A sad time for so many

It seems that while people are celebrating Christmas and ringing in the New Year, others are mourning the loss of a loved one.
In a post I wrote in late November, I talked about my friend's mother-in-law and also about a man who had been blogging his way through his treatment.  Sadly both of these people have lost their struggle to live.
And so it is with a heavy heart that I raise a glass in their honour.


“Nature never repeats herself, and the possibilities of one human soul will never be found in another.” ― Elizabeth Cady Stanton 

Silent Sunday - not so much

a tapestry of sorts

It seems that so many families these days are puzzles. 
And entering into a new relationship, we just simply do our best to find the right place to fit in.
There is so little time in the busy schedule of a full-time, student, single mum that it is essential that we sieze the moment, grab the bull by the horns and do it.
Carpe diem.

Domestic Goddess strikes again.........sort of

My handsome young nephew has spent the day with us and now I'm feeding him before handing him back to his grandma.

The meal itself was fairly simple.  

A perennial favourite.

Baked potatoes, baked beans, cheese and lashings of butter.

Perfect for a cold winter's eve.

This was followed with stewed apples and brown sugar, topped with home-made 'Delia' custard (that's the goddess bit).

Feeling very much like a beached whale, but oh so satisfied.

More tree

Somehow it looks quite empty, but in real like, it is really quite full and very sparkly.

Silent Sunday

All is quiet in the Christmas tree.....

My daughter

Yesterday was not a good day.

I had a lot of time by myself, as my daughter was with her grandmother.

I tried to do some homework but accomplished very little.

Feeling frustrated, I went first to buy a Christmas tree, then to Boots to replenish cough medicine supplies (spending £28 on children's Benilyn, Calpol, Tampax, lip salve and children's bandaids), finally ending up at Sainsbury's.  I didn't dally too long.  I got home, had lunch and set about putting the shopping away.

I looked around.  Crap!!!  Where was my cloth bag with all the things from Boots???

I had put it on the spare shopping trolleys, when I'd put the one I was using away.  I must have left it there.  I put my coat back on and schlepped back up to Sainsbury's.  I asked at customer service but no-one had handed it in.  I went back outside to look around the trolleys to see if it was still there.

All I found was my very empty cloth bag.

What a horrid thing to do at this time of year.  I live in a nice neighbourhood and expected more of the people here.  The bag was filled with things for a child, it's coming up to Christmas and instead of doing the right thing, whoever stole my stuff, simply left an empty bag.

I was so upset and disgusted.

I tend to always try to see the best in people and I felt really let down by this.

So when I went to pick up my daughter, I reiterated my frustrating day due to lack of actual work and loss of shopping.  I said that I felt that I am really struggling and I'm not sure I can do this.

This little voice from the back seat, piped in, "Mummy, you just have to believe in yourself!"

Silent Sunday - in the kitchen

Many hands make light work!

Long time past

I know it has been a long time since my last real post, but life has been so busy between being a student and a mother.

There simply aren't enough hours in the day.

But on a sadder note, a dear friend last her mother last year to illness and a few days ago was told that her mother-in-law is now terminally ill too.  She is devastated, again.

Another dear family friend of my mother, has just told us that she has breast cancer.  Mum immediately had a bit of a panic.....what if?

But really, what if?  This could apply to us all.

I have been following the blog of a man, a father of 2 boys, happily married to a lovely woman, who has been writing his way through his treatment.  He has always been optimistic about the treatment, in the hopes that he would beat the cancer and be able to live his life.  Unfortunately, yesterday he wrote that his prognosis has become terminal, that his care now is just palliative.

I cried.  I had been watching his struggle for so long now, that I felt that he had become a friend, albeit a long distance one.

He is a reminder to me that life can be cruel.  That you need to literally seize the day.

He will never see his sons grow up to be strong men like their daddy.

He will never enjoy later life with his wife.

Reading his blog and following his journey has been inspirational.

Oh that I could follow his writings for many more years to come.

Silent Sunday - almost