Please fill up your pots

In times of anxiety and stress it is usual to stop doing the things that make you you.  I know it's easy to tell yourself "I haven't got time for x, y, z.  I have too much work I need to do."  I can see it happening all around me, everyday I see/hear of people who stop going out and doing the things they live because of stess and anxiety.  I can feel it happening, to me.  I have had to work hard to fill up my "pots" of well being. 

I have made a conscious effort in the past few days to make sure that I still have time for me.  I have started reading more books and magazines, I spend time outdoors, I watch movies that I love, I have started enjoying cooking and baking.  I even went for a run.

So please in these testing times fill up your pots to the brim, make times for yourself.

Sunday Strollin'

We had big plans to go out and do things this weekend, but then the weather people decided it would be cold and rainy.

So we postponed our plans, only to wake up to a pleasant day if glorious autumn sunshine.  Deciding to make the most of it we hope on the bus and headed in to the hippie haven of Hebden Bridge.

I love Hebden it's full of windy little streets, quirky little boutiques and a great little hot spots.  

Hebden was pretty much all washed out in the Boxing Day floods 2015 an all the shop owners have worked hard to get themselves back to "normal".

How quick has this year been?

Yet another photo challenge

As I finished the love your spouse photo challenge I was nominated for another phot challenge.  I decided this time I wouldn't share with my Facebook friends I would do it exclusively here. 

So here it is the four photos that make me feel beautiful.  I was tempted to choose ones from my glamour shoot a few years ago, as lovely as they are they aren't the real me.  The same could be said for my wedding day photos, but I tried very hard to stay me natural self that day.

Hello October

Yay it's my favourite time if the year

I love the autumn and I am hoping that this year as we are on the doorstep of The Dales, The lakes and smack bang in the heart of The Calder Valley we will have the opportunity to see the changing  colours on the trees.  

We can be Leafers!

Are we in or out?

Like the worst game of the Hokey Pokey, we didn't know if we were going to be let in to Strictly or not.

 

I got an email to say that I had won tickets to watch Strictly Come Dancing, I was one in five million.  I knew straight away who to take with me and it wasn't GO it was the lovely, and strictly nut Mrs F. 

After much umming and ahing I decide to drive to Elstree.  I couldn't afford the train or the plane and the coach (plus tube) option would take over six hours.  The journey went without a hitch (although there was a momentary squeak from Astrid, that happened on the way there and back and hasn't been heard of since) I arrived in Borehamwood at half twelve, before Mrs F.

We excitedly walked around to the studio to be informed that all of the tickets were gone.  They had standby tickets if we wanted to chance it...  We got the last two standby tickets, and decided to return at 17.15 to see if we could get in.

At 16.30 we arrived back at the gates, to be informed that a hundred standby's had been let in and they weren't guaranteed a seat.  I was tempted to go,to find a lovely little restaurant and spend the evening putting the world to right.  Then I saw a magpie (well that settled it), oh wait, two, two magpies,  "one for sorrow, two for joy!"  I exclaimed.  We'd wait, just to see.

A little lady came rushing over, they could let three people in, as most were pairs that would mean someone would have to go alone.  I told Mrs F to go, I was getting tired and my shoulder was really starting to hurt.  She point blank refused.  

"There letting us in!"  Someone mummered,  and before I had time to think I was having my hand bag searched and was being told I couldn't eat my mints in the studio.  It wasn't as easy as that though.  We had to wait for the group dance to be filmed first, there were children in the dance and legally they weren't allowed to stay beyond a certain time and we would be given the seats the parents had.

"Who had the last two standby stickers?"  A voice called.  We raised our hands tentatively, we were being thrown out, I knew it....  Nope, we were being shown to two seats next to the cameras.  They had limited views, but there was a screen for us to watch, the judges were exactly opposite usabd best (for me at least) I was able to move and stand if my shoulder started hurting.

I still can't believe that we were there, it was filmed exactly as it is on TV, it was all so glamourous and sparkly. I have some photos, courtesy of the BBC and my television.

This made me laugh

I googled Typical summer photos for the August photo challenge and watermelons were a common theme.  I then googled watermelon photos and water melon dresses are popular in Instagram.  So I used my two faithful volunteers, to make some summer photo collages.

What a plum I am

I have had a very, very, very sore shoulder all week (I think it's stress related), I found the pills didn't work so I turned to muscle rub, and it was fantastic.  Unfortunately I didn't wash my hands as well as I thought and as I was about to leave for school I felt a burning on my cheek. You guessed it I had been leaning on my hand and now muscle rub was working its magic on my face which was very red and very sore.  As one of my lovely friends said, It could only happen to me.

Autumn Equinox is here - time for a bucket list