Squashed tomatoes and stew

37 today… getting dangerously close to the big four-oh. Am I still in my mid-thirties or have I crossed into the shark-infested waters of the late thirties? Never mind, I get to play my lovely new cherrywood recorder that smells all yummy. Mr Amazon may smile upon me also.

Book group today, fairly much did a hatchet job on Notes from an exhibition by Patrick Gale. Contrived? Possibly. So much tragedy in the family and yet so hard to really care about any of the people. Have agreed no more tortured artists and something fun for next time (jury still out…)

Reporting is taking over - information literacy seems to be one strategic document after another these days. Trying to write programme reports, made stupid decision to start with programme where I have the most extensive input (biomedical sciences). Need to map so many variables against each other that I will require at least seven dimensions. Analysing things brings me dangerously close to uncontrollable weeping fits. (So decided extra cake and clothes shopping trip were in order…)

Frined reports that her nearly 2 year old has a vocabulary of 10 words, one of which is TARDIS. Good lad: he’ll go far.

Hopefully succeeded in convincing PGCHET examiner that she wants us to include information literacy input intot he taught module. We have all-singing all-dancing plans plus theory and content to go. Fortunately she is a social software enthusiast so we may be able to satisfy that angle. Programme tutor keen on fireside chats over nice wine in the local Tasting Rooms, he wants to start including IL tutors as regular part of the team, can you see where I’m going with this?! (Excellent conflict of interests as I am also a reluctant student ont he course, and have just hopefully scraped a C in the second module, aka Curriculum Deisgn, aka Module of Doom). If I write module 3 based on reflections on teaching input to the PGCHET I may in fact disappear right up my own module descriptor.

Surely it must be time for a little scampi and chardonnay?

Please sir, my brain is full

Wow, what a full week. Today I was back at my desk after two days of professional travels and talks. Yesterday was the annual pilgrimage to muggy Peebles (as opposed to peevish muggles) for the CILIPS Branch & Group Day. Arrived to bacon rolls - marvellous. What did the veggies have, I wonder? Caught two thirds of the presidential address - was in the relay room with dodgy sound link. I did suggest turning sound off and putting some Hawkwind on, as we used to with Masters of the Universe, but they weren’t game. Always end up squirming and thinking I should go forward and confess yes, I’m English and yes, I’m a loyal supporter of CILIP otherwise known as ‘expletive expletive Ridgmount St grrr grrr dour scowl’. To be fair it was more considered and less vitriolic than some I’ve heard. Recovered composure in time to deliver CDG Scottish session with the esteemed Isabel Hood (known reader of this spielette) on ‘Revalidation, Fellowship and the Timelord’s Guide to CPD’. Shameless abuse of analogy - for ’sonic screwdrivers’, read tips and tools, for ‘companions’, read mentoring and networks… audience indulgent, let us witter on and took part in the reflective paper exercises willingly. Or maybe they were writing their holiday packing lists. Ghost of Employer Present was there and even engaged in asking pertinent (as opposed to impertinent) questions.

After the slap-up lunch it was time for professional sector surfing, so went to hear about fabulous Library 10 music service in Helsinki and then got the lowdown on graphic novels and comics from rather wonderful Alan Grant, who I had not previously discovered. He confirmed what I already suspected: all publishers (bar one or two goodly souls) are evil money-grabbing b*stards. Well maybe they aren’t but like Damian Nobbs in my 8M class, they are tainting the rest by association.

This weekend I will be celebrating my official birthday. Hold the gifts; the real day isn’t till June 12th, but like the Queen I have to spread my engagements and make much of my jubilees. So it’s garden centre for some nice bedding plants, lunch out with my husband (CILIP widower) and go to see Indiana Jones. Might even be home for you-know-who set in the you-know-where, staying out of the you-know-what.