Skool's Out

Hooray! My daughter A has finally finished GCSEs and it's time to celebrate. We'll worry about results later - but let's hope all's well. Certainly her art was fantastic and she deserves a high mark. But then I'm biased.
So now she's looking for summer work and there's not much about. Since when was it so hard to find waitressing??
I remember my first job after exams. I worked in a large branch of High Street Boots and I can remember being handed the nylon uniform and thinking "ugh."
Still, there's nothing like your first wages and I remember buying myself a £40 coat in Topshop. That's after some weeks working mind you! Didn't enjoy the eight hour days standing on my feet but hey, I was 17.
The me of today is a bit grumpier and a lot less able to suffer fools gladly. "Don't like that Sir? May I suggest you try elsewhere?"
If we knew then..

Humility

I am always moved when it is Maundy Thursday (tomorrow) and the night of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to show that no man was more important than any other.
I have been looking at Leonardo's masterpiece of the same name.

Aoestre

So Easter is almost here, and I am loving the sight of spring lambs and daffodils.
It's a time to get excited about the thought of summer, and I can even smell the first bbq of the year going on next door.
In true British fashion, though, it's set to rain over the weekend.
My daughter turned 16 the other week and, in a mad moment, I agreed to a teenage party. Friends warned me of the horror stories concerning alcohol, and how some angry Dads had taken to removing carrier bags from youngsters before letting them into the house.
Anyhow, there was no excessive drinking, (we made sure of that) and a surprisingly well behaved bunch of kids had a great time doing nothing more wild than having a game of football in the dark!
Happy Easter one and all.

my baby wants to be a doctor

When you're the parent of a teen, life seems to rush by you. One moment you're looking at sequin dresses, the next you're decidng on futures. My daughter is taking GCSEs and wants to become a psychiatrist. That involves going to medical school first. Not easy. But a fine thing to aim for.

my painting of you-know-who

In oil painting class, we did black and white paintings of celebrities. I think this footballer looks enough like the real person that I don't have to name him!

hogmanay fireworks

We made the long drive north to Auld Reekie for Hogmanay. There is something about Scotland, and Edinburgh in particular, that draws us back.
Now my daughter would like to go to uni there, if anyone's been to uni in Scotland it would be great to hear how you got on.
Anyway, the midnight fireworks on New year's Eve were simply spectacular.

Credit Crunch bites

There's a kind of undertone of panic in the air. Businesses are going bust, Woolies has suddenly gone, taking with it those warm childhood memories of Pic and Mix and our first single. (Mr Blue Sky)
When banks are in trouble things get scary. Mum's pension doesn't cover her overheads. Not eligible for council tax relief. Time to start Making do and Mending...and fast.