What Not To Worry About #12

Here we are, edging in to the second month of the year but more importantly, edging closer to Spring. As much as I have been enjoying the slower evenings and spending more time on things I tend to neglect in the warmer months, I'm looking forward to brighter days and being able to venture outside more during the week. I can feel a little caged in when I don't get out to stretch my legs after a day at a desk and breathe in fresh air. We're nearly there though and the appearance of the snowdrops is the light at the end of the tunnel. I hope you all were able to venture out a little and enjoy another weekend of wonderful winter weather. I was down in Armagh again spending some time with friends, especially one friend in particular who suffered a sad loss this week. It's never easy having a friend in the circle who is going through something painful but when I looked around at the women I have grown up with coming together to be there for one of us, it filled me with so much gratitude. It's rare to have the same friends you had when you were 13 and I am so aware of how lucky we are. Andrew and I took some time with his niece and nephew on Saturday and braved the madness of a playground - whose bright idea was it to install ONE infant swing?! It was great craic watching them go up and down the same slide a hundred times and staring in awe as the big kids ran past them. At three and two they're at such a fun age and I get all wobbly when they reach for my hand or cuddle in to my chest - hello hormones. Saturday night was our first night out in Belfast in a long while and I felt a little rusty at drinking to say the least. I bought tickets to see James Vincent McMorrow who was playing at the iconic Ulster Hall and who happens to have the voice of a bearded angel We amazingly managed to score unreserved front row seats so I was within arms reach of this glorious man - quite dangerous. We had a grand old time however it is apparent that wine can hit me like a speeding truck and I was ready for home by 12 - I definitely do not still have it. I awoke to empty sweet wrappers by my bedside and the Sahara in my mouth so I quickly made a mental note to swiftly avoid wine in the near future. My Sunday went pretty much uphill from there as I spotted blue skies with my bloodshot eyes. I downed about 10 litres of water and had a shower to feel a little more human again before donning my comfy shoes for a wee spin to the seaside. Groomsport is a wee village about 20 minutes from us and it's where I like to go when I fancy imaginary house-shopping. My dream is to live on the coast one day so I live out this little fantasy by strolling along the pier and pretending I'm a local. After our coastal jaunt we went grocery shopping on empty stomachs which is never a good idea. Prime example is us coming out laden with ingredients to make a full roast dinner for two people. No regrets though as I wolfed down a massive plate piled high with roasted deliciousness! I recuperated after the feast by not moving from the sofa except for a few dozen cups of tea and cookies. I have the life of it really. In light of a pretty lovely weekend I intend on extending the loveliness to this week because as the wise Roald Dahl once said, "if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely'. To help start the week a little more positively, I am choosing to let go these not-so-positive thoughts... Returning Festive Purchases I am the Queen of Never Returning Items. I have them in the bag with the receipt all ready to go but it's the act of physically putting them in my car and taking them to the shop that I seem to have the most trouble with. I curse myself every time I clock the bag in the hall and I know I'll end up taking the clothes to a charity shop in a few years with the tags still on them. Unmade Beds There are a few things I'm not fond of and one of them is getting in to an unmade bed after a long day. I'm not sure why but there is something so welcoming about a bed that looks tidy and clean and ready to be snuggled in to. The problem is that Andrew starts work later than I do so the chance of me coming home to a made bed is nil as the man gives himself about 10 seconds to get ready for work. I've gotten in to a routine of making the bed as soon as I'm home which Andrew seems to think is the work by elves. Finishing a TV Series I've a confession: I have had a major obsession with Downton Abbey since Christmas. I had heard a lot of people talking about the show but never thought it would be something I'd enjoy but it turns out I love a good period drama. I finished the last series during the week and I've been in mourning since. I'm going to have to find a replacement so if you have any suggestions, please send them my way! Doing Make Up in the Dark Brighter mornings not only perk me up before I head to work but they also guarantee a face that looks half made. On these dark winter mornings I have to rely on a crappy bulb to change from ghost to human which isn't so easy. Hurry up spring!! The Man Pile The pile of clothes on Andrew's side of the bed makes me weep as I step over them to make the bed after work. He just sheds his clothes like a snake and lets the pile accumulate all week. I bite my tongue and try not to nag too much because that wouldn't be lovely. Instead I kick them out of sight and and hope that they'll find their own way to the washing machine. And that's it for this week! I hope a great one lies ahead of you!