March Reflections

March has been a busy month. I started the month with a little March Bingo challenge—where I aimed to tick off a variety of experiences and small adventures. I came so close to a full house, but one square remains unchecked: a visit to the Lord Leycester Hospital. Not for lack of enthusiasm, mind you, but time has that slippery way of running through your fingers when you’re not looking. Still, it’s firmly on the agenda for April, and I’m quite looking forward to finally visiting this local treasure with the family over the Easter holidays.

March Bingo:

• Read a non-fiction book – I read Cal Newport’s Slow Productivity (an easy enough listen on Audible but not sure it really left me with much other than permission to focus on quality not quantity);
• Cook a roast dinner – I cooked a few roast dinners this month which are always a big hit with the family but did not take a single photo as evidence!;
• Meet up with a friend – I had brunch with a dear ex-colleague, and went to the theatre with my oldest friend;
• Walk in the woods – technically we didn’t do this but we did have an epic walk over at Burton Dassett Country Park so I think that counts!;
• Write Chapter One of my book – DONE! I am most proud of this one;
• Nature Journal – I have added some daffodils to my journal;
• Celebrate with family – we went for a fabulous dinner for my mum’s family AND mum, I went for afternoon tea at Ettington Park Hotel to celebrate Mother’s Day;
• Go to the theatre – we went to see the excellent production of Much Ado about Nothing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London.

Despite the best of intentions, March has carried a faint undercurrent of worry, mostly on the health front. Nothing drastic, but enough to cast a shadow over a few days here and there, the sort of thing that tugs at the back of your mind even when you’re trying to focus on brighter things. I’ve been reminding myself that these bumps in the road are just that—bumps, not blockages—and that looking after myself has to be as much of a priority as everything else on my never-ending to-do list.

TV has, as ever, been a comforting companion this month. We finally reached the season finale of Severance, and what a ride that was! Honestly, I’m still processing it, and if you’ve seen it, you’ll know exactly what I mean. Utterly gripping, unsettling in all the best ways, and I am still reeling from the ending. In complete contrast, we also indulged in Last One Laughing on Prime, which was the perfect slice of ridiculous, unfiltered silliness. And now, in search of something comforting and familiar, we’ve started rewatching Ted Lasso. It’s the television equivalent of a warm hug and a cup of tea—wholesome, funny, and exactly the right way to unwind after a long day.

Work has been a particular kind of busy, but the (mostly) good kind—the sort that leaves you exhausted but (mostly) satisfied as I worked with the Litdrive team to put on the Litdrive national conference at Aston University. Three hundred English teachers gathered together, plus forty-odd speakers, all bringing their passion and insight to the day. I just wish I could have seen some of the sessions and enjoyed the day a bit more but I was too busy stressing over the small stuff leaving me feeling a bit annoyed with myself.

March is now over, and here we are in April already. Looking back, it was a month not without its challenges, but filled with moments of joy, achievement, and a few much-needed laughs along the way. Now, with lighter evenings and the promise of spring settling in, I’m looking ahead to the adventures and opportunities this new month will bring—including our upcoming trip to Paris and Disneyland Paris (eek)!