Monday, family visits, mothers, children, disability, special needs, coping, not coping, needing more: afternoon, one of those meetings, partnership, working together, best interests of the child, blah blah blah, Sally, what do you think? Um..oh go for it...well, we sit in these meetings, but still parents struggle, no physio for months, no speech therapy for months, shortage of social workers, shortage of health visitors, my service is all they have, and I can't do enough..oops have I spoken out of turn???
Monday evening a trip to Chelmsford for a festival meeting, hopefully a visit to a kitchen showroom beforehand..no M25, M11 sh*tty, takes 2 hours, showroom closed..still a good meeting, and time for some pasta afterwards...yum...
Tuesday, write minutes and do e-mails from 7am, attending training in the morning, organising the venue, giving the training in the afternoon, protecting children, encouraging volunteers, before leaving for Hungerford and a difficult meeting re another festival, people to be managed, hard words to be said: let me do it, he said, it was like watching them be mauled by a small kitten: frustrating, hey mr nice guy, sometimes you have to be hard....back home through driving rain (not speaking, what's new...) to a shoe party given by a friend for my charity...sorry Liz, I bought two pairs:
Wednesday, a work meeting with colleagues from other schemes, the time we meet informally and share anything, and much laughter ensues..together with much political incorrectness..sometimes we just have to.... in the evening, a meal out with a group of volunteers and staff, I put my card behind the bar...they all drink fruit juice or water, think I can run to that..I entertain my volunteers as required and appear to be the butt of all jokes....
Thursday up early and go to a conference put the display stand up, greet colleagues, go to hear the speakers, attend the workshops, 'man' the stand, meet and greet, sell the service, pack up the stand, back to the office, do some work, drive home..first night in all week..Clvie is working late...I eat biscuits, drink tea, lie in the bath, walk the dog, cook the dinner, lie on the sofa and sleep through 'Coast': go to bed and stay up late 'talking' on msn to friend with new mac....
Friday up later, visit a family, hear about life with disabled child, see total devotion and commitment, hear about the court case, the marriage problems, and as I leave I get a hug for listening...the volunteer has been supporting for 2 years and is an angel....
Decide to leave the office early, meet Rosemarie and go swimming, 22 lengths without stopping, a record, where am I getting this energy from...go home for a conference call, takes an hour, then go to pub to meet V for a drink and we talk for two hours (she was my bereavement counsellor, now friend) I buy pizzas on the way home, curl up on the sofa and watch Glastonbury..you know, life is ok after all....
4 comments:
wow what a week - am exhausted reading it all.. and a little confused - which two of the three pairs shown did you buy?
Sounds SO busy and SO prodective - it gives me hope that one day I can return to that too... thanks.
Caroline, you will..it's taken me about two years to 'refind' myself and have some energy..it won't take you that long, I'm sure, and I may regress in the winter, but at the moment..I am going with the flow!!! And so must you xx
Does sound wearing...but all the shoes are great, so am hoping that they are all happily resident chez Sally.
I've got stupid amounts to do this pm, and they all need thought and space so I'm blogging instead. Aargh
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