Saturday 8 March 2008

March

I'm sitting here, typing erratically with all my fingers. I am thinking of introducing my elbows to the keyboard as well, just to liven things up! At college on the return to work course I'm taking we are studying Word. I'm doing well at that. They haven't heard of blogs there.

At home my boys are all wearing new hats, fairly constantly as kids do - handknitted, multi-coloured and sporting an attached woollen plait over each ear. Peruvian hats they call them. Apparently these are the epitome of style at the High School. I am agog. They look like bonnets to me. But who am I to know what's cool hey?

The careers counsellor at college revealed our options to us the other day. Unless we take further retraining, the future is £6 an hour in a reception office - eg hospital, GP practice or library. Most people took this news badly. Of course there are many more possibilities sure. But typically £6 an hour? - streuth!

I'm going to study horticulture in an evening class - an RHS diploma. And in the meantime I'm looking for work in a garden centre or nursery. No stranger to mud, I love being outdoors, whatever the weather. It's a darn sight better than saying "Can I help you?" and "sorry to keep you" thousands of times a day. Been there done that - never say never but no thanks!!

21 comments:

Iota said...

Horticulture - how lovely!

How funny that those Peruvian hats have become cool. Did you ever see "About a Boy' (Hugh Grant) The geeky boy was made to wear one of them to school by his yogurt-weaving mother, and we all felt sorry for him. The wheel of fortune has turned for the Peruvian hat. There is hope for us all.

Maggie May said...

I wish I was young enough to wear a Peruvian hat. They've been going around for a good while over here.

the mother of this lot said...

I wish I was old enough to wear a Peruvian hat!

Good luck with the horticulture. I am no stranger to mud myself. Usually trodden in the living room carpet.

david mcmahon said...

You can type with all your fingers? I salute you - with all my fingers!

Casdok said...

Horticulture, sounds great! As do the hats!

Mrs Mac said...

Ah yes those weird hats are all over their heads here, too (Colchester). Still, it draws attention away from the jeans that they wear half way down their thighs so that their arses are on full grey-underpant show. (What the??)

COngrats on the studying. I was doing OU but having a year off. I'd love to work in a garden centre too..... I need to learn to drive first so I can reach one!

Daryl said...

Neat post! Happy March.

David sent me.

aims said...

I use to knit those hats back in the early 80's!

Glad to see you out and about Merry!

And I think you can do anything you set your mind to...

Poetess said...

Hello Merry

Didn't realise you were posting again. Good 2 see u back, Thanks 4 the message on my blog.

Poetessxxx

Cath said...

I type with all my fingers too! I 'll try the elbows - may get less typos!

The hats sound like bonnets to me too. They haven't got to Lancashire yet but I'm sure they will (or maybe I'm just not up to date enough...)

Horticulture sounds great if you like outdoors - my sister is doing the college course and loves it (but there are some boring bits).

David pointed the way over btw. Great post.

Charlene Amsden said...

Horticulture and The Culture of The Peruvian Hat .... sounds like a murder mystery. Keep typing, it might turn out to be a best seller.

I Beatrice said...

I too was put in mind of Marcus and his Mum in "About a Boy" (what a marvellous book - and film; especially the bit where he throws his Mum's home-made bread at the duck on Regents Park lake, and kills the poor thing stone dead!).

I have often wondered from whence they spring, these changing fashion trends? I've felt the same about the New Season fashions for women - does somebody, somewhere, sit down one day and think "bright apple green will be the colour this year" and hey presto! every High St shop is suddenly stocking nothing else!

An unlikely theory - but I can't think how else it works

But oh my! Will we suddenly see all our hoodies wearing fair isle hats?

I think you are very brave to be doing the back-to-work course - but don't listen to those who tell you to pitch yourself so low! You are worth a hundred times more than that, and will eventually find the perfectly right thing, I'm sure. The RHS course sounds a lovely idea......

david mcmahon said...

I could come round and give them an introduction to Blogging 101!!

merry weather said...

Hello Iota! Thanks, and no I missed it - I read the book though. What did you say about hope? Where? :)

Hi Maggie - I'm certainly not wearing one - although it has been suggested...

Thanks MOFL - our carpets had to go a while back. I'm Mrs Mop now - love your blog!

Cheers David, I'm back to 2 now or is it 4?

Hi Casdok, nice to see you!

Hello Helena, thanks for visiting. Shall drop in to yours. I know exactly what you mean and why are the pants always grey? So dull..!

Thanks Daryl - coming over to see you too

Thanks Aims that's nice :) Of course - you're a skilled knitter as well as story weaver!

Kisses to you Poetess - your new poems are great!

Hello Crazy Cath - you sound great fun. Shall pop over and find out!

Hello Quilldancer - Like your style ;)

Hello Bea! Lovely to see you again. Thanks for those kind words, shall do my best. Yes, the sales will be full of hideous colours come this June - a lot of strange ideas on the racks this season. Maybe within the fashion trade there's a select committee of colour co-ordinators! Who knows :)
And Good Luck with the rewrite of your excellent novel over on your blog.

merry weather said...

Blogging 101 - crikey - sounds chilling!

Anonymous said...

Couldn't agree more! Trying to please pedantic customers (like me) is enough to drive you over the edge! Hope the horticulture goes well for you. Being outdoors is certainly beneficial.

Crystal xx

Swearing Mother said...

Do horticullture, not offices.

That's all I have to say on the matter.

o)

Mean Mom said...

I used to audio-type like the wind, but I am out of practise now. I still love typing, though. I am a very sad person!

No need to worry about the low wage. If you want to start, you have to start somewhere. It could lead to better things. Word processing is a useful skill to have. So many people need it, nowadays, no matter what they do.

merry weather said...

Hi Crystal - you're right, forget trying to please - some people are just impossible. But not you surely!! I learned a lot back then, it'll all come out in memoirs one day, maybe!

OK Jane, I like your decisiveness :)

Hello Mean Mom, thanks that's encouraging and sensible. It cost me £60+ to fill up the car today - I think that alone would be 10 hours of work! Ho hum, whatever comes will be a start.

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

Glad you are back and sounding so very positive. Green fingers then? I can kill grass if left to my own devices. But there is always that romantic notion about being a landscape gardener who potters around mysterious and interesting people's gardens whilst you create something of immense beauty. Good luck, get some decent hand ceam, a nail brush and tough old garden gloves! Yer in for some hard but rewarding work.

merry weather said...

Hello MOB - what a cheering thought!

Don't think I've created anything of immense beauty, at all, ever, yet! (Apart from the King Arthur costume for school Book Week last year... that doesn't really count huh.)

Thank you, this is just the kind of inspiration I need :)