up at 3am to get Sam to school for 4.15 for his snowboarding trip to Vermont, USA. Looking at the weather forecasts the daytime temperatures here over the past few weeks are about the same as they are on Mount Killington, so at least he will be acclimatised.
He admitted to feeling a bit nervous before he went, because a) he had never been abroad without his family before, and b) none of his friends were going on the trip. Poor lad, he is a sensitive soul and a worrier a bit like his ma, but unlike his ma he has the guts at the age of twelve to sign up for the trip. Fortunately he is one of those kids who will speak to anybody and seems to make friends very easily. If you haven't guessed I am fretting about him.....
Just as I was coming off the motorway on the way home from dropping him at school I received a text saying 'where is my passport?' (I should point out that I wasn't reading the text while driving - my husband's ridiculous car actually reads out texts and e mails to you if you want it to, and sometimes, if you are as useless at working it as I am, when you don't want it to too.) Well, to say that this threw me into something of a panic would be an understatement. It was about 5 minutes before I could safely pull over and respond, during which time he had sent me the text again, so I was obviously not the only one panicking.
To the best of my knowledge he had handed the passport in to his teacher at school along with spending money for the trip and various forms. I had understood that the teacher was keeping all of the passports, but maybe I'd got it wrong and he was just copying them and had given them back and Sam hadn't told me.
When I stopped and responded my fears were allayed, he hadn't realised that his passport had been in the envelope he had handed in. Phew!
Went back to bed when I got in, but the sky high adrenalin levels caused by the passport panic meant that I didn't really get back to sleep properly. So it was a knackered and it was not a very productive day.
My art class was cancelled in the afternoon so because it was quite a nice day I took myself off to Compton Verney which is about twenty minutes drive away. It is a stately home which has an art gallery and grounds designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown. There was a new art exhibition that I wanted to see. The concept was quite interesting - artists who would not usually have the opportunity to be shown or recognised due to difficult physical, mental or social factors in their lives were being exhibited alongside their choice of an artwork from the gallery's British Folk Art collection. I liked the idea, but in reality the whole thing just left me feeling a bit flat. Maybe it was just down to my mood.
I was kicking myself because although I carried a bag with three lenses and just about every bit of camera paraphernalia I own around with me I had left my polarising filter in the kitchen at home.
In the evening Graham and I tried to have a serious, adult, non-shouty conversation with Angus about why he is not doing ANY revision for his GCSE's, and what we can do to help him. It seems nothing is the answer to that, and he can't seem to make himself care enough to do anything about them. He's not stupid, he knows how important they are. I despair.
How strange, I was there with my wife last Sunday. I think you had the better weather looking at your sky. Nicely composed with just a little bit of snow still showing.
Jan, you should write a book ...or maybe start at a short story! Your description of this photo had nothing to do with the shot but was twice as interesting - and thats saying something!
@maggiemae Thanks Maggie, I know I do burble on a bit these days, but I am trying to make my project more of a blog/journal this year so I can mark my 50th year. Not sure this is the right place for my ramblings really, but people don't have to read them I suppose. Thanks again xx
I did that last year for my 365 project and am so glad I did. I actually had a book (well it took two) printed out of my journey and know I will love looking back on it for years to come. Plus I have a print of all my photos. The good the bad and the ugly.... Very nice shot. I think your son is going to have a wonderful time in Vermont
Terrific shot and I am surprised that you had enough of a steady hand to take the shot after what your son sprang on you! I have one of the cars that reads text messages to you. It can cause some amazing hilarity as it tries to get around certain words.
Lovely sunny and peaceful shot (unlike your state of mind with your boys!!) We had that un-shouty conversation with our daughter last night as to why it is not ok to steal your mother's phone battery and leave her with a dead one!! Teenagers!!!
I always read your ramblings too, they are as interesting as the photos! Lovely photo today, I hope Sam is having a great time, I'm sure he is! Vermont is one of many places I'd love to visit. I've heard it is spectacular in Autumn.
@lucypics Have you read the book called "get out of my life, but first take me and Alex into town" Lucy? Two of the things that it says you have just got to come to terms with is that at this age they are utterly self-centred and lie. One day they'll be lovely again, I am sure.
Lovey shot Jan and sounds like you have had a but of a time of it but as your follows say, it does get easier as they metamorphous. Also thanks for the heads up re my spelling of the dpitychs, which I had never heard of before, I have gone back and corrected it :-)
This is a really wonderful shot, I thought I was already following you, but apparently not, so lets put that right. I loved your back story, I know the passport panic you speak off, glad all was well. I am right with you on the GCSE revision nightmare, just don't know how to help him help himself, just have to hope, pray and drink wine, me, not him obviously!!
I totally know where you're coming from with the revision conversation. Ellen has done a little bit of art, but I haven't seen her with a school book throughout the entire holiday.
I met a friend yesterday who said her daughter had written and stuck to an hour by hour plan for revision over the whole holiday. That just makes me feel inadequate.
I know, but you can't actually MAKE them do it can you? I met somebody the other day who I haven't seen for a while. She is a complete control freak and told me that she writes her son's revision plan and makes him stick to it. Needless to say, her kids are very odd and who knows what they will do when they go to uni. @dh
Lovely photo & you did really well considering what your state of mind was Jan! All sounds a complete heart stopping episode but what a brave boy!! I used to worry so much about exam results, eldest son studied quite hard at school & did reasonably well, middle daughter worked really hard but third son never did a stroke of work but has found his own niche in life. Since he left school he has blossomed & if you want to know anything ask Anthony. Don't despair he will be Ok ! Girls are much more organised about revision.
Beautiful picture, and I must say, the "ridiculous car" comment made me laugh, definitely sounds like something my man would install then be the only one to actually know how to work it! haha. I hope your son has a wonderful time!
Hadn't realized he was going across the 'big pond'...he'll love it! Vermont is beautiful. I think my so is a cross between your two boys...don't they just drive you batty!
I believe my husband owns one of the "ridiculous cars" you speak about LOL. I hope Sam's trip to Vermont is more than he is expecting. It's a beautiful, beautiful state. All the best to him in his travels and for his safekeeping.
Great depth in this. Good lad going away like that - Adam is pretty confident but these days he's always checking whether he has friends going first- he was more game when he was 12! Oh dear on the revision - hopefully it will kick in - ours start on the 7th (art before then) so we do luckily have action on that front. My daughter got away with remarkably little because they were modular and really not as much revision was required as 'our day'. Adam's are NOT modular so I'm glad she's not doing his!
@jantan Oh and you're right about the control freakery - my friend was telling me that 'we have done well in our course work' but he's going to have to get on with revising if 'we are going to get good final results'. And she's only letting her son do A'levels that she's interested in. I don't know whether to be impressed because she puts in so much effort (even if I could be bothered I wouldn't know the answers) or shout at her and point out that he would be much better off being allowed to get on with it himself. Even if he does well he won't feel any self satisfaction.
@jantan Honestly she has been doing his homework since kindergarten and she wonders why he isn't self motivated. And what is the point of getting results that are 'too good' - unless she's planning on going to university with him as well it's going to catch up eventually. She actually said 'He really wants to do English but I don't have time to read all the books so I've told him we're doing biology.' I'd take to drugs if I were him!
@judithg maybe she will go with him. A woman who lives near us did that. Her daughter was homesick when she went away, so they bought a flat and the Mum moved in with her while she did her degree.
@jantan Oh blimey!! Should be glad purs dont remember to call!! Rachel was telling us about an American student who managed to get an injunction to stop her parents interfering in her college life. They installed spying software in her phone & laptop, followed her around campus and accused her of drug abuse, promiscuity & mental illness. When she got the restraining order they told the college she was mentally ill. The college hired security guards to keep them out so they demanded all their fees back. The court told them to get lost & the college gave her a scolarship!!
This is so beautiful. Wonderful composition.
I didn't know your son was coming to the U.S.
Hope he had a wonderful time.
I had to chuckle about the passport panic. Years ago, I dropped my brother off at the airport before I went to work. As I was driving away, I looked in the rear view mirror and saw him chasing after me! Turns out he left his plane ticket on the dashboard in the car. LOL
May 28th, 2013
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I love this picture. Such blue sky!
Your image here is gorgeous! Ooh, those clouds!!!
I didn't know your son was coming to the U.S.
Hope he had a wonderful time.
I had to chuckle about the passport panic. Years ago, I dropped my brother off at the airport before I went to work. As I was driving away, I looked in the rear view mirror and saw him chasing after me! Turns out he left his plane ticket on the dashboard in the car. LOL