This blogging is coming easy these days! Life is currently full of rollercoaster adventures and conversations through which is see the opportunity to write.

For this one it started with a conversation I had with my mother during a recent few days of ill-health… when she was trying to cheer me up (really debatable) like only a mother can!!

Part of the conversation was about the sound effects of bowel movements when unwell but I won’t go into that conversation here, nor anywhere else….. although it did make me laugh!

WHAT IS A RIPE WOMAN IN A GAME OF SCRABBLE?

So the other night, lying on the couch at home reading a book I got a very welcome phone call from my mum. The one person that you always want to talk to when sick, the one you know will make you feel better by just her voice and words.

Well….. Hmmm

This one call was a bit different as I think she seemed to struggle (it must have been a struggle??) with what words of encouragement to give. So as I told her about feeling like I was dying (possibly slight exaggeration) she said something like this;

“Don’t worry, you will be back to yourself soon! (So far so good) Because you are a very ripe woman……”

Now what is that supposed to mean I had to ask? Ripe…. Ripe… No matter how many times I say it I can’t figure out what encouragement that would give me. Ripe….

So she of course went on to try her best to tell me I was a very attractive, ripe woman, which as you can imagine made me jump off the couch. I didn’t jump because I suddenly felt better, I jumped to run to the bathroom to count the wrinkles.

So later that evening I was sharing this story with my near 17 year old!! She started to giggle as she explained the modern terminology for what my mother had just called me.

If we were playing a game of scrabble you would be given the following letters;

I might have had to Google the meaning of this word (FYI not proving anything about my ripeness) and Google told me this;

A sexually attractive older woman, typically one that has children…..

They are lucky I have a sense of humour!!!

#TEARS TO WONDER

Last night I took some time out to movie watching, which rarely happens, as I cannot sit still!!! The pick of the night was the movie Wonder with Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Izabela Vidovic and the very talented Jacob Tremblay.

I think I cried from start to finish…. What a truly beautiful story about the struggles to fit in just because we look different than others and equally portraying the difficulties for those that love us unconditionally.

In the movie there was a scene between Auggie (the lead character) and his mum (Julia) where Auggie was really sad and angry because he saw himself as ugly, or more because others sees him as ugly. The rescue words, true to a movie, where that our faces holds the map to the journeys we travelled. Wrinkles each occur because of what we go through on that journey (good and bad) as well as scars because of battles we have had (good or bad). This to me was a wonderful sentiment to why our faces are the way they are. They represent our journey – so far  – and no matter what, that is beauty.

There was however one line at the very end of the movie stuck with me;

“We all deserve a standing ovation, at least once in our lives”.

Hear, hear!

NATURISTIC

I can’t believe that is a word!!! Just said I would chance typing it in and no red lines appeared. Learning is never ending.

To finish this blog I want to re-mention the impact that nature has on managing my me.

When the world starts spinning to fast my favourite go to place is nature….. it has an amazing amount to offer and when it comes to Ireland, possibly more than many other places. Especially when you live in a rural, a very rural, part of the country.

When not feeling well during the week I made my way out into the fields and hills near my home. The sun was shining in my face, the wind blowing through my hair and my feet were getting uncomfortably wet in the long grass. But the sound of my feet walking to the grass made up for it.

I was able to pick and eat a few blackberry’s whilst watching the clouds float by. I got to spend some quality time with me….. in a real rescue environment.

This is where ripe makes a bit more sense….. When you can stop and smile at the sea, the grass in a field and just lie on the grass and look straight up at an amazingly star filled sky. (sober).

By the way that word (naturistic) would give you a scrabble score of 12!!!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!!!