A new post is in order.

After nearly a year a new post seems like a good idea. Tomorrow.

Heart attack scare at 50!

Why is it my body lasted 50 years and then then I have a really scary moment when I think I am having a heart attack. Nearly two weeks ago I am sitting at my desk preparing for my next lesson when it feels as though I am having a heart attack. All of the signs and symptoms are there; tightness of the chest, rapid heart rate, left arm tingling and cold, clammy hands. I will always be grateful to a friend who took over and phoned for the ambulance. Thankfully the symptoms did not get any worse because the ambulance took 30 minutes to arrive. From a 999 call that is unacceptable. The operator rang me back twice just to check I was still alive because the crew where held up on another call.
An over night stay at Sunderland Royal with some very nice food followed. It really was very nice and the tea trolley seemed to come round the ward every twenty minutes. I managed to take some very good photos with all the leads attached! The good news is that it wasn't a heart attack; something is wrong with the heart but they are not sure what. I am now on the list to have an angiogram. Hopefully this will happen before Christmas but we all know what the NHS is like. Fingers crossed.
What is worth mentioning about this whole experience is the attitude of people when they hear what happened. Their first reaction is to tell you that this is a warning and I should start to change my lifestyle. Why should the assumption be that it is the fault of the patient. I have obviously been eating to much fat and having lots of cream with my cake! My only vice before the incident was coffee. Caffeine has now gone and it is de-caff all the way. I thought the change would be very difficult but I am managing very well. I am certainly feeling better for it.
I am just starting my second week off work and the break has really helped. I have had plenty off rest and forced myself to watch day time T.V! I had forgotten how good The Streets of San Francisco was!!

I hadn't realised that it had been so long since my last post. very lazy of me.

It is nearly Summer.

With the holidays approaching very quickly, you sometimes need to step back from things and reflect on what has been happening.
The Boss was away at the weekend which meant that the girls had a sleep over in the living room. Every time we have them, the scale of things increases. This one involved party poppers and balloons!! We also have fish and chips and pizza. The fish and chips were not as bad as they seem because we had tuna steaks and home made oven chips. Things were fine until I tried to get up from the couch on Sunday morning. The mind was willing but the body was not. I am getting to old for this.
The weight loss is still ongoing. I am now into my last stone. When I think back to last October and how shocked I was when I stepped on the scales (16.5stone) I haven't done to bad. I am not usually a person to push particular products or companies but Weight Watchers has worked for me. The weekly meeting is also a time for some laughs. It is strange but whenever one the men shed some weight the ladies always say that it is easier for men!
Next month will see us having to say good by to some good friends. A lovely family from America, joined our church last year. Their visit with us is coming to an end and it is always a sad time. It would be great if you could put all your memories into one large container and dip into it when you needed to reflect. If only we could all be like Harry Potter! We are also saying good by to our Minister. They are not leaving the country; just moving to another part of the county. I like stability in my life and I am not one to be moving around. It might have a lot to do with the fact that I am hopeless at keeping in touch with people. I think about contacting people a lot but I never seem to do anything about it.
With only four days to go until the next holiday the tension is mounting. It doesn't matter how much time we have to prepare things, we always seem to be packing the caravan the night before. It all adds to the fun!

On Saturday I am paying a visit to my mother. I phoned up last night to see if they had a slot in the diary. My dad said that they were free between 14:00 and 16:00, after that they were booked. I will see what I can do on Saturday. It must be nice to be retired and have such a full and active life. If and when it happens to me then I will report back.
I have included a link to Luxembourg; we will be staying there during the Summer. For those who have never been to Luxembourg then I suggest you pay a visit. A beautiful country with very friendly people.

Always counting down to something.

As a teacher the build up to Christmas is a strange time of year. When everyone else is starting to think about Christmas and get things ready, the Boss and I keep looking at all the marking and planning still to do. Like the ironing, it never seems to go down. Every day we find ourselves counting down to something; we are always wishing the time away.  Tomorrow we will have three weeks left until the holiday. When we finish work it will always go to fast and we will be wishing for a little bit longer. I wonder if any other profession does the same?
Since I started this blog I have tried really hard to find life beyond the classroom. I have to say that it is a very hard thing to find and a lot of effort needs to be put in. Enough rambling. Music time.

Back to the A Team.

Home at last.

Home. Tea on and relax.

Happy Days.

Last week seemed to last forever. I had spent the previous weekend preparing for an observation. this meant that I didn't sleep much as I brought all of my student files home to mark. The normal thing to do when you are going to be observed. The person observing came into my first lesson of the week. During the lesson things did happen and students had to be dealt with. I was very thankful that the support staff were very good otherwise I would have struggled to keep going.  Everyday teachers are being asked to deliver lessons to students who do not want to be there. It is inevitable that their frustration will boil over and problems will arise. Once their frustration was released then they finished the work and were fine for the rest of the lesson. The students involved even apologized to me. The grade for the lesson has not been sent out yet. I will keep you posted!!
Tomorrow is a good day. Tomorrow is shoe box Sunday. For those who do not know what this is, you cover a shoe box with wrapping paper and fill it with small items. It is then sent to a country where the children may not receive any thing and given out at Christmas. Whatever your beliefs there is something special about knowing your box of goodies will bring so much joy to a child. Ours are ready at the door so I do not forget them in the morning.

Straight after lunch I am driving to Moffat to pick the boss up. She has been away with friends. the journey will be child free as some friends have very kindly offered to look after the girls until I return. A lovely gesture.
Keep smiling folks the holiday is nearly here.

What a week. I cannot remember a week as emotionally draining as that. A friend at work asked me what my ideal job would be. I told her that I was doing it. The whole week from Monday on was a struggle. In the end patience paid off and I like to think that my students will go home with a little more k owledve than when they came in.
For the last five weeks I have been on a diet. I joined weight watchers and go for my weekly session. The other thing I like about is that I can eT chocokate, crisps and fudge during the class and not feel vuilty. It has gone  very well. I have list a total of 20 pounds. I feel a lot better for it. The most worrying thing is that I didn't think I was carrying that much excess around with me. Long .ay the weight loss continue.
Tomorrow is a new day but the swimming lessons remain. My eldest is in Stave 7, which means an earlier start.

With the boss away scrapbooking I will be going to look for a new handle for the caravan cupboard. I do lead an exciting life.