T is for ...

I love a meme and this one is from Marmite & Tea. If you want to do it you need to leave a comment for me saying so, and then I give you a letter. Marmite & Tea has given me the letter T and the meme is my list of ten things I love beginning with T.

So, in no particular order…

T is for Tea: PG Tips is my favourite but I’ve had phases for Yorkshire Tea as well. Although I love a good strong builder’s tea, I can be quite classy too, partaking of green tea (oolong is my favourite) when the mood takes me.

T is for Thailand: I am part way through my fourth year here and I never thought I’d have the chance to live as an expat in another country. It was my first time in Asia and is my first experience living in a city. I think it is the most exciting thing ever to happen to me.

T is for TBR pile: I couldn’t live without books and my To Be Read pile needs to be well supplied. I always have a book on the go…

T is for Tootsie: I LOVE the film Tootsie with Dustin Hoffman who auditions as ‘Dorothy’ to get a part in a soap opera to prove to his agent he is employable. I can’t begin to guess how many times I’ve seen the film. I was going to try and tell you my favourite scenes, but there are just too many.

T is for Two children: I have two hands and two knees and when I got one of each gender, I thought it was perfect.

T is for Typography: I needed to take a year off between school and university because I didn’t know what subject I wanted to do. My Dad had a colleague who suggested a secretarial course that one of her nieces had done and I am eternally grateful to my Dad for sending me. I love being able to type. I love that I am fast and accurate and I don’t have to think what I am doing.

T is for Teetotal I wish: I do like a drink but the older I get the more ill I become. I stopped drinking red wine at University because I’d get a migraine before the first glass was finished. Now it’s any alcohol. Sometimes I’m stupid and over-indulge anyway, claiming I don’t care, but I do and it makes me so ill for so many days, I no longer think it’s worth it.

T is for Too much worrying: ‘Nuff said, really. I wish I didn’t.

T is for Trees in autumn: It’s my favourite season and I really miss the colours and weather in England.

T is for The Beast: which is the nickname of Husband.

Operation Cheer Up: in conclusion

I woke up feeling much less melancholy on Sunday. I’m still a bit disappointed, but hey, it doesn’t stop me writing does it?

Operation Cheer Up concluded with some self diagnosis:

• That I require a Sunday roast … so we went off to our local, The Londoner.
• That I need to watch Tootsie again. In the event, it was the thought of watching it that helped with the therapy.
• That this should be accompanied by chocolate. Okay, this one was more than just thought about. This one was literally executed!
• Following lunch I went with Husband for a foot massage at a place along our road. I had an hour’s foot massage, quite the best, most blissful one I’ve ever had, for the grand total of 100 Thai Baht/£1.60/$2.90 (plus tip.)

So I think that's it now: wallowing over. Thank you for your kind words and virtual hugs. They were very much appreciated.

We are a democratic family ... mostly

There are many defining moments in being a parent.

Last night I had a defining moment that gave me great joy. We decided to watch a movie as a family, and sent the children off to compile a short list.

We parents came in as the short list was being assembled, and we added a few that we thought the children might now be ready for. (They are 11 and 13).

The long shortlist was read out and everyone called out a ‘no’ to those they really didn’t want to see. We were left with four film titles:

• Rainman (only seen once, but loved it)
• Tootsie (seen approximately 48 times – still not enough)
• The Truman Show (seen 3 times, never stayed awake to the end)
• Johnny English (oh dear, once really was enough)

Daughter gave us each two pieces of paper to write our first and second choices on which she collected up and called out the results.

Tootsie and The Truman Show came in tied first place (Sorry, Husband, I confess to tactical voting by avoiding Rainman – didn’t want to split the vote!)

We voted again. (Complicated first and second placings in previous round meant that it wasn’t a foregone conclusion that it would be two votes each.)

It was two votes each.

Son pulled a title out of a hat: Tootsie won.

Tootsie is my tippity top all time favourite film.

Maybe it was a bit early for Daughter at 11. She enjoyed it but didn’t get it all.

But Son, he laughed. He loved it. He loved my favourite film. It gave me great pleasure to share it with him. I can't wait to show him The Shawshank Redemption.