Glimpsesofcolour

Cards sent: check. Presents bought: check (well mostly. What I haven’t got will have to wait till the January sales). Wrapping paper: check. Hang up cards received: check. Tree bought: check, having trudged out on foot in the snow, because the car wouldn’t go up the icy hill, chopped down a tree in the forest and dragged it home (well all right, actually I bought it at the florist and detailed The Grouch to bring it home later in his van – but I did trudge through the snow). Christmas haircut and colour: check. Food: no. I’m trusting that the car will get up the hill tomorrow, but Tesco is going to be a nightmare. Tree decorated: no. That’s tonight’s task, provided the telly’s not too good, which is unlikely. Presents wrapped: no, we do that Christmas Eve. Ready with goodwill and Christmas spirit: possibly. I’ll let you know.

Had lunch with three old ladies today, including two Viennese old ladies (one being my mother). Every comment or question had to be repeated, and I couldn’t help thinking that it would make a good sitcom – after all we’ve had Last of the Summer Wine about three (or was it four?) old men. This would have to be Last of the Wiener Schnitzel or something like that. At least none of them got stuck in the lavatory.

Anyway, I survived, though I was distinctly tired afterwards from repeating everything and having to interpret them to each other. That, and having been landed with an admirer of my son’s (she has been sweet on him ever since he was 10), who turned up at our house hoping to find him when he was still in an exam. I’m very fond of her, but it was quite tough going keeping her happy while she waited. I think she is trying to cash in on the fact that he appears to have broken up with his latest girlfriend. That has the makings of a good sitcom too…

Apparently (according to my tag cloud) the most common tags on my blog are Christmas and depression. (Now I’ve written this they will be even more common.) There has been a lot of one and a bit of the other in recent weeks. Thankfully, Christmas is the one there has been a lot of, and depression only a little. On the former, it is December 14th and I have written and delivered every one of my Christmas cards and parcels, except the one where the address has to be hand written in Ukrainian script. On the latter, the new psychiatrist (who still did not have my notes, on my second visit – they appear to be lost) has signed me off and sent me in the direction of Mind counselling. And a dip a week or so ago seems to have passed over.

Now to the really good news: I just received word yesterday that The Demon Headmaster (yes, I know I said I wouldn’t call him that any more) is to leave at the end of this academic year. Huge sighs of relief all round from parents of kids with special needs, plus quite a lot of other parents and a lot of teachers, not to mention the vast majority of students.

However he still has eight months in which to do illegal things and make life difficult for our children, so the pressure from the Inclusion Group must be kept up. Thankfully this will not involve me as chair any more, though I can see a possibility of my becoming secretary. No rest for the wicked…

Today I received the following message from a local learning disabilities charity: “Young people in need of something to do over the Christmas holiday? Barnet Youth and Connexions have organised a short programme of activities … which include visiting elderly people’s homes with goodies and martial arts”. I’m sure the elderly people will love the martial arts.

Meanwhile Christmas approaches like a steam train and I haven’t written a single card yet, nor got enough presents for everyone. I did however write our Christmas letter this morning, which is a start.