Linda G Hill | But I Smile Anyway...

#SoCS Aug. 20/16 – Date

20 Aug 2016 30 Comments

by Ritu in Challenges, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Date, Linda G Hill, Socs

Saturday is here which means it is time to look at Linda’s SoCS prompt!

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “date.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

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Date – It’s a heck of a long time since we went on a date. Having kids means that wanting to go out on a date means planning with military precision, with regards to childcare, where we are going, how far we go…

It isn’t often but we sometimes have the kids staying over at their grandparents for the night.

Now you’d think that was the perfect time for a date.. but usually we are so tired we end up staying at home, and the TV and a takeaway is the extent of our date… and inevitably, I go upstairs much earlier, and flake out before Hubby Dearest even gets to bed!

The last time we had a real date, hearts ‘n’ flowers and all, was my 39th birthday. He planned a most excellent weekend for us, a posh hotel up in London, a trip to the theatre to see ‘Thriller’, dinner at a restaurant we used to go to before getting married, and drinks at some of our old haunts in Leicester Square. The night at the hotel was lovely, not interrupted by kids, as they were at their grandparents, and there was a HUGE breakfast to eat the next morning, delivered to our room. Hubby had surpassed himself 🙂

Hmm…. It’s my birthday again in 2 weeks… 41… maybe we will get another date night fixed for then, just before term, and school madness starts!

Happy Saturday Peeps!

#SoCS August 13/16 – Cash

13 Aug 2016 55 Comments

by Ritu in Challenges, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Cash, Linda G Hill, Socs

SoCS prompt by Linda this week…#

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “cash.” Use it in your post as a noun or a verb… or a name! Enjoy!

Cash, money, wonga, dough…. and all the other names that currency has.

Do we have enough? Do we ever have enough?

Or do we have too much?

Do we put too much importance on the amount we have?

In this life, it is hard not to exist, in a First World way, without a decent supply of cash.

How many of you carry cash around? Or are you like the Queen, and other international dignitaries, who are above carrying money?

I am always amazed at people who whip out their card to pay for something that is £1.50 or something… I mean really? You don’t even have small change?!

How do you teach children about money, and all that simple financial knowledge, if you don’t have some coins about your person, or if you don’t pay by cash, in front of them?

ATMs, Cash Machines, these machines already make many children think that money is just there. You stick a card in, and press a few buttons, and Hey Presto! Cash in hand!

I find myself reiterating these simple things to my own kids, who still forget that mummy and daddy work hard every day to earn that money that is sitting in an account, behind those machines, and that each note is to be carefully spent. It doesn’t just appear because we requested £100…I wish!

Right now, we are actually saving some cash… redecorating rooms, without paying someone else to do them. I have never decorated before… painting and all, but we are doing this at the moment, stripping the kids shared room, and emptying the study, to create individual rooms for them… And it is amazing the cash we are saving, by doing it all ourselves!

But it is tiring, and sometimes I think.. is it worth it? Wouldn’t it be easier to just spend a little to make our headache someone else’s? The answer… I think is yes, it is worth it! Looking at our own work, and hopefully, two lovely bedrooms, will make us proud that we saved money, and that cash I saved, will be spent partially on a manicure and pedicure, to repair all the broken nails I have already managed to have!

There! Stream of Consciousness has now stopped running!

Check out the most amazing new SoCS badge, designed by John of The Sound of One Hand Typing!

#SoCS Aug 6/16 – Ex

06 Aug 2016 31 Comments

by Ritu in Challenges, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Ex, Linda G Hill, SCOS, Thoughts

Excuses – I’m always finding them, to explain why I’m putting off doing things like sorting out the kids bedroom… But I will do it, honest, it’s just that we have family over today for a barbecue so I need to clean the house from top to bottom! (Oops, see what I did there!)

Exercise – I’m attempting a lot of they right now, but exercise that will suit my knee problem, heel problem, and shortage of time problem. Today I may not get to walk, but my vigorous housework will count for something!!

Exterminate – I really am not into Dr a Who, so why did this come into my mind? Possibly because we needed to buy flea spray for the house yesterday. It’s that tine again… Thanks for the presents Sonu Singh, but we generally could do without fleas!

Extreme – I love that song by Extreme… More Than Words… Mmmmm Nuno Bettencourt…!

Existence – we are here… What are we here for? Have you worked out your purpose in life? Are we here just to exist, or do we each have a reason to be here?

Extrovert – I guess that is how I could be described by some! It’s not that I crave attention, but I am not worried if I get it! I’m not shy, put it that way.

Excited – I am, honestly, at the thought of finally getting the kids rooms sorted. We have four weeks of holiday left… Can we do it? As long as I don’t find any more excuses!!!

Written as part of Linda’s Stream ofConsciousness Series. Find the prompt here.

#SoCS July 30/16 – Art

30 Jul 2016 63 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Art, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Linda G Hill, Socs

Linda’s prompt…

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “art.” Write a post regarding “art,” be it an object or a name. Note: I’m not asking you to draw something, but if you’d like to, we’d love to see that too! Enjoy!

So tonight I am suffering from a real headache… I think it is a side effect of this detox tea I am drinking… sorry, TMI, but bad tummy all day followed by headache from hell, not great!

And during this suffering of mine, I had to accompany my mother in law to a special ladies afternoon. It is a time of year called Teeyan, celebrated in Punjab, when women, old and young, married or single, get together back in their villages, and enjoy time with no one there to stop them. They sing, dance, eat, chat, and enjoy the time with their friends and cousins.

We were encouraged to let our hair down, sort of ” what goes on tour, stays on tour” kinda thing! That meant, for many of the elder ladies, to dance, unashamedly, and sing slightly raucous songs, or tell dirty jokes… all was forgiven today!

What does this have to do with art? I can hear you…

There is art involved, from the singing and dancing, to the pretty hairstyles lovingly crafted by the women.

But one form of art I had to mention was the henna painting. Lil Princess was dying to have her hands decorated with henna, so I managed to take some photos of the Henna Artist in action, and the finished result, along with my hand too!

There you have it. ART!

#SoCS July 16/16 If/Then

16 Jul 2016 17 Comments

by Ritu in Challenges, Poems Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, If/Then, Linda G Hill, poem, Pupils, School, Socs

Linda’s SoCS prompt today…

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “if/then.” Begin your post with the word “If.” For bonus points, end your post with a phrase containing the word “then.” Enjoy!