:: It's a new day, Its a new year! ::

::An Old Irish Blessing::

May love and laughter light your days,and warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours,wherever you may roam.

May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures.

May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!

Wishing you and yours the happiest of times in 2011!

:: A time to Dance ::

::

There is the sound of laughter down the corridors of the Drama Block once more...

I find I walk once more with a bounce in my step, a smile on my face...

greeting people on corridors is no longer painful...

people think I have changed...

and I have....

::

A very dear friend and colleague died at the end of the Summer term...and the loss had a huge impact on me...I realised my creativity and joy were being crushed by the weight of my job and its responsibilities...

...if I didn't do something soon... I would lose everything ....

So this summer, in my German Castle, I made the very difficult and very painful decision to relinquish my responsibilities as Head of Drama, after ten years...

.I cant tell you how afraid I felt...what thoughts tormented me...the financial loss, the lack of control and power....The ten years I had spent building the Department up, the twenty years I had spent at this school ......but once the decision had been made ... the feeling was of amazing relief and immense joy....

The space in my head which had constantly been filled with work was empty and into it came flooding back all the reasons why I became a teacher...all the happiness and fulfilment that my job had given me......

During this first week back I have been elated, every lesson has been a joy...and I feel transformed...I feel I am home...

Sometimes the hardest decisions are hard because they are worth making and sometimes...whatever our faiths or beliefs...there is a negativity that doesn't want this for us... so it fills our heads and hearts with fear....

::

You may be wondering what I plan to do with this space in my head....

well I plan...

to become...

a ...

lay preacher...

for the first time in years I have passion and purpose in my life and it feels wonderful....

I think this poem sums up how I feel we should live our lives....

and as for me...

Well its my time to dance....

::

dance

as though no one is watching you

love

as though you have never been hurt before

sing

as though no one can hear you

live

as though heaven is on earth

::

:: Prayers answered ::

"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you Right, forget about the ones who don't and believe that everything that happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it'd be easy, they just promised it would be worth it." Unknown

I found this quote in the School Governor's bulletin of all things...but it resonated with me and made me think and reflect on all that we have gone through since January.

Those of you who follow my little blog will know we have had quite a hard time during the last six months, we have been so encouraged and comforted by all your kind words. Thank you.

I am delighted to tell you we have turned a corner... Mr.B had an interview last week and now has a new job for September, in walking distance would you believe ?

Work has also turned around for me and through all the pain and anguish good has prevailed and positives have come out of it all.

I still have lots to do, my new routine at the weekend is rising at 5am and working till the family get up, but I am getting through it all and feel I am almost at the top of the mountain to admire the view. Please share it with me...