This morning as I wake, Hubby Dearest and I celebrate twenty beautiful years of marriage.
Twenty years of building our life together, having our family, creating our forever home…
Twenty years ago, I left one life, and embarked upon another, equally wonderful, with different joys.
Parents love
Appreciated
Forever
Family
Celebrataion
Together
The last time
Family of four
Beloved
Welcoming
A new member
Forever
Twenty years ago
We pledged our love to each other
Promises to walk together
Stand by each other
Grow old together
Share a beautiful future
Together
And now, here we stand,
Hair grayer, laughter lines
Still strong
With our own family
Our home
And the promise of
Many, many more years
To come
Wishing my Hubby Dearest a very happy twentieth anniversary. Thank you for all the love you’ve showered me with. I’d never be happier anywhere else 💜
Okay… I have to admit it… I don’t always know everything…
Google Image
A couple of weeks back, I had to head into London for the first of a two day training course for work. It was a pretty straightforward journey, though the walk from the station to the venue was fun, with my phone map taking me on a merry ride!
I do like having the day out to learn new things with other like-minded professionals, and was excited at the prospect of the second day out, which was yesterday.
Then I got an email to say the venue had changed.
It was still London, but East London, and that meant I had to find a different way of getting there.
All the route planner apps gave me long winded ways to arrive, insisting that I had to leave at the crack of dawn and take 6,000 different tube trains, to get there for 8.30am (yes, 6,000 is a bit of an exaggeration, but what’s a little retelling without a bit of embellishment?) ready for registration.
I sat and chatted with my Bro in Law (BIL) and Hubby Dearest about the best way to get there, as nothing was making sense to me.
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Even my BIL was confusing me, with routes that would need 2-3 changes.
Hubby Dearest calmly said, “It’s fine, you just need the fast speed train then one tube…”
But was I listening?
No.
I sat studying a map for ages, my BIL getting more and more excited about how I could get there, and if I wanted to take a train at half past very early, I could join him, as that is when he usually goes.
But I was trying to avoid the overly early start…
I thought the train station would be the best place to go. They would give me the best route and train times in the kiosk.
Hubby tried to stop me going, but it was pointless, after all, I know best.
So Lil Princess and I went and spoke to the first ticket lady, who didn’t know where either Shadwell station, or Whitechapel were! She then pulled up the train app on her phone (which I had already looked at) and gave me a great route that included about 5 changes!
Lots of help.
Oh, and the advice I get a train to a specific station and take a 5 min walk to Bank tube station… when the actual station that is near where I would disembark was EmBANKment! That would have been fun if I’d listened to her!
I decided to try the actual ticket office, and the guy there was very helpful and friendly, but the same as the first woman I had spoken to. No clue as to how to properly advise me.
So, I turned back home, disappointed that I was in no better a position.
Hubby sat there, with his foot up (still being partially hoppalong at this moment) and said “So, have you found a good route?”
Sheepish Ritu
I admitted that I was nowhere nearer to knowing where I was going than when I left.
Then he calmly pulled out his phone and showed me a tube map. “Here. You get the fast speed train, like I said, then the pink line there, do you see, the Hammersmith & City line, and it takes you straight to Whitechapel. One change, and you’re done. And it’s fast speed so you don’t have to be up too early.”
He had been right all along… But I just wouldn’t listen, would I?
The journey was great, in the end. I caught a train at 7.21am and was at the venue dead on 8.30am! And home by 5pm.
Perfect.
I may just listen to him a little more, once in a while…
It’s not easy being the partner/spouse/family member of a blogger and writer.
I can only imagine what Hubby Dearest and my kids think I am doing, as I sit, reading posts, and laughing to myself, thinking, before feverishly writing comments…
The constant checking my notifications to reply to my Blog Peeps must be so annoying…
Me needing quiet as I write…
Wondering when I am going to bed, as I toy with words on a screen for what seems like forever…
Worrying if I may turn their latest silly comment into a blog post…
Hoping that I might stop soon, to feed them…
But knowing they got my back… Priceless.
The kids have been wonderful, you know, the last couple of weeks, as I finished my WIP. They even listened to snippets, giving me support and encouragement along the way.
Hubby Dearest is a quieter supporter; he lets me get on with things, and is pleased for me when things go well, but doesn’t always really know what I am doing!
But this year he is giving me some extra special support, by accompanying me to the Annual Bloggers Bash! I wanted him to come last year too, so he could meet some of the folks I try to talk about, but it didn’t happen.
This year, he decided that he would do it. Be there for me as I debut as a speaker (more on that below), and cheer me along at the awards too… (again, see below 😉 )
It’s quite a big thing, you know. I’ve been to several events with him over the last 20 years, as his plus one, for company parties. But this is the first time he’s going to be my plus one! (So to speak!)
We’ll try and book somewhere nice for the night, so I don’t have to rush off like a budget Cinderella at 6pm , to catch my train! and share more drinks and chats with my Blogily!
More on the post title about support…
Just in case you didn’t know, I’ve been nominated for the Best Overall Blogger 2018 award at the Annual Bloggers bash. I haven’t gone on about it TOO much (yet) because my WIP drained my attention and energy, but I am back!
I shall, shamelessly, ask for your support, to think about voting for me… but there are some other AWESOME blogs I am up against…
Please check them out, then click here to be directed to the voting post (to vote for me, obviously!)
There are eight other awards that are open for votes too, and believe me, some very deserving blogs on those lists too! Do vote in each category, it is so easy, simply select and click vote! Done!
But you can ONLY VOTE ONCE, so think carefully before voting!
The votes close at the end of April, so make sure you don’t forget!
And, if you hadn’t heard, I am even giving a talk (eek!) sharing
…my top tips from a working mother on how to keep your blog running smoothly and giving it plenty of attention without abandoning your family and real life too!
Your support in not throwing eggs or rotten fruit if you are there would be much appreciated… and hopefully I don’t put you to sleep! (I’ve worked really hard on the handout too!)
Click here for more information about the Guest Speakers for the day!
There will even be a panel discussion too, which is always so informative.
And there just might be some cake involved too…..
Those were my creations last year!
Are you coming to the Bash? Let me know in the comments, I’m excited to know which new blog pals I will get to meet this year, and catch up with my old Blog Buddies too!
Last year I spent the whole month of February celebrating #Loveuary. I posted each day about various different types of love, from the romantic, hearts and flowers type, to love for friends and family, pets, and favourite foods, things, songs…
It’s come around again so fast, and I couldn’t let Valentine’s day go by without mentioning it.
We decided that this year we wouldn’t make a big deal of the actual day. After all, why choose just one day to show our feelings for one another.
In fact, we aren’t even going to be with each other, as I drive up to my parents to see them today.
But that doesn’t take away from my feelings.
I can show love to my dearest in so many ways. And I can show it every day.
We’ve been as one over twenty years We’ve laughed so much, and shed some tears We vowed to spend our days together We gave our hearts to each other, forever I don’t need flowers or presents to see Just how much that you love me A simple look, a fleeting touch To me, those little things are enough And I hope you feel it too My neverending love for you
“Real love stories never have endings.” Richard Bach
Following in the vein of this special love filled weekend for my Hubby and I, Spidey found this quote which I absolutely loved!
Isn’t this just so true?
If you have found that love of your life, you don’t want your story written, and just signed off ‘happily ever after’… No! You want to continue growing together, evolving together, and writing more chapters of your life together.
Real love should be a never-ending series of books, not a one off chapter book!
I’m off to continue my 16th Anniversary celebrations!
But I Smile Anyway... 