25 Random things about me .....

 1.  When I was a child I wanted to be a ballerina.
 2.  In my twenties I was in a video advertising Newcastle with Paul Eddington
 3.  I can't swim
 4.  I am addicted to books and love bookshops.
 5.  I am scared of public speaking but love acting on stage.
 6.  I want to learn to play the fiddle
 7.  I became a mother at 38.
 8.  I was widowed at 39.
 9.  My sister and I used to make up dances to pop songs and perform them in
      the garden.
10. I would have loved more children and find it hard to accept there won't be   
      any more.
11. I can't drive but I am taking driving lessons.
12. I love candles.
13. I suffer from anxiety.
14. I work from home and sometimes work in my pyjamas all day.
15. I am still waiting to feel like a grown up. I am 46.
16. I hope to find love again.
17. I want to travel more.
18. I enjoy cooking and love food.
19. I have started meditating. I have a very busy mind.
20. I studied law at University.
21. I love crystals and have a large collection.
22. I have always wanted to write a book.
23. I went back packing when I was 27.
24. I love stationery.
25. I find building lego with my son very therapeutic.

A view from here

It definitely feels like Autumn today. Last week we had unseasonably warm weather and it was lovely to spend some time outside. This week has been colder and wetter but today feels like one of those perfect Autumn days where the sun is shining and the trees are starting to turn to red and gold. It's almost the weekend and I am looking forward to two days off and spending time with my son.

So let me introduce you to where I live. I live in Gateshead in the North East of England. You might not have heard of it but you may have heard of Newcastle which is just over the river. I grew up here and then after travelling and living in other parts of the country moved back here in 2003.

It is a very urban area but I am lucky to be able to get to the beach in about 20 minutes and to lovely countryside in about the same amount of time. For someone like me who is into music and theatre we have several wonderful theatres like the Theatre Royal and Northern Stage. We also have some wonderful music venues such as The Sage which is an amazing building. It hosts a variety of gigs as well as being home to Northern Symphonia and Folkworks. It also runs workshops for various music instruments and singing classes.  I am currently taking a singing class there although more on that another time.

Newcastle is a vibrant city with lots going on. A lot of it has been redeveloped over the last few years and we now have a wonderful Quayside area with a bustling market every Sunday. I am a frequent visitor there. It has plenty for children too such as Seven Stories, Centre for Life and the Discovery Museum. I love living here and most weekends am out and about exploring. It is one of my favourite things to do. What do you like about where you live? What are you planning to do this weekend? My son and I are having a trip to Beamish, an open air museum where you get to step back in time, ride trams and see how people used to live. We both love it there. Have a lovely weekend.

 

Welcome

 

 

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.
                                                                                  Albert Camus


Welcome to my first ever blog post. I hope you will bear with me as I have never done this before but I have been wanting to start a blog for a while.
Over the last few years I have found myself increasingly drawn to creative people and blogs and am trying now to explore my own creativity and try new things.

So here is the North East of England it is the start of Autumn and so far it as been beautiful. The photo above is one I took in my garden yesterday, such a beautiful day. I love Autumn and always feel like it is the start of a new year and a chance to start afresh. Perhaps it goes back to when I was at school and September was the start of the new school year with empty exercise books and new pencil cases. Now it is my son starting a new year at school but for me it still feels like a time of promise. I tend to find myself reflecting on what I have done so far this year  and thinking about what I would like to achieve before the end of the year.

So what would you like to do with the rest of this year? What would you like more or less of in your life?

As a lone parent I find carving out time for myself can be hard and often when my son is in bed I end up just curling up in front of the television. Then I read something that said if you spent one hour a day on something, you could achieve quite a lot by the end of the year. So that is what I am going to try and do. Starting this blog was one of the main things I wanted to achieve as well as learning to drive. I want to have more adventures and cook a new recipe every week. Simple things that I know will make my heart smile.

I'd love to know what you want to do with the rest of this year