Friday at last!

I thought Friday would never come .... I am sure many teachers are feeling the same. My hair did look like this until I popped into the hairdressing class and a lovely year 10 student washed and straightened my unruly locks. At £4 I thought it was worth every penny!

School has been tough but the end is in sight and I am certainly looking forward to this holiday; time for me - to de-clutter, to knit, to crochet. to sew, to read, and amble down the lane, to cook properly.... and to #3 coming home from uni for a while.

How will you be spending Easter?

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing - enjoy! Another huge welcome to my new followers.

Love Mrs Thrifty xxx

Dogs - our best friends?

Can you read this and not cry? 

I couldn't!

Hope your week is going well - 2 more days to the Easter break

Mrs Thrifty xxx

Lazy Sunday

Good Evening Wonderful Readers

A massive welcome to my new followers - thank you for stopping by. Kate, I am so glad you love Pink Martini.  This is one of my all time favourites.....




Every now and again I think it is vital to just slow down and take stock. Today Mr Thrifty and I had a lovely, lazy walk down our lane to the river. I feel very blessed to live in such an peaceful place. This is our little part of England.....

When we got back my sister arrived with Pumpkin and Pie and our Great Aunt. Mr Thrifty built a bonfire with the Ps and we girls had a cup of tea and a chat. This evening Mr T and I watched The Way with Martin Sheen - an amazing film and well worth watching. Tea was a cheese sandwich.

A perfect Sunday....

How did you spend yours?

Have a wonderful week

Mrs Thrifty xxx

Family and Blessings

Good morning wonderful readers and a huge, huge welcome to my new followers - thank you for joining me. I am thrilled to see my little blog growing by the day and I love coming to visit you too!

I want to talk about family because mine have been on my mind so much lately. I am a keen genealogist and have a record of my dad's family back to the early 1700s in Norfolk, where many of my family still live. One of my sisters and my sister-in-law have joined me in this research and are both responsible for some amazing findings - they are like a couple of terriers with a bone! This photograph shows my great grandfather's shop in Holt. He was a clockmaker and here he is outside his shop. The family were also responsible for bringing gas and electricity to Holt and I rather like that - they were forward thinkers. My great grandmother was one of a huge family from Salthouse and died well into her 90s, a devout Christian and tending to the elderly (that does make me laugh) until the day before she died. She died peacefully in her sleep.

This is Grandad Jim. My maternal grandfather, a strong, forthright character who grew up on the Liverpool docks, one of 12 children. They were Irish immigrants and have another fascinating story (for another time). He died  at the age of 93 just a couple of weeks before #4 was born. For a while he lived with Mr Thrifty and I in Sheffield and told us the most wonderful tales of his life which I will treasure forever. Regular readers to my blog will know that he joined the merchant navy as a very young lad and also worked on the Aquitania, the sister ship of the Titanic. He drank milkshakes in New York during prohibition and was docked at the Black Sea to watch refugees fleeing from the Russian revolution. This man was living history. I still miss him. I will ask someone in the family if they have a picture of my grandmother, one of my favourite people in the whole world, and then I will share her story with you.

.

Families are diverse and complicated. I come from a large family and have five siblings - 3 brothers and 2 sisters - and am naturally closer to some than to others. They are all amazing people though, with their own stories to tell. My mother has been my role model. This is her holding me - isn't she gorgeous?

My Mum doesn't moan. Whatever life throws at her, she just gets on with it. She always worked and taught me how to be strong. We haven't always been close, but I have unlimited admiration for her. She is now in her 70s and in spite of significant health issues in the last 10 years, she comes in to my school every week to do French speaking practice with my year 11s (she is a retired Head of Languages). One of my students described her as a "legend" and she is. They adore her. I love the fact that I have rarely heard her be mean about anyone. I am not saying she always gets it right, but she is one of life's optimists and she is enduringly positive. She has had one hell of a life and she still smiles and still looks like a film star. I love you Ma x

Then there's my sisters..............

This isn't us, but it could have been. I am the oldest. These two women are amongst my all time favourite people. They are awesome. They are both highly intelligent (scarily so!), beautiful, amazing people. Like all families, we have our ups and downs, but I will always love them. They know me better than anyone else - warts and all. I had a personal crisis last year and my little sister rang and told me she was there for me - whatever - that was what helped pull me through. They are both so funny they make me cry with laughter. I think that when people say, there is nothing like a sister, they are so on the ball. Most of my family are teachers and I know that both of my sisters make a huge difference in the schools where they work. If you get to read this - thank you for all you have brought to my life xxx

Then there's me as mother and aunt. I have 4 wonderful children - 3 sons and a daughter - and 10 nieces and nephews, and a great nephew, just on my side of the family. You heard me talk about Pumpkin and Pie who I see the most of and I am looking forward to getting to know my latest niece who was born last October. I am going to call her Buttercup because I have a feeling she is going to shine and brighten all of our lives. I wish we all saw more of each other but people are busy and life passes by. If any of you guys pass this way - know that you are loved xxx

I wish you a wonderful day xxx

Listening to your intuition

Last summer I was facing redundancy from a school that was closing due to county council restructuring. As the family breadwinner I felt huge pressure to find another position - and quickly. I had an interview as Head of MFL (Languages) at a school 25 miles away. The school itself is awesome - really! It is a brand new eco-friendly building and it's all acoustically adapted with sound boards which as a hearing aid user makes a huge difference. The students are from a tough catchment and they are delightful. All day, my instincts were screaming at me that this was not the job for me - something felt wrong. During the day I received a phone call from another school, much closer to home, same position, willing to interview me that evening......

How I would love to tell you that I listened to my intuition, but I didn't. I fell victim to panic and thought of the mortgage etc, etc, etc. I did not go with my instincts. I was offered the job and I accepted. Needless to say I have had a miserable couple of terms and I have to add that this has nothing to do with the students. If you have been following me you will know that a couple of weeks back I handed in my resignation.... not quite knowing what lay ahead. The feeling was one of huge relief.

The universe has kindly responded........... with another dilemma - just to keep me on my toes.

The school which originally offered me an interview are interviewing me today, but not as Head of Department. I know many of the students at this school and am very fond of them. The catchment is tough and the school has experienced problems but is improving under new leadership. (Tough schools don't scare me - I have been teaching for a long time!) Next Tuesday I have been short-listed for another interview, as Head of Department at another local school, which is also an outstanding school - more money, fewer social problems. I know that my last Head Teacher, an forthright Northern woman who I came to trust and respect very deeply, would tell me to go for the tougher school because that is where I could make a difference - she loved a challenge. I know that today my task is to listen to my intuition!

So, my lovely readers, have a listen to my current favourite song and send me your positive vibrations to help me make the right decision.............

Enjoy your day xxx

Postscript....

Well not listening to my intuition a year ago has cost me £5,000 per year... but, I went with my instincts and took the job today when I was offered it. It feels right. Thanks you for all your kind words and wishes xx

Crochet give-away

Good Morning my Lovelies


Taking a leaf from Foster Mummy's blog, I am going to give away a copy of this truly fabulous book when I reach 200 followers on my blog. Many of the items I have made come from this lovely book and I know you will love it just as much as I do. So, to be in with a chance of winning, join me now and when I reach the magic number I'll post the prize to one lucky winner.

Here are some of the things you could make .... just to wet your appetite!

Aren't they just fabulous? Nicki Trench's patterns are so easy to follow and they turn out beautifully, even for a novice like me. If you want to start crocheting this is a great book to begin with. So, spread the word..............


Have a wonderful day


Mrs Thrifty xxx

Gifts for baby

Good Evening Lovely Readers and a HUGE welcome to my new followers - how utterly wonderful it is to see my little blog growing almost daily. You are all so welcome and thank you for joining me.

I recently asked your advice on what I should make for my beautiful new niece. So many wonderful ideas and I have stashed some of them away for longer term projects. Grace at http://oldpolicehouse.blogspot.co.uk/ suggested a ribbon blankie and here is my effort...... what do you think?

I made both sides with fleece because I wanted it to be really soft and tactile and I chose ribbons in lots of bright colours.








Now for a little cardi - I know that traditionally it's pink for girls, but I just love blue and dressed my own daughter in it a lot of the time.

 I added little crocheted hearts onto the pockets for a girlie touch.... The yarn is beautifully soft and I am sure it will be lovely to wear.




Finally (for now anyway) .... a little box...

Want a peek?

Little booties ......

also in blue......

so I shall parcel these up and send them off to the little angel xxx

Sunday Night Chit Chat .....

linking in to Carla at http://halfdozendaily.typepad.com/my-half-dozen-daily/

My motto of the week designed to get me moving and ride life's storms.

Reading?

The talented Martha Beck writes about expecting her precious son Adam, who was born with Downs Syndrome.

Watching?

I needed to laugh today and this did the trick.

Listening to?

I adore Pink Martini - they are wonderful and my darling #4 gave me this for Mother's Day - the title track - Sympathique starts with the line "Je ne veux pas travailler....." It is wonderful! 

Cooking/Baking?

Very little ...... yes, I feel guilty ... we did take-away twice this week for my birthday and for Mother's Day.

Happy you accomplished this week?

Two application forms and I have an interview this Friday...

Looking forward to next week?

The interview - does that make me weird?

Thankful for today? 

 My wonderful boys who make me so glad that I am a mother.