New remedies,new friends and new horizons....

It has been a while since I blogged...

Haven't been on Facebook much either - well,  I haven't posted on there, although I have been keeping up with folk ;-)

Just been feeling....quiet... you know - not had much to say...

I have spent many months having severely debilitating hot flushes day and night and the lack of sleep meant I was surviving on a very low battery.Rezwana, who I see regularly for healing/reflexology/massage suggested flax seed oil as an antidote to the flushes but I kept forgetting to buy it.Last time I saw her she had a bottle ready for me :-) I started taking a teaspoon a day and a couple of days later I received a remedy from my Homeopath.Within a week the flushes had diminished and have gradually receded to a much more bearable level.The combination of massage, oil and homeopathic remedy, seems to have been the key...

I have been sleeping much better, but feel worse - how does that work!!

Anyhow, things have been quiet here, lots of lazy mornings and time spent reading my book whilst lounging in a hot bath.I am not allowing myself to feel guilty,  accepting this is how things are just now...

Luckily Milly and I are in tune and she has been happy to join me in this chill out time and has taken to lying in bed listening to her story tapes.We have busy times, then down-times... The beauty of the life we lead is that we can go with the flow :-) Our one wish is that we can find some way for Alan to join us....

We have had some lovely outings as well.

We met up with online friends for the first time  :-)

 We have had two trips to meet half way at Walby farm park and they have also made the long journey to visit us here.

 Although there are a couple of hours between us, we are willing to find ways to make it work.Milly and the girls spend each night on the phone chatting and playing Club penguin - using the penguins for games of hide and seek online:-)

 We have lots in common and the children get on well, looking forward to getting to know each other more and strengthening the relationship:-)

I have also spent a lot of time planning our trip to London. I think I have put an itinerary together that is tailored for Emily, is adaptable and not too jam packed.We are keen to get a flavour of London and not have to spend an arm and a leg. Time will tell... I will let you know soon enough - we leave on Friday and come back on Monday:-)

Tomato sauce packed with veg...

I made a large pan of tomato sauce this afternoon.

I first heard of it a couple of years ago when I was at a friend's house when she made some up.

It is so simple and if you have children who don't like to eat veg it might be a good way to make it palatable to them.The first time I made it I added it to spag bol and Milly didn't notice the difference. I continued to add it to chilli and spag bol and on the rare occasions Milly would have Pizza I used it to top the pizza.I make meatballs and use the sauce for them with tagliatelle. Milly knows the sauce contains veg but it can't be seen and doesn't change the taste of her favourite dishes so she is happy to eat it.

Today I used two carrots (organic washed but not peeled) 2 green peppers,1 onion, 2 small parsnips, 1/2 a small swede, 6 or 7 mushrooms, 1/2 savoy cabbage 2 tins of plum tomatoes, then 2 tins of water,a heaped teaspoon of garlic paste or 2 big cloves, a good squeeze of tomato paste and a dollop of tomato sauce.

Stir it all - bring to the boil and then simmer gently with the lid on for a couple of hours.

Blitz and you have a rich, deeply flavoured Tomato sauce. I store it in portions in the freezer - lasts for many meals during the next few months....

 

I make a spag bol or chilli as I would usually do and add this as an extra to the normal sauce.I think it adds a real depth to the final dish. As well as the benefit of all those veggies, it actually tastes great...

Eternal love...

I felt like a change of background and wanted some autumnal colours.I found this one called Eternal love - I like the colours and the sentiment:-)

Wednesday....

We were due to go to Home ed group meet today. I woke to my phone alarm going off and promptly fell asleep again - I woke again and dragged myself out of bed to wake Milly.

She had been very active yesterday - I had my monthly meditation meet in the morning and she played with my friends two boys.My friend who was hosting this month has the most idyllic property.Stunning views over the lake district - land with a tree house,swings and land to wander on.Plus the added attraction of animals:-)They had a great time for a couple of hours and we had a great meditation!!

We got home at lunchtime and my Mum and Dad came to visit.I went food shopping.Milly then walked Beauty with Alan before the two of them went to the park in Cockermouth to climb and play a new dare game they had started last week.Lot's of opportunity for running jumping and climbing - unfortunately on this occasion an opportunity to bang her head on the climbing frame... Lot's of tears and home for a snuggle with me before tea and then a bath and bed.

I woke her gently and asked if she wanted to go - she didn't and turned over to go back to sleep - I got back into bed and did the same:-)

A slow chilled day followed .Milly watched TV and then putered for a while before heading up to listen to a story tape - I had very recently bought Skellig and suggested that might be good to listen to - she wasn't at all keen . She took a library one up she had listened to before. She came down after a while -couldn't really get into the story again.I suggested the Skellig audio book again and she reluctantly took it upstairs . She came down for lunch and asked if we could watch the DVD (alongside the audio tape I had also bought the DVD and a book called My name is Mina) and she asked if we could also start the felt Bat we had talked about making last week.

As she waited for me to finish off the last bit of paperwork before going to start the bat, she picked up My Name is Mina off my desk and sat on the chair near me and began to read it.Some of you will be aware of our journey and the fact Milly doesn't read much- she adores stories ,we read to her and she listens to lots of audio books - if asked she would say she can't read very well and it gives her a headache.We don't do lessons here and she never *has* to read or do spelling tests.She reads websites,magazines,researches things when she needs to - never pages and pages but little and often... 

She very quickly got into the story and identified with the main character (One of the reasons I got the book when I read a review on a blog was the fact I could see Emily in the description of the girl ) - she read snippets to me ( word perfectly ) and read a chapter in very little time. We talked about the character and I was enthusiastic and interested .I was sooooo happy to see her reading and was tempted to say something and praise her...but resisted - I didn't want to make it into a big thing and put any pressure on her at all . If she continued to read it, fabulous, if she didn't I would continue to read it to her as I would normally do...

The book has been carried around with her all day and has been dipped in to at times. It may be *the* book that she reads in full and realises that she *can* actually do it.If not - no problem things will carry on as before.

We spent time together cutting out the pattern and felt for the Bat and then watched the DVD of Skellig (very enjoyable film and since watching it she been listening to the audio book  ) whilst I sewed it together.Apparently we need another adult bat and a family of babies so I am going to be very busy.

Surprise!!!! The big Fifty is pretty nifty...

We arrived back from Center parcs on  Friday evening and on the Saturday I had my birthday present to enjoy:-) A Spa day, with two hours of treatments, a two course lunch and the use of the facilities - these included a wonderful serene pool area with jacuzzi and sauna.My idea of heaven...

Alan and Emily dropped me off there for 10,they said they were going to do some shopping and just chill out at home til they needed to pick me up...

 I checked in at reception and was told the time of lunch - 12.30 - and my facial and massage were for 1.30. I got myself changed, took my book and magazines and settled onto a lounger.

I have a little routine that I like to do, I read for a while then I swim a few lengths, jacuzzi, swim a few more lengths, sauna,swim again and then back to lounging and reading,repeat as and when desired:-)

They provide big thick gowns and slippers. So bundled up, I headed to the Bistro at my allotted time.Lunch was fabulous! To start I had Gravlax with a herb dressing and warm mustard potato salad. Light, fresh and totally delicious.I then had a pasta dish - I am struggling to remember the description but it had prawns and Parmesan and chili.It was the best pasta I have ever eaten! It was light, yet full of flavour and I ate every last morsel.

I know some people don't like to eat on their own but I love time to myself and don't feel in any way alone.

Being on my own means I can get the full benefit from the relaxing experience.It is a little like a retreat but with a little luxury -)

Back down to the pool area to read the treatments started.

I decided to have a massage that involves choosing an oil by smell, from four different bottles without knowing anything about the benefits of the ingredients until after you have made a choice This time the scent that called to me was full of sea minerals and was a rejuvenating mix said to help with the symptoms of PMT and menopause - Bingo - just what I needed and funny that I was drawn to the sea in eating and
treatments:-))

I think they should offer you a room to have the treatments in that you don't have to leave because after the two hours I felt soooo relaxed and just wanted to drift off:-) I had a very nice herbal tea in the salon before heading back to the pool to start the arduous task of relaxing some more:-)

I was sad to leave but was ready and waiting to be picked up by 5.

I was reading in the reception when Milly and Alan walked in.Milly handed me a little gift box all done up in a ribbon and it had a watch in that I had admired in a shop the previous week:-)

The next day we were up early.The plan was that they were going to take me for a surprise meal at about 2 and before that at about 1 they were going to help a friend set up for a show she was doing in the village hall.

Alan surprised me that morning by telling me he had taken the day off on Monday so we could all spend the day together.
He suggested we get the housework out of the way that day so we could relax the next day.We spent the morning cleaning and doing the jobs that needed doing.I have since found out the real reason ....

At ten to one Amy came round to get Emily and they tootled off with Alan to help D set up in the hall and I was under strict instructions to get in a long hot bath and change into my glad rags.

At the appointed time of 1.50pm  the two of them came back and blindfolded me before leading me to the car.The journey was short - we were only driving for about ten minutes - but I felt quite sick and dizzy by the time the car stopped.

They guided me out of the car and into a building.Then things happened really quickly I heard a door open and at the same time someone ( I now know it was Alan) whipped off the blindfold and a cry of
 "Surprise!!"
 rang out as I tried to take in the scene before me! I was so shocked, I first saw my Mum who looked as if she was about to cry and I then slowly took in that all my family and many friends had gathered in the village hall to celebrate my Birthday.I think there were around 40 or 50 in total!!
Family from Ripon had come all the way for the day.It was so good to see so many people in one place that meant so much to me.
I was shaking so much and had to sit down .People started bringing my gifts over and I just sat in a bit of a daze opening them!
There was a table of food and many lovely cakes.The time passed so quickly - after I had got my breath back and stopped shaking - I managed to circulate.
Alan made a speech to thank people and Milly brought in the cake for me to blow out the candles - which - according to her - I did too early :-)

 After a couple of hours it was time to clear the hall and we said goodbye to all my guests and came back home.Family members joined us - in our nice clean house:-)) the real reason he thought we should do the housework...
I have since found out all the details of how it came to be.Milly had been for tea at Amy's house a couple of months before my birthday and a discussion was had about a surprise meal.When she got home and asked Al if they could have a little party!

They decided to do a tea and cake tea party and book the village hall for a couple of hours.Then it kind of morphed as more people were able to come and a buffet was put on - a joint effort from Family and friends I think...

Alan had to grab time whilst I was in the bath or out of the house to phone people and he and Emily would do the planning whilst walking Beauty.Alan was far out of his comfort zone - he has many talents but party planning was not one he had attempted before.He said his stress levels were high with the responsibility he felt and the prospect of people not turning up on the day!They had planned the timing of my Spa day so I would be out of the way the day before to give them chance to do last minute shopping and setting up the hall :-)When they picked me up from the Spa Milly told me she had helped Alan washing up - yes a memorable enough occurance that she would be proud of herself for doing it:-)) - I now know she washed all the teacups and saucers from the hall in readiness for the party.
Helping D to set up her show was such a plausible reason for them to be over at the hall before the party and I didn't think anything of it...
Emily was fully involved in all the decisions and I am amazed at how she kept the secret.She said it was because she wanted it to be the most special day for me:-)

I am a lucky lady, I feel blessed in so many ways and couldn't wish for more.
A big thank you to all those who came along and made it such a special day.

Fifty is going to be my best year yet :-))