I will do my best to... help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight (Part of the Cub Scout oath)

Wie geht's?

When I was growing up, before any test, my father would always offer me the same two pieces of advice:

• Take your time 
• Read the question carefully

He'd always end with: Do your best.

Never 'try hard' or 'try your best' but very deliberately: Do your best!

I don't know if he was riffing on the cub scouts DYB DYB DYB chant or not. I was a scout and certainly used that chant. Whatever the case, it was a really appropriate final thought.

This came to mind recently when a colleague shared some goals/advice that her Year 7 students had written for themselves.

I chose one to use as my positive close at my school assembly yesterday:

Take your time and do your best. Your best has no limits - it only stops when you give up.

Isn't that wonderful!

Love and peace - WNP

You got everything in the world you ever wanted, right about now your face should wear a smile (Van Morrison)

Wie geht's?

This one falls under the 'who knows if it's good or bad' banner.

We have had a big dose of rain in the Central Hawke's Bay this week. A big dose.

I was pootling along to school one day this week when there was a lot of surface water on the road. A lot of water. At a few points there was some minor flooding encroaching on the road. 

When I got to school it was dark. School started and I decided to nip out to buy some morning tea for my awesome staff.

Lucky #1: I was in an altruistic mood.

Lucky #2: As I was pulling out of the car park an eagle-eyed staff member spotted something loose under my car and pointed it out.

Music is played loud in the Purdmobile so no way would I have ever noticed this otherwise. 

Turns out some water had sprayed up underneath the car and clearly dislodged something. I rang the fine team at Bay Ford Mazda Hastings and Paul said - sure, pop on down and we'll throw it up on the hoist and take a butchers'.

So I did. Took 5 minutes and while I waited I enjoyed a delicious free mocha in their waiting area.

Booyah!

Love and peace - Wozza 

The little hedge-row birds that peck along the road, regard him not (William Wordsworth)

Photo by Terra Thurgood on Unsplash

Wie geht's?

One of the links on my latest Jewels For The Thirsty blog was about animal sounds being a marvel of evolution. It's a fascinating article and quite thought-provoking.

I'm not helping in terms of drowning out animal sounds with music.

So, I stopped listening to a record today and listened instead to the other sounds - it was quite breezy so the wind in the trees mixed with distant road noises, a faint chainsaw, our water pump periodically pumping, leaves shifting on the roof of my music room thanks to that breeze, water running into a drain and also Jacky sweeping a path using a straw broom were all there, but so too were birds, Trigger doing an impatient whinny from his yard (he's not a fan), Rey and Jerry snuffling about and making dog sounds, Gracie swishing her tail and stamping a hoof down, Lainey with her bell which doesn't stop her catching mice and fledglings when they are in season, a few die hard cicadas hanging onto the end of summer, some neighbouring sheep and some cattle were also in the mix.

It was a rich tableau that was previously obliterated by the Eagles (musical variety) singing Doolin Dalton off their Desperado album.

After a week of school and all that communication it was good to give in to the natural world (including The Eagles) and go with it.

The good thing is that as soon as the last song played on Desperado, all those other sounds (well apart from Jacky and her broom) were still there.

Lovely.

Peace and love - Wozza

Woods (George Winston - from his 'Autumn' album)

Wie geht's?

Autumn! As you all know - my favourite season. Not even close.

Autumn in New Zealand is from March to May and has gotten off to a good start: warm days (last Friday's athletics sports was in full sun and a hot 25 degrees); shorter daylight hours (so travelling in darkness to school is now a thing); and crisp mornings are starting to be more frequent.

Time to dig out the George Winston album and prepare for the winter.

This has meant emptying the swimming pool (had to bail out the last 6 inches and boy oh boy did it stretch my hamstrings); stacking the three cord of wood that was delivered (some of which is pictured above); and collecting pinecones as fire starters (much less under the pine trees this year for some reason).

All is ready. Winter is coming.

Love and peace - Wozza

This is the modern world, we don't need no one to tell us what's right or wrong (the Jam)

Wie geht's?

The modern world's disregard for correct grammar grinds my gears. Not only mine, I hasten to add. There will be many Wozza's World readers looking at that picture in despair. I feel your pain.

I see that sign on my lunchtime walk and each time I feel like getting a Sharpie from school and adding the apostrophe on Edward's behalf. But then, as I said to a student today, I'd probably be done for graffitiing council property.

A recent news story indicated that road signs no longer need to conform to grammar rules to show ownership. 

So that's great, isn't it. Excellent. Just what English teachers need from society's elected officials - a dick move like that!

Love and peace - Wozza

"More women are murdering people these days,” says Joyce. “If you ignore the context, it is a real sign of progress.”

Wie geht's?

Newly purchased records and CDs have been piling up, unheard. Television is unwatched. Gardening (including tree branch chopping and pinecone gathering) has stopped.

Blame Richard Osman.

I know him for his comedic brilliance and wit on Pointless and other UK game shows. He's quick, so he's particularly brilliant as a guest panelist on Would I Lie To You?

When I saw his first book - The Thursday Murder Club in the Little Red Bookstore, I had to have it. 

It was great - the blighter is a first class writer as well as everything else! Not fair really. I read it quickly. It's quintessentially English, in the way that Agatha Christie, McVities digestives, and 8 out of 10 Cats do Countdown are all quintessentially English.

I normally finish a book and reach for the next one that catches my eye on my reading pile. Not this time. This time I bought his sequel novel - The Man Who Died Twice from Whitcoulls. Same characters as before and same brilliant writing.

So, that has occupied my waking hours not devoted to work and commuting and household chores. Which isn't a lot really. So, I'm looking forward to this weekend.

Here's an excerpt to whet your appetite:

“That twinkle in his eye was undimmed. The twinkle that gave an entirely undeserved suggestion of wisdom and charm. The twinkle that could make you walk down the aisle with a man almost ten years your junior and regret it within months. The twinkle you soon realise is actually the beam of a lighthouse, warning you off the rocks.”

Love and peace - Wozza