Just Give Me beans On Toast

Just give me beans on toast this Valentines !



Slap an extra twenty pounds on a bunch of flowers in the name of romance , romance yes romance that language of money come the 14th of February and though while people say you can't put a price on love this seems to be the opposite in the emails I am seeing.I have even had an email for a bike for valentine which yes is very practical but I already have a bicycle I am much more one for practicality and yes there is romance in practicality one year at Christmas I had a Dualit toaster and you know many years later that toaster is still going strong ( I love my toaster very much ) I feel like some sort of toast soothsayer .

Prior to Valentines this year we rand away to Stratford upon Avon not to join the Royal Shakespeare Company but to have a general amble around the sights of this lovely place and you know that Shakespeare is a right little entrepreneur as they even charge to see where he is buried there is a very nice little old lady who asks you what you wish to pay and then you pop and see his grave.I love the freedom to to stuff as as when I choose which I am very lucky to be able to do.


Valentines I feel is just a commercial licence to print money and don't given get me started on the "Bae mine " wordings on things ! .I had not even given any thought to what I shall be eating this Valentines as a parent of a son at university my cupboard is bare.Beans on toast yes I could have beans on toast but cut the toast diagonally just to mix it up and be exciting.

I am thinking I could do with a nice set of kitchen knives and yes that could be a Valentines present , practical is as practical does and no beating around the bush.I remember having one person I knew where for Christmas they gave each other a shed between themselves ( not a shed each ) .

And this weekend what is termed Valentine weekend I am going to a football match , I have no idea of the rules but I won free tickets and it is an opportunity to get fresh air.Last week I went to the Halle orchestra having won some tickets to see the orchestra preform some Nashville music .

So I wish you the perfect anti Valentine’s Day 

Photo courtesy of Jane from 

onions and paper blog  do pop over to her from great cards and tasty recipes.

The Joy In Small Things

Sometimes you have to take joy in the small things, and this is something I'm continually proud of. To find things that bring me joy and to celebrate the small accomplishments as well as the big ones.

A giggle Yes a giggle , laughter is often the best medicine they say and last week saw me entering a text competition but silly me I mistyped the number and somehow ended up signing up to a sex dating service .I got a reply saying “ did I want to get down and dirty” I made sure I put a stop reply straight away.The only getting down and dirty I do is cleaning my kitchen.

The cat is a constant source of amusement

And my son who is at university asks for pictures of the cat rather than pictures of us ! 

I love charity shops I breeze round them after I’ve been say to the gym &  survived the gym should I say.And I find the weirdness of life that is filtered out like a stuff plug hole the the stuff that just won’t go down the plug hole.

And the little things of joy build up like a set of nesting dolls much like the ones I found today.

For The Love Of Travel

I love travelling I really do and I really like Heathrow airport as I find the planes flying early exciting , not the getting through security so much I think I have seen one too many programs on them stopping people.And My handbags have a number of time made the machines go haywire but I have never been arrested not that I am doing anything wrong... blimey it sounds like I am incriminating myself here and I am sure Billy Bryson doesn't write like this at all !

Why is travel important I think it’s important as it not only broadens the mind but heart and soul as well and you don’t just have to jump on a plane you can travel in a number of ways.I know a work colleague of my husbands cycles all round Europe with organised cycle travel companies where yes a plane was part of it but you could travel yourself by Ferry etc.I can’t swim so I’m not going to be swimming the English channel unless I have arm bands.

Travellling makes me very excited and it’s the best form of therapy and self care for me, travelling is a kindness and I believe so much in kindness. In a busy world where you are bombarded at every stage with news and information it is refreshing to just be somewhere and explore , I think the information overload crunch came when brushing my teeth through an app ( yes my toothbrush has an app ) it continued to tell me the news.

In this world you have to create your own resilience at times and quietness I find helps me create their resilience and that is why I love travelling.Sunday saw myself and my husband go to Elgar's birth place and it is a utterly charming National Trust property and they have been in charge of it now for around tow years.And in being in charge The Firs has seen visitors numbers rise from around 8,000 to over 30,000 and I think Elgar would have loved this and the joy of music is essential to out wellbeing I believe.

Cats Are Metaphor For Life

Cats are a metaphor for life I am so sure of that fact , take this morning in fact as the cat was resting in his Amazon box I know I know we tried normal cat beds but cats and boxes eh they just can't be pulled apart .There are some combinations that go together like Strawberries and Cream and Gin and Tonic.Cats and the laser red dot they’re made for each other they wonder where it has come from and where it goes to. Cats have taught me to pay attention to life , studying everything they do and don’t appear to do but there’s a lot going behind those cats eyes let me tell you.The moment you try to photograph a cat they just won’t sit still they immediately go into cat inspection.

My head falls off not a mention from husband . ;)

Cat appears looks solemn “ what’s up cat “ he says

I find all the cats in the garden centre but alas they’re not for sale as one of the them was working security

One was a walking duster ...

Owning a cat teaches you patience and also time is very much different with a cat it sort of freezes esoecially when you’re face to face with a cat as you have the inevitable blink off.

And then there’s the IT department who aren’t always up to the job ..

Cats make me very happy indeed and they don’t charge for any therapy sessions unless you count cat food and cat treats and a ping pong ball and the red laser dot. Actually come to think of it I wonder if Shroendinger kept other pets and they were dead on the inside.

Back to The Grindstone

Back into Yorkshire for a quick trip to drop the number one son off at Hogwarts

or rather the University of York where he’s in his last year of archaeology .It’s all go for the dissertation and there is constant assessments on top of this ~ being a student is hard work !When I was at the supermarket the other day I saw a friend whose son had also just gone back to university and she asked if I was missing my son and I was like "Nah a bit .. it's nice to have the space back ! ".Roles in families change but the ties and emotions of life and love remain the same well my son doesn't have a picture of us at university he has one of the cat !

But it’s nice to appreciate them when they’re back and the food disappears just like that and they roll in late late on New Year’s Day - awwwh youth.But university is a tough old money pit not only for the student and for the parent as well.And We do all we can to help and I am pretty sure we would have had a new kitchen by now if we weren't helping and I I could have been the new Nigella !

It all go for me on the fitness front and the hiccup of Christmas I don't think I have gained too much and I full intend with the aid of noise cancelling headphones to hit the gym, I am not going to turn into a self pouting gym bunny but a little fitness goes a long way in life.And whilst I have to adhere to the stats of weightless as that is a personal goal of mine this New Year I refuse to be one of those who panics over their blog stats and follower numbers I have very organic in the way I blog and what I blog about is very much personal recommendation.

Also I’m taking my life back for me doing as much or as little as I want ! I need to reset my mind and soul I spent too much of  2018/2019 being put through the ringer emotionally and physically.But I’m determined in 2020 all that changes with me being firmly in control/ some people might not like that but you know what I and my family come first.

I have bitten the bullet and actually booked a holiday for this year to Corfu and I have never been it is very important to me that I have this period of time to relax with my husband.My second cousin died last year and I was very close to him as he gave me away at my wedding as my own dad decided not to and stayed away from my wedding.

I want to continue rewinding myself as I truly love the outdoor as I feel free and unrestricted , it is so important to let your mind and soul fly free.