Frump to Fab 2021

Wednesday2000

Hello to Miniriot!:)

helensbiggestfan

Good Morning Lovely Ladies. 

Wow some lovely posts, lots going on.....poetry performances, trips to the seaside. Fabulous.  

Congratulations on the new job, Chanie.  Great stuff.  

welcome Mini Riot (Love it!!!!). Yes, start your new regime right now, don't procrastinate.  Carpe that Diem. 😉. Good luck.  It's fun to reinvent oneself.  

Well this week has been a week of mixed fortunes.  One the one hand I have been unwell with the dreaded lurgy so felt really tired and run down so was pretty much housebound but on the other hand I used the time constructively, more  decluttering and sorting.  

But heres a funny thing, despite being so poorly I felt that, mentally and emotionally, I have taken a quantum leap this week. Something in my head just clicked and I can suddenly see my path ahead. It's as if the techtonic plates have shifted again, opening the way forward to a life where my grief now lies firmly in the past and I'm finally ready to embrace a new future as a solo, rather than as a widow.  It's only taken 7 years!!!   It's heady stuff though and I'm really excited and positive about my future.  

Fabbing wise.......I treated myself to 3 coats this week. I know I know but they are all vintage and were absolute bargains so I couldn't resist.  A black and white wool tweed by Alexon, a navy blue wool Trench by Eastex  Heritage and the most gorgeous faux fur by HF Greenfield of London.  It is so soft and luxurious, you would think it was real mink.  . Makes me feel like a million dollars, so glamorous.  So many faux furs feel don't really cut the mustard for me, they don't feel that nice to the touch but this is a beauty.  

Yesterday I had my hair cut and I'm just about to give myself a facial. Unfortunately I had to postpone my covid booster and my flu jab due to being ill so I have the pleasure of those to look forward to.  Flu jab this coming Tuesday and the covid jab on the 24th of this month.  And then Christmas will be upon us and that will be another year gone.  How did that happen😂🤣.  

Still I have lots of plans in the pipeline .....yes Covid is still out there and I am guessing this winter will present challenges. I wont be gadding about with gay abandon for a while yet and it remains to be seen how our "new normal" will shape up but I'm ever hopeful. 

Mini Riot. It's a bit early yet but one of the things we do around this time of year is we take time to reflect a little. Our successes this year, what we have achieved, what changes we want to make next year that kind of thing.  Many of us think of a word or phrase to inspire us and keep us motivated.  Already my mind is racing ahead......😂🤣.  

On many ways I think a lot of us have changed profoundly because of covid.  I know I have, and I believe the world has changed too. And of course people are becoming increasingly concerned about the planet and the environment but in the words of Ernest Hemingway "the world is still a mighty place".  It's up to us, we can change, evolve and reinvent ourselves to stay relevant or we can go the way of the dinosaurs.  

I may be 70 now but I'm not ready to give up with the lippy and the perfume just yet.  

I watched a programme about Shirley Bassey the other day.......84 still singing, still looking like a million dollars.  We can do this  ladies..

All we need to do is  keeeeeep fabbing.  😁❤️

candygirl

Welcome MINIRIOT, what a fab username! 😀 
I'm meeting my Friends I met in Goa, next weekend, so need to sort myself out a bit .Hair,  nails etc .Really looking forward to it 😀 
LL you have such a fantastic approach to life, n always inspire me to keep on fabbing! I'm so glad you're ready to to into the next exciting chapter of your life .
I love Shirley Bassey, n saw Her live back in the 80's.A man in the audience presented Her with a huuuuuuuge diamond ring 💍!!!My mate thought it was a set up 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Floss

@sugarbaby125 I'm sorry, I hadn't understood that your performance poetry is related to your heritage. I've just been watching Antiques Roadshow and Brnhamin Zephaniah was on, describing how it is linked and it all fell into place. I would love to see some if there are YT links.

sugarbaby125

Floss, I have never put any of my poetry performance on You Tube, but when Blackfriars Settlement get around to putting the 2 poems they recorded me performing on You Tube, I will let you know if it happens. 

I write my poems in all 3 of my cultural voices. My Caribbean voice, my south London voice and my British voice. I never consciously choose, the words just come out in the appropriate voice. 

chanie

miniriot welcome to the thread. I look forward to hearing all about your fabbing journey.

helen I’m so pleased you feel you have turned a corner.  You are so strong and I know whatever you do, will be positive.

miniriot

Wow, thanks for the warm welcome all, that's so nice, I feel right at home;)

@sugarbaby125 I love poetry, I'm a writer myself but not so much on the poetry front, though funnily enough that's what got me into it. Still love it though, and I'd be so interested to read some of your work, or if it's spoken word, hear it or see you perform when the clips are up. 

@helensbiggestfan So sorry to hear you have Covid (hope I don't have that wrong, I assumed it was Covid when you said you had the lurgy). Hope you get well soon, stock up on plenty of vitamin C and D and Zinc. I heard quercetin supplements are good too.

As for starting with the fabbing, aha, yes, I think I will jump straight in, was hoping someone would say that, so thanks for the encouragement.

Your new coats sound fab by the way, especially the black and white one, very chic, and the trench is of course a classic. I love the attitude too, never give up the lippy;)

 Regarding reflecting on things, I think next year I'd like to procrastinate less and get more productive stuff done, less time scrolling social media and the like, more time working on my creative projects and other things that really need doing. I'm good at getting my paid work done, less good about getting round to the book I want to finish.😃

Also, I really want to implement an exercise routine, I am so lazy, physically speaking and I hate exercise that feels like work or is boring. I like going for walks when there is a purpose to it, like to get to somewhere I need to go, but not walks for no reason. I used to dance, so am thinking of signing up for adult ballet classes, or maybe belly dancing classes. I'm also thinking of doing a yoga class, I do enjoy that and do a little bit myself at home from time to time.

I do think the pandemic has made me lazier, has anyone else found this? I don't go out anywhere near as much as I used to, to be honest I think it's because I'm a little nervous about either getting Covid, or my other half getting it. Hopefully this will have really  calmed down by the New Year and we can relax a bit.

Does anyone else still feel apprehensive about going out due to the pandemic or is it just me?

helensbiggestfan

No not Covid, thank goodness.  lurgy.....😂  - it's just my expression for any sort of non diagnosed illness such as a cold virus or tummy bug.  One that doesn't normally require medical intervention but which is nonetheless unpleasant and/or inconvenient.  

Your plans sound good......yes procrastination is one of my issues....in fact I'm doing it now. I should be up and about not sitting in bed, visiting MSE 😂🤣.  But I'm tired this morning because I didn't  sleep too well.....still coughing. 

I agree with what you say about the pandemic ...it has definitely made me lazier.  Half the time I just can't be bothered to go anywhere or do anything much.  I seem to have lost my mojo a bit and like you, yes I'm still a little apprehensive about large gatherings.  Even now I am not ready to visit many public entertainment venues, exercise classes, travel or use public transport.  Maybe I'm being over cautious but I am prepared to ride it out for another winter.  I have come this far, another few months won't hurt. 

 I do intend to get out and about more after my next round of jabs.  The plan is to join a health club at some point, Covid permitting maybe March time.  The one I have in mind does loads of classes, has both indoor and outdoor pools.  It's not the cheapest but it has great facilities and has very high standards for hygiene and pool maintenance.  

I think ballet and belly dance classes sound fab.  Dancing is great exercise and a lot more fun than slogging it out on a treadmill or pounding the pavements. I do think exercise has to be fun.  

It's a nice day so going to have a little potter in the garden, stroll down to the local shops.  Flu jab tomorrow so will just have to see how I feel afterwards,  I've kept my diary clear just in case I feel a bit ropey.  If I feel ok the plan is to finish decluttering the spare bedroom and do a few charity shop runs with the stuff I want to get rid of. 

I'm almost there with the spare room, hopefully after Christmas I can get the trades in......improve the insulation, new window and then get it all decorated and turned into a nice spare bedroom. 

 And then sell up and start all over again....😂🤣.  

  

Wednesday2000

I've met Benjamin Zephaniah before as he is vegan like me. It was at a vegan fayre, I think.

I drank so much at the weekend. I made up for my break from alcohol. I also had pizza Saturday and on Sunday.

I'm back on the straight and narrow this week. I'm just making myself a healthy veggie soup for lunch. I have booked a chiropodist appointment for a tidy up and I texted my hairdresser to hopefully cut our hair this week or next. I want to dye my hair again before I go out next Saturday to the coast.

I think I'm going to go for a mooch around the chazzers before or after my chiropodist tomorrow and look for some more warm jumpers for both of us and hopefully a winter coat for me.

I need to call the restaurant to book for next weekend when they open and I also need to call the vet and cancel the appointment for my cat this week. 

chanie

I’m another one who feels lazy after the pandemic.  I’m not worried about the crowds or catching covid (again), i just can’t be bothered with going anywhere. 

I had a mini clear out today and sorted out a few hot spots of clutter.  Luckily, I didn’t have to throw much away, so that that made me feel good.  I did have  a clear out last summer during the first lockdown, so we are still in a reasonably good shape from that.