Strictly Se-VEN!

In the spirit of true friendship, and as I am feeling so thankful for my blogland friends. Words of encouragement, support, advice and real friendship, has grown from the daunting challenge of putting ourselves' out there' and digging deep to find words of expression. Hands reach out and I am in awe of the generosity and selflessness out there!

So I would like to give my very own Soulful Blogger award out to some seriously soulful bloggers.

THE SOULFUL AWARD is for bloggers I find particularly insightful, original, humorous, inspiring and yes soulful!

The online Dictionary definition of soulful is -full of or expressing deep emotion

The Thesaurus offered up these synonyms -ardent, deep, expressive, feeling, fiery, fervid, impassioned, meaningful, moving, passionate, stirred, stirring, tender, touching

Sniffles & Smiles- You are a courageous star, I adore you!

The Blue Kimono- silent but violent!

Nuts in May- deep, often poignant and very eloquent

Expatmum - I'm just so in awe of how many balls she has! In the air!

Alcoholic Daze- for her bravery in the face of adversity

SINK - an inspiration to all parents and mad manic mamas! RESPECT!

Lakeviewer (65whatnow) - I hope l get to be where she is now

Shrinky- it al seems so effortless. (and I know it isn't)

Yesterday I received an award from the tenacious Rosiero and in the spirit of these awards I happily accept and I would like to pass it on to seven other bloggers

Kreativ Blogger Award

1. Thank the person who gave this to you.
2. Copy the logo and place it in your blog.
3. Link the person who nominated you.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that no one would really know.
5. Nominate seven 'Kreativ Bloggers.'

Gosh seven things abut me that l haven't already revealed? And that

which may be of some interest is the difficult one! These may be quite lame!

- I hate wearing a bra! Which wasn't a problem until I had children and grew breasts. Now needs MUST! But I whip it off the moment I get home! Much to the embarrassment of the teenagers.

- I attended school in four different countries; England, Canada, Mexico and the United States.

- I am a qualified hairdresser; accredited bookseller; ex fashion buyer/retail manager; current vintage e-tailer. But I now work in a Museum & Art Gallery!

- I am a bibliophile; collector of old & new handbags & old silk scarves

- I am a hoarder. Well duh!

- I love American imported tv series', currently I'm hooked on House, In Treatment (don't even think it!), Brothers & Sisters, Greys Anatomy and True Blood. But thankfully Spooks is back tonight!

- I have moved home 23 times. So far!

And this award goes to -

House of Lime- Outrageous, hilarious and contagious

A woman of no (sic) importance- as if, our very own Fhina, my backbone at MMM's

Working mum on the verge - the juggling Queen, who still makes time to sing her heart out!

Moments from Suburbia - for her steadfastness, selflessness and friendship

PondParleys - for their dedication to the unity of bloggers on both sides of the Atlantic

Familyaffairs- for managing through adversity (relationships)

Holdingpatterns- she is steadfast, strong, like all good friends

What is your sell by date?

...and l don't mean the dates by which we are told we must eat our food stuffs by, best before, consume before, eat by etc... I'm wondering if most things in our lives, relationships, blogs, friendships have a best before date wired into their psyche?

(Isn't there a saying something about eggs and friends go off after a time?)

Acquaintances come and go and we don't fret or fear their passing through our lives, good friends sometimes hit a stumbling block, be it a point of principle or disagreement, or a case of being separated by the miles or continents. Even parents and children, brothers and sisters, the marrieds and the partners fall by the wayside, however sad we think it is. The trials and traumas, tribulations and feuds fuel petty resentments and serious issues. Most often I'll bet that the cause is forgotten, long before the bitterness wanes. In the scheme of things, the rights and wrongs, with the precariousness of life and death, it all seems trivial. Nonsensical. It is said Blood is thicker than water! and Friends are the family one chooses for oneself.

So then naturally does everything have its own best before date?

Lately it seems to me that many blog land friends have retired or taken a sabbatical, for personal reasons of one sort or the other. Blog land holds it's breath in case another pin falls in this bowling alley of posts and lucky strikes. Do we fall foul of our own expectations? As in life there are some certainties. A few finites. We make our own choices. Day by day. Moment by moment. We choose. And then everything will end.

We cling to hope. Friendships. Family relationships. Age and experience brings us the truths. The sudden understanding of the workings of the dynamics of relating. We aspire to do things better. To do things right. Of securing relationships over time. Like our blogging beginnings we post in hate, as in love. We wait for judgement. For sustanance. For recognition. We find our own pace and settle into the flow of the lifeblood of new relationships. We post less regularly. Think more. Write less. Less is more.

We've said farewell to David, we've seen other friends take time off. To heal. To find answers. To relocate physically. To maintain the non-virtual daily postings that make up their lives. We miss them. Their posts. Their visits to our shores. And as in all our lives. Endings are a certainty. We know not when it will come. The only thing we know is that it will happen.

The question of whether our own blogs have a sell by date... well this is our choice. Are we here to live, to breathe and to feel and question? We make our own choices. We set our own sell by dates.

To be honest...

...over the summer I felt the heaviness from the shadows that hover behind, they tell the me within, that my old foe is furtively watching. I should know better, here is the signal whereby I should let myself relax out of hours and allow Larry and others to help me out. But admitting to my frailties only feeds the angst and guilt that I am not wonderwife and instead wimpywife. Yes! I know this is silly, an untruth, but this is what the menopausal head screams.

I fill myself up with errands, small projects and I tend never to say No! to anything. This only becomes a problem when it mounts up and then I find it more difficult than usual to juggle it all.

I have taken on 3 book reviews for a readers' magazine. I am also on the panel reading 6 books on the long list for a National Book Award. I have just started a computer course for work at college, 3 hours a week for 32 weeks, which all seem to fall on my days off, resulting in more juggling and stressing. I recently decided to not stop my online business, but to relaunch it with all new stock. My choice I know, but I do enjoy it so. Then I was approached last month by a feature editor to be the contributor for fashion feature for the Christmas edition. How can l say No? Hours of pressing and sewing and getting the clothing accessorized. I am enjoying it. But it doesn't all fit in my cup. It doesn't just overflow its a bloody Tsunami and it's all in my head. Hence a minor series of panic attacks. Brain freeze. Coping with the daily routine is getting on my wick. At work I am distracted by focusing on the one job. But at home, I begin to show the cracks. To cook, to clean. Chores indeed. The shine has worn off the new home. The kids seem to avoid me at all costs. They must know instinctively Mum's having a mental! I've taken to going to bed early. I waken, thinking, Can I stay here please?

I know what to do. So I make a list of all the things I am currently doing. I cull the list. Leaving what will give me most pleasure. And which will be the easiest and less stressful to manage. I divide them up into bite size chunks. The Do-able. And the not do-able. Put aside for later. Or never. My mind is less cluttered. A path is clear.

I have this space where I can go now. Here. I can write my thoughts and publish. Or not! I can return and read my mess. To share or not to share. Is this depression or just menopausal madness?

Two days later... I have an appointment with my doctor fixed. Just to check up. Today was photo-shoot day. It began with NeRvEs. But I knew everything was ready. Then all hell broke loose, one hour early they phoned, they are on their way. They arrived. One journo, one photographer, two teen models, two hairdressers, one make-up artist and one stylist. Thankfully my pal Carlotta arrived with milk and a smile. She shored me up, 'It's okay you CAN do this,' she said. 'Feeling crappy or not. This is something positive, for you.' We were both dressed in our vintage finery, and fixed, fitted and flattered. No one took our picture. We made tea, made smiles and made happy. The sofa was in the garden for time, a model in 50's green satin stood pretty amongst four toning green conifers. They primped, preened and posed in a cocktail bar, a Chinese garden and a motorway flyover! wtf?? One model in a bronze metallic creation, wore her Uggs while her hair was teased up high, out came the Dyson and this image the photographer thought was edgy, so this may end up on the editing floor or in the magazine. (Will post images as soon as I get them end of November-ish).

They arrived at 10am and left and 6.45pm.

I feel quite tired, chilled and unfazed. Or is this the one glass of ice cold rose wine I just sunk?

All will be well. I know this to be true.

As the man said. Hold on.*

*James Frey, A Million Little Pieces

Beloveds

Stirred into action to find some photos of our dogs for a friend 

and then Moannie posting her pooch pic

I have this beauty to share

Pippa is our black labrador now approx 14yrs

Barney a Jack russell/terrier was her best friend

he died 3 years ago at the great age of 20yrs

they slept like this day and night

Pippa deferred always to Barney

after he died she started to whine at night

to sleep by one of our beds

no wanting to be alone

during the day she would keep watch

 by the window until our return

or perhaps looking for Barney

my daughter took this picture one day 

when she was home alone sick

Pippa obviously hadn't realised anyone was still home

It is just like the double decker bus syndrome!

... and you can stand there on the pavement for ages in the rain,

getting wetter and wearier, waiting impatiently for that damn bus...

it never arrives ... nor does the next one due .... and then ....

several come all at once ....

In the past few days I've received  two awards

Thank you...

Having recently posted that 'My cup runneth over...'

and writing about my reflection upon how blessed l'm feeling

with my friends and family all around me,

just like a warm blanket

fresh out of the tumble drier,

(oh dear that analogy wasn't in keeping with the mood l was trying to recreate! )

Thanks to Suburbia

for passing this torch to me and as with the last one

I feel happy to pass this on in the spirit of those recieved,

 to more of my favourite bloggers .

YOU ALL ROCK!!

A mask to hide behind

Blogbs5

Finding life hard?

Stuck in a book

Random jottings of a book lover

Stroppy, southern strumpets!

I feel so laid back... I'm practically horizontal!

We set off in good time, as Lynn called to collect me, a treat to be driven (and l still wasn't ready). We were chatting so enthusiastically, that 40 minutes later we whizzed past, (in case James reads this, he won't but ...) by that I mean elegantly and sedately drove past the turn off and then 5 miles later turned around. Our 'treatments' were not until the afternoon so we knew it was okay to be fashionably late.


'You were meant to be here for 10am did you get lost?', said the manageress, as we presented ourselves at reception in smiles of expectation at 10:10am! This was not the start we hoped for! Trouble follows Lynn and I around, I think we appear to be a couple of stroppy southern strumpets, to the dour Cumbrians and it usually leads to a confrontation!


Our first treatment had been moved up to 10.30am and the next at 11.30, we later realised to accommodate a residents recent booking for 15.


'Well we did book this in April!' l said, ' and no one has called to confirm or alter anything!' the mangeress turned away unimpressed but still smiling.


When she returned Lynn poured oil on the troubled Bassenthwaite Lake waters by saying, ' I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot, lets start over!' and tea promptly arrived which we dutifully consumed. With a strong whiff of 'miffed' in the air, we hastily changed into cossies and our fluffy robes.



Two treatments of nearly two hours; a full body polish and a facial with 'eye lift' (nip tuck) later and I was almost asleep, unable to get off the couch for the reeelaaxxed sensations throughout my entire body and atrophied bottom!



My skin feels like a new born's, my face is plumped up and glowing like an uncooked sausage, but looks better than that honest, and is now blemish free with the whites of my eyes shining healthily!
We adjourned to the lounge and a gallon of water, our light luncheon was served, I chose cajun spiced crusted salmon fillet on a ceasar salad (with a big Brit twist obviously), Lynn chose a chicken version, it was Yummy and we chatted and chilled some more.






The down side of our treatments being in the morning was that we had the sole use of the swimming pool, spa pool, steam room and sauna but we didn't want to wash all the creams, potions and lotions off! So we gently steamed and spa'd, refused all the rest and had some alcohol and chat on the terrace, not once dipping into our books and mags. We had a 'high' tea (and that was just the cake stand) and then our last treatment at 5pm was a pedicure. Bliss!


A new Spa is being built next door to the current coach house block and will be open for guinea pigs, sorry paying volunteers to work out the kinks in January '09, these two guinea pigs are pencilled in for the works...


Northern tip of Bassenthwaite Lake