It’s Been A While…

I could grovel; or I could explain that I’ve been battling health issues for over a year, which is why this blog has been dormant. With all that’s happening in the world right now, I think I’ll just wave a nonchalant hand in the air and move on.

I will tell you this, though: in the last sixteen months the NHS saved my life and the sight in my right eye, and has dealt with sundry other issues – all for free. Trapped in the house (Hub and I are on a 12-week lockdown because we are both at risk, especially the Hub), I’m frustrated that I can’t help.

So here’s my offer: if ten people reading this make a donation to Masks For NHS Heroes, the Hub will shave me completely bald, and I’ll post the video here.

I know you are all battling for PPE in your own countries, so I’m aiming this at British readers.

Stay safe and well, lovelies, and I’ll see you on the other side x

Give Thanks; It’s Good For You

Whether you believe in God or not, it is a good habit to count your blessings. In fact, it has been scientifically proven that being thankful for what you have is good for your health and mental wellbeing. I know this because I saw it in a Twitter meme, so it must be true. For it to work, it is recommended that you find at least five things to be thankful for. 

I record daily thanks in a notebook and I’ve been doing it for about six years. I only have bad moods on non-recording days but this might be because I don’t record my thanks because I’m in a bad mood. Science has to get back to me on that one.

Thanks should be personal to you because it’s unrealistic to be thankful for the neighbour a few doors down with the flawless skin and gleaming hair when you’re going through age-mandated repuberty and you look like Dorian Gray’s older, less attractive sister. They don’t need to be big things, though we ought to be thankful for them also. On days when I’m almost in a bad mood and can’t be bothered to be grateful that my fingernails look fabulous, I use my big things as default thanks: husband, kids, grandson, dogs, health, wealth, outstanding personality. More often than not, though, I’m thankful for small things like cheese & onion crisps, panty liners, invites to dinner at friends’ homes=no cooking, etc., and I have been thankful for as many as 23 separate things on Malteser days.

Today, to put my money where my mouth is, I’m going to share my thanks with you.

I am thankful for:

• My lack of money, because it teaches me the true value of things (a little fake sincerity is surprisingly positive at times)
• How often my fake sincerity teaches me the true value of things
• That I’m not in a bad mood
• For my eldest child; I love him so much
• For the man he has become
• Cheese & onion crisps, obviously
• That he’s a fantastic father
• That he’s known me for 28 years and yet he still talks to me
• That blogging is cheaper than a birthday card

Surprise!

Happy birthday, darling! 

Thank goodness that’s over with.

Oops! Did I say that out loud? Thank goodness he didn’t read me. And that he has a great sense of humour…

Excluding what we have established is the boring (family/pets/health/etc.), what are YOU thankful for?

Surprise, Surprise!

A parcel arrived in the post from Australia:

The parcel was expected; the contents were not.  

That’s not as daft as it sounds – the lovely Blubee read my South African poetry collection via email; and was kind enough to print it out and send it back to me in the UK, with her annotations.  She also sent Maltesers, poetry, dogs, pens, napkins, Earl Grey, notebooks…she is clearly an avid reader/stalker.  She knows me well.  

I confess, I wouldn’t have opened the parcel until next week if I had known it was for my birthday; but I’m not sorry.

If you would like to learn more about Blubee, you can find her here.

As delighted as I was with everything, however (especially the book of poems written by dogs; so close to the truth, I suspect my own dogs may have submitted to publishers and not told me because they have greater success than I do), as lovely as it all was, what really touched me was the beautiful note Blubee wrote about my poetry and how it affected her.

Thank you so much, Blubee; you made my year.

Whoops! A Daisy

Thank you to everyone who took a look at our church website (old and new) and left feedback.  

We considered every suggestion then threw them out as too radical (mention the opening times? Ridiculous!).

Not really, of course; I was just checking to see if you were paying attention.

Here’s the finished article (sort of; I still have some proof reading to do): St Matthew’s.

It’s been up and running about a month; maybe two…Our Illustrious Leader Pam asked me to thank you all for your contributions (about a month ago; maybe two).

Thank you, all!

Reasons To Be Cheerful

What are you thankful for?

The wonderful prompts supplied by the WordPress prompters.  Bizarre, yes; ridiculous, yes; occasionally stupid, yes.  But they allow me to unleash the mischief in a safe and protected environment, and for that I’m grateful.

Thank you, dear prompters.  I will never leave you; nothing could make me.

*

I Like Being In This Much Debt

Image via Wikipedia

Describe a debt you have yet to repay.

This one is easy. 

I am blessed with wonderful friends.  Some I have met, some I haven’t.  Most of them haven’t met each other.  The only reason I would like to win the lottery is so that I could throw a huge party one Friday night; fly, bus, or taxi all of my friends in to Stockport; and put us all up in a hotel.  I would do it so that I could say, ‘Thank you for being kind to me.  You don’t know how much it has meant to me, especially on blue days.’

I would buy each friend a unique gift and we would party ’til dawn; breakfast together; maybe go to the races, where everyone would be given a goody bag*, a fabulous lunch, and something to bet with; in the evening we would go to the theatre or a show.  On Sunday morning we would have a champagne breakfast where I would get very tipsy on Buck’s Fizz and I would personally see each of you to your limo/taxi/bus/old bicycle (don’t be the last to leave – I’ve run out of money).

My point is this: there are some debts that can never be repaid; but they ought to be acknowledged: I probably won’t remember every kindness you have done me, but I will always remember that you are kind.

*Don’t expect a box of Maltesers; we may be friends but we’re not that close.

**

**I’m just looking at the photo of Stockport at the top of this post and I can’t help wondering if anyone will turn up to this fantastic do I’ve planned.