Frump to Fab - A Whole New World.

savingfortomorrow

4 of my extended family got it from another relative. The news with them is positive. I have not been in physical contact with them. 
It is spreading and we must not be complacent. .

helensbiggestfan

Maman.  Hope your brother and sister in law will be ok.  Very worrying for you.  

Candy. Gosh that does feel close to home for you.  Hope you and your mum keep safe.  

The figures here are rising.........apparently the three large hospitals in the southern part of the county - Chesterfield, Burton on Trent (tech. Staffs but just over the boundary and often classed as local to Derbyshire)  and Derby Royal are all experiencing very high demand and a lot of pressure.   Nottingham of course has been in Tier 3 for even longer than us. One DIL works for the Queens Medical - Nottingham's big teaching hospital - fortunately not on the front line but even so she's exhausted.  She looked terribly strained last time I saw her.  

Wednesday.....don't be too hard on yourself.  You are not lazy. 2020 has been a very difficult year and before that you have struggled with getting your health back on track. Getting back up to full strength takes time.  And, even for those of us who havent  been affected directly by covid, by either sickness or job losses, it does seem that prolonged lockdowns and restrictions sap our energy levels and reduce our ability to get and stay motivated.  I seem to hear the same from everyone.  When the first lockdown hit a lot of us got busy -  diy, gardening  decluttering, baking etc but then as time has dragged on I guess it's only inevitable that we have lost our enthusiasm.  It's hard to keep the momentum going. Especially when like today, when there was hardly any daylight. 

Wednesday, like you, when all this is over, I am resolved to really turn up the dial and really shake my life up......hence finally getting down to starting a business.   I've been dithering for a couple of years now, procrastinating - waiting for the "right" time, worrying if my tech skills are good enough, well no more worrying if I'm good enough. I have to be. I'll wing it and learn on the job.  Won't be the first time. .....😉

So......the time is now!!!  (Well after Christmas although I have made a start, getting my office/stock room organised)  I've got the ideas, I'm am creative, I have the energy, passion and drive.  I can learn the tech skills as I go along. And I know I can get my tech guy (my son 😂) on board.  I can get my DIL to help plan and design my website. I told her my plans yesterday and I think she's even more excited than I am.  If necessary I can pay someone to help with the website to ensure that it's professional and runs smoothly. 

As you might have guessed  I already have my new word for next year......😂

My word for 2021 is "intention". 

 Living with intention, no more drifting, no more procrastinating, no waiting until I have all my ducks in a row.  I have spent a lot of time whilst "doing solitary" thinking about what I want, how I want my future to look. So now, .....in the words of a book I read recently its time to "Just F...... Do It."   Lol. Whether it's starting a business, losing weight and getting fit or getting out there and socialising, I will live each day with intention.  

I have just over 6 months until I'm 70....when I want to be sensational and to be living a sensational life so I'd better get cracking.  😂.  From now on my daily mantra will be "If not now, when??"   

Ladies.  It's never too late to make a fresh start.  And we are never too old to stop learning, growing and evolving.   I may have less road ahead of me than I have behind me but I'm still a game old bird.

In the words of Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean "Bring Me That Horizon"... 

Good night ladies.....enjoy your weekend.  

Almost the Solstice......the earth keeps spinning on its axis, the seasons come and go, life is good. 

savingmore

 I haven’t posted for a while, but read daily.  Love your thoughtful, motivational posts LL, especially after a time of reflection   I am chewing on a similar theme for next year, and even toying with setting up my own diary.  I am settling on ‘making every day count’ so not too dissimilar. I don’t want to set myself up for failure, so a day could be ‘ a day of rest and relaxation’.  This year has taught me that we do want to retire sooner than we thought.  So we are on a two year countdown from January.  Over the holibobs I have ideas of creating lots of charts and spreadsheets of financial conundrums and things we want to do and achieve before then, so we can enjoy the time and put it to good use.   as you so rightly say, if not now then when!  That’s a fab motto.  I am so excited for your business.  Love vintage stuff, I will, probably be a customer...so I will have to factor this into my spreadsheets🤣🤣🤣🤣.

Like you, and I am sensing so many others, I did well in first few months of lockdown.  However the past few weeks have been difficult.  My resilience is diminishing and I am noticing things are irritating me that normally I would let go really easily.  when I heard that the government were being urged to scrap the christmas reprieve i burst into tears....not something i do very often.  Let’s pray this vaccine will be the game changer, can’t wait to get mine, although the online calculator suggests mine will be april.  I have five months..... upwards and onwards😀🍾✈️

helensbiggestfan

Savingmore......well of course I will give you mates rates on any purchases.  😁.  That's what friends are for......ha ha.  And what a great idea to set yourself a countdown to retirement.  How exciting,  

I meant to say thank you so much ladies for your kind words of encouragement about me starting a little business.  It means a lot to me, as always I am very touched by your kindness and generousity of spirit.  My little venture won't make me rich but that's ok - I live in abundance anyway. I have all I could need and want. I might of course do a Del Boy and inadvertently stumble across a £m watch or piece of jewellery.  That would be nice. I did once find a pair of beautiful  vintage elbow length leather gloves and a pair of earrings in a preloved handbag I bought but alas thats not in the same league. Lol.  

My current income is fine but we can always use more right. 😉.And what better than a business that is fun and which will allow me to indulge my inner fashionista.  😂

Savingmore......I believe resilience is probably the single most important character trait we need, now more than ever, along with optimism, courage, fortitude, patience and faith.  And of course humour.   

Interesting factoid.......did you know that a child laughs around 400 times a day, whereas the average adult only manages about four times a day.  How sad is that.  No wonder adults find it so easy to slip into depression. We need to laugh more, seek out things to give us a good hearty chuckle. Belly laughs are good for us, they get the heart pumping blood round our bodies and to our brains. Happy people live longer, stay healthier, build better relationships and even get richer.  What's not to like.  

 Luckily I've always been a giggler........it got me into no end of trouble at school.  I was always being punished for laughing and having fun, for being a giggler......but hey it turns out I was doing the right thing for  my mental health all along without even realising it -  laughing, having fun, indulging in silliness.  No amount of canings, detentions or whatever made any difference. I was just irrepressible.  Thank goodness, because I firmly believe it is this irrepressibility which has stood me in such good stead throughout my life,  sustaining my hope, faith and natural optimism, guiding me through my darkest hours. I think humour, laughter and just a little bit of well placed silliness make the world a brighter place. Those nuns got it so wrong, with their harsh discipline and their dour and sour outlook on life.    Thank goodness they didn't crush my natural high spirits. 

Ladies. Continue to make fabbing and laughter your weapons of choice and you will build the resilience you need.  Have faith, courage and hope and we will put these troubled times behind us.  It's nearly over.  

Sunshine today.  Will wrap up warm and stroll along to visit a local open air market. 

Wednesday2000

helensbiggestfan said:

As you might have guessed  I already have my new word for next year......😂

My word for 2021 is "intention". 

 Living with intention, no more drifting, no more procrastinating, no waiting until I have all my ducks in a row.  I have spent a lot of time whilst "doing solitary" thinking about what I want, how I want my future to look. 

I feel exactly the same way.

Wednesday2000

I am going to make a list of all the things I want to do in the future and I can't wait to cross them off. I feel like I was sleep walking through a lot of my life. Having my psychologist to talk with for most of this year has really helped me. I have to stop using what happened to me in the past as an excuse for not enjoying my life now!

I'm looking forward to the concert tonight. Music has been a life saver for me this year. 

I am going to see where I am on the Covid list. Oh, wow. I guess I'm not a priority.  

Based on your profile, there are between 27,132,105 and 38,844,493 people in front of you in the queue for a COVID vaccine across the UK. Given a vaccination rate of 1,000,000 a week and an uptake of 70.6%, you should expect to receive your vaccine between 27/06/2021 and 17/09/2021.

helensbiggestfan

Great stuff Wednesday......Atta girl you can do it.  And you are so right, we must not let our past determine our future.  We don't have to get stuck and languish in the doldrums, it's a matter of choice. We get to decide.......

Re vaccines, On the plus side at least you will have the summer and hopefully some nice weather to get out and about whilst you wait for your turn to be vaccinated.  Not sure if the vaccine actually stops the spread of contagion or if it just protects each individual but I should imagine that as more and more people are vaccinated the lower the risks for those who have to wait a while.  

1m vaccines a week is pretty good going ....... I'm impressed.  

Just had a hearty brunch, now time for a walk.  It's cold and windy though, don't really fancy it.  But I'm sure a bracing walk is just the doctor would order.  😂

ancientmum

Ladies, I'm sure I read somewhere a long time ago that smiling exercises more muscles than frowning.  So beneficial all round.  LL I like the title of your book.  I remember being inspired by one called "Feel the fear and do it anyway"

savingmore

emotionally drained.  we are in tier 4.  all christmas plans blown out of water.  i am sure it’s right decision overall, but it hurts right now.  was going to ds and family up north for five days.   they are gutted too.   spent evening watching some comedies to try and laugh.   now will have to plan food and get organised and a menu going 😭😭😭😭

sheilavw

sad for you Savingmore, very short notice for everyone