Ridgeway Cottage anyhow

Once upon a time there were lots of kings who chased around the world robbing whatever land they fancied, locking people are in towers and hitting everyone with their swords/ sticks / spiky metaL balls on chains. It seems that at one point many kingdoms had a passion for claiming islands that were close enough to them in nature where sheep, climate and jumpers matched their homelands. Just because something is closest to me does it make it mine. Just because I run around shouting at everyone "Mine..mine..mine" does it actually mean that I have ownership? Unfortunately positioned in the middle of the Irish sea pretty close to Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales and not too far from Scandinavian, it seems that Isle of Man was fair game for anyone with a boat. With boats there's not only the threat of invasion but smuggling is made a whole lot easier especially when you are surrounded by coast. However this is an Isle of character, resilience against the takers of the earth ...

As a teacher it isn't okay to have favourites but rules were made to be broken. It's quite easy to get on my list of favourites, it is in fact any student that I see regularly. However obviously the more I see a student, the more I get to know them and familiarity leads to fondness. I have one in particular who is on the autistic spectrum. He has such a wonderful turn of phrase. He believes that there is no good or bad weather it's just weather and I wholeheartedly agree. For what seems like forever I believed  I had good days and bad days but not any more. For 2016 I am just going to have days and I am sure this new perspective will make a big difference.  So on 1 February I can announce that I have already made some exciting new discoveries. I've learnt how to use the zipper foot on my sewing machine and in the process made a skirt. Bags and bags of whatever have left the house as part of my decluttering which was long overdue. I can't believe how much of the stuf...