Very excited

I'm sorry, I've been silent for a while, and seem to have lost my blogging mojo. Partly I've been very busy at work, so really tired when I get home, partly just too much to do in general. I've been trying to keep up with the City and Guilds and my textile classes with Christine. have enjoyed every minute of what I've done, but it's left me a bit drained of commentary. However, this week has been so good that I have to report.

My daughter Jen came back from University last year emotionally battered and bruised, having finally found that a combination of dyslexia and dyspraxia were just too big an obstacle to getting through her finals. She found the last exams just too much and came home feeling an utter failure, as well as physically exhausted. I was really proud of her when finally, after much deliberation the University awarded her a degree on the basis of the work she'd done whilst there, but she was very low for a long time. She started job hunting pretty quickly, filled in lots of on line applications, heard back from some, was ignored by many, had a number of interviews, some of them quite gruelling, but not a glimmer of a job could be found for most of last year and this. Eventually she did get a Saturday job which she's really enjoyed, and began helping out on a plant stall belonging to some friends of ours, but it's been a hard time for her. However much love and encouragement you give, however often you remind someone that they are in the same boat as thousands of others, this constant drip of rejection tarnishes the spirit. She has had a lot of support and encouragement from Jonathan, her boyfriend through this past year, and has been very stoic but it has been pretty glum at times and my heart has gone out to her.

However, this week, her life has suddenly come together in such a wonderful way. On Tuesday Jon took her out for a meal to celebrate their year's anniversary and, at the end of the meal, in true romantic style, he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him, much to her absolute surprise and delight. She, of course, said yes. Then the following day, she had the second of two interviews for a job that had come about through pure happenstance, and was offered it on the spot, with one day off a week to study for an accountancy qualification!! So now she is sorting out her accountancy course, glancing repeatedly down at the rather lovely ring on her finger and generally bouncing about the place in a state of dreamy excitement - if one can combine those two qualities.

You might guess, I am beyond words pleased for her on both counts - and now have to get used to the idea of thinking of Jon as my future son in law, which is no hardship at all.