Human Lifestyle

A much better morning.  And therefore a better day... despite spending most of it doing paperwork!  Gill and I finished off our financial declaration for the Steiner School... we had to work out our gross income, then all our household bills, and other unavoidable costs, such as my Fiddlesticks advertising and travel.  The amount of 'available money' left gives the school the guide as to how much the fee (or donation as they put it) should be.  So, despite our saving money by not having a car, by being really careful with our electricity and gas use, we're going to have a lean few years ahead, because of the large chunk needed to pay for our youngest's education.

I also worked on my CV, which had been requested by a potential employer, and was really happy to get that finished. 

I took the Steiner School paperwork into the school before chucking out time, and Judy checked it over and I agreed (and signed) the annual fee, and agreed to pay a third of this at the beginning of each term.  As I was handing the forms into the office, I asked about the help that's needed in the school that most parents offer.  I said I'd be happiest doing garden-type stuff, and was told that there was a 'gardening teacher' but also a parent called Christine who did most of it.  At that moment, Christine walked past, so the office person stopped her and I introduced myself.  I'll have a meeting with her next week to see what sorts of things need doing.

Then our boyo appeared, I unlocked his bike and we slowly cycled home.  I found some pruned branches and brought a few home.  When we got back, I spent a bit of time with loppers filling a couple of potato sacks with cut sticks... they dry well in these paper sacks, and I use this size of stick for kindling.

Just before dark I popped round to see Tim Jones to pick up the second load of sticks from his garden, and he invited me in for a cuppa, and I met his wife and two daughters. I made a balloon animal for them both. Tim paid me for the half-day's work on Monday.  I now have a large pile of logs and sticks to chop up... again!


A bit later, after tea, I cycled down to Heslington with our other son so he could do his computer graphics lesson with Simon.  I cycled back home via a pile of branches recently pruned back, and got home in time for some washing up and then another cycle back to pick him up again.  I've no idea how many miles I've cycled today but it seems like quite a lot.

Up early as a busy day ahead.  I'd arranged to go and help Tim Jones, the local vicar on Tang Hall Lane, with processing a pile of garden trimmings.  I put my electric shredder in my trailer and he found his extension lead so we could use it on a concrete pad.  Tim had done a lot of garden clearing, pruning galore, so the pile of shreddables was a lot bigger than I'd remembered.  But this also meant that I had a bigger pile of sticks out of the deal! 

However, I had to leave there at 10.30 as at 11 I wanted to be at Stella Rawson's funeral.  I went home to get changed into tidy clothes, and Gill informed me that some friends/colleagues from St Nicks had rang asking where the funeral was.  I hadn't discussed this with Gill so she wasn't able to tell them.  However, after the funeral, I spoke to them and they'd googled her name and come up with my blog post which I'd deliberately put the details of when and where the funeral was.  I was pleased about this.

So, anyway, poor Stella's funeral.  The 'back story' is really sad; she'd had a weight problem for a long time and was determined to reduce it, but dieting hadn't worked so she'd opted to have a gastric band put in, to limit what she could comfortably eat.  She suffered complications, and after several weeks, passed away.  I didn't know Stella well, although I'd met her several times when working with Robin on his solar panel installation and when he'd showed me his super woodstove which runs his central heating.  I feel most sorry for the children.  Losing your Mummy must be really hard to cope with.

The church was packed but I did find a place.  Stella was very involved with the church so it was a normal Christian funeral.  As usual, the best bit of the event was where family and friends say a few words about the person, as that gives you a much better idea of their life.  Stella was very well liked, loved, respected and valued.  It really is a terrible loss.  Afterwards, the close family went to the Crematorium, and other guests went to a buffet lunch... I came home as I needed to get back to Tim's to finish off the shredding.

There wasn't much more to do, so we cleared up and then had a coffee and chat for an hour, covering diverse subjects including Aspergers, counselling, several mutual friends, chimney balloons and more!

But, once again, I had to get away as I wanted to be in Newcastle by 5.30.  I'd been invited to the launch event of the Cultural Partnership between the RSA and Northumbria University.  I managed to get to the station for about 4.45 and there was soon a train heading North, scheduled to take an hour.  When in Newcastle I decided to get a taxi to the venue.
(tbc)