LIFE CHEZ DEE

Oh what a year it has been. Some people have found it annoying, disappointing, disturbing, others have found positivity in the slow of pace, and the time and space they have. For some though, 2020 has seen them in desperate times. Loneliness, hunger, money troubles, redundancies, business closures, lack of education, lack of access to NHS services and treatment, feeling distant from friends and family, fear, anxiety, depression, grief are what many have experienced. These are

And so tonight was the fifth and final session in the advent series of discussions I’ve been a part of, with tonight’s topic being on “Ways and Means”. Tonight we thought about the innkeeper, who offers hospitality to Mary and Joseph, and we think about how much we ourselves want to offer hospitality and have purpose. We think about then, how the innkeeper must have felt about having no rooms available to offer, but wanting to help and offering what he could; and today how we

This week was the third one in the advent course I was attending. This week’s focus was on the theme “Travelling Light”, looking at the journey of the wise men, and again looking at the nativity story and how we can relate to this today. I had an hour or so before the zoom call started and so managed to squeeze in a walk, albeit only a brief 3 miles, with Justin. We walk, pretty much every day together, for exercise, fresh air, headspace and for time alone together. I thought

Last night I zoomed in remotely again for the second part of the advent course I’d signed up to. The title for this week was “Unsung Heroes”. On the screen, familiar faces appeared before me, and more new faces too , so even more people to connect with and get to know. Getting our additional materials ready this week saw me thinking outside the box again. Those who read my last piece will be more than aware of the obstacles I’ve faced in providing nativity characters with man

I’ve been a little quiet publicly lately, for a variety of reasons, and it’s been a while since I sat to write a blog. I have of course still been writing, albeit not publicly, it’s something I don’t really ever stop doing. For me, writing and thinking go hand in hand, thoughts channelled and poured out onto paper, my mind emptied of things which don’t need to be in there anymore, leaving room and space for clarity. I know there is a notion that when someone is quiet, that th

Cycling ... such a wonderful pastime, appealing to all manner of folk being one of those things accessible to so many to partake in. Young, old, male, female, fit or unfit, the fanatical or the practical, there’s a bike for everyone; mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrids, racing bikes, even electric bikes and folding bikes. There are adaptations to help if necessary, with stabilisers for the little ones, and of course strap on seat, or tag along bike for the very young too; ext

Those of you who follow my page may recall quite some time ago, I wrote a piece about *Edward and Raphael. Raphael’s bench is behind Edward’s bench, both of which sit underneath the magnificent oak tree in the cemetery. Today we went to the cemetery to visit Edward again. It was nice to be able to drive in, it has been so long since we’ve been able to do this as the gates have been closed to cars (unless attending a funeral) since lockdown. Although it is only a short walk up

Most of us are living a period of time where we have been given time to slow down the pace of our lives, notice, observe, reflect; admittedly this has been an enforced time, but time it is. We’re in unprecedented times, people struggling financially, people who are vulnerable or elderly struggling at home, many of us taking on new roles as volunteers, teachers, childminders, carers. We take time to reflect on our own lives, how much we now appreciate, how much we miss, and in

For many, home schooling our children began at the end of March this year. Suddenly, our workspaces, and working hours needed to be split between what we needed to do, and giving our children the education they needed and deserved. Initially, it was thought that the time at home would only be two weeks, with a return after the Easter holidays, but it soon became apparent that the need for children to stay at home would be much longer. I know some parents used those initial we

On Sunday 3rd May, it’s my birthday. It’s a milestone birthday; a big one; the day I turn 50; my half century; the big Five O. I used to think it sounded old … but now it’s my turn, and I’m not so sure. Fifty years ago I was born; 3rd May 1970, which also was a Sunday … a 70s child; and a child born on the Sabbath, which according to the rhyme, means I’m bonnie, blithe, good and gay. I have now lived 18,263 days and today sees me officially a quinquagenarian. God that sounds

We’ve been in lockdown for several weeks now; and I have to say if I had to sum things up, and encapsulate all my thoughts into just one sentence, then I’d have to conclude that (so far) for me it has been a really good time for us as a family. Together at times, or sometimes doing our own thing; positive, imaginative and inspirational; productive and busy, yet relaxed, calm and slow; noisy with a house full of people, and yet quiet times for reflection; insightful, enlighten

It's been a strange few weeks, and Easter is no exception. No build up to the school holidays as Oliver has been schooled at home; holidays too have been cancelled or postponed; no jetting off somewhere, or packing of bags as we load up the car for a long motorway journey to our holiday cottage; no day trips planned for walks, museums, city visits, or visits to National Trust houses and gardens that we love so much. Visits to all these beautiful places put on hold, added to

It’s been a while since I sat to write some of my thoughts, I’ve had so many of them lately, good, bad, happy, sad; I’ve felt anxious, afraid, stressed, proud, unnerved and yet content; so many thoughts and emotions whizzing round in my head … everywhere I turn, a constant reminder of the sheer enormity of the crisis faced by so many locally, nationally, globally. Coronavirus is so contagious, spreading rapidly to thousands of people, and into the minds of thousands more. Lif

As you all know I don’t really plan the subjects of my blogs … I write when I feel the need to write … when there’s a lot going on in my head, in my thoughts, worries, anecdotes, experiences. I would never in a month of Sundays have guessed that I would be writing about our evening in Fleetwood, but it just so happens that as the evening unfolded I just found myself with more and more to write about. The reason we were heading to Fleetwood, as I’m not sure I’d be heading ther

I took a day to myself today. It’s not often I take a day off from all my charity work; I’m either answering emails, making phone calls, visiting businesses, groups, organisations, banking, admin or planning. But with the exception of one little errand, and a couple of answered messages, I’ve had the day to myself. Nothing planned. Nothing particularly achieved. But a day of nothingness ish. I’m worn out lately. I’m tired and I’m a bit stressed, and William has definitely pus

I wrote a little piece about Edward for @MyBump2Baby in response to Carla's appeal for real stories. Please read, RT or share and give me a follow. More of my blogs on #life #love and #loss .. and much more ... can be found on http://elizabethdee.me https://www.mybump2baby.com/child-loss-and-grief-by-elizabeth-dee/ Losing a child is different to any other loss. My child died, and on every possible imaginable level, that is wrong. The death of a child is not something anyo

It’s been rather a cultured weekend of arts and music. When I use the term cultured here I simply refer to how I interpret the use of this phrase. If someone were to be described as cultured I’d immediately assume a knowledgeable and learned person, of good taste and having a love of arts and music. I’m well aware that there is far more to the meaning of cultured but when I write I’m assuming that this is the way it will be interpreted, but as I lecture the boys in how they s

Happy Hump Day! I keep seeing this EVERYWHERE. In shops, cafes and certainly all over social media. I have to say, and here I go again with my naivety, I was a little shocked … a little wide eyed that this term was being used. I actually thought it was something a little risqué, someone was planning a bit of “How’s your father” that evening, or maybe they’d been up to a bit of something … a bit more than canoodling the night before. I saw it again today … people using this ex

Those who are already reading my blogs and following me on social media, will already be aware that one of my kittens has been through the mill a bit recently. I first discovered Pablo had hurt himself when I’d let both of them play in the garden outside. Claude had only just decided he liked going in the garden .. in fact they’d both only been going in the garden for a couple of weeks, and then only for a few minutes at a time. I’d been supervising … well not supervising as