Dirty cups, snow and backseat distractions

I have cleared my bedroom floor by picking up all my clothes,

sorted out the many, many books on my beside table, brought down furry cups and glasses and put rubbish in the bin. I did this without being nagged, or threats of being grounded. Oh, and I'm not 14 but 49!

We have snow again!

And those kind, helpful snow-plough people have cleared the road at the end of the drive, but obviously think we don't want to go anywhere, as they piled it up about 4 feet high at the gate, thus blocking all entry and exits.

Oh, and on the news today it was announced a zero tolerance and hefty fines for being distracted from driving, by using a mobile 'phone on the move. I absolutely agree with this, as we are about 6% more likely to have an accident while telling people 'I'm going through a tunnel now.' There is further discussion on the banning of other distracting things to do while driving, such as eating and smoking. I used to be able to do all three... and have my morning cup of tea with me, but then, donkey's years ago we used to smoke in bed (but not while driving.)

When my children were in the car I often had to threaten to Stop the Car and Make Them Walk, if they would not stop fighting/arguing/asking 'are we nearly there, yet? Or grit my teeth when mother or mother-in-law would question my driving/dirctions or what I had bought in the sales.

My thought for today is - When will they ban the transportation of babies, toddlers, children and aged parents from the back seat?

Mid-Life Crises

I thought mid-life crises were for wimps. You know, those that are not only middle-aged in years but in mind, too. Wrong. It just hits you anyway. I am nearly 50 but feel, oh about 23 but with loads of life experience. I've got the partner I've had for years and years and still want to keep him; my children are grown up and, well, fairly adult and self-sustaining, with good relationships and families of their own; I've trained, done and left the job I always wanted, and now have the chance to do the one I've always dreamed of; I have lovely friends, with whom I am close, and am quite able to leave alone the ones who don't care for me or allow me to care about them.

Hooever, the mid-life thingy is more about me losing the role of Mother that I have had for all of my adult life, since I had my first child at age 19 and my second at age 20. I have nurtured and worried about them, am proud of and, at times, been furious with them, as well as pestered them and interefered in their lives. I have a crazy mother (really) and had a not very nice father (deceased) who, together or separately, were not fit to be parents to children so, no role models there. This is not a rant about my horrible childhood, and since. Promise.

Middle age, though, seems to be a time to take stock (oh fuck, cliche alert) and, as my 50th birthday approaches in the middle of this year, I find I can finally, emotionally, leave the kids to it and, I'm, well, Free of all responsibilty. O.

This also means, of course, that my kids are now free of me!

'Free at Last, Free at bloody Last!'

I hear them cry, nay, Shout. With tears of Joyous Relief, I should think!

I. Have. A. Cold.

I cannot remember the last time I had a cold. And, I don't like colds. Mainly because when you have one you have to bloody get on with it, and be off the fags. Now, a good dose of 'flu and you (I) can go to bed. For at least three days you think you are gonna die and, by the end of the third day, you are in soooo much pain you (I) wish you could die and be put out of your misery, blah!

Today I have been a wizz in the kitchen - and happily, partly, nay, mainly because now I have a dishwasher I can use the biggest bowl I want and, Don't have to Worry about the Washing Up! (sad, I know ...) Anyway, it was bacon & eggs for breakfast, homemade mayonnaise (the first. Ever) and chicken sandwiches for lunch; and then, lovely lamb mince done to a T in the oven, with Neris and India's 'Cauliflower Faux Mash' {steam the cauli, then wizz in the machine with some butter and cream, and hey presto!} All lovely, if not diet, food but here's the thing. I Cannot TASTE Anything due to a dose of the cold. Bastard.

None.

This is how I feel at the moment. Blah!

I have started Neris and India's diet and decided to start early with the decaf tea and suppliments and so the headaches began. Hooever, I now realise there is a sick-headachy thingy going around and think I've got that as well. But, started the food thing today.

Hopefully, I will feel better soon, and will post some more when I can.

That was the week, that was

Crikey, I seem to have been away for Ages! But, things have been happening, o yes. The new dishwasher has Changed my Life, I can tell you. Apart from now loading the stuff into the machine and it, well, washing it. We (the Royal We) put in new worktops and, instead of having a board over part of it to cover up a gaping hole at the back from when we re-arranged it to fit our fridge in ... blah, blah - the upshot is that I now have More Space in the kitchen, in which to make a mess And clear it up = bliss!

And, I do suffer the 'Blues' a bit at times and I get very down. Sometimes it is because I overload myself with saying 'yes' when I should say 'No! Bugger Off!' This is mainly because I forget that I am no longer a spring chicken of, say, 30 or so. I am, ahem, a tad older though, unfortunately it seems, not much wiser. Lately, in order to 'join in' and 'make new pals' I allowed myself to be sooked into writing the playlette for the WI Comp. This is, however, as well as my two OU courses starting at the beg. of Feb. To whit, I felt so panicked that my head went deep into the sand, lost sleep, considered running away to ... well, possibly join the circus (I knew somebody once who did exactly that, oh, she was my hero for a time!) Anyhoo, this has now been cured. I asked my lovely Freaky Friday for help, and we sat down today and put meat on the bones, as'twer, and it's Done! Done! Done! I took copies of the script, darhlinks, to the Rural meeting tonight, ready for rehearsal tomorrow morning. I am now so bloody relieved that I shall open my books for the two courses, both of which I am now two weeks behind, and Get Started.

Plus, in other bloody good news: Mwa and Bri have put an offer on a new house; My Bezzie mate's daughter just got engaged; and another pal, who is Heartily sick of her job, has an interview for another one tomorrow. Hurrah for all.

Hmm, had a lovely Valentine's Day (with Flowers!) and went out for a meal with Freaky Friday and her family, for her Birthday. (See above piccie, her friend sent to her, aah!) I remember her writing in one of her school books that she was 'mummy's Valentine's Day present.' How dare my youngest child now be aged 29!

Ooh, snow!

Meet my new friend ... as I write at five past eight pm, his hat is covered in the white stuff, which hasn't stopped tipping out of the sky All Day! Bugger, I was cream-crackered after playing snowballing and snowman building this morning - had to have a sleep this arvo, when Mr T took nanny's best girl to the front lawn with a sledge. However, it was too deep, apparently for sledging, she kept sinking!

Our neighbour, Mrs Farmer, went down to the town this morning in her land rover and, luckily, brought me some shopping back, but no-one can get in or out tonight.

As always, my first thought is, have we got enough to eat stored in the cupboards? And we have - flour, eggs, porage oats (the Scott's brand spelling, I've just noticed) veg, onions, potatoes, bread, milk. Pity we'll not be snowbound for a couple of weeks as I have enough supplies!

White Out Baby!!

We don't actually have snow here in central Scotland today, o no, we have a white out! Even the sky telly dish has to be cleared periodically (thankfully that appears to be a boy job, as well as walking the dog - but I have now bought myself a ciggie rolling machine in order for this to become a girl job) so I can continue to watch Murder She Wrote or some such, in the peace of my living room that has a lovely log fire burning in it. I can now do this while the washing up is done in the Dishwasher, yay! And How Sad Am I that this tickles me fancy and cheers me up? Eeuw!

What does cheer me up no end, though, is that I went with Freaky Friday and Helpful to see their baby scan. Wowee! Baby is a Girl (pink knitting (I know, I know in this day and age an' all) for me then.) Freaky and I sobbed with relief as baby sucked her thumb and then had a stretch - you know the baby s t r e t c h, with arched back, and raised chin. And, did I mention she sucked her thumb? Awww. We are somewhat particularly pleased as Freaky Friday has suffered what is euphemistically termed 3 previous 'losses'. We are blessed and this now means I shall have three granddaughters!

I may now stop sulking

Saturday - is bashing and crashing, hands thrown into the air as the kitchen is being dismantled somewhat. An emergency trip is taken to the retail park before closing time and get them to, please, give us the Correct Taps that Do Not Leak. I am staying out of the way while Mr T and My son in law, Mr Helpful, create a space in the kitchen for the sparkly dishwasher.

Monday - is hard earned pound notes being handed to the grinning man in the electric shop, overseen by the scruffy man who has come to pay his bill after spending some time in the pub. Evidenced by the foul beery breath he insists upon inserting into my breathing space, eeuk.

Thursday is D-Day - when I shall be happy that my dishwasher will be in the shop, and I can save the £25 delivery cost (to bring it the sixteen miles from the shop to my house) by collecting it - or rather advising Mr T that it would be good for me if he brings it home.

All is well and I may now stop sulking.

Today The Sun Was Weird

The sun today was quite weird and bugger if I didn't have my camera with me again. We (Freaky Friday) and I decided to not go swimming and go for some lunch instead and we travelled along under a fairly grey sky. But, in the distance there were some bare trees against a strip of skyline that was bright, bright blue. It was eerie. The weather was so lovely and mild I could have put out my washing on the line, sadly (as I am a sad person) my favourite job.

However, I was late for a meeting of a few of us from the Rural (Scottish WI without the Jeruselam) to sort out what we are going to do for the local Play Competition. We decided some time ago that several of us wanted to do it and, spookily as the theme is Fashion Show, at least two of us are somewhat larger than the current high profile of size 0 models. It is expected that the playlette of 10 minutes duration should be a farce. As usual, it was quite interesting to hear the different visions each person in a group of people will have. We talked around several ideas and finally decided on my (simple and basic) idea, which was developed, grew legs, and had 'meat' added. I have now been dubbed 'local writer in residence' and am expected, just because I volunteered, to come up with a draft script - ready for 10 am on Monday morning! One of the others has said she'll do the props and each of us will come up with names for each of the 5 of us who will be on stage.

While this is scary as people are relying on me, I now feel I have to be a grown up and produce what is expected. This is something I have never liked to do. For example, I have always knitted; I love knitting and will often knit something for someone, especially a new baby. But, this is the quirky bit, I usually can only do this if I have decided to myself that I want to do it, not if I've promised it, or I have been asked to do it. I think it is a fear of not acutally being able to achieve it. Hmmm. I wonder if this is why I tit about Not sending stuff off to anyone who might publish my work. Apart from the fact that I am lazy and can only work to a deadline, hence my excitement at getting my draft ready for Monday. I shall have fun with it.