 Christmas parties, postal strikes, train strikes, freezing weather, hanging lights, writing cards and wrapping presents, eating warm mince pies with cream and drinking mulled wine... it must be Christmas! Oh, and what a finale to the World Cup! I have never seen a final as exciting as that!
I also listened again, this time in the comfort of my own home, to Judi talking to Gyles, but this was the Christmas edition. I went to see the live show earlier on this year and it was so fab, I couldn't resist watching again. I love Dame Judi Dench! Merry Christmas one and all!
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 So here I am waking up in Vilnius on a short introductory tour of the country Lithuania - I think this is my 44th country - and I've had about two hours sleep! We got to the hotel around midnight and some of us decided on a little pub crawl. Always a nice way to ease into a new group of people who have never met before. Seeing the old town all christmassy with a smidge of snow was lovely. We tried out Who Hit John, The Piano Man and Mr Pub before hastily making our way back to the hotel as the temp was dropping fast and it was freezing with the wind chill!
I have a jam packed itinerary ahead of me so I really need some coffee, but not before mentioning that England beat Wales and then beat Senegal to get into the World Cup quarter finals!!! And I've booked a couple of comedy gigs for next year - Dawn French's "Dawn French is a huge T*AT" and, with my sisters, off the back of seeing Joanne McNally in October and finding it a riot, "My Therapist Ghosted Me" which Joanne is doing with Vogue Williams - and I love their podcast together of the same name. They laugh so much and it's infectious. They have definitely helped me adjust to working from home. I'm also still waiting for some more 2023 London dates for Ricky Gervais's new show "Armageddon", but so far no luck.  It's been three long weeks but I think I've finally turned a corner with my back. I've had a couple of sessions of acupuncture and can drive, sit and stand a little more. Still not able to walk very far without having to crouch down to ease the pain running down my leg into my ankle.
I've officially finished one job and now waiting to start my new one. It was a shame I couldn't say a proper goodbye to my clients but I've written off these last few weeks. A part of me is really stressing but the other part is like it can't be helped. I did get to let off some steam with my sister when we went to see Joanne McNally's show at the weekend called The Prosecco Express, and her warm up act Kelly Convey was also hilarious. So much that Joanne talks about rings true with us growing up and where we're at now in our lives and the comedy is on point. I really needed this. We didn't stop laughing for the whole show. The Queen's passing has floored me - and I don't know why because I always knew she was just hanging on for her Platinum Jubilee celebrations and that she wouldn't be making another Christmas Day speech. I also can't believe that Charles is finally King. I may very well have got swept up in the queuing to view her lying in state, if it hadn't been for getting out of bed on Friday excited to have four whole days off in a row and then, recoiling in agony with a pinched nerve in my leg. I did manage to get up to London that evening with my mum and sister to see Gary Barlow's A Different Stage, but the pain was horrendous as I hobbled around. I've spent the rest of my lovely days off alternating between lying on my bed, lying on the sofa or on my hands and knees. I did of course watch the Queen's funeral yesterday, but I've spent most of today in bed trying to get comfortable and trying to catch up on sleep. I hope to find out more about what I've done this coming week and get some treatment. Despite all of this, Gary's show was brilliant and we even managed a glimpse of him as he left the theatre!
I went back to work and I'm literally taking it one day at a time. I don't let myself think too far into the future because then the panic sets in. I'm watching Billy Connolly's "Does" series and trying not to be afraid of Life. "We pass this way but once.." The anxiety has left me with this dread, which I'm relieved to report is slowly easing as the new anti depressant gets into my system.
Other than that, not a whole lot else to say this week. I braved my PIP application online in one sitting. It's something I've been thinking about for a while due to fibro and mental illness. We will see how it goes..  What a treat to see Dame Judi Dench in conversation with Gyles Brandreth this past Sunday. Again, I've waited a long time to see this one - 2 years and 2 months later...
It was well worth the wait. Listening to them reminisce about their old theatre days in the first half and then talking tv and films in the second. There is something really special about being in an intimate setting with like minded people watching one of our idols in the flesh! Time just whizzed by. It was also lovely to hear Dame Judi talk about her husband Mikey and how they met and what it was like to work together on A Fine Romance, and then of course when she talked about Geoffrey Palmer and As Time Goes By, one of my all time favourites. Brilliant writing and acting and beautiful gentle comedy. Really good for the soul when I've been feeling unwell.
It was such a joy to finally see Mrs Brown's Boy D'live Show The Musical. I bought the ticket in December 2020 for June 2021, then it got rescheduled that month for a year later - and here we are. Although I miss Rory and Deano, it was great to see the rest of the cast on stage. I would've hung around to try and get some autographs afterwards, but I had to get down to Eastbourne for a wedding the next day. We stayed in an air bnb in Pevensey Bay which was delightful and right opposite the beach. Such a great location! That was my first time in an air bnb aswell. I was very impressed.
I want to do the exact opposite of walking slowly. I want to hurtle head long into a brand new year and accomplish all of the things that I need to around my home and I want to become a mum. BUT. I also want to feel less mentally and physically exhausted and more at peace with myself and my surroundings.
Walk Slowly It only takes a reminder to breathe, a moment to be still, and just like that, something in me settles, softens, makes space for imperfection. The harsh voice of judgment drops to a whisper and I remember again that life isn’t a relay race; that we will all cross the finish line; that waking up to life is what we were born for. As many times as I forget, catch myself charging forward without even knowing where I’m going, that many times I can make the choice to stop, to breathe, and be, and walk slowly into the mystery. -Danna Faulds
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AuthorBlogging is an amazing concept so here I am giving it a whirl. You'll get words. You'll get pics. Sometimes a vid or two. You'll get tongue in cheek, the odd humble opinion and an honest insight into my travels and writing life. Maybe even a few gems along the way. I'll be musing on home turf as I see more and more of the UK and sharing my experiences further afield on holidays and adventurous trips across the globe. Archives
December 2022
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