An Epiphany (of sorts) 2/10/15

Those of you who follow me regularly will know that my life underwent a major change earlier this year when I stopped working.   I had been working full time for many years in what had become a very stressful job and I just stopped.  It was very much a “stop the world I want to get off” moment.  There were quite a few dark days.  I’m still adjusting to the change in circumstances and dealing with the upset of it all.  I try and keep busy but I haven’t really made long term plans.  I have things I want to do but I’ve not really made a lot of headway with them.

One of the things I have done is got back into blogging reasonably regularly.  Blogging is something I really enjoy.  Many of you will know that I did this by launching myself into the A-Z Challenge last April.  I’ve met a lot of lovely bloggers from there and by taking part in the Wednesday Hodgepodge I’ve met more. 

One person that I follow is Jane at The Witty Ways of a Wayward Wife.  Jane is a published author and is really funny.  While we were away last week I read her book (The Changing Room).  It tells the story of a woman at a certain age who has a chaotic life and a mother with Alzheimer’s. 

 “Sandy Lovett's confused mother and chaotic life are having an effect on her waistline. She knows she needs to change her life but doesn't know how until she buys a risqué dress which sets in motion a sequence of life-changing events.  After years as a mother, carer and full-time employee, Sandy quits her job and places her mother in a care home, and life seems on the up.”

Of course things are never that simple as the book goes on to show.  

Having had the experience of a Mother with Alzheimer’s and placing her into a care home there was lots in the book that I could relate to.  One thing that did strike home to me from a particular part of the book was that if my Mum was around today and in command of her faculties she would be giving me a kick up the backside and telling me to get on with things.  It was a wakeup call.  So thanks Jane, I think.

I have been better this week – I’ve got up earlier and I’ve started work in one of our spare bedrooms.  I need to strip the wallpaper off to see how good/bad the surfaces are underneath then get a plasterer in to do the ceiling and possibly the walls before I continue with decorating.  Hopefully having started I will continue!  I do have the incentive of next year’s wedding and probably having guests to stay to spur me on.

I nearly signed up for another blog challenge too but that required posting every day in October and with the wedding coming up very soon I decided that might be pushing things too far.  I have my outfit now but I still need to get accessories.  On Sunday I’m going with my daughter for her first fitting of her dress so that’s exciting.  Hopefully there might be time to look for my accessories too.

I’m thankful for the power of prayer today.  My MIL has come through her surgery for breast cancer so we can all breathe a sigh of relief for that.  At 87 any time under an anaesthetic is a worry.  Hopefully she will be feeling much better for the wedding.  It wouldn’t be the same if she wasn’t there.