do you ever get those days?

Do you ever get those days when you have a list of things to do -in your head and find it difficult to decide which thing to do first? I am having one of those days- I have a few household jobs to do that I have been putting off and can't decide which to tackle first.....Oh well I guess sitting here thinking about things wont get them done so I am just going to have to get on with it! (Wish me luck!)

The New Forest

What a beautiful place The New Forest is! I went there with excellent company ( total 2 humans and 3 dogs an excellent human to dog ratio!) It was a bit rainy and not very warm but we had a lovely time.
Ollie is sleeping it off now and I am checking emails and tidying the house etc.
It was so good to be surrounded by donkeys, cows and horses as well as the beautiful landscape. The New Forest is one of the most beautiful places to visit in the UK!

a peaceful morning

It is lovely to wake up to a calm, peaceful morning with the alarm clock switched off. This does not happen often as I usually need to be an early riser either for work or because I am off somewhere and need to set off by a certain time.
Often if I have my alarm set at the same time every day I wake up just before the alarm goes off anyway but there is something great about waking up and knowing the alarm is off and cannot disturb me!
The tricky part is remembering to re-set it for when it is needed again!

my beautiful caravan!

I have just spent the weekend in my lovely caravan and my good friend Sarah visited. She brought along a big bag of organic vegetables and some plants for the borders in my little garden there.
The weather was incredible on Saturday when I arrived and there was a loud thunder storm. This made poor Ollie shake with fear but he calmed down when I wrapped him in a blanket. The evening as nicer though so we went out for a short walk with Sarah and ended up having a nightcap at the Lighthouse which is a really nice pub.
Today the weather was bright and sunny and we took Ollie for a walk along the cliffs. the view there is breathtaking! We went to The Sound Mirror near Dover. (This photo is taken when I went there with my niece, nephew and sister earlier this year.)
What a great day!

rain

Yes I know it's bank holiday and everyone wanted a barbecue but I am still cosy in my room listening to the rain falling and the birds singing and it's nice.
I sometimes enjoy singing in the rain!
(My daughter loves that musical and it always makes me think of her.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1ZYhVpdXbQ&feature=kp

and then there's always the classic Doors track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DED812HKWyM&feature=kp
Now that's a great storm!
For those feeling blue there is always:
Why does it always rain on me? (Travis)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXatLOWjr-k&feature=kp
I

love that song.

I cant fail to be inspired by rain.
I am thinking of some incredible storms....watching lightning while staring out to sea, sitting cosy in a  steamy cafe while the rain pours down outside...lying awake at night in my caravan with the rain thundering down on the roof....waking up in a camp-site in the New Forest almost deserted by campers due to the weather and finding deer exploring the site.....
Quite often I love rain!

synchronicity

It is wonderful how life works out. Earlier this week I was driving along and the lorry in front of me threw up some grit and cracked Hattie's windscreen. It was only a tiny chip but it had the look of a chip that would soon increase in size.
I actually love motorway driving but one of the hazards is definitely a higher than usual risk of receiving a cracked screen....
Anyway I knew I needed to act but put it off as I have been at school all week and had no time left in the day to arrange a repair. I decided to go supermarket shopping straight after work this evening and to my delight my usual (preferred) car park spot was occupied by a marquee and a man who does windscreen repairs cheaply and you are refunded by your insurance company.
This was great news as he was able to make the repair while I went shopping and by the time I returned the screen was very nearly as good as new!

the importance of voting

I totally get how frustrated many people are choosing the best of a not very good bunch but I keep reminding myself that women died so that I would be given the right to vote and so feel morally obligated to do so.
I voted Green in this election and in many previously.
In my view we can not afford to ignore environmental issues and without a Green voice in the European Parliament I fear that is exactly what would happen.
Fingers crossed for you Greens.
Keep up the good work!

exciting evenings out followed by cosy evenings in!

I love going out. I am quite a sociable creature really.
It was good to meet fellow distributors at Pizza Express last night and to eat pizza and chat about the business and today it is great spending the evening cuddled up with the dog.
I love going out and I love staying in.
I am really looking forward to spending time in my caravan soon.
Apparently warm weather is on the way.
Happy Days!

going your own way!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ul-cZyuYq4
One of the most important things to me in life is to be given the freedom to do things my way.
I mess up all the time, make daft decisions and go off track but every day I feel that I approach my life in a way that is right for me.

When I see and hear of people who are bitterly unhappy with their lives my deepest wish for them is that they gather the strength to change their lives little by little so that they are moving in a  direction that they are happy with.

I know life can be hard and when it is tough it is sometimes near impossible to see that there might be another way of approaching things but when you are moving in the right direction deep down you can feel it and knowing it gives you the strength to keep on going when things get tough.

sunny days

Today people everywhere were happy because of the sun! We have not had it long enough for some people to start complaining about it yet so I really enjoyed seeing everyone looking happy.
Many people have started to wear summer clothes, nice bright shorts and dresses and seem generally happier and more optimistic. Long may it continue!

Ollie and boot-fairs don't mix!

Well it seemed like a good idea at the time. Ollie and I got up early and walked down to the local boot-fair. The walk in the sun was lovely and Ollie saw a few dogs en route.
We arrive at the boot-fair and it is actually impossible for me to go near the stalls as every time I approached one Ollie got ready to cock his leg.
I did not think that this would go down terribly well with the stall holders so we cut short the trip and walked back home via the park.
It is a sunny and warm day today so I
calculated that Ollie was probably tired and would just sniff around a bit in the park before wanting to go back home for a drink or water but I was wrong!
He did his old favourite routine of running round the park in a huge circle at top speed before finding some fox poo and ( yep, you guessed it...) rolling in it.
Ollie has had his second bath in two days but still smells distinctly off!
Have a good day everyone!

in praise of football

Now I bet a lot of you wouldn't expect me to be into football....My interest in football began one World Cup. My son was young and wanted to watch the World Cup so I though that it would be a nice thing for us to do together. We sat down to watch. It was pretty dull to be honest until members of the Swedish team removed their shirts and then I realised that football might not be so dull after all!

My son supported Arsenal so I started to watch the matches with him. I started off admiring the more handsome players but gradually I actually got hooked into the game itself...

Jack has remained loyal to Arsenal through some pretty stormy times and has taken a fair amount of stick from his mates over the years for doing this.
I am hoping that today will reward him for his loyalty.
Good luck Arsenal.
I am an Arsene Wenger fan....I know he will definitely be needing a win from the team today.
Fingers crossed.
Ollie and I will definitely be watching.

In praise of wildlife areas

I was driving along a dual carriageway today and had to slow down due to heavy traffic. One thing that cheers me up in these situations is when some great music comes onto the radio to save me from the boredom of the traffic jam.Today I slowed to a near halt and glanced at the verge and noticed there was a sign that stated this was a wildlife area and yes there were beautiful wild flowers growing there. I then noticed other patches of wild flowers in the verges on the rest of the journey home. Wild flowers certainly brighten my day!

Stephen Sutton

I only heard about Stephen a few days ago and by this time he had made loads of money for charity. This in itself is a real achievement but to me the really inspiring thing about Stephen was that when he  heard he did not have much longer to live he determined not to waste a single second and set about making sure he could tick off the things he put on his 'bucket list.'
he was supportive of others and spent his last days making a real difference and I am sure he will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
I did not know him but he has really touched the lives of so many of us with his positive attitude and refusal to give up.

Ollie again!

Yes I know I am obsessed by the little beast but it is hard not to be as he is the best companion I could ever ask for.
I came back from work today and he was so excited to see me that he ran downstairs to greet me then abruptly turned and ran back upstairs before returning with the brush from the dustpan in his jaws.

This made it impossible for me to fit his harness over his head until he let go. I proceeded to chase him round the house trying to get the brush- Ollie had a right laugh! He eventually dropped the brush and we were able to proceed with our walk. Ollie is an example to us all on how to enjoy life and be cheerful at all times!

This is Ollie when he was a young pup- he was obsessed with dusters at that point!

core values

I attended a training seminar and was asked to list what I believe to be my top 5 core values. I did this and then was asked to ask my friends and family what they believe my core values to be.
This is an interesting exercise as it is hard to be sure how I come across to other people. I just asked my Facebook Friends if they would be willing to take some time to do this for me and 2 instantly replied. This is very useful feedback.
I hope more people are able to reply as the more responses I get the clearer the picture will be.
If anyone reading this would like to list what they think my top 5 core values are please leave a message in the comments section. Your time would be much appreciated.

Sundays

I love Sundays, they seem the most reflective and peaceful day of the week for many. Some people attend church, others lie in and many families take time to eat a roast together. It is really important to take time out from the frantic pace of modern life and Sundays help many of us do just that.
Even when I worked on Sundays in residential care the pace was slower on Sundays and much more relaxed as the residents enjoyed a lie in and a Sunday roast together.
More people seem to walk their dogs on Sundays too. Ollie likes this as he comes across more dogs to show off to on Sundays!

If you...

If you keep your eyes open you find so many interesting and inspiring thing on the Internet. I actually prefer looking at photographs and video's and listening to music to watching TV these days. There are so many inspiring and creative people who want to share their message and now they can through You Tube and other similar sites.
Nothing can beat the real thing- getting out there and having first hand experiences but sharing the unique experiences of others is to me - a very worthwhile thing to do.
I find it heartening that people go out of their way to post things that lift the spirits of others- it really does help to make the World a better place!

Friday

I have always liked Fridays. As a child I used to enjoy walking back from school thinking of all the things we could do over the weekend and as I grew up I realised that adults often shared my love of Fridays. I guess this is because for many it is the end of the working week and so many families and friends arrange get-together s over the weekend. Whatever you have planned this weekend I hope you have a good time.
Ollie is looking forward to extra walkies so lets hope the rain stays away!

Cake Friday and Pizza Tuesday!

I love the fact that we have little rituals in life- things we look forward to.
At school every Friday the staff get together and share tea and cake. The Head or Deputy makes everyone else their drinks which I think is a nice touch.
Once a month Utility Warehouse Discount Club treats active Distributors to Pizza, dough balls and a drink at Pizza Express- again a lovely touch.
It is so nice to sit with a group of friendly like-minded people and eat pizza or cake and talk over recent experiences and events.
I consider myself very lucky to work at the school and have my businesses.

water

It is amazing how easy it is to take water for granted. People at work today were discussing how they don't like to drink water unless it is added to squash. This morning I went into the bathroom, turned on the tap and nothing came out!
My first though was Oh No, where is the leak, is water going to come cascading from the room any second but then I considered the cause was probably a burst pipe further down the road. (This has happened before a few years ago.) Luckily there was water in the dogs bowl but none in the kettle for a cup of tea so I had to go to work drink-less.
I brought a couple of bottles home from school today ( in plastic bottles borrowed from the art room) just in case but I am happy to say that by the time I got home from work everything has been fixed and I have lovely water available in the taps whenever I need it!

What lovely weather

It was beautiful this weekend. As I walked Ollie there were more people out and about than usual enjoying the sun. It was good to see the neighbours planning a trip to the Fair. I managed to mow my lawn as the grass was dry. Ollie had such a lovely time running about through the long grass in the park. England is beautiful this time of year!

tidying up

I have been putting it off but it had to be done. I have started operation Tidy Up The House and Garden.
I have drawers filled with memories, bits of paper, paintings, cards, you name it....meanwhile the garden has been recreating 'The day of the Triffids' with strange creeping plants that have taken over!!!

Well I had to get on with it so I started with strimming the grass ( think of hacking down a Rain Forest to get some idea of the scale of the operation) After that I pulled up some monster weeds and pruned the roses. (Ouch!....vicious thorns) After that and feeling pretty knackered, I turned my attention to the house- starting with my bedroom.
I have an 'important drawer' which is really a box. I shove everything I think I ought to keep in there. It was overflowing! (One piece of paper at a time I thought and eventually I have conquered 'the important drawer!' ( Shall I let you into a little secret?....It turns out 90% of the stuff in there wasn't very important at all so I threw it away!)
Then it was a case of a general sort out and I can declare my bedroom habitable again.
( I treated myself to a packet of French Fries to celebrate and soon I will take Ollie for a walk.  He tried to be helpful, he really did- shredding anything he could get his paws on.)
Anyway I am feeling pretty pleased with my efforts. I sorted out the lounge and downstairs in general on Saturday and boot-faired what I didn't need on Sunday.
I have still got a lot to do ( the shed, the other bedrooms etc etc) but I needed to start somewhere and start I definitely have.
I have a plan you see.
You may think I am mad but I have decided to sell most of my worldly goods and live in a caravan.
It is something I have always wanted to do once the kids flew the nest and now I have made my mind up- the time is right.
I can carry on with my businesses and teaching free from the commitment of running a house that I no longer need.
I am really excited to be making this step. I will let you know how it goes!

reflecting

About a year ago I took a risk and decided to walk away from my job and start my own businesses. They day I made that decision marked the start of an exciting journey.
There have been highs, lows, twists and turns along the way but I can honestly say that I don't regret any of it.
My life feels exciting now and most of all it feels as if I am shaping the life I choose rather than taking what lands in front of me.
I also

consider myself very lucky to be working at the school. The children are rewarding and the staff very supportive and friendly. My businesses have provided me with challenges, learning curves and the opportunity to develop personally.
I feel as if I have learnt more in one year than I have in a long time.
here's to the next part of the story.....

lovely food

I have just got back from Cafe Maresque in Canterbury. I had a sweet potato gratin and it was delicious. It was really good to catch up with my friends!