Tuesday 10 March 2015

Living in the Now!


Last night, as I lay in my bed I thought back to 10 years ago. I was living alone in my first ever flat - the first place (except for at university) where I’d lived away from my parents. The first place I could truly call my own.

It hadn’t been a long term dream as far as I can remember. Actually, I don’t remember thinking or dreaming at all of what it would be like to have my own place. It all happened rather fast - one day I was living at home, the next I spotted a cute flat not too far from my parents house and then I was on the way to buying it.

It was a new experience living on my own, but an exciting one. If I decided to eat my breakfast in my jammies at 2pm or sob over reality shows in my undies then nobody would ever have to know. (I would like to point out I did neither of these things - I just could have if I’d been so inclined!)

But after a while of living in my own little flat I got a little disillusioned. The walls were thin and I could hear every detail of my neighbours, erm, amorous activities. Frequently. I even gave them a round of applause one night. I felt they’d earned it.

I was the only one of those in our block who would put out the bins and it was me that took it upon myself to fix our wall when it came down into our garden. A garden which was so overgrown that I wouldn’t have been surprised if there were undiscovered tribes living in the wilderness. There were cigarette butts outside our front doors and I couldn’t go to the toilet if the neighbours had decided to take a cigarette break - which they did almost as frequently as their ‘other’ activities - as the bathroom window overlooked the entranceway and my neighbours would hear and laugh at my colitisy antics.  I’m not just imagining this scenario. I try to repress from my memory what is known as ‘the night of the noisy skitters’.

I would stand at my window looking out onto my wilderness and dream of owning a small house where the only bins that I needed to take out were my own. Where I could actually walk in my garden and possibly grow some veggies. Oh, and wouldn’t it be lovely if there could be a little dog to join me in my little house and garden? But most importantly in the little house of my dreams - my bathroom would be far away from civilisation - for the protection of society as well as my fragile ego, of course. Yes, and, my own bedroom would not share a wall with another bedroom. Especially when your neighbours are rabbits.

Then, almost as quickly as I got my flat, it was sold and I found myself in a chocolate box of a house with its own garden, tucked away loo, quiet bedroom and where the only bins I cared about were my own. A little while later - a little dog joined me in my little house and my dream was complete.

For a while.

Now I dream of meeting my soul mate and getting married. Of moving to a house where we don’t have so many neighbours (did you guess I’m an introvert, yet?) and a big enough garden to let kids and doggies run free. To have American style cook-outs in the summer.

And when I get that?

I’ll dream of being a published author. Of having my perfect home and garden and man and dogs and children and, and, and…

And I realised last night, as I slept in my quiet bedroom in my little house, snuggled up with my little dog, that I was living the life I dreamed of those years in my flat. The life I wanted so much. The life that would make me happy and instead I’m here dreaming of bigger and better things. Other things that I want that will make my life happy and perfect.

When will I be able to stop, sit back and relax with what I have? To enjoy the life that I have dreamed of when I didn’t have it?

It was quite a sobering thought if I continue on this way I will never be happy because I don’t live in the moment. I don’t appreciate the now and what I have right now.

So that’s one of my new resolutions…

…Slow down, take time to appreciate and live in the now. You can still dream but don’t let it take away from what was once a dream come true.

Sunday 8 March 2015

Sunday Supplement: Week #10









As always with the Great British Sewing Bee, I feel the need to sew. Not that I'm particularly good but I try. Anyway, this week's challenge was to create a lace pencil skirt. Man, do I want one. How cute?! And if the GBSB can't get any better, they then posted this on their twitter feed during the episode. *Giggles*









The book I read last week was a hard slog and even though I started to skim read after the second chapter, it still took me almost the whole week to get through it. I don't feel that I can review it so it has been removed to the 'Bad' file on the kindle and I'm started on a new one which will hopefully be better.

That book is In for a Penny by Rose Lerner. It's shaping up to be something of a interesting historical romance so fingers crossed.


Sunday 1 March 2015

Sunday Supplement: Week #9


Pinch, punch, first of the month white rabbits! Happy March, everyone!





It's that time of year again where I try to determine when I'll get a 5-10 minute run on good (or at least not bad) weather so I can dash outside and get some seed trays started.

So far I have some broad beans, tomatoes, peppers, chillis and Honesty waiting to be planted.

Luckily, I didn't have to go outside to start to chit my potatoes. Now, I have no idea whether I am following the proper rules of potato chitting and seed planting but I live in Scotland - I figure with our weather you take a chance when you get a chance and wait to see what happens!






A massive bit of good fortune this week led me to one of the best twitter storms of 2015 - nay, ever! I'm on verdict watch for a trial I've been following in Arizona. As a result, I had Arizona's ABC15 Breaking News up in my browser while I worked.

I had been out for a walk in the evening and when I came back I wanted to make sure I hadn't missed the reading of the verdict. I hadn't but that's not the bit of luck I had.

I turned on the live feed and saw.... llama drama.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/lyapalater/the-most-historically-important-moments-from-the-great-ll#.llk38Ljy 

If you didn't see it live, go back and watch it now. You'll not be sorry - it's so bloomin' hilarious. Who knew so many residents of Sun City had lassos! I need to learn how to lasso, dammit!






I've just finished watching the Scotland vs Italy Six Nations match which we lost. Now, I am absolutely gutted and it will take a few days (weeks, months?) before I am able to accept that it was actually a rather good game.

What is there to love in this tale of woe, you might ask? I have a new crush...


Okay, okay - he's a little young but aren't they all these days!?!

Hmmm... why do my rugby crushes always play fly-half? Okay wait - neither Sean Lamont or Thom Evans are that position so all is well with the world!


Very well with the world.

Wow - this was a tough SS to write! *wicked grin*

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