Woody Wonders

I'm a bit late with my blog this month as me and the lovely Mr Bob have had a mini-break in France.  I have to admit that I was looking forward to the trip with a mixture of both excitement and apprehension. It had been 26 months since we last stepped foot on French soil and the world is now a very different place.  We were unsure of what to expect, what documents we did or didn't need and how the French would now look upon us.  Let's be honest, the UK hasn't exactly put itself in a great light with Europe, or the rest of the world for that matter, over the last few years. I'm very pleased to say that everything went smoothly, we weren't thrown into jail for putting a cross in the wrong place on our forms and the French people were as welcoming as ever.  I suppose it does help that I can speak enough French to get by and not have to resort to shouting 'CHIPS' at the top of my voice - there's a story there, but I'll save it for another time. Anywa...

End of year check-in Today's blog is going to be a short reflection on 2020 before I close my laptop on another year. Despite all the odds stacked against me and humanity in general, I've had an incredible year.  Yes, it's been different, bizarre, unnerving and downright hard graft at times but I absolutely refuse to write this year off which is what most people seem intent on doing.   Am I looking through rose-tinted glasses and ignoring the bad stuff?  No, I don't think I am because I firmly believe that it's the sh*t times that make us stronger.  Did I write off the year I lost both my sister and sister-in-law?  Within the space of three weeks I might add.  No I didn't, because ultimately it made me a much stronger and more resilient person.  It's quite easy to drift through life but when something significant happens it's a real wake up call. So, what has this year taught me? I can still have strong relationships despite not being able to see ...

Buckle up for the last quarter of the year It's reflection time and here we are, three quarters down and only one quarter of the year to go - eek!!  Let's ramp this up peeps and finish on a high.  3/4 down and 1/4 to go - stay focused!! As always, I'm going to start off the procedures by providing you with an update on what's been happening in my life during Q3.  It's been crazy busy so nothing new in that respect, there's been some ups and downs along the way but I've powered through in my usual whirlwind way whilst trying to stay focused on my goals.   Update on Woody's Goals Start a blog.   I'm incredibly pleased with this goal and I'm finding it quite cathartic to share my musings with the big wide world (well, a handful of people and the neighbours dog).  You've been so supportive and I can't thank you enough.  Someone asked me recently how I managed to think of what to write.  To be honest, I never really have a topic in...

Keeping the holiday feeling  when you're back to real life It is with sadness that I am now writing about la fin de nos vacances 🙁 but ooh la la what a fabulous time we’ve had. It feels like we’ve been away for months rather than just a couple of weeks. We’ve had a brilliant balance of doing things, seeing places, relaxing and recharging our batteries. We’ve enjoyed the most delicious food and wine and had some culture too. The weather has been wonderful, late summer is my favourite time of year to visit France. It’s not too hot and it has that delightful autumnal glow about it.   We ended our grand tour de France 🇫🇷 in the region of Picardie, an area of France we’ve come to know and love very much. Our base was the chic little town of St Valery sur Somme on the Baie de Somme. It’s a fabulous place for walking, running, cycling, kayaking, sailing and bird watching. The French word for bird is oiseau (pronounced ‘wazzo’) which always makes me gig...

Uncomfortable; awkward; embarrassed; shy These are just some of the words I feel when I'm trying to speak French. As you know from a previous blog, one of my goals for 2019 is to take my French to the next level.  Each time I visit France I tell myself to be brave, just go for it and that everything will be ok and every time I panic, stumble over my words and end up feeling like a complete and utter idiot. This weekend, the lovely Mr Bob and myself have been in Lille and I can't tell you what was different this time but there was a new found air of confidence within me.  I was absolutely determined not to panic the minute someone spoke back to me in French, or English for that matter as quite often there are French people who want to practice their English just as much as you want to practice your French. Zaz concert - c'etait magnifique!! We arrived at the hotel and throughout the check-in process I spoke completely in French, and, even though at one po...