A Disorderly Retirement
A few weeks ago I wrote about the many memberships and subscriptions we have and how shocking it is when you add them all up. It’s taken a while, but I’ve now listed them all, with the cost next to each item. I didn’t include things like gym, golf and choir memberships because we use…
Today I am typing my 200th blog. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been at it so long. When I started I didn’t even think about how long I might do it. Back then, my main concern was how I’d actually set it up and I don’t think I could have done that without the…
This week I have learned to beware of emojis. I was quite a late adopter anyway – it was only recently that I decided it might be fun to liven up my texts with little pictures. Now I’m growing wary and think I might have to be an early exiter. I had no idea that…
I have finally discovered life’s Great Truth. It has nothing to do with learning to be at one with the universe, discovering a great love for your fellow human beings or even that death and taxes are the only certainties. It’s that your to-do list will never, ever end. I should really have seen this…
I don’t know why it is, but for some reason unusual people have a tendency to approach me in public and launch into unexpected conversations. Maybe they recognise one of their own. I really don’t mind (after all, everything is copy) and the truth is that I quite enjoy it.
I know I promised that this week I’d report back on my cull of expenses, but while executive approval is pending, I’ve been thinking about foreign languages instead. This is because I have read yet another article about warding off dementia. Is this a modern trend, this torrent of advice from experts about how to…
I’ve been thinking about how much it costs to keep ourselves entertained. Years ago, we grew vegetables and darned socks in our spare time, no doubt while listening to the wireless. Far from costing anything, these pastimes actually saved people money. I can definitely remember my parents mending and growing, although with the ingratitude of…
I’ve just come back from Africa and I’m thinking about mountain gorillas. Still. I did a quick search through my blogs and found that, since 2020, five of them have mentioned gorillas. It’s definitely been a recurring theme. I started out thinking how wonderful it would be to see them in the wild and then…
Yesterday I learned that ‘No’ is a complete sentence. Who knew? I think it’s one of those personal growth lesson thingies, the type you’re supposed to write on post-it notes and stick on walls around your house. Those life-affirming mantras like “I am worthy and loved”, “My boundaries matter”, “My children don’t hate me”, “Just…
In two weeks’ time we are off to Uganda to track gorillas. When I booked this trip about a year ago it seemed like a wonderful idea. I decided that preparation was everything and enrolled at a gym. I had gone to the gym for years, but never really went back after the pandemic. One…