09 | Oct | 2019

I am back in London and have a few days of work ahead, including working on Saturday. But it has worked out well, because he has events to attend on both Friday and Saturday. So we will spend Sunday, Monday and Tuesday together…here. Yes, I know! It is very exciting. We are going to stay mostly cocooned (I learnt that word from Cyranny recently), but we will need some fresh air…so when it’s dark, we can go walking and see some of this area. Probably on Monday and Tuesday during the day, we can walk in the woods. It will be much quieter then. But no local restaurants or bars – not yet – it’s just too early. I have a few things to keep us entertained..besides the obvious.

He is coming to see the little nest for the very first time. I have told him he needs to come on public transport! Which he did not like at all. But parking is a problem here. And if anyone saw his car and him out there renewing the guest parking permits…no, it’s not acceptable.

I have given him a route to follow to reach my little abode discreetly. There are two buses he could take from the tube station. One stops on the main road which is always busy. The other one turns into a narrow lane. If he gets off there and takes the little path with a turnstyle, he can reach my place without passing anyone easily. When he understands how crazy busy this place is especially at the weekend – we have lots of tourists in this part of London – I am sure he will understand to trust me when I tell him to use a particular route. If he just follows my instructions…. goodness, this is Jack. Something is bound to go wrong!

I am becoming really house-proud (even more than usual!) because of him coming to stay. I am picking out recipes from cookbooks and trying to decide what to make. Unlike Goldfinch, he does like coffee flavoured things. I found an amazing recipe for an espresso cheese-cake which I tempted to try.

Aaaah – I do miss Goldfinch. I remember vividly the first time he came to visit me in the little nest. I remember how his visits always prompted me to transform into a domestic diva!

Well…to distract me, I shall focus on my answers to this week’s SHARE-YOUR-WORLD. Take a look at the original questions from Melanie, the creator of sparksfromacombustiblemind , in her original SHARE-YOUR-WORLD post below:

https://sparksfromacombustiblemind.com/2019/10/07/share-your-world-10-7-19/

QUESTIONS:

Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat) a good thing, a bad thing or a mixture of both?

They are tools. Just like a telephone or a computer or an aeroplane. They can be used, utilised, useful. It all depends on whose hands they are in. I was never even a user of Facebook, and yet saw photos of myself and horrid comments about me from people I did not even know. If somebody used an aeroplane to drop bombs on people…that plane becomes a deadly weapon. When people use social media to cause devastation to others, with malicious motive…those tools become harmful.

I have never used Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat. But I used to have a smartphone (two years proved it was a very big mistake, so now I have a very basic phone), and when I first had it, a friend downloaded Instagram and Whatsapp. The misuse of these tools by other people, was the reason I got rid of the smartphone.

What concerns me is those who feel justified in launching explosive, damaging content on these social media platforms. They perceive an enemy, and they want to drop bombs. They want to lash out and hurt others. They don’t understand that they come across as quite mad. There are wars, feuds going on as we speak…all on social media.

Are you camera shy or do you pose for the camera with confidence?

I am a complete contradiction in my attitude towards cameras and photographs.

If I see someone pull out a camera, initially I feel nervous. But I will pose, and I am such a poser! Shameless. I don’t know what comes over me. It’s the same when I am performing on a stage. If a camera or a microphone appears anywhere near me…I will perform, without fear.

However, I hate to see photographs or videos of myself after they have been taken. I am terribly unphotogenic. I always look drunk or confused.

One of the things that I found tremendously challenging in the past, and I know I will in the future is that being with the man who everyday I realize is as close to a soulmate as I will ever find, means cameras. He loves taking photos of me, and of the two of us together. But in the future, it will get worse. He often is the subject of photos that end up online in some form. If I am with him, I might end up in some of those photos. I am dreading it.

I don’t hate my body. But I do hate to see my body in photographs. Really hate it. It has a terrible effect on my confidence. It’s something I need to discuss further with him. He is going to need to look after me in that regard. I don’t want to be miserable because I see awful photos of myself in online news of any form. Please if you see a caramel blonde on the arm of popular entertainer, who is renowned for working with charities, don’t laugh at her imperfections – for she has many.

Is there anything you’ve kept from younger years for sentimental reasons alone?

I have one sentimental trinket. My glass frog that came from the south of France. I was in my late teens when we visited Monte Carlo, Nice, Cannes and St Tropez. My glass frog is the only sentimental object I have kept….except…

Up north I have a case full of all the personal letters I have received over the letters. I just didn’t want to throw all of the lovely words that I received from friends and family away, so I kept them. Perhaps one day, I am going to have to part with all of those lovely letters, but it is hard to imagine it right now. I also have never deleted a personal e-mail. I keep them all. I would probably have kept all the text messages I had ever been sent, if it wasn’t for the limit the phones I have used have been able to hold.

I guess to me words have also held more sentimental significance than things.

Do you like to decorate for different holidays?

The short answer is NO.

But that is because we don’t do commercial holidays. My family has become more like an empire. There are around one hundred relatives in Wales, another hundred spread across Derbyshire, Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside. Then there are those of us who live a reasonable distance away from the epicenter of the family. I have relatives in Scotland, Lincolnshire, London, Gibraltar, and others who serve as volunteers in Africa and in Asia.

Commercial holidays would be a nuisance if we let them interfere with our family life. And the expense would be ridiculous. So we don’t. We make the most of every occasion we can be together. Chatter, food, music, laughter, dancing and all good things. But not silly gifts and decorations.

A lot of the holidays are based on ancient fertility worship or sun worship or wrapped up in quite shocking ideas. I am shocked that people call some of these holidays “Christian”! They have absolutely nothing to do with him!

GRATITUDE

Do you feel you’re a strong person character-wise? Also, if you do have a gratitude thought or picture you’d like to share, please feel free! The world can always use more positive vibes!

Some of my characteristics and traits are strong. That is partly due to training. My parents raised us well, so I have some healthy habits, qualities and attitudes that I take great pride in. However, one of my strongest characteristics is that I am a generally mild, gentle, easy-going type of person. I try to get onto the level of whoever I am with. I am sensitive to the feelings of others, I adapt to them. I am tactful and diplomatic.

So in some ways I have a certain strength of character, but it doesn’t come across as strong-headed – does that actually make any sense? My strength is my mildness! And I am sure that is an invaluable asset when it comes to Jack.

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…And something that was positive…well, I was thinking about a lovely positive comment that Melanie left me earlier this week about love and marriage. Hold on…let me find it. Here it is:

LOL Mel. I’m of the opinion that being in love takes YEARS

off both the clock and the mental age… ❤

I loved that! Suddenly the idea of getting hitched doesn’t seem so scary after all. No, I am not getting married yet. All though this is all happening very quickly…not that quickly ok!