Spidey’s Serene Sundays | But I Smile Anyway...

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 394 – Book Heaven

25 Sep 2022 27 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, books, reading, Spidey's Serene Sundays

“She reads books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live.”
Annie Dillard

Thank you, Spidey, for finding another quote that suits me just fine!.

Firstly, sorry for posting late!

But, this, as you will see from the gist of my post, is where the above quote is relevant.

As soon as I start school in September, things begin to happen.

Life goes from a comfortable speed to powering ahead with me a the wheel of a large truck, trying to keep all my cargo safe.

my team and their wellbeing
my new class, and settling them into their new life in school
new initiatives and expectations to be implemented in school
my family and their various needs, be it being taxi mum to their emotional health and wellbeing
keeping house, even after long days (that ironing pile seems to double when we are working!)
having time for Hubby Dearest, who is juggling his own cargo load
giving Sonu Singh plenty of love
new pressures of keeping to a better budget with all these rising costs…
my own health and sanity, not helped by the onset of Perimenopause

As you can imagine, all this leaves me pretty shattered at the end of a typical working day.

It means that I have no energy left for my other passion which is my writing. I have editing to do. I have a new book to start plotting… But I don’t have the headspace or the time to do either.

What I won’t forgo, though, is my time with a good book.

Reading is like food for my soul. A moment to dip into the lives of others and to forget what is going on around me at any given moment.

It’s true that I read much less in the week, as I find I am asleep by 9.30pm, but I will always read a few pages at least before my eyes close.

My Kindle is brimming with at least 150 unread books that I have downloaded over the years, and my little trolley of unread books holds around 50 more physical books I have either been sent to read or have picked up on my visits to bookshops. My Amazon Wishlist has plenty more that I want to read… one day…

I don’t think I will ever reach the end of my TBR pile, virtual or otherwise, and I am not sad about that at all. It means that I will always have a tap of beautiful stories to turn on and sink into when I have nothing left to give to the world…

So, tell me, how many books are on your TBR?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 393 – Of Queues and the British

18 Sep 2022 26 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Queue, Spidey's Serene Sundays

“An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an ordely queue of one.”
George Mikes

Thank you, Spidey, for a little humour at this sombre time.

I think that if you have social media or access to a news channel or the internet, wherever you are on this planet, you will have heard of ‘The Queue’ or the ‘QueueEII’ (Not coined by me, but rather clever, don’t you think?)

The queue I am referring to is the queue all self-respecting Brits have been in training for all their lives.

It’s the queue that has stretched for 5 miles across London for those well-wishers who want to pay their respects to the late Queen, who is lying in state at Westminster Palace until before the funeral tomorrow.

People, including David Beckham (not one to push ahead, but wanting to pay his respects the way everyone who wishes to, should) are queueing for up to 17 hours, slowly walking at 0.1 miles an hour, shuffling towards the Palace, where they get a chance to personally pay their respects to our late Monarch.

It is the Queue of all queues. You get a wristband, you can’t save a place for others, there are toilets and water stations open along the way. If you wish to join, you are advised to bring food, drinks and blankets, and even stools to aid your wait. (Stops short at tents. No TENTS allowed!)

The Queue has its own YouTube channel and Twitter account and even its own weather mention!

It is a queue that has shown the most British of Britishness, where new friends are being made, and the general atmosphere is one of respect, and knowing they are part of a huge piece of modern British History in the making.

Some say the queue will be responsible for bringing Britain out of Brexit, and a part of the European Union again, as it stretches so far that France sees the latest to join the queue as it snakes onto their turf… (a little joke I read somewhere on Twitter!)

There was an accessible queue too, but that has now closed for any new joiners.

But, what an amazing show of respect from the people, not only of Britain but others who have come from other parts of the world, to do the same.

Charlie King 3, as one of my newest Reception students, told me he was called (I love it, King Charles the Third will always be Charlie King 3 to me from now on!) and the new Prince of Wales even came out to meet some of those at the front of the queue who had been there slowly moving all night, and they marvelled at the stoicism and will of those there, remarking that, had she witnessed it, the Queen would have truly appreciated this outpouring of love because that is exactly what it is.

Alas, I am not able to be a part of this queue, but I have all the channels on which to watch it happen in live action… And I will watch the emotional send-off, tomorrow, on TV at home.

So, are you good at queueing, or have you been a part of this historic Queue?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 392 – Traditions

11 Sep 2022 24 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Traditions

“It takes a tremendous amount of history to make even a little history.”
Henry James

Thank you, Spidey, for an apt quote.

So, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that the Queen passed away, peacefully on Thursday.

A huge amount of sadness.

A country in mourning.

A family in mourning.

Yet there are still things that have to be done.

From the moment a monarch is crowned, the plan for their death is written. (Feels a bit morbid, to me, but I suppose, in order to allow everything to run smoothly, it’s a necessity.)

“London Bridge is down.” is quoted, and the wheels are put in motion.

The Royal family, government, broadcasters of the news, are all informed, in order to share the sad news.

And, while we are all mourning, there is the small job of ensuring the country is not without a monarch, so the rightful heir is proclaimed.

For most of the country, we have never experienced this, before. The Queen had been the longest reigning monarch in the UK, ever.

Seventy years, she has been in our lives, and suddenly, she was gone, leaving her eldest son, Charles, as the man to bear the weight and responsibility of being the new King of the UK, and head of The Commonwealth.

As tradition states, all the customs needed to be fulfilled to confirm his new role, so on Saturday, amid the sadness, we as a nation, and the world, watched, either by standing in crowds in London, or on TV and the internet, the accession to the throne of the new King Charles III.

A momentous event that has never before been witnessed by the public, took place at St. James Palace, where the Privy Council held a meeting and declared our new monarch the King.

Then, the public declarations began, and the firing of guns, to signal the same, began.

It was fascinating to watch an official tradition take place. Something that was done, for centuries, behind closed doors.

But, can I tell you what hit me, personally?

Seeing the blanket of sadness over the new King, and his son, Prince William, the new Prince of Wales.

It’s often easy to forget that even though they have these tremendous duties to uphold, they are still human, too.

We’ve lost a Queen.

They’ve lost a beloved mother, frandmother, great grandmother. Yet they have to fight that emotion, in order to take part in all the pomp and circumstance involved in the new monarch’s accession to the throne.

For a day, flags are flown at full mast, to celebrate the new King, before being lowered again, in respect.

I only hope that everytime they close their doors to the public eye, they are able to mourn as we would. As a family, united in grief.

It was heartwarming to listen to, or read, some of the tributes to our late Queen, by members of her family.

And though heartbreaking to witness, seeing certain members overcome by their emotions in public, whilst reading tributes left by the public made me think that hopefully certain traditions and expectations would bend slightly, now, to allow the Royal family to be viewed as human first, and Royal second.

So, how do you view traditions?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 391 – Another Year Older

04 Sep 2022 35 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday, Wisdom

“Wisdom can be found in the most unexpected places.”
Ritu Bhathal

Thank you, Spidey, for giving me a chance to use my own quote, today!

It is the day after my 47th birthday, and I wonder whether I have gained any more wisdom with the addition of that extra year.

Well, I was on good old Facebook, and there was one of those quizzes where it chucks random statements or facts out, allegedly about you.

Usually, they are just silly, but once in a while they throw you something to think upon.

This was apparently a lesson I have learned from the past year.

And, oh my goodness, what truth!

It takes a while, I think that for this to register in our minds, but it’s true that over the last couple of years, I have realised that I am who I am, and I am a good person.

We all have traits that may not be liked by everyone, but when I take everything into account, I am happy with me.

I am happy with who I am.

I am happy with how I live my life.

I am happy with my thoughts and opinions.

I am happy with my preferences.

I am happy with my grey hair.

I am happy even with a little extra weight on myself, right now.

And there will always be people out there with toxic opinions.

But I really don’t care!

And that. is the wisdom I gleaned from a Facebook Quiz, yesterday!

So, are you able to accept who you are and live in peace with yourself?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 390 – Back To School

28 Aug 2022 29 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday, Weddings

“It’s not what is poured into the student, but what is planted that counts.”
E.P. Bertin

Thank you, Spidey, for that reminder that I am back at school on Tuesday!

This quote resonates with me so much as an Early Years Practitioner.

I always say the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the most important part of a child’s education.

Not because of the academics.

But, because we are responsible for creating that stable foundation to build their learning upon for every child that comes through our doors.

Of course we teach.

But our teaching is more of an exploratory way for the children to grasp and enhance the skills they need to become great learners and good individuals, going on.

Communication and Language; If a child cannot speak in simple sentences, how will they communicate with others? How will they explain what they are doing and how can they demonstrate what they have learned to us? Understanding and listening are just as important. Through the year we have them, we question. We question everything they choose to do. Can they understand our simple questions? We introduce new vocabulary to them all, either enhancing the vocabulary of those who have a good understanding or exposing those who are still learning the language to words and phrases that they need to know.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Through many different structured and choice activities, we encourage teamwork, independence, bravery, compassion and empathy. We will try and help children develop confidence. Sharing. That’s a big one. Turn-taking, realising that the world doesn’t revolve around them, being kind to one another, taking care of each other. Even the simple being able to leave their caregiver without crying.

Physical Development; You’d be surprised how many children start school with poor physical development. They’re not interested in running around, bikes, balancing, throwing, kicking balls, etc., and the same goes for their fine motor control. Here we nurture the skills they need to manipulate their hands and fingers in order to, eventually, cut, stick, paint and write.

Of course, academics come into it, but they are secondary to the above three areas. These are the skills we need to plant so the children can flourish, and if they have that base, then the academics will come to them.

I look forward to meeting our new cohort of children and am ready with my bulbs to plant in them, so they can grow into strong, kind, healthy, ready-to-learn individuals.

So, what do you think about these formative years in education?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!