Just in time!!!

Hi everybody.

Well, I’ve just managed to get this post on by the end of the month -admittedly by the skin of my teeth.  

Can you believe this time next month a quarter of the year will be gone?  I was talking recently to some friends and saying that my main problem is I’m ‘time poor’ (to say nothing of just about making ends meet like most people at the moment).  But I have to say given a choice I’d definitely prefer increasing the deposits of ‘time’ in my particular ‘bank account of life’ than money. OK yes, it’s nice to have that bit extra to spend on some treats but if you’re working all hours to earn more, when do you ever get the time (to say nothing of energy) to enjoy it?

I met up with a few girlfriends Saturday afternoon for coffee.  The sun was shining, we were in a cafe in a lovely country park and we spent a couple of hours chatting, laughing and catching up on each others lives.  It was lovely.  It wasn’t a holiday, or a new pair of expensive shoes or a fancy meal out with a gorgeous man but I wouldn’t have swopped the time being with my friends for any of that (well, maybe the meal & gorgeous man would have been a close call...........OK, forget the meal.............) 

We’ve just started the period of Lent which for many is very significant.  You may know much about Lent - its origins, religious significance and the traditions that surround it or you might be thinking ‘Lent’ what’s that then?  Something to do with all those pancakes I stuffed myself with last Tuesday?

One of the traditions of Lent (which lasts 40 days by the way) is to give something up – particularly something we enjoy.  Most people pick some sort of food –chocolate or cakes.  Alcohol is another one - a detox period for some depending on how much you normally drink.

I don’t really drink much and I know there’s no way I’d stick to no chocolate so I’ve decided I’m going to try and give up moaning. Yep, you heard right – moaning.  Specifically I’m going to stop moaning about my job.  I know the chances are I’m going to fail (probably all already have) but at least having put it in writing hopefully it will make me think twice over the next month or so every time I’m tempted to have a good old moan. 

And boy, do we love a good moan.  Come on, admit it, there’s nothing we love more than bending someone’s ear when we’re feeling overworked, underpaid and unappreciated.  Someone  nodding and saying things like ‘I know exactly what you mean’ or ‘my boss is just the same – has no idea the amount of work I do’.  Or the classic ‘Lunchbreak – what lunch break?’ (Ooooohhh –I can feel a halo of martyrdom forming above my head as I write...........)

I know I’ve said this before but I don’t think it hurts to remind ourselves just how fortunate (most) of us are.  When we acknowledge life could be a lot worse its much easier to take time out to think about those who truly are in a much worse position than ourselves, either in this country or elsewhere in the world.  It never huts to stop and count our blessing.

Anyway, as it’s gone 11pm and I’m determined to get this posted before the month ends I’d better close now.

If you’re giving up something for Lent then I wish you perseverance and success in your effort.

God bless

Jules xx

Who pinched the last couple of months?......

            Can anyone believe it’s September already! 

I know its September because

a)  my school teacher friend and I didn’t get to have a girly day together during the school holidays despite pledging in June ‘This year we’re definitely going to find the time!’       

b) having umm’d and aaaah’d about taking my light weight summer cover off the bed and putting the duvet back the nights have warmed up again and the hot flushes are back with a vengeance

and

c)  yep, you’ve guessed it, the Christmas cards are in the shops and I saw my first Christmas advert last night!

It’s the beginning of SEPTEMBER – don't any of them own a calendar?  It’s almost 4 months to Christmas day – that’s one third of the year we're going to be subjected to all this commercial hype for 1 day! 

I don’t know about anyone else but I used to love Christmas, which I never even started to think about until well after bonfire night – and that’s when I had the whole family coming for days over the holiday and had all the menus to plan, shopping to do, nagging the ex to get the decorating finished he’d started in April so I could cover it all up with Christmas decorations...................I loved all the hustle and bustle.

But this obsession with retailers ‘being the first’ is one of my absolute pet hates and almost makes me dread Christmas (If only we could get back to it being primarily a birthday celebration - how great would that be????...........).

Back to the retailers - they try to justify their greed by saying they’re responding to consumer demand.  Well, I’d love to meet the consumer who’s demanding Christmas goodies (I’m sure there can only be one!)  while most people are still wearing summer tops, eating al fresco and thinking they might take a late summer break because ‘September is usually a lovely month’.  Everyone I’ve ever spoken to hates all this early hype as much as I do.

The card shops are usually the first, although I think some of the supermarkets have already jumped on the band wagon.  I wouldn’t know because from now to the end of November I deliberately avoid those aisles until it gets to the point you can’t go in anywhere from Lidl’s to Waitrose without being smacked in the face with ‘seasonal items’. 

As I said, card shops are always the first offenders.  They grab the consumer from now on to draw their attention to the fact they have oh my gosh only 15 weeks to get their Christmas cards, wrapping paper, and over priced glittery spangly bits ready to stick all over the presents they’re going to be buying each week from now until early December.  They grab you convincing you the earlier you buy all your paper, cards etc the more organised you will be.  You’ll convince yourself that this year, contrary to all the years which have gone before, if you start now you’ll have a stress free, relaxing Christmas.  You’ll be patting yourself on the back thinking of everyone opening carefully selected presents, wrapped beautifully with coordinating ribbon and other assorted decoration, oohing and aahing over your creativity and attention to detail.    

       The reality is you’ll splurge on cards, coordinated paper , ribbon, bows, festive confetti and numerous other paraphernalia, come home and ‘put them in a safe place’.  You’ll then think ‘That’s enough forward planning for a couple of weeks – I’ll start present buying in October’. 

       The next you know you wake up half way through December , realise you’ve missed the last date for 2^nd class postage, haven’t bought a single present, and it’s 3 weeks to pay day which is 31 December so a fat lot of help that's going to be.

          And to add insult to injury you can’t for the life of you remember where you put all those carefully selected cards, wrapping paper, confetti and glittery, spangly bows!  Oh well, there’s always next year.............

I've had a great couple of nights out this week which I’ll tell you all about in my next blog post (and I promise to make it soon but I really must get this posted and get up! Writing in my favourite place this morning wearing my favourite pyjamas and it’s gone lunchtime!)

But I must just tell you this. The weirdest thing happened – on both occasions the performers, one the ring master (now there’s a clue....) and the other a female comedian called Jo told the same opening joke.  It didn’t make it less funny – I laughed both times but I did wonder if Jo and I had been at the same venue the night before????...................

          To finish off this morning and remind us all summer has only just passed over the horizon on its way elsewhere in the world here’s some photo’s my brother recently took and sent me.  He loves going off with his camera early in the morning and capturing creation at it’s finest. I think these remind us nothing man made can compare with mother natures finest...............

Aren't these just beautiful? 
Check out Matthew 6:25-34 and see if you can see the link

Have a great weekend whatever you’re doing and whoever you’re with.

God bless

Jules xx

Friends and Flowers

I've just been reading my last blog entry and realised it sounds a bit cheesy. It wasn't intentional, just meant to be an honest reflection of where I am in my relationship with God the father. Like a lot of people I've had a rather on/off relationship with God over the years but I know I'm more contented now than I've ever been. Now, that's got nothing to do with my personal cirumstances as I'm divorced, skint, live on my own and currently unemployed! But I have found a new level of faith that as given me a completely fresh outlook on life, a desire to help and encourage others and a contentment I've never known before. And I found out this week people who have a faith on average live 7 years longer than those who don't - bonus!

Another thing I have is fantastic friends. One of the things about living on your own is you miss those little treats someone gives you. The cup of tea in bed, doing the washing up, the foot massage while watching the tele (That's one of things I missed most when my husband left!). When I stayed at a friends house one night, the next morning, even though she was rushing around getting ready to go to work, she took the time to prepare this breakfast tray for me. I was so touched I took a picture!

Above are some lovely flowers another friend bought me this week. I'm very fortunate and have a lot of amazing friends which I thank God for.