Let's have a biscuit and a catch-up.

Well, this is awkward. I’ve left the blog unattended for too long and now the grass has overgrown and there are weeds everywhere. I do apologise but I’ve been rather busy, and not always in the writing frame of mind. Maybe if I pick up from where we left off we can settle into a nice, familiar friendship again, agreed? Good. Here goes:

• I finished my dissertation
• I graduated from University
• I taught at the summer school 
• I went on holiday
• I said goodbye to Harry Potter
• I said hello to Pottermore
• I got asked to be a Godmother (!!!)
• I read a book that has become my Bible
• I got a job
• I got accepted onto a Masters degree course

And that’s what you missed on Glee.

Yes, after being awake for a solid 33 hours, on 13th May I handed in my final piece of work for my degree and… well, then I fell asleep. The day before I had gone to work, come home, leisurely walked the dogs and had a meal, then decided 7pm was the right time to begin a 3500 word essay on the similarities and differences between 20th century American short stories and poetry. By midnight, when I was only 1000 words in, I realised I was certifiably insane. Around 5 hours later, then the birds started twittering outside, my distorted mind convinced me that what I was hearing was voices in my hallway, and I crept around the door with only a cushion and a Sharpie for protection. By the time I was printing my work out, at 7am, I was that woozy I sat on the toilet with the lid still down. And my knickers still on. It was a long day.

Graduation, however, made all that seem like a walk in the park. It was without a doubt the second best day of my life (first was all of New York, third being Russell Brand). My robes were black, red and gold; the Gryffindor house colours. As a shameless Potterhead, this alone thrilled me beyond belief. I could be Hermione for the day! I honestly have never felt so special in my life. I received a huge bouquet of flowers, two bottles of champagne, and many congratulations cards and messages. A nice young girl helped dress me in my robes, and pinned my mortar board on my head with 478 kirby grips; I shook hands Really Important People who did Really Clever Things; mum cried; we all got a bit drunk. It was wonderful.

The summer school was also great this year, and was made even better by my good friend Jen’s presence. We make an excellent teaching team, if I may say so myself. It’s bloody exhausting though, so I was relieved to be running off to a gorgeous little cottage in the Lake District the week it ended, with mum and the dog. I did little other than read and eat my body weight in homemade fudge, but that was exactly what I needed.

I was going to tell you all about my Harry Potter experiences this summer, but I started getting so carried away that I’ll save it for a separate Pottermore blog at the weekend. I’ve been officially sorted into Gryffindor though and I am beyond thrilled. But yes, more on that later.

In other news, I have been entrusted to guide a young, innocent child through life aka be a Fairy Godmother. Pretty sure the role includes a sparkly meringue gown and a perm. I could not possibly be more excited and got so choked up when asked that I could only convey my happiness through a series of grunts. I was lucky enough to see my future godson on a 3D scan and heard his heartbeat - it was incredible. He’s due at the end of January and I can’t wait to squish and snuggle and just love him forever.

The book that has become my Bible is, of course, 'How To Be A Woman' by Caitlin Moran. It is everything. Hilarious, honest, intelligent, endearing; it just made me feel like everything’s, you know… okay. Caitlin put into words many things I’ve wanted to say, but somehow felt it’d be wrong to. It’s like she unravels this big secret that, actually, most women act and think and feel the same way, but try desperately to hide it because that’s not how a proper woman should be. Moran puts that idea to hell. Just do me a favour and READ IT!

Tomorrow, I start work as a teaching assistant at a high school. The pupil I’ll be working with is an 11 year-old Autistic boy called Joe*. This should be… interesting. I’ve got a pencil case filled with new stationary and a crisp new notebook in my bag ready, and there are healthy snacks in the fridge waiting to be added to my lunch box in the morning. I feel like I’m the one starting school. By the end of the day I’ll be covering my homework diary in Jonas Brothers stickers.

During another period of lapsed sanity, I applied to study for a Masters degree. I think I was still high from graduation and my application floated off on a champagne bubble but, before I knew it, it had all become very real, and I’m starting on the 20th of September. I’m studying part-time, in the evenings, so I can still work during the day. It’s a new course, at a new University, in a new city… and I’m excited. Really excited!

It has been a great summer, even if it did flash before my eyes quicker than you could say '70% chance of precipitation'. As from now, I’m going to try and write a blog once a month. Optimistic maybe, considering how much I’m about to take on, but I’m not one to pass-up an opportunity to procrastinate! So, for now… wish me luck! x



*he’s not, but I don’t like to use the real names of pupils on the old interwebs.