Thoughts Opinions & Memories | But I Smile Anyway...

Time Is Ticking – Votes Need Casting!

22 May 2017 29 Comments

by Ritu in Awards, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: ABBA's, Annual Bloggers Bash Awards, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Nominations, Votes

Some of you will be aware that last week Sacha Black announced the nominees for the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards, or the ABBA’s as they are fondly known!

Amazingly, I have been nominated under the Best Overall Blog category!

The criteria:
This award is for the blogger who has the best overall blog. Who is the blogger that for you, excels in a variety of categories? Perhaps they’re sociable and engage with readers, maybe they share others posts, or have a writing style that keeps you coming back time and time again.
Whoever you choose needs to be an all rounder, a blogger that for you is head and shoulders above the rest.

Flattered? Why yes of course I am!

Nervous? Hell yeah! Have you seen my competition? There are some amazing HUGE blogs in the running, and I count some of the bloggers as friends, not the competition!

Still, I have to do my bit, and I am launching my vote appeal. Apologies in advance if you have already voted, but if you haven’t, your vote counts for a lot! Whether it is for me or one of my friends, please head over to Sacha’s post here to click your choice!

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The deadline is 2nd June so please, vote soon!

If you’re looking to attend, the Bash is in London on Saturday 10th June and you can get your tickets here!

Find out more about the Bash here!

Thanking you in advance for your support Peeps!!!

71! It’s Pop’s Birthday!

22 May 2017 101 Comments

by Ritu in Family, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Birthday, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Family, Pops

Today is the birthday of a man who is very special to me. In fact, without him, I wouldn’t be around today, literally!

It’s Pop’s Birthday Y’all!

Now if you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you will know the importance that my Pops has in my life. He has been a tower of strength, a teacher of positivity, a provider of stability, a fount of love. And my brother and I are so lucky to have him as one-half of our amazing parents!

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I have always been a total daddy’s girl, and he has always doted on me.

Over 40 years ago, when I was born, a woman came to see me. My mum’s mother had come over from Kenya. This woman came over and practically started to mourn the fact that the grandma had come over and a girl, rather than a boy, had been born.

My Pops was disgusted, and said, straight to her face that she should be ashamed, being a woman herself, and saying that. When I was born, he actually distributed sweets to the family. At the time this was only done when a boy was born. But from the beginning, my Pops had a strong belief that we are all equal. Boy or girl, your baby was a blessing from above and we should be thankful for our child.

We were able to give Pops the surprise of a lifetime last year, when it was his 70th birthday, by arranging for the whole of his family to be in Finland, for a holiday to celebrate his big day. If you want, you can read more about that fantastic trip here.

I only wish we were able to give him that kind of surprise every year but alas, it is not always possible.

Still, I wanted to take this time out to say Happy Birthday Pops! I love you very much, and feel blessed to have a father like you! ❤

Happy Birthday

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 118

21 May 2017 35 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Calm, Health, Quote, Serene, Sore Throat, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday

“Health is a state of body. Wellness is a state of being.” – J Stanford

Spidey is trying to gee me up this weekend as I am suffering from a horrendous sore throat at the moment. Who knows who gave it to me… One of the lovely children at school? Someone at home?

I don’t know that, but what I do know is that it hurts! It’s been a while since I had a sore throat, and I have been wallowing in my own misery today, but I really need to buck up. I am getting rest, and relaxation, so I will get better. Positivity helps wellness I believe, just like paracetamol is great for health!

But we found this quote too, that raised a titter!

“I’d hate to be a giraffe with a sore throat!” – Mitch Hedberg

That’s me right now. Thanking God I am not a long necked animal!

So, I hope you all have a healthier weekend than me Peeps!

Enjoy your Sunday!

#SoCS May 20/17 – All Or Nothing

20 May 2017 42 Comments

by Ritu in Socs, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: All or Nothing, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Linda G Hill, Socs, Stream Of Consciousness Saturday

Linda’s #SoCS prompt this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “all or nothing.” Use one, use both, use them any way you’d like. Bonus points if you start and end your post with one (or each) of them. Enjoy!

All I am asking for is one full night’s sleep, one day with nothing major planned. A day and night where I can think of me…

But alas, tonight that sleep probably won’t come, or if it does, it’ll be drug-induced. I came home from school with a sore throat brewing. No fun! It hurts!

And tomorrow, well, that day to myself won’t happen. I need to go shopping, no proper food in the house! Then we need to pop to the local shopping mall, where my beloved Surface was given in for repair… They messed it up! But on the plus side, I shall be coming home with a shiny new one, and possibly an updated model too! Following that we are meant to be going to a function at the temple… then on to my in-laws for dinner.

When really, I need to sleep, and stay at home… Maybe Saturday will be my night of sleep, and Sunday will be my day of nothing!

Ritu’s Healthy Eating – Week 41 – #icandothis

19 May 2017 35 Comments

by Ritu in Health, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Health, Healthy Eating, Slimming World, Weight Loss

Another crazy week, busy, with eating on the hop!

But I managed another 1.5lb off!

I don’t quite know how that happened! I have been visiting the freezer rather a lot, eating Haagen Dazs and things like that too!

Also not sleeping well as my best friend is in labour, and has been since the early hours of Sunday morning… it is Friday now, and finally baby is thinking the pains can stop, and she is trying to bring this baby out into the world today and RIGHT NOW! Been constantly on alert, checking my phone for updates… that doesn’t help, when you a re tired you wanna snack too! OH God! Got the Alert! She has a GIRL!!!!!!

Still, foody pics for this week!