Long may I have a boy who loves cutting & arranging his own flowers… 🌸 Though he did say he needed the ones with the strongest perfume to cover the smell of sour milk & feet in his bedroom 😁 He also helped me make a bouquet for the kitchen. I think I still have a few more weeks of cut flowers. 🌱

New dahlia. 🌱

A bereavement made for a difficult end to the summer and start to the new term. It left little time for gardening. Today I managed an hour, and I love our new bird feeder that once belonged to my grandad. Plenty of deadheading and staking still to do! 🌱

After sayingmany times that I wanted to see more RE talks at #ResearchED, I decided to be the change I want to see in the education world. I’ll be sharing how to build an RE curriculum inspired by Anne Taves’ research on universal questions, based on my work with Inspiration East. #rED25 #TeamRE

A quarter of a million students take a GCSE in RS. Despite this, half of those delivering the lessons mainly teach another subject. Discussing the big questions in life is a vital part of young people’s education. #Worldviews #TeamRE

7 hours of non-stop rides at Europa Park and I’ve finally admitted temporary defeat! 🏁 Found the perfect #RETeacherOnTour rest spot… of course, it’s a church. Mr McGee thinks it’s hilarious that even in a theme park, I can find a church. Video 👇

Cut another massive dahlia from the garden this evening. Every room in the house is now filled with flowers from the garden. I’ve officially become Elton John meets Monty Don. 🌱

New blog post for results day: “From Empty Baskets to Full Marks.” Using ABCD to tackle those 12-mark questions in GCSE RS. Remember: no structure will ever fix a lack of subject knowledge. #TeamRE #GCSERS #GCSERE 🔗👇 open.substack.com/pub/rewithmr...

I want to blog more regularly, so I’ve moved to Substack. My old posts are imported, but my homepage currently features a giant picture of my head I can’t work out how to change! 😅 #TeamRE 🔗👇 rewithmrsmcgee.substack.com

Not a fan of tofu? This isn’t for you 😅 It’s Seed-Crusted Tofu + Orange & Green Bean Noodle Salad, fresh, crunchy, and full of flavour. 🍽️ Recipe here 👉 grubby.co.uk/vegan-recipe...

New in the garden: poppies swaying in the breeze, a soft white & pale pink dahlia, mini alliums, bright toadflax, cheerful begonias, a mini pink & white dahlia, and trailing lobelia 🌱

Crispy harissa “lamb” flatbreads with sumac shallots and cucumber. The lamb was actually oyster mushrooms- super tasty and very filling. I had the second half cold for our picnic From my grubby box 🍽️

Went geocaching at Caistor St Edmund’s today. Found 4 caches including a Jesus-themed one - I love it when my worlds collide. We had a picnic, met lots of sheep, did some paddling, and even spotted a kingfisher! #Geocaching

For some reason my cosmos are tiny this year, but the ones on the patio are making the most of what little breeze there is. 🌱

Next year’s garden is brewing on my patio. Still waiting for those stubborn aquilegia. Started them in the fridge, had a few mild days, but now it’s too hot again! 🌱

I finally cut the huge dahlia - it is now bigger than my son’s head! I think it is Café Au Lait Rose. 🌱

Tell me you’re married to a man who needs to plan without telling me you’re married to a man who needs to plan. We have a 10-page PDF itinerary for our holiday and a spreadsheet.

I have a new “bumble rumble” dahlia. 🌱

Today I had a hysteroscopy. This isn’t a criticism of the hospital staff, they were kind & professional. But the procedure was brutal, so much so, we had to abandon it. Please sign/share this petition from calling for adequate pain relief: chng.it/DrTQsJcxsf

I still get a buzz from being able to cut flowers from the garden for the house. These are dahlias, cosmos and roses. 🌱

Satay glazed aubergine with green bean salad. Eating two portions because it’s that good and i skipped lunch. 🍽️

The weather has cooled & I have more time so I have planted my seeds for next spring’s garden. I was so happy doing some sit-down gardening that I looked up & it was dark. I have planted Forget-me-nots, foxgloves, honesty, aquilegia, wallflowers, sweet rocket, hollyhocks, rose campion & clary sage 🌱

For comparison, my new dahlia is roughly the size of my son’s head! 🌱

Reading “For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain” and this made me laugh out loud. 💙📚

Sharing my original X 🧵for #TeamRE on “Julian of Norwich a Brief History” by @drjaninaramirez.bsky.social 18 posts with ideas for KS3/4 and 5 RE. She also appears on our KS2 curriculum. The book could easily be read in one sitting - perfect for busy teachers. 1/18 📚💙

Current garden show-off 🌸 This flower’s easily as big as my outstretched hand - maybe even bigger. 🌱

The garden is full of cosmos flowers - extra joyful because most were grown from seeds I saved from last year. Literally free plants! And yes my garden is mostly pink! 🌱

Meet the ladies of my garden - team dahlia. 🌱

🌱 Bit of a garden day today. Picked up a few new plants to fill some gaps and shuffled some pots around on the patio. Weird how things change, I used to hate this part of the garden, even though it’s where we sit most. Now it’s one of my favourite spots. 💚 🌱

🌿 Lunch win today: crispy butterbean Niçoise salad from my Grubby box! Proper & tasty, and ridiculously easy to throw together. 🍽️

Today’s #DrawWithRob: mine is the very sensible burger (albeit with eyelashes I’d love to have!). Gabriel’s has a cheesy tongue, extra eyes, and pickles. Thank you @robbiddulph.bsky.social for giving us such lovely time together every day.

I promised my son a work free day today We took the rats on an outing to the park and then did our first attempt at a #DrawwithRob @robbiddulph.bsky.social

After a weekend of weeding and planting, colourful waftiness has returned to the garden. It’s teetering on the edge of chaos—just like its owner! 🌱

My garden is alive with the buzz of bees, and it’s filling me with joy. 🌱

Latest garden purchase! Hormone treatments have left me with bone pain that makes bending tough - really hoping this helps with weeding and planting without having to crawl around. Just need to claim it back from my son! 🌱

I always love a blog from @buisst.bsky.social. Some thoughtful ideas on evaluation for those 12/15 markers. #TeamRE

Tell me you’re a menopausal woman doing the garden without telling me you’re a menopausal woman doing the garden. 🌱

The cat is constantly on the catmint. He’s heading for a massive autumn comedown. 😻 🌱

Bittersweet to listen to the last episode of Keeping it 101, which has for the last 5 years been so entertaining and educational, and shaped how I teach and understand religion. Kudos to @profirmf.bsky.social and @mpgphd.bsky.social for showing what exceptional public scholarship can look like.

This is one of our new KS3 units focusing on covenant across the Abrahamic faiths. It exemplifies an approach I’ve developed that moves from ancient stories to modern communities—sometimes with a local link. 🎧 Podcast version here: notebooklm.google.com/notebook/7e1... #TeamRE 1/2

Speaker highlight @re-mcgee.bsky.social will be talking about ‘Examples of modern climate activists inspired by ancient religious stories and concepts’. This sounds absolutely fascinating! Grab your FREE ticket www.eventbrite.com/e/teachers-t... @ttradioofficial.bsky.social #TeamRE

A 🧵on local history and links with RE. Inspired by another day with the #NorwichHistoryFestival #TeamRE I get asked quite often about how to weave local history and communities into an RE curriculum and in my experience there aren't shortcuts. It takes time & some shoe leather. 1/4

Today’s Norwich History Festival talk is on Thomas Browne - a new discovery for me. At the beautiful @stpetermancroft.org.uk - hoping for some ideas for the Inspiration Trust Natural Theology unit. #NorwichHistoryFestival #ThomasBrowne #TeamRE

Had a fascinating evening at the Norwich History Festival listening to @goingmedieval.bsky.social on medieval women & work. A great talk in the stunning Dragon Hall, and I have a new book to read! I also have some great links with Aristotle and Aquinas. #NorwichHistoryFestival #TeamRE

I haven’t been out in the garden in what feels like ages. The rain has given everything a boost which is much needed as I have some gaps. I have also started planting seeds for next year’s garden. 🌱

Late to the party, but loving Weyward by @emiliahart.bsky.social Still dealing with brain fog, so it’s only my second book of the year - but a strong recommendation from me! 📚✨

Five years ago today, we arrived in Norfolk. My son ran up our garden lawn with his teddy and shouted, “Mum, is this really our home?”

Lymphedema bootcamp today: 🧤 New compression sleeve 💆 Massage 🛏️ Arm elevated 🏃 Gentle exercise 😴 Lots of rest I just want a pain-free summer. 🌞💙

The view this morning made up for the squeaky fan I had to turn off in the early hours.

I am staying overnight in one of the Cambridge colleges. My room is basic but all I need - but I do have two unexpected extras!