Finishing up the 30 days about me (27-30)

These have been hanging around for far too long so here goes - 27 to 30:

A favourite restaurant

I don't have a particular favourite, but like to eat out. My favourite kind of restaurant would be one that is not part of a chain, and one where they cook all their own food. By saying that, you can see what I am saying, all too many places these days seem to buy their food in already prepared. I can use a microwave at home, I don't need to pay over the odds for this kind of food. 

My favourite type of food would be maybe Thai or Chinese (Sir and I had a lovely Thai meal when we were away for the weekend recently), or maybe a good quality Italian meal. I rarely eat pizza, but when away on holiday I like to treat myself. There is a lovely pizza restaurant where I holiday in France, and since I am going there on Saturday, I will be partaking of that treat soon.

There is a restaurant close to Sir's house that he keeps threatening us to try. Every time we try to go there though it is closed or full! Sometime soon I hope to be able to review that place!

A skill I’d like to learn

I would love to be able to speak French more fluently. I learnt French at school, and have visited often, but the kind of French you need at school and the kind you need to have a useful conversation on holiday are two things. I have more time now, so really I have no excuse. I have no real problem in saying things, but then get into a mini panic when the person I have spoken to, replies and I struggle to understand exactly what they have said. The ability to hold a conversation in French, that's the skill I would like to have!

Something I could never tire of

Spending time with Sir. That is something I don't get nearly enough of and can't really tire of. Especially the times when he has me in the position he wants me and is using me in whatever way he wants. I have particularly found that I like to suck him, something of a revelation since it wasn't my favourite thing in the past. Now, I love the smell, taste and feel of Him inside my mouth. Particularly as his lovely cock starts to grow even bigger as I suck. It is an amazing feeling and something I am definitely not going to get tired of.

Three wonderful things that have happened in my life

The first has to be the birth of my son and the time since. He is about to graduate from University, and I am immensely proud of all he has achieved. Yesterday, I was looking at a photo of him aged about 5 looking so young and innocent, sitting cross legged in shorts and tee shirt and sun hat. Then I think of him now, revising for his final exam for his degree and wonder where the time has gone. What has returned now he has grown up is the affection for me that he hid during his teenage years. He gives a great hug these days and that is special.

Secondly the opportunity to be a nurse. My career as a nurse has shaped my life and made me the adult I am. Even though I haven't looked after any actual patients for about 10 years, all my work since then has been influenced by the knowledge and skills I learnt as a nurse.  It is something I am proud of.

Thirdly, has been meeting Sir and the other people I have met in learning about and discovering this more kinky lifestyle. I didn't know what was missing from my life. But now I have kink and I have such wonderful friends (plus a wonderful Master) I feel really happy and fulfilled. That is what gets me through the more difficult times here at home. Long may it continue!

30 days about me - 24, 25 and 26

Not long to go now before I manage to reach 30. A mixture today.

24.   Something that makes me smile

There is something about the innocence of childhood that is just so joyous and there is nothing like memories of your own children, the things they say and do that remind you of that. Something that makes me smile is looking at photos of my now grown up son and remembering happy moments, thinking of the wonderful things he has said and done. Recently, when preparing to leave my job, I found a whole set of holiday photos from 2003 on my personal drive at work. I don't remember how they got there, and I had assumed they were lost (when did we stop printing?) The photos were of a holiday to France which included hubby, myself and son as well as my parents, niece and nephew. Son and nephew were 12 and niece 10, they all still have that look of being children. My parents look fit and well (something neither are now unfortunately). It was lovely to remember day after day of sunny weather, trips to the beach where the boys loved to dig holes in the sand and bury each other and my niece. There were days where we swam in lakes or visited castles. There were evenings in various restaurants. Lovely memories and photos that brought a smile to my face.

25.   The contents of my purse

In the UK a purse means the thing you keep your money and cards in, but I take purse in this context to mean my bag. Generally I favour something reasonably small so that it is not heavy and I am not tempted to fill it too much. I have different bags depending on what I am wearing or the time of year. By changing often I try not to carry too much around. Generally though I will have my purse (the one for money), keys, phone, hair brush, lipstick, lip balm and tissues. If I am travelling somewhere then I will usually have my kindle with me. There are usually a number of receipts from various purchases, but otherwise not too  much. 

26.   Something I’m looking forward to

The thing I look forward to most right now is the time I can get to spend with my Sir. Obviously I look forward to other things too, but most of all seeing Him. I don't have to wait long either as I am seeing him tomorrow and I am staying for a couple of nights. That is lots to look forward to!

More about me - 21 to 23

It's Sunday and I am currently thinking about getting on with some things. I say thinking, so what better way to pass some time without actually getting on than by catching up with more things about me. So here goes.

21.   A self portrait

What to say about me to paint something of a picture? Well quite tall - 5'8", brown hair which was once more auburn but now that it is out of a bottle is the colour I choose. Blue eyes which are good at picking up the colour of certain blue / turquoise clothes I might wear. I am fair skinned with freckles, which I hated as a child but am used to now. I am a little over weight, I try hard to keep the weight down, but this year I am struggling. I suspect I am about to go through the menopause and that in itself makes weight control difficult. I have long legs and that I think helps me seem less fat than perhaps I am. Sir says he loves my legs in stockings and heels, and I think they do look good! 

22.   What I love about my job

Of course I am currently not working, but my profession is nursing. I became a nurse because I wanted to care for people, and make a difference to their lives. As I moved through my career as a jobbing, bedside nurse, I found that the difference I could make to their individual likes was fine in itself, but that I wanted to do more. To make a bigger difference. I moved then through a succession of management jobs - nurse education, commissioning and lately in a job about improving the experience of patients with cancer. I love to work with people, to be part of a team and to care. On International Nurses Day it is important to keep that grounding!

I hope to be back in a job I love soon.

23.   Eight things you don’t know about me

I have done some memes before where I say stuff about myself, so if I repeat anything then its because I forgot what I have already said. 

• I have an orange car - Very useful when you have forgotten where you parked
• I am best suited to a temperate climate since I don't like to be too cold or too hot
• I like the idea of exercise, but often find it dull. I am a clock watching exerciser!
• I would usually choose savoury over sweet, but just sometimes there is nothing like chocolate - preferably good quality milk chocolate
• Every time I buy a pair of shoes I have to have a blister of sore area before they can become comfortable. It is very very irritating.
• I love to read and recently joined a book club. One of the best things about not working at the moment is that I have time to read. I am currently reading 2 books - Romola by George Eliot (as mentioned on my post about Florence) and The Painted Kiss by Elizabeth Hickey which is for the next book club meeting at the end of the month
• I enjoy those American crime type series like CSI and NCIS. I also like to read mystery type books. 
• I love History and finding out about places. I like to imagine how things used to be when I visit a place. I loved to think about people from 100, 200 or whatever years ago walking where I walk. 

Some more of 30 days of me

Just like with the 30 days of submission, it is taking a while to get through these, so I am going to post about 3 of them today and weave in some of my thoughts following yesterday's post. 

What I wore today

Since it is shortly before 10am, as I write this, I am still wearing what I wore today (as it were). That is jeans and a white shirt. Since giving up work, I have worn jeans / trousers pretty much every day. Except that is one day last week when it was sunny and warm (today is sunny but not very warm) and I chanced a summer skirt and tee shirt. Getting back into work wear once I restart work will be kind of strange I think. During the winter Sir has been very tolerant of my wearing trousers, I am sure though that as the weather improves I will be wearing more of the kind of clothes he likes, and loving it!

Most memorable of 2013 so far

I think that even if I answered this on 31st December, my most memorable kinky day will be this one. The other memorable day hasn't happened yet - my son graduates this summer and I think that will be something very special.

Something that means a lot to me

Contrary to what people might think, my marriage means a lot to me. To have been married for nearly 29 years (in June) is an amazing thing. I remember when we reached our 5th anniversary, I threw a party - that is the achievement getting to that milestone seemed. Already we had been through problems of his infidelity, little did I know that he continued to see the person after that date. But as he says, that is all a long time ago.

Hubby is questioning whether I am currently throwing away the best part of our lives by questioning whether I want to stay married to him. I don't believe that at all, but I certainly don't consider going down this path lightly. 

As a friend said to me this morning in an email, marriage is a partnership and sometimes things for one person change more than the other. For us I think that is  the case. Hubby is confused, since in his eyes he is trying hard to change, but for me it feels too little too late. Plus, there is the added problem that I have discovered so much about myself that I can't quite see where he fits any more. 

However, every time I get close to admitting that we should perhaps call it a say, I pull back. This happened over the last 12 hours. I know that is, while I truly value my new relationship with Sir and the things we do together. My relationship with hubby and our marriage also means a lot. 

Thinking about the previous question - the most memorable event - I think it is true to say that  this year over all will be pretty memorable, whatever happens in the end.

Someone who inspires me

I have thought about this for a few days, and have struggled to think of a specific person who I am currently inspired by in all things. In the past there have been people at work, colleagues or managers whom I have been inspired to emulate (and others of course I would rather not). Those who are good leaders, who support, encourage and yes inspire their colleagues to achieve and to perform well.

Right now though, I am inspired by some other women. Women who have taken the step to review and re-evaluate their life and who have been brave enough to do something differently. It seems to me now I have embarked on the path that I have, that there are quite a few such women around. On Saturday I went on a hike into the English countryside, with a group I have just joined. It was open to all, and there was a variety of age groups. Most of the group were women, out of 34 people there were only about 7 or 8 men. Most didn't know each other, but during the course of a long day people began to get to know each other, to talk about their work, their travels, their home lives. A large number of the women were single, and a number of those happily so. During the day, it was reaffirmed to me that it is possible to live your life differently to the way I have always assumed to be my destiny and what is more, that you can do so with contentment. What you do need though is friends, people who can offer each other support, who can share good times and bad, have fun and perhaps travel.

A photo taken on my walk

As I have said before, my circle of friends had become small and was getting smaller. My life was about myself, my husband and son and a few close family members. With the break up of my brothers' marriages and the ill health of parents, our social life became even less active and interesting than it was before. Hubby wasn't exactly bothered by this (or didn't appear to be). I didn't expect to need to strike out on my own, but that is what I have done. I am finding that perhaps it isn't quite as scary as I imagined to widen my circle and to meet new people. In fact it is enjoyable and I intend to do more of it.

Three Blogs I always read

It is coming up to a year since I started blogging here.

This is not my only blog, I have another which is mainly about work related stuff and where I have also discussed the state of nursing and of healthcare amongst other things. Through that other blog, I have found a few people with whom I have interacted online and who are currently facebook friends. I have blogged since 2006, not always regularly. Now I have more time, and now the fog of the last few months at work are beginning to lift, I have begun to post there again.

This blog though feels different. I have used it to feel my way through a whole new episode in my life. I have at times been overwhelmed by the wonderful support I have been given here. I have also found some wonderful blogs. Those blogs have made me smile (and even laugh), cry, wince (at the pain some people enjoy). I have found a group of people I can identify with, many of those people are women, but equally some are men. I have found I like to look at sexy and erotic photos, and have seen that these can be beautiful, funny, sad and a real turn on. I have enjoyed the stories of peoples lives and the wonderful fiction that flows from the key boards of others.

I have chosen the blogs on my blogroll because I can identify with the people who write them in some way. I always read all the updates when I have time to do so, and if I feel like commenting, then I do that too. I can't choose three blogs, because there are so many. The list increases as I discover new ones, and there remains plenty of room at the side of my blog to add them.

To all my fellow bloggers, thanks for being there and for writing such amazing stuff worthy of reading. I read you all.

A favourite piece of architecture

We are lucky here in the UK to have so many historical buildings, many of which are beautiful to look at. Of course we have our fair share of newer buildings, some like the building we call the Gherkin, are striking, and others are ugly. One of my favourite buildings and therefore architecture is this one.

St Paul's Cathedral. 

I love that you can see it from a distance, even taking account of the other taller buildings around and you immediately know what it is. You can't mistake it for any other building. I have been inside and indeed to the top (though years ago now) and the views across London are wonderful. At that time, there were few opportunities to see the skyline of London in that way. Now you can go up in the London Eye for example. 

This has been something of a quiet weekend. Hubby was away for all of it, reappearing this morning to get changed for work and collect his lunch. Yesterday as I was ironing his clothes, it occured to me how far apart we have drifted and what I am to him. I know that I will have to change that, but just need that extra bit of energy to do so.

Sir is away on a much needed holiday with his children, so there is no contact between us, and I am missing our chats. We have a weekend together to look forward to soon and it is that which is keeping me going through all of this. I really am looking forward to getting centred again with him. 

Meanwhile, I have a number of lunch dates. One of which is in London and you know I might just get a glimpse of St Paul's in the process. 

Something I am Proud of

Back to the 30 days. I have delayed continuing this series because I wasn't sure what to write. The person I have most pride in is my son. He has turned into a kind and thoughtful young man who has demonstrated that hard work in your studies really does pay off. It took him a long time to persuaded that he had the potential to achieve, but once that happened (when he was around 17), he never looked back. I will be the proudest mum ever when he graduates this summer.

I am also proud of the way he is handling things between his father and I. He has already told me that he loves us both and won't take sides. He has not pushed for details about the reasons for our difficulties and I have not burdened him with them. What he thinks deep down may be revealed in the fullness of time.

There are a number of changes taking place in my life as I approach the possibility of the end of my 28 year marriage. I have also recently lost my job, as I have already said. This offers me risks, but also opportunities. I have already identified that I don't have the friends around me that I would have wished for. So many have fallen by the wayside. But I am now trying to form new friendships and have already been reasonably successful. I have a couple of friends I have met through fetlife, with whom I meet regularly for lunch / coffee and a chat. I also exchange emails and chat, and I have started to form a friendship with a lady who is part of a couple Sir and I will soon play with. But my social world needs to extend further and I have joined an organisation through which I can meet people socially and have arranged to go on a walk next Saturday and a treasure hunt kind of thing at the end of the month.

This is near where I will be walking next weekend

My instinct during all of these troubles is to sit at home and complain that my husband has taken offence to the choices I started to make last year and is more often than not absent. But sitting at home and moaning will do nothing. That is what led me to the situation in which I find myself. So it is time to live my life, to do new things and that is something of which I hope to be proud.

3 Years ago today and The last item I purchased

I barely remember what I was doing last week, so asking me to think back 3 years is a massive challenge. In April 2010 I think I was getting on with life, I was busy doing a job that I didn't completely enjoy and living a life that was ok but nothing special. My son had gone off to University the previous autumn, so I was getting used to the empty nest. I was probably irritated with hubby since I know that I was constantly irritated by him. But as for remembering April 2nd 2010; no I can't do that.

Thursday was my last day at work. I was made redundant effective from 31st March (Sunday) and so today, as I write this I am unemployed. Well this is not technically true since I have chosen to take early retirement. Because I have worked for the National Health Service for over 30 years, and have paid my pension since age 18 and since I started off as a nurse, I am entitled to retire on a full pension. I know I am only 50 and doing such a thing seems strange, but actually it gives me lots of opportunities. I no longer need to work full time or indeed all of the time and for the first time in my life I have money to spend and money to invest.

On Friday I went to an electrical retailer near to my house and bought myself a MacBook Pro. I have always been a windows girl. We bought our first computer in the mid 1990s and that PC and subsequent purchases (various laptops) have often mirrored what I have used at work, even down to the office software. But since I have an iPhone, and since Christmas an iPad it feels like time to make the leap to Apple. I have spent the weekend playing with my new toy and while it is quite different from my previous laptop I am getting the hang of it thank you very much. I will go as far as to say, I think I am going to love it!

A favourite Recipe and other stuff

First of all, back to the 30 day thing. I envisaged I would rush through these, but since the 30 days of submission took me ages, I can't imagine why! Next on the list is a Favourite recipe. 

I love to cook, but prefer to cook for a person or people who appreciate the time and effort that goes in. Sometimes though you need to be able to prepare something tasty, and kind of special but you either have little time, or energy or maybe both. 

A couple of Christmas's ago I asked my son for the Jamie Oliver 30 minute recipe book and it has been a great addition to my library. I have to say that the recipes take longer than 30 minutes. Perhaps if you are Jamie and you have people to put all the ingredients into bowls etc you can do so. But as far as I am concerned a bit more time to cook a good meal is worth it. 

This recipe introduced my son to the joys of Thai food. Since then he has travelled and tried lots of cuisine. I have also cooked it for the wider family. It goes down well. 

The ingredients are:

• 2 stalks of lemongrass
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Optional: 4 kaffir lime leaves
• A bunch of fresh coriander
• 2 jarred red peppers in oil
• 1 heaped tsp tomato puree
• 1tbsp fish sauce
• 2tbsp soy sauce
• 1tsp sesame oil
• 2cm (¾in) piece of fresh ginger
• 8 large unpeeled raw tiger prawns
• 200g (7oz) sugar snap peas
• 220g (7½oz) small cooked prawns
• 1 x 400g tin of coconut milk
• 2 limes, to serve
• 1 bag of prawn crackers, to serve

Put a frying pan on a medium heat. Trim the ends and tough outer leaves of the lemongrass stalks, bash up the stalks with the side of a knife, then put into a food processor with 1 fresh red chilli (stalk removed), 2 peeled cloves of garlic, 4 lime leaves, a bunch of coriander, 2 jarred red peppers, 1 heaped tsp tomato purée, 1tbsp fish sauce, 2tbsp soy sauce and 1tsp sesame oil. Peel and add 2cm (¾in) fresh ginger. 

Blitz to a paste - you might need to stop and use a spatula to scrape down the sides so it all gets whizzed up. Drizzle some olive oil into the hot frying pan and add the unpeeled raw tiger prawns. Fry for around 1 minute, then add 1tbsp of the curry paste and fry for 1 more minute.

Tip into an ovenproof dish and put into the oven on the top shelf for about 8 to 10 minutes. Put the pan you cooked the prawns in back over a medium heat.

Drizzle in a little olive oil, then add the sugar snap peas, then the small prawns. Spoon in the rest of the curry paste, and stir and fry for a minute or two before adding the coconut milk. Stir as it melts down, then leave to simmer on a medium to low heat.

The recipe also includes jasmine rice and a cucumber salad (which I have made) and a papayer platter (which I have).  

You can find the full recipe here 

Thanks everyone for the comments on my last couple of posts. I was really worried when on Thursday, I discovered hubby had read my blog. Thursday  was a difficult enough day, since it was my last day at work and discovering my carelessness was really all I needed. My hunch was right though. He read just the page that was showing to view and read no further. While he was upset at seeing the content in black and white in front of him, he said he had suspected the kinds of things I was doing with Sir. He was also jealous that I am not in that kind of relationship with him.

We have tried to talk things through, but he is struggling with everything he has now discovered and he doesn't know what he wants. On one hand he still loves and cares for me, on the other he finds my need to have my needs met elsewhere a struggle. I in turn am unable to fully articulate why that is.

He continues to spend most of his time away from home and, given that I have more time on my hands I am in the process of looking at new activities that I can fill my time with. I don't know what will happen in the future, but for now the blog stays and it stays open to all. 

I have nothing to hide from him any more. 

A close up of my day

Days here in the world of joolz are like like living in some kind of phony war. Have you ever seen any of those world war two films, where before any actual fighting begins, people carry around their gas masks and get into their shelters when the air raid warning sounds. Only for nothing to actual happen. Any day now things will change, but right now, life goes on.

In November i told hubby about Sir and around the same time, i was informed that if i didn't find a new job by 31st March, i would be made redundant.

Life since then has meant that as far as anyone on the outside looking in could see, all was the same. But from inside things are very different. Each day i get up at the usual time (around 6.30am), do the usual stuff and arrive in work sometime between 8am and 9am depending on what the day might hold. i am lucky, since i can choose my start and finish time. Sometimes i work from home, but usually i go to the office. Sometimes i have meetings and sometimes i don't. My job is about making sure that those who work in cancer care are supported to improve the experience of patients, and that they take account of the views of patients and their family in that care.

My job is now ending as the British Government has decided to make significant changes to my part of the health service. i don't know if what i do will be done in the future and i don't think that i can lose sleep over that any more.

At around 5pm to 5.30 (sometimes later) i arrive home (i only work about 30 mins away) and cook dinner. Sometimes hubby is here, but more often than not recently i am on my own. During the evening i will watch tv, read, surf the net or when i can chat to Sir online. Life is dull right now. But actually, it is pleasant, since it is currently still winter / spring. I go to bed at around 11pm.

Weekends involve some shopping, cleaning and relaxing a bit. Maybe some reading or needle work. Definitely a chat with Sir if hubby is away.

Soon all things will change. First my son will return from university for the Easter break and that will change the dynamics. He will make his presence felt, and i will enjoy that (except when he is treating the house as something of a staging post, a B&B), and i bet hubby will be here.

Then at the end of the month i will be redundant. My job will end and life will be different.

i have plans, exercise, walks, lunch with friends and family and generally interesting things. i also have work offers to consider but definitely my day will be different.

i plan to buy a new kitchen and to oversee its installation and i intend to take a holiday, perhaps on my own.

In the summer, son finishes his degree and comes home. Hopefully work will start to feature again for me. Plus hopefully hubby will sort out what he wants from home life.

At the same time there are the days and the nights with Sir, which i am hoping will increase during the coming weeks and months and which are totally different to the ones at home. i hope life will be a whole lot less dull, actually i expect that will be the case.

Three Quotations

Three things have been important to me this week (well probably more, but these spring to mind). So my three quotations reflect those three things:

Family - I took a day off this week to travel to a family funeral. My godmother, who is also a second cousin,  but call aunt, lost her husband, my uncle. I have wonderful memories of him, Uncle Ted, dancing with my aunt at parties, singing at family occasions and just being there giving us advice. He also loved to play cards; every family event ended with a game of cards.

So a family quote seems to be appropriate:

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them" - Desmond Tutu

After the funeral, I spent time chatting to my brothers, cousins, aunts and uncles. We don't see enough of each other and it was good to have the opportunity. Its a shame that it took the death of Uncle Ted to make that happen!

The final letter arrived telling me I will definitely be redundant from my job on 31st March so:

"Work is the curse of the drinking classes" - Oscar Wilde

Right now, work is a chore. For some bizarre reason, I am busier now than i have been in the last year or two. I guess the fact that people have left already and that we have work to finish off and to handover has something to do with it.  Today I went shopping at lunchtime. I bought some food for dinner and a bottle of wine. I pondered the cost of that trip to the shop while on the way home and realised that I had spent far more than i intended on the wine. I have to admit it was very nice and if I had known what wonderful wine I had bought I might have left work earlier today (9 working days and counting).

I am off to see Sir on Tuesday:

Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop - H. L. Mencken

It is nearly a year since Sir and I began what we do. We don't call it love to each other. But it is something very special and we can't and don't want to stop it. I guess you might call it love.  Certainly we care about each other alot, and that feels good.

A song for the day

I love to have music playing when I am in the house and often in the car. I can listen to most music, though of course I have preferences. That often depends on my mood and on the way I feel. Over the years different songs have had meaning for me, as I think is the case for many people. One of my first favourite songs was by Leo Sayer (not sure if he is known outside of the uk), he was not cool but i loved the track 'when I need you'. It was special because it was something I played a lot when I missed my boyfriend when I first went off to be a nurse and lived in the nurses home.

The song that currently, and for some years has been my special song is this one by Keane. It is called Somewhere only we know. I have listened to it while out walking, when on holiday and in the house. I find it helps transport me to a pale I want to be. Right now that would be in the woods last summer with Sir.

Best Vacation Spot

There are many places i could choose, since hubby and i have been to a wide range of places on holiday. Some of those have been in the UK and others in Europe and the USA. For the purpose of this particular post, i am going to choose two. This gives me the chance to think about one with our son and one where there was just the two of us.

Almost exactly 4 years ago when our son turned 18 we travelled to Rome, taking with us our nephew who is just 3 months older. It was their first trip together as adults and since they were both keen history students, Rome seemed a good choice. As we have an only child we have taken his cousin away with us many times, they get on so well together and have always kept company for each other. We chose a relatively cheap, but comfortable hotel in the centre of the city near the Colosseum. Just right for wandering the historic sites, and generally looking around. None of us were disappointed by the beauty of the place, nor by the food - contrary to what you read, it is possible to find good food without breaking the bank. What is more we also had some good wine. We were awed by the Colosseum and Palatine, and amazed by the Vatican. We walked to the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. They went off on their own, to a bar after dinner of an evening and we went to somewhere quieter. Even though it was February it was surprisingly warm. The perfect treat for an 18th birthday i'd say (and they did).

The other best place for me was our trip to Northern California. Again this was a birthday trip, this time for hubby's 50th birthday (Also just over 4 years ago), we had been due to travel with my parents, but just a few days before, my mum had her second stroke and wasn't allowed to travel. I have never forgotten my dad's selflessness as he drove us to the airport for what was meant to have been his trip of a life time to see the Redwoods of California.

The trip was in 3 parts, firstly to San Francisco, then on to Vegas and finally a house overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Bodega Bay. All of the trip was wonderful, but it was the last part of the trip that was the most memorable. We spent a week, with glorious hot October sun, exploring the area and sitting on our lovely deck watching the sea. We walked along the amazing beaches and along the rugged cliff tops. We drove along highway 1 stopping to look at views. Hubby was in his element in his convertible Sebring. We visited the redwoods and knew my dad would have just loved to have been there.

We ate local seafood, we read our books, we sat on our deck drinking Californian wine, we relaxed in our hot tub late into the evening....

Both were wonderful holidays, they conjure up the most wonderful memories.

Memories to hold on to

All photos are from my own album

My hometown

Which hometown are we talking about here? The place i was born? The place i grew up, or the place i live now?  Since they are close enough together and none are all that exciting, there is probably space to mention all 3.

i was born in a town within what they now call Greater London, i think this means that it is an urban place that is on the outskirts, a place where red London buses roam, but which was once part of an English County (Middlesex in this case). I don't remember much about the actual house or street as we left when i was 4, but I do remember the general area. We only moved about about 4 or 5 miles from that house so i remember the shops, the fact we were close to our grandparents and that there was a park nearby. i don't remember it being the busy urban sprawl it definitely is, but then I was young and  nothing  was as busy as it is now 50 years ago.

We moved to a quieter place, within what is called the 'home counties'. (Green and pleasant places close to London). We lived in a street with houses on each side of the road, which had little traffic especially during the day. School was at the end of our street and the only people driving to school were the headmaster and one or 2 teachers. Everyone walked to school and we all played out afterwards in the street. i remember playing hopscotch, riding our bikes and i remember the boys playing football. Hubby lived over the road from me, moving in when i was about 8. Secondary school for me was just under 3 miles away (this was important when local councils decided if we got free buses to school or not; i didn't). My parents chose the better, rather than closer school. I have always been grateful for this since it has made it easier to achieve my ambition to become a nurse at a school of nursing in London. Generally i walked that 3 miles or so to school because i wanted the money provided for fares for other things. The town we grew up in had, what seemed like, a good shopping centre and it had 2 cinemas. Other than that there was little to do. My best friend and i had little trouble with this, since we strolled the streets or went to each others houses. On Monday nights we went to a local disco for teenagers. i guess our expectations were limited!

i started going out with hubby when i was 15; he was 19. He took me to London for the day on my first proper date with him. He belonged to a church group and through that we went on quite a few trips out and about. Later we and our wide circle of friends had an active social life, parties, visits to pubs and days out. When i was 18 i left my home town for the bright lights and cockroach filled nursing accommodation of London. I never lived at home again (though i was frequently home for days off or holidays), before i moved to the first home hubby and i bought together. We married shortly afterwards.

The town i where i now live, and have done for my whole married life, was built shortly after the second world war. It started as an overspill from London, built surrounding an older town originating in the middle ages. It is a mainly nondescript place that has continued to grow. But early developers considered green spaces, local shopping, schools and a hospital. All the infrastructure that seems to be an after thought these days. It has never been affluent, since the people who came here did so to escape the damage sustained during the war and to achieve a more pleasant lifestyle. It isn't stylish or particularly sought after. But it is spacious, and thoughtfully built. It has a large park, with lakes and it has wide roads. My son was born here, went to school, and it is home. But i do feel sad about it. The town centre is not the best, it has no 'big' stores as such. The schools are generally slightly less good than the best. Some parts are in health and social care terms described as 'deprived'.

We live on the edge of town and because of that crime levels are low, we have the countryside and pubs within walking distance and we are definitely within easy reach of all the main motorways north and south. For that reason i am in no rush to move. The only reason i would easily move would be to be nearer the sea. Otherwise it kind of meets my needs for now.

A friend I admire

I have been thinking about this question quite a bit. You see I seem to have a bit of a problem in that I have very few people in my life who I could call friends. People in my life seem to become close for a while and then they kind of slip out of view. They are still around, still there for occasional meetings and for exchanging cards but that is about it. Having said that, of course there are people who are friends that I admire. There is my good school friend, who readily admits is rubbish at keeping in touch, but who when on the rare occasion we are able to speak or meet is just the same as she ever was. We are able to pick up our friendship and chat as if we were never apart. I admire her because of the way she bravely removed herself from an abusive relationship and then told people about it. That must have been so hard, both to endure and then to speak about it to others who were far away and didn't know. I haven't heard from her in a while and hope she is ok. Thinking about her now, I am going to pick up the phone and call her since she will never do the same to me, it is just her way.

Secondly I would like to mention someone new, who I have met just once, but whom I have lots in common with and who I know I am going to be really good friends with. I met her on Fetlife first, have emailed lots, texted, chatted by phone. We met for coffee and cakes a couple of weeks ago. She brought me a couple of books, one of which she had won and had had signed for me by the author. I mention her because I admire the way she has decided to embrace this lifestyle, to seek out new friends and lovers and to try new ideas. She is in her 60's and hasn't been in the best of health. She readily admits to 'body image' issues but still she embraces the idea of emerging from the safety of black clothing to rediscovering her feminine side. Her path is never smooth, but she faces life head on and I admire her for that. She has also been a great strength to me over the last difficult months. She will read this, and I am not sure what she will say. I hope she will see this for what it is, a statement of friendship.

Something I never leave the house without

i know that others who have completed this series of posts have talked about their mobile (cell) phone as being the thing they would never leave the house without. But as recently as Saturday, when my phone was charging, i went for a hair appointment without my phone. Also if out with others i am happy to leave my phone behind when say out for a walk. So maybe that is not the correct answer for me.

i think the answer is probably my keys; front door and car attached to each other on a key ring. Even if someone is home, and i know they are not leaving the house, i have a morbid fear of not being able to get back inside. This is because i have previously left the house, shut the door and then not been able to either get into the car or back inside. On that fateful day, my neighbour (who has a key) was in the middle of house renovations and couldn't find our key. Hubby had to return from work so that i could leave. Of course on that day the phone came in useful. Since that day, i have made sure i always have my key, even if it means carrying it in my hand (say if no bag or pocket).

This sounds very dull, but that is how it is. Lets hope the next one of these is more interesting!

A favourite movie

The thing is, i am no movie buff. What's more i don't go to the cinema all that much, nor do i go out of my way to watch movies on tv.  i can truthfully say, i would rarely watch any film twice, so am not sure i have an out and out favourite film.

This is already sounding like a dull cop out, since this is only day two and there are another 28 to go yet. You see my problem is that i have difficulty recalling things like the names of films or their lead stars. So the way i will handle this is to tell you about some landmark films for me (as far as i remember them)

The first film i ever saw at the cinema was the Sound of Music, i think i was about 3 or 4 years old. For years I thought the film ended with Maria marrying Baron Von Trapp, as I fell asleep at that point. I have watched it several times since and it is one of those wonderful films we don't get now, with loads of scenery, a nun, singing, children, love prevailing. You know what I mean.

There are a bunch of films that I associate with going out with hubby, they include Saturday Night Fever (my first x rated as it was called then and not sure that I know why that was), what's not to love about John Travolta and the Bee Gees. Then there was Grease; i have particularly liked Grease again over the years as my niece and nephew loved it for a while and we passed as few karaoke type evenings with them and their parents a few years ago.

Top Gun i remember because I went with girlfriends when i was a student nurse, we used to get free tickets to theatre and cinema and we went quite often. Great when you are hard up!

The first film i took my son to was Jungle Book, he was probably a bit young and fell asleep like his mum had. It was no problem as i got a lovely rest and he got to see it many more times on video  (remember those?). i have lots of memories of taking him to see various films, good and bad. The worst was Pokeman the movie!  The last time i went with him was the final part of Lord of the Rings. He had friends with him and expected me to sit a safe distance away. Don't you just love going out with teenagers?

Since then there have been few films, but in the last year i have seen many more films, often when with Sir (as usual their names slip my mind). He loves a good (or less good) film. Plus on the plane to the US last year I saw a couple of good films; Toast which is about the childhood of Nigel Slater, who is now a British TV cook, and The Descendants with George Clooney, I also saw the Artist and was puzzled as to why the lead in that got the Oscar over George.

So having started this  unable to name a single movie, you have a potted history of my through films. I know there have been many more, and many that at the time were moving or tear jerking. But these are memories for me and thats important.

A place I'd like to travel to

This is the first of a 30 day meme that sin has been doing during over the last few weeks. Since i am unlikely to have anything kinky to say for much of the next few weeks and that i am fed up with moaning about things at home this seems like a pretty good project. So here goes; day 1 is about a place i would like to travel to:

Apart from Europe and a small part of the USA I am not all that well travelled. Consequently there are lots of places I would like to see. I would love to travel to Africa and see animals that I can usually only see in a zoo or wildlife park, in their own habitat. I would love to visit Australia and New Zealand, to experience the wide open spaces, the amazing cities, the beaches and the beautiful countryside. In New Zealand I have some family, and especially an aunt I haven't seen for a lot of years that I would visit.

But also there are places in Europe I would love to see. Some of the Greek Islands, more of Germany, Scandinavia, more of France and Spain. There are just too many places.

With everything that has been going on lately, I am considering a week away on my own later next month.  Sir and I spent some time looking at this place last week

This is one of the islands of Cape Verde. These are, according to Wikipedia, an island country made up of 10 islands off in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa.

Hubby and i have mainly been to places that are pure holiday resorts, even if we have at times gone to the quieter part of the resort. This seems to be a bit more remote, though still with good hotels, mainstream travel companies providing packages etc. It offers white beaches (a long held ambition), fish to eat, wine to drink and places to walk. Even if i don't go to this exact place this is the type of place that i would like to go to this year. And i am on a mission.....