Challenges | But I Smile Anyway...

#SoCS July 14/18 – Sup

14 Jul 2018 39 Comments

by Ritu in #SoCS, Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #StreamofConsciousnessSaturday, Blo-Jo, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Socs, Teaching, Three Words

Linda’s prompt for SoCS this week…

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “3-letter word.” Start your post with any 3-letter word. Bonus points if you end with one too. Enjoy!

Can you believe it’s almost the end of another academic year?

It’s flown by.

I’ve experienced the craziness of teaching in two classes every week, being a Governor, and heading the School Council.

I was certainly busy enough for it to feel like it just whizzed by.

But it definitely wasn’t easy.

Being in one class means you build a rapport with your children.

You really get to know them.

Being in two means you feel neither here nor there.

Yet you are still responsible for the progress they make.

Being a Governor gives you a real insight into the managing of a school, realising why decisions are made, which, as your average staff member, sometimes seem pointless.

Being the School Council lead means I am able help foster a sense of pride in the children about the school they attend. It has been fun, and I wish I had more time to actually do stuff with them!

There are still a few home visits to attend to for next year. There is a little preparation to do to enable us to be ready for the new intake.

Final reports and assemblies, old staff leaving and preparing to welcome the new.

But now, the year comes to a close.

Then this chapter comes to an end…

Catch ya later Peeps! Happy Saturday!

https://lindaghill.com/2018/07/13/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-14-18/

July 12– Flash Fiction – Broken Fence

13 Jul 2018 23 Comments

by Ritu in #CarrotRanch, Fiction, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #CarrotRanch, Alone, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Broken Fence, Charli Mills, Childhood, Father, Flash Fiction, Step Dad

Charli’s prompt this week:

July 12, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about a broken fence. You can mend it, leave it, or explain its place in a story. Go where the prompt leads.

Broken Fences: Realised Dreams

Many an afternoon, I’d sit there, peering through the gap in our broken fence.
It was like a portal to another world.
I’d see them all laughing, playing together, running around freely.
Oh, to be able to laugh openly with friends.
Laughter was in short supply here since my Daddy died, and that new Father had arrived.
He didn’t want no brats running around the place. It was bad enough I existed.
To escape the prison that our home had become, I’d come and sit here.
For the first time in years my Mummy seemed happy.
I didn’t complain.

https://carrotranch.com/2018/07/12/july-12-flash-fiction-challenge/

#WritePhoto – Wishes

12 Jul 2018 28 Comments

by Ritu in #WritePhoto, Fiction, Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #WritePhoto, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Flash Fiction, Wishes

Sue’s #WritePhoto Prompt this week:

One tree weighed down with dreams

Every branch, a family of ribbons waving in the wind

Each twig holding the hopes of the world

Every ribbon tied with faith

Each with a wish…

Will they come true?

If you believe…

Anything is possible

#writephoto

https://scvincent.com/2018/07/12/thursday-photo-prompt-wishes-writephoto/

A Positive Announcement and Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Challenge #Announcement #Tanka Bewitched & Treasure #MicroPoetry #Family

10 Jul 2018 79 Comments

by Ritu in #ColleensWeeklyPoetryChallenge, Challenges, Children, Family, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #ColleensWeeklyPoetryChallenge, Bewitched & Treasure, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Family, New Arrival, tanka, Updates

Well, I said, at the end of yesterday’s update that I might have something great to share with you.

After approval from the parties involved, I am so very proud/pleased/chuffed to announce that I have a new nephew!!!

My brother and his wife became parents to their second son on Sunday evening! My nephew is now Finndian #1 and he has a new little brother, Finndian #2!

He is a beautiful bundle, and the news of his arrival really perked Pops up too.

We managed to get a video call in and say hello to the new addition too, yesterday, which was a true boost to Pops.

The Finndian population has increased by one!

And in celebration of this wonderful news, I have penned a tanka whcich fits perfectly with the challenge words from dear Colleen, where she gives 2 words but you must use them in synonym form!

The words this week are Bewitched & Treasure. I used Captivated and Precious.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ritu Bhathal ✍🏽📚💜 (@ritubhathalwrites)

Another new life
I’m truly captivated
Can’t contain my smile
Precious bundle from above
Bringing joy to all around

Ritu 2018

https://colleenchesebro.com/2018/07/10/colleens-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-92-bewitch-treasure-synonymsonly/

Welcome to Tanka Tuesday

Every cloud has a silver lining, it is true, and this week’s HUGE cloud has produced an even SHINIER lining!

Pops is doing so much better today, he is less two tubes too, which is great… Two more to go!

Thank you EVERYONE for the good wishes, all your hopes and prayers have really helped.

Peace out Peeps, and go wet the baby’s head on my behalf!!!!

An Update On Pops and Ronovan’s Weekly Haiku Challenge #209 Old & Days #Haiku #Micropoetry

09 Jul 2018 129 Comments

by Ritu in #ronovansweeklyhaikuchallenge, Challenges, Family, Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #MicroPoetry, #ronovansweeklyhaikuchallenge, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Family, Haiku, Health, love, NHS, Parents, Poetry, Pops

Thank you all for your kind wishes regarding Pops and his ill health. As regular readers, you all know how much he, and my mum, means to me.

Well, I went with my gut instinct.

I received a message in the early hours of Sunday morning to say a CT scan was required and possible surgery.

My mind was made.

We deposited the children with their other grandparents, and Hubby Dearest and I rushed (as fast as you can rush in the heat, and on a three-hour motorway journey where the M1 will inevitably have roadworks and traffic) up to Birmingham.

And I am so glad I am here with him now.

He looked so tiny when I got here. This wasn’t the vibrant Pops I knew.

The anaesthetic and morphine had him in a muggy daze and for the first couple of hours, he kept on waking up, and saying hello, not registering that we had been there a while.

He was very pale, but a welcome pale from the almost jaundiced yellow he had been the day before.

It appears (though this is not conclusive) that there may have been an ulcer caused by regular long-term medication that burst, causing a perforation, or tear in the bowel. The possibility of gastroenteritis from a few days before may have aggravated the issue, causing the tear, and then subsequent seepage into his body from the bowel, that created the extreme pain he had been suffering.

Long story short – he needed major surgery to remove the torn section of bowel, and then rejoin it all, and drain the unneccesary ‘stuff’ (yes, technical medical term there!) from around it.

The surgeon said the bowel was so red and inflamed it was angry, or ‘vexed’ in his words.

He was wired up to all sorts, tube in his nose, oxygen mask on, catherer in, various IV drips with saline and antibiotics…

But the surgery went well, straightforward, they said.

He regained a little colour before we left, but he was still really groggy.

I made the decision then that I need to be with him for a few days at least.

So, here I am, tapping into my Surface whilst he dozes by my side.

He looks wonderful (well, as wonderful as you can with tubes everywhere) a smile on his face when I arrived. It warmed my heart ❤

He’s taken a few steps and is on fluids only still at the moment, but he has definitely turned a corner… a huge one!

My heartfelt thanks to the NHS team too, who have been so amazing since he was admitted. They are always around with a smile on their faces, nothing is ever too much of a big job for them, and if you can spare a smile and politeness for these angels, they will always go that extra mile, without question.

And so, I found Ronovan’s prompt words, Old & Days, a good prompt for a little Pops based Haiku, to celebrate this time we have together, chatting in between his dozes…