Chai and a Chat – #1 #ChaiAndAChat

08 Oct 2018 65 Comments

by Ritu in Chai and a Chat, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: , , , ,

Well hello there!

I have decided upon a new feature on my blog, which will appear on a Monday morning because I think it is always good to celebrate your victories or be able to open up about any difficulties, then build that bridge to get over them and focus on the coming week.

And what better way to do that than to catch up over a cuppa, a chai for me, but you can join in with any beverage!

Chai and a Chat

  • If we were sipping a chai together, I’d tell you I am exhausted. It’s been a week of craziness, trying to get all the schools looked at before we put in our applications for Lil Princess’s secondary school. When did she get so big? I’d mention how hard it is to decide, do we go with the same as her brother, or another school? She likes them all, and in all honesty, they are all Ofsted-rated Good and have much to offer. I am confused! I tell you what, Headteachers sure know how to sell their schools!
  • If we were sipping a chai together, I’d tell you that I have had a stressful week at work, trying really hard to be that positive person, despite certain situations. I may have on occasion been delivering PanAm smiles, rather than genuine ones at a few points, but hopefully, things are smoother.
  • If we were sipping chai together, I’d mention that my absolute bestie celebrated her birthday on the weekend, and I was gutted I couldn’t be with her, but so happy to be a part of her life – Happy Birthday Buzz!
  • If we were sipping chai together, I’d moan about how annoying it is when people decide to announce they are going to visit, at the last minute, and you have to change all your plans! Seriously, that bugs the heck outta me!
  • If we were sipping chai together, I’d excitedly tell you that I was chosen as one of five writers to take part in a TUFF rodeo challenge over at Charli Mills Carrot Ranch! So, my writing must amount to something… Meh to the Daily Mail and Penguin Random House who didn’t shortlist my novel!
  • If we were sipping chai together, I’d want to pull my hair out and tell you parenting a teen and a tween is really hard! What with demands for new consoles because everyone else has one, to sim cards for a phone, because I will lose all my friends if I don’t have their numbers before we start secondary. Er, hello…It’s October. You have until next July before you leave, and if others have phones, get a pen and paper, and write the numbers down!
  • If we were sipping chai together, I’d be proud to announce that I was part of an official blog tour for one of my favourite authors, Amanda Prowse, for her newest book, The Coordinates of Loss. Amazing book, seriously!
  • If we were sipping chai together, you’d notice I am swishing my new hair around, as I got a lovely cut and colour done on Sunday morning. Love a haircut!
  • If we were sipping chai together, I’d also mention that I had a loooong video chat with my brother in Helsinki, and did some virtual babysitting with my baby nephew, Finndian #2! So cute!

And for the week ahead?

  • If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies, I would tell you I am looking forward to a week of nothing major planned for a change! Aside from one afterschool activity that I need to be a taxi service for, and getting my nails done on one day, there is blissfully nothing to rush around for!
  • I would also tell you that Pops and Mum are back from Finland, and Pops is doing great, but he has another operation today, this time on one eye for cataracts that are forming, so we are praying for a straightforward procedure.
  • I have implemented a new chart system thingie with my kids, to combat the attitude and behaviour, and to get them to earn their pocket money… wish me luck!
  • Maybe, if I am organised, I can get one with my editing, or researching agents to send the synopsis off to!

So, what’s your week been like, and what are you looking forward to?

If you want, drop a line in the comments, or even link back to this with a Chai and a Chat post of your own!

65 Comments (+add yours?)

  1. Masha
    Oct 13, 2018 @ 00:49:18

    Ritu, I like your new Monday feature. If we were sipping chi together I would let you know how I’m totally excited about my new word for 2019 MINDFULNESS it’s already started to show up in my life in an amazing way and i can’t wait to share this on my blog. Well going to get another cup of chi. ❤ ❤ ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Ritu
      Oct 13, 2018 @ 09:28:01

      Mindfulness is a great thing! After a few courses at school for the last few years, I love to try and act mindfully every day of my life!
      Great aim for the year, and it will impact upon your forever too! ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  2. robbiesinspiration
    Oct 11, 2018 @ 05:11:32

    Oooh, I like this idea, Ritu. Congratulations again on your tuff writer win. I hope you Dad’s operation went well. My mom had a cataracts op and it was fine. Hang in at work and with your kids; neither is for the faint hearted.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. neha98blog
    Oct 10, 2018 @ 09:20:22

    what a beautiful post!! It never felt like we were not having a conversation with each other over a wonderful cup of tea.It felt like we were sitting on a quiet deserted café and sipping tea,in between that I am listening to every conversation of yours and flabbergasted to hear your view of the world,which is unique and it is reflected in your writing.
    Looking forward to more of your writing,dear authoress.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. Anindya
    Oct 10, 2018 @ 06:25:35

    That sounds interesting Ritu..:)….there will be lots of chai and chats for me as we are about to get immersed in the biggest festival in this part of India in my hometown, which is the arrival of the goddess Durga, and the entire environment here is changing in the mood of huge week long festivities starting this Saturday the 13th….:)

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  5. OIKOS™-Publishing
    Oct 09, 2018 @ 13:52:30

    Oh my dear Ritu! 🙂 In view of you challenges its really better to drink Chai, not coffee! Have a famous week. Michael

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. Rachna
    Oct 09, 2018 @ 10:57:51

    I am sure your week will be better from here on. Tough being a mum, isn’t it? My kids are having their exams so extra stress here.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. joey
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 22:38:54

    Sorry to know you had a rough week. I’m sending you extra good vibes so you can be as positive as possible this week.
    Hope the surgery is a great success 🙂
    I had a rough Monday, holding down the fort at work, lots of people out today. I am very glad to be home with my family ❤ This week, Tuesday might be better than Monday! Ha!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. josypheen
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 22:27:49

    I love a good chai!

    It sounds like you have a less stressful week coming up Ritu! Enjoy your chills and chats! Good on you for being such a caring mum and for at least keeping the PanAm smile, even with smiling doesn’t feel possible!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. Erika Kind
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 20:36:57

    We are truly sisters. Guess what I am sipping on while reading your post. So, I am sending you a big Chai hug. Enjoy your time off and relax 😊💖

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. Image Earth Travel
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 15:51:25

    I’d have to sip an Espresso but congrats on the TUFF rodeo challenge!
    Sounds like you’ve been extremely busy as usual and not sure how you do it…
    I’ve just come back from a weekend in the mountains at friends’ place with too much food and wine. Think I need a detox this week. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. syl65
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 14:29:03

    I’ll take a mint tea and a couple of cookies. Hoping for a good work week and positive one overall. Daily challenges to deal with. Great idea Sister!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. englishwithkirsty
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 14:22:46

    If people are visiting and I already have plans … they don’t get to visit – unless they’re visiting because of something terrible or urgent!
    These posts are a great idea for getting to know people and I hope the surgery goes well and that you find a choice that you’re happy with re high school.
    If I brought along my strong coffee, I’d tell you that this is the first week of my part-time uni course. I’m looking forward to it, but still can’t get my head round the fact that their weekly planner starts on a Saturday! It shouldn’t be a thing!
    I’d tell you it’s my first day back after holiday and because I didn’t keep looking at my emails, I now have sooo many!
    I’d tell you that your mentioning cake now makes me want some – and I don’t have any – but I do have a huge chocolate frog from the Harry Potter tour. Want a virtual frog’s leg?!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Ritu
      Oct 08, 2018 @ 14:28:20

      Choc frogs leg… Now there’s a thought!

      The visitor thing was unavoidable… It was an in laws summons, so to speak!!!

      Good luck with your uni course. I sometimes wish I could take up a new course… But I just don’t have the time!

      Like

      Reply

  13. The V Pub
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 13:24:08

    I love chai. Not as much as ribs, but I do love chai!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  14. fancypaperblog
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 12:40:32

    Love this and can see me taking up your offer soon. Once I get back on my blogging feet- had a tough work week and had no internet at home so felt a bit like Hanks in Castaway.🤣

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. Debbie Harris
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 12:07:01

    You sound very busy Ritu, I hope you can feel better soon, being exhausted isn’t fun for anyone. Take care and keep breathing, the ages of your kids are hard at the moment and it can be difficult to remain positive 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  16. Jennifer Jones
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 10:43:21

    Good to catch up with what going on in your world. Looking forward to further updates

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  17. willowdot21
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 10:42:05

    I’d love to do a chai and chat but if I did you’d all be reaching for the knives to either slit my throat or your own! As soon as this improve I would love to join in. I used to do “If we were having coffee ” for a couple of years. It’s a great idea sis 💜 there are lots of lovely and positive things in your life right now. I am so glad mum and pops are both back home and especially so that pops is doing so well after his nasty health scare. 💜💜💜💜

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  18. thatblogwherecheriemovestogermany
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 10:24:55

    Love this take on the coffee chat theme, very fun.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  19. stevetanham
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 10:19:17

    Great idea, beautifully done, Ritu.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  20. rachaelstray
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 09:25:01

    Really like this idea Ritu! I think the chart idea for the kids is great – keep us updated with the progress.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  21. ladyleemanila
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 07:50:47

    cool idea, Ritu 🙂 glad everything is OK with you… well, if we are having chai, I’d say I had a lovely and quiet weekend, just me and Him Indoors. His parents left after 2 weeks’ stay with us. They were fine, just getting old and not so easy cycling or walking to different places. But we had some lovely weather here and spent most of the afternoons in the garden drinking beer and gin and tonic. Looking forward to my “back to school” teaching in the language school and my one-on-one this week. Cheers for now and enjoy the rest of the week. ladylee xx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  22. thatssojacob
    Oct 08, 2018 @ 06:07:36

    Well hello there! Long time, but I like this idea! Today, I went geocaching up in Neenah, and went to the gym. This past week I taught dance lesson and managed to interview someone over Skype for research (across the world!), as well as managed to supervise my friend’s classes and my own on Friday (8:50 AM to 2:10 PM). This week, I will be starting (resuming) my tutoring job at a local high school, attempting to teach some new lesson plans, and hoping to starting doing some hardcore writing again.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Ritu
      Oct 08, 2018 @ 06:48:27

      Sounds like you’ve had a busy, but productive week Jacob!
      How was the geocaching?
      And dance lessons, eh?
      Good luck getting back into the tutor grind!

      Like

      Reply

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