The weather picked up after the storm, heating up to what felt like ridiculous levels this week. I've been enjoying it on the days I'm at home, struggling through on the days when I'm in the library, a 1950's building lacking any kind of insulation, single glazed windows around three walls. H O T. The home strategy has been to sleep for at least two hours at some point after lunch. It's left me feeling terribly lazy, but physically ok.
The library continues to be fun. I was sitting with some of the students (my old clan, who are still loyal to me and bring me sweets) at lunch time earlier in the week and explaining some of the things I wanted to do with the library. A gave an exasperated sigh and said "Miss, do you realise how much work you're making for yourself?" I couldn't help but laugh. It's true, of course, but what's the point of doing a job if it's not a job you want to do?
Today I finished reading The Host, the new Stephanie Meyer novel, which I borrowed from the library before it had a chance to be catalogued (oh yes, the power of the books is mine. I can read them all first if I want to, mwahahaha!). It's, well, ok. I enjoyed the read, nicely escapist, but almost too similar to Twilight for me to properly like it. Conflicted loves, a child to be loved above all else, a group of people living seperately from the rest of society, plenty of angst. It's SF, but fans of SF will probably cringe from its lack of originality in that area. Those who aren't SF fans will deny that it is and enjoy the strong characters. ("But that's what all good SF is!" I can hear myself telling students already.) One to borrow, not to buy I think, but the book didn't leave me hopeful for future Meyer novels I must admit.
Today was clean out the fish day. This shouldn't be something to report but it took a really long time and the darn tank still looks a mess! I think it's because it's a plastic one. I'll save up for a glass one I think, Abraham and Sullivan are growing quickly and it wouldn't do them any harm to haev some more space!
Friday, July 03, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Hand me the Books!
I have a confession to make. I gave up on a book. It's only the third time I can remember doing so, but I'm feeling particularly guilty about this one because it was named as one of a friend's favourites not long a go. I'm really sorry, P of the North, but I have given up on A Word Child, by Iris Murdoch. Though I admired the writing, there was a sense of distance about the way the way the story was told and the way that the characters communicated that I just couldn't get into at all. The worst thing is that I'm sure this distance is entirely intentional and I just don't like it. I almost felt as though I were being patronised by the book as I read it. "Look, Stormfilled, at all of the emotional range here that I'm just keeping you from!" If I were a lesser reader (or perhaps a less educated one?) I might have been left feeling that I wasn't accomplished enough to appreciate the novel, but it just irritated me. I wanted to shake it in a desperate attempt to bring it to life. But after over 250 pages, several weeks and the constant sight of the books on my TBR shelf looking at me with wide and neglected eyes, I had to decide that enough was enough. I put it down. I left the bookmark in it, just in case I decide to go back to it (which is why isn't not quite in the post back to you yet P!) but so far I haven't even been tempted to pick it up.
I have, however, felt marvellously liberated and have read three books that I enjoyed immensely! The first was A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena di Blasi, a memoir of a middle aged woman who moves to Venice (well, the Lido) when she falls in love with a Venetian and moves out there to live with and marry him. I loved the way their relationship was drawn and her descriptions of finding her feet in a new place. It made me more determined than ever that should I ever be wealthy, I'll spend it all renting an apartment in Venice.
The Girl At The Lion D'Or by Sebastian Faulks was sold to me as a beautiful romance and paid off with a sense of tragedy and loss that only a romance can present. I've only read Faulks in connection with WWI literature and as an A level text, which skews an appreciation of writing I think. I'm now a genuine convert instead of a distanced appreciator and have already managed to find a copy of Engleby in the charity shop which is now perched on the TBR shelf awaiting me.
And last night I finished The Ghost In Love by Jonathan Carroll, which I'd been waiting to read for ages. As always, the writing was amazing and hrew me straight away into the JC world that I love, but that I fear would put readers off if they hadn't experienced it before. Stewart Parrish was terrifying (even more so when we found out what he was), German was beautiful and wonderfully real, but I found myself struggling with Ben, who seemed much more a vehicle for the storytelling than a true Carroll character. When I compare him to Walker or Hugh (ah, Hugh, no character has made me cry so loudly, suddenly or publicly) he just didn't seem as real to me. I still don't know quite why German loved him. Perhaps I needed to see more of them before the accident? Or perhaps my introduction to him was seen too much through German's present eyes, in the midsts of anger and resentment at what didn't work? Pilot made me laugh and cry though. I'd recommend that fans read it, but wouldn't hand it over as a Carroll introduction novel.
And now I'm reading Local Girls by Alice Hoffman. I can't quite remember where I got this book from, but when I opened the front cover I discovered that it's a Book Crossing book! It's the first time one's ever come to me! So I'll read it and send it back out again. One of my plans for the school library is to increase the numbers of books in general, non-library circulation around the school, and I'm wondering about setting it up as a mini-Book Crossing community so that students can track where books have gone. I fear though that this would degenerate into students writing abusive messages about all and nothing on the website. But it might be something to try for the future!
Last night the muggy close weather we've been having finally broke with a magnificent storm that crashed and raged for a couple of hours, rain battering the garden and creating that wonderful water on dust smell. I sat outside until the real rain started, then retreated to the kitchen table where I sat with the top part of the stable door open to the sound and smells of the storm. Cat 2 freaked out and hid, then emerged hyperactive and apparently well charged with negative ions as she bounced around the house, delighted at the new atmosphere. This morning the big change was evident again; the milk curdled as I poured it into my coffee. I'm hoping this is not a town-wide phenomena as I do like my coffee without the lumps... I'll hop off on the bike later and investigate.
I have, however, felt marvellously liberated and have read three books that I enjoyed immensely! The first was A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena di Blasi, a memoir of a middle aged woman who moves to Venice (well, the Lido) when she falls in love with a Venetian and moves out there to live with and marry him. I loved the way their relationship was drawn and her descriptions of finding her feet in a new place. It made me more determined than ever that should I ever be wealthy, I'll spend it all renting an apartment in Venice.
The Girl At The Lion D'Or by Sebastian Faulks was sold to me as a beautiful romance and paid off with a sense of tragedy and loss that only a romance can present. I've only read Faulks in connection with WWI literature and as an A level text, which skews an appreciation of writing I think. I'm now a genuine convert instead of a distanced appreciator and have already managed to find a copy of Engleby in the charity shop which is now perched on the TBR shelf awaiting me.
And last night I finished The Ghost In Love by Jonathan Carroll, which I'd been waiting to read for ages. As always, the writing was amazing and hrew me straight away into the JC world that I love, but that I fear would put readers off if they hadn't experienced it before. Stewart Parrish was terrifying (even more so when we found out what he was), German was beautiful and wonderfully real, but I found myself struggling with Ben, who seemed much more a vehicle for the storytelling than a true Carroll character. When I compare him to Walker or Hugh (ah, Hugh, no character has made me cry so loudly, suddenly or publicly) he just didn't seem as real to me. I still don't know quite why German loved him. Perhaps I needed to see more of them before the accident? Or perhaps my introduction to him was seen too much through German's present eyes, in the midsts of anger and resentment at what didn't work? Pilot made me laugh and cry though. I'd recommend that fans read it, but wouldn't hand it over as a Carroll introduction novel.
And now I'm reading Local Girls by Alice Hoffman. I can't quite remember where I got this book from, but when I opened the front cover I discovered that it's a Book Crossing book! It's the first time one's ever come to me! So I'll read it and send it back out again. One of my plans for the school library is to increase the numbers of books in general, non-library circulation around the school, and I'm wondering about setting it up as a mini-Book Crossing community so that students can track where books have gone. I fear though that this would degenerate into students writing abusive messages about all and nothing on the website. But it might be something to try for the future!
Last night the muggy close weather we've been having finally broke with a magnificent storm that crashed and raged for a couple of hours, rain battering the garden and creating that wonderful water on dust smell. I sat outside until the real rain started, then retreated to the kitchen table where I sat with the top part of the stable door open to the sound and smells of the storm. Cat 2 freaked out and hid, then emerged hyperactive and apparently well charged with negative ions as she bounced around the house, delighted at the new atmosphere. This morning the big change was evident again; the milk curdled as I poured it into my coffee. I'm hoping this is not a town-wide phenomena as I do like my coffee without the lumps... I'll hop off on the bike later and investigate.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Gosh
Oops, sorry lovely blog *kisses* I didn't mean to abandon you for so long! The world has woken up.
I arrived late on the first day of my new job, the first time I've ever been late for work. Feeling awful, I walked the walk of shame through the exam crowds to the block, to be greeted with a huge hug from the deputy head who declared it was lovely to have me back, and a headteacher who just laughed at me when I apologised for missing the morning meeting. And it's gone on from there really...
At the risk of counting chickens, speaking to soon and crossing bridges before I come to them, I think I may have found the most awesome job in the world. It's all about books and finding things that people want, and helping out, and organising things. The two library assistants are complete stars and two of the most lovely people in the world. It seems that actually, they do all the stuff I was worried about. And the stuff I want to do; get bookgroups up and running, liase with departments, stretch the budget, get good books in, get kids enthusiastic about books, create a lovely working environment; is the stuff I'm supposed to be doing. I'm still convinced that there must be a stumbling block somewhere, a downside that's doing to get up and bite me in the ass. It looks as though it's well hidden though. I know I'm going to make mistakes, I'll forget to pay at least one subscription, or order the wrong books or something. But you know what? Shhhh... don't tell anyone, but I think that would be ok. *gulp* In all honesty, I'm not sure anyone would notice. My line manager is lovely and seems content to sit back and let me do what I want, the finance department seem happy to answer all my stupid questions, the guy in charge of my budget seems supportive, they want to train me (though haven't actually sorted out paying for it yet), the rest of the staff seem glad that I'm back. Some of them have said absolutely lovely things! Bumping into people around the school has been great. There's a strong air of 'It'll be better now, Stormfilled understands what we're doing'.
And I have to confess, one of the things that's really struck me over the last couple of weeks is that the majority of school librarians have very little idea of just how much teachers do and how much pressure they are under. I can easily see how this has happened - the library within a school (well, this school at least) is like a different world. Staff walk in and comment on how calm and cool it is. All the windows open. This may seem like a silly thing to mention, but classrooms in the same block have suffered awfully from vandalism and some only have one or two opening windows, meaning that on a hot day the rooms quickly become unbearable. I got lucky with my old classroom, it was at the other end of the corridor and the windows, on the whole, were very reliable and I had two walls of them. The frantic feeling of a school in full swing just doesn't extend to the library. There are hints of it at the busy break and lunch times, but it is still different from the chaos of a changeover time corridor. When librarians stop for tea, they stop. There's no insane rush to get the next round of photocopying done, or chase up the incident that one of your students was involved with in period 2. I have found myself doing things like stopping for a chat. Not a chat about school stuff, no! In the space of a few weeks I have had time to find out all about my co-worker's families; I know their children's names. I've caught up on gossip, heard about holidays, the sort of stuff that takes months to catch up on when arriving in a department office. And so already, the library feels like home. I love it. And instead of feeling terribly daunted, I am getting more and more excited about the possibilities. I look around the little office and get all gleeful.
Of course, there is a downside.
I'm knackered. At the moment I'm juggling three jobs: tutoring, libray and books. Plus, I'm trying to maintain my newly found life. I'm sleeping a lot, though little on school nights and am currently eating everything. I'm up to four meals a day and I'm still hungry all the time, it's getting ridiculous. At the moment, I think I could challenge DPR to an eating contest and win. He'd still beat me if it was something I didn't like, I'm still a bit picky, but in terms of quantity, I'd win.
I can already feel the urge to do extra creeping in. I must turn it back with a stern 'NO!' and carry on. It would be very easy to let this job take over, but it won't happen. For starters it really doens't pay enough to let that happen, and secondly, I think the students and staff will quite like a slightly scatter-brained librarian running around the school with arm fulls of books. I'm going to be a very different librarian to the one who is leaving. (Who has, incidentally, been absolutely lovely to me and has been really supportive and encouraging. I'm not sure what changed, but I've seen a whole different side to her the last few weeks and can honestly say that I'll miss her when she goes.)
There's book news too - I sent in a quote for a Giant Order a little while a go and I'll hopefully hear back soon if I'm to wave remaining free days of the summer holiday goodbye. It's for a shop in Canterbury, and they'd want Quite A Few. And I have the Wrest Park fair booked for the end of the summer too, so the holidays will be a frenzy of paper and leather!
The odd thing is that I feel like I've come back to life again. It's not just to do with work and jobs, it's a sort of emmergence from a place I didn't realise I was in. Odd but wonderful.
To the garden! My tomatoes are growing and require my assistance.
I arrived late on the first day of my new job, the first time I've ever been late for work. Feeling awful, I walked the walk of shame through the exam crowds to the block, to be greeted with a huge hug from the deputy head who declared it was lovely to have me back, and a headteacher who just laughed at me when I apologised for missing the morning meeting. And it's gone on from there really...
At the risk of counting chickens, speaking to soon and crossing bridges before I come to them, I think I may have found the most awesome job in the world. It's all about books and finding things that people want, and helping out, and organising things. The two library assistants are complete stars and two of the most lovely people in the world. It seems that actually, they do all the stuff I was worried about. And the stuff I want to do; get bookgroups up and running, liase with departments, stretch the budget, get good books in, get kids enthusiastic about books, create a lovely working environment; is the stuff I'm supposed to be doing. I'm still convinced that there must be a stumbling block somewhere, a downside that's doing to get up and bite me in the ass. It looks as though it's well hidden though. I know I'm going to make mistakes, I'll forget to pay at least one subscription, or order the wrong books or something. But you know what? Shhhh... don't tell anyone, but I think that would be ok. *gulp* In all honesty, I'm not sure anyone would notice. My line manager is lovely and seems content to sit back and let me do what I want, the finance department seem happy to answer all my stupid questions, the guy in charge of my budget seems supportive, they want to train me (though haven't actually sorted out paying for it yet), the rest of the staff seem glad that I'm back. Some of them have said absolutely lovely things! Bumping into people around the school has been great. There's a strong air of 'It'll be better now, Stormfilled understands what we're doing'.
And I have to confess, one of the things that's really struck me over the last couple of weeks is that the majority of school librarians have very little idea of just how much teachers do and how much pressure they are under. I can easily see how this has happened - the library within a school (well, this school at least) is like a different world. Staff walk in and comment on how calm and cool it is. All the windows open. This may seem like a silly thing to mention, but classrooms in the same block have suffered awfully from vandalism and some only have one or two opening windows, meaning that on a hot day the rooms quickly become unbearable. I got lucky with my old classroom, it was at the other end of the corridor and the windows, on the whole, were very reliable and I had two walls of them. The frantic feeling of a school in full swing just doesn't extend to the library. There are hints of it at the busy break and lunch times, but it is still different from the chaos of a changeover time corridor. When librarians stop for tea, they stop. There's no insane rush to get the next round of photocopying done, or chase up the incident that one of your students was involved with in period 2. I have found myself doing things like stopping for a chat. Not a chat about school stuff, no! In the space of a few weeks I have had time to find out all about my co-worker's families; I know their children's names. I've caught up on gossip, heard about holidays, the sort of stuff that takes months to catch up on when arriving in a department office. And so already, the library feels like home. I love it. And instead of feeling terribly daunted, I am getting more and more excited about the possibilities. I look around the little office and get all gleeful.
Of course, there is a downside.
I'm knackered. At the moment I'm juggling three jobs: tutoring, libray and books. Plus, I'm trying to maintain my newly found life. I'm sleeping a lot, though little on school nights and am currently eating everything. I'm up to four meals a day and I'm still hungry all the time, it's getting ridiculous. At the moment, I think I could challenge DPR to an eating contest and win. He'd still beat me if it was something I didn't like, I'm still a bit picky, but in terms of quantity, I'd win.
I can already feel the urge to do extra creeping in. I must turn it back with a stern 'NO!' and carry on. It would be very easy to let this job take over, but it won't happen. For starters it really doens't pay enough to let that happen, and secondly, I think the students and staff will quite like a slightly scatter-brained librarian running around the school with arm fulls of books. I'm going to be a very different librarian to the one who is leaving. (Who has, incidentally, been absolutely lovely to me and has been really supportive and encouraging. I'm not sure what changed, but I've seen a whole different side to her the last few weeks and can honestly say that I'll miss her when she goes.)
There's book news too - I sent in a quote for a Giant Order a little while a go and I'll hopefully hear back soon if I'm to wave remaining free days of the summer holiday goodbye. It's for a shop in Canterbury, and they'd want Quite A Few. And I have the Wrest Park fair booked for the end of the summer too, so the holidays will be a frenzy of paper and leather!
The odd thing is that I feel like I've come back to life again. It's not just to do with work and jobs, it's a sort of emmergence from a place I didn't realise I was in. Odd but wonderful.
To the garden! My tomatoes are growing and require my assistance.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Here We Go Again
When I left teaching, there was a part of brain that always whispered that I'd have to go back. Having worked so relentlessly for that time, been so exhausted and drained but buoyed up on the day to day energy of being around brilliant kids and the hardest working bunch of people I'd ever met, I expected to have to do it again. Like the freed prisoner who always suspects that at some point the door bell will ring and they'll be taken back. I'd also got used to WORK WORK WORK ...and... relax. Holidays. Then WORK WORK WORK! So it feels slightly as though I've had a year's holiday, in which my life has changed completely, I've started and successfully run a business, travelled, changed my priorities and learned a disturbing amount about myself.
I am absolutely delighted about the new job, but that little part of my brain is laughing and saying 'I told you so'. And these whispers are acting as flowing water on a wheel of anxiety that is trying desperately to turn and make me feel as though I'll be going back to the same thing, whereas of course it will be different. Very different. Like those days when lessons would be cancelled for assemblies or sports' days, and the day would be spent supervising and helping out, with no lessons to plan and no stacks of marking to take in. I must not let the wheel turn! It must remain still and the voice must be hushed. As I typed in the labels for this post, all but one of the labels including the word 'school' were negative. This must change.
In a way it is back to square one again. Once again I've been given a job I'm not technically qualified for, and will be combining training with working and playing catch up for a while, but also hopefully bringing freshly peeled eyes to a system that's been running the same way for a very long time. It's quite a boost really, realising that the same group of people have given me another job on the basis of my saying that I can do it.
This could mean one of three things. 1) They're not really bright, 2) I am fantastic at bullshitting, or 3) I am, in fact, a genius and really can do anything.
The results of these could be the following: 1) all will be well, they won't notice when I fuck up, 2) I can just keep bullshitting and all will be well; if this indeed is the truth, I am truly gifted at BS, and so all shall be well, or 3) I will take over the world, paint it nice colours in environmentally friendly paint and all will be shiny and well.
So either way, it will all be fine!
(I could be wrong, or just overly optomistic. I'll let you know in September.)
I'm only in part time until the new academic year, so hopefully I'll be a little more settled when it comes to it. Will need to bully them into paying me for a couple of weeks over the summer so that I can prepare introductory stuff for the new Year 7s, rearrange the fiction and generally begin to stamp my mark.
The odd things is that this feels as though it'll be something I'll love as much, or more than teaching. I can concentrate on books, my hours spent trawling through your wonderful reviews (Carl, Nymeth, Chris in particular!) will count as 'work' and I'll have a reason to buy the books on those 'OMG I want it' lists. Because they won't be for me, see? Many selfless acts of book purchasing can be expected! Will I stop buying books for myself if I can steal, I mean, borrow them from the library? Possibly. Hmm, that's why librarians don't leave their jobs, they can't leave their books behind.
The main new focus in the library world, particularly the school library world, is the application of Web 2.0. What makes me giggle though is how instantly you can tell if the librarians using it really get it. When I see Web 2.0, I see 'Web two point oh'. So far I have heard it called 'Web two' and 'Web two point zero', both of which make me cringe and giggle at the same time. Must... not... giggle.... Have already set up a library Ning and started collecting research links on Delicious, so what are the chances that both these sites will be blocked on the intranet? Test tehm tomorrow Stormfilled, test them tomorrow.
This feels like a new chapter (oh yeah) and one that is based entirely around my own choices. Moving back to my home town, staying here, leaving teaching, all of these key things were joint decisions or needs, involving other people. This one is mine. It feels as though I've rediscovered myself over the last couple of months, I feel more like myself than I have since leaving the boat behind. My house is sorted, there won't be huge building work to contend with, floors to varnish, walls to paint (anyone mentioning that bit above the stairs that I can reach can just shush) or things to bodge together. I'm not dragging a dead weight along behind me. I'm lighter. Must not get lost in the job. Embrace it fully, but don't get lost in it. And yea, the work resolution was born!
I am absolutely delighted about the new job, but that little part of my brain is laughing and saying 'I told you so'. And these whispers are acting as flowing water on a wheel of anxiety that is trying desperately to turn and make me feel as though I'll be going back to the same thing, whereas of course it will be different. Very different. Like those days when lessons would be cancelled for assemblies or sports' days, and the day would be spent supervising and helping out, with no lessons to plan and no stacks of marking to take in. I must not let the wheel turn! It must remain still and the voice must be hushed. As I typed in the labels for this post, all but one of the labels including the word 'school' were negative. This must change.
In a way it is back to square one again. Once again I've been given a job I'm not technically qualified for, and will be combining training with working and playing catch up for a while, but also hopefully bringing freshly peeled eyes to a system that's been running the same way for a very long time. It's quite a boost really, realising that the same group of people have given me another job on the basis of my saying that I can do it.
This could mean one of three things. 1) They're not really bright, 2) I am fantastic at bullshitting, or 3) I am, in fact, a genius and really can do anything.
The results of these could be the following: 1) all will be well, they won't notice when I fuck up, 2) I can just keep bullshitting and all will be well; if this indeed is the truth, I am truly gifted at BS, and so all shall be well, or 3) I will take over the world, paint it nice colours in environmentally friendly paint and all will be shiny and well.
So either way, it will all be fine!
(I could be wrong, or just overly optomistic. I'll let you know in September.)
I'm only in part time until the new academic year, so hopefully I'll be a little more settled when it comes to it. Will need to bully them into paying me for a couple of weeks over the summer so that I can prepare introductory stuff for the new Year 7s, rearrange the fiction and generally begin to stamp my mark.
The odd things is that this feels as though it'll be something I'll love as much, or more than teaching. I can concentrate on books, my hours spent trawling through your wonderful reviews (Carl, Nymeth, Chris in particular!) will count as 'work' and I'll have a reason to buy the books on those 'OMG I want it' lists. Because they won't be for me, see? Many selfless acts of book purchasing can be expected! Will I stop buying books for myself if I can steal, I mean, borrow them from the library? Possibly. Hmm, that's why librarians don't leave their jobs, they can't leave their books behind.
The main new focus in the library world, particularly the school library world, is the application of Web 2.0. What makes me giggle though is how instantly you can tell if the librarians using it really get it. When I see Web 2.0, I see 'Web two point oh'. So far I have heard it called 'Web two' and 'Web two point zero', both of which make me cringe and giggle at the same time. Must... not... giggle.... Have already set up a library Ning and started collecting research links on Delicious, so what are the chances that both these sites will be blocked on the intranet? Test tehm tomorrow Stormfilled, test them tomorrow.
This feels like a new chapter (oh yeah) and one that is based entirely around my own choices. Moving back to my home town, staying here, leaving teaching, all of these key things were joint decisions or needs, involving other people. This one is mine. It feels as though I've rediscovered myself over the last couple of months, I feel more like myself than I have since leaving the boat behind. My house is sorted, there won't be huge building work to contend with, floors to varnish, walls to paint (anyone mentioning that bit above the stairs that I can reach can just shush) or things to bodge together. I'm not dragging a dead weight along behind me. I'm lighter. Must not get lost in the job. Embrace it fully, but don't get lost in it. And yea, the work resolution was born!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Good Grief, Where Have I Been?
I'm finally taking a little break from the busy. The cold made me. Have discovered that it can't make me sleep ten hours a night if I volunteer to sleep nine. Ha, take that, germs. Living Crafts was very strange. Much less friendly than the other fairs I've done. Those directly around me were lovely, but there were stall holders in the same marquee who refused to even make eye-contact, let alone say hello, as though I hadn't been doing it long enough to grant me access to their club. I tried stamping my feet and yelling "But good sirs and madams, I am a Child Of This Show!" but they didn't listen. There were some people there who had clearly just been doing it too long; the joy of making their items had been sucked out of them years before, replaced with hollowfibre stuffing and the odd shard of glass. Luckily I had Sister J with me on one of the days, so I was able to set off around the showground on a quest to find nice people. I found many, including the lovely bee people who I see every year, some friendly blacksmiths (Sister J hopes to join their ranks but had a terrible attack of shy, so I sent her over with offers of JB's left over junk as a sweetener) and some brilliant craftsmen making lovely things that I would love one day to own. I think I need a larger house. I've fallen in love with a gorgeous black chair that will, one day, when I am slightly more wealthy and have space and a need for it, sit in the corner of my bedroom. When I can buy it, that is.
Since then I have been doing some concerted Recovering. I hadn't realised quite how knackered I was getting or how many hours I was doing until I woke up on Monday and realised that I didn't have to do any work until tutoring time. It came as quite a shock. The results of this are as follows:
I finally fenced off the veg patch! I've been digging in lots of poo and trying to get the area close to the hedge a little wetter as the hedge sucks up all the moisture. It may look a little messy, but considering that I did it all myself with vicious wire and a stapler that required both hands to squeeze (why don't they make one for small hands? Why?) I think I did a pretty good job.
The courgettes are out of the lounge and in the ground, which was a very exciting moment. I have also planted red onions, lettice and some other salady crops in plastic boxes that were left behind by someone. I'm very excited about the salad crops as having to buy it in bags is very wasteful and expensive if there's only one of you. I need to find a place for the tomatos to go, they're just hardening off at the moment. I think I'll grow two inside (bathroom probably) and two ouside, just to see how they compare.
My present to myself for getting my new job arrived today too:
I love it I love it I love it! I might need to make another hole in the strap though, my wrists are a little tiny, but oooh, I love it.
With Living Crafts done and dusted, I'm looking towards the future now, a place paved with books and lined with the eager faces of the young. Erm, maybe not. But you know what I mean. I start part time after half term, which is going to be hugely useful in terms of learning the systems etc, but also has the potential to be awkward. The outgoing librarian has made it very clear that she disapproves of my appointment
(Librarian - So, how do you feel about getting the job?
Me - A little surprised actually! I wasn't really expecting to get it, what with being up against qualified librarians and all.
Librarian - Yes. *sniff*)
so I will have to once again tread carefully. And bite my tongue. A lot. I will have to keep my new ideas under my hat for now, it's important for my moral sense of everything that she leave on a high point, not feeling as though someone is going to step in and undo the work she's been doing for the last few years. Sadly, this is what quite a lot of it comes down to. Loosening up the library (I plan to let staff in with their cups of tea, or even, if they're on duty their lunch... I mentioned this in passing as a sugestion for getting staff help at lunch time and the look of horror on her face was enough to persuade me Never To Mention It Again.) and reshelving the fiction is the starting point. Making it a cool place to go will mean sacrificing some of the formality of the place. I have my work cut out for me I fear. But give me a year and a new set of library helpers (who I will bribe with books, early lunch passes and biscuits) and I think I can do it.
I've also been pondering the possibilities of cars. The sad truth of the matter is that my poor old Escort will probably not make it through many more years. I need to consider whether to sell him on and choose a new one, or wait for the axe to fall then buy in a panic. This decision worries me. At the moment I'm covering my bases and making sure that should the worst happen, I at least know what I'd like to have. The Escort, he of the magical healing powers, was bought with a different future in mind to the one I'm now facing. I think it's time for a silly car. I've never had a silly car, and now (or next) seems like a good time.
I'm torn though, between the very silly (pretty, very fast, likely to bankrupt me on everything)
The fairly silly (pretty, fast enough to get me in trouble and almost affordable)
Or the mostly sensible (fast, reliable, know they're good because P the Poet's had two)
See, I really like the Puma, but I'm not sure it properly comes into my 'silly car' criteria. I may have to judge on insurance brackets or something. I reckon that for one year I could have something that cost me money. You know, more money than a knackered old Escort that runs on fairy dust, blind faith and rock 'n roll. Answers on the back of a postcard please. No rush though: it might be a good idea if I started, you know, earning first. Ahem.
Since then I have been doing some concerted Recovering. I hadn't realised quite how knackered I was getting or how many hours I was doing until I woke up on Monday and realised that I didn't have to do any work until tutoring time. It came as quite a shock. The results of this are as follows:
I finally fenced off the veg patch! I've been digging in lots of poo and trying to get the area close to the hedge a little wetter as the hedge sucks up all the moisture. It may look a little messy, but considering that I did it all myself with vicious wire and a stapler that required both hands to squeeze (why don't they make one for small hands? Why?) I think I did a pretty good job.
The courgettes are out of the lounge and in the ground, which was a very exciting moment. I have also planted red onions, lettice and some other salady crops in plastic boxes that were left behind by someone. I'm very excited about the salad crops as having to buy it in bags is very wasteful and expensive if there's only one of you. I need to find a place for the tomatos to go, they're just hardening off at the moment. I think I'll grow two inside (bathroom probably) and two ouside, just to see how they compare.My present to myself for getting my new job arrived today too:
I love it I love it I love it! I might need to make another hole in the strap though, my wrists are a little tiny, but oooh, I love it.With Living Crafts done and dusted, I'm looking towards the future now, a place paved with books and lined with the eager faces of the young. Erm, maybe not. But you know what I mean. I start part time after half term, which is going to be hugely useful in terms of learning the systems etc, but also has the potential to be awkward. The outgoing librarian has made it very clear that she disapproves of my appointment
(Librarian - So, how do you feel about getting the job?
Me - A little surprised actually! I wasn't really expecting to get it, what with being up against qualified librarians and all.
Librarian - Yes. *sniff*)
so I will have to once again tread carefully. And bite my tongue. A lot. I will have to keep my new ideas under my hat for now, it's important for my moral sense of everything that she leave on a high point, not feeling as though someone is going to step in and undo the work she's been doing for the last few years. Sadly, this is what quite a lot of it comes down to. Loosening up the library (I plan to let staff in with their cups of tea, or even, if they're on duty their lunch... I mentioned this in passing as a sugestion for getting staff help at lunch time and the look of horror on her face was enough to persuade me Never To Mention It Again.) and reshelving the fiction is the starting point. Making it a cool place to go will mean sacrificing some of the formality of the place. I have my work cut out for me I fear. But give me a year and a new set of library helpers (who I will bribe with books, early lunch passes and biscuits) and I think I can do it.
I've also been pondering the possibilities of cars. The sad truth of the matter is that my poor old Escort will probably not make it through many more years. I need to consider whether to sell him on and choose a new one, or wait for the axe to fall then buy in a panic. This decision worries me. At the moment I'm covering my bases and making sure that should the worst happen, I at least know what I'd like to have. The Escort, he of the magical healing powers, was bought with a different future in mind to the one I'm now facing. I think it's time for a silly car. I've never had a silly car, and now (or next) seems like a good time.
I'm torn though, between the very silly (pretty, very fast, likely to bankrupt me on everything)
The fairly silly (pretty, fast enough to get me in trouble and almost affordable)
Monday, May 04, 2009
Just Briefly...
I'm supposed to be in the workshop, I have many books to make and am absolutely shattered - the cold has re-reared i's silly head and is exhausting me on top of silly working hours.
So... Coraline. Loved it. An almost entirely separate entity to the book, but beautiful and fantastically creepy. Small children in the cinema gradually moved from their own seats to their parents' laps as the film progressed, staring in horrified silence at the screen throughout, looking smaller than they really were because of the over-sized 3D specs stuck to their faces.
Fantastic soundtrack.
I have a weakness for puppets and stop motion anyway and was completely enchanted by the details. I know most of you have seen this before, but still - ace.
I had very odd dreams after seeing this film, and Mum freaked out and had to phone me up when later in the evening a woman on the news wore a jacket decorated with large buttons.
I think I need to learn how to make rag dolls. My gran used to make them, but then gave it up when pre-printed patterns appeared. Time for a reprisal!
So... Coraline. Loved it. An almost entirely separate entity to the book, but beautiful and fantastically creepy. Small children in the cinema gradually moved from their own seats to their parents' laps as the film progressed, staring in horrified silence at the screen throughout, looking smaller than they really were because of the over-sized 3D specs stuck to their faces.
Fantastic soundtrack.
I have a weakness for puppets and stop motion anyway and was completely enchanted by the details. I know most of you have seen this before, but still - ace.
I had very odd dreams after seeing this film, and Mum freaked out and had to phone me up when later in the evening a woman on the news wore a jacket decorated with large buttons.
I think I need to learn how to make rag dolls. My gran used to make them, but then gave it up when pre-printed patterns appeared. Time for a reprisal!
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Books Books Books
I'm having to shush the little library thoughts in my head for now as I plough on in my vain attempt to make enough books for Living Crafts. There are new books over on the book blog, and my stock shelves are starting to look healthy again. Phew. Sadly, the thing called housework has been utterly forgotten, I've run out of food and am living on takeaways. Au revoir health!
I think I need to send Neil Gaiman another book - I think it's partly down to him that I got the library job. One of the interview questions was about favourite authors (always the sign of a good interview I feel) and as I gabbled on about Coraline, the new film and the joys of The Graveyard Book, the lady from the School Libraries Association nodded enthusiastically and added her agreement. Woo! Speaking of... Coraline in 3D tomorrow evening! Oh. Yes. I'm taking my Real Mother to protect me from the Other Mother.
I think I need to send Neil Gaiman another book - I think it's partly down to him that I got the library job. One of the interview questions was about favourite authors (always the sign of a good interview I feel) and as I gabbled on about Coraline, the new film and the joys of The Graveyard Book, the lady from the School Libraries Association nodded enthusiastically and added her agreement. Woo! Speaking of... Coraline in 3D tomorrow evening! Oh. Yes. I'm taking my Real Mother to protect me from the Other Mother.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Poet Laureate
Carol Ann Duffy has just been named as the new Poet Laureate. Good choice. I wonder if the short-sighted idiots will put Education for Leisure back on the GCSE syllabus now?
And....
I got the job! I was up against two chartered librarians, one of whom was already working in a school, but they gave the job to me! Some of the morning was a little awkward: being given a group tour of a school that I knew better than my tour guides, being stopped by staff and pupils every two steps who wanted to say hello, yells of "Miss Stormfilled! Are you coming back?" across the playground. Feeling rather proud of myself today; apparently my passion for it really came across (I gabbled insanely for an hour of a half hour interview and gesticulated wildly, whacking my hand really hard on the edge of the table. I don't think they noticed, but I have a bruise right at the base of my nail) and they were impressed by the range of ideas that I had and the way I'd focused on the library from more than an English perspective. I think what really gave me the edge though was that I was wearing pants (UK not US pants) that matched my shirt. I didn't mention this of course, that's a sure fire way to be politely asked to leave, but I knew. Oh yes, I knew.
Let the revolution begin! Well, start quietly behind the scenes before moving out into the open and taking over in September. Library coup FTW!
And....
I got the job! I was up against two chartered librarians, one of whom was already working in a school, but they gave the job to me! Some of the morning was a little awkward: being given a group tour of a school that I knew better than my tour guides, being stopped by staff and pupils every two steps who wanted to say hello, yells of "Miss Stormfilled! Are you coming back?" across the playground. Feeling rather proud of myself today; apparently my passion for it really came across (I gabbled insanely for an hour of a half hour interview and gesticulated wildly, whacking my hand really hard on the edge of the table. I don't think they noticed, but I have a bruise right at the base of my nail) and they were impressed by the range of ideas that I had and the way I'd focused on the library from more than an English perspective. I think what really gave me the edge though was that I was wearing pants (UK not US pants) that matched my shirt. I didn't mention this of course, that's a sure fire way to be politely asked to leave, but I knew. Oh yes, I knew.
Let the revolution begin! Well, start quietly behind the scenes before moving out into the open and taking over in September. Library coup FTW!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
