ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 22ND OF 2025

 Morning I'm a day late but still time to clock the positives and grateful moments as it is time for 

So last Friday I thought I had training at work, unbeknownst to me not only had the time changed (which I'd clocked) but so had the date (which I hadn't), but rather than be frustrated with the alarm call et al, I decided to embrace the day and me and hubby had a great day, I did some scrapbooking, he watched a film, we got a few jobs sorted around the house overall a positive day. 

Then on Saturday we went to Nostell for a 'Conscious Self' retreat that we'd booked as a wedding anniversary gift to one another.  We weren't sure what to expect, but went with yoga mats, hiking chairs, waterproofs (as we knew it was outside) and blankets. 

The first hour was an hour of yoga, we have never done yoga so this was definitely an eye opener in how physically fit you need to be to do yoga.  However, we managed (just about). 

We then did some breath work which was interesting and some meditation which we enjoyed but the noisy rustle of the trees was somewhat distracting, before finishing off being immersed in a sound bath.  Now this bit was awesome and we both really enjoyed it.  Afterwards we enjoyed some soup and bread and got chatting to other participants in the class as well as the tutors, it was definitely an interesting 'first' experience for the two of us. 

Then on Sunday we headed over to my niece's home and caught up with family which was grand, we chatted and drank tea and met her new puppy called Hudson, who is very cute. 

Monday and a bank holiday, so we enjoyed reading and chilling on the deck outside as the weather was OK.

Tuesday and Wednesday I was flat out at work, I have a lot of work to do at the moment, including a big meeting. 

Thursday I did some work from home before we discovered the scheduled gas man visit to service the boiler hadn't been booked in properly (rolls eyes), thankfully we checked so we didn't waste the day waiting around and re-scheduled it.  

Thursday evening we headed to the Lyceum at Sheffield to watch '& Juliet' which is a brilliant play, a spin on Romeo and Juliet with both William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway being parts in the play, where the story of Romeo and Juliet doesn't end with a death.  It was full of some great music and the stage set and production was superb. 

We grabbed a selfie at the end which was fun.

I hope you've had a great week too. 

Hugs

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 21ST OF 2025

Morning all tis Friday time for

So last Saturday we had our second book club, we had read the second in the Dream Harbour series (which I've read before), my niece had completed it as had I, my sister hadn't managed the second read through and my daughter-in-law had been exceptionally busy at work and hadn't finished but was a good way in.  Most of us seemed to enjoy it, although my d-i-law prefers a good old fashioned romance rather than this spicier type book. 

This month they've decided on The Handmaid, a psychological thriller so far removed from my normal genre that I may struggle but we will see. 

I did however enjoy the art journal session that we had, which for me just ended up a painting session if I'm honest. 

This was my painting linked with the book club but as everyone was running late I'd almost completed it by the time they got to mine. 

So then I diverted my attention to a couple of different paintings inspired by things I'd seen online. 

I fought with this one, it was on a pre-prepared page and initially I commenced it with watercolours (on top of acrylic paints, not the wisest of moves), before I hit the acrylics and got it more solid in colour. 

I finished it with some acrylic paint pens which are proving fun to play with. 

I'd also done paintings on holiday which I've not shared, one painting for each full day we were there.  All of them watercolour in a book from Typo that laid flat, which was good when I was sat on a sunbed balancing paints. 

The only downside, a slight bleed through from one of the other paintings on this one of the snack bar light fittings. 

The windmills in Rhodes Old Town

The harbour entrance (don't look too closely at the statues, one definitely is more dog than doe). 

I fought with this as the photo had a lot of shade which I couldn't see when it was sunny day on the sunbeds, thankfully I had a little time one evening to give a little detail at the bottom.

The pirate ship that turned up one sunset

The architectural detail of a building in the old town, I had mislaid my pencil so had to sketch in permanent pen, but I think it adds to the picture and actually turned out to be my favourite. 

We had eye tests on Sunday, no change for mine but hubby needs new as he has been struggling with his reading prescription. 

Busy work week but that is to be expected, however, we've dropped lucky a few times this week.  

I've also moved offices, twice (long story) but there was a positive from the desk move. I found my missing leather glove.  These were a pair of gloves my Mum bought me so they hold sentimental value for me and I lost one of them during the winter, I searched everywhere at home, through every bag, coat pocket, both cars to no avail.  But my sister told me to keep hold as she said if it was destined to come back it would, so I did.  I even spotted the lonely one in the drawer the other week and considered binning it but remembered what my sister said and to be honest, I did think I would eventually find it, even though I kept wondering if I'd dropped it whilst it had been on my lap and I'd got out the car and not heard it fall to the ground.  Overjoyed when I found it had got trapped at the back of the drawer I keep my bag in at work! 

Tuesday night tickets became available to see Our House at the local theatre, it was a young person's stage production and was really good. 

Then last night I found some 'cheaper' tickets to see Earnest, which is based on Oscar Wilde's 'The Importance of Being Earnest' play, not that we've ever seen in but we know this production was a bit of a farce (without realising that the original is too).  This one included audience participation with one person taking over the role of the key character, so we were relieved when a gentleman named Prav was pulled from the audience.  However, what we didn't know was that by the end of the third act every 'actor' in the play would be played by a member of the audience, including a man with a beard ended up dressed in a beautiful purple dress.  It made us laugh which is always good for the soul. 

Prav next to his portrait at the end of the play. 

and finally whilst I know most of the people that read this have already seen this on my Facebook profile, this is a photo of our son and my daughter-in-law with the scan pictures as they have gone public on the news that they are going to be parents in November.  Overjoyed for both of them, I'm still deciding on what I will be called, but definitely leaning towards Nannan at the moment, in hour of my Mum who was the best Nannan. 

I've not had chance to proof read this, so apologies for types etc.  

Have a grand week. 

Hugs

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 20TH OF 2025

 Morning all it's Friday time to clock the positive moments and silver linings as it is 

So this is a bit of a catch up post, as last week we were away in Rhodes for a 9 day holiday which was lovely.  We returned to the hotel we went to last September as it was lovely and as we know the island quite well there was no need to go racing around trying to see everything before we came home. 

We flew out on the Friday (2nd May) and arrived late evening and checked in without a hassle, the flight over was good.  The weather had looked potentially changeable but other than one cloudy morning the rest of the week was glorious, not too hot around the early to mid-twenties, perfect for me and hubby and with the glorious breeze off the Aegean sea an absolute winner if I'm honest. 

This was the view out of the plane window

This was the second evening but whilst there was evening cloud the day was glorious

A selfie whilst we had a drink before evening meal 

and the sunset the following night was spectacular 

I enjoyed a simple breakfast each morning, 5 small pancakes, fresh oranges that we saw growing on the trees around the island and occasionally the filo custard pastry which was naughty. 

The view from the sunbeds was always beautiful 

We went into Rhodes old town twice.

The first time we spent time walking around the harbour admiring the boats.  

This shows the entrance to the harbour where the Colossus of Rhodes allegedly once stood 

to the windmills which we've never walked to before

They really were stunning

Huge cruise liners visiting the town

The medieval walled town

Inside the gorgeous church in the harbour

Blogger is misbehaving and doing things out of order, hubby enjoyed stone stacking again

The evenings were lovely and as you can see I picked up some colour from the sun

The pirate ship enjoying the sunset

Which I'll be honest I couldn't blame them for (this was our hotel room view)

Beautiful Greek shots as we wandered the old town on the second occasion

The flowers on this plant were huge

I loved the colourful steps

Another selfie

The desserts always get me (sweet tooth) but honestly most of the time I was trying to work out what they were.

I enjoyed mocktails, hubby had asked the the lady behind the bar if she could make them more interesting for me, which was lovely of her. Mine is the sunset cooler on the left, hubby was enjoying an alcoholic mojito. 

We enjoyed reading (the kindles were an amazing addition to the holiday).  We loved chatting and generally just relaxing and I came back feeling so much better in myself (despite the weight gain, but as hubby pointed out I'd put it on quick and it seems to be disappearing as fast which is great). 

Thankfully my colleague at work had suggested I take an extra day of leave on Monday and I'm so glad I did as I was utterly shattered if I'm honest.  It also gave me chance to get top side of the washing, thankfully the weather was lovely when we got home and I was able to get it all done and dry on Monday with one final load on Tuesday which hubby sorted. 

I worked Tuesday and Wednesday which were a little heavy going after the relaxing week away, but I had a lot of work to catch up on. 

We had a thorough clean through on Wednesday night so we could enjoy our time off together.  

Then today I've enjoyed the day catching up with my sister we met in Ikea for a cuppa and then had a wander around, hubby was up to no good - apparently this is a Shakespeare quote

or

'To be or not to be' LOL

My sister was trying out all the baskets that she thought were 'witchy' and had us in hysterics and then we enjoyed a meal which was naughty, but has meant that we didn't need to come home and cook so a win win in my book. 

I hope you've had a lovely week and that you too have had some silver linings and positive moments to enjoy. 

Hugs