Funeral crowd renting services

 Am jolly glad tomorrow is Friday. It's been a pretty busy week with school and then evening outings. I did decide to go to the art festival at the Old Stables Market at the Race Course on Sunday. A few people asked me why I wasn't exhibiting. If I had known the Wild Geese person was the organiser I would have applied. Next time. There was a great selection of art and my favourite ice lolly company had an ice cart. It was pretty warm so a passionfruit ice lolly was just the ticket.

On Monday we had our first choir rehearsal. Well there had been earlier rehearsals during lock down but I didn't go. I had to quickly pick up the songs they had learned then. We are going to sing those and some we had rehearsed earlier in the year for a small concert at Chapman Golf Club in three weeks time. I had a braai after choir but trying to find the car in the dark on leaving choir, I tripped and fell over a rockery. Managed to gash the instep of my foot and cut my big toe. The irony was at the braai there were seven doctors present, but my non-medic friend William applied first aid. He thought this was very funny.

Went out to Hatfield on Tuesday after an eye appointment to see my best friend Nina. Was good to catch up and we went down to the paddock to see goshawks and their nest. Nina also has hoopoes nesting under the eaves by the kitchen. This afternoon I caught up with another close friend Heather on WhatsApp. Had to get my head around the time difference now they have day light savings.

The Convent Old Girls' Association has decided to put on a reunion lunch at Alo Alo at the end of November. We had a meeting this evening to plan and coordinate as a committee. As a joke one of the others said could I organise to rent a crowd for her funeral. Never been asked to do that, lol. We are going to have a Christmas theme this year. Sadly there will be no Sr Kate or Sr Loyola this year.

To go or not to go? That is the question

 Am very glad it's Friday and we are now two weeks into term. Seven more to go til I hopefully get a proper holiday at last and a complete break. I haven't really stopped since the school holidays ended in May. We are hoping to try go back up to the Vumba just after school closes with some friends. Can revisit the famous Tony's Coffee Shop and go for walks in the forest.

There's a big art festival happening at The Stables at Borrowdale Race Course on Sunday. I know some of the artists exhibiting. I would like to go but there is a part of me that is a bit concerned about how many people there will be in a relatively small area. Although COVID is still not a major concern in Zimbabwe, it is still out there. I could try go straight after mass. Will see. A friend said a doctor advised her not to. Perhaps I should heed that advice but there is the ever present case of FOMO.

Was chatting to my work colleague at lunchtime and she said she told her class they will learn all about human reproduction when they get to my class. Ho hum, I had previously been told not to teach it as some of our kids are still very immature. There are some aspects though like hygiene and menstruation that should perhaps be taught. With my private tutoring student I have just covered sexual reproduction and the poor boy didn't know where to look. When I asked what bodily changes occur when you're a teenager he stuck to the very safe ones and feigned ignorance at the rest which was quite amusing. He was thoroughly relieved when we got to the end of the unit. In some ways, so was I.

I may be house sitting for my headmistress over Christmas. Would entail looking after two great danes, chickens and I think rabbits. She will take her small dog Yukkie with her as he got into fights with the great danes. He has been coming into school with her and is now the school mascot. Yukkie the school dog.

Back to the classroom with Corona

 I am into my second week of being back to classroom teaching. Whilst it is good to see the kids and you can make them do the work more easily, I miss having a mute button and not having to deal with classroom politics. Also trying to keep their attention all morning and be on the ball from 7 am til 1 pm is an art I am having to pick up again. But overall so far it has been OK. Although half of my class were all absent both yesterday and today. Did they all go down with Corona?! I have to do temperature checks first thing and we all have to wear face shields. Two more classes start back tomorrow. We are going to have to stagger break time so they can keep distanced. There's no sport so am doing distanced Pilates with my class. My one student after Friday's session kept muttering, "I don't feel good" to the tune of James Brown's more affirmative version.

My Borrowdale Brooke au pairing job came to an end sadly. They wanted someone who could do mornings and afternoons which I can't. I went to watch the little girl horse riding last week though and they said they possibly might call on me to tutor in the holidays. As a thank you present I was given the most beautiful bunch of purple roses and other flowers from Wild and Fresh and I was also given my first ever Patrick Mavros jewellery. Unfortunately they are earrings but maybe it's time I pierced my ears. Will see.

Choir is set to resume on Monday. They had some practices earlier on in lock down but have been told they will be doing new songs on Monday and we are going to try do a concert to a small audience on the 22nd of November at Chapman Golf Club. I haven't sung in a while, this could be interesting.

I am still house sitting. Probably for a week and a bit more but just depends on my friend's treatment down South. Am loving having a pool to cool off in at the end of each day. I pop home to see my own doggies when I can. Luckily it's not far from here.