Another year older!!

Hi Peeps!

Well I am overwhelmed with all the emails and private messages via facebook regarding the 'letter to my younger self'. It seems that that blogpost touched a nerve with you all. It must be something to do with being older and what we know now . Ain't hindsight a great thing - am going to see if I can market it at all.

I actually appreciated all the emails and messages but do feel free to commment below the blogs too. And this blog finds me another year older. Have just spent a brilliant Saturday with my best friend who spoilt me rotten. Love her to bits. We attended a gin cocktail making class and whilst not a lover of gin - it's more the perfumed smell that I don't like - however adding cola to it does mask the smell! A remark was made that that made me 'a classy lady' - err obviously, actually using gin as the base for the cocktails did produce some lovely ones. What should one drink with gin?

After having a great day- I ended up getting the bus home and had to spoil a great day by leaving my shopping on the bus! I believe it had something to do with that last glass of wine but I can't be sure. Believe me and the bestie imbibed a tad too much!  Anyways my shopping has been handed into the lost property section at the bus station. So thank you to the honest people that did that. Have to admit that in my whole life I have never once left or lost anything but trust me to do this . At least for once, I didn't succumb to my usual bout of drunk calling and texting. My wean, goalieboy thought that this was extremely hilarious. Will store this up and remind him when he does it in the future.

Have any of you been tuning into that programme running on channel 4 called 'Benefits Street'?  The programme follows people who live in a street and are on benefits, how they live and what they do/want from life. Well it started a huge discussion in our workroom about benefits and food. There was an actual live debate regarding it which included politicians, residents from that street and other people who have been living on benefits and have their views on it. Edwina Curry was asked to give her view along with Jack Monroe who writes a blog based on living on £10's a week.

Edwina stated that it was fine for people in this day and age to have no money to buy food and that anyone could just walk into a Foodbank and get food to feed their family!! Err no you can't Edwina - you need a voucher in order to do that and that voucher is given from agencies. Jack Monroe was great at getting her point over but Edwina tried to bring this young girl down/try to shut her up by making disparaging remarks about the girl's family. So not right and Edwina you tosspot,  you really should know better and maybe stick to keeping hens for your egg throwing antics!

Our workroom discussion has seen us all getting behind the local foodbank as they do not have enough food to go around their community. It's something that I feel strongly about as everyone has the right to a hot meal or ingredients to make a basic meal for their family. What do you think about this? Do you think it's right in this day and age?

Jack Monroe's blog is excellent as it details and gives recipes on what she has made to eke out her shopping budget. I have tried some of her recipes and they are great, tasty and cheap. Check out her blog - 'a girl called Jack'. It's fantastic. W


I had to go to the doctors recently as I wasn't feeling quite tiptop and she prescribed 'dom perignon' on the NHS. Total result for me!! Imagine the look on my face when I was handed tablets from the pharmacy called - 'donperidon' - not impressed!!! A life sipping champagne completely eradicated in four seconds!!So not fair.

And a wee choon for you

Well I hope you are all staying our of trouble - till next time!

Dinks

xx

A letter to my younger self.

So what advice would I give to my sixteen year old self?

Here's my letter:

Dear Margaret

When I look down through the years at you - I see you at school beavering away, trying your hardest and trying to be ultra organised with your whole life. (you will never stop being organised - it's as natural to you as breathing. ) But stop for a wee moment and catch your breath. Give yourself permission to do so.

You were always trying to fit in, to be liked. You don't like yourself very much and hate what you see in the mirror but I want you to know that it doesn't matter what people think. Not everyone will like you so accept that for what it's meant to be. That's how life works. Those who are meant to be in your life will be there and the ones that do not want to be there, will leave.

You don't have to try to be perfect - be yourself and be true to yourself. You need to follow your instincts about what you want to do with your life and not let others sway you and push you down paths that you don't want to tread.

Stop planning and trying to organise your future. Try to live for just now and enjoy it. You've spent so much time doing that that you miss out on things. Life is meant to be a mystery so let it unfold as it's meant too. Be aware of opportunities that land in your path and grab them! Take the chance to travel and explore the world.

From a very young you were always aware of having to walk on eggshells to please people. Now young Margaret,  I would tell you that you don't have to do that even at 16 you are still doing it. Realise that you will never make these people happy.  Stop blaming yourself for everything you have to know that nothing is YOUR fault - you're just a product of the situation. My advice is carry on being you as you will realise in later life that there is people looking out for you but you were just too young to realise that. Forgive others otherwise you will spend years being bitter and you deserve better.

That brittle exterior you portray has come from years of showing that nothing matters or affects you. We both know that's not true. You had to live, so be kind to yourself. Cherish those adults who extend a hand to you as they realise what you are not able too. They make huge difference to your life just by being who they are. Always remember you are not alone.

In a couple of years two special people will enter your life; you will meet your two bestest and closest friends who will still be there decades later. Realise that they are precious and hold them close. They don't realise how much they help you just by being there but they make an immense difference to your life. They are your true sisters.  They build your confidence and try to get you to believe in yourself. Believe them when they tell you things.

You are a good person but it will take you decades to realise that and it will be your own children who facilitate that learning curve for you. You get so much from your children and you encourage them to explore life. Follow this advice for yourself. Accept who you are now and save yourself years of angst. Love yourself for who YOU are and don't ever change.

As for loving relationships, you will settle for people that don't cherish you or treat you how you should be treated. So never settle for less than you deserve. Walk away from people if you are unhappy - don't try to do all the mending - it takes two people to do that. This is a huge lesson in later life. My advice is tell that blonde haired lad at school that you like him and have had a huge crush on him for years!

Most of all enjoy life, embrace all it has to offer you, treat it as a huge adventure, don't be scared, go for it, have fun, laugh at yourself, believe in yourself and DANCE!!

Big hugs and kisses to you


xxxx

Life in a bubble. xx

Hi Peeps

How are you all doing? Things are still hectic here and I keep trying to settle down to write my blog but then I get caught up in other things namely playing mawstaxis.com and my day job. Acht at least our days are getting longer which means that we should be getting cheerier? Or maybe not!

I came across this quote the other day and it really struck a deep note with me:

'For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. Something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.' - Fr. Alfred D'Souza.

It hit home that this is exactly what I have done all my life - and I believe that I'm not the only one guilty of doing it. C'mon own up - YOU do it too!!

Thinking back to my teens I believed that if I trained harder for competitive swimming I would be more popular at school or with the others in the swimming club. If I hung around in the right crowd at school then I would be popular. If I studied harder and worked harder at school, if I tidied my room, done what I was asked that my parents would be proud and happy with me but it never happened. I was always left with a feeling that something was lacking, that what I did was never good enough and that nothing would ever be good enough. Looking back, a huge part of it was probably down to me being the eldest of four girls and no parents were ever giving a parenting manual or instructions on how 'to parent'.

So it always felt that I was living my life in a bubble and that if I tried to attain these things then everything would be fine and life would begin. It never worked out that way though. Even in my twenties and thirties I still struggled with the same feelings and thoughts. I believed that if I kept a clean, spotless house and cooked nice meals that I would be loved but it was again always conducted whilst living in that bubble. Even down to my weight - if I lost weight then people would like me and then I would have this fabulous life but it doesn't work like that!

 I remember a day quite clearly, that I was going to my sister's wedding and my friend was coming with me. She was coming to meet me at the house before we went to the wedding. My friend arrived to find me on my hands and knees washing down all the doors and the skirting boards in the house and I was nowhere near ready to go to a wedding and neither was my bairn. She couldn't understand it but I had got it into my head that I wouldn't be able to enjoy the wedding as my house was unclean. I did enjoy the wedding but it took me ages to relax as I was still thinking 'oh. I never cleaned that or did that'. How pathetic eh?

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that whilst I was living life thinking that 'it will begin when' - life was actually taking place. This time two years ago - I was involved in a car accident where someone ran into the back of me at a roundabout and it resulted in my car being shoved into the road of oncoming traffic. I actually closed my eyes and literally saw my life flash by. I was terrified as I thought that I had died. IT sounds dramatic I know but I was terrified and this shook me for months. But it did give me a wake up call and since then I have made an effort to live in 'the moment.'   So no more excessive cleaning and believing that life will get better. It is what it is and only you are responsible for what happens.

So it got me to thinking about what advice I would give my 16 year old self in order to enjoy and live life to the fullest. So I am going to write her a letter and I will share it with you next time.

If this has got you thinking then it would be great to know what advice you would give your younger self. What would you put in your letter?

Till next time.

Dink's

Xxx

Yucky weather, cosiness, coffee hair and ach well....................................

Yuck - what has this weather been like? It really just makes you want to hibernate, staying in bed all warm and cosy, reading magazines or books, surfing the net or watching the telly and drinking hot chocolate.

Well, that's the month of January nearly at an end for us and if like me you're now reduced to beans on toast as this has been six week pay month which seems never ending then you will be glad to see the back of it! It's quite hard to budget this month as we have had the expense of Christmas or am I alone in this? Hope not! Mind you -  I love February as it's a short month, has Valentines day (yep - still fall for that mush!) and it's my birthday too!! Yay!!

So what's been happening here in dinkytoyland? Well, I met MadMazza for an afternoon tea last week. It took place in the hotel where I got married in 24 years ago!! At least it's changed a lot since then but it was quite spooky in a way - if you get my drift? It was great to see her as we tend to catch up at least twice a year in person. But we have the type of friendship that we don't need to see or hear from each other all the time but we pick up where we left from and it was as if we had just saw each other yesterday.

Our afternoon tea was really scrumptious - plenty of sandwiches and cakes and a glass of bubbly. Quite a decadent day making us seem like 'ladies wot lunch'. so it was good to catch up on her gossip and news. I'm happy for her as she has met a lovely guy who makes her happy - she was positively blooming. And after an unhappy and sad time a few years ago - I'm excited for her. It couldn't happen to a lovelier lassie.

I also work with a few nice ladies at work but I do have to tell you about DosyRosy. I was telling them that I've started to use that new shampoo that Boots keeps advertising. You know the one from Germany that contains caffeine? Well whether DosyRosy was only half listening or what - she's only been telling everyone that I was my hair with coffee! I though this was hilarious especially when a newbie asked me if I did? I can just see it in the college rag - 'eau du café permeates the campus'!!

I have to update you on the situation with Hamish. We've met up another couple of times and have had a good time together. He is great company and on Friday there we went bowling but if I'm honest peeps by the time a Friday night arrives I'm don't want to go out as I'm just so tired after a long hard week at work. Gawd how old does that make me sound? Is anyone else like this too or is just a dinkytoycarism? So, to get back to the date night - I met him and though we had a great time - being honest my heart just wasn't in it. So we had a wee chat and we are going to remain friends. I think maybe that I'm not ready for this dating malarkey yet. Ach well.................

OH!! Have to say have managed to get a book that has me hooked - at long last!! It's the new Stuart McBride one - A Song for the Dying. Not bad and when I finish this I'm going to start - Dominion by CJ Samsome. Anyone read that one?

 

 

 

A wee thought:

 

Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you - (Nathaniel Hawthorne)

 

And a song for us - loving this one ever since I heard it!

 

 

Till next time peeps - take care of yourself and each other.

 

Dinks

 

xxx

 

Revenge, friends, books and how time flies....................

Sorry Peeps - I can't believe how quickly time is going in! It's been pandemonium at my 'real' job - trying to get everything ticked off and finished before the next cohort of newbies joins us. And I've also been busy catching up on a box set of 44 episodes of Revenge. I managed to finish that last night and I'm now completely up to date with it. I don't know if I like the series or not.  I love box sets - they are completely addictive and beat the dross that is currently being shown on our tv!

So how is everyone's resolutions coming along? I've managed to do four sessions at the gym - with two of those being early mornings before work. But I tell you it's easier to manage and do it in the  virtual world of my own mind but when it actually gets to the reality of doing it - it's completely different. Why is that? (must be an age thing!)

So my resolutions are sort of going well. Eating healthyish and trying to stay away from the biscuits but the jammie dodgers, bourbon creams and shortbread keep screaming out my name every time I pass the fridge in our workroom. So much so that the other staff members comment that the biscuit box only knows my name! Well I used to have the same problem with the wine racks!

I noticed when reading the Tuesday gossip magazines today that - the Samantha Brick war of words has resurrected its ugly head again with Denise Welch and Carol Mcgiffin slating her for her views about them and Loose Women! I loved Carol's tweet reply to her - 'mm you're nothing but a subservient housewife who lives in France!' Think Carol must be reading my blog as I believe that's what I said not two weeks ago!

That Samantha Brick is a toxic human being and we all know someone or have someone in our lives who is toxic. I had a 'friend' who was like that. She was an authority on everything and you had to do as she said or woe betide you! She even organised everyone and everything but she is what I also refer to as a 'fairweather' friend - pretends to be there for you but isn't really but it's a different story when they need people around them. They also tend to drop their 'current friend of the moment' when someone far more 'exciting' comes along. Over the last few months I've had an audit of my friends and the ones that I have are wonderful, there for you, put up with your behaviour, moods and rants as well as all the good stuff. They are truly important to me and I let them know that I appreciate them. They've been my friends for years - so I must be doing something right?!

 

Those of you who know me will realise that magoo was giving his marching orders a couple of  months ago as I realised that he was just a freeloading, selfish person and I didn't need that in my life.The moths would try to fly from his wallet when he rarely opened it!! But more recently, I was asked out and I've been on a couple of dates with a new guy and we will refer to him as Hamish. And yes he is the stereotype of tall and bald but he does have a sense of humour. So far it's been a coffee date and then a dinner date and we've got on well both times. So slow slow slow is the name of the game here.

I had to go on a training course on Saturday for my work and I forgot how much I love travelling by train as you can sit and people watch. It's amazing the things that you see and hear. A guy on his mobile having a rant at his girlfriend. Why do they feel the need to have an audience? I am also extremely nosey and love seeing what other people read. The girl sitting opposite me was reading a book called, 'The perks of being a wallflower!' - eh??? Sounds riveting like! Need to look that one up on Amazon! Is it only me that enjoys this pursuit?

So this brings me to books.I love reading and I know a lot of my friends read books too but I'm finding it extremely difficult to find a book that I really want to read. I have a kindle and the downside of this is that if you don't quite like the start of a book then you just go onto the next one. I currently have 358 books on my new kindle so there is a choice for me but nothing is grabbing my attention. Can any of you recommend anything?

The quote for this time is very apt:
A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.”
― Elbert Hubbard
A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.”
― Elbert Hubbard

Till next time

Dinks
xx

 

Back to the routine and a controversial viewpoint........................

Well the first week of the New Year is well and truly under way. The majority of us will have had the dreaded return to work and the normal routine to contend with today.

So in pursuit of being healthy and fit - I have kick-started my fitness regime with a return to trying to get back into going to the gym before work! And I'm proud to say that I managed it for today. The  gym was full this morning - (not that that will last long - I'm sure!) but at least I can say that I've started with #operationweddingcountdown. And no it's not my wedding but bridezilla's.

I can't believe that I managed to get up at 5:30am especially after only having 3 hours sleep. Tell me though why is it that when we return to work after the holidays or know that we have to get up -  that we can't sleep or only go into a half sleep?

I met up with an old friend at the weekend and we went to see the new film 'American Hustle'. Crikey - I don't understand what all the fuss is about with this film - it was utter crap and not my cup of tea. I had to stop myself from falling asleep during it - mind you that wasn't hard as I was sitting next to the popcorn monster raider. This guy sitting next to me (not bad looking in a Daniel Craig way- in my defence it was dark!!) kept stuffing the popcorn into his mouth and hadn't even finished that mouthful before he was shovelling the next lot in!! He was more entertaining to watch than the film but also terribly annoying. I just wanted to grab his hand midway between shovelfuls and go stop, chew your food and appreciate it!!

There was a discussion at work today about suicide - which has been on-going since before Christmas as some of my colleagues have been affected by it. Our workplace is providing counselling to those affected but the view that most of them have taken is one of sympathy. But I don't understand how anyone can feel sympathy for the person - I simply can't. I view it as a completely selfish act as they have gone but have left their families, friends, those that care for them and even people on the side-lines to deal with the repercussions and devastation. Some don't even leave a clue as to why- imagine the torment that these families face and the pain- it never goes away - the questioning themselves as to what/should/could they have done. And what about the family members who find them - sometimes even their own children/relatives? Their lives are wrecked. No it's not right. I am talking about adults here not children. Adults who know the difference. I appreciate that this is not everyone's view but it is mine. I understand that people can go to very dark places but there is help available and with the multimedia that we have available nowadays help is only a button or phone-call away. This wasn't always my point of view but as I've got older and saw the devastation that it causes to the families my viewpoint has changed radically. It didn't go down well but we are all entitled to our own viewpoints.

A wee thought for today:

 

'Life's under no obligation to give us what we expect.'

(Margaret Mitchell)

This song was playing on the radio as I was writing this blog - so I've posted it.

 

Till next time

 

Dinks

 

xx

 

Happy New Year with new beginnings, fresh hope and a new chapter - welcome 2014!! x

Welcome peeps to the start of a New Year and a new blog from me!

I hope this finds you all ready and raring to meet the new challenges that this year will unfold as we travel through it. Hopefully, the fat man in the red suit was good to you and your's and that you have been spoiled and overindulged this festive season.

I love the start of a New Year as it brings fresh hope and the start of a new chapter in our lives. It's almost like we can start again. I also get that feeling every year in August when the kids return to school. Every day for us should be grabbed and each opportunity viewed as an opporchancity. This was brought home to me during the festive period when a good work colleague took seriously ill. It shocked me to the core. Hopefully, he is now on the road to recovery and I wish him and his family good fortune and health in this year. So let's raise a glass to my colleague and his family. (His is non-alcoholic obviously!)

I was reading my magazines today - you know the one's? The celebrity gossip ones published every Tuesday and there was an article in the Bella magazine which made my blood boil!! The author was none other than that Samantha Brick (I'm the most attractive and good-looking lady in the world - remember away back in 2011 and the uproar she caused?) Well sorry hen - maybe with the added addition of a brick in your chops you might be!! So why am I having a rant about her? Because she was having a go at what used to be one of my favourite programmes - Loose Women and the presenters of it. Now admittedly Loose Women has lost its way a wee bit but she derides all the presenters and possible new ones but believes that Katie '(I'm a looney!!) Hopkins would be a great presenter!! Then you can just tell that this article is more about her and a pitch for herself as she brings it around to talking about herself, her presenting it and a new show as well!! GGrrr!! Look at me I'm Sandra Dee -NOT!! I wouldn't mind but she really is a brick short of a wall that woman!! Any woman who preens herself and lets her man dictate how she lives needs to be thoroughly shaken and re-educated!

Another thing that irritated me today was that I was listening to the local radio station - Forth One and they are playing this promo about music and 2014. The presenter of this promo pronounces fourteen as 'forrrteen' and Forth as 'forrrrthe'!!! Ggrr - have already made it known to the station that I don't approve!

So a New Year brings resolutions for us - have you made any? I've decided that I'm going to say things as they are - eg - I won't be mincing my words. Last year taught me a hard and painful lesson so there will be no biting my tongue anymore. However, on a positive note - I intend to try and chill more.   It doesn't matter if we stick to resolutions or not - we should just aim to be happy and have a healthy life with our family and friends. This surely is more important than anything else.?

Couldn't resist this - me auld gran used to say it!!

 

And a tune for the New Year!!

 

A wee thought for today and my new motto:

Life is short and you have to suck it dry'
 

Till next time.

Dinks

xx