That Smug Feeling…

21 Oct 2017 56 Comments

by Ritu in My Writing, RiNoWRiMo, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, First Draft, RiNoWRiMo

I’m finally on holiday.

And ended up with the typical teacher response to a week off.

I promptly fell ill. Woke up this morning with a streaming nose, earache and a difficulty swallowing – and that is AFTER having the flu jab the other week!

Still, things need doing and I grocery shopped and started a big clean of the house – need it to be spick and span before my bestie comes to stay with her little baby in the week!

And it has been hinted at that I need to knuckle down and finish my teenage WIP too! (you know who you are… Sacha, His Geoffleship, Lucy, Gary...)

Since the end of August, which was my #RiNoWriMo, self-imposed writing challenge to get my WIP back off the ground, I haven’t had the time or energy to look at it.

I have a week off, but there are not many days where I am totally free and able to lose myself in my words again, but still, if I can draw the story closer to the end, it would be a bonus.

I sat here and thought… and couldn’t remember what I had ended on. Honestly, after a month of writing, and over 50,000 words written, my brain was near mush!

So today I read the last couple of chapters and, (can I say so myself?) I was pretty pleased with what I read back! I really want to finish this first draft. I want to be able to post

IT’S DONE!

here there and everywhere, but for that, I need time again! So I shall try to carve out a few hours again to craft some more words, and hopefully, I will be closer to that announcement post!

I’m off again to bury myself under my duvet… catch you all soon Peeps!

#SoCS Oct. 21/17 – Season

21 Oct 2017 33 Comments

by Ritu in #SoCS, Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #StreamofConsciousnessSaturday, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Linda G Hill, poem, season, Socs

Linda’s back with another great #SoCS prompt!

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “season.” Use the word “season,” add a suffix to it, or write about one. Bonus points if the first and last word of your post is a season or a seasoning. Extra bonus points if you have pictures. Enjoy!

I penned a poem for this!

Spring arrives
With a bright new beginning
Use basil or mint
Just stick a few leaves in

Summer blazes
What spices to put in?
Use ginger, cilantro
Or even cumin

Autumn brings evenings
Bathed early in gold
Use fennel or turmeric
To combat that cold

Winter creeps up on us
Colder than ever
Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves
Great together

Seasons come
Bringing flavours new
To spruce up your salad
Or your stew

And no matter what
The season or weather
Don’t ever forget
Your salt and your pepper!

Ritu 2017

Well, there you are! And the images are all from Pixabay!

SEVEN DAYS. SEVEN BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS ~ DAY THREE

20 Oct 2017 16 Comments

by Ritu in Challenges, Photography, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Black And White Photo Challenge, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging

‘SEVEN DAYS. SEVEN BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS OF YOUR LIFE.

NO PEOPLE. NO EXPLANATION. CHALLENGE SOMEONE NEW EACH DAY’

I am nominating my blog Bro, Rich.

Thank you very much, Bee, at The Bee Writes for nominating me on Wednesday.

We Made It! #AtEase

20 Oct 2017 63 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Children, Half Term, Holidays, Relax, School

It’s Friday!

But not just any Friday…

For plenty of individuals, it is a Friday we have been crawling towards… the end of the existing term!

The kids are excited. It means a week (or two for some!) off and away from school! Yes there may be homework, but the pressure of getting up and going in is not there!

And us teachers…well, when I say we crawl, I mean it!

This first half term of the academic year is always tough. Settling in new pupils, getting to know them. setting boundaries and rules, assessing… it is a tough slog.

I know I personally have found this last term extremely exhausting, with my new responsibilities, and a lot more children to get to know. Names are never a problem for me, I have learned 70 new ones so far, and it looks likely that I need to learn another 30, if only for a short while, next term! But, the downside of having so many children to be responsible for, I don’t feel I really ‘know’ them yet.

Still, I have made it through this term, with no days of complete meltdowns, (well, not mine, some of the kids however have had a few!) and look forward to a few special days during my week off.

My only worry… when we come back from the break, all the progress we have made with our littlest ones will have been forgotten (believe me, it doesn’t take much for young children to forget what they were doing before!) and so the cycle will continue to roll, with us having to re-settle them, but hopefully only for a few days before they remember what Nursery and School is all about!