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Week 18 – Monday Round-up

May 5, 2014 by Bel Leave a Comment

So its that time again! Trying to do it on time this week. I’m also going to try and make it quick as I’ve got a lot more to do than originally anticipated.

Last week was a good week for the most part. I full week of work and school, unlike the week before, but good nonetheless. There was nothing particularly notable about the beginning of the week, other than another Disney Princess picture from Megan.

My brother came around Tuesday night to catch up on OUAT and the rest of the week, evenings were spent either watching TV with Chris or doing stuff for my blog or the upcoming Murder Mystery. Thursday night I worked, which was both tiring but also nice because between work (ending at 2.30 and starting again at 5) I had the opportunity to wander into town which is rare these days. I picked up a ghastly dress for Saturday night’s murder mystery at £1.99 and also a cake book for £3. I also treated myself to a copy of Elle, because it had a free Benefit Porefessional sample with it. I popped into see Chris at work too (which has been a while since I did) taking him a chocolate love bird from Thorntons.

I was glad to see Friday as this week has seemed very tiring, probably because of working the extra shift on Thursday. Friday evening Megan and I made stained glass windows, ready for the Murder Mystery the next day and I have to admit they turned out good.

Friday night, Nat came around. We had a good chat and a catch up, also starting on baking the cakes I needed to make Erika’s cake. She stayed until pretty late but it was nice, despite the fact I was desperate to crawl into bed.

Saturday was a busy day. Needed to pop out to the post office, start making food for the murder mystery and occupy the kids all until my mum arrived. I baked some fresh bread which turned out beautifully too. Mum came for the girls around 2pm and when she left I went food shopping. The rest of my day was then spent baking, cooking and making food for the Murder Mystery that night. On top of that, I also finished off Erika’s cake, as you may have seen in my post yesterday.

The murder mystery was fun but that was really because of the people not the murder mystery itself. The food was all good but loads left as usual! At least we all have a lot of nibbles for the week! Yesterday, Chris and I got a bit of a lie in as mum had the kids. However when we did get up, we only bummed around and watched TV anyway until the kids got home. In the afternoon Chris went to see his sister, nephew and gran, all up at his Gran’s house. I was going to take the girls swimming but in all honesty I was still feeling exhausted so I gave it a miss.

We got ready for the girls to go to their dad’s, packed a bag and had dinner. However when he arrived there was a bit of an argument, Megan got upset and didn’t want to go. Because Megan didn’t want to go, Lily didn’t either. I hated that they were both missing out on going to their dad’s but at the same time didn’t want to force Megan if she was feeling upset. Despite inviting their dad in for a coffee while Megan decided how she felt, the girls ended up staying here last night. That means that everything I had planned for today is out the window, but I suppose its actually pretty nice to have them unexpectedly around for the day.

Now, as I said, I have a lot to do so I’m going to leave it at that. However, though I didn’t mention it yesterday, while everyone was celebrating “May The Fourth Be With You” and all that, it would have been my dad’s birthday. It would have been his 60th. I’m usually okay on May 4th, but perhaps with a mixture of everything else that ended up happening yesterday evening, I found myself quite upset. Luckily today I’ve woken up feeling better but it wouldn’t have been right not to at least give a nod to one of the greatest men I ever knew. Love you Dad.

Filed Under: Monday Round-up Tagged With: cake, Chris, dad, decorations, dinner party, Erika, fresh bread, friends, kids, Lily, may 4th, Megan, murder at the manse

May the 4th be with you

May 4, 2013 by Bel 8 Comments

May 4th has always meant something very different to me, than it does to the majority of the population. I’ve never been a massive fan of Star Wars (though I’m not against it either) but before May 4th became known as “May The Fourth Be With You”, May 4th was actually my dad’s birthday.

I say was, because sadly my dad isn’t around any more. He passed away in March of 2004, just before I fell pregnant with my first daughter.

My mum and dad met in Gibraltar. He was working for MI6, taking photographs of boats that entered in and out of the waters, while my mum worked as a primary school teacher out there. They dated only three months before my dad asked my mum to marry him. The date he proposed was May 28th 1976, the day that three years later would become my birthday. They married out in Gibraltar (picture above) but all of their family traveled to attend.

Dad and I in a photobooth.
The rest of the strip got lost – they were in my purse when it got stolen last December

Eventually though they moved back to the UK. I was born in May 1979, my brother in June 1982 and my sister in February 1985. We lived in Bristol (where I was born), Sheffield and then Wakefield (where my brother was born), then North Somercotes, Maltby Le Marsh, Louth and Saxilby (my sister was born in Louth while we lived in North Somercotes). For the majority of the time my dad was a dad, he worked and ran a newsagents. There were various ones, but the most memorable was the one we owned in North Somercotes – The Stores, Keeling Street.

By some miracle I’ve found this picture online. Its taken at the time we must have lived there. 1986.

I have some amazing memories of living here, especially ones with my dad. Mum still worked as a Primary School teacher but it wasn’t that local. Dad was almost a stay-at-home father, even though he was obviously working in the newsagents – all day, every day. I remember calling in during cross-country runs to get a drink, or heading out to do cash and carry in the big white mini bus we owned at the time. Special trips to KFC that we didn’t tell my mum about. Racing him to the door of the shop every time and crying once when he fell and I felt guilty.

Life changed a lot for us though during our ten years in North Somercotes. Eventually we moved out to Maltby Le Marsh, then to Louth. My dad re-trained to be a teacher, going back to University and starting from scratch. Though we used to fight on and off all the time, I was definitely closer to my dad than my mum. Again I have amazing memories of late night sneak takeaways that my brother and I would order, getting something for my dad but not being allowed to mention it to my mum. Carrots with Sunday Lunch that used to have to be raw, daring each other to drink the water the carrots had sat in.

I moved away to Wales, the first time I got married. During that time my dad got sick and I felt so far away. I’ll never forget the horror of realising he could have a heart attack and I would be much too far away to get there. Eventually it took its strain on my marriage (along with other things) and I ended up moving back to home. When my dad died, my family lived in Saxilby (the village I live in now) and thankfully I’d moved back in, then out again, but was only in Lincoln at the time.

However this wasn’t supposed to be some miserable and depressing post. I haven’t felt sad today, but instead just mindful and perhaps thankful.

My dad was an amazing man. He was loud, but god was he was funny. He was in fact just jolly. Everyone loved him – it was hard not to. I adored him, as little girls often do with their daddies. However at the same times there were days when I would just wish him away. He was tactless and stubborn, as men often are. But no hug in the world has ever compared to one of his. When the thunder crackled and the lightning flashed, dad being there always made everything okay. When my car window got smashed and I was working as a pitiful waitress, dad offering to pay for it to be mended meant the world to me. Even in my late teens and early twenties, I would still sit on his lap and snuggle up with him. Nothing will ever replace those memories.

The thing that probably makes me the saddest, aside from just missing him, is that my dad would have made an awesome grandad. My girls, who are so much like me, would have loved him to pieces. When dad retrained as a teacher, he found his niché in life. However had he ever got the opportunity to be a grandad, I know he would have been simply unbeatable at it.

When I was pregnant with Megan and scratched my then partner’s car, I wished my dad had been there to help me fix things. When my children were born, I wished my dad was there to see them, to love them and to be loved by them. On so many occasions I have thought about him and wished he was there. Even though I thought I would be okay writing this post, to celebrate and not commiserate his life, I find myself missing him and in tears.

To my dad, one of the most wonderful men I have ever met…
I love you. I miss you. Happy Birthday. You are always in my thoughts.
Your loving daughter, Belinda.

Filed Under: about me Tagged With: dad, death, family, life, may 4th, sadness

Hi, my name is Bel!


I’m a forty something, mother of two, self-confessed geek!

Here on my blog you’ll find;
books I’ve read, clothes I’ve made, movies I’ve watched, cakes I’ve baked, products I’ve tried, places I’ve been, pictures I’ve taken… plus lots and lots of DISNEY!!

I’m a lifestyle blogger – covering a little of everything I love <3

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