# Every cloud has a silver lining



## flipper

Following on from your post Katherine, competing for holidays during the school holiday season has been elevated to an Olympic event by a couple of my colleagues this week.  Word went out that there was a bit of competition for the same couple of weeks off next year and I’ve had my first request  to reserve holidays for 2007 & the same two weeks for 2008.

When I replied that our policy was not to allow booking days off two years in advance (two years for gods sake!) I was lectured on how stressful and difficult it is for parents and that (you guessed it) I obviously wouldn’t understand.

In fairness I do actually feel for my colleagues and I do understand as it must be tough. 

Having said that maybe they're right, perhaps I don't understand as tonight, I’m going out for dinner and I’m not worrying about baby sitters; I didn’t have to compete with anyone for this week off (and I don’t care if it does rain all week) and I’m planning to spend the money I have saved by holidaying off peak by eating in some very nice restaurants celebrating my very happy and fulfilled marriage! 

Anyone else want to join me in a silver lining posting?!


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## Charlies-Mum

I can spend my weekends doing relaxed shopping, walking, eating,.... basically anything that I want to. 

I don't have to raise my blood pressure carding little me to ballet, swimming, taikwando, horse riding, social parties, etc. through rush hour traffic in a huge 4x4 with one tiny kid it in who needs his/her nose wiping just as the lights turn green, whilst addition to hold down a full time job by mobile phone which is giving me brain cancer and a stomach ulcer.  

I also don't have to worry about the huge pile of ironing in the spare room because i know if DH runs out he is capabile of ironing it himself (now thats one hell of blessing!) 

hummmmm..... I like this thread


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## emcee

Loving it!

I am off out to my pals house this evening, for a night of wine, beer and song. Then I shall come home and go to bed where I shall have the longest lie in tomorrow, because I won't be woken up throughout the night nor will I need to get up early in the morning to fix breakfast for someone. 

I will have a nice cup of coffee in bed, nurse a hangover if I have one, watch TV for a while followed by a long luxurious shower, slap on some clothes (all puke free and beautifully ironed, without grubby handprints) and head off somewhere nice for lunch.

Then there is tomorrow evening... and who knows where we shall go on the spur of the moment? We shall jump in the car and off we shall go  

Ahhhh.... what a wonderful life!

xxx


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## astrid

Ah Flipper
What a great post!!!
Tonight i am going to a 40th birthday party....it will be great....we are going to sit in the all night bar open to hotel guests and just socialise......then we are going to get up for breakfast and think about looking for somewhere to go for sunday dinner....
Hey this is a great way to spend a weekend....
Love Astridxxx

p.s i went to a wedding reception last night and there were lots of kids everywhere....it was like a load of little ants running around the place....and do you know what it was just great to ignore them and have a good chat and laugh with my mates...


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## ks123

I love this post, it's put a huge smile on my face! Thanks Flipper for starting it.

Let's see, last night my DH and I shared a lovely bottle of wine and a scrummy meal in front of the fire, watched the TV we wanted and enjoyed a   in front of the fire without worrying if the kids would walk in!  

Tonight we're going to dinner with a much older group of friends who won't be discussing children and we won't have to find a babysitter.

And we're off to Italy on holiday in April and we can also spend our holiday morning on eating good food and drinking good wine. 

Have a lovely weekend girls!
Katherine


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## Bangle21

Hi girls

As you'll probably know already, my last few postings over the last week or so have been real "downers" - caused by my not being able to cope with everything recently.

Today, I have returned home from a family weekend with DH, parents, DB DSIL and their beautiful 1 year old baby girl whom I just adore.  Anyway ...... I left on saturday morning still feeling really down, went away and have come back feeling stronger again and able to cope a bit better again.

I think its because 1. - I got out the house for a start!  and 2.  I'm thinking maybe spending time with her is going a small way towards "filling this void" in my life.  We came home, I dont feel as weepy, DH and I lay on the couch together, turned up the heating, put Eastenders on and enjoyed a snooze in the afternoon.  

DH has just gone to football, I have ordered a chinese and now I'm sitting with a nice big cup of tea and a big bag of chocs from the Woolworths pic & mix section!! 

I dont need to get off my fat, lazy a*se to make up packed lunches, iron school clothes or bath hyperactive children and attempt to get them to bed at a reasonable time!

so yes, maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel when we are feeling at our lowest, and yes, maybe every cloud does indeed, have a silver lining!

Thanks girls, You are all my inspiration to stay saine.
Love and hugs
Gill xo


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## astrid

Hi Girls

So glad Gill that you have had a good weekend and that you feel alot better.....ummm sitting on the settee eating a chinese sounds great!!!
Well i have just returned from my nightout and what a scream....   . We went to bed about 5am all p**sed and with large hangovers this am.....      .
All we have done all day is sit and laugh, eat and just enjoyed each others company...now for the crappy bit, it will take about a week to recover....not so young anymore.   .
love astridxx
p.s the bed at the hotel was a dream and i would have loved to have spent the day in it, but we had to check out by 11am......ummm maybe that will be the next plan....


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## irisheyes

Unfortunately Katherine i do have a 15 year old sd who can still walk in on us!!!   But on the up side we can now leave her for an hour or two in the early evening to have dinner in the local club!!! 

Also, i am going to france with mum and 2 sisters in June/July and can go alone without arranging minders for young kids as dh is perfectly capable of looking after her!!! Good cook !!

Plus she now has to clean the upstairs of the house as well as her room since she is no longer young!!!


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## lucysmith

Good one, flipper. Last night after a particularly full on day at work (speaking at a seminar in front of 30 people!) I came home, had a nice long shower, got changed, went out for a delicious curry with my funny and lovely husband, came home, went to bed early at 10pm. Today I dossed around in my pjs and dressing gown til about 11.30am, nipped down the high street and got some pics framed, went to Sainsburys (nightmare! should have saved that for a weekday evening!) and now contemplating making some dinner and going out to a local comedy club.

If you want to keep this vibe rolling, start reading "Childfree and loving it" by Nicki Defago. If we can't do anything about our situation we should embrace it and take full advantage. We're only here once!


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## Charlies-Mum

Another one to add - I'm now 3/4 of a bottle of pink fizz better off and I know that if I wake up in the morning with a stinky hangover I don't have to get up! 

    

I think I might buy myself a silver ring tomorrow to remind me that there are some good things in my life.


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## ks123

Yesterday we both went out cycling for an hour, then headed off to an hour's tutored wine tasting, followed by lunch at a lovely hotel, then another two hours of tasting over 60 different wines (I wasn't drinking all of them!). We then visited our friends for a couple of hours and then went to a five course dinner with lots more wine (this time I did drink). In all, we left home at midday and got home at midnight and we didn't have to find a babysitter, we could be as selfish as we liked and spend our money on ourselves having a great day, with lots of good food and wine.    

This morning we've been lying in bed reading and relaxing, have just got up and are now going cycling. Ah, life can be good as a childfree person.  

Love
Katherine


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## flipper

Well last night we went to the ballet in London and saw Les Ballet Trocadero de Monte Carlo (The Trocs) in all their hilarious glory.  We had a fantastic night out and got home at 2am.  (We liked it so much we're going to see their other program next week). We dragged our tired bodies out of bed at around 10, read the paper (including a really funny review of Don't Mess With Miss Beckles, a program that could have been designed to make the childfree feel very fortunate indeed) whilst topping up the pot of tea and trying to decide if we should go for a walk or try to tackle the garden before lunch. 

It's a hard life!!


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## astrid

Hi Katherine anf Flipper
Wow!!! you sound as if you both had a great weekend.....
Well my weekend was surrounded by female company and we had such as flipping good laugh!!!!                             
After having a leisurely lunch and a bottle of white wine with a few friends....i then joined a couple of other pals and we then went onto the pub and off for an indian meal....
Like the both of you i had a leisurely day on sunday and just returned home late this afternoon...great, there is nothing to complain about....
love astridxx


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## Dydie

On GMTV this morning they were talking about families making the decision not to have children (or anymore children) because they are so expensive they worked out that one child will cost £190,000.00 by the time they reach 16 yrs of age!!!!

Now being able to save that kind of money has got to be a silver lining.


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## Bangle21

Definitely Dydie  -  Holiday home abroad here we come!!!!! 

Well....... my cloud had a silver lining yesterday.

DH is working from home just now.  After spending all day bored (me) and on the internet all day, he decided at 5.10 pm, "Lets go to the pub doll!!"

.... so we did  - because - we could!!  We both got a bit tipsey, enjoyed each other's company and had a chinese on the way home! 

Lurvley!

Why don't we do it more often??  - Because WE CAN!!!

Love to all
Gill xo


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## ks123

I've just had two great days with my friend's 11 and 12 year old. I helped the boy buy a bicycle and we all went out cycling, played monopoly, ran around in the garden, told silly jokes, had lunch together and basically I just spoiled them. Then I took them back to their mum. Suddenly the house seems so quiet again. But, this evening DH and I can go to the pub for dinner and drinks without having to worry about a babysitter for them and without wondering if we can afford it because they cost so much money.


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## flipper

Last night we went out to see a studio performance of a rarely performed play, we were early so decided to stop for a glass of red on the way through in a fairly grotty spit and saw dust type pub, decided we quite liked it so went back in after the performance to have another and watch the end of the football match – not really into football but it was good fun anyway.  On the way home we thought it was about time we booked our early summer holiday so did a spot of late night surfing and got cheap flights to Seville. Now we will spend some time over Easter finding a nice hotel

….and for tonight I’ve just been to Hotel Chocolat and bought a Chocolate Dipping Adventure for 2.  Yumm.


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## ks123

Flipper, I love that you have bought one of those Hotel Chocolat dipping adventures! I've been looking at them and wondering if I should buy one. Let me know if they're as good as they look.


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## flipper

Hi Katherine

Yes they do look irristable don't they?  Worth every penny I'd say for a romatic dipping experience - and the chocolate was nice too.  

flipper


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## astrid

Hey Catherine and Flipper
Whats this chocolate dipping adventure? where do you buy one of these from?
Is it the same as a chocolate fountain, the new craze at weddings etc?Well they are just a nightmare, i couldn't stop going back for more at the last wedding i went to...and you know everyone is thinking i would love to go back for more,but i ain't as greedy as her...  . OOOps..
Glad life is treating you both ok...
I had a great evening last night with friends...had a good laugh and stayed in bed this am, just chatting to my DH....ummm thats the life...
love astridxx


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## Mairi

This might make you laugh re school holidays  - last year we went away in October and I did an email round work saying i was off for a week and my boss replyed saying why do you and Adrian go away when it's mid term and you could go any time! We hadn't even realised we'd booked to go away mid term week! Bonkers - we could have saved money and queues in the airport!! I have now asked all people in the office with kids let me know teh school holiday dates!!!

M


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## lucysmith

Hi girls!

Sorry not been around much recently. Had a fab Easter. Spent loads of Friday and Saturday in the garden doing some serious physical labour, and it looks great. Saturday night went out boozing in Croydon and Sunday cooked dinner for my bro and his gfriend. Monday went to Wisley to look at the flowers and get some inspiration for the garden, then visited two of my dh's friends in Basingstoke. Tuesday we got off work as well and I went shopping for the whole day and bought loads of clothes. Yippee - being child free is great if you can only take advantage of the things you CAN do (ie, swanning around like Lady Muck!!)and not dwell on those you can't!

Lucy
xxx


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## flipper

I'm with Lucy, I'm really getting stuck into the advantages of all this child free living - I've been out more times in the last four weeks than my friends have been out in the last twelve months and I still get to enjoy shagging on the sofa!


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## astrid

ha ha Flipper...  
you lucky thing!!! i need to make a few changes....
love astridx


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## Charlies-Mum

Hummm - I need a bigger sofa


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## ks123

Hi Ladies

DH and I went and bought ourselves a new toy today . . . a MG 2-seater convertible sports car. Yeehah! Mid-life crisis here we come...         

Love
Katherine


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## Charlies-Mum

Wow - I'ms till trying to peusaude dh to get one - he wants an estate!


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## astrid

Hey Catherine
Go for it Gal!!!!! Wow!!!!  

love astridxx
P.s    'every cloud has a silver lining'!!!


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## flipper

Katherine, I am not worthy.     Well done your team.  And the colour?


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## ks123

Flipper. . . British racing green of course.    We did really like the red one, but it was too old, so settled on the newer green one.

Debs, like your DH we actually wanted an estate/4x4 so we can pack our bicycles, luggage and us into it to go travelling across to France. Not sure where we'll put the bicycles now?!?!


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## Charlies-Mum

Get a bike rack! Thats exactly Dh's point - but we want to go away. What like we currently do? We go away maybe 3 times a year in the car - we could hire one for that for heavens sake 

Grrrrhhhh men - no logic sometimes


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## lucysmith

Here I am again - back in full flow, with plenty of silver lining! This weekend has been a blast. Went out after work on Friday night for a curry in Redhill with an old work mate and her boyfriend. Then Saturday went out to a party in Ickenham and raved til 1am, then last night went to an illegal warehouse party in Elephant and Castle. I am totally knackered now, but I am making sure I welcome in my 30s in style!!!! Also, dh and I went out to Croydon on Saturday and he bought me an amazing diamond and sapphire eternity ring for my birthday. I am still on a 'Childfree and loving it' high (either that or a manic high!!!). Hope it never ends.......

Other positives to mention:
- work going really well
- going to Ireland for a mini break on Friday
- going to Greece in June for two weeks (yippeeeeee!)
- it's nearly Summer soon and the weather forecast says 20 degrees on Weds and 25 degrees on Thurs. Time to get those legs out girls!

Lucy
xxx


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## ks123

We've just had a fantastic 5 days in Italy doing lots of walking, talking, eating and drinking. Quite a few times we looked at each other and said how lucky we were to be able to do what we were doing without having kids to deal with. 

Then when we got back yesterday we picked up our soft-top two-seater people carrier   and have been driving around with the roof down enjoying the sun and each other. 

Yes there are definitely great things about being childfree.  

Love
Katherine


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## irisheyes

Good for you girls.Is your bday Sunday Lucy? If so it is the same day as my mum's. we are taking her out for dinner on Sat nite.What part of ireland are you going to Lucy?? Have fun!!


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## Ermey

Hello

On the theme of silver -linings, We are going to Kenya on safari in June - our dream holiday!  My cousin who has a gorgeous little boy and another one due in a months time is so jealous he could spit..... nice to have the tables turned!! 

This is a brilliant thread  

E x


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## lucysmith

Went to County Clare - Ennis and surrounding area. It's a really beautiful part of Ireland. Birthday was Saturday. More silver lining for me as off to Greece in a month's time for two weeks!!! Then when we get back hopefully the English weather will be picking up and a few BBQs will be lit!

Italy sounds great, Katherine. Whereabouts were you? I've only been to the cities never to the country or coast. And Ermey - your Kenya hol will be fantastic!!! Are you going to have some time on the beach too?


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## ks123

Hi Lucy

We went to Imperia and the Cinque Terre, both on the coast. Imperia is west of Genoa and Cinque Terre is south of Genoa. The Cinque Terre are incredible . . . 5 villages perched precariously on cliff tops with a stunning walk between them. 

I agree Ermey's trip to Kenya sounds fantastic.

The other day we went to show off our new sports car to friend's who had a baby back in August last year. When we left she sent me a text message saying 'You realise you've bought my dream car?' My thoughts where, 'yes, but you had my dream baby'. Naturally I didn't say that, just offered to take her out for a drive. 

Love
Katherine


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## Ermey

Katherine, Glad you're enjoying your car, and Lucy, that you had a nice birthday. Wish I was going to greece too.. desparately need some sunshine now!

Yes, we'll be having 3 nights at Mombasa beach at the end of the trip...I can't wait! 

I know exactly what you mean katherine...we sometimes feel self-conscious about our nice holidays as our friends sometimes make comments about how thery're only going to Devon for a couple of weeks. I always feel like saying: yes but I'd gladly swap my holidays for children of my own. My cousin is so jealous, I'm so tempted next time to say to him - yes, but you have 2 beautiful children to love and hold forever. You have no idea how much I want what you've got.

But anyhow, back to the positives...we feel very lucky to be able to go! We keep watching our Davd Attenborough DVD's and gooing ooh look, a lion!!

On a funnier note, Dh had awful wind last night and was lying on his back with his legs in the air farting and looking like he was really enjoying himself! I said to him, just think you wouldn't be able to behave like that if we had kids, you'd have to be all grown-up and setting a good example!!


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## irisheyes

As well as my hols to south of france i am going to see BON JOVI next weekend in Dublin!!    .  After i booked the tickets was a bit worried how i would feel - no longer in my teens or  early twenties when i last saw them 6 times!!!!  

But i am kinda looking forward to it now. Staying with my sister in dublin and travelling down with other sister(the young one-27!!!) and meeting her friends for few drinks before concert!!!


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## flipper

We went out for lunch on Saturday, came home watched the football (not particularly keen but what a match!), had friends over for dinner on Saturday evening and bopped around our living room until 3am Sunday morning.

Woke up feeling mildly hungover (serves me right really, at my age I should know better) so decided to go for a long walk during which we started thinking about a holiday of a life time in China to celebrate my birthday later this year.


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## astrid

Hi Girls
Every cloud has a silver lining you can get on a plane and go to india....and on return lose half a stone in weight and get D&Vomiting......this is an ideal place for weight watchers....
.......thats the joys of being childfree to experience these adventures ha ha    and of course you don't have to worry about cleaning up your childrens D&V....  
love astridxx


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## flipper

As the weather today is so glorious I plan to go home, perhaps go for a 4 or so mile walk then open a bottle of chablis and sit outside reading my novel and for my money, this compares very nicely with one of my frazzled chums who is going to go home prepare dinner for three utterly thankless grumpy children having clocked up nearly 30 miles driving them from parties to activities to music lessons.


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## irisheyes

True flipper, i had my friend down for lunch on Tues with her 2.5 year old.We had some wine.i could go to sleep after and she had to go home and do it all over again!!!

I am finishing work now to go see my dad with his bday present.Then going home to sit in sun and out for tea 2nite!! have a lovely    weekend everyone!!!


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## Bangle21

...... I've just come back from a family barbie, where me and Stu could sit back and relax while little bro was running around keeping the wee one entertained and making sure she didn't set herself on fire - never got to eat his food in peace!!

As an Auntie, I could hand her back to stuff my face!!  Hee-hee (selfish cow eh)

Hope you're all having a fab weekend,
love Gill xo


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## irisheyes

As i said to Astrid in a pm- no babies means no teenagers!!!  Going thru enough with the dh's dd!!!!


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## ks123

Hello all

It's been ages since I posted as I've been out and about driving around in my little sports car with the roof down, driving past mums with prams and able to smile as I did so. Plus I've been out cycling stacks, trying desperately to get myself fit for my first challenge, which is next weekend, and entails me cycling up a rather large mountain in France and then freewheeling down the other side. My first pinnacle to conquer in our childfree journey. 

Today as DH and I went out for a 50 mile cycle around the lovely English countryside and were able to stop for a nice pub lunch before getting back on our bikes and heading home, it felt quite good to think . . . "and we didn't need to get a babysitter".    I felt even better that I managed to do the whole 50 mile cycle, even though AF arrived this morning, and it didn't affect me. Life could be better, but it's damn fine most of the time.

Love
Katherine


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## irisheyes

God, Katherine you have been away a while! Good luck for your cycle  in france! I am off to France on friday as well with my mum and sisters. Am looking forward to it but had a bit of a tiff with mum at weekend!! Guess we  will have to sort it out!


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## astrid

Hi Katherine
So lovely to hear from you!!!
Wow you are certainly making good and positive plans moving forward...
All the best for with cycling up and down mountains in France...I feel exhausted already when you mentioned a 50mile bike ride.... 
Oh i love the idea of riding around in a sports car......we are planning to move in that direction sometime next year...Yippee.............this will be us....
         


Goodluck!!!
love astridxxx


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## flipper

We've been toying with this for years and we've done it.  We've booked to spend a week in India staying at Delhi, Jaipur and Agra (to visit the Taj Mahal) staying in fantastic hotels we shouldn't really afford with a private tour guide.

And all for less than the price of another punishing round of ICSI.  Bring it on.


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## astrid

Good for it Gal!!!
Wow, Fantastic!!! and a guarantee that you will enjoy yourself.!!!!
love astridxx


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## emcee

Fantastic!   Good for you! Pics please, upon your return!

India is a place I have always wanted to go to - enjoy, you're worth it!

Love
Emcee xxx


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## lucysmith

Hey flipper,

So jealous of you off to India!! You will have the hol of a lifetime!! Well done for booking it.

I currently have no hols booked (unusual for me!!) I think I might have to make some enquiries about possibly going to Grenada next Feb for some Caribbean sun!

Lucy


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## astrid

Hi Girls
Even though i have the hugest hangover today....i can smile and say i had a brilliant weekend at the VFestival..
I had a few drinks  and more...i laughed so much, as i was with friends...the sun was shining and there was no talk of children...
I had a weekend of not hearing about babies and pregnancy...
I felt FREE and i loved it...and i can nurse a hangover and not worry about anything else...sounds good to me!!!
Love Astridxx
p.s i am off to get some paracetomol...


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## Dydie

Astrid
Glad you had a fab time hunnie
You deserve it 
Take care of that hangover








Dydie xxx


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## karen j

Hi everyone

Astrid, I know what you mean about the hangover. Went to a huge family wedding on Saturday, free drinks all night, I couldnt believe it. Danced all night and if anyone asked about children I just pretended I couldnt hear them over the music!!!!!

But the silver linning is being able to stay in bed all day on Sunday with Hubby. 

Karen j


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## astrid

here here girls

Only just got up!!!!

love astridxxx


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## karen j

Astrid

What a lie in!!!!!!!


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## astrid

hi karen
I must be getting old, i am still trying to recover..!!!! the lie in was good though!!
astridxx


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## Maggie Mae

I'm drinking wine for the fourth evening in a row, and it's not even 7pm! 

Leoarna xx


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## astrid

hi Leoarna
Lovely name...is that your real name? and where does it come from...

Ummm talking about wine....my friend and i started on the wine about 4.30 in the afternoon....and then cracked opened a bottle of wine whilst bowling....ummm you can imagine we were totally S**tfaced...And of course it gave bowling a different meaning because i hate it...

love astridxxx


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## Maggie Mae

Morning girls...

Thanks Astrid, Leoarna is my real name, you pronounce it Le-arna, and my mum made it up. She says the first three letters have nothing to do with the fact that Leo is her star sign, but I don't believe her! She was quite a hippy back then....

Awoke this morning with a huge sense of relief that I don't have to go and do my job today. Lots of other things to do, but all of them a pleasure in comparison.

I hope you all woke up not feeling too bad this morning either....

Leoarna x[br]: 5/09/06, 08:18PS, Yesterday was also my wedding anniversary from my first marriage. Seven years ago yesterday I married a man who strung me along and told lies about his wish to be a parent for five years. Eventually, after realising he had never wanted to do it, I left him. In time terms he cost me a lot, but, I wouldn't have met my darling hubby any sooner (in fact I met him through my ex) and so I have to accept what happened as it is. I've always made such sensible decisions about this parenting thing, when I guess that somewhere along the way I could've just 'made sure I got caught out'. In the end it looks like I'm going to pay a high price for this, but I can't regret the life I have with my hubby, nor the fact that I believed in my own ideal of parenting and only wanted to do it that way. I'm not saying that any other way is worse or less somehow (quite the opposite really, as my mum did a brilliant job of raising me single handed), I'm just saying I wanted to do it in the way I thought I would've done it best. Now that the chance for that is most likely over, I'm grateful that I don't regret the decisions I made too much, and for having a great man in my life.


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## emcee

Afternoon ladies, Leoarna, you have a lovely name may I say  

I can't wait to get cracking on my 3 bottles of wine I brought back from Cyprus. I'll save it till after my op I think! We bought a bottle of each - red, white and rose because I love wine so much I can never decide which one to have! LOL!

Love to all
Emcee xxx


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## Maggie Mae

Just had a very therapuetic couple of hours cleaning and re-organising my kitchen cupboards - the things I found!

Every day got through seems like real success to me at the moment; you could say that we ladies live life more 'consciously' than others, and by that I mean that we are much more aware of what we have and haven't got, and are driven to focussing in on gaining our pleasure from simple and seemingly small victories. Well today, I got pleasure from knowing that next time I cook or bake, I can find what I want that much more easily, and appreciating all the lovely things I own. 

Hope you ladies are all OK tonight......


Leoarna x


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## flipper

Last night we went out to see a play, enjoyed it very much and went to a nearby pub of a night cap.  Lots and lots of people were out enjoying the lovely warm evening so we decided to stroll around the city centre and at 12.40 this morning stopped for coffee and some supper and then drifted home.

Had to get up at a decent hour because we're off to the Proms in the Park concert tonight (our secret shame is we've both always really liked Chas & Dave)and I have to go to Marks and buy a picnic and find wine in a plastic bottle.  

To cap it all, it's a beautiful sunny day.

Life is good.


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## Maggie Mae

Flipper, that does sound good - enjoy! 

Leoarna x


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## astrid

Wow!  Flipper
You are a dark horse.....
Enjoy yourself tonight.....rabbit, rabbit, rabbit!!!
Horse and Cart....
Cor Blimey!!!

take care astridxx


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## Maggie Mae

Just had a great afternoon picking blackberries in the sunshine in fields that overlook the sea, dogs for company.......

I know I'm not alwasy going to feel this at peace / happy / content / OK, but for today, I'm grateful that I'm not hurting too much.

Leoarna xxx[br]: 9/09/06, 16:59Bit of a wobbly weekend, but tomorrow I'm going to Eden for the day with my lovely chum Dana, in my new car!!!

Leoarna xxx


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## flipper

Enjoy Eden, we went earlier this year and really enjoyed the day. Go on, spill the beans, what's the new car?  I'm tempted to acquire a Smart Roadster. Then I lie down in a darkened room and wait for the moment to pass!    Maybe one day....


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## Maggie Mae

Hey flipper, 

nothing so exciting I'm afraid, just a sensible Subaru Legacy Estate for bundling the dogs in the back - I've got a collie and a german shepherd and they need a lot of space!!!!

Eden was lovely, and had a great talk with Dana, my chum (3 m/c, no kids, moving on) - did me the world of good!!!

Love, Leoarna xxx


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## alex28

can i say one big thank you!

DH and i have been thru the mill with IF, TTC etc plus were approved for approved for adoption in June. last sat he walked out saying he needed some space to think, no moretx, poss does not want to adopt to cut a long story short.

I too have been thinking lots whilst he has been away and maybe its just not meant to be?  maybe we are not meant to have children? 

You have given me so many positive things to think about about life without kids i just need him to comprehend that in fact i need a break too and whether we continue with the adoption i dont know but what i do know is that we need some time together as a couple like we used to.

We has said he had not walked out on me, he loves me and hopes he can make our marriage work but i think i just need to make him understand that its him i want and i married knowing i could not have his kids so that should tell him how i feel?

Thanks again for perking me up a little


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## emcee

Alex, sorry to hear about the heartache you and your DH have been through.

IF does take its toll, for sure there is no way denying it. It affects every area in your life! But, as the other lovely ladies have said here, there are benefits to not having kids - one of them being long lazy lie ins after a nice bottle (or two) of wine the night before!  

Sometimes we can lose sight of being 'us' without striving for a family, because we have been so wrapped up in proceedures, appointments, results etc. These things do have a habit of taking over! Its important to remember what brought us together in the first place and the things we enjoy about each other without the stresses and strains of treatments. I sincerely hope that you and your DH get yourselves back on track with each other, and hope you feel you can stay here for a while whilst you are exploring your feelings surrounding the thought processes you are going through now.

You take care my lovely. We're here for you anytime you want to chat.
Much love,
Emcee xxx


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## Hippy

Oh Alex Hun what a lot you have been through - HUGE HUGS to you. I have followed your journey on various threads for a long time, but didn't realise your marriage has gone through a tough patch. I sooooo hope you and your DH will find a way through and that whatever path is right for you both in terms of you as a couple and also where you are at in the adoption process will show itself clearly to you both. 

Thinking of you xx

Love
Hippy
xxxxx


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