Things happen in threes

Just sorted the sewage leak at home out when our car suddenly developed a knocking sound. Took it along to a reputable repair garage and they kept it for several hours yesterday to try ascertain what the problem was. Well I was charged RTGS 250 for that and the quote for fixing everything that is wrong was for RTGS 16 000!! Um, even in US dollars that is steep. Have phoned around and got other quotes and my personal trainer's husband who is a good car mechanic, also had a look and we think we can get a bit below that but it is our own fault for not having the car serviced recently. But a big gulp.

I am busy trying to prepare for next week now. I am back to having fourteen students which is going to keep me very busy and increase my marking load. Last year when I had that many I had a teaching assistant. There will be someone coming back to help but I need to get all my ducks in a row. Not sure how I am going to fit in doing NILD at this point without burning out. We'll see how it all goes.

In between everything am helping arrange Mrs Sternslow's funeral on Saturday. Her daughter arrives today from South Africa and another friend and I are trying to help where we can. It is quite an undertaking. Never had to think about all these details before. The Convent Old Girls kindly donated towards it and a lady in Zambia who taught with Mrs Sternslow is helping with flowers.

The quiz went well last night at the Mustard Seed. My team surprised ourselves and won. There were questions from the new Cambridge subject thinking skills. My brain was quite tired so it hurt trying to to think through logic and maths but they were good and a bit of a challenge. I learnt a new penguin fact that the most northerly colony of penguins is on the Galapagos Islands.

I am a teeny bit manic. Am running with it for now as it is giving me energy to tackle school work and preparation but will see. If I have more trouble sleeping I will up my lithium. At least it leaves me on an upbeat mood for now. One always worries though about the potential low that could follow. I need to be able to get out of bed for school. Finally watched The Darkest Hour and I love the one scene that makes reference to the fact that Churchill suffered from depression. He had gone into a low and his wife rallies him, saying he needs to find that inner strength he had used previously to pull himself out of depression to tackle Dunkirk. Thought it was profound.

Not a bad Monday

Started the day with our staff meeting this morning and then arranging my classroom for the start of term next week. My students are in for a bit of a shock as I have made the seating pattern a horse shoe with me facing them. Have strategically placed the students I need to keep an extra eye on right next to me. We'll see how long Plan A lasts and if I have successfully mingled the talkative ones amongst the rest. If it fails I do have Plan B, but really hoping that won't be needed or at least not initially. This term we will be doing a play which should be fun and we will be celebrating World Rhino Day and I'm hoping someone from Imire might be able to come speak.

Came across a lady with a three year old baby goat in Borrowdale Village at lunchtime. It was one of the cutest things I have ever seen. At first I thought it was a puppy but it was goat. The lady said it was abandoned by the mother so they are hand rearing it and have called it Kitkat. I now want a goat!

Had choir this evening and we're starting to get ready for concerts. I have missed two weeks with NILD and then car trouble so had to catch up. I ruffled a few of the older altos feathers by changing the seating pattern at Arundel Chapel. Oh dear.

We finally have an inverter at home, which gives us lights and internet when there is a powercut (from 6 am to 10 pm most days). So it is a huge blessing and we are very grateful to my friend William and his dad for doing it. The next thing on the list tomorrow is to sort out a blocked sewer drain (rather urgent). Again is causing me to have water issues and have to think about flushing things down the drain - eeek.

If anyone knows of students with learning difficulties that would be interested in NILD educational therapy let me know. I need to clock in 80 hours of sessions before I can proceed to Level 2 and the sooner I can start the better before I forget it all. I can potentially ask some students at school but if anyone knows of others please send them my way.

Tomorrow I am in charge of organising the pub quiz at the Mustard Seed. I semi volunteered myself.

Kids holiday art and into last week of the holidays

Ran an art week with my friend Lucy this last week. It was fairly successful and we managed to use resources from the last one we did and make the paint stretch. Set foot for the first time in the Chinese Mall out by the National Sports Stadium. Beforehand I have refused to go there as it was built on a wetland but we were in search of cheap paper. They actually didn't have any as it turned out. Was a bizarre experience.

On Friday we set a treasure hunt for our students for them to find booty to put in their underwater treasure chests made out of egg boxes. They all got quite excited by this and Philippe, Lucy's little boy, said he would let the others join him on "his treasure hunt". Previously Philippe asked me where I lived and when I said Milton Park, he said oh that's where the volcano is. Really? I also accidentally made the mistake of telling him that Michael Jackson died before Philippe was born. Philippe then wanted to know why he had gone and done that and wasn't satisfied with my answers. Oh dear, sorry Lucy.

We have our school staff meeting on Monday at 9 am. There is quite a lot on the agenda. I need to finish getting ready for school and plan how I am going to seat my class - not an easy one as some have the potential to be naughty wherever I put them and with whomever they are sitting next to.

Saw my psychiatrist yesterday and he is overall pleased. My blood tests showed a fairly high creatine level which indicates dehydration and isn't good for my kidney function so I need to drink lots of water. He is happy with my lithium level but said if I get manic with spring I must up my dose. I am not having trouble sleeping though. Saw my therapist with my mum on Tuesday and we discussed again my mum's clutter. Need to try reduce it and find ways of getting stuff for recycling cleared so it doesn't accumulate. Not good for me mentally. I am not house sitting again for a while so will be at home. We finally have an inverter though which is exciting so we don't have to be in the dark and I can use internet. A big bonus for school as otherwise it's by candle/solar light.

Batteries and life with no ZESA

Last week was quite a week. I was doing the intensive residency week for NILD and house sitting where the generator packed up and as a result we also had no water. Was resorting to using the swimming pool and shipping bottles of water across town. You would be surprised at how much you rely of water for so many seemingly insignificant things, but as a whole it is a bit of a disaster. I think I can happily survive temporarily without power but water is another story. Tonight the power is on earlier and I had a shower for the first time in I don't like to say how long. This is what normal life is like.

The NILD course was good and I met some lovely participants. I passed and am now a level one therapist. I need to try find students with learning difficulties to sign up with me. Might be able to possibly get some from school. Had heart failure on Friday when I was trying to get to my final demo of the five core techniques and the car I am using while house sitting wouldn't start. Luckily the gardner checked the battery and it had become dislodged and then started. Managed to get to Twin Rivers School in time and my demo went well.

Had sad news this morning that Mrs Sternslow, my high school English teacher, who I have been visiting at Flame Lily Lodge passed away early this morning. I think for her it is a release as she was struggling but I will miss going to see her and I am sad she died relatively young and life cruelly made her last few months ones of suffering.

Tomorrow I start a week of teaching art to four year olds and upwards with my friend Lucy. Need to try finish preparing for school this week. We go back to the third term on the 10th of September and have our staff meeting next Monday.

La vie suit son cours

Today and tomorrow are public holidays and lots of people are away. I finish house sitting today up in Monavale. Enjoyed the msasas that are beginning to turn and the elderly pets. The only snag has been the house is full of memories of Matt and it has got to me at times. It also is full of memories of my childhood friend Robbie, who sadly died in her sleep when she was home from varsity when she was 20. So it is a house full of thoughts.

I had a braai on Saturday and a few people came which was nice. It was a girl power one as we lit the fire and turned the meat. Had to try gauge when the fire was ready. The two boys watched on. In the evening I went to watch White Crow at Theatre Upstairs at Reps. There unfortunately weren't subtitles. I really think there should have been and a lot of the film was lost on me as there was a lot of Russian spoken. It was an interesting experience trying to fathom what was happening with absolutely no subtitles to help you and only snippets of English. It wasn't quite as dramatic as the trailer made out.

Went to Reps for a quiz yesterday and everyone found out it is my birthday and they sang happy birthday to me at the end - eeeek. Heard from a Convent person that Mrs Sternslow is not doing well, so my mum and I went to see her in the afternoon. She is looking more frail and when we first got there she drifted in and out of sleep. But she roused and we got a few smiles and a bit of a twinkle.

I need to do assignments for the first day of NILD next week. I think next week is going to be quite intense with sessions from 8 to 5 and then homework. I was supposed to be house sitting for the parents of Paula Hawkin but they are still undecided as to whether their son is here or not. So it looks like I will be house sitting instead for a friend in Chisipite. There are rumours of a mass stay away this coming Friday and a march in town. We will see what happens.

La perte

This house holds memories and swells feelings of loss,
loss of my own and of others, interchangeable, lost.
You are with me in these walls, or were once.
A time when you were mine, or so I thought.
Another life was also lost here
more years passed and gone.
You were also my childhood friend.
Memories flood in and linger
and I taste the salt of tears.

Sortie de l'école

Well school is now officially out and I am on holiday - yeeha! It has been a LONG term. All fourteen weeks of it. Managed to generally not get sick except for blocked sinuses. My students yesterday sincerely said they were sad there wouldn't be school. Um, afraid I am very ready for a break and didn't quite have the same sentiments. We did grade one assessments this morning for next year and now I am done and dusted. Even had time to clear my desk and see the surface of it for the first time in months. I just have my Chinese six year old this afternoon. He might come to the school in the periods when he has school holidays in China. He came with his parents to see the school yesterday. He has grand plans of making a ginger bread house with me these holidays. We just have to work out when we can bake as I am not keen to do it at 10 pm at night, when the electricity comes back on.

I will have the National Institute for Learning Development (NILD) intensive residency week mid holidays. Thinking of doing an art week for kids with a friend. Have also been asked to exhibit at The Corridor art gallery so I need to do some art. Sarah Fynn is away but the others are meeting up so may join them. I will also have choir to keep me busy. We are singing some old ones but a few fun ones like a Les Miserables medley and The Merry Widow.

Still struggling with my ex a bit. He is off with others this long weekend and it hurts that I am no longer included even though I know why. Still feels like I lost not only a boyfriend but a best friend too and there is a hole.