Posts Tagged With: Lent

For my 17th birthday my dad bought me Pig. Pig was a Rover 25 and I loved her, she drove well, was a proper car and took me so many wonderful places. Me and Pig were happy together for about a year and a half… Then tragedy struck! On the 13th of November 2009 I wrote pig off. It was a very traumatic accident that, had it happened only half a mile earlier up the road would definitely have killed my passenger and I, and could have easily killed us where it did happen anyway! We were so lucky to get out with out more injuries; my burns and bruised boob and our shock and whiplash was so much better than it could have been! But my beautiful Pig couldn’t be saved, it was too much for her… 

So then I got Clifford, the little red car. Cliff was my knight in shiny burgandy armour, coming to my rescue when I needed some wheels and needed to feel safe driving again. While I was at uni and worked at Bridgebuilder I drove HUNDREDS of miles a month and Cliff was a steady friend through all of that. He was nippy, not so much in his later years, and worked well, again not so much in his later years. Towards the end, he didn’t actually lock, was starting to fall apart and consumed fuel like a beast. In 2014, after 5 years of happy motoring Cliff and I parted ways. 

I purchased Maggie in October last year and it was love at first rev. Maggie is a dream, she is sturdy, safe, fast and fun (I promise you I’m not describing a girlfriend!) I hope to have many a happy year with pootling around with Maggie.

Lex xx

Another tricky one today, there have been lots of days that have been some of the happiest of my life, for lots of different reasons… 

But I’ve decided to pick out three as top of the pops. (Cue some pictures of Fat Lex!)

In 2009 my brother got married and it honestly one of the happiest day of my life. Not only was it one kickass wedding with many of my favourite people there celebrating together, but in all honesty (and I know you’re not supposed to say this) but my big brother is one of my best mates and on that day in 2009 he married another of my best friends, sealing them as one of my favourite couples in the world. I love them to pieces and it made me so happy to be a part of their day and see how much they loved each other.

Another of the happiest days was the day I graduated. Purely for the fact that it was LONG time coming and a day that at so many points along the journey didn’t actually seem possible. The day I graduated proved to me that there was so much that WAS possible… and it was down to me and my hard work. Graduating felt so much better because it came with a story and a battle, the blood, sweat and tears made the victory so much sweeter. 

The third happiest day that I want to tell you about (and I bet lots of you can guess what I’m going to say) is  the day that I met one of my best buddies. On the 18th November 2013 I met Noah, became his auntie and fell in love. I can’t spend enough time with this guys and holding him when he was just a few hours old is something I will never forget.

As with any happy day and big event all of these days were a little bittersweet as they were edged with the sadness that my mum should have been there being as happy as the rest of us. But I’m used to that bitterweetness now and use it as something of a barometer, if it the happiness is balanced with almost equal sadness that she’s missing out, I know it must be a really good day… That probably sounds really mental.

Lex xx

So there is some marked juxtaposition in the answers to these two questions and I quite like it. 

The last book I read was a beautiful work of chick-lit wonder. Giovanna Fletcher is a fabulous writer (and also just so happens to be part of my favourite celeb family, one half of the cutest/coolest celeb couples and mother of the coolest a little boy, bar my nephew, in the world). ‘Billy & Me’ is Giovanna’s first novel and is a beautifully told love story. But not only is it a classic boy meets girl rom-com, there is a lot of depth and “other stuff” going on in there too. It discusses friendship and how it can go above and beyond generations, family, grief and the bittersweet world of fame. I loved it and would happily recommend it to anyone. 

The book I am currently reading is as completely different to a romantic comedy love story as could be. ‘How to be a woman ‘ by Caitlin Moran is a guide to feminism for the every day woman. It is laugh out loud funny, shockingly honest and something that every single woman needs to read. I used to be a feminist that shied away from the actual term because of the negativity attached to it. Now I’m proud to wear that badge and ridiculously proud to be a woman! I will and have recommend this book to every lady I know (I did one chapter in!) but it isn’t for the faint hearted. It’s a touch rudey dudey, what am I saying? The chapter on what one should call your upstairs and downstairs areas is downright filthy and would make many (not just the prudes like me) blush! 

Seriously get reading folks!! 

Lex xx

I remember some, now pretty, infamous (well in my head anyway) advice my mum gave me once when I was about 6 or 7. The piece of advice was, don’t eat that whole bunch of grapes, you’ll get a tummy ache. 

I ate all the grapes. I got a tummy ache. 

I’m not sure why I didn’t take the advice at the time. Well, that’s not true, I do. I didn’t listen because I was 7 and I really like grapes. But man did I wish I’d taken that advice, would have saved me some bother! 

There is plenty of advice, over my 25 years, that my parents have given me that I’ve heard, forgotten/ignored and neglected to take. And because of the amount of times I’ve had to wipe egg off my face and learn from hindsight, I like to think I’m getting better at heeding parental advice. 

But recently, I’ve been learning about pieces of advice that I’ve been given and taken at the time that have proved why you maybe shouldn’t always, always take the things your ma n pa tell you at face value. For example…

• Bread and cake straight out of the oven is not indigestible and it won’t give you a tummy ache, they just don’t want you to eat it. 
• There is no such thing as being “too cold to snow”, it is scientifically impossible. 
• If you suck your thumb your thumb won’t shrink and you won’t need braces… My two matching thumbs and perfectly straight teeth beg to differ on that one.
• If a Father Christmas at a Christmas party where your mum works gives you an amazing present, it is not the real Father Christmas, your mum bought and wrapped that present for you. (That one still hurts)

Oh and…

• Having a bath is not like swimming, you don’t have to wait half an hour after eating… I can confirm you won’t get cramp in the bath (I feel a fool for believing that one until VERY recently) 

Big props go to two friends for this list, Jane who believed the lies too and Catherine for telling me what’s real… She still won’t inform me where babies come from though…? 

So my advice, which you can take or not, is to listen to your parentals, cos they’re generally doing it for your own good, and so what you might believe a lie for a while. In my book that makes for an interesting and humourous childhood! But there are some things you’ve just gotta believe the first time someone tells you, and seriously believe me, don’t eat all the grapes, you’ll get a tummy ache. 

Lex xx

As with any of these top 10 prompts, this one is difficult! But since December compiling top 10s has become one of my favourite hobbies, so much so that my friend Kate got me a top 10 notebook with titles ready for me to list for Christmas. In February I was having drinks with friends and we got to top 10ing and we decided with these more complex ones (books,films,songs) what needs to happen is a regular list to see how they change, and its ok for things to move around. 

So for today, 22/03/15, here is my top 10 song list… it will change by Friday probably!!

Nature’s Law, Embrace. This song is beautiful and I have happy memories of singing this loudly to my ex boyfriend in Asda because he said he didn’t like the song. 

Like An Avalanche, Hillsong United: It is a rare tha a worship song sticks being something I could listen to at any time for years, this one has stayed the course. Its incredible.

Starry Eyed, Ellie Goulding: Ellie is the queen as far as I’m concerned and this was her first offering and it just reminds me of buying her first album and falling in love.

I write sins not tradegies, Panic! At The Disco: Back in the day when I was a wannabe emo kid, I fell hard for Panic at the disco. And even now this continues to be a favourite to run to. 

How To Save A Life, The Fray: It’s just beautiful really. 

Girl All The Bad Guys Want, Bowling For Soup: I fell in love with this song when I was about 10, I’m not over it yet.

Adele Medley, Alex Goot, Justin Robinett & Michael Henr: This is technically cheating, but these are all some of my favourite songs and this medley cover is A-Mah-Zing!!

Closet Thing To Crazy, Katie Melua: Do yourself a favour, see this woman live!! 

Love Is On The Radio, Mcfly: Ok, strictly, my favourite version of this is by Tom and Carrie Fletcher. They’re who I try to model my relationship with my brother on, Simon learn this please, I’ll sing. 

Diamonds And Waste, Kate McGill: I don’t even remember how I found this song, I think a young person told me to check Kate McGill out, glad i followed the advice. 

Titanium, David Guetta feat. Sia: This song is and will always be awesome. I once had a dream that we had to pick a song to be played as we graduated, I picked this. Shows the depth of my love.

We Found Love, Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris: When I first heard this song, I knew I had just heard one of my all time faves. I can’t explain what it is about it, I just love it. Me and a friend used to play this in the car before uni to prepare us emotionally for lectures. This is on every single one of my workout playlists and if it comes on, even if I’ve run loads already and am dead on my feet, it makes me sprint. Turn it up, enjoy…

Lex xx

This writing prompt appears on so many of the lists of 30 day challenges that it is obviously something that people think is a really interesting thing for others to read about. But to be honest, surely for most people it’s a matter of “I thought some of what I was thinking would be interesting to other people, so I wrote it down”. That is sure as hell one of the reasons on my list! 

But if I think back to when I started this very public journal, there are other reasons too.

I started blogging 6 years ago. It was the October/November of my gap year and I was miserable. I was lonely, home sick and questioning why I had just uprooted myself from my home, friends and family to live in a place where the kids I was working with weren’t particularly nice to me (Oh look, we appear to have come full circle!). 

By means of sharing what I was thinking, feeling and reflecting on with a wider audience of people (meaning I wouldn’t have to tearfully trolley through it all on the phone countless times) I started writing it down and sharing it with the wider world. As the posts evolved, they went from me just grumbling, to me grumbling, reflecting on what I was trying to learn and question whether other people might like to reflect on it too. 

During that year blogging was one of my lifelines. And in the six years hence it has continued to be a huge part of my life, becoming the thing that turn to in any of life’s events; from the momentous (graduating and coming out) to the relatively mundane ponderings (like my brain farts on feminism and singleness). 

Oh and let us not forget the, frustrated writer in me whose ego was stoked many times by blogging. She’s calmed down slightly though, seeing as somebody has now actually paid for and published some of my words.

Lex xx

Oooh lovely, I do love to finish a day with a list of “shoulda,woulda,coulda”s… What larks!! 

Today I should have…

1. Watched the eclipse: There are only so many eclipses you get to see in your life and the class I was teaching this morning weren’t even alive in 99 when we had the last. So as one of the few places in the country without full cloud coverage, I should have taken the decision to let them have a look outside, rather than ploughing on with the swoon theory inside.
2. Used my free wisely: I have one free on a Friday and it is my most wasted of the whole week. Today I should have marked some year 10 assessments, instead I watched some documentaries on youtube about The Shroud of Turin. 
3. Not eaten a lot of digestives: Left over packet from year 11 biscuit break earlier in the week, led to a pre lunch biscuit break of my own. 
4. Gone for a run: It totally could have happened, it didn’t. It needs to start happening more considering I’m A) eating really badly at the moment and B) technically training for a triathlon! 
5. Finished the blog that was supposed to be posted today: I have a half finished blog on my computer that I’m just too tired to  finish tonight. Bashing out a neat little list blog was easier to do. Tomorrow I will post the half finished one. Promise. 

Lex xx

An interesting writing prompt today… One of those ones where you really wonder if anyone will actually care. But what is blogging if it’s not an exercise in walking that thin line between sharing and over sharing?! 

First things first, I don’t go to the hospital or doctors very much at all. I have a relatively hefty fear/anxiety about doctors, so the visits I’ve had to hospitals/doctors over the last few years stand out in my memory and can be counted without even having to use my toes. One sticks out in my mind however, for pure comedy value…

When I was 21, I swallowed a ring pull. It was an accident, a very stupid accident and an accident that I had to defend all day being asked countless times if I’d swallowed it on purpose. But I digress, let me start at the very beginning, that’s a very good place to start.

I was in a lecture, enjoying a diet coke. I have a bad habit of putting the ring pull inside the can if it falls off, even if I haven’t finished the drink. I hadn’t taken a sip in a whil and had forgotten the little chunk of metal was in there. I took a big swig and then suddenly realised along with the mouth full of diet coke I also had the ring pull in there too. I couldn’t negotiate swallowing the coke and taking the ring out at the same time and in a panic of not wanting to cause a scene, I swallowed the whole lot. 

I put my hand up (so polite, destined to teach!) and excused myself now in some quite considerable panic and discomfort. On the way down the offending ring pull had scratched up my asophogus pretty nice and I didn’t know what to do, should I try and throw it back up?! 

I phoned NHS direct (answering the first 2 rounds of, “did you do it on purpose?” Of the day) and spoke to a lovely lady who told me in no uncertain terms wasn’t allowed to be sick. I don’t know if you ever been told that you CANNOT be sick, but it had an interesting psychological effect of making me immediately need to be sick. Otherwise I was told I should go to A&E after uni, get checked out, have a chest X-ray and get some advice. 

That evening I trooped off to MK general (stepmum in tow). The triage nurse was lovely, the X-ray man was lovely (the X-Ray was not as, in the end, it was useless because the ring pull was playing hide and seek… the minx!). When, almost 5 hours later(!) we saw a Docotr he was not lovely. He was the very definition of the opposite of lovely. He was so rude about NHS direct and their advice to me to come in. Apparently an adult could swallow an open safety pin and not do themselves any damage (who knew?!) And he was angry about us wasting our time but more importantly his time. We got very little advice, very little care and were treated with very little respect. (this individual episode didn’t eliviate the doctor phobia in many ways, in fact adding a few more reason to be scared of doctors to the list). 

I left, feeling a bit dented and bruised, with the instruction to be on poo watch for the next few days and if the ring pull didn’t make a natural reappearance to go back for another X-ray as it may have got stuck somewhere. 

I didn’t need to go back. 

The end. 

Lex xx



As ever with a l st of any form of media, this prompt is a bit of a tricky one. I love telly, own so many box sets and spend quite a bit of time unwinding while watching my favourite shows. So what I’ve decide to pick from are my favourites that I don’t think enough people love and watch, so you may pick up a new recommendation here: 

1) 30 Rock: Written by and starring the phenomenal Tina Fey, 30 Rock is hilarious, a bit weird and a really interesting look at what the behind the scenes of TV might look like. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dVAZy-jEKg

2) Modern Family: I don’t understand why more people don’t think Modern Family is one of the best things on TV…

3) Cougar Town: I can’t belive that so many Americans don’t get Cougar Town and they’ve tried to axe it so many times! 

4) Happy Endings: One of those, oh look series 1 and 2 are on the on demand box… oh look I’m addicted kind of things…

5) Jam and Jerusalem: If you like gentle British comedy, with countless national treasures, mad Cornish women and the WI (and who doesn’t?!) then this is for you…

Watch and enjoy…

Lex xx

As with everyday, today has been full of decisions. Many no more significant than “Is that too much peanut butter to have on my toast?”. But today has stood out in the fact that actually today I did make an important decision. 

On Friday I got an email inviting me to an interview later this week. It was for a job I’d applied for a few weeks ago and had kinda forgotten about! At the time I applied, I wasn’t really sure I wanted the job, I was applying to push a door and because it was relatively local. 

Today I emailed back to tell them that I wouldn’t be going to the interview. 

As someone pretty desperate for a new job, as someone crushed when I don’t get interviews for the stuff I apply for, you may think it a bit weird, contradictory and ungrateful not to take this interview. But it goes back to that self preservation that I wrote about last week. After my experience with interviews last year, I’m not up to putting myself through the interview process when I don’t actually really want the job. It might be really good experience, but at the end of the day I had to ask myself, what is more important? I need to preserve my self-esteem, my confidence, my sanity, myself… 

So today I made a bold, brave… stupid(?) decision. 

Lex xx