OU Update

 

Well, I managed to pass my last OU literature module…. not quite sure how that happened, but I was delighted. With no retake to revise for, I’ve been able to get on with the background reading  for next two modules…. yes, that’s right, TWO!! Having already signed up for ‘From Enlightenment to Romanticism’, I was having a wee mooch through the other courses on offer and found a new one. ‘Inside Music’. Having devoted several years of my life to music, I figured I could cope with it… so I signed up. All the materials have now arrived for my two courses which are both due to start next week on my birthday. Let you know how I get on….

In other news…. I managed to put my back out last week. I wish I could say that I did it whilst doing something exciting like pole-dancing for example, or yoga, or whilst doing an assault course. Sadly not. I injured my back whilst bending down to put a sock on. The pain was unbelievable… like giving birth without the gas and air. I’ve been signed off work for 2 weeks by my doctor, and the first week was torture. Not because of my back (which is still sore) but due to the drivel that passes for daytime TV. For the first couple of days I was subjected to Jeremy Kyle and This Morning.  It made me think, it’s no wonder so many stay-at-home mums and dads are on anti-depressants if the only perspective they have on the outside world is provided by the telly. Anyway, I got in touch with the Amazon Fairy who, lo and behold, delivered a box set of Downton Abbey to me the very next day….. thank you Amazon Fairy, for you have saved what little sanity I have left.

Started on my To-Do list for this coming week. Top of the list is to report said back injury to my travel insurance, because in just two weeks time I’m jetting off to sunny LA to see my brother and his lovely family – YAY!!! I’m taking my son along, and we are both really excited. My brother tells me that we are going to have a day at Six Flags, which apparently is renowned for its rollercoasters. Thankfully I have a cast iron excuse not to go on them this time! Apart from seeing my family, the thing I’m most looking forward to is the prospect of seeing wild dolphins. Last time we were there we took a whale watching boat trip out of Balboa, and seeing the dolphins playing and leaping out of the sparkling waters of the Pacific lifted my soul. My only dilemma regarding the trip is an important one… to self-tan or not before I go. Bearing in mind that I am Anglo-Irish with skin so white it is almost blue, I’m thinking that some kind of fake tan product might make me look a bit more ‘normal’ among the tanned lovelies of Orange County. So long as it doesn’t streak of course. I once made the mistake of applying fake tan after enjoying the best part of a bottle of wine. It was not the best idea that I’ve ever had. My feet looked as though I hadn’t washed them for weeks, and I had to wear long trousers for a week until it faded.  Am wondering if the new sprays are any better…..

Ah well, that’s enough from me for now. Must crack on with the OU stuff so I can take 10 days out to air my streaky legs on the beaches of So Cal

Byeeee x

Woeful neglect

Have made a shocking realisation today. Oh yes. It is that there is not much point in having a blog if I don't actually write anything in it. I sense that you are nodding your head in agreement - at least you would if there was anyone actually reading these thoughts of mine.I shall just address my thoughts to myself, as I am most likely my only reader anyway :-)

Anyway, I have made a new resolution, and here it is. I will update my blog at least once a week from now on, in an effort to make my writing a bit more disciplined, instead of a seemingly random stream of thoughts with no real structure or form.

So what's new since last time I posted?

I now work 4 days per week for my local authority instead of 5 days. I have Wednesday as my day off, which I really enjoy. It has made a lot of difference to me, I don't feel anywhere near as stressed as I used to. With all the budget cuts, I may face the loss of my job. I must admit, the only thing I would miss would be the money... it would be great to devote most of my time to my kids and my studies. (With a bit of time to play gigs of course.)

I did allow all my grey hair to come through, and it was admired by several people. But, if I am honest with myself, it came as a shock to behold my reflection and realise that I was now grey when I still feel brunette. Worse than that, my kids and husband didn't like it, so I succumbed to temptation and had some highlights put in. Now I'm waiting for all the blondes-have-more-fun to start.... about time too.

My OU work continues. Unfortunately I did not enjoy the module and my work suffered as a result. My assignment results were acceptable, but I'm still waiting to hear if I passed  the exam I took in June.... somehow I doubt it. So I have already planned a strategy. Until I get my result (due 6th August, gulp!), I am doing all the background work I can ready for my next module (which starts 1st October). Then if I have to retake my exam I have 2 months to revise, having already done the prep for the new module.... all well and good, if it works. I will let you know...

My OH is just home from America, having spent the last 7 weeks working in South Carolina. We picked him up from our local wee airport on Sunday, and I was amused to note that BA managed to transport him safely from the other side of the world on 3 different flights, yet it was only on the last short hop that his suitcase went missing. Grrrr!  It is really good to have him home though, and his absence made me realise just how hard life must be for all those single parentsout there.  Unfortunately he's got to go back for another 2 weeks in August - hopefully that will be the last trip he does for a while, because it is hard enough to combine studying with work and family life even with him here..

Well, that's about it for the update for now. We are going away next week for 7 days in the Highlands. Better go and find the midge repellant I suppose - toodle pip for now xx

Autumn Wedding

The leaves are gradually turning golden. I watch as the breeze lightly disturbs the branches, making the drying leaves rustle. It is only September, but already the Autumn is here.

A lone piper stands to attention in the sunshine, his brightly coloured plaid moving with the breeze. The sound of his bagpipes drifts across the old churchyard as guests begin to assemble. The men are in morning dress today – an unusual sight in this part of the world where the kilt is practically compulsory for all occasions. The female guests are more exotically clad in many different hues, looking like birds of paradise in their colourful outfits topped with feathered and brightly plumed headgear.

As I sit in a coffee shop opposite the Cathedral, I listen to the murmur of local voices as I linger over my sandwich and enjoy a strong cup of good coffee. At a table close by, a group of women have come to the conclusion that the wedding couple cannot be locals – an accurate guess I imagine, given the decidedly un-Scottish attire of the male guests. The ladies continue to discuss whether there might be a local family connection, and surmise that there is not since they have not recognised any of the guests.

There is a flurry of excitement outside as a beribboned limousine arrives. She’s here! There is silence in the coffee shop as all eyes turn to the large front window to watch the bride emerge from the car, the many fragile layers of her gown unfolding like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis. She looks so young, so nervous, so heart-stoppingly beautiful. As her attendants bend to rearrange her dress in preparation for the photographs, the ladies who lunch begin discussing her dress, deciding whether they prefer it to the one worn by last week’s bride. The general consensus seems to be that this week’s bride is the winner, although disapproval is expressed because of the Sassenach attire worn by the gentlemen in attendance.

The photographer seems to take an age, arranging and rearranging the bride and her maids in various poses before consenting to the start of the ceremony.The piper strikes up with Highland Cathedral, the young bride takes her father’s arm and, squaring her shoulders, enters the ancient building to begin her new life.

The ladies in the coffee shop are silent amongst their own thoughts for a few moments before the soft murmur of chatter resumes and they begin to discuss the scandalous antics of one of their neighbours. I finish my coffee, pay my bill and step out into the crisp autumn sunshine.

Technorati Tags: autumn,scotland,wedding,bagpipes

Nature’s Highlights…

Technorati Tags: Going grey,Middle age,Kids

Now I hope you don’t think that this is going to be a blog about the Great Outdoors……. in fact it is a post about a very sensitive subject…….  going grey.

I have been colouring my hair since my early 30s, when the mere sight of a grey hair was enough to depress me for the rest of the day. As the years have passed, I have gone through so many colours that I find it difficult to remember what shade my hair was when I started out. (Actually, it was darkest brown).

Now in my mid-40s, I have grown tired of the routine – and expense - of sitting in the hairdresser’s for over 3 hours every month in a vain and seemingly pointless attempt to hold back time. At dinner a few months ago with my handsome husband, who is a year younger than me, I looked at his hair. Thick and wavy, with patches of silver appearing above his ears. It suits him, I think. He’s got that slightly craggy “could’ve been a rock star” thing going on, and he’s still in good shape. So here’s the thing. If he can go grey and be a “silver fox”, then why can’t I be a silver vixen? Or a platinum fox-ette?  Hmmmmmmm.

So I spent a week or so looking online for women who have faced this dilemma, and saw some seriously cool women who had already taken the plunge. Helen Mirren? Meryl Streep? Jamie Lee Curtis? Well, my mind was made up. Then I hit a snag….. Child no. 1 was dismayed when I told her that I was going to let my grey through. She is 13, and worried that her friends won’t think I am cool any more. It’s a sort-of compliment I suppose….. I didn’t realise they thought I was cool in the first place! Husband was much more philosophical when he found out, saying that I could join him in the grey club! But the worst reaction I got was from child no. 2, who burst into floods of tears, sobbing that if I went grey it meant that I was old and would die soon. Oh dear….. I hope not!

So far, it’s been 10 weeks since I hit the bottle….. of dye! My hairdresser is in despair, and child no. 1 keeps shaking her head and rolling her eyes in disbelief whenever she looks at my multi-hued barnet.

Me? I’m loving it. Almost makes me feel like a grown-up. Signing off now, I’ll let you know how I get on in the weeks to come…

Domestic bliss... or is it?

So here I am.....

Mid-40s, husband, 2 kids, 2 dogs.

Nice house, lovely part of the world, good job.

Lucky me.......

I'm going to let you into a secret..... everything isn't perfect. I've always got a huge pile of ironing waiting for me in the utility room, and the washing baskets are never empty, no matter how much washing I do. And don't even get me started on the state of the kids' bedrooms.... mums of the world, I'm sure you know where I'm coming from. Untidy? Health hazard, more like.

But over the last year I  experienced a revelation. A moment of clarity, a blinding flash of reality.  Now I know that it doesn't have to be perfect, that perfection only exists in glossy magazines with the assistance of stylists and countless other assistants. Some might call that cheating. Me? I would say they are lying.

Ladies, why do we beat ourselves up trying to aspire to a completely false illusion of perfection? Are your kids happier if the living room looks like the pages of a Sunday supplement? Do you feel a better person if your kitchen gleams with the help of the latest miracle cleaning product? Tell me, just how white are your whites? Bright enough for the neighbours to see?

I was thinking about this as I dashed round the supermarket last night, after a busy day at work. It was no.2 child's birthday, and I needed to buy a birthday cake. Too busy to make one, of course..... more guilt... anyway there I was down the bakery aisle. I also needed some bread rolls - but there were so many, it gave me a headache just choosing one type over another. So I bought 2 types...... then felt rubbish because I couldn't choose between 2 bread rolls. Then it was the shampoo aisle.... aaaargh, too much stress!!!!

WHY? Why do we need 25 different shampoos in one shop? More than a dozen types of bread roll? 14 washing up liquids, 9 different dry dog foods, even nearly a dozen types of toilet paper for goodness' sake!!! On the way home, I started to think about choice. Is too much choice a bad thing? I'm still thinking about it today.

Oh well, time to sign off. I need to go and put the washing on. I hope it's white enough to hang outside.....