Having a Bless-Fest

It's time to stop and smell the roses, drink the coffee and use those lemons to make lemonade. 

So here's what I'm grateful for right now...

• The dawning of a warm sunny Bank Holiday weekend.  Though I don't have a horrible job I need to escape from for a long weekend, there is something magical about a long lazy hot weekend.  Ignore that "lazy" word, it's presence is purely alliterative as I started my day at 6am writing a two page Action list but it is still officially time when I am answerable only to my favourite person in the whole world.

• The start of three months school holidays yesterday.  I can choose to see this as a right pain in the arse or I can choose to focus on the positives.  No arguing about bedtimes, wake-ups, wet towels in school bags or test results.  Instead we can argue about a whole load of fresh stuff.

• My pink, green, purple, yellow, coral and blue reading glasses which quite suddenly I've noticed I need rather more frequently than previously.

• A trip to Londinium for eight days next week that will mean a decent curry, time with some of my very very favourite people and a Money Gym gig thrown in too.

• Tesco "Value" fresh coffee, I kid you not.  I'd given up making fresh coffee at home as I would end up throwing most of the bag away because it lost its flavour.  Then someone put me onto this and it's simply perfect for one perfect cup each day.

• Britain's Got Talent.  It's true the vicious reporting in yesterday's Daily Mail put a different slant on the show but I've enjoyed watching all week and correctly predicting who would go through - which I agree has been obvious.  And so to the Final.  Who will win?  If they put her on last, then I guess it will be Susan Boyle though she's not my favourite, nor do I think she's the best.  With the competition she has from the other finalists, I hope it's not a foregone conclusion she'll win.

In my view - without wishing to sound patronising - she is not sturdy enough to win and neither is the little girl who started crying last night half-way through her act.  I mean, I'd have cried too if they'd made me sing Edelweiss, though at least it wasn't Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  Even if she was more sturdy, she's not the best anyway.

• I like Julian, the Saxman, a lot but he is just a bit too humble and it's not attractive to beg because this is your last chance to make it.  Even if he doesn't win he'll get a contract from Simon, I guess, so I'm not too worried about him.

• I adore 2 Grand and they have inspired my empathy without them giving up any dignity.  What a great advert for family togetherness - singing in public with your grandad is not the coolest activity for a 12 yr old and I like that they have kept her dressed as a child and not a mini adult.  And see my 'Tear Factor' comment further down.

• I love Diversity, and Flawless are a mere inch behind them.  Either of them winning would feel like there was something right in the world and they would be great role models for other kids.

• Stavros Flatley, again the inter-generation relationship has the feel-good factor and they are definitely entertaining enough for the Royal Variety but just a little too home-spun to be truly worthy winners.  Note that though 2 Grand are just as home-spun, I will ignore that label to see them do well.  From memory, they are the only act that has made me cry too.

• Susan, Shaheen and Shaun.  All talented singers but kind of 'so what' for me.  

• Hollie.  Not a serious contender though has a seriously sweet voice.

• That leaves Aidan.  Despite George Sampson winning last year and with the brain-washing of the British public to vote for Susan, right now Aidan must be my favourite.  He has buckets of street-cred but comes across as a remarkably lovely bright normal kid.  There was something horribly twee about the lad who allowed himself to be brought on stage to sing songs from Oliver and Jungle Book (albeit he had a gorgeous giggle) while Aidan is on the way to being a heart-throb.

• My home office.  For the first time in years, this is not a dedicated room but I am now sitting in front of a picture window on the bright warm side of the house.  I am looking out on green fields and trees, horse riders trotting up and down the road, neighbours out walking dogs and in the distance, the mountains.  Peace at last.

• The clutter around the house.  A reminder that the universe has not just always sent us enough, but sent us more than enough.

• The local carboot sale where I might take some of that clutter tomorrow.  My heart sinks slightly at the thought of preparing for a carboot sale but any time I've done one in the past, I've had a ball.  The good weather should bring out lots of people too...

• My mum who shared 50 years of her life with me and taught me so much about human love and kindness.  "Death leaves a heartache no-one can heal, Love leaves a memory no-one can steal".

• GiveAwayaDollaraDay.com I heard Todd Silva being interviewed by Jewels Johnson and decided to embrace the concept of leaving a pound or euro somewhere every day for someone to find.  This is all to do with your own sense of abundance rather than trying to give it to a worthy cause (though you can do that obviously).  More information at that website link.  If you're doing this too, let me know how much fun you're having and how creative you're getting about where you leave the money.  If you're not already doing it why not join us.

Others doing it include Judith Morgan and Janet Swift.  Do join us!

Ok, that's just the start of a Bless-Fest, I know, and it's now time to go and bless my shower, my washing machine and my chilled grapefruit.

What would you like to bless today?

Comments

[Marion Ryan]

Diversity the deserving winners of BGT and hurray for them. They will make the RVS worth watching.

I've always thought they had the edge on Flawless, for their dancing but even more for their creative choreography which is simply inspired.

Aidan did well but Simon's feedback deflated him and may well have cost him votes. He's a star in the making anyway as is Stavros Flatly.

Truthfully, I loved them all apart from one but my lips are sealed on that point.

Mx

[marietaylor]

Ah I would bless you Marion for reminding me about a dollar a day. Will be starting with a quid later when I pop out.
I'm blessing airline pilots who have flown me cross the Atlantic in the last few days and those "nice" people at immigration in the US (someone has to bless them otherwise they may be damned to a life of standing in gatekeeper jobsworthy roles without any humour forever) Diversity cos I love 'em and all that they represent about young men in the UK today-good on them. I'm blessing the psychiatric patient who I spoke to in Madison Park yesterday. An educated bloke who is down on his uppers and found solace in drink for 2 years before being brave enough to get help. His brain is cooked from the amount of grape juice and grain gravy he has drunk so he couldn't recall what residency meant and how to ask for his resident psychiatrist at the hospital- so much so he has avoided going for 6 weeks- bless him.Bless the person who picked up and trotted off with my lovely blue cashmere cardi in a restaurant yesterday- they obviously needed it more than me. Bless that nice man in my street who always collects any rubbish as he walks down it and puts it in the bin. I'm entering him for a model citizen award if that award exists.
Marie

[Marion Ryan]

And Marie Taylor, I'm blessing you back.

You are abundant, fun, right bright, kind, thoughtful, generous and more fun.

And you always comment on my blog.

But that's just the headlines. To do you justice I would need to write an essay, nay, a dissertation.

You made me laugh the other day. I said, "I need some info. Are you still in the States?".

You said "No, I'm now at a wedding in Tuscany".

Anyone else would have been at a wedding in some rain-drenched English suburb but you had to flamin' well be in Tuscany.

But that's one of the reasons I enjoy you so much. You old rogue.