Mummy at the School Gate

 Hmmm, doesn’t sound too uplifting does it? It doesn’t really matter because this is for me...and I am no stranger to death. Really. Not my own, but like millions of us around the globe I’ve had loss. I’ve suffered from grief and I’ve prayed that it would never happen again. But it does. It’s inevitable. With life there’s death. Always. And it’s those who are left behind who suffer continuously.  I’m not incredibly self indulgent (unless it comes to buying clothes), but as this blog is for my thoughts it’s my indulgent spot where I can say what I want, not that I’ve not censored or held back on posting. If you looked into my drafts you’ll see 100’s of posts that I haven’t posted. I’m not really who I say I am. The things I’ve written about have happened, but 10 years ago I needed an outlet for something that happened and mummyattheschoolgate was born. It helped me through a rough patch.  I don’t have three children. I have one son. I’m not 40 something, I’m older. I feel younger. I hav

Smells evoke memories of a time and place. I say this because recently I lost my sense of taste and smell for a while, and despite not being able to smell or taste anything I could imagine and remember what they were like.  I pondered the idea of just eating just lettuce and pretending that it was chocolate.  Having tried the experiment on cottage cheese, I soon realised that it really wasn't going to work.  Cottage cheese does not have the texture of cake...it has the texture of cottage cheese! I have a candle on my desk. It's in a tin and was bought for my birthday by Bart.  I haven't lit it.  But every now and then, I lift the lid off and breath in the beautiful smell of a bluebell wood. I'm sure it doesn't smell like a bluebell wood. I'm not even sure I've smelt a bluebell wood, but it says so on the tin.  Now that spring is here, I open the door and smell the wonderful fresh distinctive smell of new beginnings. Walking the beasts, I smell growing gras

Its been three weeks since Peewee (aptly named by Mimi), joined our household, and he's settled in as though he's always been here. Chubba has taken him under his paw, and together they make forays into the garden, sniffing, doing their business and "reading the papers" as my ma says. They make a handsome couple and Peewee is never far from Chubba's watchful eye. Persuading BH to get Peewee, was easy. "Chubba will teach him the rules" was one persuasion. "It will teach the kids a sense of responsibility" was another. Walking him won't be a problem as I always do it anyway, and in my own weird way I plan to train him with love, after all I've potty trained 3 kids and never lost my temper. I know, I know, like kids dogs and puppies need to know the boundaries, they need to know how far they can push and they need to know who's boss...and it isn't me! Peewee has me feeding him by hand. He just won't chow on down like m