Month: April 2024

I know I have started the past two weeks’ entries in saying that the week has been challenging, but this last week has really been the worst of times. I read somewhere that when times are so bad that you can’t see the future to simply take one minute at a time and this is advice I have tried to follow this week. There have been moments of quiet counting and breathing.

Despite all that has happened, there always needs to be sparkles and somehow I’ve managed to find five from this past week. They may be small but have been so valuable and needed in my week.

Firstly it is now less than 100 days to our cruise, never will a holiday have been so needed and wanted. Holiday shopping on Vinted continues to go well, although its always difficult to buy for a sunny season when its been so cold and wet for months now.

To add some colour to the grey days I bought my regular bunch of £2.49 tulips from Aldi, a little bonus when doing the long journey to pick up my daughter from her boyfriend’s house, which has a lovely Aldi en route. I really rate Aldi’s flowers and am looking forward to the upcoming peony season. Fresh flowers always bring me joy.

Another way of adding colour to my day was the pink parkrun cap I picked up on Vinted. It is only available in Australia so when I saw a new one in original packaging, worked out the Australian price conversion and realised it was a great price, I bought it. I got lots of admiration for it on Saturday’s parkrun, I know I will get a lot of wear out of it.

Blossom is a new word game I have discovered online. This week I have spent a lot of time in the A&E department of a hospital over two different days. As both were sudden visits, I didn’t have anything to keep me amused on the long waits so discovered this game online. I love a word quiz and this is my style of games, just needing to compete against myself. I have now packed my Kindle into my handbag so if I am in a similar situation again, I have something to read. I also made sure I had drinks with us before we went the second time as its so hot in the department.

My fifth thing of the week was a suggestion from this week’s Happier podcast, on writing your autobiography in 24 sensations. I had listened to the podcast and then the hours at the hospital gave me time to think of some strong memories and the senses they invoked. I then spent about half an hour jotting it down in my notebook, a lovely little exercise to remember family and friends over the years.

Its been another hard week, when so much that has happened will go unsaid on this entry. My motto is simply ‘that this too will pass’ and life will become happier and healthier for us all. I have felt blessed by friends checking in this week, kind words help you feel less alone and overwhelmed.

As a consequence of a funny old week, there are some quite random things in my 5 thing list, starting with chewing gum. I’m not a big gum eater, simply because I don’t really like mint flavouring nor the mess gum can cause. However, I have discovered biodegradable watermelon gum and its a game changer, I have driven many miles this week, around 400, so a little burst of watermelon has been nice.

On my many journeys I have been listening to the radio and podcasts, Marian Keyes is promoting her new book and has appeared a few times in my listening. I love Marian Keyes her voice has been a tonic and she is so engaging, witty and wise. I particularly enjoyed her appearance on Dish, which is such an entertaining podcast.

On Saturday, I completed a parkrun challenge with a friend, to do all the parkruns in Dorset. That’s 9 different parkruns, over quite a large area. Again I’ve been working out the miles and it was about 440 miles of travelling to visit all the parkruns. It was unusual yesterday to go to a place simply for the parkrun, its taken me nearly 5 years to do this challenge and generally the parkrun has been part of a family day out. However as no no one else fancied the very early start of 7.15am it was me and my neighbour who headed off to Bridport. It was the perfect parkrun day, gorgeous sunny weather, super friendly park runners and team and just a great atmosphere. It seemed the right place to celebrate our achievement. Bridport is a fabulous little town, it was market day and the town was bustling in the spring sunshine, the surprise of a steel band playing in the square provided a beautiful spring soundtrack.

Despite the heavier traffic, we were home for lunch and it was the first al fresco lunch of the year. I am such a summer person and after another wet week, the sunshine was very welcome.

As I write this I have the London marathon playing in the background, one of my favourite Sunday afternoon tv events of the year. I’m in awe of the elites, but the stories of the ‘mass’ are always so emotional and I am in bits, I have so much respect for those who run a marathon. As much as I love my running, I do think a half marathon is my limit.

Apart from the usual clubs and activities, it’s looking quiet next week, after this week I really am hoping for an uneventful, even boring week..

There is an observation that people present a different version of themselves online. I have always maintained this blog as a happy place, full of sparkles, special memories of ordinary moments to big celebrations. I am writing this week’s blog under the shadow of what has been a really difficult week for our family, in which it has been hard to find the positives. It would be easier not to write this week, perhaps in years to come I’ll be able to reflect on what we’ve gone through, now is not the time. However I still (just) believe that there are always little moments of happiness, glimmers in the darkness.

And so to the second week of the holiday and more driving …. I did help Mr S fill in his driving reapplication form this week as he awaits a GP appointment to confirm he is fit to drive. I am definitely counting down the days until we can share the load again. For example, tonight, Monday, I have done a full day at work, picked up my son en route from work, taken him to football training in one town and then had to go back to collect my daughter in another town in the opposite direction, making it a 13 hour day from leaving home to getting back. Its bonkers… However back to last week and a very middle aged trip to the garden centre, which was blooming. I’ve never been a keen gardener simply for time reasons and a very enthusiastic husband. I like to think that when I retire I’ll take on this new hobby but until then, I like a trip to simply see the colours and visit the café and farm shop! Cafes have again been a feature of this week, I feel I could do a guide on local roads (where to avoid the the very many potholes) and local cafes. I am more for the Indie coffee shops but on a trip to big town with my son, I quickly did my jobs, including possibly finding my straw bag for the summer, so I could sit in a café with my book and a coffee whilst he was with friends. I had just sat down with my coffee, when I got the call from my son that as some had gone to get their buses home, he would come back to me early, so no quiet moment for me. One of my #24for 24 is to try the full coffee menus as I always stick to a cappuccino. I have been varying my choices, the cinnamon flat white was undrinkable, but my americano this week was better if not a little strong, leaving me buzzing. I feel I need to switch to decaf going forward.

This week, we decided to use some of our Tesco vouchers for Disney + so we could watch the second series of Welcome to Wrexham. Its the perfect series for us to watch, and our son has been taken by it too, he’s a couple of weeks short of his 15th birthday so we have allowed him to watch it as long as we don’t hear him swearing.

On Saturday, we watched another great football game at our local league club, my son’s team are doing so well at present and were very unlucky not to have won the game, settling for a draw. Our son is so lucky with the teams he gets to watch, this week it was Man Utd and by the end of the season he will have seen all the Premier league clubs bar West Ham (holiday clash) I was talking about this with a friend and the teams I used to watch growing up, supporting my local team were definitely not as glamorous or skilled! Its been interesting watching some England players play for their league teams, Phil Foden was amazing but others have not impressed as I felt they should.

As I am writing this on Monday, I am already back at school and of course the holiday feels a memory now. I am over my busiest day of the week, so things are looking up.

And so to the first week of the holidays which I am relieved has been the most restful week for months. Christmas and February holidays were simply about Mr S’ accident and recovery and particularly at half term, the week was full of medical appointments. This week he had none which is a reflection of his improved health and wellbeing. We purposefully kept this week quiet and simple. I just needed a week where I wasn’t driving everyone, everywhere all the time.

That is not to say that i haven’t driven this week, I’ve still put the miles in, just fewer than in a typical week. On Tuesday night I had to drive in such awful weather, the driving rain where your windscreen wipers simply can’t keep up and windy conditions which slightly rock your car. I was very relieved to get to the football safely and grateful that the weather had calmed down for the drive home. I like a night match, its a different atmosphere with flares and fireworks and the game played under floodlights. Fortunately it was a 1-0 win for our team, I had thought in such conditions that it would end as a goalless draw so was delighted for the win and to spend the evening with my son in his happy place. It was lovely that it was school holiday and no early start the next day.

This week, I have caught up on some key medical appointments. I have reached the age where I am entitled to a breast screening and by coincidence I needed a cervical smear too. Not the most exciting plans for the week but definitely the most valuable time spent this week.

We have made the most of the fleeting promising weather and on two different days took walks along different parts of the Coastal path, there is nothing as good for the soul as sunshine on your face and the smell, taste and feel of the sea air. Of course, there is always a cafe stop on such trips too. My scone on Friday’s walk was top level, with fresh berries decorating the pot of clotted cream ready to melt onto the warm scone. By coincidence the lady who came to sit on the adjacent table was a former colleague who has recently been in the news for a wonderful feat. It was lovely to see her, congratulate her in person and hear of her national tv and media appearances.

Our big holiday is getting closer and closer, with 17 weeks until sail day. I know how summer becomes a big melee of events, so am trying to do as much as possible in advance. I am so excited to visit Barcelona and see Gaudi’s work on a guided tour from the ship. This week I have been researching the places we will visit so I know what to look for and helpful tips to make the most of my time in Barcelona. It’s nice to have this ready so I’m prepped and ready to go.

This weekend my parents came to visit and it was nice to have time with them, they did so much for us when Mr S was ill and it was great to relax with them. Whilst we couldn’t have an alfresco lunch, seven of us sat around our large kitchen table, with delicious fresh olive bread, cheeses, hams, dips and crisps, happily chatting and laughing. It is always the little ordinary moments that bring the best memories.

I’m delighted to have another week of holidays, this week has fewer plans so I feel this gives time to be creative and relax. Sometimes its wonderful to have the time ‘to be’