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

Liebster Award

29 Aug 2016 11 Comments

Thank you so much to the Blog Southern By Design for nominating me for the Leibster Award! I have accepted this a few times in the past so I am reblogging, but thought I could answer the questions provided!

What is your favorite subject to blog about? Whatever inspires me!
Where is your favorite vacation spot? A beach.. a sandy beach…in hot weather, anywhere!
Do you enjoy the outdoors? If so what is your favorite thing to do. I’m not a big outdoorsy person, but when I am out, I love to walk.
Favorite food? I’m a woman, need to ask? Chocolate!
Do you prefer mornings or evening? I am a morning person, up early, fresh so I can do lots, but I also love the late evenings once the kids are in bed, so I get more me time!
If you could be anyone famous who would it be? Why? No one famous, I’m happy being me!
Best day ever. Too many to choose just one! Getting marrined, becoming a mother x 2, publishing my first book, becoming an aunty…
Favorite color. – easy one! Purple!
One thing you could not live without? my family
If you were on a desert island would you rather have your favorite book or pen and paper? pen and paper, so I could create!
Text or talk on the phone? depends on to whom! Sometimes talking is easier and more ‘straight away’ but there are other times when you don’t want a conversation so a text will do!

There you go! Thank you again for the nomination! I am humbled 🙂

Southern By Design

award

A big thank you as I was nominated to this award by UnmotivatedEnthusiast & Yasminmay. In my short time in the world of blogging I have had much encouragement, this also means a lot!

From what I have read this tag has been going on for quite some time now…” The word “liebster” means “dearest” or “favourite” in German, and the tag is used to spread the love awareness for the smaller bloggers in the community.”

So, this is how it works…

The rules:

♦ Thank the blogger that nominated you
♦ Write 11 random facts about yourself
♦ Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger that nominated you
♦ Nominate 5 to 11 other bloggers and let them know they’ve been nominated
♦ Come up with 11 questions for the bloggers you’re nominating

Here are 11 random facts about myself:

I am the oldest of five- 3 sisters and…

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#SoCS August 27/16 – your/you’re/yore

27 Aug 2016 9 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Socs, You're/Your/Yore

Another Saturday regular challenge, by Linda, the Saturday Stream of Consciousness Challenge.

Today’s prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “your/you’re/yore.” Use one, use them all, but whatever you do, enjoy!

Imagine you’re transported back in times of yore, with only your book for company…

How would you promote it?

Short and sweet!

Tweaking…(not Twerking!)

26 Aug 2016 74 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, theme change

Well hello again! I have one quick thing to mention…I tweaked my blog theme, colour, font and widgets.

What do you think?

A Little Hiking

26 Aug 2016 57 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Family, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Family Time, Nature, Shorne Woods Country Park, Trails, Walking

A couple of weeks back, we went on a little family hike around a local country park, Shorne Woods Country Park.

The park was once part of the Cobham Hall estate, before being passed on to the local council for use as a country park. There is even an old clay pit which is being reclaimed by nature now!

It’s a wonderful space, full of nature. From wildlife to plants, trees to fishing lakes, there is a lot to see. There are walking trails laid out, from the easy to proper hiking trails, bicycle paths and dog walking areas. You can ride a horse along certain trails, and there is even disabled access, and trails suitable for mobility scooters.

There is a fragrant sensory garden which is neighboured by a small pond that is used for pond dipping.

All around are beautiful wild flowers growing, encouraging the minibeasts to do what they do best, and pollinate! There are many breeds of dragonfly that were endangered, but are breeding well here!

As you walk around, you go through dense forest, as well as large greens. There are quite a few ‘dead’ trees too. Each one looks so intriguing. The kids managed to climb up a few too!

One of my favourite parts of Shorne Woods Country Park is the Fairie Ring. There is a staircase carved into one of the declines, that is around 140 steps down. Note the sign requests no cycling… as if lol!

It is a beautiful little clearing in a glen that we come to where there is a circle of wooden carved tree trunk seats that have been placed there. I have tried looking for the history behind this ring but couldn’t find anything!

And I think that my favourite sign has to be this…

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To climb back up, via the staircase, the way is signposted as Cardiac Hill! And I tell you what, on a warm day, it can feel like you’re going to suffer a heart attack going up!

Another little nugget of history is the Rhododendron Walk, where couples used to come for romantic walks, or rather carriage rides amongst the Rhododendron Bushes! As they started to overtake the woodlands, the Rhododendrons are no longer there, but you can see the carriage pathway.

We spent a few hours there, walking our own trails, hopping from one to another, and there are also children’s play areas set up too, with various activities for the more traditional ‘park’ enthusiasts, with slides, and swings, and climbing frames.

During school time the park also hosts Forest School sessions where children are allowed to learn in nature. They get shown different plants and fungi, taught what is safe, and what is not, then there is a huge clearing which has been furnished with all manner of sticks and logs, and they children can climb and den build. At the end, they have a campfire, and drink hot chocolate, and even toast marshmallows!

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A hand holding a flint tool, which is an homage to Stone Age flint tools that were also found there.

There is a great Eco-friendly Visitor centre there, with cafe and shop, several ice cream places dotted around too! But it is fun to make yourself a picnic and eat out in the open on a beautiful day!

It is a truly great place to visit, with or without kids!

Impromptu Day Trip!

25 Aug 2016 50 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Family, Sonu Singh, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Buffet, Children, Family, London, O2, Overeating, Pets, Sonu Singh

As you may have seen, I have been busy on my exercise bike, this evening, pedalling away furiously, even in all this heat, as I may have overindulged a little today!

It all started quite normally.

A leisurely wake up, appreciating the last few days of the school holidays, and a late breakfast. Followed by reading of posts, and reading on my Kindle, lounging on the sofa, as you do.

Then Hubby Dearest came and asked what we wanted to do today.

While we were sorting the children’s rooms out, we hadn’t had a chance to take them anywhere fun, and the holidays are coming to a close soon enough, so we thought we could pop out for the afternoon.

The kids wanted a trip to the swimming pool, or the paddling pool out, Lil man wanted to go to the Cricket nets (a real fun family day!) but Hubby Dearest suggested visiting a Dog Home!

No, don’t get all excited, we haven’t come home with a Punjabi mutt to match Sonu Singh!

Hubby Dearest would love a dog dearly, but right now it doesn’t feel right. It would be unfair on a new pet to be settling in, and we are all back at school/work, but the children do love animals too, and they are always asking why the local pet shops don’t have cats and dogs.

We could have been sensible and found a place to visit that was in Kent, but we decided to go to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, in London!

So after lunch, we got into the car and off we went!

It was 2pm so we had two hours to at least get there, and we aren’t far from London…but there is always traffic! And don’t forget the heat! The AC decided to choose today to play up, and even with windows down, we were hot and bothered!

Lil Man was quite excited to pass The Oval Cricket ground on the way too!

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At 3.30pm we pulled into a parking space conveniently close by, and paid for an hour’s parking (£2.50! Exhorbitant!) And our little adventure began…We had around an hour to go and visit both the Cats and Dogs.

Image from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home Website

I was not allowed to take photos inside, but oh, the little faces on the animals there! I think, if we were a little softer, and had we been there a tad longer, we would have been registering ourselves as a rehoming family… and would have ended up with at least 2 dogs and 3 more cats!

The kids where in their element!

They were flabberghasted at the fact that these animals needed homes. I think it was a good life lesson, taking them there, to see that you can’t make certain decisions light heartedly. So many of these animals were left there by people who couldn’t cope… And how stressful for the pet, who is used to their home, and then ends up in a pen, with all these strangers, however nice, looking after them.

We managed to drag ourselves away from there, just about and set off home, at around 4.30pm. And the wonderful bit of technology we call the Sat Nav decided to take us on a scenic route, all the way through the Centre of London!

Past the Houses of Parliament, the Shard and some intriguing ‘men’ climbing up a wall holding instruments!

It was 6.30pm and we had only got as far as Greenwich, near the O2, due to crazy traffic, so Hubby Dearest made a good call to stop there for dinner.

So glad to be out of the sweatbox, I mean car!

We went to Jimmy World Grill and Bar. It’s a huge World Buffet restaurant with Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Mexican and American cuisine… hence the manic cycling when we got back!

That’s how much I ate… oops!

And after eating we needed to get back to our real furbaby Sonu Singh, who had been waiting at home patiently…

But I had to take this photo of the masks on display in the restaurant!

I love a good mask!

The sky was starting to get a little duller, and as we walked to the car, Lil Princess spotted the Canary Wharf skyline.. “Look, Daddy! There’s your old work!” Hubby Dearest looked over wistfully… I think even though working from home is a wonderful thing, he is missing life in London too!

(Oh, and £6 parking for 2 hours!What is it with London and crazy parking fees?!)

Canary Wharf

And now we are home, the children are asleep, possibly dreaming of new pets, and they have already mentioned going to the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home branch they ahve in Brands Hatch, closer to us, tomorrow!

But I would hate for our lil furbaby to think we are forgetting him…

Sonu Singh, we love you lots and lots, and you’ll always be our favourite kitty!