30/04/2008 by Aileen.

I haven’t done half what I intended this week. But had a really good day’s birding. We heard the bittern several times. In the afternoon I went on to Waters’ Edge in Lincolnshire, and had a good time until the rain started. I didn’t see anything very different, but the goslings were sweet.

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28/04/2008 by Aileen.

I have a lovely (ordinary) week ahead.Well that ’s if everything goes to plan. Who knows what’s ahead?

Anyway, it’s back to studying my OU Foundation course. I’ve built in time every day.

Monday - Housework, study, prepare tomorrow’s scripture, print pictures for photo club, photclub

Tuesday - Mass, church cleaning, study, gardening (?) Scripture session

Wednesay - Birding at Far Ings - will probably stay the day as it’s quite far, study, Slimming World, ‘blind’ man coming re new blinds.

Thursday is free so lots of gardening/studying, and prepare Creative Writing homework (the beginning of a play in the style of Harold Pinter!)

Friday - Creative Writing, Mass, study, prepare Children’s Liturgy.

John’s quite busy with counselling/supervision this week, and I’ve just remembered - he wants me to go to the doctors with him on Friday morning as the wheelchair spaces are usually taken, so I might be late or not go to Creative Writing. Bit annoyed, but he always accompanies me anywhere if I ask.

I forgot about Sat/Sun so here goes…

Saturday Visit to Leeds Art Gallery with my tutor group. Might psych myselfup to do some shopping as well

Sunday Mass with me doing Kids’ Liturgy. Eat, drink and be merry (And the same when I get home!)

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25/04/2008 by Aileen.

Two childish things this week - well the only two I’m going to report.

At Slimming World on Wednesday I was half a pound away from losing a stone (since Christmas). ‘Go and have a wee,’ said the weigher-inner. ‘I just have!’, I wailed. ‘Go and have another one - and take off your watch.’ Result - I lost the stone. So everyone clapped and I got a shiny silver sticker - just like the kids do at school.

Then, today at Creative writing I hadn’t done my ‘homework’ which was to write a terza rima poem á la Shelley’s Ode the the West Wind. So when Stella was talking about learning agreements I wrote the following - while trying to look interested in what she was saying.

I think I am a writer
‘Cos I’ve got writers’ block.
It really is a blighter.

Oh please don’t think to mock
This very sad condition.
I just stare at the clock.

If you’re in my position
You’ll know it’s very sad.
But there’s a strong tradition

Of poets - mostly mad -
Who find their Muses missing,
So I am really glad.

I don’t deserve a hissing.
I do deserve a kissing.

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24/04/2008 by Aileen.

It’s gone - for the fourth time. (You can resubmit it more or less as often as you like) The web pages validate, and all the links work, but it’s the simplest site ever. I think it ‘ll pass, but it’s worth only 30% of the marks.

The report on the other hand ………………… I may have to look at again as it’s only half the suggested word count. I just don’t know what else to put in! It’s couched inelegant language (I mean in elegant of course) but what is couched is fish (think carp!) I’m leaving it for the morning, and maybe will get inspiration by this afternoon.

Hey ho! At least I can put together a web site, which was my intention. Writing an imaginary report is not my idea of fun. And totally useless for me.

But if I pass it’s worth 10 points towards a degree. I have 120 from a reading diploma I did in the 80s. I’m hopefully getting 60 from the Foundation course I’m doing, and I’m about to enrol for the Creative Writing course, which I believe is another 60. So I need another 110 or 120 depending on the outcome of the website course. (Assuming I pass the Foundation course and the Cr. Writing!)

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23/04/2008 by Aileen.

The peace was shattered yesterday afternoon. I was working on my OU report with the french windows open as Spring thought about coming, when I heard a commotion in the garden. There were seven male mallards all trying to mount poor little Sooty, the white duck. I shooed them all off, though I don’t usually interfere with nature. Sooty was really stressed. She kept quacking and ruffling her feathers (I know what that means now) and she has a bare patch on top of her head where they were holding her down. Later on a single male returned and mated with her. She wasn’t very happy, but I decided not to interfere again. (And the ducklings would be so cute) Another female is nesting down the bottom of the garden. I haven’t seen how many eggs she has yet.

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21/04/2008 by Aileen.

It’s so peaceful. I usually spend Monday mornings rushing round the house doing housework, but I’ve stopped to do a bit more of my Website report. The door’s open into the garden and I can hear a thrush, wrens and dunnocks singing. A few minutes ago I saw a few goldfinches - not enogh for a charm I believe - and rushed for my camera. By the time I got it they had gone. I’m listening out for the kingfisher, which Ihaven’t heard this year.

It was very distracting during my meditation. I felt like I was in a woodland glade, and it would have been easy to say, ‘Just relax and listen to the bird song instead.’ But meditation, contrtary to popular belief, is hard work. It takes discipline.

I was quite stressed last week and cried twice. Once was too silly for words. Then on Friday there was a news item about a man who died in the street, and no one had helped him. My dad had a heart attack and died in Victoria Street, London, in 1984. I was crying for him. We found out that he had been coming back from sisiting his brother in Norfolk, and had got off the bus a little before Victoria Coach Station. Maybe he wanted money from the bank, or to pop into the cathedral, or knew he wasn’t feeling well. A shop keeper said a passerby asked if he was alright, and he said he would be in a minute. He had a little cut on his head where he had fallen.

Kevin came round to tell me, but I was out with friends at Wimbledon Theatre watching Children of a Lesser God. When I came in John told me our dad had died and I said, ‘You’re joking!’ which was not the sort of response John had expected! I was just so shocked.

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19/04/2008 by Aileen.

Off to Leeds Met this morning for a tutorial on the 60s (which is history now!) This block is going to be really interesting - and nostalgic for me - but I only have one week left of my website design course, and I have to produce a 3000 word report on my design for an imaginary firm. I’ve designed a web site, which all links up nicely, but the design is all over the place. I’m still prepared to fail, but at least I’ve learnt loads. Failure might be a salutary experience for me, as the only other thing I have failed is my driving test the first time round. (And of course, dozens and dozens of maths exams at school. I wasn’t even allowed to take the normal Maths O Level, and had to do somerthing called Business Maths - compound interest and stuff to get us through life I suppose. At Teacher’s Training College I had to do another exam to prove that I could actually do a but of maths. I must have passed as I got in)

That reminds me - my friend Teresa rang last night. I was at school and college with her. Her husband died a year ago on Thursday. I can’t believe a year has gone by since I last saw her. We are going to meet up once my studying is finished. Teresa went on to become a headteacher, and was/is also an OFSTED inspector. Teresa! How could you! I think she got a distinction at college. We were in the year before B.Eds came in and those with distinctions were eligible for the degreee. I think. I’ve always been a bit vague about details. Hence my problem with the website course. Every little colon or bracket actually means something!

Oops! I failed my first deputy head interview (got the second) and failed an interview at the Tooting Bec Religous Centre (or some such name) for becoming the schools adviser. I also totally failed at being a deputy. I hated being stuck between a really nice head and some nice staff who really dug their heels in whenever the (new) head tried to bring about some change. I left after four or five terms.

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17/04/2008 by Aileen.

4 year old Kieran (describing his drawing): That’s a dog and there’s his egg with a puppy inside.

Grandad: Kieran, dogs don’t lay eggs.

Kieran: This dog does.

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16/04/2008 by Aileen.

We’ve had a hectic few days. Well, some people mightn’t think so, but we’re not used to it. We went to Honeysuckle Farm by Hornsea Mere on Monday, Eureka (a great hands-on exhibition in Halifax) on Tuesday, and just slummed it today as I had birding this morning and John had a client this afternoon.

They’re off tomorrow. We’re meeting Ali and her friend Lorraine at the same pub as on Sunday. Then home to recover. My last assignment for the web design course is due in soon, and I have to get a move on with it. Have no hope of sorting out how to position everything in a week, as I have to write a 3000 word report. This carries most weight, and I have to get 40% to pass. We’ll see.

I suppose I should have been doing it tonight once the kids were in bed (at 10.30!) but decided to upload some photos instead.

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14/04/2008 by Aileen.

We picked up Liam and Kieran (I’m dropping my ‘keep them anonymous’ paranoia) at Penrith. We had a lovely meal with quick friendly service at Stonybeck Inn. Probably cheaper than a service station too.

Liam had a few tears at bedtime as he missed his mum and dad, but Kieran was his usual hyper self. It’s marvellous how much gin the two of them can knock back. You have them really well trained Ali. They’re being our slaves today, and if they do everything to my high standards they will have bread and water for lunch.

Ali says she doesn’t read my blog but her friends do. They think it’s hilarious. Hilarious? This is a serious commentary on dandruff, the meaning of life and other important issues. In years to come social historians will pour over it and draw serious conclusions.

I think it’s amazing that no matter how much I write, it takes up no physical space. It’s just out there in The Great Blueyonder. (Great book by Jeffrey Deaver by the way.) If there were no electricity there would be no blog (among other things!) It’s not really here.

A bit like us really. God makes us out of nothing, and if she turned herself off we would disappear too. God is the power. With love thrown in. Or better, God is the love, with power thrown in. (And I know ’she’ is probably even worse than ‘he’ but I can’t use ‘it’ so I’m stymied. It’s impossible to talk about God and make any sense.)

Anyway, we’re off to the park today. We were going to go to Flamingoland, but Liam doesn’t like rides so it would be a waste of money. He wants to go to the park and have a picnic. Super. Easy, cheap, fun. And our first opportunity to use our swish picnic hamper.

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