I know you have been worried, my few faithful readers! I know you've been on tenterhooks about it. I know you were concerned for my fermenting sanity. But I can report that the 2014 elderflower fizz is a huge success.
A new and slightly different recipe but the fizz is effervescent and the taste superb. If I could I'd invite you all round (believe me you would all fit in) for a slurp and a toast.
Now where did I put that recipe..........
Friday 25 July 2014
Gifts for the teacher
Last day of school today. The number of parents who were weighed down with their gifts for their child's teacher was quite noticeable and believe me some of those gift bags looked rather big.
My children took a bunch of sweet peas from the garden in last week in a jam jar that said 'Thank you' on. It's green, cheap (I'll admit but lovingly nurtured - see there the teaching parallel!) and even if the teacher doesn't like beautiful, perfumed, delicate flowers they can always compost them. We sent it with sincere and happy thanks for another productive and incident-free academic year.
A whole industry has grown up around the last day of school with gifts and cards to buy for your child's teacher. It seems we are absolute suckers for it. There is the prom event nowadays and also apparently the nursery graduation ceremony, complete with miniature caps and gowns to buy for our little darlings. And parents fall for it. Any possible excuse and the shops will make it and we will purchase it.
I know that we trust teachers with our children and they play a huge role in their and our lives but I think that we now go over the top with the present for the teacher. Although many may be given with sincerity, I suspect some are modern cases of 'keeping up with the Jones'. And to give credit to the teachers I am sure they would be more than touched and contented with a card, holding heart-felt and genuine messages of thanks within.
I'd also like to mention all those backroom staff that play crucial roles too in the lives of our children: all the admin staff, the dinner time staff, the caretakers, the people who delivery extra-curricula activities. They are crucial in allowing the school to run as smoothly as possible. Shouldn't we buy for them too? Don't they feel they've missed out?
I thought my friend solved the dilemma of whether to buy or not to buy very well last year. She has three children. She is grateful that they are happy and learning well in school. She bought a shiny red apple for the each of her child's teachers and gave it with humour and much gratitude.
My children took a bunch of sweet peas from the garden in last week in a jam jar that said 'Thank you' on. It's green, cheap (I'll admit but lovingly nurtured - see there the teaching parallel!) and even if the teacher doesn't like beautiful, perfumed, delicate flowers they can always compost them. We sent it with sincere and happy thanks for another productive and incident-free academic year.
A whole industry has grown up around the last day of school with gifts and cards to buy for your child's teacher. It seems we are absolute suckers for it. There is the prom event nowadays and also apparently the nursery graduation ceremony, complete with miniature caps and gowns to buy for our little darlings. And parents fall for it. Any possible excuse and the shops will make it and we will purchase it.
I know that we trust teachers with our children and they play a huge role in their and our lives but I think that we now go over the top with the present for the teacher. Although many may be given with sincerity, I suspect some are modern cases of 'keeping up with the Jones'. And to give credit to the teachers I am sure they would be more than touched and contented with a card, holding heart-felt and genuine messages of thanks within.
I'd also like to mention all those backroom staff that play crucial roles too in the lives of our children: all the admin staff, the dinner time staff, the caretakers, the people who delivery extra-curricula activities. They are crucial in allowing the school to run as smoothly as possible. Shouldn't we buy for them too? Don't they feel they've missed out?
I thought my friend solved the dilemma of whether to buy or not to buy very well last year. She has three children. She is grateful that they are happy and learning well in school. She bought a shiny red apple for the each of her child's teachers and gave it with humour and much gratitude.
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