What do I need to do?

I just had my 3rd job interview, and yet again didn't get the job. yet again I was told that I cam across really well, that I am going to be a good teacher, and that I will get a job really quickly, however yet again I have finished the day without a job. It's really early days with teaching jobs, but I just want to get this sorted, I am sick off filling in application forms which are all different, but basically asking for the same information. I am sick of trying to plan a perfect interview lesson that I will probably never use again, and I am sick of the stress of worrying about being late, and wether it will all go ok.

Anyway, I had a night off from Rainbows this week as I didn't know when I would be back and it was lovely, still didn't spare me from needing to fill in district commissioner paperwork though. It's a good job I have a busy week though, as it's going to take my mind off it nicely, tomorrow and Thursday night are meetings realted to the High Peak Marathon ( see here and here for details), and then Friday will be spent driving around the Peak District with lots of smelly runners and checkpointers.

shopping

I went shopping today, I've not shopped in ages. Yes I've been food shopping, but that's not proper shopping! While I had a list and I bought everything on that list I am very easily distracted, today's impulse purchases; new pajama bottoms in black and pink and a pair of gorgeous purple boots that were reduced from £70 to £25, bargain!
In even better news I'm going skiing this year, I had really wanted to, but it wasn't looking possible, however my Mum rang me this afternoon and asked me if I'd like to go the week after I get back from climbing in France at Easter! Score! We're off to Bansko in Bulgaria, where apparently a bottle of beer is 80p, sounds like my kind of place!

Even better it's only 2 weeks until I get to go on holiday!

Fix-it-Friday

Yet again it's Friday, and yet again I find myself going meh, how is it Friday again?
Basically I have nothing more to contribute this week than some links, life has just been too busy recently to manage to do more than keep up with school, Guiding and trying to have a tiny social life.
Anyway for this week I offer the Rainbow andBrownie sites on Girlguiding Uk.
If you have small daughters I'm sure they'll love the games on here.

I apologise for the poor quality of this weeks fix-it-friday. I will try harder for next week!

Did the Earth move for you last night?

Sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway for those American readers who visit here and have no idea what I'm referring to last night in UK we had a minor earthquake (5.5 on he Richter scale apparently!). Guess who slept straight through it!
School is going ok, I'm in a serious blurghhh at the moment, lessons aren't bad, but I just haven't had one of those really good lessons in a while! The kids behavior isn't great, nothing obviously poor, but constant low level chatter and general annoyingness.

Anyway tonight I actually get to socialise, it will be nice to try and have a sane conversation that isn't about children, teaching, or school, or guiding!

Fix-it-Friday

Well now that Jo has posted about the pressie I sent for her and Little Man I can actually do my post on how to make it.
Should you wish to have your own little Scottie dog, you can find the pattern here at Wee Wonderfuls.

This was really easy to make, only rudimentary sewing skills are require, and after all if something is perfect it doesn't quite have that hand-made look.

That's all for todays fix-it-friday. I am going to try and get my sock done before heading out for tonights thinking day walk!

Happy Thinking Day

Well for tomorrow anyway, but I suddenly realised I'd not posted for quite a while, and the reason for that is that it is thinking day tomorrow. This means that I am out delivering census forms to all the Rainbow, Brownie and Guide units every night this week. Census is when guiding takes a count of how many member we have all over the country, and the date that we take that count is Thinking Day.
Thinking Day is when we celebrate Guiding and Girl Scouting all over the world, the 22nd of February was chosen as it's the birthday of the man who founded Scouting (Lord Baden-Powell) and his wife who was the Chief Guide. On Friday night all the girls in my district are getting together for a torch-lit walk and a sing song, just our way of having a bit of a celebration really.

Anyway lesson in Guiding over, and I'm afraid I haven't really got anything interesting to post, except have you seen what I've managed to do in my side bar. I'm not the most html savvy so I'm very proud at managing to my Ravelry items up there! Keep your eye on it over the next few days and I'll probably be adding some new things. The final sock is nearly done!

Come back tomorrow for a fix-it-friday post on something, though I'm not sure what yet!

Fix-it-Friday

Today I decided we'd have a bit of a change! I've been staying with my parents all week which has been wonderful. I don't really do lying around doing nothing so I have actually been working every day except one this week. It's been nice, I feel ready to face some kids again on Monday (or at least I will when I spend Sunday planning lessons and printing them out!)
My Dad runs a work based learning project for people with learning difficulties. They basically make garden furniture (and other things), with the aim of giving people the skills they need to be able to work.
They also make a range of nest boxes, and by coincidence it's National Nestbox week in the UK. If you do have a garden then putting up a nestbox is a really great idea. If you do get birds in it watching them fly back and forth feeding chicks is great fun. Its also good for our wildlife. If you don't have a garden them maybe you could try putting up a bird feeder. You can get window mounted ones now and the birds don't seem to mind coming so close to the house if there's food involved!

If you feel like being ultra- creative then there are directions for making your own nest box here. It's really not that tricky, I'm actually really enjoying playing with power tools!
If you have a really big rural garden you could even try a tawny owl box!
Just click on the picture to see the measurements, these things are huge!


Edited to add that a commentator has let me know that this tawny owl box design might not be the greatest. I don't know enough to really comment, it is however taken from the RSPB website. Feel free to make your own (educated) decision, we're all about personal choice here at chez hilltop. I'd say that with any bird box you need to make sure it is well constructed, can you imagine the guilt if it broke while having chicks in it! I have no doubt that whatever design is made at my Dad's project it is well constructed, after all it would have been made by my power tool wielding mother!