Intense sunshine by day and moonshine by night, the brightest shiniest full moon I've seen in a while, and hard hard frosts again. Thick ice in places up on the Calderdale Way above home. Winter still not done with us, but when the sky is blue and the light crystal clear, I'm not so impatient, though I could cheerfully not encounter the sub-zero air on my face again for a long time to come. And there have already been hints of spring. Green bulb shoots in the garden. That purplish haze in the trees that presages the new leaf buds swelling.
A draft contract arrives from the school, and an entirely inappropriate job description, given they have only engaged me to undertake two counselling sessions a week for 10 weeks intially. Item 1. reads : to strategically lead the overall development of a range of support services for students and the wider community. I'd be glad to develop such services for the students, if they engaged me for a decent amount of time each week, but I'm not so sure about the wider community... Also item 6. to maintain regular consultation visits to partner primary schools and other school partners. I'm wondering if, without having mentioned it to me, they are hoping that, after a trial period, they will be able to take me on for a more substantial role. I hope so, but meanwhile there will be a few important points to clarify...
I'm off down south to see my Ma tomorrow for a couple of days. I shall cook her fish pie, drink wine with her, read her extracts from Dad's letters, show her some photographs, watch the Australian Open Tennis with her and generally keep her company. Her spirits are low, and she always cheers up over the course of my visit, so I have to just manage my difficult feelings about her Eeyore-ishness, and believe that it's worth it.
My friend K's friend G died on Tuesday night. I was hoping I might be able to see her when I'm down seeing my Mum, but she can't make the time, feeling at the moment very responsible for her goddaughter, G's 18 year-old, now alone in the world (in terms of family.) My friend C's 96-year-old Mum died peacefully the week before, C's partner M chanting beside her as she slipped away.
1 comment:
I understand your mixed feelings about the apparently rather grandiose job descriptions! On the one hand it sounds potentially exciting if they might really want you to do those things, on the other you wonder if they aren't just saying all that to kid themselves or someone that they really are undertaking all those things when they aren't...
But perhaps it's something you can turn to your advantage, and confronting them with it and starting a dialogue could well open a way to do so...
All the best to Ma, chin up!
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