Live IT & Love IT

An insight into how my mind works. I was on the school run this week and passed an alleyway that was closed recently due to a dispute that resulted in a stabbing. Driving along, I started thinking what would you do if you inadvertently got caught up a crime that had absolutely nothing to do with you? Now I have three characters, a setting and a new novel outline. Who says the school runs are a waste of time!! Menieres  When I was diagnosed with Menieres in 2007 I was told it would become progressively worse. For the last seven years, it has been bearable but the episodes have been becoming more frequent and more severe. The dizziness I can cope with as it only occurs when I look up to the skies and lay down, two activities I do not do very often! This last month has been truly horrendous. The buzzing in my ears is so loud some days I find it hard to hear anything else and the pain has become unbearable at times too. In fact, some days I have used all my energy just...

Well I have to confess this week has been incredibly challenging. It’s not that we had any major disasters but lots of little frustrating matters that made me have a few Mario Balloteli moments – “why always me!” You know one of those weeks when you question why you are even bothering because everything you touch seems to lead in you taking a further ten steps backwards!! Lucas was in pain from his burns, the printer decided that it wasn’t going to work anymore, the iron kept stopping working and I would have been happy if my ears had exploded! I desperately need some money coming in and the financial pressure is tough to bear. It makes it worse when you are on your own because you have no one to moan to, or is it at? But do you know what? That’s life. I could give up, get jobseekers and look for a ‘normal’ job but then Wes would have to give up his dream in the academy and Lucas would not be able to go to the village school he loves. I am working incredibly hard and I know tha...

Thank you all for your patience this week. We managed to crash the UK Blog Awards website with the sheer volume of votes. The website is back up and running now. To make it easier I thought I would post the vote links here. The blog is entered into two categories: Arts & Culture Vote Now Lifestyle Vote Now When you have voted you will receive an email confirmation. Please, please vote. It would mean so much to me.

I had an amazing evening on Thursday at Sant Angelo's in Wetherby. Regular readers will know this is a fabulous Italian restaurant in Wetherby. It was Barry White and soul legends tribute night - music that is right up my street! Lilvinny Robinson has an amazing voice and his fabulous choice of songs brought the lively crowd to their feet. One of my all time favourite songs (and I mean one. I have hundreds of them and will write a blog about some of them soon) is Otis Redding, Sitting on the Dock of the Bay. I don't know why but whenever I hear it, it makes me smile regardless of the mood I am in. Its a singalong song (that comes with an apology of whoever has heard me warbling!) until I get to the whistling section which I can't do - I blame the gaps in my teeth! I was over the moon when Vinnie included this song and his version was incredible. It made my night. As always, the food, the people and the atmosphere were truly exceptional. I would also like to say a speci...