ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY (AHEM SATURDAY) - 8TH OF THE YEAR

 Good morning and apologies for my tardiness, yesterday was an exceptionally busy day and I simply didn't get chance to sort my post, but nevertheless let's see what the last seven days brought in the way of positive moments and silver linings. 

Well after a busy half term week including a jaunt to the RSC we had a planned trip out last Friday night for my Mum's birthday at a Turkish restaurant. 

Said niece and her other half

Said 22 year old and fiancee

Lil bro and Mammy

Sister and Lil bro's fiancee

Whole group shot including my Mum's hubby, me and hubby. 

 We had a lovely evening and the food was nice, but the restaurant was soooooooo loud, we literally couldn't hear each other think, so I invited everyone to come over on Saturday for pancakes and a proper catch up.

So my niece, said 22 year old, his fianceee, my sister and my Mum as well as me and hubby and had several hours catching up and having a good old natter which was wonderful. 

Sunday we had a kick back day as I was due back to work on Monday, there was no rugby on but we enjoyed watching SAS Rogue Heroes which we had recorded pre-Christmas and I managed some scrapbook layouts. 

The working week was busy as always and I was on mass catch up after my week off, however, we did unusually for us manage not one or two but three evenings out. 

Tuesday night we were at the Cast theatre in Doncaster watching the Imitating Dog company and their re-telling of Macbeth, it was jaw-droppingly amazing, still using some of the original Shakespearean language, they incorporated music and digital imagery to bring the bard up to date, set in a Blade runner come Manga type setting with guns, blades, drugs etc.  It was a perfect showcase for the fact that Shakespeare's plays are still as relevant today as ever. 

Wednesday night and we saw the 'comedy' A perfect likeness, now I've put comedy in quotes because I genuinely didn't laugh at all throughout the play, it is a fictional piece of writing about a meeting between Charles Dickens and CS Lewis and to be honest I found it incredibly disappointing, not the actors they were great but I found the storyline difficult.  Charles Dickens was made out to be a philandering individual who had affairs with actresses despite having a wife he didn't love irrelevant of a large number of children and I know there is some truths in this.  CS Lewis was apparently besotted by an 11 year old Alice Liddell in an uncomfortable way and talked about taking nude photos of girls which I found most odd and perhaps marrying Alice at some point despite the fact she was still a child and a huge age difference, I found the whole discussion uncomfortable and unethical and definitely not humourous.  My Mum also came with us and totalling agreed that it was rather an odd play, rather than describing it as enjoyable.  

Thursday and we were at NT Live to see Othello, the first half was tedious, the stage set was poor, the costumes non-descript and the whole cast played out their characters in mean ill feeling ways, I know it is Othello and a tragedy but there is usually a degree of humour. 

Then the interval with an interval film with the Director and it all made sense, he took the tragedy element seriously, kept everything serious, played out the racial inequalities and misogynistic attitudes including domestic violence to be the back drop to this the saddest of tails, the second half was as you can imagine compelling, engaging and nothing like the first half because the context in which the play had been produced made so much more sense, the moral being the interval film should have been at the beginning, nevertheless another fix of Shakespeare is never something to grumble over. 

Wednesday said 22 year old and his fiancee finally got something that he has been waiting for for what felt like forever, a set of keys to their own place.  They've entered the property ladder and bought themselves a 2 bedroomed flat, although I think it is referred to as a maisonette, I always thought maisonette's were on two storey, however this is on one level having said that it does have an outdoor space and garden.  Nevertheless they finally got the keys and despite a lack of furniture they insisted on staying there on Wednesday night sleeping on a blow up mattress. 

Yesterday was moving day, so we had a rather busy one hence the lack of post, but I will fill you in on that next week. 

Have a great weekend and week ahead. 

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 7TH OF 2023

 Morning tis Friday time to clock the silver linings and positive moments over the last 7 days

So last Friday signalled our first day of annual leave, it didn't bode particularly well when we both woke to a cold, but we continued on regardless.  I still had areas of the house needing a deep clean, the dining room cupboards and the bathroom being the remaining two. 

I managed to do some of the cupboards in the dining room but as we didn't feel a hundred percent we broke the job into several days to make it easier. 

Saturday arrived and we continued on with the dining room, for a while now I've not been able to lay my hands on our wedding DVD, weirdly I woke at 4am and my brain told me that the DVD wasn't actually marked up.  I started to sort the cupboard with the random DVD's in and put a couple on to check their contents, you can already guess that I'm going to say the second one I tried turned out to be the one I wanted I was (quite rightly) overjoyed and I definitely shed a tear or two it has to be said.  I then continued to sort the cupboard and found several in video format that I really need to try and get transferred onto DVD if I'm honest, but it was a positive start to the week, despite the lurgy getting worse. 

By Sunday we headed to YSP to blow off the cobwebs but we were both decidedly unwell, so a shorter walk for us than normal.  We walked past the giant rabbit on the hillside next to the Camelia house 

wandered down to the boathouse

enjoyed the snowdrops on our way

then home dosed ourselves up and settled on the sofa for the rest of the day. 

Monday came and it was deep clean on the bathroom, we were both unwell and I think hubby would have bailed given half a chance but it is the last of the rooms we can do for the time being so we ploughed on, doing an OK job it could have been better but we really didn't have it in us, I think my body was just saying stop if I'm honest, so that's what we did. 

Tuesday arrived and Valentine's day, but more importantly both my Mum and my hubby's birthdays.  I genuinely wasn't well enough to see my Mum and I really didn't want to pass on what we had.  My sister called up and we kept her at arms length and she came bearing gifts which was lovely. 

These are my beautiful flowers from hubby which are still going strong.  We tried to enjoy our meal deal that we'd got but to be honest I was struggling to taste anything.  In the evening hubby found tickets to see the Tempest at the RSC in Stratford, he has been searching for weeks and I had a feeling it would have to be last minute ones if he was to find them at all.  Before I knew it, he'd booked the tickets and a hotel room overnight, despite us still not being 100% 

Wednesday and we were set off to Stratford late morning, my Mum had contacted to let us know that her latest scan had shown that the current treatment regime was not controlling the tumours in her abdomen, therefore they have offered her a new treatment which will be more invasive and chemo based which may result in a loss of hair.  My Mum had chemo many years ago and always swore she wouldn't have it again as it made her very poorly, but she wants more time with us all and so has accepted the treatment, I'm praying it has improved somewhat since the last time, but I have friends who've gone through it and it sounds just as tough, so keep in her your thoughts. 

We continued on our day and got down to Stratford around the time we were due to check in so straight to the hotel.  Grabbed a cuppa in our room and then browsed places to eat before we went to the theatre.  We chose Zizzi's restaurant which was close to the theatre. 

I had crab filled cannelloni which was delicious albeit very filling

and hubby had a spicy calzone. 

Then across the way to the theatre

The set as always was amazing and got more elaborate as the play unfolded, with the two pieces either side lowering during the play and the white curtain at the back revealing a forest behind in the latter stages. 

The play itself is always what I feel hard work, but it is one that hubby loves, I perhaps find it hard work as I haven't seen it often.  We picked up a programme and I bought a book on the history of the play, its interpretations which I've started. 

We travelled home on Thursday afternoon, had a simple tea and settled in to some binge watching on the TV as we were still not 100% and very tired.  Hubby put on the remainder of Trigger Point which he'd recorded early last year.  Then we binge watched the entire series of SAS Rogue Heroes which was also very good. 

I hope you've had a grand week, have a good weekend and week ahead. 

Hugs

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 6TH OF 2023

 Good Evening lovely people I'm late it is Friday so time to reflect on the silver linings and positive moments from the last 7 days. 

So last Friday we were ploughing on with the deep clean, this time meant working through the under the stairs area, which like most people's is always hard work, but it was really worth it because we can now actually walk into the space and we know everything that is in there. 

Saturday we headed to York for their annual ice trail, blogger has provided the photos in reverse (just to frustrate) but we will go with the flow. 

We went by car and used park and ride arriving in York around 10am. 

The first sculpture was down by the waterside

the temperature was 11 degrees and to be honest it was obvious that the sculptures would be suffering as a result. 

I've always loved the building across the water

We wandered the city, finding all 37 sculptures, I've put a selection here

Some of the sculptures were difficult to make out the detail

but some of them were OK

I always love this shot in the middle of York

The Delorean car sculpture was fabulous

The flaming dragon

I spotted the little characters on top of this stump near a children's nursery. 

The sculptures next to the Minster had a new sculpture in

The Flying Scotsman Sculpture in front of the minster

We had such a lovely day, it was really busy and very tiring, we managed 18,000 steps each and came home exhausted. 

We enjoyed the first of the Six Nations rugby when we got home.

Sunday was quiet, we were shattered and I was back in work on Monday. 

Monday I was training on motivating and retaining volunteers, it was an excellent training course and I learnt things we could use which is always good. 

The rest of the week has been manic, too much work (41.5 hours in 4 days) but that is so I can have a week off and my first day was today, but more about that next week. 

I hope you've had a great week.

Hugs  

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 5TH OF 2023

Good morning everyone, it's Friday time for

 Well it's been a quiet week this week, last Thursday evening we were at the theatre we went with my Mum had pre-theatre dining at the local college before the play.  The food was as always lovely and it was great to have a full catch up with my Mum. 

The play was called Billy Liar, my Mum remembered the original film but it isn't one I'd ever seen so we really enjoyed the play.

Last Friday me and hubby were both off and we spent some time sorting the utility room out, then we popped out to Hobbycraft to buy some pens I needed and when we came back, hubby sorted out this statement board for work, using our OHP. 

On Saturday we were over at my Mum's, hubby defrosted her freezer and I spent some time in her craft room having a fettle and sorting things out, I also brought home a stack of ironing for her which I got done on Saturday afternoon as hubby penned in the statement board. 

We sat having a quiet evening on Saturday and unusually for us didn't head to YSP on Sunday as hubby's oil warning light came on, so we need to get that checked out. 

Hubby bought me some beautiful flowers on Sunday which have certainly brightened the room up. 

Said 22 year old and his fiancee arrived back on Sunday for their next two week stint at ours, it was lovely to catch up. 

We enjoyed a leisurely Sunday afternoon with a slow cooked tea, which was lovely and before we knew it Monday had arrived. 

The week has fair flown by and I can't honestly believe we are in February already, I hope you've had a grand week and have lots of positive moments and silver linings to celebrate this week. 

Hugs