Year: 2021

Xmas do, Oh Xmas do…

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Hi, With missing the opportunity to be fancy last month – thank you sneezy cold 😋 – I was feeling the need of some time in prettier garb. I think as I put in the comments for Wednesday – and your experience may be different – I think there’s an external view that for part timers like me, it’s just clothes. You know, you throw them on, along with the slap, and that’s some box ticked or pleasure centre tickled. It isn’t. 🙂 I would also add, as a left leaning apologist liberal 😉 that if dressing floats your boat, you’ll get no judgement from me. Personally, the time spent in my other clothing validates me. That while I’m mostly […]

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The pond, the rock, and the ripples

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Hi, Given the slight wobble a few days ago, I’ve been attempting to try a bit more self care this week. That’s despite two rather serious issues at work around security. I’ll not say any more as part of what I do is keeping secrets: perhaps true organisationally and at the individual level too. However, the impact of such emergencies can be the ringing of the proverbial fire bell and it’s all hands on deck to sort it. With the stress levels rising, I’ve been mindful of advice from the Ever Lovely Mrs J, as well as that from those of you who commented or emailed in. Namely trying to take regular breaks, enjoy the moment while outside, and indulge […]

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Twist

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Hi, Ah, Friday night at last. Hello old friend. I see your best mates Saturday and Sunday will be joining us later… This next bit may seem a bit odd, but then if you’re not expecting that at YATGB by now, I wager you may have missed a few posts 🙂 Now, there are a few rare times when I have a physical reaction around who I am. Or, more accurately, a response to the… issue of not being able to be who I need to be at certain times. I’m lucky in that such feelings are short felt and as a part timer, I’m mostly okay in Richard mode. As I’ve said before, it’s all fine until it isn’t. […]

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Script: Door to door

Shade, Uncategorized

Scene: Two smartly dressed women are walking down a gravel driveway towards a small cottage in a village. The cottage has an old fashioned greenhouse nearby. Doris: Would you like to go first this time? Georgia: I’m a bit out of puff after that hill. Would you mind? Doris: Of course not. Doris knocks on the door and both ladies wait. Georgia: Do you think they’ll answer? I wonder if word has gone round? Doris: Well, they’ve got one of those fancy iSpy doorbell cameras. Best smile now… No, your other best smile. We’re not auditioning for Crime Watch. There’s the sound of a door creaking open from the garden. Alice is stood in the doorway of the greenhouse. Alice: […]

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Same shizz. Different day.

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Hi, This may well turn into a rant, so if that’s not your bag, feel free to exit stage left. 🙂 This morning in my newsfeed up popped an article from a respected website that talks about psychology. I visit the site on and off as they have informative pieces on maintaining your mental health, a lay person’s guide to what’s new, etc. I’ll explain this next bit with a metaphor. Imagine said site is a zen garden. A place of quiet where you can reflect on what’s raised and learn from it. Today in said garden, it felt like there was a person stood in a white pointed hood ‘giving advice’ while there was a slow crackle of a […]

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Make it a half full glass

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Hi, I think the best way to start this post is with a gentle sigh. One that’s a mix of thank goodness that’s over with a twist of tiredness and a wee dash of regret. You might call that the Middle Age Mojito 😋 Actually, you may have your title. The Pink Flog? The Transcendent? 🤔 Drink based ideas aside, the week felt like quite a slog of routine and very much pushing something heavy uphill. It turns out that I was ill with a stealth cold. There’s no typical symptoms, just feeling flat like you’ve not managed a good night’s sleep or you’ve been overdoing it for s few days. Come Thursday it was as if I’d been possessed […]

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