Things That Make Me Smile!

Reasons To Be Cheerful This Week

This week has seen two really fabulous pieces of news come our way.  Firstly, after over two months of being on redundancy notice, Ian's job is now officially safe.  Someone else taking another job made enough room for manoeuvre to save Ian's role (although the other bloke up for redundancy with him is not so lucky.) So for now we can breathe again!

Secondly, my gorgeous daughter Megan has graduated with a high 2:1 in Business Marketing and Management.  She's got some interviews lined up for internships and marketing roles and intends to carry on living in Manchester.  I'm so incredibly proud of her; her ambition, her tenacity and her drive.  She refuses to take a backward step, always looking onward and upwards, however hard that is.  Plus she is a wonderful daughter!

Thirdly I have made some top buys this week that have made me very happy!

Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson

I bought this book as my summer read, but read it in two days because I couldn't put it down.  S J Watson is actually a friend of one of my friends, who is credited in the acknowledgements.  I've seen him chat on Facebook with the author at the time the book was released and have had an interest in reading it ever since.  I finally got around to buying it this week and I'm so glad I did.  

It is a tense, psychological thriller revolving around a woman with a rare form of amnesia following an accident.  In an attempt to piece together her life, in which she is unable to make or store new memories, she begins to write a journal which she re-reads every day.  She soon realises that she is not being told the whole truth.  As the story progresses we share her doubts, her fears and her confusion in this brilliantly written book.  I loved how the plot unravels through her suspicions, as written in her journal, giving us clues and doubts alongside plausible explanations for everything that happens.   Forget Christian Grey...buy this instead!

  

Festival Wellies From Primark

We have booked up to go to The M Fest Family Music and Food Festival in Leeds.  Given the unpredictability of British Summertime, we have prepared ourselves for all eventualities...from sun cream and sunglasses to wellies and waterproofs.  I was so happy when I found these cute little boots in Primark for just £10!  They are comfy and more usable than full length wellies...plus they are girly with a leopard skin print design and a bow!  I'll be rocking that festival chic look!

My last reason to be cheerful this week is the fact that Ian has a good friend with a great allotment who is kind enough to share!  We received a huge bag of rhubarb, a fraction of which I have photographed here!  I predict a plethora of crumbles and syllabubs ahead.

Feeling Philosophical At Alton Towers...Don't Look Down!

Life is a Roller Coaster...Enjoy The Ride!

Yesterday we went to Alton Towers as part of our 15th wedding anniversary celebrations. With our shiny new Merlin Annual Passes bought using Tesco Clubcard Tokens, we were ready to start our 12 months of theme park fun!  Kizzy has had a growth spurt and is now big enough to be let loose on the big rides and took to the idea with sheer enthusiasm.  Air and Oblivion were her favourites and seeing my baby girl laughing, screaming and loving every moment of the thrill of roller coasters was a joy to behold!  She really grasps opportunities full on and is so confident and independent.  A total thrill seeker and a lover of life!

Ian, Kizzy and Ella on Oblivion (first three seats on the front left)

As well as enjoying witnessing this rite of passage of my youngest daughter it also made me feel all philosophical about my life.

Sometimes life feels a bit like being on a roller coaster.  Sometimes I'm soaring the heady heights of  my existence, relishing my family life and my marriage.  Then other times I'm threatened with plummeting head long into an abyss due to some thing that I have no control over.

Don't Look Down

Recent events have caused me to feel like I may be slipping over that metaphorical edge.  My husband has become yet another victim of the economic recession and was made redundant just over a month ago following a cost cutting decimation of the company that he works for.  For a moment I felt a sense of panic and of absolute injustice.  But then I put it into perspective.  I asked myself what was important and what I could live without.  The answer was just so simple.  As long as we can afford to keep the roof over our heads, pay the bills and put food in our bellies then we are fine.  We have each other and we have wonderful kids who have never been demanding of material things.  It is a cliche but you truly can't buy love, health or happiness.  If we are happy and healthy, then anything else is just a bonus and not a necessity.  

At the moment there are currently a few things in the pipeline as far as Ian's job is concerned with the possibility of internal transfers and things actually look a lot more positive now than they did a month ago.  He is still on notice, but just knowing that we could weather even the worse case scenario makes me realise what really matters to us.  We've had so much support from so many people who care about us, it really has made me take stock of the things that make a positive impact on my life.  It is the friendships, my close family, my husband and my children that truly matter.  No amount of money could buy me a happier marriage or more amazing kids...and redundancy doesn't change either.  Just appreciating this has been a weight of my shoulders!

I think that when something happens that could have a negative impact on your life and you stare it in the face and don't allow it to beat you, you come away feeling so empowered.

I am definitely starting to view life in a different way and am taking a leaf out of Kizzy's book.  Her joie de vivre, courage and  enthusiasm for challenges are such a positive influence on me!  I have finally embraced optimism and my half full glass will soon be positively brimming over!

So if my life is a roller coaster, I'm holding on tight and loving every minute of this amazing ride with my loved ones by my side!