First things first, I want to congratulate everyone who ran the London marathon over the weekend.
I’m always in awe of anyone who wants to put themselves through it. It’s crazy tough to start with, but the weather was so unexpectedly warm it must have made it ten times worse.
I sponsored a few people who were running for our usual chosen charities (Teenage Cancer Trust, Ellen MacArthur cancer trust and Young Lives vs Cancer). Apologies to those I didn’t sponsor, but I was rooting for you all the way.
Stoma Babe did an amazing job running it raising money for Crohn's & Colitis UK, but more than anything ~ raising awareness of stomas, and showing the world what is achievable with an ileostomy (in my opinion the more tricky to manage of stomas. I own an incredibly well behaved colostomy. My output is solid, and I’m not prone to dehydration. For me life is easier than the old fashioned plumbing I once owned. Holly smashed my theory apart, showing what is truly possible).
Having a stoma shouldn’t ruin anyone’s life, and I hope those facing stoma surgery know that, and can see there are beacons of light all around us.
I don’t run ~ because I am inherently lazy, and not because I can’t, it’s not my stoma stopping me. Mine is most definitely a choice, I am a sloth, a very self aware happy one, but a sloth no less.
Be less me and run like the wind. :)
I’ve had a ‘busy’ few weeks (*busy for me, not busy like normal people, the sloth runs deep in me).
I’ve had some really successful good days out. When I get dressed in the morning I always consider the likelihood of my stoma bag having leaks or pancaking, or it letting me down in some way.
I’m very comfortable with my stoma, I’m at peace with it, and calm for the most part. But I still have to run through scenarios in my head to calculate the risk.
I do forget I have one a lot of the time, but I’m always running a status update in the background.
I’m constantly monitoring for smells. The risk is small, but the risk is there. I’m really lucky that I’ve had mercifully few public leaks.
But when I do, I allow myself to feel what I feel about it. I’m not going to be super positive and cheerfully dismissive of how upset I am. I would be mortified, but I will try and remember that bums leak too. So I allow myself to wallow for a bit, feel what I feel, honour those feelings and move on. In varying degrees of speed.
It’s okay to not love your stoma if that’s how you feel. Who could blame you?
It’s this alien addition no one asked for. I happen to love my life so much I’m willing to accept anything that makes continuing it possible, so in turn I can only see my colostomy as a positive. But I totally understand those who don’t.
Holly proves that a stoma, even an ileostomy, where dehydration even on a good day can be tricky, there are no limits. Hats off to her for an incredible performance! Amazing job! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼💖
I’m not a raise to the challenge type, but I admire those that are.
Top from Intimissimi, Jeans from M&S, Shoes from Kate Spade, belt from Hermes.
We had a very chilled weekend over Easter, Chris requested some recovery time, so we did half and half. Friday and Saturday were just spent at home doing nothing. Sunday and Monday were busy, but fun.
Chris and I approach weekends from very different positions. I don’t see many people mid week, so I’m climbing the walls desperate to go out. And Chris has been at work all week and just wants to stare at the walls that I’m climbing. :)
So a long weekend really does give us the best chance of both of us enjoying it.
Chris suggested a nice drive out in my car late on the Saturday afternoon. I have two cars, I have a nearly 1 litre fiat 500, which I swear to god will be the death of me as it barely moves when I put my foot flat to the floor, it really is the slowest car in the world…And I have a very sleek convertible with a 3.8 litre twin-turbocharged flat-6 engine, she is a beast, a beautiful monster of a car ~ they could not be more different from each other.
Weirdly it’s the slower one that is the more dangerous one. I pull out on roundabouts, forgetting it has no power in it, which is a bit hair raising to say the least, but it parks in the tiniest of spaces, so I love both cars equally for very different reasons.
Chris has a very nice 4x4 electric car (so he’s doing his bit for the environment - although the environmental costs of mining lithium and cobalt etc are a hidden problem, which no one seems to acknowledge).
Off we went for a lovely countryside drive, and a nice walk around a pretty little Essex village, and a stop at a very quaint village pub.
Top from Ralph Lauren, jeans from M&S, Shoes from Kate Spade, Hat from Aimee Leon Dore.
I needed the hat as I was in my usual chill out day uniform of unwashed hair and generally unruly.
I’d been to a garden centre, and gardening all day at this point.
The handy thing is most pubs and bars here have registered that some of us who don’t drink alcohol, do like a nice cold beer. So Chris had a 0.0 Guinness and I had an alcohol free Peroni.
This country hasn’t caught up with our European cousins yet, in the 0.0 game, but it’s getting there.
I had been meaning to get a garden light for some decorative hares Chris had bought me years ago. And I finally got round to it. I couldn’t believe how fabulous it looked.
I love the circle of the spot light highlighting them so perfectly. It wasn’t planned, I just happened to have positioned it very close to them by accident.
That’s the extent of my gardening knowledge. I am an accidental gardener. I have naturally green fingers, with zero inclination.
I planted out all of the plants I’ve grown from seeds so far this year;
Pumpkins
Cornflowers
Nasturtiums
Peas
Runner beans
And tomatoes and herbs.
My attitude to gardening ?…If it lives it lives. I’m not going to put too much effort in.
Planted, and now their fate is in the hands of the gods 🫣😂
Easter Sunday Chris and Sam went to see a show in London (you know me, I’m dead inside, I don’t like musical theatre, or theatre in general come to that). So I went to my mum and dad’s for Sunday lunch.
I decided to dress as Easter for Easter.
I noticed the on trend colour for this season is baby yellow, I didn’t buy into it, because it’s a bit of a tricky colour, plus I remembered I’d bought this shirt from Gap years ago, and felt it was close enough to the on trend yellow.
Shirt from Gap, Jeans from M&S, Shoes from Dior, Bag from Goyard, Belt from Hermes.
I don’t follow trends to the letter, but I will pick through the bits that catch my eye, and that I feel I can make work.
I prefer classic elegance to fashion, I don’t have the body shape to follow fashions, you need to be stick thin and one size all over, and I’m about 10 different clothing sizes on one body.
I can range from 8-18 in clothing choices. I have to meticulously try everything on, because nothing ever comes as standard for my shape, plus I have two hernias and a stoma to contend with. It’s a nuisance but once you understand it and make peace with it, its easier to accept your body for what it does for you ~ holding it in high regard ~ rather than see it as a negative.
I am very happy with my body, and I’m extremely happy being me. 🥰
I appreciate I can’t claim to be frugal with shopping, we all have our vices, I have been through more of them than most, but yay me, I have given up the most deadly ones, so that’s a win.
Hot chocolate and shopping are the addictions I’m happy to keep.
Chris and I headed into London on Easter Monday to The V&A museum for the Cartier exhibition, a must see if like me you are part magpie. It is a dazzling glittering sensation.
I was surprised by the demographic in there, I thought it would be loads of Instagram influencers drawn in by the sparkles, but surprisingly it was mostly very serious museum visiting people.
It is a feast for the eyes. I would definitely recommend a visit.
I chose a simple outfit for the day, as it had multiple layers to it, and I wanted as little leak risk as possible.
First we went to the exhibition, then for lunch at Chutney Mary, then Chris suggested we go and buy my birthday present as we’re away for my actual birthday…and I’m never going to say no to that. ;)
This top was bought for me by my brother when I was 15 years old. It is coming up for 37 years old!! Thirty seven!!
It’s still as lovely as when I first got it, and still very wearable. Which is why I say I love classic, rather than fashion. It was never in fashion, so it can’t go out of fashion.
Top from Oasis, Trousers from H&M, Shoes and Belt from Hermes.
Bag from Dior.
The pieces on display are stunning. Definitely a must see. The photos cannot do it justice. My mouth was watering. I do love a sparkly thing.
Then it was off to lunch. The city was really quiet, it felt quite like Covid times to be honest, which meant it was really easy to get about.
Indian food is my favourite thing ever. We had 17 days in India once, eating Indian food breakfast, lunch and dinner, then we landed back here, got off the flight and drove straight to Chutney Mary.
We love Indian cuisine the most obviously, followed by joint second place of Italian and Greek cuisine.
Chutney Mary is particularly good.
Then we went off to Harrods to claim my free two hours of parking, and free cup of tea that I get from my clubcard there. I do love a freebie (I do fully appreciate and comprehend nothing is really free).
I very much enjoy simple pleasures ~ I discovered a new set of toilets that I never knew existed before, I felt like I’d crossed over into Narnia. They were completely empty, which is a rare treat. I can let you know where they are if you’re interested. :)
We had such a great day, I got my birthday presents which I’m so so happy with.
Plus I loved being out and about after two days at home.
Then Tuesday I headed back into London to meet a friend for lunch and a bit of girly shopping.
I bought that rail discount card a few weeks back with the intention of getting into town more. I can’t complain that I don’t see anyone if I don’t actually make the effort to go and meet people.
I got my ticket for this trip for a bargain price of £26.50 (which is actually still appalling for a 50 minute return train ride. Especially when you consider the fact I’ve flown to Venice for £24 return before) which is far better than the nearly £50 it costs without the rail card. So I would say they are worth the investment, and you’ve made your money back in three journeys I believe.
We had such a great day, I was exhausted, but I’d had a lovely time, I didn’t buy anything because I didn’t need anything, but my friend Elle had a gift card to spend and I enjoyed helping her choose the goodies she bought with that.
I wore a dress because I had been wearing a lot of jeans and I just wanted to allow my stoma to reset and catch up. And dresses are the best chance of that.
Dress from Kate Spade, Top from Intimissimi, Shoes from Hermes, Bag from Goyard.
The following day was my food bank shift and to be completely honest I was suffering from fatigue. I’d had a bit of a hiccup with my HRT and it really compounded my already tired body.
Top from Intimissimi, Shirt from Ralph Lauren, Leggings from Next, Shoes from M&S.
Then I spent Thursday and Friday getting ready to host family and friends over the weekend.
By Saturday I was half dead from exhaustion, I actually thought I had flu coming Saturday night, but it turns out I’m just not made to do so much in such a short period. I’m more of a slow burn 😬😂
I have B12 injections 8 weekly for B12 deficiency, and years ago my GP diagnosed me with Chronic Fatigue syndrome and I was quite dismissive of that diagnosis back then, but sometimes, very occasionally I actually think I might believe it 🫣😂.
I had run around like a blue arsed fly trying to get everything ready, without Chris having to be involved. After all it’s nearly always my idea to host, and I don’t like lumbering him with my madcap scaping ideas. So I prepped to perfection.
Sam and Zak came up for the weekend, as Mils had some uni work to catch up on at home, she’s doing her Masters degree and it is hard work.
So it was a great opportunity for her to get stuck into it, without having to have the mum guilt of being busy with a young child around.
He was here fully occupied, and Mils was able to crack on with her work guilt free. Everyone’s a winner.
Chris suggested he take Zak shopping for some summer clothes, and I tagged along because, I definitely wanted in on that action ;)
We had the best time with Zak, he’s such a darling gentle boy. Fun and kind, and so funny, he makes my heart happy.
He was very keen to help me with garden stuff.
I home made ~ home grown rhubarb crumble (well, I picked the home grown rhubarb and cooked it, then added a shop bought crumble topping mix, much to the disgust of my guests, but they ate it all so it can’t have been that bad 😂).
Zak requested boiled eggs and soldiers for Sunday breakfast…which as it turns out was slightly odd, because he hates eggs in all its forms…unless heavily disguised in cake. He ate a little of the toast dipped yolk, which surprised Sam. But it turns out he still very much dislikes eggs.
They were pretty good for me to be honest, so it was a nice treat for the rest of us. :)
I find eggs significantly slow down my transit, so I have been known to eat them a few days before I fly somewhere so I have less leak risk mid flight.
I cleared the She shed of the excess furniture, I’m surprisingly strong when I want to be. I moved out the arm chairs and added an extra table and extra dining chairs. I laid up a simple scape. And prepared a nice enough meal.
We love spending time with our friends and family. I do feel really very fortunate. I sat and soaked in the feeling of being with our friends.
We got all the good toys out for Zak and Kim’s girls to play with. The den making kit, the sand pit…
Wearing my new shorts I bought the day before.
Top and short from Ralph Lauren, Shoes and Belt from Hermes.
Sam clearly was trying to get in my blog this week clearly 😂
Sunshine and friends is a very special combination.
Catie excelled herself and ordered cupcakes, and sent the cake lady photos of Gus and Percy 💙🩵
…And Chris and Sam excelled in the area of bubble blowing. What more could a child want, than a leaf blower, a garden sieve and bubble mix. If you thought I’m over the top, it really is a family thing. 😂
The kids loved it, but probably not as much as Chris and Sam did. :)
I bought some giant chalks and let them graffiti on the fence, because sometimes it’s fun to feel a bit rebellious - I am expert in this area. 😬🥰
The reason I love my stoma to the point that I do is because I get to do so much because of it. I get to be with the people who mean the world to me.
So I cannot see any real, genuine down sides to stoma owning. I know there are some, but for me the good things outweigh the bad.
As I had a big night out planned for this week I decided to dress in dresses all week to allow for free flowing output. It helps make life easier.
Dress from TK Maxx
I’m hoping to be able to get all dolled up and problem free for the night out.
Fingers crossed my plan works.
Keep well, much love x