WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE :

I cannot believe it has been a month since my last blog !! Sorry for that folks . As you know when at work the time goes by without even knowing it .

First of all want to mention a few . To those of you who are posting messages and e-mails . I am getting them but lack of PC at home does not give me a lot of time to reply . However you are keeping me up to date and thank you for that .Jill you are a hoot and I really do miss your banter in real life .Joanne good luck with forthcoming jewellery night . AND Marjorie . CONGRATULATIONS on becoming a Grandma again . But a girl this time . Fab !!

More Visitors :

Trying to keep this in some sort of order . Halloween passed with the pupils dressing up at school . Fortunately they did change into PE gear for the lessons !

Then my sister Christine and my brother-in -law Ian arrived for their stay .I did the tour guide bit as best I could in between working !! It has been a bit hard for all my visitors to fully realise that I am here to work and not on holiday as they are . But it is great to have them all .

We did the DC bit with one or two variations and fortunately I had two in-service days . One was a fund raising golf tournament in which I got Christine to make up the 4th person in the team.It was a great day and something I will consider when I get home . A D and G fund raiser for PE equipment .A good way to spend an In-service and raise funds !!!!!!!!!!!! Does that sound convincing ? They managed it here !!!

AND to top it off Guess who won the longest drive for the ladies ?

The election was the 2nd in-service day and although the school was being used for voting we had to go in but as I had done a LOT of prep for my visitors coming we left after a couple of hours to visit Old town Alexandria .A lovely lunch looking over the Potomic River towards DC.

Election fever was fab and feel so priviledged to have been here to experience it all . I do feel the right man one and we will now wait and see .

At the weekend I took them on my Vamoose bus to NY . Great having family together and Emily took to her Scottish relatives very much .I took a sick day ( you are allowed to here ) and before we travelled back to DC we did some sightseeing in NY .

Goodbye to visitors and on with the work . All is going fine . The job is like any other and getting into the daily routine quite well . I am cutting down the late nights to one or two per week which is great .

The one thing I am really missing is exercise . Piling on the weight . Hope to address that soon maybe !!!!!!!!!!

PE Conference :

The wonderful Fulbright people came up trumps again and offered a grant to attend a conference in ones subject area . Up to 3 days off . Having filled in numerous forms already what was another few !! So got down to applying for grant . Told Stuart and said he was about to attend the PE conference for NY State up near Syracuse . That made me more determined and the grant came through . A LOT of prep later for my Sub , I flew to Syracuse on Wednesday , met up with Stuart and we had 3 great days attending so many workshops my head was about to burst . As you can see it is very cold and snowy up here . How the weather can change so quickly . But it is a lovely fresh cold if you know what I mean .

For the educators in my blog the Scottish system is up there with the best . We are doing just fine folks . Nothing new but good to listen and watch .I am more impressed with NY state so far . I went to a lot of dance workshops and realise I must start the Scottish tour of presenting in my retirement !!!!!!!!!

Stuart is off home and I am writing this in the hotel business centre while waiting for my flight back to DC .

Everytime I speak to Isabel she reminds me to write down my funny anecdotes . Needless to say I have not so hopefully I will remember some when I get home .

Talking of home You may have heard I am coming to Scotland on 27th Dec and staying in Dumfries until Wed 31st Dec . I hope to see a few of you for a lunch which Anne is going to arrange as I cannot see you individually . It will be nice to see you . I do miss the bantor .Give Anne a call at Dumfries High if you can come . Or Fiona at Dumfries Acad .

Next week is Thanksgiving which will be my first . We have two days off . So will travel to NY on Wednesday night for the celebrations of yet even more food !!

Ok that is about it for now . Although I have saved the best til last !!!!!!!!!!!

I AM GOING TO BE A GRANDMA AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!!! YIPPEE .

Next May and I will be here . How good is that . Mel is doing well . All tests are good and Stuart has a broad smile on his face. Brian and Hannah says it gives them breathing space!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lets get them home first and jobs .

Hope everyone is well and please keep in touch when you can. Gwen you are always the first to reply . Thank you .

I am doing just fine it is still an amazing adventure .

Take care Lovey xxxxxx