Z worries a bit

I've got a lot on at the moment. I'm helping the chairman of governors at the school - effectively taking over for practical purposes. I'm winding down the year, while planning for January. This is fine, in itself, as I am quite good at thinking ahead. I'm rubbish at actually doing ahead, but I hang on to the thought that looking for the pitfalls is as good as actually avoiding them. But it's meant, among other things, that I'm now the link governor for four areas - Special Needs, Music, Languages and Vocational learning. It's quite a lot, if you do them all properly. The worrying thing is that if I do, I get really interested and involved, which takes more time.

Dilly's brother-in-law's mother is very ill at present. Do send healing thoughts her way. I've never met her, actually. I can't remember if I've ever given Dilly's family names, so I'll simply call them Paula and Matt, because that's who they are. They've not been very lucky at Christmas. Their cat went missing last year, and never turned up, and Matt's dad died at Christmas a few years ago. Mum has had an operation, during which cancer was discovered, and now she has an infection. It's touch and go.

The Sage is being very brave, but he got an infection too, resulting in a gum abscess and he's having a couple of teeth out tomorrow.

Tender food for a few days, methinks.

I've decided on a menu for Thursday. I won't tell you now, in case I change my mind. Actually, the food is no problem. If you all turned up for a meal, I'd feed you all a proper home-cooked dinner within the hour - 40 minutes if someone else laid the table. But I sort of need to get the hoover out. Pine needles everywhere from all those blessed holly wreaths.

Al and I made 6 last night, and 8 the night before. Both sessions lasted an hour and the difference was that last night's holly was very prickly, because that's what he'd been asked for. He sells them for £5 and, other than the wire base and the wire to hold the greenery, the materials cost nothing (we make wreaths in exchange for holly and fir). But we don't count our time. Do we (as Nelson would have put it) we'd be reckoning on £3-£4 per wreath just for time at minimum wage.

Tonight was Prizegiving. Fortunately, the chairman was able to come for that, so I didn't have to give a speech. It was lovely that two retired headteachers (one of whom came over from Wales) and several retired teachers joined us for the occasion.

I'm slightly drunk. I got home at quarter past nine and went to poach a couple of eggs, as I hadn't eaten and was very hungry. As I was eating, I checked emails and found one from Dilly. I rang her. "I heard you singing", she said "while I was at the computer and you were putting stuff in the washing machine." I can't remember singing. I know I put stuff in the washing machine, and in the tumble drier, but I don't remember singing.

I remember drinking. I still am, actually, but I've had enough now. I'm going to make coffee and listen to more music. I've got Benny Goodman on at present. It's not really my style of music, swing and that sort of thing, but I love the way he plays. If I could play my clarinet well, I'd model myself on Benny Goodman. You know, apparently effortless but bloody marvellous. I don't want the seams or the effort to show.

Oh gosh. I've just thought of my ideal epitaph. "She didn't let the seams show". Sadly, it's more likely to be "She didn't do that much harm."