Thanks for that Meme, Spidey. It pretty much sums up my feels, right now!
I know I have shared something similar in the past, but right now, this whole sentiment of being a permanently exhausted pigeon hits the spot!
So, last weekend, Spidey and I had a break, as Pops and Mum were down, and we did spend wonderful moments with them, that went far too quickly.
And I am two weeks into my summer break.
Er, and I still don’t feel rested. But then, I suppose, in order to be rested, I’d actually have to be able to stop, for a h
The first week comprised of cricket (what a surprise!), at least 4 days, as well as the visit from my parents, which was lovely, but busy, and emotional too, which is to be expected after seeing each other after a year!
They left on Sunday, and then this past week’s commitments started, with a cricket tournament starting on Sunday, all afternoon, as well as a match on Monday and Friday, plus an eyebrow appointment on Tuesday, and then three visits to hospitals, (not for me, I was designated driver for my in-laws and their apppintments!) Two of those appointments needed them to be at the relevant hospitals early morning, and I had a 25 minute journey to them, followed by another half an hour to the actual appointments, so I was tired. The last one was actually my father-in-law’s cataract surgery, so I was sat in the car for 3 hours, waiting, and reading until he came out.
Friday/Saturday, aside from cleaning the house, and grocery shopping, I also built the garden furniture that we had ordered. Now we just need the weather to change, so we can enjoy it!
I have been shattered. This is why. No real time to stop, and put the breaks on. At least, I haven’t been in school, yet. I have tried, purposely, to stop thinking about work, even though I do end up with emails coming, that are still important ones to act upon, but I have managed to put them on the back burner, so far.
But, my writing mojo has disappeared. I really wanted to use August to do some more writing on book two, but it’s just not there, at the moment. I have sat with my document open several times, but nothing flows. My body and mind are on a bit of a strike, I fear.
Talking of body, my aches and pains are coming back, in the knees and shoulder… it’s not a fantastic place to be.
At least I am snatching time to read, though. Heaven knows I have enough books on that TBR pile, including another fourteen arcs I have a deadline on, to read!
I really must try and slow down… Someone, have a word with Life, and ask it to give me a little break… please!
So, what about you? Do you find it easy to step away from responsibilities, and take a well deserved break?
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness SaYour Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “wee.” Use the word “wee” or find a word that contains it and use it in your post. Have fun!
Oh, Linda, what a great word ‘wee‘ is, all in itself! I don’t really need to look for another, to be honest!
As a teacher, there will always be the toilet stories, and with me as an Early Years teacher, there are plenty.
We’ve dealt with little accidents, where a mis-aim has dampened clothes, to full on flooding (I mean, seriously where do these children hold in so much wee? They are tiny, so should their bladders be, yet when they go, oh, my, it’s like a waterfall!)
There’s the sneaky ones, where they are too shy to ask, and they calmly get up and go, leaving a telltale puddle on a seat, or worse, a wet patch on the carpet! I’ve even seen children so engrossed in their play that they don’t even notice the stream tricking down their legs, until they are saturated, and then, embarrased…
But, you kinda understand. They are little, they are still learning about control. By a few months into the new school year, most children are more aware of the expectation of toilet etiquette in school…
And, joy, in September, I’ll be presented with a new cohort, with not a clue, and so the prospect of more wee incidents… Great!
One week of the holidays done, and I have to say, it doesn’t feel much like rest and relaxation, especially when you have a son who plays cricket.
Also, I have been overindulging here so my drink of choice is a green tea. What about you?
If we were having chai I’d start by giving you a quick overview of the week… It was busy. Not one day was filled with nothingness, which I think I realy need, right now, but the plus point pf not being at school, was that I could sit back and nap, when needed!
If we were having chai I’d tell you that there was, as I mentioned earlier, a whole lot of cricket happening this week, Lil Man was selected for the District team this season, and they had a three day cricket festival to attend. He was due to play two of the matches and was very excited. The place the festival was being held at was a very prestigious boys boarding school, not far from where we live, with sports facilities that would shame your local sports clubs and gyms, seriously! We arrived on the Tuesday to be told the match was cancelled, as the other side couldn’t get a team together. Obviously, he was disappointed. But the coach said they could stay for a while and train in the state of the art cricket nets that this school has, so while he did that for an hour, I went for a stroll around the grounds of this school, that looked a bit like Hogwarts, I kid you not! The mixture of old buildings (school establised in the 16th centure, I believe) and modern facilities was amazing, along with beautiful gardens, filled with colour, and gorgeous lavendar. We walked around 8k steps!
If we were having chai I’d say that Wednesday was a more successful day for him, Cricket-wise. The weather was rather inclement, with covers having to go on three times, as we ran under trees for shelter, from torrentioal downpours, but they won the match. Though he only bowled two overs (should have had more!) he got two wickets so left the game with a huge smile! And on Cricket news, he played a mens game on Saturday, and again was left to bowl at the end, but only managed one bowl, getting the final wicket out on his first, and only throw! Sunday was a whole afternoon of cricket again, with his club having a cricket week for this next week. They kicked it off with an inter club fun tournament and he got a wicket again, and caught one out, too, so pretty productive!
If we were having chai I’d sthen fill you in on the next exciting part of my week, which was Pops and Mum coming over to see us, in the new house. I haven’t seen them for a year, so this was so, so special. They arrived on the Thrusday afternoon, and we spent the three days they were with us, just chatting, eating, reminiscing, walking, and Pops got to watch his grandson play cricket for the first time, too! Originally we had plans to go out and about more, but due to the current circumstances, we decided to limit that. But, mum did request visits to the local supermarkets, because she is odd like that! It was blissful. There were tears upon them arriving, and when they left, but I feel blessed to have had that lovely time with them!
If we were having chai I’d sigh and admit that the writing bug hasn’t hit me, yet. I was hoping that this holiday would give me the boost to really get going with writing again, but energy levels have been so low, I just can’t get my brain into gear, yet. But I have been catching up on my reading, as well as ending up with more new books on my Kindle and shelf! Ooops!
If we were having chai I’d leave you with an image of Sonu Singh, who seems to be using my desk chair more than me, recently!
This week, yuo, you guessed it, cricket, as always, with a game today, maybe Friday, and Saturday… but I also have a new duty this week, of hospital visits, for the in laws, as I am on holiday, so it means no one else has to take time off to take them to their various checks. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday are my medical days, that means! Maybe, just maybe, some words will appear on my screen, and I hope to devote more time to doing things that will male Lil Princess happy, too, since cricket is definitely not her thing!
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!
Last month was a wash out, with reports and assessments. This month is the last one of term, so I’m not holding out much reading hope to be honest! Still, I can try! And I have SO MAY ARCS to read, via Netgalley, that my brain is swimming with deadline dates! (Someone, tell me to stop agreeing to read, or requesting them!)
I’m not sure what I was expecting when I requested this book, but when I began reading I realised it was very different to my usual reading genre. Dystopian fiction is not really my thing, However, when you couple an unknown genre with a topic I love, which is motherhood, and family, and the lengths said mother would go to for hers, then you get a pretty good read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book on so many levels. Poppy and Alex are made for each other, but they really don’t get it. Well, not straight away. Despite being best friends for so many years, and taking their special yearly vacations together, things simmer, but never bubble over. Until one trip. A trip that changes so much. I have to say I felt for Poppy, so much through the whole book, holding onto her unrequited love, as well as trauma from the past. I honestly wanted to shake Alex. I mean, come on, why didn’t you give any indications any earlier, as to how you felt?! Still, I really enjoyed the read, and would recommend it for a great summer sizzler! Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
The title, The Lock In, really pulled me to request this book, and though it wasn’t about a lock in , in its truest sense, the story was a cringy gigglefest from start to finish! Imagine it, being hungover, in a house that has a huge leak, and locked in the attic with three other people. Ellen, one of the fated housemates, is suffering from a rather wild night before, and after discovering a leak, tries her hardest to find the off switch (!!) in the attic. So something I would do, pre being a homeowner. After no success, she has to wake her fellow housemates, to alert them to said leak, and request their assistance in turning off the water. Jack, the most recent addition to the house, is clueless, but Alexa, Ellen’s friend from university, and final housemate is savvier, however, doesn’t have the brute strength to actually turn the stopcock (that was under the sink, in case you needed to know!) off. They all find themselves up in the attic, questioning Ellen’s presence there, when the fourth in the adventure arrives, Ben, who was actually Alexa’s date. Now, his brute strength is another matter, and he ends up locking them in the attic, and breaking the door handle! The hilarity that ensues from being stuck with almost no phone (I won’t go into that, too much!), no toilet, food or water, along with old stories being recalled, oh, and the memories of an old romance that turned sour popping its head up, it’s an entertaining book. The visit back to 2009 with MSN Messenger, drunken nights and the first digital cameras took me back to my own youth! I found all the characters likeable in their own way and ended up with a soft spot for Jack, who is socially clueless but ends up in the limelight in a way he never thought possible.
Many thanks to NetGalley, and Penguin Mochale Joseph UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
Can I start by saying I want to go to Ferry Lane Market? I want to meet this cast of characters; colourful, caring and complicated! So, we have Kara, a woman stuck in an eight-year-old relationship, that is going nowhere, with barely the finance needed to stretch to living a little, outside of paying her mortgage. She’s in a job she loves, but without the appreciation from her boss, even that shine has dulled. Surrounded by people who care about her, she ends up on an adventure of a lifetime, after kicking Jago, her useless, cheating boyfriend, to the curb, to find her true path, I really enjoyed immersing myself in the world of the Ferry Lane market, and it was fantastic to read about a woman, just past what people would say was the prime of her life, finally finding her feet, her passion, and some love, along the way! And I’m looking forward to reading more about all the fantastic characters in the books to follow! Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Two woman, one man, livng far apart, yet irreversibly connected. Brilliant read! Seriously, I had one idea in my mind about what this book was going to be about, and though I clicked, part way through, the twists and turns to get to the conclusion were gripping! The stories of the two women, how we move from the present to the past, the takes interweaving, to create this blanket of connections… was fantastic! I can’t write much, as I would give the story away, but it’s good, trust me! Loved it! Many thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed part one of this book, so was thrilled to be able to read the whole of the novel. You know you’re in for a good read when within a few pages, you know exactly what you want to happen, and you speed through the chapters waiting for it, going on a fantastic journey to get to that expected destination. It was like that for me, with The Promise Of Summer. An easy, light-hearted read with three interesting characters; Ruby, with her obsession with having a baby, Kim and her secret, and Curtis… I was fascinated by Curtis, the whole way through! The pointers from the very beginning of the story indicated a person on the autistic spectrum, and it was just a joy to see him with his own happily ever after, to be honest. And don’t let me forget to mention Boomer, or Boomerang, the rescue dog, who ends up stealing plenty of hearts!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What’s Left Unsaid is a book that took me a little while to get into, but once I was in, I was hooked. Hannah Williamson is a woman with her own past and troubles. Having been sent to live with her grandmother, Mamaw, in a little town in Minnesota, on the pretext of looking after her, she embarks upon a job at the local paper, keen to get back to her real career in journalism. While there, she finds out about a story, something kept deeply hidden, which triggers her thirst for wanting to know more. The more she knows, the more invested she becomes in the story, not knowing just how involved she is to become. There are many issues raised in this book, not least the extreme prejudices that were held on to so tightly, in the South, but child abuse, depression, adoption, miscarriage… And to think it is a story based upon the real story of the author’s great aunt. A fascinating read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
So, what happens when you are a woman living the aftermath of a broken relationship, where you found your then partner, in bed, with another man? Coupled with doing your residency in a hospital, training to be a doctor? Alongside generally feeling like absolute rubbish, because, well, you are. Anyway, that’s how life has made you come to view yourself? This kinda sums up our heroine, Tess. Oh, but I forgot, she has these two voices in her head, or rather like the devil and angel one might have on your shoulders, she has the chat show host, akin to Jerry Springer, rubbing her face in all the downs she encounters, with the lovely Jane Austen on her other side, cheering her along, with her ladylike grace. While on her training stint in the hospice of the local hospital, she encounters a patient with who she develops a strong bond. What she wasn’t counting on, was the son of said patient, who brings back certain memories… yet, he doesn’t appear to remember her, at all. It took me a short while to really get into the swing of the book, but once I was there, I was THERE, if you know what I mean! Honestly, there were times I wanted to punch the Chat Show Host in the face – What an obnoxious man! But the light-hearted banter that spilt from the mouths of the two voices, along with the story, as it unfolds, had me wanting to read more! Many thanks to Netgalley and One More Chapter for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What an amazing read! No, seriously, I haven’t felt gushy about a book for a while, now, and this one, well, it gave me the feels. Now, it’s not a rom-com, as I usually enjoy, but the story of Patience, a woman diagnosed with Rett Syndrome in childhood, captivate me. I enjoyed how the book was written, with Patience’s point of view given through her thoughts, since, she is unable to talk, and the differing viewpoints of her family: both parents and her sister, Eliza. Life can’t be easy as a carer, and member of family of an individual who is diagnosed with such a disorder. You often find the world sympathising with them, but this also turned the tables on that, by providing Patience with a voice. Regardless of whether she was able to talk, move, feed. herself, etc., she still has opinions, and thoughts, reminding me that we never know what is going on in the mind of someone we may consider ‘disabled’. Thoroughly enjoyed this. Many thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
Released on 5th August, 2021
Well, I am quite impressed with myself to be honest! After a thankless last couple of months, with the house move and the last term of the school year, reading has always been there, but not at the forefront of my life, so nine books, this month, I think, is a winner!
So, were there any there that sparked your interest? Let me know what you’ve been reading this month, too!
But I Smile Anyway... 