But I Smile Anyway...

Chai And A Chat #185 #ChaiAndAChat

09 May 2022 25 Comments

Happy Monday to you all! Half a term done, half to go until the next half term break, not that I’m counting, or anything…

Right, so, have you got your drinks ready?

If we were having chai I’d start with school…another bank holiday means a change to routines which is always interesting. Still, we managed to have a mostly good week, although a lot of children have been off, with either ear-related viruses, or sickness, and the other class have chickenpox doing the rounds. the topic this term is growing, and they all planted sunflower seeds last week. The children are amazing us with what they are picking up and remembering! And it is this time of year when you really begin to see those switches flicking for a lot of them. Looking back to September, and seeing how far they have come, is immense! I am so proud of each and every one of them! And our management has been extremely concerned about ensuring everyone’s wellbeing is looked after. Each Friday morning they do a quiz and doughnuts session before the kids come in, but on Friday last week, it was Hide And Seek! There was a period of 15 minutes where everyone taking part hid and three seekers had to find the rest of the staff! Might sound silly to some, but it really helps with teambuilding and staff getting a chance to be together for a change, especially after all the segregation of Covid and the different strategies we had to put into place.
If we were having chai, I’d say that I braved another Asda delivery, on a Friday night, this time, as I don’t think it is a regular occurrence, what happened last time. As for that, I waited for a call back from management but got nothing. Then called on Wednesday and was assured someone would call back. Nothing. I called on Friday and was finally put through to the manager of the call centre. He, along with the other operators was very polite, and he even checked up to make sure the delivery that day was due on time. All in all, I got £35 compensation. Better than a kick in the teeth, eh!
If we were having chai I’d mention that Lil Man and his cricket is now in full swing with the season officially on. He played, as I mentioned in Spidey, yesterday, his old club on Saturday. And his new bat has arrived, fully knocked in, so I even tried to help him by bowling to him so he could practice batting. It lasted all of ten minutes because I am so bad at it! Them Hubby Dearest took over!
If we were having chai I would tell you that the day was beautiful on Sunday. Oh my goodness, it was so hot! I sat outside on my egg chair and read, and ended up eating three different ice creams or lollies because it was so warm!

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If we were having chai I would end, as always, with my Sonu Singh. He’s up to his usual mischief. On Saturday he made me laugh, though. He was lying on me, on my bed, and since he was so chilled, I thought it was the best time to trim his claws. He just about put up with me trimming three paws, then jumped off the bed. But he didn’t run away, which is what he usually does. He sat in front of the door. So I closed it. then he looked at me, with the clippers in my hand and he just collapsed on the floor, with his paw up, as if he was totally resigned to the fact that I was going to get him one way or another, so he should just give up! He lay there patiently as I quickly clipped the last paw claws, then got up and ran off! Bless him. I did giggle! But he got lots of scritches for being a good kitty, which he returned to me by licking me lots, and then sitting in front of my kindle as I tried to read! Thanks, cat!

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This week is a relatively normal week. Let’s see if most of the children are in and whether illness has passed, or not. We have dentist appointments, a beauticians appointment as well as the usual onslaught of cricket too. But something fun is next Sunday at 8pm when I am being interviewed by the lovely Amanda Prowse about the new release of Marriage Unarranged which is less than a month away, now, too! Eeeeek! Join us there if you can! In the Facebook My Book Friends Group!

https://facebook.com/events/s/guest-author-chat/447219796943398/

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Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 374 – New Beginnings

08 May 2022 43 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, new beginnings, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday

“Every moment is a fresh beginning.”
T.S. Elliott

Time to keep it calm and positive this week, eh Spidey! Especially after last week’s Asda fiasco!

Today I am using one of my children’s experiences to reflect on for the day.

Now, as most of you know, Lil Man is an avid cricketer, and all he has wanted to do, over the last few years is excel at what he loves the most. He spends time every day outside, practicing bowling, and batting where he can, taking on the tips of the coaches he encounters, to perfect his Leftie Spin bowling.

He was with one particular club for the first part of his cricketing career, and though he had matches and training, he never felt as if he was being pushed in the right way. Overlooked for games he should have been playing, and this was noticed by a good few of the other club members.

When he was selected to play for district cricket last year, he was over the moon, and it was suggested that a club change might be better for him, to a place where he gets pushed and is able to showcase his talents to the right people.

The house move meant that this was a viable option, which we took on, and this year the boy has been training with a club which is generally playing in Premier and First division games and boasts a good number of county players already.

He’s been really focussing on his training, and we have been supporting him in every way we can, even when he does something crazy like split his bat in half when he played a cracking shot in training a few weeks ago! (New bat was delivered, all knocked in, yesterday, phew!)

And the last couple of weeks, he has been playing some friendly games ahead of the season start. Initially, we were told he would probably be in the Sunday Development team, for the lads who are working well, but not quite at the main team levels, but he was selected for the third team this week, and for a moment was even considered for the seconds, too. (Well done, son!)

And guess who he was playing this week? His old team! He was a little worried about facing them, and the possibility of a bit of a backlash because he left them, but it was actually a joy to see how happy they were to see him!

Okay, so they lost, but with a very close score, and he bowled well, getting two wickets as well!

He sits and beats himself up, convinced that he’s the reason they lose, but cricket is a team sport, and he didn’t even get a chance to bat. And, no, he didn’t give away loads of runs, which is what he is convinced of.

But, what he doesn’t realise is that the club are already recognising his raw talents, considering they were ready to play him in the second team, today!

Working on making him realise that every day is a new beginning, every match is a new start, and that this new club will be amazing for him.

So, what advice would give a youngster who can’t see his own successes because he clouds over at the smallest of what he thinks are failures?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!

#SoCS – May 7 2022 – Phrases I Grew Up With

07 May 2022 22 Comments

by Ritu in #SoCS Tags: #StreamofConsciousnessSaturday, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Linda G Hill, Socs

Linda’s SoCS prompt

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “a phrase you grew up with.” Include in your post a phrase your mom/dad/grandparent/sibling used all the time when you were growing up, or just write whatever inspires you based on that phrase. Enjoy!

Coming from such a colourful background with where my family originates, culturally, as well as the locations they have lived, it means that there have been plenty of different phrases in a multitude of languages that have been used regularly. We have Punjabi phrases, English phrases, as well as Swahili ones since that is where my parents were born and brought up.

One of my favourites is most definitely Hakuna Matata, which is the Swahili phrase made famous by Disney with the release of The Lion King. It means no problem – a phrase used regularly in Kenya, where folk are so laid back they are practically horizontal!

A phrase bandied about a lot in my childhood as nothing was ever a problem. No matter what the issue, Hakuna Matata! It will get sorted out, don’t worry, just chill out! And I was even happier when the film came out and other friends of mine were suddnely aware of a language once foreign to them, and now a common phrase!

In Punjabi, Gadha, or Gadhe da Putar was another funny one. Gadha means donkey or ass. So calling someone a donkey or son of an ass when they were being particularly stupid or stubborn was a common one, too.

A common English phrase used is probably Don’t beat about the bush, because, as you know I do like a chat, and can go round and round before I ever get to the point!

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS May 7, 2022

The Burning Question by @Linda_Regan #BlogTour #NewRelease @fmcmassociates

06 May 2022 13 Comments

by Ritu in Blog Tours, Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Linda Regan, The Burning Question

I am thrilled to be a part of the blog tour for the new release by prolific crime writer, Linda Regan!

Here’s the blurb!

DCI Paul Banham and DI Alison Grainger are back. This time they’re investigating the tragic death of a young woman, burnt in her home. When another identical arson attack is reported, Grainger and Banham are on the hunt for a link, unaware that the new trainee DC, Hannah Kemp, already knows the connection.
She also knows that if she comes forward with the information, her own past will come to light, and she’ll potentially lose her job. But, if she doesn’t, more women will lose their lives.
Hannah knows who they are, and she knows their attacker will stop at nothing to keep his ring of illegal prostitutes earning. Once he realises Hannah is now a police detective, she, too, will be in mortal danger.
As the clock ticks against her own life, she must decide whether to stay quiet for the sake of her career, or risk everything she’s worked for to stop a ruthless killer once and for all.
With masterful suspense, Regan reunites readers with her beloved characters DCI Banham and DI Alison Grainger, and delivers one of her most chilling cases yet…

Now, as you will be aware, I am not often one to read crime thrillers, but I do dip in and out, and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed The Burning Question, enough to make me want to backtrack and read previous books!

The Burning Question: A compulsive British detective crime thriller by Linda Regan

Crime fiction is not something I often choose to read, but when I have, I’m pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it.
Despite not having read previous books in the series, I was able to get straight into the story of a team of detectives, assigned to investigate a death, which becomes a murder case, that then morphs into a possible serial arson case.
Entwined within the story, we find that one of the newer members of the MIT has murky background secrets which could tie in with the investigation.
I was gripped, I must say. The storyline was good, and I loved that there was a bit of romance and a human touch to what could have ended up being just another story set in a police station.

About the Author

Linda Regan is the prolific writer of eight crime novels, as well as a celebrated
actress on stage and screen. After winning a worldwide writing competition
with her novel Behind You! (2006), Linda published seven more novels,
including Passion Killers (2007) which was selected as a Sunday Observer pick
of the year. Since then, she has written the immensely popular DI Johnson
series (2015) and the DCI Banham series (2019).
In addition to her writing, Linda is a much-loved actress, known for her
recurring role in the hit BBC sitcom Hi-De-Hi, and guest appearances in popular
shows The Bill, Birds of a Feather, Doctors, and Holby City. Before joining the cast of Hi-De-Hi, Linda started out in a comedy dance troupe in her youth before going on to a lead role in the West End production of Tom Stoppard’s Dirty Linen. Playing such vivid and iconic characters throughout her career
has helped Linda to develop character-focused stories that bring a uniquely immersive filmic quality to the page.
In addition to her acting, Linda uses her personal experiences to write her signature brand of “strong crime”. All of Linda’s novels are set in South London, where Linda writes with meticulous knowledge of the landscape where she grew up and currently lives with her husband, actor Brian Murphy.