This week my Word of the Week is: Tattoo!! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:

Remember at the start of the year when I wrote a blog post all about Ellie getting her tattoo, how I didn't really approve of or like tattoos. I take it all back.

It all started on Friday evening. Becky's "friend" was talking about a tattoo she was getting this week. She was booked in to get, I think her 7th. Becky started saying she wanted to get one and would if I would. Becky had already come up with her tattoo idea months ago, a simple duck. She is crazy about ducks, so for her it doesn't seem that mad. It sounded like a good idea at the time and I didn't think much else about it until Sunday. I was in two minds about it. A tattoo is so permanent.

I thought about getting a Harry Potter one or a Wrestling related one but I wanted something more personal and with the help of Google Gemini AI, I came up with this.

I wanted something which meant something to me and the heart beat lines made me think of what my girls went through with their heart defects but it still wasn't right. I still wasn't convinced about the tattoo and forgot about the idea. I left it and then on Tuesday morning I had a clever idea. One heart was pretty but I wanted two hearts, one for each of my girls. I went back to Gemini and had it changed in a couple of minutes. This was perfect and exactly what I wanted but still wasn't 100% I would go through with the tattoo. I didn't even know if they could fit us in.

Becky and I were there before Becky's "friend" and her friends Nanna who was also getting a tattoo and as I know the tattoo people, I went in for a chat and asked about if they could do a tattoo for Becky and me and how much they would cost. I think we got a bargain price and surprisingly, the nerves didn't kick in. The designs were printed out, consent forms were signed and we were good to go!

The person doing the tattoo was so lovely, she was chatty and really put me at ease. She is just one of those people who has a calming personality. I joked and said I could do with one of her to follow me around in life to keep me from stressing about everything. I chose to go first, as I think if I saw anyone else get a tattoo that day I would have chickened out.

I didn't know what to expect with the pain from a tattoo but what I felt was not what I expected. I imagined lots of pin pricks but it felt more like someone scraping something sharp on my wrist. Like a cat scratching you but more than just one scratch. It was done in about 5 minutes. It took longer for the cleaning before and after. 

I expected a lot of pain afterwards but there has been none. I have been putting the aftercare cream on 3 times a day, it's nothing fancy, it's just the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula that the tattooist recommended.

Becky was panicking when it came to her time to get her tattoo but she went through with it and didn't chicken out like I thought she was going to do. She was surprised about the pain, or lack of it. 

I know getting yourself permanently marked is not something to be proud of but I am feeling pretty pleased with myself. I don't think I will rush to get another one but at the same time I am thinking about another one. I am glad I got this one. I saw my brother shortly after getting my tattoo and he thought it was hilarious. We turned back into kids, him saying wait till dad finds out, you'll be grounded, you can't just wipe it off. Me saying what's dad going to do, he can't ground me. My dad did find out and he was less than impressed but the best argument was that I have gone 46 years without a tattoo, why one now? I don't know why one now but it's there now and I love it!

It wasn't something I really discussed with Stu, so when he rang on his lunch break, I told him and he didn't believe me. I sent him a photo of mine and Becky's tattoo and him and his friend at work discussed them and came up with the idea they were just images stolen off Google. Eesh! I sent him another photo of my arm in front of my face and he was a little more convinced but still thought we were winding him up. It was only when he got home and saw them for himself that he knew it was true.

How has your week been? I hope you have had a good one! I am of course linking up with Anne who blogs at Raisie Bay and her Word of the Week linky!

What I have loved this week! Week 14. #FridayFavourites

Happy Friday! I hope you’ve had a good week. Mine has been a fun one with some interesting things happening! As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea to share the things that I have loved over the past week.

A late night out!

My youngest, Ellie, was heading out with her friends, so Becky, my eldest and I thought we’d make the most of it and go out ourselves, have a meal with Becky's "friend" and then meet up with Ellie later and all get the last bus home like sensible people. That did not happen. We ended up going to a nightclub and bumped into more people that we know. There was lots of singing and dancing to all the cheesy pop songs. I felt very proud of myself for being sensible with my drinks. I had a few glasses of wine and some shots and then mostly soft drinks. I woke up the next day feeling absolutely fine with no regrets, no headache. I was just a bit tired after not getting the taxi home until the early hours.

Sweetcorn!

All my seeds seem to be growing well apart from the melons so far. My sweetcorn is doing the best! I am determined to grow some this year. A couple of years ago, I was doing really well with it and then we had a little break away on the hottest weekend of the year and they died and then last year I just couldn't get them to grow, so hopefully this year is the year I get a crop!

The clocks changing!

I was very sensible and went to bed early on Saturday night and woke up when the clock said 10am, which felt like a little lie in, so I didn't feel the loss of the hour. It's not getting dark until coming on for 8pm now, which I am loving. It would be nicer if mother nature could get the memo that it's spring and warm up a little but I will take the lighter nights for now!

Lambs in the field!

This one makes me happy every single year without fail! Spring is really here as there are lambs in the field.

The Pitt!

We finally got HBO Max on our TV over the weekend and I jumped straight into watching The Pitt! I love it!! I was expecting something like Grey's Anatomy but it is nothing like that apart from other than the hospital setting. It is filled with tension all the way through. I've found myself crying a few times and saying what? She can't die. I saw someone on Grey's Anatomy go through the same thing and be OK. I am trying not to rush through it as so far we only have as far as the first episode of season two but at least that means there are still plenty of episodes to come.

A tattoo!

I have a whole blog post about it tomorrow but I did something wild for me and got a little tattoo on my wrist. This is a sneak peak straight after I got it done and it was still wrapped in the plastic stuff.

Getting the hang of the bin situation!

This sounds like such a boring one but it has been a big part of our week. Our rubbish collection changed and suddenly we’ve gone from a simple system to having multiple bins for different things. I did write about it on Saturday. We now have three bins in the kitchen and three big ones outside and it feels like a challenge to pick the right bin. I’d stand there holding an empty yoghurt pot thinking," Where do you go? It feels like a tricky question and it is because it needs washing out before I put it in the bin. lol Things have been put in the wrong bin and fished back out but I think I’m getting the hang of it now. My family are doing well too and if they get stuck they just leave their rubbish on the side and then I go into the kitchen and sort it out.

What have you loved over the past week?

365 Days Of Gratitude. In March I was grateful for...

I have seen many people on social media list something every day that they are grateful for and thought I would join in. I have done this for the whole of the last few years and it has really made me realise that even on bad days I have something to be grateful for.

March went by so quickly and it feels like this year is flying over. We did a lot of little jobs around the house, a lot of admin, the weather is feeling more spring like and it's almost time to eat our Easter eggs. hehehe

Day 60 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful a long lie in this morning. I stayed up late watching the wrestling!

Day 61 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that the slow cooker did all of the cooking today. Beef Mince & Veggie Stew!

Day 62 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that Facebook is working on my phone because it's not working on my laptop. Eesh. Checked online and it's down. Phew!

Day 63 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that I got the printer working eventually! I am totally blaming Stu for unplugging it when he was painting the dining room. It might have taken me 2 hours but I feel pretty proud of myself!

Day 64 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for an extra mouth to feed tonight because of course I made too much for tea!

Day 65 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for my blanket! It was cold again today! Crazy to think yesterday I was outside in a t-shirt but today I had my big coat back on!

Day 66 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful I got some furniture built without throwing the whole lot across the room! The instructions were not great and there was a lot of pieces!

Day 67 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a quiet Sunday watching the F1 racing and a couple of films.

Day 68 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful Stu has the patience of a saint! All day I seem to have been asking him to do little jobs only he can do, well some of them I could have done but didn't want to. Like go in the garage and find the sandpaper. It's scary in there. lol

Day 69 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful I got the wood around the fireplace painted. It's still not dry, the room stinks and everything is all over the place but it looks fantastic!!!

Day 70 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that I could get the living room sorted out and everything put back in it's place! The painting I did yesterday took about 24 hours to dry!

Day 71 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a simple tea! Fish fingers, chips and baked beans!

Day 72 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for takeaway pizza for tea and there's leftovers for tomorrow too!

Day 73 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a very long windowsill in the kitchen where I can put all my newly planted seeds!

Day 74 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a lovely Mother's Day! I was spoilt rotten by my girls with gifts, cards and a takeaway for tea!

Day 75 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful the paint on Ellie's desk dried quickly outside! Now all the furniture in the living room matches!

Day 76 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for Yorkshire Pudding wraps! I made them myself and they went down well.

Day 77 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for sunshine and blue skies! It was such a gorgeous day!

Day 78 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that I could have the windows open all day!

Day 79 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful Stu didn't want any tea after having a big lunch so Ellie and I got to order McDonald's. hehehe I even got Becky a cheeseburger to have before she goes to bed after work in the morning.

Day 80 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a Lamb Burger With Minty Mayo And Wedges for tea! It was a Gousto meal and was good! Ellie wouldn't eat it because it's lamb, I think she was just imagining eating all the cute lambs from the fields.

Day 81 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that I could watch lots of football. Sunday is becoming a day for sport.

Day 82 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a shiny, new wheelie bin! The new way to recycle is going to take some getting used to though.

Day 83 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful my youngest bought sponges for washing the pots. Half an hour later my dad popped around with a bag full, I thought he had forgotten I had asked.

Day 84 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful my seeds have started to grow.

Day 85 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful that HBO Max is now on Sky TV!! I will be watching The Pitt over the weekend!

Day 86 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a fun night out in town. I haven't laughed so much in ages.

Day 87 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a quiet day of not doing much at all. I needed it.

Day 88 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful Becky has Amazon Prime so she could order a couple of things that I need.

Day 89 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful for a nice time with my family tonight. Didn't do anything special, it was nice just to eat together and watch TV.

Day 90 of #365DaysOfGratitude

Today I am grateful my dad brought me a load of veg! He got it cheap from town! I think I am going to have to cook up some casseroles or stews!

What were you grateful for in March?

The Wednesday Hodgepodge #49

I hope you are all having a good week. It's Wednesday, which means it's time to join in with the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce who blogs at From This Side of the Pond! Each week there are 6 questions, we answer and then link up. Simple!

1. March is rolling on out of here. Sum up your March in ten words or less.

Home improvements, admin, sunshine, feeling organised and ready for spring!

2. Are you afraid of heights? When was the last time you found yourself dealing with a height, and did it make you nervous?

Yes I am afraid of heights!! Even standing on a chair to change a light bulb panics me. That’s basically an extreme sport in my world! Recently I had to change a light bulb or else I would have been sitting here in the dark. I made my own little safety system using another chair for balance as well as the one to stand on. It was very health and safety approved in my head. If my family could have seen me they would have laughed. They think being scared of heights is just silly.

3. What's a word you struggle to spell on a regular basis, and sometimes need to double check before writing it down? Use the word in a sentence that tells us something about your April calendar.

I’ve got quite a few words I need to double-check. My spelling is a bit hit and miss and I rely on spell check far more than I should admit. Here's a sentence with 4 of my problem words. I'll let you guess what they are. Hehehe

As the calendar rolls around to a new month, I definitely want some warmer temperatures. Don't disappoint me April!!

4. Love 'em or hate 'em, with Easter comes the sweet treat known as Peeps. So... do you love 'em or hate 'em? Speaking of peeps, what's your favorite way to have chicken?

I have never tried Peeps!! They are not a big thing over here in England. You can get them from specialist sweet shops but they are always overpriced because they are not easy to get. I do want to try them though, just so I can form my own opinion.

We eat a lot of chicken. Right now I would say my favourite way to have chicken is in a McChicken Sandwich from McDonalds but if you asked me on a Sunday it would be a roast dinner, on a weeknight it would be in a curry or during the day it would be cream of chicken soup. Chicken is such a great meat that suits every mood and occasion.

5. This week's Hodgepodge lands on the first day of April, which happens to be National Poetry Month. Do you like poetry? Share a favorite line or two from one of your favorite poems. What makes this one a favorite?

I don't really have an opinion about poetry. I don't love it but I don't hate it either. The one that always comes to mind for me is a poem called Somewhere, Someplace, Today. It’s about heart defects and I shared it years ago here on my blog. Both of my girls have had heart issues, including open-heart surgery, so this one hits hard! These are the last lines.

Somewhere, some place, each year,

More than 40,000 families will see,

What it means when something’s wrong,

They’ll face a CHD.

Today for just a moment,

Stop, remember, reflect,

Make time to tell someone you know,

“I’ve been changed by a heart defect.”

6. Insert your own random thought here.

The clocks changed here early Sunday morning and so far I have been fine with the time change. I went to bed early Saturday night and felt pretty good about the time when I woke up and looked at my phone it was 10am. If felt like I had beat the system and had a little lie in. Becky was very happy about the change as she worked an hour less for her night shift, it makes up for late last year when she had to work an extra hour when the clocks changed. Now Becky actually gets to see some daylight. During the winter months she came home from work when it wasn't quite light, slept and then woke up and it was dark again. That little bit of daylight really helps her feel more awake.