Monday 25 March 2019

Space and Time to Just Be Me

Well, finally my week off came around.  I finished work on Friday and I have 8 glorious work free days ahead of me. It feels so good. It makes me realise that I really haven't been able to switch off for the whole of the last 3 months, but I'm certainly going to do it now.

The weekend didn't get off to the greatest start.  LB called from a friend's house at 1am on Saturday morning, where she was supposed to be having a sleepover.  She wanted to come home, as she couldn't sleep and had a full day's work ahead of her the next day, working on another Vintage Clothing Sale. I had to jump out of bed and drive round to pick her up. I didn't mind though, as I'm always happy to have her safely tucked up in bed at home.

While she was working on the Saturday, I suggested to OH that we go out for lunch and to visit a local garden centre.  I had a £10 voucher to spend, that I'd won as a prize for having the Best Newcomer plot on our allotment site last year. The garden centre itself was lovely, if a bit pricey, and I came away spending an extra £18 or so, which was okay, as I hardly ever spend money on the garden. I bought these lovely euphorbias and primulas, but I'm not sure yet exactly where I'm putting them.



The problems started when we went for lunch.  All of the cafes tend to be busy on a Saturday morning, but we stumbled upon a small café and ordered our food.  Forty minutes later, I was still waiting for my bacon and egg sandwich. (Nothing fancy!) OH had eaten his sandwich and we'd already consumed a small green smoothie given to us to placate us on account of the wait.  OH was starting to get really agitated, as he hates bad service and had things he needed to do when we got home. Eventually, my sandwich came, with an extra egg in it.  (I'd much rather it had come 10 minutes earlier minus the egg). I then had to listen to the two guys in the kitchen arguing with each other.

On leaving the café, we decided to visit a nearby Poundland, to get some potato tubers for the allotment. I set off walking with the dog, but completely lost my bearings.  I asked a cyclist, who then tried to send me in completely the wrong direction.  Luckily, I saw OH in the car take a different turning and found the correct route, but I could easily have followed the stranger's instructions.  I wondered if it was a genuine mistake. Call me suspicious, but people can be very strange sometimes.

Eventually, we got home and things got better.  I spent the afternoon in the garden pruning a few bushes that I never got around to pruning in the autumn. I planted up a basket that I bought from work with some herbs. It was a job I'd intended to do nearly a year ago now, but never got around to.  Here's a picture:



I just need a couple more herb plants to fill it, possibly some sage and chives.

On Sunday, I was up and out with dog and then to the gym for the first time in about two months.  The studio refurbishment was finally finished, although it is now all painted in dark grey and black, and takes a while for your eyes to adjust to. The class was good though and an ankle niggle I had the week before seemed to have resolved itself.

The rest of Sunday was completely leisurely.  I compiled a new music playlist for the shop (and for my own personal use), caught up on YouTube, blog reading, etc. and then caught the first episode of the new series of Victoria on TV.

This morning, I was back at the gym again for Zumba, but with no food shopping to do, as I'd done it the day before, I could come straight home and chill.

It's been a slow start to my week off, but that's all good, because I want to savour it and completely relax this time around.  OH heads off on his cycling holiday tomorrow morning and then I'll start work on cleaning the house.  It's always so much easier when everyone is out.

I'm perfectly happy to just stay close to home, to not have to deal with people and to take care of the things I own. I don't feel the need to go shopping or buy more stuff with the money I've actually got left over this month.  I just want to stay put and enjoy what I already have. I'm working my way through my to do list and if I get everything on it done, I'll be a very happy bunny.

4 comments:

  1. Ohhhh, I must add Victoria to my watch list. I didn't realize it was a new season.

    Glad you are getting some much needed time off.

    God bless.

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  2. It is always good to see an update from you and glad you are having some time off from your busy work life. I find even cleaning can be quite therapeutic and even better if you have the house to yourself. Have a lovely week.

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  3. I'm like you, I am a home bird, I can always find something to do. We were away in Liverpool last week and I did not purchase anything, we walked through the city center and I did not enter one shop.

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    Replies
    1. It's a relief to have got to a stage in life where I just don't crave material things anymore.

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