Wednesday, March 17, 2010

How long is this post which has taken me 3 days to blooming write..???

Well I think this will have to be done in installments, lol I have just had the best weekend ever. If you dont know what I am on about, I decided I wanted to do something for my birthday this year. I,ve never made a fuss about my birthday as I am usually to be found working at a show, but following on from my life changing year, I decided it was time. I thought for ages what I would like to do and then it came to me in a flash. I wanted to be selfish, I wanted to put me first. I wanted to spend a few days doing just want I wanted, with my closest friends there as well. But would it work..???
I booked a cottage in the Dales and paid for it straight away, so I couldnt cancel, no matter what, lol. Then I asked the people who I wanted to be there. And to my delight they all said yes. Woop woop..!!!!  We had one last minute inclusion and one last minute drop out, so that left me, my two girls and five friends. Now these 5 friends didnt really know each other, in fact some hadnt  met at all. But I needn,t have worried because we had a fabulous time. Everyone got on brilliantly and there wasnt one cross word. Everyone pulled there weight and did their own thing. If you wanted to do it , you did, and if you didn,t, then you quite simply didnt.

So here we go....

Luckily some got there before us and were in the midst of setting the fire and working out the Wii.


Between us we only had the essential food groups..!!!



Susie and Emmi hit it off straight away, they both love to frequent the party section in Matalan.


We soon had the Wii rocking and the girls were giving a fine rendition of everything.


Not that anyone was enjoying themselves, lol.


The lovely Marie baked me the most unusual, but gorgeous birthday cake. Blueberries and Philadelphia cheese


Methinks shes gone a bit camera shy.


Look no hands...


One night down, two to go.

Off we all tottled to bed (me at about 4.30). I had baggsied the room at the front of the house. But didnt realise the implications. There was a larder downstairs wirh stone walls and shelves, remember this cottage was built in the 1600's. Well the beer came out colder from there than it did from the fridge, we christened the room "the morgue"because it was freezing. Well my room was directly above it and so I shivered all night long. At home I sleep under a slightly open window, with my ass and one leg always hanging out the covers, so I am used to cold, but thios was something else, I was bitter cold right deep down in my bones.
So after not very much quality sleep, this is what I was greeted with....


Now I,m not sure what happened but i never had Our Ems down as a domestic goddess



As you can see, everyone just did their own thing, it was so satisfying not to have to please anyone but you.


Me Jay and Em's had come prepared with outdoor games. We had badminton, croquet, rounders etc, but unfortunately the garden was on an 80% incline..!!! lmao.
So some of the girls actually got dressed and went out for a walk.Here's Ems and Susie checking out Wallace n Grommit's favourite place.






This was our lovely home for the weekend.

 
I just love this photo.

Ali made the mistake of asking if anyone wanted a drink..!!!


I had mine in one of my birthday pressies from Bezzie Su

 
Jay cooked a scrummy tea of cottage pie..what else...!!! and Emmi tastefully decorated the table whilst enjoying a swift Desperado. ( oh how addicted to them am I..???)


Oh no  please don,t make me share my Champagne..!!!




As you can see I spent the whole weekend in my Jammies and shock horror, without a scrap of make up on. I dont think I have ever gone nearly 3 days without it. Although I always look as though I dont wear a lot I actually always set out with primer, foundation, pressed powder, bronzer, blusher, eyebrow pencil, eyeliner, mascara and lippy......  So apologies for the au naturelle look.....

Susie is  a whizz at raspberry mojitos and soon utilised whatever was to hand
.

Think the girlies were ecstatic...



Marie couldn't cope with a small measure....


unlike moi who always takes it steady.....!!!

We then let off some wish lanterns into the sky. This was hilarious as the slight breeze nearly caused a mishap.



Hows about that for a parting shot...????

The whole weekend was fantastic from start to finish, yes there was lots of tears as a lot of the girls needed to unload, and what better way to do it. But there was also zillions of laughs. Not a cross word to be had and even more great friendships were formed.  It was hard to believe that the only thing everyone had in common at the start was me. There was no pressure, no expectation, no backbiting, just a really special and magical time.

By 3.30 on the sunday everyone had left to go home ( Mothers Day calling) and I was on my own.  I decided to chill in the front room, and I journaled to my hearts content. I did a page in honour of my Mum and shed a few tears at the same time. I then loaded my box set of Hustle into my laptop and watched it back to back whilst doodling  and drinking Mulligatawny soup....Heaven.
Early the next morning I loaded up the car and began the drive back into complete madness.....lmao...

So to  my gorgeous Bezzie Su, who even though she was away from home couldnt help Mothering us all..!
The gorgeous Kirsty who worries about everything and nothing, but who is the darlingest of people you could ever meet.
The gorgeous sexy Susie, who on the outside is the life and soul of the party, but on the inside is facing a really challenging time in her life, deciding the best way to follow her heart.
The gorgeous Ali who quietly took it all in, but came away looking years younger.
The gorgeous Marie, who despite her nutty exterior is the calmest, most gentle of souls, always ready to dispennse her wonderful advice. She has a way of making you think of things you didn't think you needed to think about.
The gorgeous Jay who came alive and giggled through. She astounded us all with her culinary skills and her drinking abilities.
The gorgeous Emmi who whipped us all into a frenzy with her dancing, singing, drinking, twirling, and loving.
And of course  the gorgeous me, well I have to say it don't I..???

8 very different women, all very different personalities, all facing different problems, all very different ways of dealing with them, all strong in their own right, all believing that they aren,t, all worthy of everything wonderful that life may throw at them....My word for the year is Gratitude, and I am extremeley grateful to know, be friends, and spend such a magical time with them. How lucky to have such a feeling.

I love you all from the bottom of my heart and wouldn't change a thing about any of you, long may it continue. Are we going to do it again...??? Bring it on.... XXX

14 comments:

Valencia said...

Haa Dyan your weekend sounded awesome .You all looked to have had a wicked time and you made me get a bit teary thinking about you journaling about your mum .Mothers day year before last was quite early and my mum was in a bad way in hospital I took her a little book about me and said to her stop watching the television and start writing about yourself. She only filled in a few pages we watched her battle over 5 weeks until we lost her on the 21st March which was Good Friday same Day as her own mum my nan had died.Now the little book of me has her Last written words and is a great comfort to me and I am so glad I got those few pages they are very precious.

Laura (Faerielore) said...

WOW what a amazing post Dyan, sounds like you all had such a wonderful time and everyone although like you said strangers from the started formed a lovely bond and friendship. The perfect birthday gift xxxx

JaneyB said...

No doubt I've been the same as everyone else - checking your blog far too many times a day waiting to hear what you all got up to. Dy it was worth the wait - looks you had the bestest of time with the most fabulacious of girlies. I've read it twice now and have to fess that I cried at the end. Tears of JOY though cos I'm so happy for you that the weekend lived up to your expectations and then some!!! There's absolutely nothing in this world as comforting as being able to stay in jimjams all day!!

Some friends are just so precious that when you think of what they bring to your life, they move you to tears!

Thanks for sharing, and loads of love from sunny Doncaster xxx

Angela Weimer said...

What a wonderful time. Sometimes you just need to do that. Glad you had fun. Angela

Unknown said...

Oh Dy this sounds blissful x I hope you plan to do it often x this is how me and my crafty pals unwind too - although Claxby Viking centre isnt as luxurious it holds the same fabulous "me and pals" time. LOL at the makeup bit - Michelle is the same but cant help doing it while we are away too! Bee is our Mother hen, Emma and Joanne the jokers, Georgina and me then quiet ones :0)
Three cheers for girly time its definately an essential x

Carmen said...

Sounds fantastic! You all look like you were so well behaved! *cough*

Chris Steer said...

What a fabulous weekend!! The most wonderful thing in the world is to have good friends and you sure have some - one very lucky lady and lovely with it!!

Really looking forward to Fabby Dabby Weekend - won't be long now I'm getting really giddy xx

Love and hugs

Chris x

Kirsti said...

OMG Dyan... you sound like you have had the MOST WONDERFUL time of it... You just have to let go every now and then don't you...Sounds like the perfect way to spend some of your precious time...Kirsti xoxo

Michelle said...

Was thinking about you on our birthday, wondering how outrageous you were being - now I know. Glad you had a good time Dyan and well done for being selfish. I was outrageous and selfish too, check out my blog to see what I did on our birthday.
x Michelle

Sandra Hall said...

Welcome home! Great to hear your weekend stories and see the piccies, great to hear how much you loved it! Be kind to yourself....do it more often.
Love you x x

Virginia said...

Hello you - wondered where you'd got to - was worried the rounders games on the incline had meant you were still recovering LOL! YOu look and sound as if you had a fabulous time and you so deserved a treat for your birthday - it's lovely how such 'strong women' can all come together and have a fabulous time so easily! I'm sure with the success of this one you'll do more in the future. So what have you missed whilst you've been gone? Well two new blogs and my Mum has managed to follow herself - tell me how the hell she managed to do that, in fact every time I think about it it makes me giggle - Melanie hasn't quite got the gist of it yet her blog postings are very simple and not very photography but her replies to herself on her blog are fantastic - there's the one about Jude and the pirate and the one about cream from the Doctor's and the fact my Mum was off line - all highly amusing - so there's now 3 of us mad Yorkshire women on here - now if only I can coax my brother as well that would be awesome and then I'll have a full set which would be lovely!

Anyway got to go should be making tea whilst said 9 year old is being collected from a party!

So lovely to have you back

Hugs

Virginia

YourValuedAssistant said...

Looks like a brilliant girly weekend. xx

susie f said...

Tears, many many tears while reading this....love you loads xxx

crimsoncat05 said...

what a lovely birthday, for a lovely person! good wishes to you for a wonderful year ahead. (I gotta say, I love your new store; I just wish it wasn't soooo far away from Arizona!!)

Quote of the Century


"You are an extraordinary woman.


How can you expect anything ordinary to happen to you"


Louisa May Alcott