Sometimes there are times when life seems tough for those around you and I often send a little card to let that person know that I’m thinking of them. However today I had one of the most joyous card shopping trips I’ve had in ages for a family wedding, a healthy baby boy and an clear from cancer card. The last card was just brilliant to be able to buy as its for a much loved and respected colleague from all of us at work. The atmosphere when we heard the good news yesterday made us all feel so tingly and happy. It just reminded me that we should all take time to celebrate every piece of good news and simply cherish every day.
My Sunday Photo #8
Today it’s a photo of a feeling rather than detail. This is Little Man in his happy place, at the crease in a cricket match. He is cricket mad, he woke me up yesterday with his cricket book to look at together in bed before we headed off to the first league match of the season and a winning start.
My life in music
For me music is the soundtrack to my life, I can listen to a song and it can instantly take me back to a time, a place and people. I love that I have so many memories and feelings from music and thought I would introduce a few albums which have shaped periods in my life. These are not necessarily my favourite albums but those which have a special place in my life.
I was inspired to do this series after listening to a radio interview with Marti Pellow of Wet Wet Wet. To introduce the section, they played a montage of the group’s hits and suddenly I was back in 1987. I played Popped In Souled Out on repeat in 1987 as I tried to settle into a new life in a new town, desperately missing my old friends and home as well as experiencing the teenage angst of being 14, it was a tough time. Even hearing just the snippets of the songs, the feelings of the period overwhelmed me again.
My parents did something in this time to help me appreciate our new home of Bristol by buying two tickets for the Wet Wet Wet tour at the Colston Hall. My old town never had pop concerts and now in Bristol, I was not only going to get to see my favourite band but I was allowed to take a friend and not my parents who were simply on taxi duties. It was my first concert on my own ( I had seen Aha in 1986 but my mum came too) and helped me see the joy, fun and potential of being a teenager in Bristol. Wet Wet Wet on that night were amazing, so young and innocent, full of energy and absolutely loving what they were doing so much that we loved them even more for it. Popped In Souled Out remains my favourite Wet Wet Wet album and whilst I loved the hits Wishing I was Lucky and Sweet Little Mystery, Angel Eyes and Temptation (with a swear word) mean so much to the lost and lonely 14 year old I was.
A snap shot of my life ~ A gripping read
Its that magic moment I’ve been waiting and anticipating all day. I am finally able to sit down and finish the book I’ve been thinking about constantly today, will I be able to solve who the murdered woman was before the climatic ending?
Postcript, no I didn’t guess the identity of the woman or the murderer which is unlike me. This book is The New Mrs Clifton by Elizabeth Buchan and it is so well written with a rich tapestry of characters and background stories coming together to build an excellent thriller.
My Sunday Photo #7
After a wet, miserable winter of wading through mud on my Sunday morning trail runs, today made me remember why I do it. The warm sun on your face, stunning country and sea views, saying hello to the cows and horses en route and enjoying the smell and sight of the wild flowers. Sunday morning runs are my time, helping me to prepare for the week ahead.
Life Humming in the Background …
This is one of those posts which I don’t really know where it’s going to go. I’ve not written for a while not because I’ve lost my blogging mojo nor because life is too busy or that I’m procrastinating. I just can’t describe how life feels like at the moment. Life is humming in the background as I make sure everyone is fed, dressed and where they should be at the correct time and with correct equipment. I play and laugh with the children, arrange play dates, do homework. share music etc.. Work is fine and I’m enjoying a project I’m doing. The children and Mr S are all well and happily bobbing along. Its just that I don’t seem to be so sparkly and dynamic and I don’t know why. I’m lacking inspiration in lots of what I do, meals are simple and old favourites, I’m wearing old comfy familiar clothes even my gym routine veers on the predictable but I find myself craving this normality and routine. I’m not tired or ill and am outside lots, the spark is just faded. I know I could jump my self into action with a new project or try something different but I don’t feel I need to. I need to relax and embrace what my body is telling me, life is on a low volume whilst I recharge and I am genuinely okay with that.
April 2018 : Shine, Peter Rabbit and meringues #littleloves
So April continued to be a grey, cold, dismal month apart from 4 blissful days when we fast forwarded a season and enjoyed hot, sunny days. It was a little break in which we all slipped into shorts and t-shirts and spent as much time as possible with the warm sun on our faces, at the beach, in the garden or riding through the forest.
April saw our two week Easter holiday and as well as the Easter traditions, we climbed walls (literally not figuratively!) met Dippy the dinosaur, hit a few tennis balls, relaxed in jacuzzis and steam rooms, laughed at Peter Rabbit, revisited the old ships at Portsmouth Historic dockyard, spent time with grandparents and played with friends. The weather was dreary but we made the holidays sparkle!
I have read an eclectic mix of books this month, one thriller, Before we Met about a husband’s mysterious past, one book, My Name is Leon in which main character is in foster care, another on a transgender child This Is How It Always Is and a non fiction title Shine. All were good books and the two about the children were heart breaking and thought provoking. The characters stay with you and as a consequence of the books, you hope for a little more kindness, acceptance and understanding in our world.
Shine by Andy Cope asks very pertinent questions about modern life and why are we all so busy? I found myself agreeing with so much and resolving to make little changes, as Cope describes it ‘ Shining. That’s having focus, clarity, imagination, creativity, energy and resilience’
Surprisingly as it was a holiday month, we only went to the cinema once and that was to see Peter Rabbit. It was a modern interpretation featuring the Beatrix Potter characters, but it did amuse me and the children and the images of the Lake District were stunning. Television wise I’ve not watched a great deal, but as a family we’ve all been enjoying Revolution on Sky, a competition among skaters, BMXers and skateboarders with courses, tricks and races. Needless to say as a consequence, Little Man has become even more adventurous at the skate park!
Little Miss and my kitchen adventures continued this month, she’s such a talented sous chef. Our April challenge was to make a special dessert for Easter Sunday lunch and we chose meringues. The BBC Good Food recipe was perfect and we all enjoyed making and eating our berry meringues.
After such a cold winter, it was wonderful to pop on my favourite red shorts, flip flops and sunglasses for our mini heatwave. I think when you live at the seaside you dress more casually and apart from work, I’m in my shorts as much as possible in the summer months. I’ve had my red pair for years and there is just something so comfortable and relaxing about pulling them on and heading outside. I love the hoodie and shorts look for the cooler evenings too.
I’ve noticed with all the driving in the car this month that my children are changing my radio stations to something a little more hip or playing a Spotify playlist. I’m enjoying a lot of their music but without a doubt my favourite song this month has been Paloma Faith’s Make your Own Kind of Music, this is such a fabulous, feel good song to be played loud and proud.
April was a family focused and busy month despite the weather ( have I mentioned that?!) May appears to be shaping up as a month of working towards summer events, Little Miss is busy with rehearsals for two summer shows and Little Man is training for the cricket season. I’m happy for it to be a quieter month before my diary explodes in June, July and August. Summer at the seaside is always busy and fun.
Thank you to Morgana for the inspiration for #littleloves
My Sunday Photo #6
I love the vivid, dramatic colours in this photo, the menacing grey sky, a bright green hill and little white house. This was the scene from a family meet up to celebrate Mr S’ dad 86th birthday. After a lovely family lunch with Grandad and my in-laws we all explored the beach and harbour and thankfully the grey skies did not turn to rain.
My Sunday Photo #5
The sun arrived this week and we have been outdoors ever since. This week’s photo was taken earlier today on a family bike ride in the forest. It was beautiful to see the rays of sunshine flooding through the trees and to admire the shades of green lighting the forest.
The first day of summer …
So it looks like we’ve skipped a whole season and summer has started today. It’s been the hottest April day since 1949 and it’s been blissful. Its strange to think a month ago we were snowed in!
The sun can change everything so here’s a list of things I’ve done today on our first hot and sunny day of the year…
I’ve dressed the children in their summer uniform, I love the cuteness of summer uniforms, a gingham dress for Little Miss and grey shorts for Little Man. We didn’t need coats today either.
At work, I changed my lesson plan and took my class outdoors to do their lesson. It was spontaneous and fun and turned out to be a really good lesson, sometimes you just have to go with the idea and embrace where it takes you.
Instead of heading home, I took Little Man for an ice cream and a walk whilst we waited for Little Miss to finish her music club after school. We admired the blossoms and looked for other signs of spring, Little Man played in the little brook and I may have dipped a toe into the water.
As soon as we got home the children changed into shorts and t-shirts after school. Is there a simpler outfit and I love all it symbolises, sunny days and outdoor playtime.
During the afternoon, Mr S had set up Swingball in the garden after it had been stored away for winter and we all played it in the garden before tea.
After tea, Little Miss and I went for a walk on the beach, the outdoor café was busy with people enjoying a drink in the warm weather and the beach was filled with people enjoying a bonus play. The atmosphere was so relaxing and happy.
When we got home, I sat in the garden and read. My summer soundtrack were the birds chirping and the hum of people happy pottering around in their gardens and outside.
There is no doubt that I am a summer person and a day like today just fills me with happiness and sparkles. Here’s hoping for a wonderful summer in 2018.
Seaside Sparkles 