Art Class, Beetlejuice and Looking Back…

I’ve shifted my desk downstairs into the dining room as Colin’s studio is now so full of musical paraphernalia I couldn’t move my chair, and I’m now looking out onto the garden which is a far better view, although a little damp this morning after the overnight rain!  I took this photo of the moon from the same vantage point a few weeks back although it looks more like the sun!

So how are you?  Thanks so much for your kind words and thoughtful comments on the last blog.  As predicted, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster over the last few weeks but things have definitely improved for Lucy, and that’s a mighty relief – more on that in a moment.  It was great to catch up on all your news and I have to admit to feeling a little teary Beryl, when I read about your granddaughter going to Uni, but how you remembered pushing her on the swings when she was tiny… I have a short of video of Honey on the swings when she was just 18 months old and it’s just one of many memories that are packed into my phone.  I’m so bad at deleting them I happily pay extra for storage so I can keep them all and often scroll back through them. I’ve got quite a few more now following Honey’s Beetlejuice 10^th birthday party that thanks to Lucy was a great success! Considering how poorly my daughter felt, it was an absolute credit to her that she organized it all, including a visit from Steve, who arrived complete with his collection of reptiles.  All I had to do was make the cake and show up!  I was petrified of anything with scales when I was 10 and Colin has a real fear of snakes unlike Honey, as you can see from these photos.  We steered clear, but all of the children joined in and really enjoyed the experience.  I was very impressed!  Honey had chosen a ‘toast party’ so I made toast and bagels and the children decorated them before eating them.  No left over soggy sandwiches here!  The birthday cake was definitely a challenge this year though involving a ‘drip’ icing which I’d never done before, and although it was a bit wonky, Honey loved it bless her.

Two days later Lucy had her spinal operation in Oxford and I’m very relieved to be able to tell you it appears to have been successful.  It was a major surgery though and the recovery is lengthy, but they’re coping very well, and Honey continues to be a great help to her mum, which makes me proud.  Not working has meant that I can visit them regularly, and Sam’s been over with Florence and Elise too.  In fact I had a day looking after little Flo and loved every moment of it. She is doing so well, and took a bottle of her mum’s milk without any trouble before promptly falling asleep in my arms.  I didn’t put her into the cot, I just held her and wished I’d allowed myself to relax more when mine were little, but hindsight is a wonderful thing and I’m blessed to get the chance to do it all again with my grandchildren…

We had a bit of a week of it though, what with Colin’s car gearbox giving up the ghost, my brake pads needing replacing and then the lawnmower cable snapping!  So the lawn looks like a meadow and we were immobile for a few days but it left me time to think about things.   And feeling a little philosophical, I ruminated about making choices, and how only time will tell whether we’ve done the right thing or not.   Can you believe it’s been two years ago to the day since I retired from QVC after 23 fabulous years with the company?  I certainly saw some changes over those two decades, and it was incredibly hard working the late hours, but I had some of the funniest times and best moments there.  I’m delighted to say I’m still in touch with a great many of the lovely folk I worked with over those years and seeing them has made the transition easier, because as far back as I can remember, I’ve always worked.  I started a paper round when I was 10, worked the weekends and school holidays in my teens, and began commuting to London for my first job when I was 16. When I was a child, I used to dream of being a TV News reader and although I didn’t ever reach those heady heights, I was lucky enough to get pretty close to it for which I’ll be forever grateful. 

I think one of the hardest gear changes for me since retiring has been the lack of a schedule.   Ironically, in the first few months I regularly dreamed of turning up late to the studios, being on air without my microphone, and generally making a bags of things!  I did miss being part of a team, and the challenge of the job too, but also the sense of belonging.  There’s something very special about turning up at a place of work where everybody knows your name and they just let you get on with your job because they know you can do it. It gives you an innate confidence which brings with it comfort.   Of course it’s not that I’ve been at a loose end because as you know from the blogs, I have definitely kept busy, but it’s a different kind of busy.  I looked back at the blog I wrote following my retirement, and it made me smile to read about my plans to learn to play the saxophone, continue writing and enjoy every single moment.  The saxophone bit hasn’t panned out, but I am still writing, and although it’s not all been plain sailing, for the most part I’ve been very fortunate, and I am very much making the best of each day!  I can now knit, and thanks to my friend Jo who runs The Seasons Art Class, I am learning how to draw!  We’ve already explored the medium of pencil, line drawing and shading, and I discovered that using a grid, I can copy even the most insurmountable of images. Have a look at this horse! I’m definitely out of my comfort zone, but it is rewarding.   This week I had my first foray into the world of pastels which although very messy, I really enjoyed.  We started with a completely black piece of paper so it took ages to cover it!  Not sure about my tree though, but what do you think of my efforts?

I also have far more time now to look after my garden, visit my family, my children and my grandchildren, and to enjoy more leisure time with my friends.   Jo and I are off to see Vito and Diane from Strictly in their dance show next month, and I’m meeting up with a large number of my QVC colleagues for another Medical Detection Dogs gathering, this time in London on the 10^th June!  Check my Instagram and Facebook posts for details if you’d like to join us. Colin and I celebrate 10 years of marriage on the 26^th June and my niece Verity is expecting her first baby that month too! I’m still enjoying my audio books and have just begun listening to Gemma Coleman reading Jojo Moyes We All Live Here and it’s panning out beautifully!  I plan to listen to the new Ruth Jones after that, and in the evenings Colin and I are enjoying Slow Horses and the last of Ted Lasso – both excellent TV.

Until next time, do keep in touch here and on Facebook and Instagram and enjoy the beginning of the summer!

With my love,

Ali xxx