There’s nothing Brits love more than discussing the weather. And if this week’s weather show is anything to go by it’s not surprising.
If you are ever coming to the UK pack for all weathers, if you live in the UK you already know the drill. :)
The weather started off beautifully last week. I was in my summer dresses, soaking up the rays and wearing summery shoes.
Oh the bliss, after a long dark winter, with not much to look forward to, we had sunshine and the rule of six come into play. (Up to 6 people can gather in your garden).
Dress from Oliver Bonas, Shoes from Christian Dior
For me personally I find dresses very reassuring. Owning a colostomy is a perfectly fine way to live. The inconveniences are far outweighed by the convenience of stoma life.
But some items of clothing are more of a struggle? No, maybe struggle isn’t the word. Challenge maybe? Yes, challenge is a better description.
Dresses are simply as easy as they come.
I love jeans, I love tight trousers but there are certain risks involved.
Sometimes the tightness has caused the filter to fail and I can then smell the bags contents. Occasionally the restrictive nature of trousers causes the contents to pancake. (This is when the poo seeps under the adhesive layer and leaks out).
That doesn’t mean I don’t wear trousers, no, I like to live dangerously, life on the edge Suzy they call me! Hahahahaha. Kidding, I don’t and they don’t!
But what I do hate is being made to feel like I can’t do something that I want to do.
So perhaps I’m simply defiant.
Dresses are my preference, but sometimes the occasion or the weather won’t allow it.
Leggings are a great addition. Soft and stretchy enough for free flow, but still maintaining warmth.
By Friday last week the weather had turned slightly chillier.
For reasons unknown I decided to jet wash the rear courtyard garden. This job used to be Sam’s, but as he moved out a few years ago it hasn’t been done since.
Chris was busy putting a new fence up so I thought I’d give jet washing a go myself…never again!!!
From this…
To this…
Via this…
My clothes were ruined, the mud so ingrained that after 3 washes the outfit had to be binned.
That’s not a filter in the photo below, that is a layer of mud and debris of about half a centimetre thick!
I was a wreck, I was a drowned rat, a friend described my look as a ‘swamp dog’ hahahaha.
I have been assured that it’s not that dirty a job if your patio has intact grouting, but the grout on ours has dispersed over the years and in its place is mud and general grime.
So after that experience, which by the way I carried on with even though I found it intolerable, so yay me for persevering hahahahaha, I’m not a natural persevere-er but Chris was busy so I had no choice. ;)
But it does rather prove a point, that is, people with colostomies or any form of stoma can do anything, there are no rules or limitations, it’s whether they want to is the deciding factor.
I can do anything, I choose not to. :)
Do I always look tip top and ready to shine? Nahhhhhhh! Often I walk round, channeling my inner ‘swamp dog’, but I very rarely take photos on those days. :)
*******
Saturday was beyond exciting! We’re now allowed to travel, inside England, although the law says limit journeys, the stay local rule has been lifted. Plus rule of 6 has come into effect.
Which meant we could travel to see Zak, Sam and Milly! We’ve not seen them in the flesh since November time.
And although I am truly grateful for FaceTime, it’s not quite the same as being with someone.
We arranged to meet them in a park nearer them, it’s 2 and a half hours from here. The weather had taken a dip, so it wasn’t going to be warm.
So dressing meant I had 3 factors to consider; distance, temperature and location.
Plus there’s an assault course in the park, and I wanted to partake if the mood took me while I was there. So dresses were definitely off the menu.
Stretchy trousers were calling my name.
Blouse from The White Company, Tabard from Mint Velvet, Leather look trousers from Quiz Clothing, Shoes and bag from Louis Vuitton.
These trousers have a zip fly, so for the journey down there and whilst eating I unzip them for comfort and unrestricted flow, but also I added my secret weapon!
Convex bags are a fantastic addition to your stoma bag wardrobe. It has a dip in the base plate, which means pancaking is less likely.
I tried a different make a few months back, and although they were fine, I decided to go back to Dansac made ones as they are the make I wear every day for my normal flat base plated ones. I just felt more comfortable and confident with the brand I use regularly.
Can you imagine the joy we felt seeing that gorgeous little boy for the first time in months. He was soooooo good. He just laughed and chatted all day. And so did we.
I love it when he calls my name, he loves to get my opinion on things. “Nana, stick”, “Nana stone’, “Nana, tree”, oh my goodness he makes my heart sing.
This Gran can!
What’s the point in visiting an assault course if you don’t play on it? hahahahaha
It was such a great day! Ben jumped off of one piece of apparatus onto Kaitlyn, squashing her. We’re not quite sure why. Hahahahaha.
We all attempted some part of the course, but even our combined efforts wouldn’t cover even half the course. I imagine some fitness sorts would have done the lot, but that’s just not us. :)
I set our picnic up, yes, indeed I did bring Bonnie Bunny for a day out. I worked so hard on it, you think I’d leave it at home?? Haha
We bought Zak presents to open, we missed out on that simple joy at Christmas due to lockdown, so it seemed the perfect moment to open some pressies.
Plus we had a very easy Easter egg hunt.
It couldn’t have been a more perfect day if it tried. The weather really was on our side. Bearing in mind how unpredictable it’s been of late, it was glorious, or maybe it was just a glorious day and no matter what the weather brought it couldn’t have been spoiled.
Zak is such a wonderful little person. Obviously I’m biased but he really is.
We spent hours playing and chatting.
My bag held up very well, with no mishaps. Although I would have simply changed into a new bag in the car had I needed to, it’s nice to have not had to worry about it in any way.
(The jumper Zak had on was Sam’s when he was a little boy. I can’t tell you how happy it made me to see Zak in it. Yes, I am a horrible hoarder, but sometimes hoarding can be a very good thing). :)
*************
Then came Easter Sunday, I’d invited my mum and dad and Kaitlyn and Ben over.
The weather was perfect, even though we have the marquee up just in case the weather turns, it’s nice not to have to worry about unpredictable weather fronts.
Dress from French Connection, Shoes from Christian Dior (I got them for Christmas, so I’m trying to wear them in for when we can go out in the real world).
I set up a beautiful table scape. I can’t do much in a creative way, but I do love to set up a nice table or doorway or just themed decorations in general.
We had a fantastic day, the sun was warm, the company was wonderful and best of all my mum brought over the dolly she made me!! Yes, I’m aware I am 47. But I love a dolly, and this one is extra extra special as my mum made it from scratch (excluding her eyes).
My mum was inspired by these dolls she’d seen online called Waldorf dolls. Well maybe I’m yet again biased but my mum’s doll blows them out the water!
She made her dresses and even her shoes, some of which are little leather ones!
I absolutely love my dolly, mum named her little Suzy. :)
Imagine being so crafty and creative you can make anything, my mum can literally turn her hand to everything. And although a tad hindered by arthritis she can still do most stuff.
In the past she made all my clothes, although that was probably more necessity than anything but still, to have the skill to do it is such a gift. I however always yearned for shop bought clothes, one always wants what you can’t have.
Mum made my bridesmaid’s dresses, funnily enough, she made them a replica doll each, in matching dresses to theirs, to commemorate the occasion. She made our wedding cake too.
The woman can do anything and everything!! And me? What of those skills did I inherit? None!! Sweet FA!
I did get my grandad’s dyslexia, so I know she is actually my mum and I wasn’t swapped at birth! Hahahahaha
I’d love to be that creative, imagine leaving something beautiful behind on the planet when you are long gone.
All I’m going to leave is a shoe collection to rival Imelda Marcos and that’s it. Nothing of worth or sentimental value. Nothing made from the heart, with my hands.
We had such a lovely day. I served our meal and then realised that I had forgotten to buy in any dessert. Me!? Of all people, forget to get pudding??
So after a bit of quick thinking and a rummage through the cupboards I found a Christmas pudding left over from, well, Christmas obviously, but which Christmas? It was way way in the back of the cupboard.
I also remembered that when I had been out to a garden centre a few weeks ago with Michelle we both bought some long life clotted cream from the deli there (nope. I’d never heard of it before either).
Well, we cobbled together a delicious figgy pudding and cream. Seamless!
I set up an Easter egg hunt for Ben and my dad. 80 and 22 are perfectly reasonable ages for hunting chocolate in the garden.
Age is no barrier for the hunt.
I didn’t think to count how many I put out, so I wasn’t sure if we’d collected them all in, Chris found one out there yesterday. :)
What a wonderful weekend.
Monday Chris finished erecting the new picket fence. Our original one was beyond rotten, it looked so shabby, which I had no problem looking at as I don’t need things to be perfect, but with Zak coming in a few weeks we wanted him to be safe.
I kept myself busy and spent the day packing away Easter.
…and then all back to normal…
I love seasonal decorations, but I also love that refresh and reset after you pack them all away.
I also gave the marquee a mow, yes, I said mow. No one wants to sit in the warm and dry, but in knee deep grass. Hahahahaha
It snowed on bank holiday Monday, it actually snowed! Which is why I advise you to bring clothes for all the weathers if you ever come for a visit. :)
These are Waldorf dolls…I think little Suzy is far better! :)
