After yesterday's ridiculously early start and busy morning we were both ready for Very Early Night last night. Indeed we slept through the thunder and lightning and heavy rain - a friend told me this morning that it had kept her awake! If she hadn't mentioned it I wouldn't have known, as there was no sign of it when we got up at 6.
I met up in the park with a group of friends - teaching colleagues - that I haven't seen for years. It was lovely to hear th
eir news and what they were doing now, ranging from 'retired and loving it', to 'working part-time in a gift shop an loving it'; a few were working in teaching related areas, but no one was still class teaching. The modern classroom is a whole new world these days.
Lunch; I'd poached some salmon fillets yesterday morning. Those, arranged on the plates with a decorative line of mayonnaise, accompanied by a near instant salad of a packet of Tilda's precooked rice with sweetcorn and peas and french dressing stirred in, couldn't have been easier. No-cook either, unless you count tipping frozen veg into a bowl and zapping them for a few minutes as cooking.
After lunch we sat in the last patch of shade near the house, a little table which should hopefully become the kitchen sink, and currently has my herb pots.
This is looking across to what will become the living area...
Yesterday's meeting with the builder and architect was very useful and reassuring; the traffic lights are amber (wait), moving to green (GO!) over the next week... all being well, with a fair wind...
I'm not meeting up with too many retirees that want to get back to work full time. Like me, open to a bit of temp or project work, maybe even subbing, but not more than fits their choice. Your meal sounds good even with me not liking salmon.
ReplyDeleteFull time teaching is hard work... the non teaching admin and marking these days, especially in primary schools, seems to take the same amount of time and hard graft as the classroom work.
DeleteYou could use any cooked meat or cheese etc; the sachets of precooked rice seem to be in every flavour too.
How nice to meet with some old work friends. Teaching is hard work. Jane was a teacher and she always started the year with such enthusiasm but at the end of the year she was glad for a rest! It's not just classroom hours, but all the extras teachers put in as well as the money spent!
ReplyDeleteIt's a job that costs in time and energy as much as it gives in the joyful moments... if the classes are too hard or the school is unhappy then it just costs...
DeleteYour Basil's looking healthy, How exciting to be almost there with the extension.
ReplyDeleteI'm told the secret with basil is to water from the base, not the top, and I think to keep it out of the rain.
DeleteI'll have to see how that goes.
I'll also be trying to not be toooo excited over the extension until the diggers actually arrive!
It will be wonderful when it starts, and even better when completed
ReplyDeleteYes, that's exactly how I am feeling about the next 6 months (hoping it won't take quite so long!)
DeleteThat must have been such fun meeting up with old friends you haven't seen for ages. Your lunch in the shade sounds lovely ( although I don't like meat I do like salmon).
ReplyDeleteIt was; we were all saying 'why haven't we done this more often?'
DeleteHow lovely to meet with old friends, it s always nice to chat about old times with happy memories to share.
ReplyDelete😃
DeleteIt is so exciting to contemplate your extension. Just think, this time next year!
ReplyDeleteMeeting old friends and colleagues is fun and refreshing.
I'm hoping the extension is more likely to be ready for Autumn!
DeleteI was pleased we all still felt so connected after several years apart.
The extension sounds like a fun project! I look forward to seeing the progress.
ReplyDeleteGetting together with former colleagues is a good way to see how different we all are. I went back to teaching for a couple of semesters, then did just occasional subbing, and now I do none. It took me awhile to ease into retirement.
I was already beginning to reduce my teaching hours, and then, BANG! The 2020 lockdown... eventually we all restarted some 1-2-1 instrumental lessons using zoom. I still have three zoom adult piano students.
DeleteThe extension... ah yes... dreaming still, until the digger arrives!