Spandex pants

Sometimes you need to make changes. Sometimes changes are made for you. Either way it's not always easy to readjust. I think it's time for me to pull out my spandex pants and get ready to transform into whatever new shapes life throws my way.

The greatest adventure is what lies ahead

Today and tomorrow are yet to be said

The chances, the changes, are all yours to make

The mold of your life is in your hands to break.

Glen Yarborough

I've had a lovely weekend spending time in the sunshine, chatting with friends and watching children (mine plus a few) splashing in the paddling pool. Real suncream, floppy hat and iced squash weather.

I made a very belated birthday cake for a good friend. Chocolate and beetroot cake. I like to think the beetroot cancels out the lashings of creamy icing!

With a little help Hermione made some chocolate rosebud lollipops for her and friends to enjoy at the end of an Enid Blyton inspired treasure hunt. A friend wrote a personalised mystery story about some missing jewels. Even our furry and feathered friends featured by name. Eventually the missing jewels were found in the broccoli bed!

The blush coloured broom is in bloom and is ever so pretty. We've a large clump of stocks in bloom too and their scent lured me to the border and kept me weed pulling till I lost the light at 10.20pm on Friday evening.

Despite having a wonderful weekend a couple of things are weighing heavy on my mind.

I'm worried that Hermione is being seduced by popular culture and that it is possibly having a negative impact upon her. There is so much media pressure out there to be slim, beautiful and generally gifted. Don't get me wrong, there's not a *big* issue going on here - just small things which most may feel aren't even significant - but I find them significant and want to keep an eye out. What's a parent to do? How do you protect a child from undesirable messages? How do you counter balance them with positive messages? Is it always possible?

Remember last July when our business burnt down and our insurers wouldn't pay up? Well, almost a year on things are starting to hot up (pardon the pun). The wheels of justice do grind very slowly but I suspect we may see some sort of development soon and whilst that is good it also brings lots of emotions and stresses to the surface.

One of the positive spin offs of the fire was that Craig had to look to find new ways to work and generally re assess his way of thinking. He's now working hand in hand with two local charities in a way which is mutually beneficial. That may extend to more charities in the future. He's also been involved in talks with DEFRA and Oxfam about the undesirability of disposable clothing. I'm proud of him - not only the way in which he is working hard to support his family and pull us out of a very sticky situation, but also how he is doing it in a way which brings about wider benefits. The downside of course is long hours and work stress - all of which can take their toll.

I also feel I need to be doing more with Miles. He very often just tags along with whatever Hermione is doing, but I think more and more so that I need to accommodate his own individual preferences and choices. Where do you order those twenty five hour days online?

Well, what will be will be and I'm not going to stress. Well, what will be will be and I'll try not to stress. I'll take lessons from the young and aim to keep my feet firmly planted...

...fly high...

...and retain a sense of wonder and fun.