It is a little before 1:00am. I was just about to close my Mac for the night when I noticed the date and thought of Alexa and her Simple Moments.

I hear the hum of my computer and see its bright white page as I type.
My small white clock is ticking soothingly while Paul snores gently behind me. He is sleeping here in the spare room (my work room) tonight because he is up early in the morning.
The only other sound I hear is the gentle (thankfully) buzz in my ears and head, I have tinnitus and I am aware of it at the moment. Sometimes the noise in my head is very loud and very irritating.
Ben is asleep in his room with his door closed and Pepsi is asleep on my bed. With a bit of luck she will be on my side making a lovely warm place for me.

I have the light on my desk low to the table. The rest of the house is in darkness. Most of the windows are closed tonight as the temperature has dropped with the high winds we have had over the last couple of days. The house is closed down for the night. I am alone with my thoughts. I love this time of the day.
I love being here at my desk, quiet and alone.
On my mind is the funeral I went to. The service itself was lovely, I was very fond of the 91 year old lady that has just passed away. 18 months ago she was a new client of mine, her daughter was one of my carers. About 10 months ago her daughter joined us at work and she became a colleague. So, at the funeral were a number of work colleagues. I had a really lovely afternoon with them, catching up and laughing and I loved being told over and over how well and happy I look!
But, last night I had the most dreadful dreams. I was, apparently shouting and screaming about death, people dying, not being able to put things right.

During the afternoon I learnt that there are four people doing my job now.
No wonder I was poorly.
It was the right decision to retire.
I love being able to be here late at night knowing I don’t have to get up for work in the morning.
I love having time to do this.
Time for bed now, to sleep, perchance to dream….some lovely dreams please.

…maybe I should have had my lavender pillow

The scent of English lavender has long been used as a folk remedy to help people fall asleep. Research is starting to confirm lavender’s sedative qualities. It’s been found to lengthen total sleep time, increase deep sleep, and make people feel refreshed. It appears to work better for women, possibly because women tend to have a more acute sense of smell.

Thank you Alexa.

Wednesday 15th May 2013
It is just before 1.00pm.

The tree ‘surgeons’ (!) are busy in the garden. It is a warm and sunny day with hardly a breeze in the air.
We have decided to have the leylandii that runs along one side of our garden cut to the ground. This is a drastic move but we are both tired of trying to keep the thing in check. We keep talking about having it done but not making the decision until today.
Our house was the ‘show house’ for the estate and had an instant garden of trees and shrubs planted. Sounds lovely doesn’t it? 30 years later it has become a nightmare.
Over the 14 years we have been here we have had one or two trees down most years and the hedge cut every year. Some of the trees and shrubs have died of old age, most have grown out of control, cutting light and lifting pathways. I know the birds love them but we have other trees and ivy growing on the side of the house, I will put a notice up directing them over to it.
The chain saw and the shredding machine are incredibly noisy, I find it too hard to concentrate on anything much but I wanted to do this monthly practice of recording just a moment in my life.

I have a hair appointment this afternoon; I will be leaving shortly, hoping for some quiet in the salon. Just a few minutes then, long enough to say that despite the noise, Pepsi is fast asleep!
1:07pm

2.20pm~At the hairdressers.
I planned to write my moment here but didn’t know if it would work, which is why I wrote a little earlier at home.
I took my notebook anyway and am writing while waiting for my colours to set.

The local radio station is on, I am trying to ignore the chatter; there seems to be more chatter than music, but at least it is quieter than at home.
The salon is light, bright and airy. I am sitting in a new area called ‘The Colour Bar’ It is exactly that. There are 4 stools on one side of the lovely, high-gloss white counter, behind the bar are shelves, mirrors and cupboards where the girls keep all the products they need for colouring, cutting and styling. There is a sink and the tea and coffee is here too.
You can watch the girls mixing up your colours, it is a very social area and of course it frees up the mirrors for cutting and styling while your colour sets.
Today I am having some highlights in my hair to liven me up for the summer!
There is one other lady at the bar today, we having been chatting about all things hair and nails, a very ‘girly’ conversation.
The stylists here are very friendly, always happy and love nothing more than having their hair changed and oohing and aahing about your hair. They make you feel welcome, relaxed and special.
The salon has a number of therapists that offer massage, facials, hot stones, waxing, manicures and pedicures, all beautiful, occasional treats necessary for my sanity…
This is where I will be tomorrow for a new colour on my nails. Now you might wonder why I didn’t come on the same day? That’s another story…

Alexa at Trimming the Sails hosts this lovely monthly practice. I hope to get my moment linked but as I am away for the weekend I won’t be able to read yours until Monday. Ooh!, unless I take my iPad and have signals and it lets me comment. It doesn’t always let me do that.

Have a lovely weekend whatever you have planned.

It is 7.15am on Monday 15th April 2013.

Paul is up, I can hear him in the kitchen; he’ll be making a cup of tea for us.
Ben has just gone for his shower; I can hear the water running. He doesn’t take long.
I remembered it is time to join Alexa with her lovely meme Simply a Moment.
I lie here in my warm and cosy bed and think while Ben showers.

I can see out of the window that the day is starting with an overcast sky but at least it is not raining. I’ll be able to get a couple of things done in the garden this morning.
Paul & I worked so hard over the weekend building the new wardrobes. We got them finished and put everything back in side them. There will be rearranging to do but that can wait for a day or two. We were both aching and tired when we fell into bed last night.
We will make the sliding doors later in the week or at the weekend or wait for Ben to have a day at home.
The room has been painted and has new carpet. It is looking very tidy and has that lovely ‘new’ smell. Paul has his work desk in the room so it will make a better place for him to work particularly as he will be working at home from May to September on the new contract.
Pepsi is here on the bed with me, she is the most relaxed, comfy, cosy dog in the world. She snuggles into her blanket. She likes to have her head somewhere on my body. I don’t mind a bit, she is so still, she keeps me still and warm. I wont be getting up for a while yet. I ache so much and my eyes hurt.
Yesterday when Paul & I were putting the fixings in the wardrobe, (I pass the bits he needs, he does the techy bit with the screw driver), we looked at each other and one of us said, “we have been doing this all our lives haven’t we?”
The shower has stopped, Ben will be out in a moment, times up.
I turn over and pull the lovely white covers over me. Pepsi rearranges herself, her head is on my hip now and I close my eyes, hoping that I remember my Simple Moment. I’ll go over it in my head as I drift off to sleep again: tired, aching, happy, tidy, together, working, laughing, making our house a home.

Later: One of the things I wanted to do in the garden was prune the hydrangea, I noticed this lovely skeleton before I became enthusiastic with the secateurs.

There are some lovely Simple Moments over on Alexa’s blog today, if you have a moment, make tea, eat cake, and read some. Thanks Alexa.

Alexa hosts such a wonderful meme, just a few minutes every month, about this time, to record ‘A Simple Moment’. Stop what you’re doing, be conscious of your thoughts and then write.

17th March 2013 St. Patricks Evening

It’s been a busy day but now I have ½ hour before I go to turn the meat in the oven and continue preparing our evening meal. I want to record my thoughts right now.

My sewing machine is the only thing on my desk apart from my keyboard and mouse. I have been busy with a project over the last couple of days and have really enjoyed stitching again.
My desk is so tidy, it was a necessity rather than the norm. I needed some more electrical sockets and Paul has put them in for me this afternoon. I had to clear the desk to move it, I really like it tidy, but it won’t last.
I can hear Pepsi shaking her self to bits; she will be here in a moment. She was hiding from the sound of the drill and then the vacuum cleaner.
The daylight is fading, it has been the most glorious day here, I hear it is snowing elsewhere.
Paul is watching the television downstairs relishing the peace I imagine. He is tired, he has been working away for a few weeks now and it drains him.
We have Lotta here but she and Ben have gone to cuddle a new baby, their friend has just had a beautiful boy. I have seen pictures, he was the same weight as Ben. Oh so many memories came flooding back. Ben loves to hear the stories. You know, for a young man so very wise he had me laughing with his daft questions about the baby. We are still teasing him about the apparent weight of the child: 12 Kilos Ben volunteered, pleased that he remembered to ask. “Babies are born in lbs and ounces, always have been and always will be” was my reply which made us laugh some more. Today I learnt that babies in Finland are born in grams!

Just now I can hear the black bird calling. It is a very clean and shiny blackbird, I watched him having the most wonderful bath this afternoon.
Oh the quiet is bliss to my head just now.
I will let you into a little secret, promise not to tell?

Last evening we all went out to dinner at our favourite restaurant, which, as it happens has lost that status due to a new chef with a heavy hand in the salt tub! He came out and apologised but I didn’t quiet believe what he told me…anyway that’s not the secret.
After our meal we went next door to the pub and had after dinner liqueurs, we put some money in the jukebox and had another drink and began to sing. Ben and Paul have very similar taste in music and it makes for a lot of singing together! We decided on just one more lot of money in the jukebox and yes, another drink.
At closing time we called a taxi & went home and, you guessed it, we thought it would be nice to listen to some music and have another drink.
We danced and sang and laughed until the small hours.
We laughed and danced and sang and laughed some more.
Ben & I danced as if no one was watching, and we sang as if no one was listening.

I have no idea why this night happened but I am so glad it did. The laughing has lifted us all, yes we are all hung over and I ache! But, no one knows do they? Don’t forget, you promised not to tell…

Thank you Alexa for hosting Simply A Moment.

February 18th 2013
My Mac tells me it is 22.39

The house is warm and quiet except for the sound of my clock ticking and my Mac whirring.
Ben is in bed watching something on the iPlayer but he has his headphones on so as not to disturb me. I have just called in to say goodnight.
Paul is in his hotel in Dorset, the first of four nights away this week.
Pepsi is behind me on her princess bed, she hasn’t moved all day. I think she is hiding, just in case I am thinking of sending her to the kennels again.
I want to take a moment to reflect on today and the weekend.

Today was the first day of a new phase in my life and my head has been buzzing, full of ideas and plans and hopes and dreams. Of course I enjoyed my day but it felt as though I was hovering, not knowing where I should be or what I should do.
Ben helped “Just chill mum” Paul helped “Just rest darling, cuddle Pepsi all day long if that makes you happy”

This morning I was able to help Paul with something instead of apologising that I couldn’t and running out to work. It felt good.
I was able to help him later in the day; he needed something from his computer at home. It felt good.
I had me time, I chilled a bit and rested a bit but obviously not enough because and I am tired now but not stressed. And that feels very good.

Time to think about the weekend before I call it a day.
We had a wonderful time, I was thoroughly spoilt.
The hotel was beautiful, comfortable and luxurious. It was built in 1817 and has just had a major re-furbishment in the boutique style. The staff perfectly attentive; and the food just fabulous and as pretty as a picture.
We walked in the grounds: the snowdrops glistened in the sun beneath the huge, ancient trees looking wonderful without their leaves.
The weather was perfect, low lying mist in the morning giving promise of a bright day. It was cold but the skies were blue and the sun shone for us. In the evenings we had clear and still starlit skies. The plough was so close it felt as though if you stretched enough you just might touch one of her stars.
We had time to walk; I had time to photograph some landscapes.
We had afternoon tea by the fire in the library.
Ben joined us for late night drinks by a huge open fire on Saturday evening and a birthday breakfast on Sunday morning. We were thrilled that he was part of our celebration.
We had a simply perfect weekend.

22:51
Thank you Alexa for this Simple Moment