Three cheers for coffee

Be grateful. Every day. This blog is very apt as Canada has celebrated Thanksgiving. It makes you think of everything we need to be grateful for. And like every other special day, it needs to actually be everyday. We all do it; we see something sad, watch an upsetting news story or hear some bad news and say we'll never moan again. And in that moment, we do mean this. But it doesn't take long to get back, stuck in our day to day living and feeling the need to moan again, until we are reminded of how other people are struggling more than us. Yes, we are human and yes, we are going to moan. This picture from pinterest shows this. Perhaps, before we start moaning about often trivial things, we need to think is it worth it? Moaning and complaining does lower your mood. I remember certain people I've worked with over the years, and people I've known in general, who can really lower the mood of a room, especially the staff room. Honestly, if you listen to moaning ...

Connections. I started writing this blog when I read how another blogger had met lovely, new people through her blog. Because I've done the same! I feel so lucky, that through my blog and facebook page, I have met at least four new people I can proudly call friends. Social media may have its down sides, but it also has many ups. And this connecting like minded people who would probably never have met, is one! Yes, we may be connecting on social media, but we also meet up, for the human part of the above quote! You just know, when you click with people, when you 'get' them and when you want to know more about them. I've also done this in real life lately too and you are never too old to keep making new friends. It's a fab feeling when this happens. It's great in life to make friends, add to your family and be added to a new family yourself! It's about finding and staying with people you get on with. People you enjoy spending time with and look forw...

Victoria, Queen of comedy! OMG! It has finally happened! I am now at an age where the Ballad of Freda and Barry has become more than just a hilariously funny song by the clever Victoria Wood. It's not just an anecdotal song sung by a fab comedian at a piano. It has become, in the rewritten words of Star Trek, 'life as we know it, Jim!' I'm sure at a certain age, this part of life comes to us all. There still may be swinging from the chandelier moments as you are dusting and you trip up; your room of pain brings in a whole new meaning when you develop arthritis and sciatica; Nine and a half weeks with Mickey Rooney becomes Nine and a half minutes; the only basic instinct you feel is to put on warm, comfy underwear; Flashdance is a little jig when you clean your bathroom and Romancing of the Stone is what it says on the tin! I love my tea and instead of 'Fifty shades of grey', I'm more interested in Fifty shades of Earl Grey! Back to the ballad. I absol...

Stay fabulous! A short and maybe not very sweet blog! I love Absolutely Fabulous with the wonderful Edina and Patsy. This brilliant duo brought much fun to the 90s and showed you could still be fabulous at any age. Before I look at that though, I need to introduce the five fs to you. Apparently, when you are female, the first f, and a certain age, you need to be aware of a few things with your health. Especially if you are apple shaped. And, yes, I am of the Pink Lady, Golden Delicious variety, or maybe a Granny Smith? It is better to be a pear, but in my opinion, they aren't as juicy! This is some advice my friend was once told by a doctor. Don't quote me as my menopausal mind cannot remember recent things very well but I can tell you who I sat with in English 30 years ago and the wrapping paper pattern I backed my books in (rabbits, by the way). So, we have female, fertile and forty. Right, ok. Those three boxes ticked. Hang on though forty. When life begins? I was...

Ditch the guilt trip. Guilt can weigh you down so much. It has me. It's such an overwhelming feeling. And one that is really hard to shift. Very like the self doubt, it can just creep up behind you, from nowhere. But it's not a short but sweet visitor; it likes to stay with you and it always outstays its welcome. Where do these feelings of guilt come from? We don't always actually feel guilty because we have done something wrong. Sometimes, we are guilt tripped by other people and ourselves when we really have nothing to feel bad for. How can we try to prevent them? Well, over the years, I have tried to curb these feelings. I'm still curbing them but am much better at it now! We can also be guilt tripped when we ask people pretty trivial favours that we would do for them, yet they say no easily and make us feel bad for asking. One thing is to try not to please everyone; it is just not possible. When you have to let someone down because you genuinely can't go...