Hurrah

Well, hurrah indeed, its my birthday today and I have reached 67!!! In 1967 I was 22 and just had my first baby.. a boy named Daniel who now lives far away in Perth Australia with his family.  In 22 years time I will be 89!! and if the last 22 years are anything to go by, this will arrive in a flash!!

Its a  lovely summer's day here and the sun is out, it is hot and finally able to wear summer clothes. When I've been reading other blogs they all seem to have reached summer days a long time before us, but maybe that is normal, anyway its here now!  For my birthday I am going out with a friend for tea, and then tomorrow a lunch out with my husband, such nice things to look forward to. 

I am feeling much more optimistic in myself, as I have closed the door of the year that was a pretty shitty one.. so I am determined this year will open up more opportunities to have happiness and good things.

 If I was to be asked what do I want for my birthday I could not give you an answer immediately., I would have to think about it.. I do have a lovely home, happy children, grandchildren, a husband and two dogs, so all the main items are met!

 I know that they say Money isn't everything, but it sure does help if you wish to travel and see children that live far away..

 so what I would like..

 I would like ongoing open  travel tickets and that would allow me to drop in on my kids in Canada and Australia  and around England,at the drop of a hat.. hahah  not sure how they'd like that, but I would!! Of course I get to hear about all the goings on in my children's lives via facebook and texts which are wonderful, but it would be so lovely to squeeze my grandchildren in a great hug, or kiss my kids and hold them close again, just to reconnect.

Anyway, travel abroad is something I am going to seriously have to save up for.. I worked out the other day, that if I put the money that I spend on Magazines each month, I would be able to save without really noticing it... I calculate that I spend around at least £20 on them and buying new books whilst I am at the supermarket must add up to another £20, so that makes £40 saved without really trying!!  In ten months I would have most of the air fare to Canada, just needing spending money when I'm there... so that might be achievable.. but it would take two years to do the same to get to Australia.. and which one do I visit first.!??

It used to be that when you got to retire, your house was paid, you had mostly some savings to travel or do with what you liked, but nowadays this is not possible.. We still have a mortgage here, with our savings used to eke out living costs.. the pensions paid into over the years are worth half they should have been, so this generation is having it quite hard.. unless of course you managed to get a huge job with salary to match when you were younger.. however, not the time to moan... this time last year I was in a hospital bed, the worst birthday of my life.. now I am home, able to get out and about and going out to tea with a dear friend this afternoon..

 I said at the beginning of the year that I would choose discipline as my word.. the discipline to achieve things that needed doing and getting done.. well, I've tried but it keeps slipping, so I must make a better effort at the trying ... and then at the end of the year will be able to cross off all the things I have managed to get done.. hard though applying that little word to do... but this new door opening from today, my birthday I really will try to make it feasible, not just ideas..

 I shall have to be strict with myself which is harder to do than say, but heck its my birthday , I can start again tomorrow  right ?!!!