Frump to Fab 2017 - A Whole New World

sugarbaby125

Hi Ladies,

Maman, I have not been going to Karaoke, as I would normally do a lot of energetic dancing at Karaoke and that would bring on chest pain and make my heart rhythm become erratic. I simply can not sit still if my body hears music that I like. I really miss Karaoke and dance nights.

I am sticking to social pursuits that allow me to sit down more than dance around, like going to the cinema, the theatre and other shows.

I had an appointment with my physiotherapist on Thursday and she was really pleased with the progress that I had made in 2 weeks since my 1st appointment with her. I was having chest pains that day despite taking painkillers, so I was a bit wheezy and breathless, but I still did the exercises she had set me. I have to continue with the original four sets of exercises and add 1 more set of exercise now.

By the time September comes I expect to be more or less back to my normal flexibility and to not be experiencing muscle pain or stiffness.

Floss, your bra tale made me laugh. :rotfl: As I am flat chested, I rarely wear a bra and as I have gained too much weight, the bras I do own are tight at the moment, so I avoid wearing them most days.

Indie, you have done so well in your professional career and you also spend time and money on the social adventures and experiences that make you happy. You seem to have a good work/life balance. Be proud of your achievements as I am sure you have had to work very hard for them.

LaineyT

Morning lovely ladies,

Have been gradually catching up on your posts after a busy week.

Sugarbaby how horrid that the comedian was downright offensive, good for you for making your feelings known via the review.
Indie ah Scotland, we spent a lot of holidays there as children as my darling Dad was of the mind that we should be out in the fresh air rather than laying on a beach so hill walking and pony trekking were our main activities
LL was pleased to read that your sister has upped her monetary offer but even more so that you are sceptical about her reasons, you are a sensible lady who won't be used in that way again.
Floss I always wear underwired as well and wouldn't feel quite 'in' without!

Well, certainly had a fab Friday as we went to the races, it's my favourite meeting of the year, the Moët and Chandon July festival and Friday is Gentleman's Day. We always get dressed up to go and this year was no exception. The weather wasn't so kind, cloudy and breezy so I plumped for a navy dress with a silver grey bird pattern, a silver grey cropped cashmere cardie with 3/4 sleeves, my accent colour was red so suede effect mules in that colour with a red clutch bag. I don't tend to wear red lipstick as struggle to find one that suits but I spoke to a lady on the Est!e Lauder counter and she suggested a lovely shade which surprisingly made my blue eyes 'pop' more. I felt glamorous and thoroughly enjoyed my day, especially the people watching
We had a few flutters on the horses, personally I had two winners and two places so came home with money to spare, all in all a perfect day.
Boy do my feet know I wore heels and stood around a lot :rotfl:

lessonlearned

Lainey.....I love going to the races. Well done on your wins, and your outfit sounds fab. Rest those feet today. :rotfl:

Well I am having one last final painting dining chairs session. 6 chairs and 4 to 5 coats of paint on each chair is a LOT of paininting. The barley twist legs and struts are very fiddly. I still need to do the bookcase, tv unit and coffee table but I am going to have to take a break. I'm all painted out for now.

DS2 is off next week so he will be doing most the bedroom, very high ceilings. I will give him a hand but just do the easy bits.

I think I shall be losing the cat at the next of next week so I can then tidy up the garden, and replant where kitty has dug stuff up. I want to get it really nice for next year and don't want to spend too much on mature plants for an "instant garden". So if I plant now they will be a decnt size by next year and should make a good show for when the house goes on the market.

I have been thinking about the coming winter and how to thrive whilst living alone. Main reason is I really don't like driving at night so I will be spending quite a few winter evenings "home alone".

I have decided that in addition to my usual winter preparations and getting cosy I shall be doing some serious Hygge. I have started by buying books, and some DVDs to stockpile. I've also started recording films on the TV to watch later. Of course I shall be away for the worst of the winter - January and February so I don't think I'll find it too difficult to cope.

I don't mind my own company as long as I have interesting things to do. However, I don't want to fall in to the habit of watching Junk TV just to pass the time. Of course I will still get out and about during the day. And the big plus is that living where I am then a taxi into the city for a night out won't break the bank.

As much as I like the countryside I am learning that there a lot of advantages to city living. I had to smile yesterday when I was in the charity shop. The volunteers, all ladies of a certain age, were discussing the pros and cons of keeping their cars, and when to give up driving. I think where you live has considerable bearing on that decision.

Much as I like having a car I could live here without one. Something to think about when I do eventually buy my "forever home".

Sugarbaby. Good to hear that you are feeling better. Fingers crossed for you.

LaineyT

Thank you LL we are extremely lucky living so close to Newmarket and make an effort to go several times a year but have to say the July festival is my favourite, people seem to make more of an effort to dress up, it's not quite Ascot but close.
It's nice to have projects and ideas to think about isn't it, I recently ordered a couple of secondhand books and they arrived this morning, one is a field guide to the wild flowers of Britain and the other is also a field guide but to the trees and shrubs. I love walking in the countryside but my knowledge of the flora and fauna is woefully limited so have decided to change that, not sure how my little dog will feel about me keep stopping to stare though, being a spaniel she's forever on the move!

maman

Your post put me in mind of this poem Lainey.

Leisure

William Henry Davies

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

lessonlearned

Love that poem.

Well the chairs are finished:D. And so am I. :rotfl: I'm done for.

Going to sit outside with a book. It's a bit chilly so might need some throws. But it will get me away from the smell of paint.

indiepanda

lessonlearned wrote: »

Indie......I wouldnt worry too much, you sound pretty astute to me. You have a good career, house, pension etc. Sounds like you have the basics in place and the right foundations to build a solid future.

The only thing I will say is that you never know what's round the corner. Life can throw curved balls. A decent nest egg can make difficult times a bit easier.

Having said that, you simply can't plan for everything. We thought we were on pretty solid ground .......

We never expected my husband to get so sick, for so long, to end up paralysed and to die so young......although he always used to say that he thought he would never make it to retirement age.

He was so ill for so long - 9 years- that we simply ran out of money. Long term illness costs a lot of money.

Luckily I had assets I could sell to keep us going and we had endowments that matured round about the time he died. He also had taken out life insurance to protect his family. He took great care to make sure that we would be well provided for. I was able to clear the debts and start again.

When we knew his condition was terminal (well I knew from day one, I think he did too but never really openly admitted it) we discussed the future and how we wanted to help the boys onto the property ladder.

My husbands last words were "look after the boys" I am proud to say I have done this, not just financially but I also try to guide them and give them moral support. (Of course I only give advice when asked, they are grown ups after all :rotfl:)

Although they have not had any genetic testing and we have been reassured that the risk is extremely low I have tried to guide the boys, how they can protect themselves, what symptoms to watch out for and how to prepare financially should lightening strike twice.

Having seen for themselves the financial impact of ill health, they have been quick to learn and take appropriate measures. They have set up pensions, savings and investments, life and private medical insurance and are careful not to overcomit themselves and take on debt.

However, they have also learned that you need to live life to the full whilst you can. One of my greatest comforts is that my husband got to fulfil some of his cherished ambitions and dreams - a career he loved, travel, his hobbies and past times, participating in all his sport and adrenaline fuelled adventures.

As Martin would say, prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

At the end of his life my father had become a bit of a miser and a hoarder. Hanging onto his possessions as if they were a life raft and unable to spend money even on life enhancing experiences or to make his surroundings more comfortable for his old age.

What good did his money do him in the end.........it merely fuelled my siststers avarice and greed.

Indie.....enjoy your money, you have worked hard and deserve your professional status and career success. Of course you should save and invest for the future and not squander your money, but you also need to strike a balance and enjoy some of it now.

Thanks LL. I hadn't realised your husband had been so sick for so long, 9 years is a such a long while to cope with, not just financially. Would destroy a lot of people and I am even more full of admiration for your resilience now.

I should be ok financially if I stick with my current employer - we have a company income protection policy that will pay 50% of salary till retirement if I end up too sick to work and I have taken out extra critical illness insurance which would give me a lump sum if I got a serious cancer (for example) - think it would cover me in the event of paralysis too. I also have private health insurance through work. I've been there 10 years, so if they made me redundant I should get a decent pay off - they don't do statutory minimum, so I would have time to find another job. We have decent life insurance through work too - but that would just be a windfall for my family rather than any use to me - no one has any right to be expecting an inheritance from me being single and child free.

The thing that worries me the most is if I got made redundant well into my fifties as I think I might find it hard to get another equivalent professional job at that age to take me through to retirement - might have to settle for less money or doing contracts which takes away your job security, although can be very lucrative for the period of the contract. My mortgage doesn't pay off till my early sixties so I think that needs to be my priority, overpaying so I can afford a drop in income when I am older. But I've been saying that ever since I moved in here and still not done anything about it!!! I need to sit down with a spreadsheet and work out how much extra I would need to pay off by say 55. I need to remortgage too - current deal runs out in the autumn.

sugarbaby125 wrote: »

Hi Ladies,

Maman, I have not been going to Karaoke, as I would normally do a lot of energetic dancing at Karaoke and that would bring on chest pain and make my heart rhythm become erratic. I simply can not sit still if my body hears music that I like. I really miss Karaoke and dance nights.

I am sticking to social pursuits that allow me to sit down more than dance around, like going to the cinema, the theatre and other shows.

I had an appointment with my physiotherapist on Thursday and she was really pleased with the progress that I had made in 2 weeks since my 1st appointment with her. I was having chest pains that day despite taking painkillers, so I was a bit wheezy and breathless, but I still did the exercises she had set me. I have to continue with the original four sets of exercises and add 1 more set of exercise now.

By the time September comes I expect to be more or less back to my normal flexibility and to not be experiencing muscle pain or stiffness.

Indie, you have done so well in your professional career and you also spend time and money on the social adventures and experiences that make you happy. You seem to have a good work/life balance. Be proud of your achievements as I am sure you have had to work very hard for them.

Good to hear your physio is pleased with your progress, hope it continues and you get to be back to enjoying your usual singing and dancing soon.

I did have to work hard to pass my professional exams - I still occasionally wake from a nightmare that the profession has contacted me saying they made a mistake and there's another exam I need to sit and it's such a relief when I realise it isn't true. The exams were very difficult and along with a lot of my peers I failed quite a few of them before finally qualifying. Was quite a shock at the time because most trainee actuaries haven't failed an exam in their life before they start their actuarial exams and yet some especially tough papers only a third of candidates pass, so statistically it's pretty likely most of us fail a few en route. I've known a few very clever and driven types get through in three years, but equally I've had friends who took ten years, I was done in four and half years and a couple of stones of weight gain through stress eating!!!

I had a lovely time at my perfume making workshop yesterday. It was quite different in style to the ones I've done at the Cotswold Perfumery. The perfumer in the Cotswolds has a quite scientific approach and gives you more information up front and the one I went in in Acton has a more artistic approach and we spent more time smelling different materials for inspiration, although she has to know all the rules and regs just as the other one did as there are very strict rules around making perfume for sale. Anyway, I made something quite summery but also quite masculine - I quite enjoy wearing some more male scents, I have a bit of a love of vetiver which I put in along with rosemary, bergamot, some seasidey smelling synethetic molucules (calone and one other whose name I've forgotten) and a synthetic base which is meant to smell of fresh air. I have to wait a couple of weeks for it to mature to find out how successful I've been.

In the meantime it's motivated me to be more disciplined about wearing perfume - I sometimes forget to put any on, and given it wears off in a few hours, I could take my bottle to work and reapply for my evenings out, or even give myself a little lunchtime boost. I have such a large collection I really need to start using some up. I keep it in the dark and relatively cool which helps prolong its life, but there is a limit and to be honest at my current rate of use and with my current volume of stock I could keep going for at least ten years, maybe twenty.:eek:

Today is about looking after home and self - am away next weekend as well as one night for work and am out almost every night during the week too, so need to get on top of the chores and do a bit of self care. After my hiking week the soles of my feet are more akin to hooves, and I want to do a mini facial, a bit of healthy cooking and get on top of the laundry etc.

I love that poem by the way maman, I've been doing a lot of staring at the birds on my feeders lately - even the interlopers in the form of the ring necked parakeets. It's a simple pleasure, doesn't cost me much to fill the feeders.

Glad you enjoyed your trip to Newmarket Lainey, I've never been to the races, another thing I should try at some point.

Right, better knuckle down to the chores before I while the day away getting nothing done!!

Have a fab rest of the weekend all.

chanie

indie I was reading an article which said that age discrimination was the biggest type of discrimination, particularly for older people. I recently worked with someone who is 63ish and she was struggling to find a permanent job. I think part of the problem is that she looks her age - slightly over weight, thinning hair, bad teeth. She's probably stand more of a chance if she presented herself a bit better. I'm genuinely not bring mean, you really need to look reasonably good for many jobs. Indie, by the time you are in your mid 50s, employers will be used to people working into their late 60s and so it won't be seen as a problem. Personally, my plan is to look for a part time job as I reach late 50s, if I can afford it.

ll I'm pleased you have lots to keep you occupied in your home. I think having a plan for how you spend your evenings will help. For example Mondays, read a book, Tuesday do some fabbing, Wednesday watch your favourite TV show etc. Harvest, you'll always have something look forward to.

I've had a nice weekend. Yesterday, I went to visit some friends I haven't seen in ages. It was lovely to catch up and let the children play together. I wore my denim dress and had some nice compliments on it. It's the same style as my bargain dress which I recently bought, so at least I know it will look good.

lessonlearned

Good Morning lovely ladies.

Interesting comments about age discrimination in the workplace and how difficult it is to find decent jobs if you get made refundant in your 50s or 60s. I think it is something younger people need to think about in their financial planning. Hopefully it might get easier in the future.

Well it's another scorcher here today. I am aiming for a mixture of kitchen decluttering when it's too hot to go outside and pottering in the garden when it cools in the evening. Just got a couple more cupboards to go. I have given loads away and am managing to keep the worktops clear. It looks much better with all that clutter.

Good news - I've lost another 1.5 lbs. getting there, slowly. Other than that not much news. Life is quiet at the moment but I'm happy and content with my lot.

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

LL you have achieved so much so quickly with fabbing your home. I hope the chairs have turned out the way that you envisioned. You are also doing absolutely great with your weight loss.

I had a lovely weekend. My son and his 2 daughters came to visit on Saturday and my niece and 2 great nieces came to visit on the Sunday. :j We had so much family fun and laughter without TV, technology or other aids. We talked to each other a lot. There was so much laughter, that I became breathless at one point, but I just did some deep breathing and had some water. :cool:

They were all really surprised that my kitchen was devoid of crisps, sweets, biscuits and cakes and there was no chocolate in the fridge! :eek: I can not have any of these items in my home, as I have to change what I eat to much healthier alternatives. My 2 children have got on board with me, as they realise how important it is for me to eat healthier and thankfully they do not object to eating healthier for their own benefit.

I am doing my physio exercises each day, but now I want to introduce some more gentle exercises daily and see how I get along. I have to take baby steps at the moment, if I do not want to get chest and/or muscle pains from over exerting myself.

Even with my current health issues, there is so much about my life that I feel thankful for. The biggest bonus is that I get to spend so much more time with my daughter who lives at home. Our relationship is getting stronger as a result. I have had so much time on my hands, that I am able to watch lots of television and read books, magazines and newspapers.