Spidey’s Serene Sundays | But I Smile Anyway...

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 399 – Friends

30 Oct 2022 37 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Friends, Spidey's Serene Sundays

“In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips.”
Anon

I do love a chocolate chip, Spidey!

So, it’s the last day of my half-term break, and yes, I have rested. I read many, many books. I also did a little work on the manuscript and have sent my edited version to the publisher and editor!

But the most fun thing was that I met my friends! Two sets of friends, actually Ona slightly newer bunch, in the Society of Authors, local chapter. We had a great evening chatting about all things writing and publishing. There are a few very successful and prolific writers within my group. I am fortunate to be a part of it!

The icing on the cake this week though was meeting my Tootie Frooties! If you go back around three or four years on my blog, you’ll have seen me mention them more. We are a group of women and mums who came together a while ago. All like-minded with the need to be able to let down our hair without the constraints of being mums and wives. We even completed a charity walk in London for Cancer Research a while back.

Long story short, our friendship has been there throughout the last few years, but what with Covid and lockdowns, and life, we haven’t been able to meet up for around three years. Our WhatsApp group has remained active, and some of us have met individually here and there, but a physical meet-up hasn’t happened. Life happens. Some members weren’t able to be there, but seven of us managed to get together for a drink, a lovely Italian meal, and a lot of laughs.

It was much needed.

It was a later night than I am used to since I am getting older now😜 and need my sleep, but I felt so refreshed after!

So, tell me, how often do you get out with your friends?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 398 – Take a Break

23 Oct 2022 21 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Battery recharge, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Relax, Spidey's Serene Sundays

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… even you.”
Anne Lammot

Lovely quote and an apt reminder, there, Spidey. Thank you!

As I write this, I am aware it’s later than usual, because I have been doing what the quote said and powering down for the week.

It is finally half term break for us teachers and school kids and boy was this term long! For us it was eight weeks of hard slog; settling in the new children, and dealing with a few unexpected situations, but we got through. It is done, and now I have a week to relax and unwind.

What will I do?

Well, there are a few things.

I will switch off, totally, to start with, then I have Diwali to look forward to, as well as a meeting with the local Society of Authors group, and I believe I have a dinner with my girlfriends tentatively planned at the end of the week, too!

But, I also want to get some editing done, too, so that has to be a bit of a priority… after I have powered down for a few days, first, though!

So, tell me, what do you do to switch off?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 397 – Ouch!

16 Oct 2022 46 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Aches and Pains, aging, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Spidey's Serene Sundays

“Back pain is youth leaving the body.”
Anon

Ouch! Boy, do I agree with you there, Spidey!

The last week I have had a particularly painful week with my back aching, and my knee began its thing too… (remember, two years ago, I was in agony with my knees and phantom pains in other joints? All the tests and scans came back with nothing. And pains are back…)

I have not slept a full night with the aches, and sometimes sharp pains. in my hip, too.

Oh, I am definitely feeling my age creeping up on me.

Painkillers, hot water bottles and my back support are my best buddies right now…

So, tell me, how do you cope with the aches and pains that life grants you?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 396 – Relief

09 Oct 2022 37 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Relief, Spidey's Serene Sundays

“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
John Lennon

Loving this pearl of wisdom from John Lennon, this week, Spidey! Thank you!

If you recall my post on Wednesday, I was rather nervous about something… (I may be able to be a little less secretive in my Chai Chat tomorrow, but it won’t be full disclosure, unfortunately!)

Something that had been building for a long while.

And now it’s over, I can honestly say, it is, thankfully ‘the end’, at least for now. Because there will be sequel to this event, but, fingers crossed, not for a long while!

I have celebrated by doing pretty much nothing this weekend, as well as having a couple of glasses of well-deserved glasses of wine. Because my mind and body needed that release. And I need to ready myself for other challenges that have been languishing in my nerves and stress surrounding this last chapter.

So, tell me, how do you wind down after a particularly stressful situation?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 395 – Weather Alert

02 Oct 2022 25 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Spidey's Serene Sundays, weather

“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.”
John Ruskin

Thank you, Spidey, for helping me with another great quote!

Yes, yes, I am late again, but I was too tired to write the post last night!

So, where was I? Ah, yes, the weather…

As I sit here typing, the rain is beating a merry rhythm on my study window.

I won’t complain. After the extreme heat of the summer, the grass needs as much of a soaking as it can get, and I much prefer my garden to look lush and green, rather than scorched and yellow as straw.

It’s easy to get grumpy about the weather, isn’t it? For some, nothing is right.

The rain is too wet

The wind is too blowy

The sun is too hot

The snow is too cold

But, sometimes it is good to try and find that silver lining.

The rain is nourishing our plants and wildlife and refilling our reservoirs.

The wind is giving everyone a little shake-up to remind you to sweep up those leaves later.

The sun is giving your that dose of Vitamin D that some of us really need, and warming our souls.

The snow lets us cosy up with our loved ones and enjoy just being together.

Before anyone says it, yes, extreme weather is something different. Hurricanes, heavy storms, heatwaves; they aren’t fun, and not for the faint-hearted…

I think that even though some weather may make me sigh, disheartened, because the rain cancelled plans, or the heat is too much for what we wanted to do, there is still always something positive about it all.

I don’t even have a favourite kind of weather, or season, because each kind brings something positive, with it.

So, tell me, what is your favourite season?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!