A Mixed Bag Of Blessings

Quite apart from all those crazy freebies from CREX on Thursday, I seem to have been the recipient of all sorts of random gifts this past week. Lots of bloggers do ‘gratitude lists’ – so here is my list of 7 blessings from the past 7 days.

1. Christine brought me some delicious chocolate and ginger biscuits, and two jars of jam in a little hessian bag, as a ‘Hostess Gift’ when she came to stay last weekend. I have yet to open the preserves – but confess I initially misread the label and thought it was WILD HEDGEHOG jam! [btw did you know the Hebrew word for hedgehog is keepod?]

 

2. Twenty years after he moved out, the former occupant of this house was sent a rather large cheque in the post [which I opened in error] I managed to track him down with a bit of Googling and he came and collected it. He brought me a large box of Ferrero Rocher as a thankyou!

3. I am a Radio 4 enthusiast – so was thrilled to be offered, quite out of the blue, two tickets to hear a recording of ‘I’m sorry I haven’t a clue’. Sadly I am unable to take up the kind gesture- but how lovely to be thought of like this. I hope the person who does get to use the tickets has a wonderful evening. I am grateful for kind and thoughtful friends.

4. Then there was the strange squashed parcel – containing a small nylon bag. In the bag was a larger nylon shopping nag, It is my prize for submitting a ‘Nutella Story’ to their 60th birthday website. You can find my story there [with the keywords love, husband, classroom] It is a strange shape for a bag though, but I like its little storage pouch with the hanging clip.

5. Friday was a long day in school, with a couple of challenging pupils and a very recalcitrant laptop [designated “for use of Supply Staff”] which would not work for me, other teachers or the IT technician. But the lesson plans were good, and the story in literacy was all about Dr Barnardo [I know that one!]

The support staff were brilliant, and together we managed without the benefits of modern technology and achieved all we were supposed to do. I am grateful for that – and especially that two of the TAs went to the Office, and told the school secretary that they would like her to ask the agency for me by name next time cover is needed! That is wonderful.

6. And I am grateful to the people who have recently donated odd bits and pieces to the Great Stash. I had just the right piece of old curtain ** this week for a project I was preparing for my Tuesday Sewing Students.

7. Marks and Spencer sent me an invite to a customer event , and as I needed petrol from nearby Sainsburys, I went straight down after school on Friday afternoon.

The invite included a £5 voucher for clothes or homewares. I had a drink of elderflower cordial, two chicken nibbles, and a cupcake- then was given a voucher for a free pint of milk. So I got an afternoon snack, a pair of tights, and my milk…all for nothing!

This is all a very random selection of gifts – some tangible, others less so [the offer of a gift which you cannot accept is, bizarrely, a gift in itself, and the possibility of teaching work in the future is an encouragement in the present] Is it churlish to mention that a jar of Nutella inside the bag would have been nice too? But I am truly grateful for them all, and for the kind thoughts and generous friendship they represent.

**I am not the only woman to be grateful for old curtains and put them to good use. Here is another picture from the Sound Of Music. Next week I shall explain why I am busily channelling my inner Julie Andrews so much lately!