction.I watched the film Nanny McPhee

Libraries

2009-11-15T14:40:00.002-06:00

Entering many British libraries, the visitor is confronted by the following notices;"No Smoking""No dogs""No phones""Turn off phone""Please do not eat or drink in the library"".............. libraries (or council) accept no responsibility for loss or damage of personal property""No public toilets"This does not seem very welcoming in my opinion. However lovely the people who work there are, I

Electromagnetic and Geopathic Stress

2009-11-14T13:23:00.001-06:00

The last time I was in North Carolina, I would often do some cleaning and laundry for G&M.M's eyes are too poor now to do crochet or read so, she says, watching the television is all she can do and bemoans the fact that it's all 'Sodom and Gomorra'. When I arrived from the airport there were 3 TVs blaring different stations. One in the lounge, bathroom and bedroom. I remember this was normal and

Crochet Time

2009-11-14T13:21:00.001-06:00

I started crocheting a blanket about 3 or 4 years ago when. Helen had a particularly cold bedroom and she spent time in it whilst studying. I was staying with her and Claire for Christmas, on a visit from Kuwait. I then took it with me to my my mother's so I could feel productive whilst we chatted.Helen never got it because it's still not finished. It seems I don't do enough chatting. I knew i'd

Being Offline

2009-11-14T13:17:00.001-06:00

Being offline at home has it's advantages. I don't get distracted from stuff I need to do by Facebook or an email newsletter etc.To save time at the library when I go, I'm writing several emails offline onto a notepad on my MacBook, keeping them in a file of my desktop, and will paste them into emails.I'm also writing these blog posts as I go along.The plan is also to write some web pages but I

Back in North Carolina

2009-11-12T19:07:00.002-06:00

Monday 9th November 2009Arrived at George and Marjorie’s house in North Carolina USA, 19 hours after leaving Liz’s house in Reading, England. The plane was delayed taking off from Heathrow and there was a little boy on board who was ill with a high temperature the whole journey. This meant, of course that we were delayed in disembarking at Toronto due to him having to be checked for swine flu.

What Am I Doing Now?

2009-11-03T14:40:00.003-06:00

Well, here I am at my mother's, having given away my cat and sold or given away the vast majority of my possessions. Again.What's the title of this blog? The Wandering Teacher - the story of a woman who rarely stays in one place long enough to grow her hair!So here I am, on the move again. Yes, I really did (do) like White Gables, the biggest house I've ever lived in. It's also the most expensive

Sebastian

2009-10-16T10:09:00.003-05:00

Our cat Sebastian is feeling unsettled.His favourite resting places keep on disappearing.In one day we sold two sofas and we had already sold the comfy chair.Now he doesn't know where to rest. Poor thing.I rigged up the box because he didn't like the holes under the arms of the garden chair.We're waiting for a nice lady to arrange transport to take him to her home.

coming soon...

2009-09-14T09:29:00.002-05:00

After quite a gap, I feel a blog post coming on so when I have a minute or two, it will be here.Actually, there's two in my head - Sorry to shock you with all this activity.I'm also thinking of starting another blog, 'cos I don't teach much these days.Have a great day!

The Story of "That Something"

2009-03-30T04:25:00.001-05:00

Volume XXII : The Bigness of the Fellow Within Such an incredible story on finding the fire within!!!THEN RANDOLPH turned to me. “Man, write that story you’ve told us. Write it so that every man may read. Send that message out into the world. If men will read that story, read and re-read, until it is written on their memories, if men will believe the message you bring, and then if they will but

Free Speech on the Web?

2009-03-29T16:43:00.004-05:00

This is a very interesting article about the threat to free speech on the web.you can find the original here How China's '50 Cent Army' Could Wreck Web 2.0By Mike ElganTwo years ago, Chinese President Hu Jintao called on Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members to “assert supremacy over online public opinion, raise the level and study the art of online guidance and actively use

A Rant about School

2009-03-29T16:05:00.002-05:00

I am finding that school isn't much about education these days. Finding what level a child is every few weeks is nothing to do with educating them. It is analogous to keeping digging up a seed to see if it has grown.Schools seem to be run on fear these days. Fear that some Bogey man of an education expert will come along and find a school lacking, not because the children are happy and eager to

A Wisdom Story

2009-03-23T14:32:00.000-05:00

An African king had a close friend who had the habit of remarking "this is good" about every occurrence in life no matter what it was. One day the king and his friend were out hunting. The king's friend loaded a gun and handed it to the king, but alas he loaded it wrong and when the king fired it, his thumb was blown off."This is good!" exclaimed his friend.The horrified and bleeding king was

Spring Gardening

2009-03-15T20:13:00.003-05:00

Today was such a glorious day! Of course, I mean the weather. (I'm English.)My inner child loves to sit and eat lunch outside whenever she gets the chance. She didn't want to go in after lunch so I did a spot of gardening.My garden is large and overgrown and very neglected. The house came available after the old lady, who lived here last, passed away and it was obvious that both inside and out

The Humble Loofah (So green!)

2009-03-08T15:44:00.000-05:00

This week I was shopping at my local True Food co-op where I came across a pack of loofahs for washing dishes. This, so the blurb tells me is"Tough on Washing-UpGentle on theEnvironemntApparently, in the Philippines, people wash their dishes using a loofah instead of a plastic scourer. They are durable, effective and far better for the environment as they biodegrade when worn out.Here is

Pregnant?

2009-03-01T12:34:00.003-06:00

It is often the case that girls and women have abortions because they don't think there is any alternative. In fact a 2004 study found that 64% of women felt pressured into having an abortion. Their family and the father of the child often counsel having an abortion so that the 'problem' can be dealt with easily. Unfortunately, although the family and friends counseling the pregnant woman/girl,

Egg Shampoo

2009-02-28T06:13:00.004-06:00

I prefer to use natural products on my body because the skin is the largest organ we have, and it absorbs anything that's put on it. I'm OK with natural soaps which I can buy locally, but shampoo is a little trickier. I thought I had found a great one, made from Neways, a company that advertises that they only use safe ingredients. Then they confessed that they use parabens. So when my daughter

The Erosion of Freedom

2009-02-27T14:53:00.002-06:00

I do not care for the books that Philip Pullman has written but he has written an amazing article on the erosion of the British people's freedom in recent years.It was first published in the Times and could be found at the Times online. But it was later blocked by them. (You will see why when you read it. The power elite that owns the Times would not like this information to be circulated.)

Compulsory Education

2009-02-26T13:54:00.000-06:00

There is a campaign for Ending Compulsory Education. I found the information on the Action for Home Education site.On their home page they have a query about the government slogan "Every Child Matters"Every Child Matters?Each week: 450,000 children are bullied in schoolEach year: more than 360,000 children injured in schoolsEach year: at least 16 children commit suicide as a result of school

2009-02-26T11:14:00.004-06:00

Cold ears

2009-02-25T14:47:00.002-06:00

It is wonderful that the weather in England is getting a little milder. Yesterday I had no need to wear my gloves! It is still chilly on a bike though and people are still wearing woolly hats under their helmets. I was pondering on this whilst standing at the bus stop, watching a cyclist go by and thought. "I am surprised to have never seen a bicycle helmet with ear muffs or flaps. During the

Picnicing

2009-02-22T16:47:00.003-06:00

Claire, my youngest daughter and I were reminiscing. I really enjoyed being with both my daughters during the summer holidays. We didn't have any money or a car for much of the time when they were little, but we did do things together.We lived about 3 miles from the sea at that time, and one day we packed a picnic, all got on our bikes and cycled to the coast. Looking at the map I noticed that

My Picture

2009-02-21T02:18:00.001-06:00

This is my profile picture on Facebook. Lots of people have commented on it, that I thought I would tell it's story. It is called 'Patricia the Tutor' because one of the girls that I tutor took it using my phone. I help her with maths. One evening she said "I wish you were here all the time because I feel calm and understand things when you are here." She already practices EFT when she feels a

The First Step

2009-02-20T09:18:00.003-06:00

Today I took my first step.The first step towards becoming a foster carer. Sue from Foster Care Associates visited me for a chat. Well, it was more of an interview than a chat because she wrote down most of what I said. She told me that it would take about 6 months to go through the vetting procedure, which includes 3 days of training. I thought about becoming a foster carer during the summer

Busy Day

2009-02-16T19:01:00.002-06:00

I decided to change my dining room into a bedroom for me so I could rent out the room I was using. Since moving to this house this is the 4th room I've slept in. I started out in the largest bedroom, and it really is very big. Then, having decorated the smallest bedroom, I moved into that whilst I decorated the master bedroom. Well, I stayed in there because I rented out the large room. I then

Daniel

2009-02-15T09:24:00.008-06:00

There is a boy in the class I teach every Wednesday, who I will refer to as Daniel. He is a tall, thin boy with delicate features and blond hair. He stands and walks with a stoop and his head bowed as if he is not happy to be standing so tall. He is intelligent and curious and sensitive, and always has his head in a book. He is a great fan of Michael Morpurgo and has read many of his books

A Sensible Judge

2009-02-14T04:36:00.003-06:00

Are you the same as me? When I was young and naive I thought everyone was the same as me. For instance I was very surprised when I found out that not everyone reads any print that their eyes light upon. Some people see print and do not read it! I wonder if it has to do with curiosity (to read everything presented) or maybe self discipline (to prioritize your time efficiently)? I am one of those

What Does Autonomous Learning at Home Look Like?

2009-02-12T16:10:00.002-06:00

Well, to answer that question here is post by Bernadette, a mother of 4 children who learn at home. She is describing a day at her house. You can find this post hereYesterday, Isobel was sitting playing with our Connect Four set, making patterns with the counters. She told me "When you start a row with red and do alternate colours, you finish with red, that's how I know it's an odd number. There

Protecting her child

2009-02-11T16:06:00.003-06:00

I was riding the bus home when it started to rain. So I wrapped up and got my umbrella ready as we neared my stop. Off the bus, brolly up, the bus pulled away. I noticed a family walking on the opposite pavement. Two children lagging behind mum who pushed a buggy. I was surprised to see the mum with bare arms. It was not warm at all outside. I looked again and saw her thick tights and boots. Hmm

The Value of Lazy

2009-02-10T14:07:00.003-06:00

I was very interested to read this entry in a blog I follow called Life Without SchoolBecky wrote about a conversation she had with friends on how our culture views laziness. The sentence I like best from the piece is "Why isn't reading a book all day as valuable as attending a compulsory class?"You can see the whole post here but I have pasted most of it here for ease. "Webster's says that the

Walking in this weather

2009-02-09T16:46:00.004-06:00

I was booked today at a school 21 minutes walk away from my house. Well, that is what Google maps told me. I could have got the bus but it seemed a waste of money. When I worked at that school before I rode my bike but I have retired my bike for the winter as it is not comfortable riding it in biting wind and wet conditions and positively dangerous on icy surfaces. After the snow and ice of the

The Purl Bee needs you!

2009-02-08T14:17:00.004-06:00

I used to use the atom RSS feed. You know the one that is orange? I loved it 'cos I could put my feeds on my menu toolbar. It was full and I also had a file that had all the blogs I follow too. I had them in order of interest so the ones that I enjoyed most were at the top of the list. I had subscribed to a site called The Purl Bee, a fabric shop's blog. It was only of mild interest so was down

The Tooth Fairy

2009-02-07T14:50:00.004-06:00

Last Tuesday I was teaching a class of 6-7 year old children. Two girls had brought a letter they each had received from the tooth fairy. One girl had written a note to the tooth fairy explaining that she had swallowed her tooth and so had made one out of card to put under her pillow. She brought in a letter that the fairy had typed on a computer in tiny print, with a printed pink background. She

Global Warming

2009-02-06T16:20:00.003-06:00

I was standing at the bus stop in town the other day watching a young lady ride a bike in the road. The snow was falling. She wore a knee length wool coat, no hat and no helmet. But she was however, carrying an umbrella. Yes, that's right an umbrella .....and it was open. She had one hand on the handle bars and the other holding the umbrella, trying to prevent the snow from landing in her face.

Home decorating .... again

2009-02-05T12:27:00.002-06:00

Having spent most of the week avoiding decorating the bedroom that prospective tenants are viewing tomorrow evening and the weekend, I have eventually started on the project. I am now having a sit down break, whilst one coat dries, so decided to post this.Last night the weather people forcasted more snow so I was hoping for the day off today because of school closures. This morning at 7:20, the

Selfish adults 'damage childhood'

2009-02-02T15:29:00.005-06:00

This is a very interesting audio.The aggressive pursuit of personal success by adults is now the greatest threat to British children, a major independent report on childhood says. Home Affairs Editor Mark Easton at the BBC, reports on the call for a sea-change in social attitudes and policies to counter the damage done to children by society.Thirty thousand children and young people, parents,

A Snow Day!

2009-02-02T14:11:00.003-06:00

We rarely get snow days in the South East of England so today was special. We all knew it was coming and so at 1:00 am, before I went to bed, I looked out to see if the snow had arrived. It had! Well, I couldn't resist going out in it, being the first to make my mark on the pristine snow. Usually if it snows here it doesn't settle, melting as soon at it lands on the ground. So today was a real

Amy Walker

2009-02-01T11:56:00.002-06:00

Amy Walker is a very talented young lady. She is a superb actress - very believable, expressive and able to speak in many different accents. She also has a lovely singing voice. My favourite video of hers, showing her immense acting talent, is "Hamlet Flosses". In this next video she not only sings the song "Stand by Me" a capella, but accompanies herself using humming and clicks of the tongue at

Michael Morpurgo

2009-01-31T16:10:00.007-06:00

The existence of Michael Morpurgo quite passed me by until a few months ago. How did I miss that he got to be the Children's Laureate? How come he got to write over 100 books without my noticing him? I realise that I was actually out of the country when he was doing his laureate thing. So maybe I have a little excuse. And, I have been teaching children who may be a little too young to read his

L M Montgomery Reading Challenge

2009-01-30T15:58:00.009-06:00

I was interested to find this reading challenge because Anne of Green Gables is one of my favourite books. However I never really got into the books about her as an adult. But reading the review of 'Anne's House of Dreams' written by Sarah at "Another bend in the road" has persuaded me to try again with it. Read her review here.I read a few of the short stories from 'Chronicles of Avonlea' online

Almost free EFT Audios to tap along with

2009-01-30T13:26:00.003-06:00

I hesitated to post this video today.What another video?I know, they do seem to be coming thick and fast at the moment, don't they?But I wanted to post this because it has several great messages.Two of which are: 1) It's OK to download as many EFT audio sessions as you can for $1 from Brad Yates. (Good job 'cos i downloaded very many just recently. )2) Don't hide your light under a bushel.And

Aimee Mullins the athletic runner with no legs

2009-01-29T18:30:00.007-06:00

And here is the confident and inspiring TED talk video of Aimee Mullins talking about her achievement, running and winning on her artificial legs.I love the way she unselfconsciously changes her legs on stage. I'm so glad that the people in Bournemouth are now using the skills of those used to make the wax images at Madame Tussuad to make people's lives better.

Life without Limbs - no arms, no legs, no worries.

2009-01-28T16:36:00.002-06:00

Here is a video of a guy called Nick Vujicic, aged 25, who was born without arms or legs. He travels 40 weeks out of the year, all over the world, sharing his story and trying to give inspiration and hope to others.This guy is one happy bloke. I'm so glad his mother didn't abort him. Now here is a story to tell people who are being pressured to abort a less-than-perfectly-formed fetus. This guy