Tuesday 13 September 2011

Back in the groove......


Not!!!

Well I'm trying to get back into it but it's just not happening yet!



You know what its like - the end of the summer holidays arrives all too soon, the kids go back to school, and there's a little guilty sigh of relief that despite the wonderful times enjoyed during the holidays, it is actually quite nice to get just a little bit of humdrum routine back into your life.

And, it must be said, (if you're fortunate to be based at home ) perhaps a bit more control over how you can spend your TIME.



The older I get, the more I value time.

When you are young, time seems immaterial as there always seems to be an abundance of it.

Even as you get older, and life seems completely taken over by work by day, social life by night, and chores squeezed into the weekend, time starts to speed by a little faster and becomes a little bit more of a luxury, but its still not valued as a scarce commodity.





But then if you have children, just when you thought your life couldnt get any busier with the full time job, social life and chores, suddenly you have this tiny little being to care for that is totally reliant on you and yet still do all you did before as well, and on precious little sleep!

I remember when my daughter was in her first year and I had recently gone back to work, we had our first baby free evening out for a while, after a day at work - and all I wanted to do was go to a hotel and sleep!

(Of course we didnt, we managed to drag ourselves out for a meal and talk babies all evening!)




That's when it first creeps up on you, that realisation that there really never is enough time in the day to do everything.


Time suddenly becomes a huge luxury.




As they get older, suddenly you realise how quickly the time seems to pass - another birthday cake, the end of another term already, now the end of another school year - life becomes punctuated by the school holidays.

And conversations with friends when arranging to meet for coffee after they've gone back - " I can't believe how quickly the holidays went", and "how can it be the middle of September already?", and "I just don't know where the time goes".




And all the things you'd planned to do once they'd gone back a week or so ago still remain unticked on your list because you are still "catching up" after the holidays - phone calls and paper work and computer "stuff", tidying and sorting and catching up on skimped housework.

I have reaffirmed all the above with a friend this morning who is also "still catching up"  and feels the same lack of time, and once again we have come to the conclusion that there will never be enough time so something has to give and we'd better just try and get on with what we want to do atleast some of the time, and let the housework go hang!




So....

So having written off last week with the chimney being re-built above roof level, I am now armed with a long, neatly typed list of all the things/jobs I want to do with my now (supposedly) relatively free days.



 

There are lots of decorating and painting jobs on my list as well as outdoor jobs galore, so before picking up the paintbrushes I will just have to make an effort to spend plenty of time researching ideas and getting inspiration from the latest lifestyle and homes magazines..................

I have also booked coffee mornings this week to catch up with friends I rarely see during the busy holidays.

Delay tactics methinks, as the list is rather daunting!



I hope everyone had a great summer holiday - I'm very much looking forward to visiting you all and catching up on your holiday pics and your news - and thanks for all your comments on my last post!

Hope you've all managed to get back into your "groove"!



17 comments:

  1. Hi Gill, lovely post and photos. I know exactly what you mean. This afternoon is a good example. I've been to work today and then came home. I have 3 hours before I need to be back there. So I'm sat here trying to catch up with reading all the blogs I haven't seen for what seems like an eternity. I probably should be doing something else but ......... Happy days! Lesley x

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  2. Was this written just for me......as I sit with my tea.....My poor baby had his first date, kiss and on Monday she dumped him now I'm going through the broken heart , so many firsts for a mom to deal with also....my poor baby!
    I'm off with a friend today also I need a little catch up time myself.
    Have a super day fellow Mom!

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  3. Yes...I have those delay tactics too!! I need to give my house a really deep clean, never mind decorate it now that the builders are almost finished! Time though is flying by. A few things get done while the kids are in school but after 2o'clock it's all homework and taxiing!! Exhausted mummy here!! When's the next holiday?! Cx

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  4. yes yes yes! You have totally captured it all, Gill. I've been feeling the same way myself. I think it is also to do with having less energy than I used to and struggling at times to do all that needs to be done and THEN do constructive things with my own time....hence a bit of a break from the bloggery! Love the pics xxx

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  5. Oh yes, this sounds sooo familiar! I'm really struggling to re-establish a post-summer hols routine. If I ever manage it, I'm sure something will come along and put a spanner in the works anyway, so I think I'll just cruise along and take life as it comes for a while...
    x

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  6. Now that you've got a proper list, it seems that the tasks should be much more do-able. After the delay tactics, of course. Time does flow way too quickly for my liking lately! Good luck in getting this boxes ticked.

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  7. You read my mind! I do not even want to think about how fast time will pass once I have children. Time goes by far to quickly now. Great photos you shared with us. Welcome back!
    xo Susan

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  8. I haven't got back in to my 'groove' yet either, and I'm still playing catch up. How I'd love extra hours in the day right now.

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  9. I have said these same words to myself this very morning! Time is very precious too, this time of year marks the passage of time more than any other, new school year, more responsibilties, little bit older, taller etc. I'm trying to set myself a target of clutter freeing a room a week at the moment, it's not going well.

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  10. Hello Gill, it was lovely to see your pretty and colourful post today. It certainly is hard to get 'back in the groove' after a break, especially the summer one with school children. I hope you enjoy getting back into your usual routine again and enjoy all the autumn treats and of course lots of blogging! Have a happy week.
    Helen x

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  11. Oh, how I agree with you .... you have made me quite wistful reading your post and looking at your lovely pictures. Once they are Uni students, the summer hols are twice as long and you get even LESS time to yourself! And you spend it wondering where your little tots went!

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  12. Just getting back into gear here- I fired the kiln for the first time in three weeks!! I've had two long weekends away to recharge my batteries and now it is all go!!

    It takes a while, just don't stress about it, and it all starts to flow

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  13. Delaying tactics, now they sound familiar!
    I can relate to this post so much.
    Enjoy your coffee mornings.
    Lisa x

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  14. So right!

    Have a great week catching up with your friends:o)

    Take care Gill.
    Donna xx

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  15. Hi Gill,
    Reading your post and the comments made me feel so much better, it's not just me who is always trying to catch up and I am definately way behind at the moment. I enjoyed the pretty photos and think that maybe the cat is trying to tell us all something! None of us will get to 90, look back on our lives and wish we had spent more time cleaning and doing jobs will we?:-)
    Have a great weekend.xx

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  16. Getting back into the term-time 'groove' here too. The holidays already seem like a distant memory, as does some sunshine! I'm not sure about being able to catch-up on any chores here, that boat has sailed until the next school holiday! Hope you achieve some of your list this week.
    Becky x

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  17. It's very tricky business getting back in the groove! We always expect so much of ourselves when we return from a jaunt, don't we?! It sounds like your making time for the 'important stuff', such as your friends, as well and the busy stuff...that's the best you can do!
    Enjoy all the time to yourself Gilly (haha), and just know that you are so not alone!
    xo J~

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Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to leave a comment - I love to read them!
Gill x