And Back to School

It was strange going back to work at the beginning of a new term. Been a long time since I did that!

I quickly remembered just how much children can forget during a 2 week break, and especially at Christmas time.

I am having a rethink about the strategies to use this term. It would appear prudent on today's evidence to go back to the first lessons on the Fast Phonics with the Primary 1 and 2 children, and to use the check up material in the teacher's folder with the older groups.

Already I have been told that Wednesday's timetable will be abandoned as I will have to cover a P6 class while the teacher is on a course.

It was a busy day today. Strange not seeing our retired colleague in the staff room. There is a replacement teacher, someone I once taught years ago. But he will not be here long as he has agreed to go full time in another school next week.

Apparently Catholic schools are finding difficulty appointing temporary staff right now, so I might be here for a bit longer.

Gretna break 2012

Tomorrow we will be heading home after our short break. We have had a really good time.

The journey down on Tuesday was difficult due to the storms. We were diverted off the Motorway due to overturned lorries. When we got back on the Motorway at Abington, we were suddenly into a blizzard.
But we got to Gretna safely, and settled in.

Yesterday we went along Hadrian's Wall....again. It is still there. The Roman's did an excellent job. We ended up at Hexham, did some shopping, had a coffee and then back to Gretna.

Last night the storm winds returned.

Today we set off with no particular route in mind. We headed on to the M6 south and just before Penrith passed 2 overturned HGVs on the road.

We stopped in Penrith for an hour, then headed towards Ullswater and the Lake District. The sun was shining, though it was very cold. The lakes were full of water, right up to the roadsides.

We had a very pleasant drive through the stunning landscape of the Lake District, and ended up at Windemere. After a coffee, it was back north to Scotland and the hotel.

Gretna 2012

Tomorrow my wife and I are off for a short break to the Borders. We are staying at Gretna.

Gretna is the last village in Scotland. It is famous for weddings at the Blacksmith's by eloping couples.

It is a short drive from Carlisle, and Hadrian's wall is withing easy reach. We will be staying at the Gables Hotel. We have stayed there before, and enjoyed it. Looking forward to the break.

We had a quiet new year. We watched a movie then went to bed. We don't really bother about the New Year. Christmas is much more important to us.

The weather forecast is not looking good for tomorrow. Wet and very windy. There is sleet tonight here. But we will have a nice time I am sure.

I enclose some pics from our last visit to this area.

The End of Year

And so we come to the end of another year. An eventful year, as they all are.

family except Gerry, but he was in touch and we will see him soon.

At Christmas, we saw all the family, and that is the best gift of all. We got to two Midnight Masses, a treat indeed.

I have an hours flying lesson awaiting me from my wife.

This year was full of change or me. My first visit to America, first visit to the American TFP Conference, first visit to Gettysburg, and the in USA at the time of the earliest snow fall, all 10 inches of it.

I have been out teaching since November, to my utter surprise. I am enjoying working with children again, and of course the money is an unexpected but welcome bonus.

And I will be back in school in January.

Tomorrow we will be at a Catholic family event in Edinburgh in the afternoon, then home in the evening. I am trying to find a midnight mass on Hogmanay.

Soon it will be 2012. No doubt there will be remarkable events and happenings in the year to come.

John will be off to Boston in early January for a workshop. He has commissions to write music and words for 5 plays so far. Not much acting looming up though.

I will be off to Kansas in April for another TFP Conference.

I pray that God will bless me and my family, and keep is safe another year. O pray that God will grant a period of peace to the World. Imagine a world without War.

It will come, because it is God's Will, and Mary said her Immaculate Heart would triumph and that Peace would come to the World. Will it be this year?

A Happy, Peaceful and Prosperous Year to all Men of Goodwill.

Christmas Day 2011

Last night I was cantoring at the 9pm Carol Service and Christmas Night Mass.

It was supposed to be my wife, but she was ill, so I had to step in.

Fortunately Mark for school had agreed to play the organ. In the end, he brought an organist with him, so I sang the hymns and carols, and Mark sang the Mass responses.

All in the Church joined in willingly in the singing and it all went well.

I got home about 10.30pm. My dearest was feeling a little better, so we headed out to Midnight Mass in Springburn, a solemn Latin Mass.

It was 2 am when I finally got home. Very tired.

School closed on Thursday, but I will be back on January 9th.

Before then we will have short break in the borders.

John was on radio Scotland today in a radio play with Billy Connolly and Brian Cox.

Storm Day

We had been warned that a storm was coming.

Last night the Scottish Office advised that schools be closed, bridges closed, and that travel should be avoided.

At 2.15am, texts were received advising that schools in many areas, including Glasgow would not open. At 7.30 am, another text advising that staff should report to their school, or contact your school if not possible.

I made my way to school, making detours to avoid floods, and reached school.

As others arrived, we discovered that our nearest school was totally closed, to staff as well. And there was a lack of uniformity about decision making. Our HT was reluctant to send us home in case we were in an accident. Though since the storm was going to increase as the day went on, that was illogical.

Eventually we were sent home at 11am to work there till the end of our normal working day, or if we preferred not to work, we could make up the time or lose holiday entitlement. Aye.

The storm has raged on. Conditions are difficult for drivers and pedestrians. Buildings are damaged, trees down, buses and trains affected, ships and planes cancelled, roads flooded.

It should peak by 6 pm, then we can expect a cold front with ice and snow tomorrow.

photos from Cyclerama at Gettysburg Visitor Centre.

First Snow of Winter 2011

We awoke to the first snowfall in Scotland of the winter.

Not much...an inch or so, but enough to cause some disruption. The Scottish Government is determined that there will be no re run of last winter, when hundreds of folk were trapped overnight on one of the main routes between Glasgow and the East coast.

As I write, it is below freezing point outside and it is snowing again. Of course at the end of October I found myself in 10 inches of snow in Pennsylvania. There was no traffic disruption there, but there were power outages as trees brought down overhead power cables. Here in the UK most power lines to homes are underground, unlike North America.

We will see how we fare tomorrow if the snow keeps up.

Some more St. Andrews photos.