Back to work tomorrow after school holidays.

These holidays for husband and myself meant catching up on things that are usually difficult to do time-wise during the term. Dentist, tax, updating wills, clearing out files, as much as we wanted to stretch our wings and fly.

It has been good however, to have my brother home for a few weeks from overseas, and daughter's dear little cat has settled in nicely, and would not have felt like shifting her off to a boarding environment so soon.

I have not had much desire to do textile work, or art in the last weeks. The dye pot lies empty, a withered curled and blackened gum leaf stuck to the base.

I have, however almost come to the end of an Australian Bush Flower Essence course over the last 6 weeks which has kept me feeling both intrigued and wanting to know so much more.

I will be enrolling in Level 2 shortly, and eventually Level 3.

As I mentally prepare for work tomorrow, I think of vocations where after turning up, a person is faced with a day or night that races along mercilessly, requiring decisions where any mistakes have either critical outcomes or the potential for some sort of blow-out, for example doctors, nurses, ambos, police - to do and say the right thing every time. To be under scrutiny and not be found wanting.

As a teacher of course we are under scrutiny by students, parents, peers, but for us preparation is everything, as is thinking one step ahead, as well as adaptability to students, timetables, class size,intellect, curriculum demands, and circumstances that can change at a moments notice from the unavailability of a certain pre booked classroom to a full-scale lock down if needs be. It is no small thing to have parents trust - to place their children in your safe keeping, both emotionally and physically.

However, I still cannot imagine waking up to start preparing for work that may involve overlooking something that can't be overlooked, the consequences onerous, with a hundred individual choices throughout the working day, and limited time in which to carry them out, often still thinking about the ones you made yesterday, last week, last year.

"I'll check with my superior" usually covers it, but what if you ARE the superior!

There are good doctors and bad doctors, good nurses and bad nurses, good teachers and bad teachers - but the good ones - they work damn hard. Most of us never forget them. Others move on (perhaps after a cursory thank-you) without a backward glance, mumbling about how they would have done things in a much better way.

Husband and I can see retirement in the dim distance. The sight of it is encouraging.

My wish is for young ones to continue, once they start these professions.

We tell them for most of their lives that "you learn by your mistakes", then they are told they can't afford, under any circumstances, to make them.
Litigation is never far away.

Yes, I think I'll stick to the work I have thanks.

Let's face it, medicine was NEVER an option, and I prefer a surgeon who doesn't make mistakes myself!

Nursing? I only have two hands, two arms and two legs and a back without a a cast-iron hinge. My nursing experience is limited to grudges, and then not particularly successfully.

This holiday was like a glimpse of retirement. It felt oh so good.

The alarm will go off at 6a.m. tomorrow. I'll be ready.