rivettingKateTaylor

There’s nothing like a big hug from someone you’ve known all your life (and who appears genuinely thrilled to see you!)

Some old friends dropped in to see me on Friday.

Kate and Tas have always been around in my life – Kate is my mother’s cousin but midway in age between us. She, like me, used to be Kathryn (known only to the IRD and other such efficacious organisations). Note: that was my new big word for the day.

When I was 11, I went to Invercargill to stay with them one holidays to help when she was pregnant with child #3.  But I was the only person who called her Kathryn. Everyone else called her Kate. So this little madam went home and refused to answer to Kathryn anymore. I could have just reminded the teachers nicely when they forgot, but oh no, little madam had to ignore anyone who called her Kathryn and sustained a few detentions in the meantime!

Anyway, their kids are all grown up now. A Guthrie Bowron conference was the reason for Kate and Tas venturing into the North Island (if you’re in Queenstown go and spend some money in their store….) and they called in on their sightseeing journey up the east coast. It was lovely to show off our little slice of paradise.

Aside from permanent, emtionally scarring, psychological damage from Tas throwing me into Lake Wakatipu fully clothed five minutes before leaving to go home when I was a young teenager, they have always been like mentors to me in a personal sense and I am thankful to them for that.

It’s hard to tell people that in person, well, you just really wouldn’t would you? So I can blush in the privacy of my office and go on to the next thing on my blabber list.

Old friends and new faces. The new faces will be at our school. Not only do the children have a new lady at the school office on Monday, but next year will see a new principal as well.

Mr A is retiring at the end of the year and it’s the job of the board of trustees chairman (namely hubby Thomas) to organise the search for a new one. Luckily the chairman two terms back had a couple of gos at this process (a young one who got headhunted fairly quickly, a disastrous one and our Mr A who has been in the job for seven or eight years).

We spent the better part of the day updating the parent handbooks adding photos and trendy phrases to a list that ranged from school hours, absentee rules and walking to school policies through to sunhats, school camps and lunch orders.  I know more about the school than I did this time last week!

Our ad was in the local newspaper and there have been some calls. So that’s all good.

A principal is such a big part of a school. A leader not only of the staff but of the feeling of a school. Will he or she be a fun person but with a strict side, or a strict person with a fun side? Or just strict (hope not).

Well it’s Monday and another working week so work better become the priority of the morning.

A light drizzle on the freshly-budded wisteria outside looks like a light hoar frost or a sprinkling of snow. Such a reminder of home. Six years since my Dad passed away. xxx

Dad and his four daughters at The Glen (a long time ago)

Dad having a cigar at his 60th