Bank Holiday Banter

Oh the irony! We are allowed to have people in the house and we are all going out because the weather is so good!

Having had to continue travelling for work I was enraged at the number of people on my routes; I was heading south-west so what exactly was I expecting? When I went into London last week I was questioning the number of people on the Tube even though it was nowhere near pre-pandemic chaos.

Suddenly the new normal is looking pretty much like the old normal. Or is it?

I am hiding in my garden having decided to dress for the weather, currently a balmy 17°C and promising to reach 30°C. What I left behind in my bedroom is like a mishmash scene from TV show ‘Hoarders’, the brutal stages of ‘Trinny & Susannah’ where they put everything in the middle of the room and then trying to apply the Marie Kondo technique.

At this stage I don’t care if it gives me joy, I’ll settle with can I get it on. I’ve also decided that a good move is to balance the spare mattress up against the long mirror as then I can selfishly apply: ‘Well, I don’t have to look at me’.

I am slightly regretting the move a couple of years ago to cut out the size labels. At the time I thought it was a great idea. What does it matter what size the clothes are as long as I am comfortable and they look OK…right?

Now I am left wondering if this is me unable to get into a size 10, kind of acceptable given my tragic eating habits over the last 18 months, or was it that size 16 which I justified cutting out the label because ‘everyone knows they have a less than average measurements’.

Rising, very unceremoniously to the top, are all the elastic waists, cotton with lycra or voluminous linen.

I knew this moment was coming but, as with most things in my life, left it too late to get the mental plan from my head and into action. I have taken a step forward and started using ‘My Fitness Pal’ app, mainly for the food intake, but it also links to your phone step count. As every step counts towards that drink in the evening, when I saw my girls I let out the cry: ‘who has the Fitbit?’

They responded with gasps of horror. They must have been thinking this is serious. They voiced their concerns: you don’t like gadgets. This is serious.

I wonder how many have opted for what I always call the QM’s Diet. The QM is the Quartermaster; they are the person who controls all the clothing stores in the armed forces. They are the people who you go to when you need to exchange your uniform. Hence, QM’s Diet: clothes too small? Go and exchange them for a bigger size. Perfect!

Actually it’s not so much about the clothes sizing but rather how I feel. I have gradually been feeling less healthy physically which has meant feeling mentally blergh. I have had some creative ideas but when it comes to implementation the energy wains.

So this Bank Holiday it is about turning things around.

The weeding is getting there....

I’ve been in the garden planting the veggies that I’ve grown from seed in my PVC greenhouse, erected when it was snowing…don’t even go there! I have had moments though where I have thought about leaving it to the farmers and maybe just focussing on flowers. Next year I think that may be my plan.

You can't beat an array of bulbs

The tulips I planted have started to take on a Robert Mapplethorpe theme. We studied his work when I was at art college & his study of flowers through photography has always stuck with me.

Some plants are needing more space!

I also resolved to see as many friends as I can. I am adopting a more relaxed way though. In the past it would be epic journeys of dinner parties, lunch meet ups, overnighters etc but I am simply phoning friends and asking if they would like to meet for a cup of tea. Quite literally a cuppa.

It is working brilliantly. There is no fuss, no exclusion because someone is in the kitchen stressing over a meal, no preparation (I take the cake/biscuits) suddenly the notion of meeting friends is what it is all about - chatting and catching up. Sometimes a walk is involved and that simply justifies a cream cake!

We may not be going away this Bank Holiday but it is certainly a turning point. I need to make sure I can keep my promise to my children, one that I often repeat. My plan? To work and travel until I am in my nineties and be a right royal pain in the proverbial when they have no idea what I am doing or what I might do next!

I like to call it karma.

I hope you’ve had a wonderful Bank Holiday…are we there yet?