What Not To Worry About #11

Hello fellow Monday morning heads. Here we are again, summoning the energy we recuperated (or depleted) at the weekend with the days packed ahead of us. Never fear though because all we need is a good cup of tea/coffee and a clear head to start us off on the right foot. I read this article yesterday which has given me the encouragement to get up a little earlier in the mornings which is something I've been trying to do for a while so I'm not stumbling about in a dazed panic trying to make breakfast and remember to put a bra on. Wish me luck! The weekend was a great one although nothing too wild which is in keeping with my quiet year so far. I had a catch up with a couple of friends on Friday evening which was just what I needed after what felt like the longest working week of my life. I had my first drink of wine of the year (three weeks without alcohol - new record I think!) which was delicious with my friend Caoimhe's feta stuffed chicken. I begged for the recipe, a little tipsily, which she kindly wrote on a post-it note and which I will fail to replicate later this week! She's such an amazing cook and I keep begging her to start a food blog even just so I take photos in exchange for her food. I watched the sunrise on Saturday morning from my wee sister's spare room and nearly bounced out of bed when I saw blue skies -BLUE SKIES! We have been under thick grey cloud all week and even though the cold could've bit the nose off you, seeing clear skies and frost dusting the grass made me so happy. I took Shannon's cocker spaniel Bella to The Argory (a wonderful National Trust site a few miles from Armagh) and I have never seen a dog run so much in my life. There really isn't many things as heartwarming as seeing a dog so happy to just be outside although to be fair I think I was just as happy. We walked around the grounds, suffering a near-death experience in the process when Bella thought she was just jumping in to a shuck when in reality it was a frozen stream which she fell right through. I laughed for a second (forgive me) but then I saw her wee face and felt terrible and scooped her out quickly. She wasn't too fazed though and ran on ahead to my relief before I took her home to get blow-dryed (the dog is a diva just like her owner). I had lunch at the Craic'd Pot (a great new spot in Armagh) with the girls and took lots of pictures for a new post. I'm getting used to asking owners and managers for permission to ask photos but I still feel a little conscious of locals looking at me like I'm a mad woman - not too many bloggers in Armagh! After more catch ups with both parents I was back in Belfast yesterday evening shattered and ready for a night by the fire watching Graham Norton - bliss. Sunday was a quiet day which began with a lie in and homemade pancakes. Little else happened other than a long overdue excavation of my car and some grocery shopping followed by some crappy chess playing by the fire - aye I know, we are middle-class OAP's. The truth is Andrew bought me a set for my birthday when we were in Cuba where he taught me to play and we've not used it at all. I am still shite but at least I don't have to look at the set with a guilty conscious for a while! After a weekend spent in the fresh air and by the fire, I am starting the week with a clear head and I am definitely not sweating the small stuff. Here's a few of them... Always Forgetting To Put The Memory Card Back In the Flippin' Camera This happened for the millionth time over the weekend when I was down in Armagh. I arrived at The Argory beaming at all the frost and mist rising and when I put my eye up to take a picture, the camera reminded me yet again that I forgot the feckin' memory card. I had to make do with my iPhone which didn't do too badly but for a wee second I was hard on myself. Need to stop doing that. Or to just start remembering the memory card. Not Having Snapchat I can barely manage Instagram and Facebook so adding another social media app would probably finish me. I also find it seriously irritating when people listen to their Snapchat stories so all I can hear is some drunken mess talking about how they stole a traffic cone on their way home from a night on the rip. I think it would just push me over the edge so I'm one of those oldies that doesn't have that flower crown filter in every second photo. Keeping Candles For Guests Screw the guests, I'm choosing to bring every candle in to my bathroom when I'm having a bath so it's lit up like Croke Park. I never buy Yankee candles because it feels like I'm burning money every time I light the wick so I now buy candles so I can actually enjoy them. There is a new Scandinavian shop that's just opened in Belfast called Sostrene Grene that I am completely in love with and they sell bucket loads of candles for tuppence. Win! Abusing My Amazon Basket Sundays are the worst for browsing through Amazon or any other website making impulsive choices and then backing out before I hit the big 'Pay Now' button. I keep deleting and adding items before the pressure all gets a little too much and I close the laptop down. Yesterday I actually committed myself to buying a knitting kit and a photo album - massive purchases that require a lot of thought but I managed it. Yay me. Not Having A Dog Now, most people who know me know how much I yearn for a dog in my life but after having Bella for a few hours on Saturday, I can say that I might be OK without one for another while. Or at least one that doesn't shed a lorry load of hair in one shake. I can do without looking like Chewbacca after a few minutes of cuddles, thanks. I hope you have a super week and let's hope for another few crisp, cold days like this one...