Tuesday 16 June 2009

Bananazed

This is the card that I was given by the committee. How well they know me.

So, all went well although, having got to the last item on the agenda - that is, voting on the new committee; they'd each been proposed and seconded already, and had then been proposed and seconded for election en bloc - it suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't taken votes on anything else, only proposals. So I did a rapid recap and made everyone raise their hands three times. Fortunately, they resisted any temptation to turn it into a Mexican wave. I'd love to think I've brought a pleasing informality to the running of the society, but I'm afraid the most I can hope for is lovable amateurism, and more likely is patient acceptance of mild incompetence.

I've been given a generous book token, and now I need to look for books on the arts (this doesn't have to mean paintings - eg, our talk today was on Saxon churches). Then we went out to lunch, where I wasn't allowed to pay, and then I came home in time to pick up Squiffany from nursery school.

She had cried every time she was left there since the beginning of term, but last week, after the dentist told her it was time to stop sucking her thumb, her parents set up a star chart to encourage her - she's the sort of child to respond very well to that. Indeed, she has tried very hard and seems to have broken the habit, although it hasn't really been put to the test yet. While they were about it, they suggested that other examples of good behaviour (she'd been a bit wilful recently) might be noted, including not crying when left, when everyone knew she likes nursery really. Reader, it worked. I was surprised, last week, when she didn't look tearful when I left her (as I didn't know about the chart at the time) and today, when we arrived, one little girl said to another "oh good, here's Squiffany". I helped her hang her things up and asked her what she wanted to do while waiting for everyone else to arrive. "I want to play with Megan," she said cheerfully and I left the three girls in the playground. Normally, she likes to be left with an adult.

I took her to spend some time afterwards in the shop with her father. Al had been slightly frustrated yesterday. It was after 6 o'clock and he was nearly packed up, and the phone rang. It was a customer who'd found a swarm of bees in the garden and was asking him to come and take them away - and he'd have loved to, but he didn't have time. He had to be at a governors' meeting at 6.30, so he gave them another beekeeper's number to contact. He's been wanting to have a go at taking a swarm, having lost his own.

12 comments:

Dave said...

Perhaps you could look for a book on the art of bricklaying, and then tell us all where we're going wrong.

Z said...

We're going wrong?

Oh.

Dandelion said...

I recommend this

Anonymous said...

I love this picture! So cute :)

lom said...

love the card

Christopher said...

Nice post! I've just finished a piece about bees swarming outside our bathroom window the other day - you should find it here (if you're interested) any time after July 1st:

http://www.frenchconnections.co.uk/en/guide/blog/99316-campbells-diary

Still no rain here, but the post is sometimes very slow.

Happy bricklaying!

Z said...

I'll make a note, Christopher. Sorry about the lack of rain, Dave made me send the rain by slow coach.

I was deeply suspicious of the title, Dand, but seeing the book was originally published in the sixties, was more inclined to let it through. Not fine art though.

I love the card too.

Z said...

A combination of Broadband, Blogger and Google, together and separately, playing up thoroughly, is making it a bit difficult to write a post tonight. If I don't make it through, darlings, remember me....

Dave said...

I trust it's the computer problems, and not a hangover from too much birthday celebrations yesterday, that mean we still haven't got a new post.

Z said...

No, hardened drinkers don't get hangovers. I've been too busy for the last 4 hours or so to post.

The Preacherman said...

Typical.

I have a friend who is a banana.

Z said...

Chinese, gay and living in the West?

I have a feeling you don't get hangovers too often.