Long time, no see!!

So, it’s been three years since I last updated my blog. Once again I’ve been useless at this blogging lark. Does it make it any better that I have regularly thought about writing posts for the blog, but the longer I’ve left it the harder it’s been to actually get round to it.

If you know me, or you’ve followed my previous blogs, you’ll know things tend to change a lot for me!! My last post was about me having met a lovely guy (G) and being really happy and of course things have moved on somewhat since then!!!

I’m no longer seeing him, we’re still friends as he is a really nice guy, but two years ago I decided I wanted to be single and stay single. I loved having my own space and spending my time how I wanted to and not worrying about anyone else apart from my children. I decided that I would stay single until my children were grown up and then I’d consider another relationship, but until then I’d be happily single. There was no way I would consider having anyone move in with me, as I say, I liked my space far too much and really didn’t want to share it with anyone else apart from the children.

A week or so later I got a message from a friend I’d met at dancing a couple of years earlier but who I hadn’t seen or heard from for over a year. He wondered if I fancied meeting up for lunch and a catch-up…

Well, to cut a long story very short, despite me being adamant that I was staying single and under
no circumstances would be allowing any man to move into my house we have now been living together for over a year. Sometimes, no matter what you do or say, if you’re meant to be with someone then you’ll end up together…. And yes, I am happier than I ever could have imagined!!

One of the (very many) things I love about Adi is that right from the very start he has been adamant that the children come first and has always taken a genuine interest in them and wanted to get to know them, accepting that each one of them is an individual and that they all have their own quirks and likes and dislikes. The first time he came round to meet the children they immediately took to him and there was a moment when my youngest asked him if he’d play a game with him. Adi got straight down on the floor and played the game with him and that little voice in my head said, “He’s the one!!”

It’s lovely to see how well all of the children get on with him, he treats them with respect although he also regularly makes them groan with his awful jokes. My eldest especially has developed a good relationship with him and they will have a laugh and a joke, often at my expense, lol.

Apart from all of that excitement there’s been lots of other things going on too. I’m no longer studying with the Open University, instead I’m currently doing an Access course at my local college and have been offered a place at Lincoln University which I am incredibly excited about. I had signed up to do the Access course way back in 2009 but a wobble in my confidence about my ability to do it and no support from anyone around me meant I gave it up before I even began, but studying with the OU made me realise that I could easily do the Access course if I could cope with the equivalent of second year at uni level study and Adi has been incredibly supportive, to the point of giving up his job and taking a more local one with flexible hours to help me out when I’ve needed it. I know if I’d ever had a moment where I thought I couldn’t do it then he’d have done whatever it took to make sure I didn’t give up.

In other exciting news I am now divorced at last. It’s been six years but I now have that piece of paper that marks my freedom. Once I’d got over the initial excitement of receiving the final paperwork I did feel a bit like when it’s your birthday and you don’t actually feel any different to how you did the day before but every now and then I have moments when I think, “I’m free! I’m free!” The children all took the news well, as I had expected them to as it’s been so long since I left their dad anyway. They did ask if I was going to change my name now but I like my surname, I chose it for us when we all changed our surname about 10 years ago because my married name was just so horrendously awful. So, the answer is no, I’m not going to change it just for the sake of it.

As exciting as getting divorced was, something even MORE exciting happened last year – I went to see New Order play live for the very first time (for me, not for them!!). I’ve been a fan of theirs since the late 80s when I was growing up in Manchester and I still have very vivid memories of listening to their CDs on my discman on the bus to college of a morning. Yet in all that time I’ve never seen them live. Adi bought me the CD of them playing at Bestival and I told him that next time they do a concert I’m going to see them no matter how much it costs, so you can imagine my excitement when they announced last year that along with their new album (which is fantastic) they were doing a tour and I managed to get the first tickets for their Wolverhampton gig as soon as they came on sale.

The show was amazing, not only were we first in the queue (much to one fan’s disgust as he apparently is always the first in the queue but we’d been there for an hour already when he turned up) but we also got to the front of the stage and just happened to be right where Bernard stood for most of the show. I can’t put into words how fantastic it was to actually see them play live and to be in a crowd of several thousand people all singing along together.

Of course, being human we’re never satisfied, and getting to see them once wasn’t enough, next I decided I have to see them live in Manchester where it all began. No prizes for guessing where we’re off to in July…..!!!!!!

I’ve seen quite a few music and comedy gigs over the past year or so – Josh Widdicombe with my eldest was just brilliant. He is absolutely hilarious live, we will definitely be going to see him again next time he tours. Joe Lycett was really good too although I was really surprised that he was on in such a small venue with only a couple of hundred in the audience. Sarah Millican was good, but not as good as I was expecting her to be from seeing her on TV.

We took my 15yo to see Imagine Dragons last year and they were amazing. I have to admit to not knowing their music that well until that night but the show was amazing and I am now a huge fan. We hadn’t planned to take her to it, but I got two of my other daughters tickets to see Panic! At the Disco and didn’t want M to feel left out so knowing she liked Imagine Dragons I looked to see if they were touring and it just so happened they were on in Nottingham the following Friday, hence a very quick purchase. It was M’s first concert and it was so lovely to see her face, she absolutely loved it, and I happened to bump into someone from college too Panic! Was fab too. That was S’s first concert and she loved it too despite the noise. Amazingly, although we were a long way back in the queue we managed to get into the front row for that too so both girls were extremely happy!! Next week it’s my eldest son’s turn and we’re going to see Muse which I’m sure will be great too.

I have moved…..

I’ve moved my blog to here….

 

http://thegirlwithnoregrets.blogspot.co.uk/

Friday again??!!

Where do the weeks go?  Although Christmas feels so long ago I can’t believe we’re almost into the middle of January already as well.  I’ve been really good at studying this week and have managed to get lots done, even getting myself slightly ahead so I can start my next assignment next week which feels good as I seemed to keep falling behind.

It does mean though that I haven’t managed to do much of anything else which is not so good.  I started a big declutter before Christmas and while I’ve really been getting on with it and doing very well at getting rid of things I haven’t managed to do much this week.  Decluttering is an excellent form of procrastination though….

If you’re really wanting to declutter your house and create a lovely home then watch this space for my next post…….

So true….

Link

I start every year with a list of things I want to do over the forthcoming twelve months.  Often when I review the list at the end of the year much of it hasn’t been done for one reason or another.  It’s interesting to look back through the lists I’ve written over the years to see how much things have changed and what was really important to me say four or five years ago is not even on my radar anymore.

Instead of this years standard list to be written, and if I’m honest, to be forgotten about until the end of the year I’m creating an incredible year with this amazing planner and calendar

http://leoniedawson.com/affiliate-redirect/?p=foreverj2&w=incredyear

I love it, it’s so much fun to fill in the pages although I will admit to be slightly stuck on finding 100 things to do this year, but I suspect that will be a work in progress.  I can’t wait to start ticking them off and achieving all the other things that I plan to do with this book.  I’ll keep you posted! 🙂

Happy New Year!

So, it’s 2013 already!!  When I started this blog I said I was going to try and post more often and I completely failed at that (again!!!).  My NYR (or one of them anyway) is to try and post more often.

 

I had intended to post daily throughout Dressember with the days outfit and failed at that too, I didn’t even manage to post on the Dressember page on Facebook.  Yep, I’m a failure lololol

 

2012 was a fantastic year for me.  I met a fab man (well, re-met him, we actually met in 2011 but our paths crossed again almost a year ago and as we were both single at that point, well, you know the rest), I really got into my studies and have passed two Open University modules and am currently on my third, I’ve learnt to Lindy Hop, a hobby I never imagined I would have until I met G, and it’s just generally been a really good year.  So I’m hoping that 2013 will be as good if not better.  J

 

I’m not even going to try and imagine what’s in store for me this year as I couldn’t have foreseen a lot of what happened in 2012.  I’m certainly going to enjoy the adventure and the ride.

 

Christmas was over all too quickly.  The children enjoyed it and it was nice to have a chilled out week with them.  They’re at their dad’s this week and I’m missing them madly and counting down the hours until they come home again on Friday.

August saw the two year anniversary of me moving into the house I currently live in.  I can’t believe it’s been that long! The time has gone so fast and so much seems to have happened since then.  I won’t lie, it hasn’t been easy, in the early days there were times when I found all the responsibility for everything hard but looking back it has been really good for me.  I’m a very different person to who I was back in 2010 and that can only be a good thing.  I love having my independence, I love being in control and not having to answer to anyone, being able to make decisions for myself and only having to consider my children.

I’m the happiest I’ve ever been at the moment.  Last year I finally realised that happiness is not to be found in things, the latest gadget, pair of shoes etc. etc. aren’t what will make you happy (they never do, do they??) it’s accepting what you have and how life is and appreciating everything you do have, not hankering after stuff you don’t.  And it’s realising you don’t need someone else to make you happy, in fact it’s not fair to put that pressure onto another person.  If you’re not happy in yourself then you never will be.

 

Last year also saw me starting my degree which was quite daunting at first.  Twelve months ago I had just started my first module, a year later I’m onto my third.  My first one was what they call an Openings module which gives you the opportunity to get a taste for how the Open University works and eases you back into studying (which for me was vital as it’s been a few years…) I have to admit I wouldn’t have believed that a year later I would be doing a level two module (equivalent of the second year at a bricks and mortar university).  I’m loving it!!  It’s been amazing for my confidence, I honestly didn’t think I’d manage to study at this level but I can do it!!  My aim is for a BA (Hons) in history so watch this space….. J

Ok, so, my new blog.  If you’re a reader of my old one then thank you for following me over here, and if you’re a new reader, then welcome.

Why a new blog?  I’m not entirely sure, but I didn’t really feel my old one was appropriate anymore for the new me (or, newer me anyway lol)  No doubt I will be just as appallingly bad at updating this blog as I was my previous one so I apologise in advance if you’re hoping for daily (or even weekly posts)!!!

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