Results are in, and...........

 WOOHOO!!!

 I passed my finals and have been offered my

 BA (Hons) in Humanities with Classical Studies. 

I am absolutely overjoyed and my head is still in the clouds.

I got the results on my iPhone on Saturday when John and I were out having lunch

and all I had to do was press a button to find out - nervous or what.

Needless to say I burst into tears!

We popped in to see our daughter E and her family, where it would have been rude not to take a bottle of Champers, wouldn't it

Everyone in the family were thrilled and the phone hasn't stopped ringing

John took me out for a meal in the evening to celebrate - to a newly opened Bistro Cafe called the Beach Hut - literally right on the beach at Westcliff

Shame the tide was out - but hey you can't have everything!

Before I finish,  I must just tell you - several years ago before I started blogging, I was rooting around in my loft - as you do, and I found these old autograph books from my childhood

and at the time I was really struggling with one particular module - almost at the point of giving up altogether - when I happened to find something my dad had written when I was nine years old. To say this kept me going is no exaggeration - I tore it out and put it into my pin board above my computer for continued motivation.

He was soooooo right of course

Then - I found this my grandad had written at the same time (I think this had been a Christmas present and I was making the most of all my family - there are more, lots)

and this was to become the original inspiration for my Blog title!

The stuff I have in my loft is unbelievable and I dread to think of how we'll shift it if ever we move - but sometimes this stuff has its uses.

Anyway I want to thank everyone who commented on my last post about Working under pressure - and apologise for not replying personally but I took on board what you had to say and realise that I'm not the only one who works better when life is pretty busy.

Well - my graduation is booked, 20th September at the Barbican Centre in London and my Academic gown has been ordered and now I really can get on with my life.

Thanks to you all for listening to my moans and groans over the last couple of years and for the motivation you have given me, it meant a lot.

xx

Working under pressure

Do you know, I've decided that I definitely work better under pressure. When I was studying for all those years I systematically sat myself down for three hours every afternoon during the week to read my books, make notes and write essays. That being so I arranged my life around this - shopping, housework, washing, ironing - you know all the mundane but important things we do to keep a nice home, plus meet up with friends for coffee or lunch, browse around the odd charity shop or two, go to the gym, bake cakes and more importantly write my blog.

So - why is it that now I no longer have this chain around my neck, do I not have the time to fit these things into my daily life? I constantly start one job only to find I end up doing another. The gym, well that's been a  definite no-no!

Do you remember me telling you I was looking forward to reading normal books again? - hasn't happened.

and as for charity shops - haven't been in one for months. 

As for gardening - well the weather didn't help - too wet for months and now too hot and dry (not complaining of course) - must get out there soon

Baking - well it's simply not happening

I was looking forward to starting on some new crafting projects too - loads in the magazines I'd been buying. Have I? No.

As for my blog, this was the one thing I knew that I would definitely make the time for as I so enjoy writing but in fact I'm only putting out about one a week on average at the moment, and I miss it.

If I could organise my life during my Uni years then there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to fit these things into my life now. I kept to a strict routine. So - I have planned out a new weekly routine, give or take the odd spontaneous-something-different-to-do-kind-of-days and I'm all set for a change.

Is this going to happen I wonder? I've often heard people say when they're particularly busy "life simply gets in the way of life" - is this so? Am I being too rigid or should I just take life as it comes and do what I want, when I want.  I think maybe secretly I'm awaiting the results of my degree (fourteen days and counting) before I get back to normal living again. Well that's my excuse anyway...

I'd love to know if you work better under pressure?