Friday Letters #012

Happy Friday everyone, this has been a really hectic week but I'm hopeful that this is the last week where I will be suffering from the daily headaches - fingers crossed!

Dear F - Thank you for everything - for listening, for offering advice and for supporting and encouraging! xxx

Dear Optician - Thank you for getting to the bottom of the headaches, 2 hours in a dark room discovering that my eyesight is bad will be worth it next week when the headaches disappear :)

Dear Alarm - I really am starting to not like you very much, maybe we could come to some sort of deal where you only wake me up when its warm?

Dear D - Thank you for the message of support this week xx

Dear Stuart - After a hectic start to your week I'm glad that it got itself sorted out quickly xxx

Dear Facebook - I'm debating get rid of you for a little bit, you are just to much of a distraction!

Dear Application - Please do well.

Dear Dad - I loved our impromptu chat earlier this week :) xxx

Dear Mom - So looking forward to our theatre trip in a couple of weeks, I feel like we both really deserve it! xxx

Enjoy your weekend guys. RAWR!

I can see clearly now...

Yesterday marked a new phrase in my life - after a lengthy doctors appointment and an even longer opticians appointment I may finally have the answer to all the headaches I have been having recently - after discovering just how blurred my one good eye is (I have a congenital cataract in my right eye) I am now a glasses wearer (well I be next Thursday when they arrive in Boots). To start with I only have to wear them for reading, blogging and using my phone. I have to admit that although I'm excited about wearing glasses - i've wanted them since I was about 5 years ago - I 'm also a little nervous. I don't know how I will feel wearing them, how long it will take for me to get used to them being on my face and (vainly) how I'm going to look wearing them.  

Does anyone have any tips for a newbie glasses wearer?

Fingers crossed next Thursday marks the end of these nasty headaches and the start of a clearer future.

Time to be Thankful

I spent yesterday in bed with yet another headache and a body that ached like I was coming down with the flu, today the aches have gone but the headache remains - shock (I'll be phoning the doctor later so hopefully we'll get to the bottom of it ASAP). With all of this I have been feeling a little overwhelmed so I thought it was about time I listed the things I was currently grateful for.

• A husband who makes dinner, hoovers and brings me flowers when I am stuck in bed feeling sorry for myself.
• Friends like F who are always at the end of the phone no matter what the problem.
• Family who send me fun links to pictures to make me smile and who cut me no slack during words with friends games.
• A cat who loves to cuddle up with me when I'm feeling sorry for myself.
• That no matter how bad I think things are, I am surrounded by love, friends and family.
• New friends on twitter and other bloggers who have provide me with a whole new support network.
• That Christmas is just around the corner which means a week of food, drink, laughter and lots of time spent with my amazing family.

There is probably lots more to add so expect lots of editing to this post but for now I'm off to do some research into keeping these headaches at bay until I can get into the doctors.

Friday Letters #011

Wow it feels like only yesterday that I was typing last weeks Friday Letters up. This week has gone by in the blink of an eye, I am looking forward to Sunday which will be my first real day off in 2 weeks and I fully intend to relax and do absolutely nothing!

Dear Back - I think maybe you've been feeling a bit neglected recently - what with all the attention my head has been getting. If you could stop hurting as soon as possible I'd really appreciate it and I promise to treat you with lots of nice warming, relaxing baths.

Dear Endo - It's like you know when I'm feeling down, you pick the worst moments to come back into my life. Hoping the doctor can recommend something to make you leave me alone for a little while longer.

Dear F - You are an amazing friend, one that I feel lucky to have, just a big thank you for being you! xxx

Dear A - Thank you for always being there to listen and for offering your own, unique advice. xx

Dear Head - It would be nice to just have 1 minute without you either hurting me or whirling through life at 100 mph.

Dear Self - Don't give up, things may feel hard at the minute but they will improve.

Dear Twitter - You make me laugh, you make me smile and you offer advice and information on the craziest of subjects! 

A mixed bag of a week full of as many highs as there have been lows.

Enjoy your weekend guys :)

5 Minute Dessert

No your eyes do not deceive you, last night I really did make a dessert which took 5 minutes to prepare, bake and pretty much eat! I found this recipe months ago on Pinterest and whilst I pinned it I didn't really have much intention of ever baking it, you see I have a fear of the microwave, yes the small rectangular object in many a kitchen scares me! I think it comes from being a child, my parents very rarely used a microwave, actually I can't remember them EVER using one. When I left home for University my wariness of the microwave stuck, it was great for heating up a heat bag and the occasional bag of rice but that was it. It wasn't until recently that I discovered that people used the microwave for actual cooking. This recipe for me was my introduction to cooking with the microwave and I can honestly say I'm hooked - this dessert was amazing! I told Stuart what I was doing and he was pretty jealous so I think this dessert is pretty much going to become a regular in our house.

Chocolate Nutella Cakes (makes 4):

Ingredients:

(now I have to admit I wasn't too precise with these measurements, but it worked!)
1/2 cup Plain Flour
8tbsp Caster Sugar
4tbsp Cocoa Powder
2 Eggs
80g Butter (melted)
2tbsp Nutella
1tsp Vanilla Extract

Method:
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until they are thoroughly mixed
Fill 4 ramekins/mugs/bowls with the mixture (just under half full)
Microwave on high for 2 minutes, until they have risen and are puffy.

EAT!!

That's it - super easy, let me know if you give it a go.

Introducing Tetley....

Tetley gets a lot of mentions here on the blog, especially during Friday Letters so I thought it was about time you guys got to know a little bit more about the cat love of my life!

Tetley is a rescue, he came from Battersea after being discovered outside a Police station in a cardboard box. We actually didn't meet Tetley (formally named Kenzo (!!!)) until the day we collected him, we had visited Battersea a couple of times although we had been unable to put our names forward as we were still living in our old flat and having a kitten just wouldn't have been practical. A few short weeks after making the move to Canterbury Stuart received an email from Battersea asking if we were still interested in adopting a kitten as they had a kitten who was desperate for a new home, they sent us a picture and it was pretty much love at first sight.

Tetley arrived in our home on a Friday and spent the weekend exploring and making the house his own. He is a tenacious cat, once he sets his mind to something he is going to do it, whether that be chewing through cables, climbing the Christmas tree or terrorising the (much bigger) cat that used to visit our garden. Whilst he drives me crazy at times I absolutely wouldn't be without him.

Tetley and I

Just woken up

Sleeping with his tongue out

Yes I'm in the sink, and what?!

Just before he tried a Cosmopolitan 

Chilling on the sofa

For more information on Battersea please visit the website - http://www.battersea.org.uk/

Monday

I cannot believe that it is Monday already, the weekend flew by, probably because I spent it working so today is my Friday and tomorrow is my day off, yay!! It's always a bit strange to wake up on a Monday morning and discover that Stuart is gone (back to Norfolk for the week) but the good news is that hopefully come January he will be based in Maidstone which is much closer to home. Even though the time apart has been tough I really feel like it has helped us grow as a couple and we now appreciate our time together even more.

Enjoy your week guys.

Friday Letters #010

So glad this week is over, unfortunately for me I don't get a day off until Tuesday so i'll be making the most of that with a day of relaxing before heading to the opticians and doctors to try and get to the bottom of all these headaches.

Dear Headaches - You have become a part of my life now, I don't like you though and I cannot wait for you to be gone.
Dear Sniffers - I know having a blocked nose is horrible, but please please just bow it rather than sitting behind me for an hour sniffing.
Dear Stuart - I'm really proud of the way you have carried on this week, you are great at your job, keep going xxx
Dear Lilies - I love you and the way you have made my house smell beautiful, i just wish you could last forever.
Dear Self - It's probably about time I started looking after you better, more sleep and less worrying.
Dear Brain - I'd love it if you could just switch off when I got into bed, that'd make me feel much better.
Dear Stuart - Thank you for just being there for me xxx
Dear F - You are an amazing friend and for that I thank you - you always know what to say and when to say it. xx

Happy weekend guys Don't forget to support the Give and Makeup shoebox campaign.

Give and Make Up

Just read this shocking statistic on the Give and Makeup website and wanted to share it and then urge you all to go and look and join in the latest campaign - I know I will be:

For women aged 19-44, domestic violence is the leading cause of illness, injury and death: greater than war, cancer and motor vehicle accidents. 


They are currently running a shoe box campaign for children who are in shelters this Christmas, there is much more information over on the website and I urge you all to go and look and join in.

Thank you xx

http://www.giveandmakeup.com/

Monkey Forest

I have been fascinated by monkeys for as long as I can remember, my dream is to one day be able to go and see them in the wild as I hate visiting zoos where animals are caged, for some reason it makes me feel really uncomfortable and I end up not having a good time. Stuart has known about my monkey love for a long time and surprised me last year with a trip to the Trentham Monkey Forest in Stafford. Here, in 60 acres of woodland 140 Barbary Macaques live in total freedom. The monkeys are able to explore the surroundings with almost complete freedom. We paid, went into the forest and straight away I felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment - where were the monkeys?!! Well it turned out that my crushing disappointment was wrong, we turned a corner and WOW monkeys galore! Everywhere you looked there were monkeys - old monkeys, young monkeys, baby monkeys being carried around, it was incredible! At Trentham there is 3/4 mile winding path which you follow around the forest, as we were walking around monkeys would just appear in front of you going about their lives.

The photos below are just a small selection of the photos that we took during the couple of hours we were there - I would recommend a trip here to anyone!!

Headache hell

For those of you that follow me on twitter you will know that I have spent the last 3 weeks being plagued with daily headaches. I have no idea where they have come from, and I am off to register with my local doctor later today to try and get to the bottom of it. In the meantime I have tried everything to try and help myself - I'm getting plenty of sleep, drinking lots of water, trying to relax as much as possible when i'm not working and eating pretty regular meals, however so far nothing at all has worked. Last night I tried taking some Kalms which worked a little bit, but not so much that I haven't woken up with a headache this morning.

Do any of you guys have any advice/ideas I can try??

Filling in the blanks

The lovely Lauren posted this post here which I absolutely loved and so I decided to fill in the blanks for myself!

I'm weird because...

I can't sleep closest to the door

I have a problem with people cracking any part of their body - it drives me crazzzzy

I like to read trashy gossip magazines in a hot bubble bath

I love to go on long autumnal walks  

I prefer to text than call

I eat far too many Starbucks lemon and poppy seed muffins

I can't sleep in a bed with no duvet, no matter the temperature

I'm scared of spiders

I don't eat pork or lamb

I take a lot of time trying to decide what to eat when I go out - if i've not looked at a menu beforehand I normally just go for the vegetarian options!

I have a problem with people who walk in front of me and then just stop for no reason

I start my shopping with the items on the list (if food shopping) or by heading straight to the shops I know and love (if clothes shopping)

I would rather have friends round for dinner and drinks than go out

I could eat cheese and olives all day long

I would rather watch sport live than on the tv

I do a happy dance when my baking experiments go correctly - and taste delicious

I know how to pirouette 

I'm a bad friend because...

I sometimes like to enjoy my own company

I am terrible at opening up to other people until I know them really well

I have trouble forgiving and forgetting

I always like to be in control

I'm a good friend because...

I want to see the people I love happy

I love to send little surprises in the post to brighten a day

I'm not afraid to tell the truth

I always say things the way I see them

I'm sad because...

I wish that I'd made more time for people before they were taken away from me

I sometimes overanalyse things 

I need to be better at letting go of the past

I wish I had not spent so much time worrying about the future when I was growing up

I'm happy because...

Of the fact that no matter where in the world one of my best friends is we always make time for each other

It's that time of year when I can legitimately wear big snuggly jumpers and scarfs

This time next year I'll have made a big step forward in my career

Remembrance Sunday

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Friday Letters #009

Its Friday again - this week has flown by, probably due to a mixture of me feeling poorly and heading back to work after a week off! Very much looking forward to having some rest and relaxation this weekend.

Dear Hubby - Thank you for your love, understanding and just for generally being awesome!! xxx

Dear N - Thank you for my flowers, there was absolutely no need but I adore them :)

Dear Body - Please please stop hurting as soon as possible. I know you don't like body conditioning but it is important!!

Dear Head - If you could go just one day without giving me a headache I would really appreciate it. 

Dear Fellow train users - Please don't ignore the big ass sign which says QUIET AREA - if you need to talk on your phone then please go somewhere else to do it, no one else wants to hear about your boring meetings!

Dear Twitter - I love how my totally boring tweets seem to get the most attention! Realised this week that I come to you first to get my dose of news and gossip every morning, my addiction is getting worse!

Dear Flowers - Please last forever! You smell amazing and put a smile on my face every time I walk past you.

Dear Blog - Sorry for neglecting you this week, I've missed you!

Enjoy your weekend xxx

A letter to my 16 year old self

I saw this blog post here and thought it was a really great idea, so here is the advice and all the things I wish I had known at 16, maybe one day I'll look back and have some advice for the 26 year old me!

1 - Stop worrying about whether the boy is ever going to call you, he will, but you won't be interested.

2 - Go out on week nights, wear wildly inappropriate clothing, dye your hair a crazy colour and drink too much alcohol - trust me by the time you get to 26 you won't be able too!

3 - 10 years from now you will be teaching and rather than it being the nightmare you imagine it will be your greatest love in life.

4 - Pick up the phone and phone your grandad more, the time is fast approaching when he won't be there anymore.

5 - University will be the greatest time of your life, you'll meet your future husband and make friends for life!

6 - Craig and James may be the 2 most annoying people you know right now, but they will eventually become your ultimate allies in life. Treasure the moments you get to spend together before you leave home at 18.

7 - Start standing up for yourself, those friends that are walking all over you now will continue to do so until you stop letting them, save yourself the misery and cut them out now.

8 - Embrace your curly hair, you have no idea how much you'll love it and how much other people will wish they had naturally curly hair (besides you'll be brought GHDs at 21 and you'll get the best of both worlds!)

9 - Your (our?!) mom and dad will be your closest confidantes, they will go on to constantly amaze you and will be the first people you phone with any news whether it be good or bad.

10 - You are going to travel and live in some amazing places, but that village you hate so much now will always remain home in your heart.

11 - Stick with the dancing it may seem hard now but all the work will pay off, one day that is what is going to pay your bills.

12 - You will never, ever feel a grown up. That's a good thing, having fun and being able to laugh at yourself is important.

13 - You will one day stop biting your nails, until then stick with the fake nails and get on with life.

14 - Never ever settle for something that doesn't excite you, sometimes walking away is exactly what you need to do.

15 - You are currently debating having blonde highlights, DO NOT do it, just because it looks good on other people it will look awful on you and you'll spend weeks looking like a bird has pooped on your head.

16 - Those red trousers with things dangling off them that you love so much are hideous - do yourself a favour and just throw them away.

17 - Learn to look in the mirror and like what you see, otherwise you'll end up being a 26 year old who constantly finds imperfections that aren't there.

18 - Wear lipstick, nothing will ever make you feel as glamourous as a good lipstick.

19 - Listen to your mom - cleaning your face every night now might seem like a chore but it's one of the best bits of advice you'll be given.

20 - Don't sweat the small stuff, but the time you are 26 you'll have forgotten all about it. The next 10 years are full of mostly happy memories which you'll treasure forever.

This was lots of fun to do, what would you tell your 16 year old self if you could go back in time?

Friday Letters #008

After a difficult last week this week has, thankfully, been much better. Getting away from Canterbury and life in general has helped enormously and I now feel I am in a much better place than previously.

Dear F and R - Thank you for all your help last weekend, you were both amazing and both Stuart and I consider ourselves lucky to have you guys as friends. xx
Dear Norfolk - You are beautiful, I love the amazing sunsets you've given me this week!
Dear Tetley - WOW, being away from you for a week is hard, prepare for cuddles and lots of fuss on Monday! xx
Dear Weekend - You are jam packed this week - sleep over with friends, fireworks, visiting in-laws and then the drive back to Norfolk, please don't pass by too quickly.
Dear Endo - you tried to ruin the week but you were unsuccessful, please go away and don't come back again for a real long time.
Dear S and C - Thank you for Wednesday evening, we had a great time! xx
Dear Stuart - Thank you for being patient and for understanding how tough the last couple of weeks have been, you really are one in a million xxx

Enjoy your weekend xx

A walk....

On Monday I took a short walk around Fincham to get accustomed to my surroundings and to blow away some of the cobwebs that had set in after last week. We are currently staying at the Timbers hotel which is beautiful, rather than rooms there are individual log cabin rooms, all equipped with a bedroom, bathroom and the best part - a lounge area! I could quite happily stay here all the time, the workers are all beyond lovely, and nothing is too much hard work for them. The only negative side is the lack of phone signal, this would normally drive me crazy but it was actually been nice to cut off most of my contact with the outside world - we have free Wifi so my social media addiction is still alive and well!!

These are some of the photographs I have taken this week, I only have my iPhone with me so they aren't of the greatest quality but you'll get a good idea of just how stunning the surrounding area is.

I loved this horse, especially in his warm jacket.

Horse - Love!

Blackberries.

The sky at lunchtime - this was as bright as it got all day.

The leaves are changing.

Red berries.

I loved how red this bush was!

The view from the hotel room.

The individual log cabinesque rooms.