Hello World: A catching up post | Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Phew, I am have in the eye of a hurricane for the last few days, and now am quite ill.

Returned home from Sweden on Wednesday, having got caught in Stockholm’s crawling, bumper to bumper traffic on Tuesday, and missed our flight. Slept in the airport’s very expensive Radisson, and caught the mornings 7 a.m. flight (just!!).
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Zoe’s GCSE results the next day were good, all A*s and A’s. She was disappointed as she had wanted all A*s, the highest possible grade. She missed her Greek A* by 2% on a translation paper, and feels sure they must have inadvertently skipped a page or something, so we are going to get it re-marked. I am pleased and relieved at her results, though she is disappointed.

It struck us that we are going to have girls taking public exams every year from now to 2017, with just a break in 2013 when Irene is in Year 10. 2017!! 2017!!
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I was so looking forward to the Greenbelt Festival, but I seem to have picked up a cold, cough and mild flu. I even got into the car, and drove till the end of the lane, but then found I was coughing and my eyes were closing. One of my life verses is

For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel,
 “In returning and rest you shall be saved;
 in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
 But you would none of it. Isaiah 30:15.


This verse has saved my physical and emotional health so many times, and contributed greatly to my happiness,  and general sanity. There must have been scores of times when I pulled out of doing something because of this verse.


In returning and in rest, you shall be saved. So since I was physically exhausted by illness, sleepy, with a bad chesty cough, I turned right round, and returned home to my laptop. I will still have three whole days of Greenbelt, and will enjoy them thoroughly for being less ill.  
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And my daughters are in…..India! We arrived home at noon on Wednesday, and they left this afternoon. I was too ill to help them pack, so I just hope they have remembered everything, like cameras!! I fear they have not, alas!! It is traditional to give lavish presents when you return to your hometown, but I was far too weak and ill to contemplate shopping, so sent Zoe and Irene to shop–with a budget. They bought lovely stuff, including a beautiful red cashmere sweater I nearly captured, and they kept within budget, by dint of removing stuff at the checkout. That was good as I never manage to keep within budget when I go present shopping. Nor do I shop as carefully and thoughtfully as those girls did!! (They did buy £150 of boxes of chocolates to give as gifts, but they are just 12 and 16 after all!!) 


I was dreading the busyness of that 48 hour period, but being ill I found almost everything could be delegated. Yay! The stress of the break-in to our campervan and the stolen iPad, iPod, and two laptops, wallet, credit cards etc caused a white streak in my hair to appear overnight!! Gosh! I really cannot go white before I turn 50, so did manage to drag myself to my Iranian hairdresser for an application of natural Iranian henna. I now have coppery-mahogany streaks in my hair!! Roy was a bit amused and incredulous at my vanity–and so was I!! Especially since that seems to be the only thing I have achieved in the last two days!