Two fluffy squabs

Nesting pigeon had two babies, you can just about see them in this picture. So cute.

After posting last week's blog I was quietly having a coffee watching This Morning when it comes to my attention that my big sister has gone to Newcastle and is staying with my mum. I haven't seen her for months (though we are going to Portugal together in less than 2 weeks) so I grab a bag, throw in some clothes and drive down to see her. I think this is like the 4th trip down to Tyne and Wear in the last couple of months. It was a tortuous journey but worth it. On the Sunday we went out for lunch with mum and my other sister and her kids. It was lovely. The drive home, early on the Monday morning, was sunny and far more pleasant. No more driving down for a bit I hope. It is rather exhausting. And I've not figured out how to listen to my podcasts through Harriet, and the radio gets pretty repetitive. 

This week it's been the start of sorting cupboards. I've sold some old DVDs and a handful of books on an app. Just scan the barcode and go. Most sell for pennies (including a couple that were literally 1p!) but it's very exciting when something sells for over £2! A massive box of stuff on its way to Music Magpie for the grand total of £15! Boy, what will I treat myself to? It might stretch to a Chinese takeaway for one. I'm not complaining. It's better than a kick in the butt. And the cathartic feeling of letting go of unwanted chattel is great. 

My hair has been getting lots of very nice comments. A few have liked it but thought it was better long. I did like it, until I eventually had to wash it. Then it all went horribly wrong. I even attempted to blow dry it but alas, it still bounced into a frizzy mess. This is why it was always long - so that I could tie it into a bun and forget about it. I'll try running the straighteners through it before I'm seen in public 🤞 but I don't have high hopes. It is just about long enough to twist into a clip, so I might be saved but I'm disappointed. I can't go to the hairdresser for a blow dry once a week! Oh and on top of that, Isaac asked me if I knew I had a big patch off grey on top of my head! I explained about me growing the dyed hair out leaving me naturally grey. He said it looked silly. When I argued that other people thought the colour was going to look ok he answered by saying only him, his dad and sister were allowed to tell me the truth. Great! Thank you Isaac. Kick my hair whilst it's down! 

This weekend my wee study is getting a thorough tidy and sort. I know I'll find paperwork from the last century. Oh the joys! 

Have fun everyone and see you later.

The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they make the best of everything. 

Before/after

Well, not sure what happened but I went to the hairdresser's yesterday and had a foot chopped off my hair! I didn't cry, which surprised me and I am already growing it back.... But I like it. Mum and Mark I don't think are very impressed. Mark liked it long, but it needed a good cut and it's almost up to the regrowth length and feels like my old thick hair again. It also chopped off lots of the dyed stuff. After the hairdresser I had my B12 jab at the surgery and the nurse liked it and said she had hair envy and was tempted to get her own cut. And my neighbour likes it. So I hope you all like it. And Helen? 

I had to take Harriet, the mini, to the garage just to get a clip fixed and I was reading a magazine, as one does whilst one is sitting in a car showroom awaiting their car. It was an article by a woman who has reduced her biological age to 20 when she was like 58 years old. You might have read about her, Sandra Parsons, as she's written a book about it and been in all the papers and magazines. I found it really interesting but the one thing that hit me between the eyes was the phrase 'you have to choose'. It's obviously obvious but it still slapped me hard like it had never occurred to me before. You just choose to eat a banana rather than a chocolate cream eclair. You choose to stand up and go for a walk rather than sit in a chair watching TV. Sometimes you pick the TV and eclair but as long as you mostly pick the healthy option you're winning! And the most exciting thing that works (according to this Sandra) is that a 15 minute walk has great results - we don't have to burn out at the gym for an hour or run a couple of kms. Just walk a bit. Eat a banana and you've smashed it! Though, don't quote me as I might have simplified things just a smidge. You get the general idea though. 

I found out yesterday that I'm not the only one suffering with this bloody dry mouth thing! It's almost a pandemic (are we still allowed to say stuff like that since having an actual pandemic?). My dentist recommended lots of things but one I will try is adding electrolytes to my water. I might speak to my doctor too, just in case there's an underlying problem, but to know I'm not alone is making me feel so much better! Funny, that. 

Have a great week everyone! 

PS I've realised that your probably need a front facing picture of my hair to really judge.

I finally got 8 hours sleep. It took me three days but whatever!

Ragdale

 

This is me (you can just about see me if you look closely) in the candlelit cave. My favourite place at Ragdale Hall. If I tell you that all the classes I have taken involved bare feet you'll get a flavour for my few days here. Pilates, yoga, candlelit stretch (by candlelight), wake up and stretch (no candlelight), aqua dance! In fact I've only worn trainers once, that was for weight lifting yesterday lol.

My life is not perfect. Like everyone else I have my worries, my niddles, my upsets and ailments but I am acutely aware that I am luckier than many. When I am away, especially somewhere like here I feel overwhelmed with contentment and gratitude that makes me feel quite teary. I am blessed and I wish you could all visit Ragdale with me. But as you can't let me explain (stop reading now if you wish). The food is top notch, the staff are all lovely and friendly, the facilities are amazing - the classes, gym, thermal spa, outside heated pool, heated rooftop infinity pool, outside sun beds, swinging egg chairs, day beds. The cocktails in the cocktail bar are delicious (and pretty much the only extra you need to pay for). All three nooks and crannies for sleeping or reading. The comfy sofas in the lounges. The rooms are comfy and posh. Swanning around in robes and flip flops! Later today when we get ready to depart it'll be a pain putting clothes on! Ragdale is just wonderful. 

It's been easy to be sugar free here - proper food at all meals with just sweetness for pudding. However, on the drive down I massively needed boiled sweets for my dry mouth. It is so getting on my nerves now! It's shit!

I hope you've had a great week, even without a spa break. Please think about something that has given you joy this week. Joy can be found, you just need to look for it, though sometimes it wallops you in the face! Speak next week xx

What they hate in you is missing in them.

How many pens??

 

A pigeon couple are having babies. Apparently they share the job of sitting on the eggs and at the time of day of this photo it should be Mr Pigeon in the nest. Cute. 

My sugar free campaign hasn't been too bad, a lot less of everything has been consumer - alcohol, sweets and biscuits. Until Wednesday that is. Driving back down to Newcastle with Ellie on our way to Ragdale Hall. My mouth was incredibly dry and unpleasant so I just had to shop and get a bag of boiled sweets - butter mintoes, and the relief was immense. I pick the mintoes as they are so hard you can't chew them, you have to suck. This means that one lasts ages and I'm therefore not needing to have a load in a small period of time, thus reducing the sugar consumption. I've got a moisturising gel which helps a little but I don't like it. Makes me gag a bit I must say. But I am using it, honest gov. 

Mark has been replacing the runners on the drawers of the bedroom furniture. Last week it was our bedside cabinets. He tipped the contents of mine onto the bedroom floor - to make it easy for sorting lol. Now this drawer is the size of a shoe box (I'd say high heeled shoes so not tiny but small). It was crammed full, and I'm going to share what I found. 35 hair bobbles (don't you just love the word bobble?), 14 pens, 7 cosy socks (now added to my cosy sock drawer that I sorted the other week lol), 6 poems scribbled on scrap paper, 4 buttons, 3 cigarette lighters, 2 paperclips, 1 safety pin, 1 large screw, 1 £1 paper note, and 1 diamond ring (my engagement ring from my first spouse - it's stunning and I'm thinking I might get it sized and just wear it - Ellie is not interested in it at all, as her biological father was a twat! But a diamond ring is a diamond ring, no?). There was a couple of sweet notes from Mark - he has on very limited occasions been a tad romantic, hence I kept them. Also a note from Ellie telling me that she and the baby (Isaac in my tummy) loved me very much♥️. Isaac is 25 next month so that's how old the note is. Making Ellie about 6 years old, bless her. Wow! 

We go to Ragdale Hall spa on Monday for 4 nights and I'm super excited. It is the best place ever, I wish I could take you all. The rooms, the food, the activities, treatments, spa (obviously), all the pools and the new cocktail bar is just a treat. I've got 2 books with me and the forecast is for hot and sunny, meaning hopefully we'll be in the outside pool and taking in some sun rays! I've got my factor 30, don't worry. 4 blissful days of not wearing clothes - just a robe, apart from when gym attire or swimsuit is required of course! It's not a nudist camp (alas, as I could easier just be naked ha ha).

Have a great week everyone and we'll speak again next Friday. 😍

A wound doesn't heal if you keep picking at the scab.