Monday Magic – Inspiring Blogs for You!

Posted in Blog share, Blogging, Blogs, chronic illness, Inspiring, Monday Blogs by Claire Saul (PainPalsBlog)

Welcome back, friends – I have been on an unintentional blog break for two weeks. Unintentional as life, fatigue and brainfog took over – I just was unable to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Then there are the constant demands of a family – hubby, dogs and “big” kids.

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The biggest kid, the young tech engineer, continues to spend half his week working from home, the other half in London as he and a tech pal continue to grow their new IT start up. He just spent the weekend in the Peak District walking with 9 nine others through the mud and rain – a good time was had by all. The smallest kid, the lovely girl, is currently working her way through German TV dramas on Netflix for her A level German “wider experience” – this weekend it has been Deutschland 83. I saw it on TV but have been happy to watch again as the soundtrack takes me back to my teens in the 80s – the plot is great too!

Hubby managed a visit to the politics student last week. It was supposed to be an overnight stay to break a long journey there and back to the north of England – and could well have included a pub crawl of Nottingham. Hubby took the middle kid out for dinner and in true student style he ate everything put in front of him, but when they arrived back at the “digs” the number of young people staying in the house had grown to the point where hubby didn’t fancy his chances of 1. sleeping and 2. getting anywhere near the bathroom. He was very relieved to be climbing into bed next to his wife at 1 am rather than in with his 19 year old son!

What about the dogs? Well our old dog has been on his holidays to grandparents the last two weekends, whilst we have been vizsla sitting….firstly for Chester and then for Jensen. Sam is now back and in his favourite spot in the window asleep on his bed – at 16, he is probably well over 100 in human years so can be forgiven for turning up his nose when the back door is opened to a rain swept garden!

I haven’t been very active with blog reading or commenting, but I have found some lovely posts that I hope you will enjoy them! Commemorations have taken place globally this weekend for both Remembrance Day and the 100 years since the end of the first World War, so it seems fitting to share some posts to mark this. So sit back, grab a cuppa and have a good read….

https://willowdot21.wordpress.com/2018/11/06/the-red-the-white-and-the-purple/

https://thepurplealmond.com/2018/11/12/a-tribute-to-our-veterans-1918-2018/

https://walkamyelinmyshoes.com/2018/11/11/i-remember/

https://gardner1015.wordpress.com/2018/11/12/daily-ramblings-motivation-monday-20/

https://inkanyiso.org/2018/11/06/2018-nov-6-loss/

https://jenanita01.com/2018/11/06/38821/

https://whatapain.co.uk/dear-diary-my-domestic-abuse-story/

https://chronicallyglutenfree.com/2018/11/gluten-free-thanksgiving-stuffing-dairy-soy-free/

https://zebrapit.com/2018/11/12/roasted-turkey-with-herb-butter-and-gravy/

https://writeintolife.com/2018/11/12/1000-days-1000-humans/

Have a great week,

Claire x

29Oct2018

Monday Magic – Inspiring Blogs for You!

Posted in Blog share, Blogging, Blogs, chronic illness, Monday Blogs by Claire Saul (PainPalsBlog)

It is the final couple of days of October, here in the UK the clocks have gone back and the early mornings are darker, Halloween means Trick or Treaters will be on our doorsteps within days….and November beckons. Despite the drop in temperature, I can’t believe that winter is nearly upon us and that there are Christmas jumpers in the shops!

My family know that I am a huge Strictly Come Dancing fan and I love the Halloween show, so Saturday night was one of the highlights of the year for me. The dance of the night had to be the new couple’s choice Musical theatre & Jazz number from Faye and Giovanni, but as with every series there are a couple of contestants with no dance experience who are positively shining. I mean of course star of social media, Joe Sugg, and the wonderful gritty news reporter, Stacey Dooley, who are both taking to dance like naturals. Joe has a wonderful frame with a real Marfanoid look to his neck and limbs, whilst we are more accustomed to seeing Stacey squaring up to drugs gangs or on the frontline rather than dressed as a time lord (Dr Who) and strutting a tango under the glitter ball. I am kicking myself that once again I left it too late to book accessible tickets for the live tour shows in London – I really can’t manage not to be in my wheelchair these days – please someone remind me to make that call next year!

Joe Sugg (google images)

Stacey Dooley (google images)

We were joined by a gaggle of 16 year old girls for part of the Halloween show on Saturday before they took over the kitchen with vegan food and an oven load of chips. It is unbelievable just how much noise these girls can make and then add in the incessant barking of our geriatric dog as he joins in the fun ……well, I think you can begin to imagine how far away they could be heard. Meanwhile the young engineers (son and boyfriend) were on a party crawl with invites to 4 Halloween affairs in London. It is now Monday afternoon and he has just walked through the door…..

I think that I have found some fantastic posts for you this week – some from old friends and some are new to me. There are some suggestions for activities with kids, ghostly writing and a beautiful poem. I have also focused on posts that look at making a difference – for yourself and others, so sit back with a cuppa, put your feet up and enjoy!

https://lisaorchard.wordpress.com/2018/10/27/stay-true-to-yourself/

https://mydailyjournalonline.com/expectations-and-acceptance-two-sides-of-the-same-coin/

http://wellingtonworldtravels.com/fun-fall-activities-for-families/

https://mjmallon.com/2018/10/28/author-feature-mary-r-woldering-ghostly-writes-anthology-2018/

https://fancypaperblog.com/2017/11/04/midterm-break-in-ireland-with-kids-to-cork/

https://tinybuddha.com/blog/why-my-chronic-illness-cant-stop-me-from-making-a-difference-in-the-world/

https://brainlessblogger.net/2018/10/24/things-i-learned-from-depression/

https://nothingbutpoetry.wordpress.com/2018/10/23/forever-dancing/

https://janetmarycobb.com/2018/10/24/what-difference-did-i-make/

https://www.mollytotoro.com/2018/10/youre-never-too-old-to-learn-something-new/

Please share some love by commenting and sharing to social media.

Have a great week and….keep dancing (so sorry, couldn’t resist),

Claire x

22Oct2018

Monday Magic – Inspiring Blogs for You!

Posted in Blog share, Blogging, Blogs, chronic illness, Monday Blogs by Claire Saul (PainPalsBlog)

Welcome back to a new week and another Monday Magic! It is a beautiful day here in the South East of the UK and a fantastic start for half term. Of course here in the PainPals house there is only one child on half term and being a teen, we will be lucky to be graced by her presence before lunchtime no matter the weather. The paper round will be done, but then it is back to bed!

For me the week revolved around a dinner at my old school celebrating 40 years of c-education and as one of the original 10 year old girls back in the day, it has been a pleasure to contact others from my generation.

The first little girls!

I had fun creating collages from photographs sent to me by old friends and enjoyed a wonderful trip down memory lane with old staff and old friends. Our old headmaster added to this with his speech – several of the boys, now middle aged men, were just as badly behaved during this as they were 39 years ago! – and recalled the incident in the school hall where we all sat for an end of year assembly when suddenly the hall doors flew open and in stalked a rather glamorous young lady. Making her way up the middle aisle between the students, she slowly started to disrobe to the sniggers of the whole school whilst the head was slowly gathering his wits and said he wondered if she was a strippergram or a kissogram. Meanwhile the school deputy, an altogether smaller, older and very conservative man, literally flew from the stage flapping his black gown around him. I can’t remember seeing him without his gown and he always reminded me of a raven about to take flight as he dashed along the outdoor pathways, ruffling out his gown behind him. On this occasion the gown was wrapped around the young lady and he bundled her out the back of the hall into a waiting classroom. The head was a bit disgruntled – well he never discovered if she was a kissogram or strippergram! – as many pupils knew that the 6th form boys had arranged this stunt, including his own young son who kept the secret completely. Little tyke!! We never found out what the deputy did with said young woman after he bundled her out at speed. It never fails to amaze me how the years just fall away when old friends catch up, and we girls had a really tight bond as there were so few of us – only 8 initially and 4 of us attended the dinner.

Lovely to see old friends and feel like a teen for a few minutes! The chronic body stood up to a whole night out very well – not sure if that was down to adrenaline or wine – but needless to say the high is generally followed by a fall, or crash, and this has given me time to find some blogs which I have enjoyed.

So sit back with a cuppa and have a look at these great sites – I hope that you enjoy the variety as much as I did!

https://trend-able.com/chronic-bloggers/

https://chronicallystrong.com/lessons-from-cancer-caregiver-caregiving/

https://pamelajessen.com/2018/10/12/interview-october-roger/

https://www.jenhardy.net/is-laughter-the-best-medicine/

https://worldisateaparty.wordpress.com/2017/09/25/long-autumn-shadows-at-tea-time/

https://youtu.be/ZIAUD6eaN3Q

https://theimmortaljukebox.com/2018/10/17/pete-townshend-willie-mitchell-robert-parker-barefootin/

https://www.style-yourself-confident.com/seasonal-color-analysis-autumn.html

https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/2018/10/18/20-fun-facts-about-my-blog-and-me/

https://sugarmuffin.home.blog/2018/10/16/bones-for-the-boneless-tv-shows-you-must-watch-this-halloween/

The-Witcher-Netflix-Series-Henry-Cavill-wants-to-play-Geralt-in-Witcher-TV-adaption-721515

Please share, comment and spread some love for these bloggers!

Have a great week,

Claire x

10Sep2018

Monday Magic – Inspiring Blogs for You!

Posted in Blog share, Blogging, Blogs, chronic illness, Monday Blogs by Claire Saul (PainPalsBlog)

Good evening! I haven’t been here for a whole week – well not actually writing on the page anyway. It has been a busy week with several trips into central London and I am still hopeless at pacing myself – so a very long day for my son’s graduation, a theatre trip and a house full of youngsters has left me devoid of anything resembling a brain to write, comment on posts or do little other than sleep and eat, in that order!

The graduation day gave my parents, hubby and me the opportunity to be those really embarrassing grandparents and parents. Personally I don’t believe that we were anywhere near the top ten for winning those awards on the day, although I expect the young engineer would say otherwise. I actually allowed him to choose which dress I would wear – between a bold floral number and a black and cream block symmetric piece – he chose what he described as the “boring” one, but I’m not sure that was quite the response I was looking for. When my mum got in the car though, she was greeted with “Oh no, you’ve worn a lairy dress, Grandma” (thoughts in the comments please!). We actually looked quite understated compared to some of the other graduates and guests – some actually appeared to be going to weddings or balls – so I really don’t know what his lordship was worried about, but we managed to have some fun on the blustery terrace of the Royal Festival Hall with an impromptu photo shoot, with me on my feet!

Having a mum in a wheelchair (and remember this is still a relatively recent addition to our family transport) isn’t always the best way to fly under the radar, but sometimes it does have its advantages – particularly when the queue for the official photographers is snaking around the whole reception area of the RFH and those with disabilities are ushered to a much shorter queue and given every help required. I am also delighted to report that the RFH staff ensured that I had a suitable spot for my wheelchair, were quick to find me alternative toilet facilities when the disabled loo on our floor was out of order, and brought out extra food when I had missed it due to said toilet issue! All in all the accessibility in the Royal Festival Hall was great…..even if the strange singing lift was a bit creepy (the haunting “voice” sang up a scale as we ascended and ran back coming down, singing the level as the doors opened).

We were joined by our other young adults, including the young engineer’s better half in possession of a beautiful bouquet, and my brother for a celebratory dinner – although the politics student and lovely girl were only just leaving the house when they should have been arriving in London. Oh the joy of youth, when the world is your oyster and time keeping so unimportant!! A great day was had by all.

I have managed some reading, despite a lack of writing, and have put together some more blog posts for your enjoyment. Once again the posts are all very different and incorporate mental health, beauty, cookery, reading, and some comments on life! Kicking you off this week is poetry from Inner Voice Actor and the title alone called out to me…”You ain’t giving up”. Sit back and enjoy!

https://innervoiceactor.wordpress.com/2018/09/06/you-aint-giving-up/

https://www.sizzlingtowardssixty.com.au/putting-the-me-into-mental-health/

https://writeofthemiddle.com/beauty-make-up/

http://nextphaseinfitness.com.au/10-tips-to-ensure-you-exercise-consistently/

https://riverandquill.com/2018/09/interstitialcystitisawarenessmonth.html/

https://www.jumbledbrain.com/2018/09/06/guest-post-leanne-whitehouse-on-her-30-year-tbi-anniversary/

https://myyeka.com/what-is-the-right-kind-of-attraction/

https://libertyonthelighterside.com/3-cup-southern-african-cheese-puffs/

https://virtuallyallsorts.com/read-a-book-day-are-you-well-read/

http://angelanoelauthor.com/inspiration-motivation/relationships-when-a-run-is-not-about-running/

Please like, comment and share these posts – make a blogger’s day!

Have a great week,

Claire x

3Sep2018

Monday Magic – Inspiring Blogs for You!

Posted in Blog share, Blogging, Blogs, chronic illness, Monday Blogs by Claire Saul (PainPalsBlog)

Good afternoon! For many in the UK this is back to school week – today hubby and teachers across the country have school inset training days, whilst the kids enjoy their final days of summer. The school uniform is bought, the pencil cases packed and soon the countdown will be on for Halloween.

This is the first year in about 18 years that school uniform hasn’t been bought in our house! The lovely girl has a very loose, smart “own clothes” code for the sixth form – although mum has a feeling that this could prove a lot more problematic!! The first line of the code made me both smile and sigh – “no underwear to be on show”……so no knicker skimming skirts, shorts need to be long and tailored, no bras or cleavages on show. How times have changed since my day – the only concession we got in the sixth form was girls didn’t have to wear blazers or ties; the boys had no concessions. Skirts above the knee….forget it! The girls have been out shopping – last week they visited the interesting God’s own Junkyard with its displays of neon lights amongst other places – and she did return with a skirt….it definitely doesn’t reach her knees!

God’s Own Junkyard

The skirt!

The young engineer has been away at a festival this weekend, but it is far removed from those visited by his brother this year. I think an accurate description would be a “Geek” festival where like minded inquisitive souls meet up and CREATE! Never will you attend a camp with such power, high speed wifi and every imaginable technological gadget – one comment on instagram said “You know you are at @emfcamp #emfcamp and not any other festival when the guy in the tent next to you is running a server from the porch of his tent :)” It is based at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire and this year additional power and wifi had to be installed, so my bet is the local villages will have the fastest internet connections in the whole UK!

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Last year the young engineer and his friend built a giant (8 feet) version of Guitar Hero – wires and lights were arriving at our house for weeks before (you can see it on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/AOU09T3l9Kg). This year he has taken his better half who is a software engineer but frankly I’m not sure that he knows what he has let himself in for. They are due back later today…..

This week the young engineer officially becomes a Master of Engineering & Software when he graduates at the Royal Festival Hall. I am hoping that I will have some very embarrassing pictures to share of him wearing his gown and mortar board!

The first blog on today’s list is about the EMF camp, but if this doesn’t grab you then hopefully you can be inspired by the others on the list. I have found a post about an artisan Mead brewery (having seen them featured on a BBC programme), some timely back to school views from a teacher, and a new blog from a cyclist touring through Kyrgyzstan to Nepal. There are also some great life posts and my favourite title has to go to “The Special Stank of a Boy”!

https://hackaday.com/2018/08/14/looking-forward-to-electromagnetic-field-2018/

http://viking-mjod.no/apothecary-mead-legends-of-sherwood/

https://butismileanyway.com/2018/08/30/the-onset-of-inset-days-backtoschool-teacherslife/

https://inspiremystyle.com/2018/08/26/leading-a-fulfilled-and-healthy-life/

http://www.secondhand-life.com/2018/08/anxiety-storms-demons-on-the-boat/

http://janetgivens.com/at-seventy-seven-thoughts/

https://thewildreaderwithacat.wordpress.com/2018/09/02/beautiful-houses-%F0%9F%98%81/

https://woods-wanderer.com/2018/09/02/cycle-touring-chapter-7-osh-to-kunelek-kyrgyzstan-an-ode-to-kolbek/

https://butterflyinremission.com/2018/08/21/how-i-experienced-mindset-shift-motivation-life-change/

https://hotmessmemoir.com/2018/09/03/the-special-stank-of-a-boy/

I hope that you enjoy this great mixture of posts…..please like, comment and share!

Have a great week,

Claire x

26Aug2018

Monday Magic – Inspiring Blogs for You!

Posted in Blog share, Blogging, Blogs, chronic illness, Monday Blogs by Claire Saul (PainPalsBlog)

We are celebrating our final bank holiday weekend of the year and in true UK style it is raining! The long, hot days of only a couple of weeks ago feel like a world away, whilst last night yours truly turned on the electric blanket and added a dressing gown to the bed clothes. Now the fight will be on between husband and wife for changing to a warmer duvet (me) or sticking with the summer one (him). I must look into these split weight duvets – have any of tried them? Anyway, the wife will win!!

This week has felt a little surreal if I am honest with you. The politics student called mid week to say that he could only sleep on his mate’s floor in Nottingham until Saturday – OK, so what do you expect me to do about it?? Well, my final exam isn’t until Tuesday……good old mum puts a shout out to a couple of Nottingham based school friends, but of course it is a BH weekend and guess what, my boy?! A lot of people go away – and that is why my friends aren’t about but also why the B&B/hostels are all booked!! He is fortunate that we found an Air BnB – affordable and in walking distance of uni; but arranging transport home was slightly trickier as he hadn’t told me his exam isn’t until 4.30 Tuesday afternoon. But……with a bit of internet surfing, I was amazed to get him and his friend onto a coach on Tuesday evening, back to London for £15 for the two of them! Bargain!! It will probably cost as much to get back from London to home (30 mins on the train!).

Amidst the dramas of the “middle” child, came the exam results of the youngest – the lovely girl. I did mention a little about this in yesterday’s post. Needless to say it was mum here who didn’t sleep well the night before and had strange dreams – we knew she would have got the requirements for 6th form, bar a complete disaster, but as the exams have been new this year and she was taking a mixture of the new levels 1-9 and the old grades A*-G, anything was possible. Thursday morning came, she got up and did her paper round, and I was awoken to squeals as she opened the email – oh my goodness! I am not allowed to say any more, but if your follow me on twitter of facebook you will know that she didn’t need to worry about me posting her results and picture all over social media – the school did it!! (here!!)). As I said I’m not allowed to say anything – but delight, surreal, shocked, unbelievable….you get the picture!!

The young engineer has been a bit put out that his little sister beat him – in fact beat both her brothers – but secretly he is very proud. In fact on Friday evening he and his partner were going to the theatre with the lovely girl and her friend (who did just as well) – and he took them out for dinner beforehand to celebrate. Now this is a huge deal as he has always been the “tight” kid of the 3!!!

So moving on from the act of sibling love in my household to the first blog that I’m sharing with you this week – it comes from Rachna and she describes a beautiful festival that traditionally recognises and honours sibling love. I particularly like the post on ClockWorkClouds that discussed the uses of certain words – how does using “should” rather than”would” change the feel of a situation? I hope that you will also enjoy some culture with an artist’s exhibition, a book review, flash fiction story and do read the Trolls’ poem, it is funny! There are also some life posts here too that would benefit everyone.

So grab a cuppa, put your feet up and enjoy some great blog posts!

https://www.rachnaparmar.com/2018/08/raksha-bandhan-a-beautiful-festival-of-sibling-love.html

https://clockworkclouds.wordpress.com/2018/08/27/5945/

https://bootsshoesandfashion.com/a-visit-to-the-orla-kiely-exhibition/