To Be What Others Expect of You

 

Just one weekend 

Was all it took

It gave me time to be.  

Not to think ... to just be.

Minimal phone interaction

No blogging

No Facebook or Instagram

Some sorting through things

Numerous doggy walks

Reading

Much reading

Television

and 

Sitting

Sitting staring into space with an open, empty mind.  

Calming and soothing and a realisation followed.

I hadn't picked up my camera at all, I hadn't once thought ... 'oh I must get a photo of this for the blog' or 'this would make for a good post'.  I had the weekend for me and me alone ...and it carried on forward.

I dared to take more time away than I said I would and the emails and messages started.  

'Are you okay?'

'Why haven't you blogged?'

'You said you would be back after the weekend!'

Yes, it can be called concern, and to those of you that did out of a sense of concern I thank you for that.  For the couple that said 'you have let us down',  I say no I did not!!  (Oh, and I also said 'Oh fuck off ...' when I read your message ... but that's just me. 😎 )

 I warned you I was going and I went, that I dared to take longer than the weekend is tough, but I will not apologise for not supplying something that is not vital to your survival.  I am not and never have been a day in day out blogger, I have dipped in and dipped out at my will and being pressured to supply entertainment is the one sure thing to make me rebel.

But hey, that is not why I have come to a decision.

Now I am dipping out.

For longer than a weekend.

I may be back in the near or far future, when and if I have something I wish to share.  After all there is a move imminent, a house sold and a home bought, so much to do and much to be done.  A life to change and a new adventure to begin, that may or may not work out.

But for now I will live my life without a camera in my hand without a thought of what will or won't make a good blog post.  It's not that I have run out of things to say it's that I just don't want to say them to anyone but myself for a while.

Take care, stay safe and perhaps I'll see you again on here once again.

Sue xx

Oh, I meant to add the blog will remain on here for those of you who use it as a bouncing off point to get to others that you read, or in case you wish to read through old posts again.  But after a couple of days I will be switching off comments ... just to annoy the autobots and trolls  😉

The House by the Dyke, Chirk Castle

We got back a couple of hours ago from a mini break to the biggest cottage we've ever stayed in.  We rattled round like two Petit Poi's in a broad bean pod. 

It was beautifully furnished and very National Trust.

Not altogether me if I'm honest, although we did enjoy the break.

Alan watched the Six Nations rugby matches and I read my book (a whole book), did some of my coursework and cooked.  We both washed up each day and tidied before we left.

Although this was the only bedroom out of the three that were there that we used, the other two stayed untouched and immaculate.

As an ex-holiday home cleaner myself I know the thrill this gives you when you step in the door with your cleaning supples and find some rooms unused, all the things back in their rightful place and the bins emptied and fires swept out.

Due to high winds and bad weather the whole of the castle and it's grounds was closed to the public on Friday and Saturday so we had the place to ourselves.  Made us feel slightly posh going home to a grand castle on the hill with a long sweeping driveway … although we did have to take care that no other cars followed us in!!

  On Friday we went to Wrexham … never again, least said soonest forgotten … lets just say the cleanest place to eat was Greggs!!  And then on Saturday we went to another National Trust property Erddig, a stately home with just the servants quarters open at this time of year, no matter … that's the bit I like best anyway.  Unfortunately it too closed after we had been there an hour due to the high winds.  There was just time to grab a coffee and set off back to our not so little cottage.

On Sunday we finally got to see around the part of the castle, although again due to it really being out of season only a small part of it was open.  Another coffee and cake was consumed and we had a good look around the gift shops and second hand book shop before we walked around the gardens and finally down the incline and back to our cottage.

My only souvenirs of the holiday are a wooden vegetable brush ... I have looked everywhere for a wooden one at a reasonable price to replace the one that fell apart last year … and a little bamboo teaspoon that is supposed to be a single use compostable replacement for plastic cutlery.  But things are only single use if you only use them once, I'll use this again and again and then finally as a plant marker … until it biodegrades.

Simple souvenirs of our last holiday together … the caravan park re-opens on Friday  🙂

Sue xx

Wallowing, Flaking and Daffodils

Sorry ... I've been missing all week.  

There's been little action, just lots of wallowing in my own misery.  We both came down with a stinking cold virus last weekend that all the gloriously happy daffodils in the world could not hope to cheer up.

It's been good to be apart all week, each drowning in the misery of running noses, flaking skin, razor blade sliced throats, hacking coughs that make your ribs hurt and an awful nausea that has lingered and lingered.  I'm a crabby cow when I'm ill.  

I don't do 'ill' very well at all

 We went to the little local garden centre to pick up some compost, bark chips and grass seed before Alan left for home on Sunday.   I remember it well .... it was the last time I felt human 🙃

I've spent far too much time this week watching YouTube ... I know it's been far too much time as I've almost used up the extra data allowance that I purchased at the start of the week ... but there's been little energy for much else.  I bet I know far more about 'Dumpster Diving' by now than the average Brit. 

Suky has had a couple of walks each day, and yes the fresh riverbank air did help as long as I was well wrapped up against the cold winds.  But I've been avoiding as much contact with folk as possible, partly not wanting to share the 'lurgy' and partly because when your nose is flaking like it has a bad case of dandruff and it's redder than any Comic Relief red nose you don't want to stop and make small talk.

I took these photos this morning so I must be on the mend.  Blogging mojo coming back ... yay 😀

I have to brave and venture out now, I need a BIG pan.  Time to slather my nose in any available moisturising cream and go face the world.

Sue xx

A Challenging Break

I'm taking a bit of a break from this blog while I set myself a little Challenge.

I'll be blogging about it HERE.

The first Challenge on this brand new blog is:

Shopping and Eating for £1 Per Day for 28 Days

I love a good Challenge, and this one is taking me right back to my roots.

💚