RANDOM JOTTINGS


A blog about music, sports, theatre and rants





Have had a busy week this week and
charging around a lot doing things and I find whenever I do this, I
start to sleep badly and wake up in the middle of the night with a panic
attack.  I am my own worst enemy when it comes to overdoing stuff and
nobody to blame but myself for getting stressed. So why do I do it?
Well, you tell me and then we will both know….

Anyway,
have come to some decisions about what I will be doing from now on and
how to pace myself and sort out my priorities.  I am, of course,
concentrating on being a grandmother and when I was in London last week
sat down with my daughter and diary and sorted out dates for the coming
months when I will be needed after she returns to work.  It will be
difficult and after the closeness and intensity of those first few
months, which feeling can never be replicated, it is now back to the
world of lecturing, setting papers, researching and timetabling etc and I
found on my return to work after my children were born, I no longer
viewed it as important any more, my focus had changed.

So
I, and Helen's mother in law, are going to help out as much as we can
on the days when there is no childcare arranged and I know that my
lovely daughter feels secure and safe knowing that we will be there. 
This is now my main priority, to make sure that she and her husband and
Florence are well looked after and supported.  Other things have to fall
by the wayside I am afraid, not blogging I hasten to add I love that
too much, but something else I was involved in which I am sad to lose,
but realise I am not Superwoman and cannot do everything I would like.  
Out of all the things that matter in the world, family is the most
important.

I am having a quiet day
today while I mull things over and last night, with decisions taken, I
slept much better and feel refreshed today.  I still have the living
room to paint which I am going to start tomorrow and will take my time
in so doing, there is no deadline so Elaine No Need to  Rush.  Went out
for a walk this morning and took a plastic bag with me and went
blackberrying in the woods behind my flat. It had been raining and water
was dripping off the trees and bushes and the earth had that lovely
fresh smell which you get after rainfall and I came back with a bagful
of berries.  Loads more coming through as well and nobody seems to pick
them at all and I cannot bear to see them go to waste.

Home
made leek and potato soup for lunch, bijou snoozette afterwards,
writing this now and next up on my idle agenda today is a cup of tea and
then on the sofa to listen to the afternoon Prom concert from the
Albert Hall.  It is a Rodgers and Hammerstein special conducted by the
same guy who did the musicals prom last year and which was such a
massive hit the BBC have shown it three times since – this is being
recorded and will be broadcast next weekend so I must set my little
black box and make sure it is there for all posterior….

Discovered
that I liked the series Lewis – did not watch them at first as I was
never a Morse fan but watched them by accident when they screened some
during the World Cup just in case you didn't want to watch Uzbekistan v
Kurdistan and I became hooked on them.  I think they are brilliantly
done and Kevin Whately and Laurence Fox have a great rapport on screen
and have now watched Series 1 and 2 with others on the way.   NCIS
Series Six also out on DVD now and 24 Series Six also due, but am going
to hold off buying these until the nights are darker and I know I have
something to save up for those afternoons when the curtains are drawn
and the lights are on.

OK I am off to the sofa so back soon

Au reservoir everyone

LATER – have just finished listening to the Rodgers and Hammerstein Prom.  Simply WONDERFUL.  Instant cure for the miseries or if you are feeling down. Glad my neighbours are away as I sang along with everything and managed to hit the top note at the end of Climb Every Mountain.  It is being shown on TV next weekend and all I can say is DON'T MISS IT. 

Posted in

7 responses to “Lazy Sunday”

  1. Elaine Simpson-Long Avatar

    Susan D – that song One Dream in my Heart is just divine
    Bet – I stayed at home with my two though I did work from home, cooking and making cakes and jams etc which brought in a bit of money, and looking back now am not sure how we managed we were so broke but we did and I am so glad I did.
    Joan – it is on Saturday on BBC2 and I will be out so setting the box to record it. No way am I missing this

  2. Joan Avatar
    Joan

    Will try to catch that concert. Having been brought up in the 50’s and 60’s with my parents playing their R and H LPs on a Sunday afternoon I would love the opportunity to sing along and still see if I am word perfect on some of the songs.

  3. Bet Avatar
    Bet

    I love the Lewis series, too. I think it is probably my favorite of the ones being broadcast currently (in the US). We get 5 new episodes starting this Sunday; can’t wait!
    My oldest dd and son-in-law are talking about having kids soon. When they were first married I was still teaching my youngest at home and didn’t want to think of looking after a grandchild when while they worked. But now that I am a bit at loose ends (done schooling, almost no kids left at home, and no job) I am very open to the idea. They have already told me that I am their first choice for child care– I am so flattered! Now if they would only speed up the business of having that baby… ;-)
    I do so know what you mean about putting family first: I have always done that and have no regrets whatsoever about it. I really need to get a part time job, but I have been looking for one for 2 years and have only come up with a few temp jobs. It’s tough on the budget, but I am so glad to be available to do things for my children (even though they are mostly grown) that I wouldn’t have time to do otherwise. I am not talking about coddling, I’ve never been a helicopter parent, but it’s nice to go to the son’s football and lacrosse games, help a daughter move into her new apartment, puppysit for another daughter… I feel so blessed!

  4. Susan D Avatar
    Susan D

    Oooh, I’d love to catch that broadcast. But at least (here in Toronto) this week I was able to watch a live(ish) broadcast of South Pacific from Broadway, courtesy of the local (okay, across the border in Buffalo) PBS station, and happily sang along.
    There’s something just so singy about R&H.
    ….or all through your life you may dream all alo-o-o-o-o-o-one.

  5. Elaine Simpson-Long Avatar

    Sheila – it was simply wonderful, so uplifting and full of joy. I was dancing and singing round my living room as I know practically all the musicals off by heart. Glad my neighbours are on hols. On TV next weekend and after hearing it will be great to see it as well
    Margaret – I always get a good response when I write about my non book activities and so pleased that everyone seems to enjoy them. It is good to share with friends no matter where you all are

  6. Margaret Powling Avatar
    Margaret Powling

    I shall certainly watch the concert next weekend, Elaine, thanks for reminding us – I shall highlight it in the new RT when that arrives on Tuesday morning.
    You are right to take stock and, apart from helping to look after Florence (yes, family first every time!) to let some things go and do what you like doing best. Glad that blogging is one of them(things you like, I mean, not one you are letting go!) because we’d all certainly miss you if you gave that up, too.
    Do you know, apart from your book reviews, it is your non-information posts (todays’e being an example), just your thoughts and what you are doing – even making a cuppa or having, as you put it, a bijou snoozette – that I enjoy the most. Indeed, I correspond daily with a cousin and we often discuss things which men would never in a zillion years discuss – what we’re having for supper, the price of Mr Kipling’s toffee whirls in Morrisons, etc, etc. The little inconsequential daily happenings, in other words!

  7. Sheila Beaumont Avatar
    Sheila Beaumont

    I wish I could have heard the Rodgers & Hammerstein Prom. Sounds wonderful! Our local station (in Los Angeles) is presenting delayed broadcasts of the Proms, but so far they don’t seem to be on any regular schedule, so I have no idea when we’ll get to hear this one. At some point they’ll start broadcasting them every evening, but not yet. I hope I don’t miss it!

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