Blog Post | But I Smile Anyway...

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 294 – Hang On

25 Oct 2020 44 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Quote, Spider, Spiderman, Spidey's Serene Sunday

“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Gotta say, Spidey, you hit the nail on the head with this one, this week!

Ever had that feeling that you are literally at the end of your tether, and one more thing will just cause you to totally lose it?

I, personally, have been feeling like that the last few weeks. So much going on, at work and in my personal life, at home, that I waas beginning to feel like that camel, anxious about the last straw that was going to break my back.

What with the home ‘improvements’, errant builders and decorators all vying for attention, or disappearing before finishing things, or trying to get more money out of us because they misquoted, Hubby Dearest has been on edge. This, in turn, affects me, as he is trying to work from home, as well as trying to manage these issues, and when I get home, he has a list of complaints, moans aand worries, and the worst thing is I, physically, can’t do anything, unless I jack my job in.

Then we have my job.

I am loving the new challenge of being the Phase Leader, and I think I’m doing okay… but the stress of a mamagement role, and especially any role in leadership, during the pandemic, in a school, is TOUGH! It’s not as tough for me as it is for the Head, but still, there is a huge responsibility upon our shoulders, and this first term has been a killer eight weeks long.

We’ve all been slowly crawling to this week, where we finally get a week off, but the world didn’t want us to have it too easy, throwing four cases of COVID-19 into the mix at school, in the last two days. (Thankfully, not in my bubble, but still…)

Then dealing with an extremely close family member getting a diagnosis that no one wants to hear, and being helpless, being in a different country, and unable to be there, or to be with the people in this country, who need support, due to this danged Pandemic…

And, to top it off, a teenager causing grief for his grandmother… and needing to act as a mediator…

Tether? End? Yup. I’m there.

But, I’ve tied that knot, so to speak and held on, and finally am in the week of holidays. I’m not sure quite how restful it will be, what with estate agents due to come to arrange valuations, etc, but I’m planning on resting, as much as I can, reading, clearing out more junk, so whenever we do move, there is less to manoever, and hopefully, writing!

So… tell me, how easy do you find it, to ‘hang on’?

Have a peaceful Sunday Peeps. And enjoy your week!

Chai And A Chat #106 #ChaiAndAChat #CoronaDiaries Week 30

19 Oct 2020 27 Comments

by Ritu in Chai and a Chat Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogging, Bloggr, Chai and a Chat, Corona Diaries

So, by my reckoning, it’s been thirty weeks that we have been living with this viral pandemic that has turned our lives on their heads…

Absolute madness!

Right, are you ready with your drinks? I know I am!

If we were having chai I’d start with school, as always! It’s been another eventful week, as always. I’ve had official meetings with parents, regarding that child who is extremely disruptive. I’ve also been out of the class a bit, as I completed my course to become a DSL, which stands for Designated Safeguarding Lead, so anyone with concerns regarding a child relating to Child Protection, can come to me for advise, and reporting, etc. It waas quite intense, the training, but it also makes you view, and question, certain behaviours, much more. Then I’ve been assessing my lovelies, and creating new groups for them all (That’ll confuse them this week. Will they remember which group they are in?) And I’ve had great fun preparing my class for this week’s learning. We are exploring Autumn and the story Pumpkin Soup, so I went all out, buying different squashes, etc, for the display, and exploration!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ritu Bhathal ✍🏽📚💜 (@ritubhathalwrites)

If we were having chai I’d tell you that finally, the HOUSE IS DONE! Sure, there are a couple of tweaks left, but we have all the main stuff done. The walls are painted, carpets and flooring done, curtains replaced where needed, the outside is also painted, the bathrooms are lovely, the kitchen has been zhuzhed up, too… all that is left is a couple of blinds that need replacing and two light fixtures that need to be put back! Phew! Now to get to market!
If we were having chai I’d excitedly tell you that I was invited as an author to a virtual book club meet all the way in the US. I still can’t believe that total strangers read my book, and wanted to talk to me! But it was such a fun meet up.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ritu Bhathal ✍🏽📚💜 (@ritubhathalwrites)

If we were having chai I’d mention that the rest of the week has been the usual run of the mill craziness, with ferrying kids around to places they need to be at, vaccuuming the house several hundred times because of the new carpet, and suchlike, but something else that was really exciting, was that when I looked at my Instagram, I’d hit 2000 followers! Woohoo!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ritu Bhathal ✍🏽📚💜 (@ritubhathalwrites)

This week, we wind down for the first of the academic year’s breaks. It is the October Half term week off, and boy do we need it. But we still have this week to get through. The Friday will be manic, once the kids leave the classroom, as I have to heft all of the furniture back onto the carpet, as the wooden floor that is there needs sanding and polishing. It’s all well and good, but it means that when I come back in, a week after, I have to get it all ready for the kids in an hour or so, before school opens. Maybe, just maybe, the house will be finally on the market by next week, too!

And while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!

Have a wonderful week, Peeps!

You Really Read My Book? – Ritu Bhathal

18 Oct 2020 Comments Off on You Really Read My Book? – Ritu Bhathal

by Ritu in My Writing, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Club, Marriage Unarranged

I’d love for you to pop over to my other blog, to read about something really fun that happened to me – it’s Ritu meets Book Club! Click below to read and comment.

Source: You Really Read My Book? – Ritu Bhathal

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 293 – Wait

18 Oct 2020 25 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Quote, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday, Waiting

“Good things come to those who wait. Better things come to those who try.”
Nishaan Panwar

Thanks for that reminder of using patience, and a little effort to get where we want to, Spidey!

So, as you know, we have been waiting, patiently, for the builders and decorators to finish up work around the house, and I can finally say that it is all done!

(Pretty much.)

There have been niggles, but which job doesn’t have those?

Contractors who seem to be great, then they begin to show true colours. Trying to pass off extra costs above the agreed price, turning up late, making excuses…

But, no worries. It’s done, more or less, as I said.

We now have the joy of tidying up after them, getting the aethetics right, getting the agents round to do the valuations, then putting it on the market!

Our plans to start this project began a couple of years ago, and as we were gathering quotes and recommendations, getting geared up to actually start, the pandemic hit.

This scuppered so many of our plans, but we persevered, and got there in the end.

No point waiting for this pandemic to disappear…

Here’s to more positive steps!

So… tell me, are you a wait-er or a do-er?

Have a peaceful Sunday Peeps. And enjoy your week!

Secrets In The Snow by Emma Heatherington @emmalou13 @fictionpubteam #BlogTour

17 Oct 2020 7 Comments

by Ritu in Blog Tours, Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Emma Heatherington, Secrets In The Snow

I was honoured to be asked to take part in the blog tour for Emma Hetherington’s new release, Secrets In The Snow.

Here’s the blurb:

Perfect for fans of Karen Swan and Lulu Taylor!

As the winter snow falls on the small Irish village of Ballybray, Roisin O’Connor and her young son, Ben, are saying goodbye to their beloved neighbour Mabel Murphy. Mabel lived a bold and colourful life, but the arrival of her brooding nephew, ‘blow-in’ Aidan Murphy, just makes life more complicated for Roisin.

However, in one final act of love, a message arrives from Mabel that changes everything. And as winter turns to spring and the cold snow melts, the secrets both Roisin and Aidan are hiding must be revealed at last…

Available to purchase here – http://smarturl.it/SecretsInTheSnowPBO…

My review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Roisin has had a rough ride in life, bouncing from foster carer to foster carer, before entering into an abusive marriage.
Through a welcome tragedy, she finds herself widowed and wants to make a fresh start for her and her son, Ben.
A pin in a map lands her in a tiny village called Ballybray in Ireland, and it couldn't be more different from her upbringing in the city of Dublin.
Once there, she finds that she has an interfering neighbour, Mabel Murphy, an elderly widow, with a New York twang, who refuses to believe that this young woman would prefer to be alone.
What develops between them, is a friendship stronger than most, more akin to family.
Life is idyllic, almost, until Mabel gets ill and passes away.
But this meddling neighbour isn't finished with her work to make sure Roisin lives her life to the fullest.
Somehow, from beyond the grave, she's arranged for some messages, specifically for Roisin, and Aidan, Mabel's nephew, who has been in the US for the last fourteen years, and only comes back to Ballybray to attend the funeral and sell off her property.
What follows, in the story, is the impact of the messages that Mabel sends, seasonally, for these two lost souls, over the course of a year, and how the words of a soul long gone, can still have a positive effect on the lives of those left behind.
I truly enjoyed this book. Wonderful characters. Everyone needs a Mabel Murphy in their lives.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Written by the amazing Emma Heatherington.

Emma Heatherington is a bestselling author from Donaghmore, County Tyrone.
Her novels include the Amazon UK Top 10 bestseller and Amazon US hit, The Legacy of Lucy Harte, and A Part of Me and You, which reached the USA Kindle Top 100 and the UK Top 40.
Her latest novel, A Miracle on Hope Street is a heartwarming Christmas themed story of love, kindness and friendship.
As well as novels, Emma has written scripts for over 70 educational short films and plays and was ghostwriter for country legend Philomena Begley on her autobiography, My Life My Music My Memories (The O’Brien Press, 2017) and Nathan Carter’s life story, Born For The Road (Penguin Ireland) which was shortlisted for the An Póst Irish Book Awards 2018.
She also regularly contributes to the Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life newspapers and has appeared on chat shows on RTE, TV3 and UTV.
Emma is a mum of five, aged from 23 to 4 years old and her partner is Irish artist and singer/songwriter Jim McKee.