Wardrobe Woes

Waking up in the morning with the sun shining makes such a difference and makes getting out of bed early a lot more bearable, but as the temperature soars it reminds me that I need to think about swapping round my winter and summer clothes, and this is where the problem begins.

Last year I had been determined that this was the summer I would ditch the old, out of date stuff that had been hanging round in my wardrobe for so long the styles had come around again and disappeared again!  However the usual thing occurred in so far as the boys had all grown (again), and had nothing which fitted them (again) and by the time they had their new t-shirts, shorts, footwear, etc, I felt as though I had done enough spending and couldn't really justify getting too much for me.  The result was me standing in front of my wardrobe and moaning for three months that I had nothing to wear.  This year though I am determined will be different.

Before I even start I did think about having a no holds barred clear out of everything and trashing anything I haven't worn this millenium, throwing outfits bought on impulse (which were regretted once I got home), or ditching any clothes I have hated for the last five years, but I realised that would only leave me with one pair of jeans so that is not really feasible.  I need to get new and will work on the basis that as I put something into my wardrobe I must  throw something from one of the aforementioned categories.

First of all I must start earlier.  If I wait until July I will only find the' new season autumn collection' so now the sun is out I will begin.  Going to the local shopping centre recently there were sales everywhere with big discounts to be had and this was a great incentive.  However there is one downside to being efficient in so far as the excesses of the winter are still obviously visible.  I don't feel slim enough yet to be seen in t-shirts where there is no-where to hide the flab.  It takes me until at least May to feel I can expose any more than my forearms so I now have a dilemma.  Do I shop based on how I am now or go for how I want to look in three months time?

I also need to change my mindset.  When I buy clothes for the boys, whilst there is no designer gear, if they like something and they need it I just buy it, but for myself  I stand agonising over whether or not to get it.  What will it go with?  Do I really need it?  Should I spend the money - yes it's only Primark!

So now I feel galvanized into action.  I know what I need to do, and my wardrobe needs me to act.  The only thing I need to remember is to hide the next credit card bill!  Wish me luck.

Domestic Disasters

For those who still use them a dictionary's meaning of disaster is a crushing misfortune, a calamity or a terrible accident and whilst a domestic disaster might not be seen by all as a crushing misfortune for those involved it can definitely be viewed as a calamity.

Of course domestic problems have a scale of woe and vary depending on what you priorities are.  For some it is the loss of the dishwasher, for others a coffee maker makes the difference to everyday sanity, and for me the loss of my washing machine is by far the worst thing that can happen.  With all my men I have  to make sure that on a weekly basis I can wash 3 sets of football kits, 4 school uniforms, 25 shirts and a variety of t-shirts and jumpers before I even think about the bed linen and towels.  My washing machine is on every single day and only has a rest when I go on holiday!  

I had an occasion when the boys were smaller and my other half was away and the washing machine seemed to be making a funny noise.  I tried to ignore it as it was in the middle of a cycle but suddenly water started gushing out of the tube at the back at an alarming rate and I didn't know how to stop it!  In a panic I called my brother who lives a few streets away to help.  By the time he arrived about five minutes later the floor was flooded and I looked as though I had been in the shower fully dressed. My brother managed to secure the tube but I still needed to phone the repair man to sort out the noise.  Sounding completely neurotic I made him promise to get to me as quickly as he could and see if it was repairable. In the meantime I was on the internet researching new machines just in case.  The brands, models, price range and options were wide and quite daunting but I needed to know how quickly I could get a new machine if required, as the thought of an ever increasing mountain of clothes was terrifying.  Fortunately my new best friend sorted the problem with a small part and sanity and equilibrium were restored, now all I needed to do was sort out the floor......

Two Sides Of Mothers Day

I consider myself very lucky to say that my Mum was my best friend.  I am not trying to be slushy in the lead up to Mother's Day but it was the truth.  Slightly off the wall with a great sense of humour she could relate to any person of any age.  Once she started laughing at something she could sit with my brother or me and 20 minutes after a joke had been made still be laughing with tears rolling down her cheeks. Completely obsessed with Kids from Fame she took me to see them, and it was special because it was my first proper concert.  She would take my brother to football matches and when she got tickets for Arsenal against Manchester United she was the only person I know who could get away with cheering when United scored even though we were sitting in the Arsenal end.

Even when I was younger I appreciated how lucky I was to have this relationship.  Friends would come and talk to her about things they couldn't discuss at  home and people were always welcome.  Of course things weren't perfect and we did have arguments as teenagers do, but with my Dad away a lot on business the three of us at home had a very close bond.

I lost my mum when I was 19 after she had struggled with cancer for four years and like anyone who has lost someone close to them it is hard when they are not there for the milestones in your life.  She missed my graduation, first proper job, buying a house, marriage and the birth of my children.  In the first few years after she died when Mothers Day would appear it felt like it was everywhere reminding me of what I had lost, but the years do give perspective now Mothers Day arrives and I am a parent myself.

I know that this Sunday there will still be football, parties and the usual amount of running around, but I also know that the boys will try and make the day special.  A home made card from my youngest, a cup of tea or even to have control of the TV remote would be lovely.  It is nice to have acknowledgement for my role in the family.  Having an unpaid job where you have no time off and there are an unbelievable amount of customer relation issues, chauffeur duties, administrative requirements, and an all day restaurant service it is lovely to feel that you are appreciated!

I know that if she were here my Mum would love her grandsons and tell me to enjoy every minute of every day as this time is special.  I hope that one day my boys will look back and think they had a good relationship with me as they grew up.  If they feel half as proud to have me as their mum as I felt about my own mother then I think I will have done a pretty good job.

Do you have a best memory of something you did with your Mum as you were growing up?  Is there some advice she gave that you still live by?  Let us know something that your Mum has done or still does to make your life better and you can win the compete first and second season of Castle on DVD.  Just follow or become a member and post your comment underneath. 

 Comp closes 11.59 on 23 March 2012 

Jury Service Continued

Now a 'second weeker' I was allowed to return at 10am on Monday morning, a whole hour later than last week.  As I was no longer a newbie I went into the restaurant whilst all those on their first week watched a DVD explaining what was required of them.  When I saw this I remember thinking how much noise there was coming from the restaurant but now I understood why.  Starting a new week there was a lot of catching up to do.  Within a few days it is amazing how much you get to know about your fellow jurors so people were busy chatting and mulling over how good/bad their weekend had been.  The previous week I had seen groups sitting together and laughing and joking whilst I sat like 'Billy No Mates' on the sofas but I had now progressed up the social pecking order as I began week two.  

When my name was called at 11am for a trial I was very pleased.  The previous week I had sat around until 3pm doing nothing so this was a major improvement.  Unfortunately though there was a problem and we had to wait until 4pm before we actually went into court to be sworn in, so five hours later I was picked ready to start the case the following day.

By this stage I had already been involved with a couple of trials and knowing how everything runs made it feel less intimidating.  What I found the most interesting was how twelve people can view the same evidence but have such differing opinions.  This is obviously why there are twelve people, but it is fascinating how one person can be so sure one way and someone else adamant in their thoughts whilst having a completely opposite view.

Finishing a case on Wednesday we were not sure if would be needed for any other trials, so just left at the end of the day.  It transpired that this was the end of my jury tenure but as it had been such a vague ending there had been no opportunity to say goodbye to my jury compatriots.  They have all gone back to their jobs, children and lives as I have returned to mine.  I have left my Jury Bubble and returned to the real world, but it was definitely more fun than I had anticipated, and a lot more interesting.  So, if you receive a letter in the post requesting you to attend jury service, then embrace it.  You might find it more rewarding than you think.

Appreciate What you Have

Like most people I spend a lot of time running around.  This has probably been compounded recently with the Jury Service and the fact my other half has been away.  Rushing in the morning so I am not late, rushing in the evening to get back, make supper and do a few basic chores, and then trying to fit in whatever needs to be done at the weekend before collapsing into bed every night exhausted.

This is nothing unusual as parents who juggle children and work, mothers who have to do a school run and nursery run with no time in between, and those looking after their families all do the same.  What is sad though is that in the midst of all of this there is no appreciation of what we have.

This week out of the blue somebody I know passed away.  A similar age to me he had not been ill and it was completely unexpected.  He had a loving marriage and children and there has been deep shock at what has happened.  Friends and people I have spoken to have all been upset at the news.  This is not meant to happen to a person of this age.  His children are too young to be without their father and his wife too young to be a widow.  Unlike watching terrible things on the news where there is always a distance between what I am seeing and my life,  this week is far closer to home and it is scary.

It feels so wrong but the sadness this week has made me look at my life.  How often do any of us take a step back and actually do this?  We are so busy stressing, running, worrying and doing that we never appreciate what we have.  I know I am blessed to have my boys and a good marriage.  My other half is working and I have a great family and some amazing friends.  I am fortunate to have my life and it should be appreciated.  None of us know what is round the corner and it may be corny to say it but the present is a gift for now and we should all grab it with both hands.

Jury Service

I have spent a lot of this last week sitting in a very large room with about 50 strangers and waiting.  Sometimes my name is called and other days I just sit as though I am (in the play) 'Waiting for Godot'.  I am allowed to leave the room for an hour at lunch time and at the end of the day but otherwise I stay put, reading, texting friends or talking to the person sitting next to me.

This may seem relaxing to many of you running around but actually it is tedious and more tiring than being busy.  I am, as you may have gathered from the title, currently on Jury Service, and at this precise moment have been sitting here for two hours hoping that my name may be called for the next trial.

The envelope arrived requesting my attendance back in January.  When I saw the official brown envelope my first reaction was “What have I done?” Fortunately I had not been speeding but my reaction was similar to getting a fine!  Six weeks later I have many friends to thank for sorting out my youngest after school every day and I am trying to be more organised than is natural for me, but I am making it to court every day on time and still managing to do a few of my chores at home.

Having spent my first day doing nothing except read a book I can admit to be more than a little unimpressed.  The food in the canteen makes school dinners look Michelin starred, and the day really dragged.  However on my second day I was called to trial.

It was only when I walked into the courtroom that I really felt that what I was doing was important.  There is a true sense of responsibility in being a juror which I had only vaguely thought about before that moment.  The court is very imposing and as you are sworn in there is also a sense of history in the way our judicial system is run.

After hearing the evidence there is deliberation to agree on a verdict.  It is a weird feeling to be in a room with eleven other people who may be strangers but with whom you feel an affinity.  Everyone is in the same position and everyone wants to make sure the verdict they agree on is the correct one for their case.

As I approach the end of my first week I recognise a few faces and even know some names.  People are talking more openly about themselves or their lives outside, and there is a feeling that you genuinely know the people.  However at the end of next week when I finish I will leave for the last time and probably never seen any of them again.  We will all return to our normal lives with the freedom to go in and out whenever we want, but knowing we have done our civic duty and possibly having enjoyed it more than we thought.