Tuesday 11 September 2012

Trolls and other chapters from my Fairytale Life

Thank you for your kind concern- especially, Dormouse, if you popped back to check on me! I am still here, and am very happy. I needed neither to call 999 (because the Principal patrols the corridors) nor consign my children to the fate of the latch-key (though they were quite looking forward to that bit).

I don't talk a lot about work, because I too, Frances, am bone idle. But perhaps I should clarify how it came about that this fraise came to have a wholly schizophrenic relationship with the work ethic. So, at the risk of turning each post into a Robert Frost tribute, here we go with chapter one:

I used to work in one of this little nation's finest schools. It is a very fine school. Obviously, therefore, it would be madness to leave. But I had had two suns in seventeen months, was teaching A-Level to young women ravenous for perfection, and thought I might implode if I had to do numbers 1 to 100 in French with a sixteenth cohort of eleven year olds whose Primary School teachers all thought that neuf rhymed with Smurf.

In my leaving speech I did confess that "I took the one less traveled by", and frankly "that has made all the difference". I firmly believe that women can and should work full-time as well as bring up children, if that's what they want. It just didn't work for me.

So here I am, doing bits of this and bits of that, and quite a lot of the other at the minute. Not quite a full week this time, but there was half a day on Monday and all day tomorrow, which is all good. And I'm nearly ready for the other thing I have to go and do after school tomorrow...

Many things have made me smile in the midst of rediscovering the joys of marking and inventing worksheets. One afternoon I decided to delve into the previously unopened Spam folder of fraise lach. Gosh. It really is a good idea to ban anonymous comments! Many were lovely. If that was you, thank you very much! I'm so sorry that I ban anonymous comments.

Many seem to have been commercial although, since they were written in Russian or depressingly incomprehensible French, that is admittedly a guess. Others were brilliant. Quite fabulous. I had a tiny post ages ago, which really just linked to Hookery the morning Heather Boss and I went to St George's Market. This prompted the question, "Is smoking m_____a good for hyperthyroidism?" I don't know, friend, but I wouldn't have thought so.

More recently I described a very lovely weekend, but one that will apparently lead to a sad and unfulfilling life. The thing is, fellow traveller, unlike roads in yellow woods, this is my fairytale and I know exactly where it's going!


10 comments:

Pom Pom said...

I didn't realize the suns were just 17 months apart! Yikes! My hat is off to you, Wonder Woman!

Elderberry-Rob said...

Yes, I know what you mean - I gave up a supposedly glittering life in merchant banking earning buckets of money and fabulous holidays to be a work nearer home mum! but I am very happy I did, I am not that person any more and although I loved that job and those people - I wouldn't 'belong' now as I am no longer career minded and driven - that's the difference isn't it - we are driven by our families and quite rightly - I love my part time boring job and all the free time it gives me spasmodically to do things for my boys and to make a home - it's a juggling act but a very enjoyable one. Bettyx

Elizabethd said...

I've just checked my Spam for the first time in months. I coul dhave had a holiday in Greece, or a new web site. But oddly there were three comments from 'normal people', including Ang, who is the least spammy person!

Catherine said...

Sorry...I am just having a little giggle here...thinking I must follow up your links on how to crochet corners : )
Goodness old Strawb, life is a huge job all by itself. I'd go with creating spaces to breath, any day!!
Well whatever you do in the spam department DO NOT be tempted to follow back your traffic sources in your stats department. I was silly enough to click, just the once, sometime ago & a very nasty, sexually aggressive bully grabbed my screen & could not be dislodged except by my force quitting Safari & then repeatedly so : 0 Much love x0x0x0

Mise said...

I do like your posts, Mags; you ramble with such a delicately intellectual swagger.

Fat Dormouse said...

Good to know you're okay, mags! I think I'll go and read my spam folder now...You never know what exciting offers I might be missing!!!

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Mags, thanks for the reminder about not allowing anonymous comments; just went to my blog and changed that. I was getting SO many spam comments!
I'm so glad you had the courage to make the decision best for YOU.

GretchenJoanna said...

So glad you have a blog so that we can follow along in your fairytale!

Floss said...

Hello Mags - I have a tiny addition to your fairy tale - you have won my Red and White Rentrée Giveaway! It couldn't have happened to a more deserving blogeuse... I really feel you will make great use of the recipe book in French!

Also, the Willows have finished their French sejour, and are on their way to Australia.

Have a restful and wonderful weekend.

Pam said...

Ah, worksheets. I used to quite like making them. Gave one a sense of accomplishment. Temporarily.

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