I’ve had a super productive week, they happen once in a while don’t they? When you’re ploughing through tasks at a rate of knots. I even added in tasks that I hadn’t planned to do.
I met my best friend for her birthday lunch last week at a garden centre, (no, neither of us are elderly spinsters before you wonder!) it’s just a good midway point between our houses.
Michelle happened to mention that there was a garden centre closer to hers that had reasonably priced, good quality plants. So after a lovely lunch at one garden centre I headed over to the other one (NO! I’m not an elderly spinster, honest!).
I spent a small fortune, mostly on plants I can’t pronounce and some now that I’m home I have no idea what they are...they could be Runner bean plants for all I know...
This surge in productivity has come from a combination of an incredible yoga session, where I felt physically stronger and energised on leaving and hiring a cleaning company to sort my housework out, freeing me up to do other things and to save my back from further damage.
Yoga was amazing this week, it’s usually good but I felt so well after, combined with that rotten jet lag finally doing one and leaving...(off to torment the next weary traveler I no doubt).
Absolutely rocking my PE teacher look...eat your heart out Mrs.Gunter! hahahahaha
Track suit from Tommy Hilfiger, I thought it ideal for yoga-ing. I bought it in a designer outlet village in what appeared to be in the middle of the Mojave desert on the way to Vegas from LA, there was us 4 and a coach load of Chinese tourists and that was it. Shopping in America was an absolute dream, I didn’t have to wait to be served in any of the shops I visited anywhere on our road trip route.
Having got so many chores ticked off and feeling energised and accomplished for the week so far Kim and I took ourselves off to Costco to stock up...on what you may well wonder?...but that’s the beauty of Costco, you don’t know what it is you need to stock up on till you see what treasures are available on the day....ooooh big day out huh?
Casual Thursday, Top From Ralph Lauren, Jeans Joni’s from Topshop, Shoes Yeezy’s.
Having purchased my 48 toilets rolls, 3 litres of ketchup, a giant sized apple pie, a hot tub, a motorised suitcase and an electric lawn edger....hahahahaha, I’m kidding, I just bought some food for brunch and a string of retro outdoor lights this time. :)
Then it was back home to shower and change for a night out with darling friends who we haven’t seen in ages, but will be seeing for the next 4 weekends in a row. Never rains but it pours :)
Top from Whistles, Jeans from Topshop, Shoes from Russell and Bromley.
This top is one of my all time fave purchases, not only does it feel nice on, easy to wear with almost anything, it really does get a lot of compliments.
This weekend has been a bank holiday in the UK and what’s been utterly wild and unexpected about it is the glorious weather, I know!! A blisteringly hot bank holiday weekend...that’s truly stuff of legend here! Hahahahahah
Top from Topshop, skirt from Micheal Kors, Shoes from Manolo Blahnik.
We arranged a brunch with the usual suspects, and by Saturday this week I was feeling every extra maneuverer that I knew in the moment I shouldn’t have done.
I was left with no choice but to wear a skirt or dress as I was in a lot of pain with my back, stoma and more than anything hernia!
Bloody thing is an utter blight. I swing one way to the other about getting it repaired. But I’m such a huge baby I can’t go through with it. I’ve only ever had one operation in my life and that was 6 and a half hours of rearranging my plumbing, where I haemorrhaged and had multiple complications after. Yes, it’s survivable, and I’m personally much stronger for the experience but I’m verrrrrrry much a coward when it comes to further ops.
So after a week of feeling energised and getting stuff done I paid the price with a severely aggravated hernia and horrible lower back pain, sure signs that I pushed my luck. The irony isn’t lost on me that we hired a cleaner so I wouldn’t end up in this position.
My lower back was damaged by radiotherapy, the bastard stuff does the job but my god it leaves a trail of destruction, and the worst thing is I can’t complain as I got lucky and I’m still here to tell the tale, if only it worked out like that for everyone. One day, one day.
So you just have to suck it up, be grateful for survival and ease up when the warning sign arise. Rest and skirts help greatly (...so no heaving bags of compost round, no picking up heavy plant pots and no bending up and down planting loads of plants) ;)
Brunch was amazing, copious amounts of food, glorious sunshine and gorgeous friends. Does life get any better.
All topped off with a walk in the countryside.
Meg adoring Chris.
Bel just being adorable.
Then Sunday lunch was spent BBQ-ing with Ben’s friends over and the evening was spent at a near by pub, chilling in the beer garden, listening to live music. Yes, I’ve been sober for 18 months now but that doesn’t dampen my enjoyment or enthusiasm for pub gardens on sunny days.
If you live in a sunny and warm climate I’m not sure you can truly comprehend what a gift that is. Just imagine how chilled out Brits would be with a tad more sun on our bones hahahahaha...
Monday I did what my body was telling me to do, I laid down in the sun and tried to get my hernia to shrink back in, I’ve got a week of fun planned and I’ll be damned if I’m going to miss out.
Lesson of the week, listen to your body and don’t take the mickey out of it...
Itchy - scratch it
Hungry - eat
Tired - rest
Unexplained pain or lumps - see a GP
Unexplained bleeding from anywhere - deffo see a GP
Feeling proud of my planting in my courtyard...I won’t take the camera out to the rest of the garden as it’s not quite summer ready yet...I mean who is?!?