I'm mad

 So yesterday was my day off. And I started to panel one wall in the dining room. I don't want to bore you but Mark must have got the maths wrong because (using his templates and dividers) my first column didn't reach the ceiling as it's should. I tried to call him but he's snowboarding in France so couldn't get through. So I cracked on. Then by 3.30pm he'd seen the pictures and didn't like it. By then I'd almost finished the wall but as you can see it wasn't right - no panel of wood at the very top. So I stopped but realised I was mad at myself because as soon as I noticed things weren't right I should have pulled the horizontals down and done the maths myself. To be fair to Mark he was at the end of 2 weeks of nightshifts. His brain wasn't working properly! I was pretty gutted! But hey ho. It'll be fixed. 

Life this week has been weird. Mark is away and I can't remember the last time he'd been away from home, it's been a while. I've tried to coax Isaac downstairs but that failed. So my evenings have just been me and the TV. There's stuff going on at work so that's been a little different this week. And on top of that the weather has been poo too. My friend who is helping me with my wallpapering has had a bereavement so her visit to sunny Scotland has been delayed. Bella has been chewing all sorts of crap so I guess she's missing Mark too. 

I hope next week will be more exciting for you, my lovely readers! Some weeks are just blah. 

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving. 

Decorating

So my husband has gone skiing, well snowboarding in his case. And for two whole weeks! He's taken my daughter and BiL with him. And he's left me to look after the dog and decorate the dining room. Now this in itself is fine, it was my plan. I bought a mural wallpaper for the ceiling. It's the nebula and it's amazing. Mark told me from the offset that he would not be sticking it to the ceiling. I tried to get a decorator but that wasn't easy so I recruited my old mate from school. We've decorated together before, albeit about 30 years ago. So far so good but...

I suddenly decided I wanted one wall to be panelled. I got Ellie to create images for me, it was what she did for a living after all. Hence the pictures you see. We've bought a big sheet of MDF and Mark has cut it into strips for me. Now it's up to me to cut it to size and make a paneled wall! 

Also, my wallpapering friend has had a bereavement so her visit may be delayed. My lovely wallpaper ceiling might have to wait a bit. I will post photos when it gets finished though. 

Back to Mark being away for two weeks. That's two weeks of being in my PJs, two weeks of watching what I want on the TV, two weeks of eating fish (he hates fish) and two weeks of margaritas. (When I'm not painting it sawing wood that is). 

I finished my autism course this week. It was a lot of work, a lot of typing, but I also learnt a lot. I've not found out if I've passed, but let's be positive shall we. 

I hope everyone hunkers down for the storm today. Stay safe and I'll speak to you next week. Have fun. 

"What day is it?" asked Pooh. "Today." answered Piglet."Ooh, my favourite day." said Pooh 

Thursday

 

What a day I had yesterday. Firstly I realised I'd lost a glove! I got them for Christmas and Wednesday was my first day wearing them. They were purple suede and gorgeous. I was gutted. I remember I had them after work and the only place I went was Lidl. I sent customer services a message 

Bella was having a check up at the vets first thing. I had to get a urine sample from her. She usually pees on demand but outside the vets she was far too distracted by all the smells to pay any attention to me. Apart from that she's doing fine. 

I then had a hair appointment. Then I popped to the supermarket for a few bits and pieces. I lastly took Bella for a quick walk before it went dark.

As I was walking I realise I must have poked a hole in the toe of my tights. I felt it strangulating my big toe. This is not unusually for me, I often have holes in my tights and socks caused by my big pokey big toe, but this was super sore! 

I bought my neighbour two cartons of milk. Once home, before taking my bags inside I took the milk next-door. As I pulled them out of my boot I said to myself 'don't drop one', and had an image in my head of a carton smashing to the ground and milk going everywhere. Two seconds later I dropped one, milk went everywhere. Now, did thinking about it make it happen (I certainly didn't want £2 to literally going down the drain) or am I a witch that had a premonition? I'll let you decide. 

On the subject of you deciding, I have a question for you. In the Christmas Quality Street there are coconut chocolates. Now I don't mind these but they are no where near my favourite. My very least favourite is the green triangles but I'd eat them. Now Mark and Isaac will not eat the coconut ones so what happens is that these ones are always left, so I'll then eat them. But over Christmas the boys decided that I had to eat these first instead of my favourites so they weren't left (for me to eat when there were no others). Mark's favourites is the toffee ones which I like but don't go for first. So my question is - is it fair that I had to eat the coconut ones before eating my favourite ones (btw they are the orange and strawberry ones)? 

Anyway, apart from non peeing dogs, sore toes and split milk I had lovely hair and retrieved my lost glove from Lidl! Not such a bad day after all.

Thank you for reading and I'll see you next week.

PS (picture) what on earth are white strawberries??

It doesn't matter where you go, but who you have beside you. 

Not the week I expected

 

Mark and I had a break at the Hideaways this week, from Sunday. I checked last year's calendar and it was the exact week we were there in 2024. The calendar also confirmed that I was indeed away every single month. At the risk of boasting it looked like this -

Jan - Hideaway

Feb - skiing in France

March - another week skiing in France and House of Gods Edinburgh

April - Antigua 

May - House of Gods Glasgow and free night at Hideaway

June - Pittodrie House and the Riga ball in Coventry

July - stay at sisters, then mums then Swinton estates tree house

August -  Hideaway (yes, again) 

September - Grenada

October - Ragdale Hall

November - Fuerturventura and Dundee

December - London, sisters house, Northumberland, Ardoe House then Newcastle for Christmas.

Goodness what a year. Not exactly planned, just seemed to be one thing after another. Had just a great year. I'm very blessed. I have an excuse for them all. 

So, this week? Well the photo above, it was actually snowing though you can't see it. Unfortunately, I didn't take my meds before we left and then forgot to take them with me. By Tuesday my depression was evident. Just starts with feeling low. I develop a super short trigger to tears if I see, read or think something sad. But by Wednesday I was pretty unwell. The intrusive thoughts, the sobbing and distress. I tried to balance the bad feelings with looking at the good. Sitting in the hot tub with a glass of prosecco, walking Bella in the woods where there was a thick, crunchy layer of snow and with beautiful blue skies, lying in the hammock snuggled on the living room rug (warm from the under floor heating) and under my cosy fur blanket reading my book, and surprisingly eating maltesers (had Christmas ones. Not eaten maltesers for years but absolutely loved these). It was a shock how quickly it came on and to what extent. A reminder how much I still need to take the antidepressants and how well they actually work. They are miracle drugs that keep me feeling normal. I hope I never need to go without them for that long again. I was climbing the wall and was scared to go to bed Wednesday night as I knew I wouldn't sleep. The thoughts and paranoia are very debilitating. But I'm home, had my dose yesterday and one this morning. I started to feel better quickly. By last night I was much improved. I'm not sharing this for any words of condolences. I'm just being honest about my week and I guess I write my blog for this very reason. I'm sure some of my weeks are super boring. But always the truth. Though one of my friends thought I made up the funny bits to make people laugh! No, funny or sad it's just me. 

Have a great week. Don't worry about me. Concentrate on yourself. And I'll speak to you next week. 

You can't add days to your life, but you can add life to your days.

Merry Christmas

 

We had Christmas on Wednesday. Which was new years day for you muggles. Stockings, bucks fizz, turkey dinner, crackers and Christmas movies. It was lovely. And it snowed! White Christmas for us. 

I forgot to cook the pigs in blankets and the stuffing! I forgot again the next day for fake boxing day lunch of turkey and chips! 

As Mark is always complaining of being too hot in bed Santa got him a duel duvet. 3.5 tog for him, with 10.5 tog for me. On the first night I was too hot in bed lol. Mark was fine. Prior to this duvet we had a wool blanket as our duvet. Bought it in Lanzarote with the mattress, as you do? You do buy mattresses on holiday don't you? I folded it and this is what happened to my trousers lol. - see photo.

We had a lovely boxing day walk, in the snow, on Thursday. Bella met up with her brother Bruster and they had a great time. Mark had been given a ball gun - think machine gun for tennis balls. Not sure who liked it more - Mark or Bella.

So I've been looking at 2024 and trying to decifer what has made me feel happy. It's been a crazy year, with something on every month. I won't bore you with details but we did have a lovely year. But it's more than leaving home that makes me happy. I suspect 2025 will be somewhat more of the same. I love getting out and about even around the UK. I've have a great year at work and hopefully that will continue. I've also read some great books, next year I hope to read more. In my snug chair and blanket.. I want more candles, more cushions and more relaxing. Bring it on, life is short.

I've put on 1lb over Christmas but this still makes me lighter than normal. I had to buy new work trousers - size 12! This made me happier than you can imagine. I love it so much. 

Wishing you everything you hope for in 2025!

Happy new year. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow xx