Monday, June 04, 2007

Goodbye Flo



Here's the red-eyed devil bunny in happier times. Not sure who took this photo. I had to go and get a carton from ther local shop and explained what it was for - they looked at me as if I were mad! In the end we didn't use the crisp carton but Hazel wrapped Flo - frozen like a sky diver with her paws out at her sides - in a tea towel and popped her in the deep grave we ( I did most of it despite the bad back ) dug under the tree house. It was full of gnarly roots of the apple tree and they had to be snipped off with the sharp spade. We placed soume of her favourite toys and carrots around her and put the dirt on top and a slab of stone with a pot of flowers on top.

Hazel doesnt want another rabbit - she said a cute bunny now just wouldnt be right and it would be hard to find another with the character that Flo had.

If this wasn't enough, a thoughtless teacher told Archie off today for not doing his homework that he was suppoed to do over half term. He'd taken in a note from his Mom explaining that he had an animation to finish off too and the deadline is in three weeks! They are happy to take all the credit when he gets his films into the Cornerhouse and shown in festivals abroad etc. but can't see that comments like "get your priorities right!" are crushing for a sensitive lad who spent all his holiday working on the thing he loves and wants to do when he leaves school. They should be encouraging him not making such negative remarks!

The mini-disc player doesn't work either - 4 days can be such a pain sometimes!

SWAPATORIUM: Shocking Find

6 comments:

Jonathan said...

My deepest condolences for your loss of Flo... Having buried our Sue (Corgi knock off) a summer or two ago, we know how rough that can be.
A bit more digging for a dog.
I whole heartedly agree with you that giving Archie an hard time about some homework was uncalled for.
They did it to me in the second grade... I was told not to draw on the back of the paper once I'd finished my maths... yer supposed to sit with yer hands folded. My maths have never been good, since.

Wastedpapiers said...

Hello stranger! Thanks for the sympathy. We all felt a bit down yesterday. Glad to get that day over with. Hopefully today will be better. Archie is still smarting from the ticking off he got though and doesn't want to go to school today so we are letting him have the day off sick. Yes, he's sick of school! Well done teachers- you managed to make a hard working , model pupil become a rebel and a misfit.

I had the same trouble at school too. I had very unsympathetic teachers who ridiculed my bad spelling and poor maths and it wasnt until I got to art school that I realised there was something else and the world seemed a happier place.

swapatorium said...

Aw, I'm so sorry about Flo. It's so sad to lose a pet. She was a beautiful bunny. Please give a big hug to Hazel for me.

What a goofy teacher to tell that to Archie. He shouldn't let it get him down though. He is a very talented young man and luckily, he has you and Hazel to encourage him with his interests. It's so refreshing to see a young person with goals and ambitions. You go Archie!

Jonathan said...

"Working Class Hero", comes to mind...
My maths weren't bad untill I was confronted with the folded hand thing.
What kind of torture is that ???
I had abysmal schooling... the 5th grade teacher fell asleep after lunch (always).
We were the first graduating class hrom the high school... teachers one page ahead of us.
Art School WAS better, but I was unprepared for the academic courses that were required.
I believe that I learned whatever I DO know on my own...

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about grumpy Flo. It sounds like you gave her a fine send off with due ceremony. Things like that are important to mark the death of a loved pet.

Teachers can be so trying! If its any consolation, like many people I did most of my (limited!) learning after I left!

Also, I think a lot of schools and teachers still struggle to accommodate creatively talented children, if they bother at all, so Archie is lucky to have such artistic and productive parents to provide that encouragement outside of school hours.

Wastedpapiers said...

Thanks Jonathan, Angelica and Trevira. Much appreciated.