Monday 7 January 2013

Smile post #1

I love the idea of '52 weeks of happy' that I have seen in blogland recently - there's a lot to be said for appreciating the small things in your every day life, but embarking on something that requires you to do at least one post a week is a big commitment for a flake like me, so here is my own version of it - my very first ever smile post.  And the first thing that's been making me smile lately?  Why, I introduce to you my new favourite thing: my wood-burning stove...ta dah!!!!  Isn't it just the cosiest thing you've ever seen?  This was installed in September and has been on almost every night since then (even when, frankly, we haven't needed it - but better to be sitting on the sofa, fire blazing, sweating in my swimming costume, than sitting on the sofa fully clothed with no fire on, I say).  I wasn't being entirely accurate there, btw, my cossie almost never sees the light of day.  I love this fire more than almost everything else in the entire world, despite the fact that the fitters had to take a jackhammer to my sitting room wall to get the lining up the chimney (cue knock on door and next-door-neighbour saying in a quavering voice 'uuuuhmmm, is this going to take long?  Only, everything's falling off my sitting room wall...')  Ooops.
Smile no two: cutie-pie cousins playing with stickers (Hello Kitty, if you're interested - small was thrilled when she opened that parcel, I can tell you!)  Spot the boy with the new astros - yaaaawnnn - what is it with boys and trainers?  Seemingly, they never grow out of it either, Mr N gets very excited when the boys tell him they've grown out of their old ones - it seems that trainer shopping is a blue job, whereas school uniform shopping is most definitely a pink job, which just smacks of double standards to me...
Smile three?  Beautiful nature, even on the dullest, grey day.
And there you have it - my first post for an eternity.  I'm nervous in case you've all, understandably, deserted me and instead of comments, I get tumbleweed at the bottom of my post.  I do have an entirely justifiable reason for my absence, which I will go into at a later date, but let's just say that we've had 'a bit of work' done on the house and by the end of it I had only a tenuous grip on my sanity.  It was a pretty hairy period, with the notable low point coming when I started sobbing so hysterically that I gave myself a nosebleed in front of the decorator who, credit where credit's due, didn't edge nervously towards the door but instead rolled up my blood-soaked sleeves, handed me copious amounts of loo roll to mop myself up, asked me about twenty times if I 'wanted a brew' and told me that 'we all need to have a good cry every now and then'.  
Me: humiliated; him: sh*tting himself. x

17 comments:

  1. HELLO, it's lovely having you posting again and I have DEFINITELY NOT deserted you! Your smile post is lovely and your wood burning stove...big envy here. House renovations are energy sapping, stressful times, so your absence from blog land is understandable.
    Have a wonderful day,
    Anne xx

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  2. What A beautiful idea and what a lovely post, I look forward to reading them all, hugs and squeezes, to you and yours and all the best for 2013 xxx

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  3. We're still here - so lovely to have you back!! Absolutely love the wood burner, my husband has hinted at getting one but I have just found a fab fire surround on ebay. Hilarious about the neighbour coming over! Can't wait to see all the home improvements, we are getting our bathroom and cloakroom done next week so I may well be in the same position as you. Although it's my brother in law and nephew doing the work so they may be a bit more sympathetic if I have a melt down. Or they may just completely disown me!! Joking aside, I hope you are feeling a lot happier now it's all over. Looking forward to more of your posts. xxx

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  4. hoooray you're back! lets do coffee next week. Literally name your day - I'm so full of the festive blues I have no plans...and if I carry on in this mode will have no business or marriage either!!!
    have missed you, both in blogland and real life
    fee x

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  5. Hello again!
    I too have been absent from Blogland for a bit, so it's lovely to have a catch up.
    This post made me smile too- I love your wood burner too.
    And I did laugh at the end. Glad to hear all's ok now. Nose and all.
    Xx

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  6. Hello! Lovely to see you back here. Your post made me laugh, I do like the way you write.

    The stove is LUSH, I am most jealous. If I had one I'd light it every day, rain or shine. Looking forward to your next post... :-)

    Gillian x

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  7. That decorator sounds sweet! What's life without some hysterical crying every now and then?! Good to have you back!
    Maria x

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  8. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your fireplace and stove! I am suffering serious stove envy!
    I have posting intermittently too...maybe with the New Year we'll get back to it again! Cx

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  9. Deserted you? What a load of bunkum! You've made my night......sooooo chuffed you are here again.....good thing I don't know where you live as otherwise I'd have been banging on your door.

    I think I've said before, but I do hysterical very well indeed, I've had a good few moments myself just last month, lots of bottom lip quivering .....

    Great wood burner, our new house has no heating, so we sit shivering by a gas heater every night, being told that we'll be warmer next winter isn't really enough!

    I remember going to a kids b'day pool party some years ago, pulling out my barely worn costume....turned out it ended up being mainly dads that took the kids in, also turned out my costume had thinned/disintegrated in not being used.....

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  10. Why ever would we desert you?! You're the second 'lost' blogger I've found posting this morning ... that's made me smile.

    As for the sobbing ... your decorator was right ... better out than in! I am now away to sob about not having a pretty wood burner. We have a 'chimney problem' (blasted thing) and having tired of watching assorted tradesmen shake their heads are left with no option but a gas fire. It is a rather fancy modern black glass affair, but that is no consolation at all.

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  11. You have just inspired me.
    I am popping my enamel pot on my wood burner first thing tomorrow....very excited.
    Love your blog xxx

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  12. yey, lovely lovely lovely to hear from you again. hoping for mote house pictures soon,
    nelly x

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  13. So glad you are back. Hope the house is getting finished and you will be among us more often. A good cry is always acceptable, especially when the house is torn apart.

    Hugs,
    Sharon

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  14. I've only just caught up but I'm glad to see you're back! The woodburner is lovely and will be so warm & cosy.

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  15. I love the idea of your smile posts and look forward to reading them. We are currently trying to find a stove - I may pop back for advice!

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  16. Welcome back!! just popped by in the hope you may return and here you are!! good to see smiling happiness in your part of the world - and yes, I do love your wood burner!! J9 x

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