Thoughts Opinions & Memories | But I Smile Anyway...

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 148

17 Dec 2017 42 Comments

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

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book. ~Irish Proverb

I write this with a streaming nose and a hope that I shall be better before I go back to school tomorrow!

Thanks Spidey for making me realise I need to have a good rest, as well as the laughs that are always coming my way via my family, pupils and friends!

It is true though. Laughter is the best medicine, they say, and I agree. A giggle makes the worst situation seem manageable.

And if all else fails – sleep, and things seem better when you wake up!

I’m back off to bed now!!!!

Enjoy your Sunday Peeps!!!!!

#SoCS Dec. 16/17 – Contrast

16 Dec 2017 26 Comments

by Ritu in #SoCS, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #StreamofConsciousnessSaturday, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Christmas Parties, Contrast, Linda G Hill, Nails, Socs

Linda’s prompt for SoCS this week…

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “contrast.” Use the word “contrast,” or talk about contrasting things. Enjoy!

In Contrast…

I’ll be off soon to get my Christmas nails done!

It’s been a while. They are looking terrible at the moment, but, what with life, I haven’t had a chance to pamper myself as I usually do.

And I need to get them done today as Hubby Dearest and I are off to his work Christmas Party tonight. It’s a ‘Ball’ of sorts, and the company sent invites out to the employees and partners.

I love a good party, and it doesn’t phase me in the slightest that I have never met any of his colleagues since he started at this company just before the summer this year. All the more new people to talk to!

His previous company also had glamorous ‘plus one’ Christmas parties at various glamorous locations, like Whitehall Palace, Madame Tussauds and London Zoo, which we attended as a couple. It’s always lovely to dress up and be all ‘fancy’ if you know what I mean!

In contrast, my work party, which will be at the end of term, is very much an event just for the staff. There is never an invitation stretched to the partners of the attendees! And it only occurred to me the other day that none of the places I worked, have ever had a party where partners have been invited!

He always asks whether he can come, and I always have to say no! I think we all really need to let off steam after the long Autumn term, and having partners there can sometimes mean that you end up babysitting your other half if they don’t know others, instead of relaxing and enjoying yourself.

Mind you, I’m not sure I’d want to be in a room with 40-odd school and teaching staff, after all the assessments, observations, and Christmas productions, if I wasn’t one of them!!!

Now I need to decide what do do with my nails… Sparkles and glitter? Chrome? Contrasting feature nail (yes, that is a thing!)? Let’s see, eh!

Happy Saturday Peeps!

December 14 – Flash Fiction – Only In…

15 Dec 2017 22 Comments

by Ritu in #CarrotRanch, Fiction, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #CarrotRanch, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Charli Mills, Drama, Flash Fiction, Indian Soap Operas, Only In

Charli’s prompt this week:

December 14, 2017 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story using the phrase “only in…” It can be used to tell a story about a profession, a place or situation. Go were the prompt leads you.

There were so many possibilities! I wanted to write about things that happen only in my family, or only in school but didn’t want to offend, so I went for a slightly cultural one!!

Drama!!!!!

A knock at the door.
The man looks at his wife, who looks to her mother, who turns to her husband, who looks at his grandchild, who turns back to his father.
The doorbell sounds.
The boy looks at his mother who looks to her father, who looks at his son in law, who turns to his mother in law.
Pounding now.
Repeated looks.
Five minutes later the door is finally opened by the household servant.
A courier stands there with a letter.
Only in an Indian soap opera, does it take a whole episode to answer the door!

https://carrotranch.com/2017/12/14/december-14-flash-fiction-challenge/

Practice What You Preach #FridayThoughts

15 Dec 2017 57 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Family, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Christmas Jumper Day, Practice What You Preach#

I’m a teacher, you all know that.

I have the good of every child in my heart at all time.

Those little souls you entrust me with each year become my own children for that year, and often for the rest of their Primary education, as I am in contact with them throughout their education whilst in our school.

And I only want the best for them.

This is why I advise parents on ways to interact with their children, to develop them as wholly as possible.

You know what I think (don’t make me get back on that soap box!) digital life is fantastic, but don’t let that be the only life your child experiences!

Take them out!

Talk to them!

Play with them!

Create with them!

(then let them play a little on a screen… a little I said! They still need the tech skills too!)

And I know that is the way to give a child a rounded upbringing.

So when I come home and get on with my day to day chores, and look at my own two… one on his phone playing a game, or on the PC, and the other using her phone to sing songs on Smule or to watch YouTubers… I wonder, have I not taken my own advice?

Is this why getting them to bed is a chore as they don’t want to put screens down?

Are the temper tantrums when we ask them to do anything, a result of us letting them get too comfy on technology, so they don’t want to leave their screens to do anything real?

But then they are older.

We have given them a LOT of experiences during their formative years.

And for all the time they are on tablets/phones/PCs or watching TV, they are equally out there playing sport (Lil Man), socialising with friends, mingling with family, being creative (Lil Princess) and doing homework…( perhaps with a slight, gentle nudge in the right direction!).

And I have to admit that I am as bad really… Once I am done with work, and any housework, I tend to either be reading on my Kindle, or on my phone/PC/Surface writing, blogging and keeping up with Social Media!

I guess we lead by example…

Maybe I need to have a think about my New Years Resolutions… but lets get Christmas out of the way first!

Until then, have a festive Friday Peeps!

It’s Christmas Jumper Day here today raising money for Save The Children. I am sat here typing away in my Olaf jumper, ready to have some Christmassy fun with the children!

Enjoy your day!

#WritePhoto – Mists

14 Dec 2017 40 Comments

by Ritu in #WritePhoto, Fiction, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #WritePhoto, Barbie and Ken, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Fiction, Mists, Photo Prompt

Sue’s #WritePhoto Prompt this week:

I thought I’d continue the adventures of Barbie and Ken.

Ken sat staring out across the fields, deep in thought, as the sun began to set. Mists clouded his vision, as the hours passed, so he closed his eyes and began to ponder…

Did she really love him, or was she taking him for a total fool? He wracked his brains daily, trying to fulfil her every need and dream, and nothing was ever enough…

Maybe it was time.

Time to join his boys back in the dating ring.

There were plenty of other girls out there; take Sindy, she was always giving him the eye. Sweet, simple Sindy. She looked like the appreciative type. She’d love all his attempts at showing his affection.

“Ken! Mate! Wake up!”

“What?!” Joey hadn’t been with him under the tree? Ken opened his eyes in confusion.

“Mate, you are red as a lobster, man!” Slowly the mist-like steam cleared and the silhouette of his best mate became clearer. “You know you’re only meant to be in here for, like, half an hour at a time! You’ve been sat in here for 3 hours!”

It all came back to him… They’d come to the gym for a workout, and sauna, and were meant to be meeting the girls for drinks in the bar after.

“And you need to get your skates on… Barbie’s screwing out there! She’s been waiting for you for the last 20 minutes!” Joey left the sauna, and more steam escaped with him.

Barbie? Kept waiting? Oh man, he was really going to get it in the neck tonight!

To be continued…