Just Gilly

  Today is my 22nd wedding anniversary. Haven't we done well? And don't I look young? (Husband has been deliberately omitted from the picture - at his request - he is doing his best to never have an online footprint).  I'm going to compare marriage with breast feeding (bear with me). You think, before it happens, that because it's natural and normal that it'll be easy. But after the initial delight, celebrations and shock it takes some skill. A few initial issues can be over come - latching on etc. Worry that you're doing it right and baby is getting enough milk might linger, but you soon get into a pattern. After a few years (marriage! Not breast feeding - think years married ratio to months feeding) you might get a bit tired and touchy. But you ride it through. Although sometimes you're unlucky enough to be proper bitten! And that's your cue to stop. My first marriage bit me!  It's a coincidence he's my husband. It's just right place at the...

It's so nice working in the office after weeks of home working. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of pros to working at home - a short commute (just a roll down the stairs), relaxed dress code (PJs), staying in bed until the last minute (no one to smell my arm pits), right next to the kitchen for easy coffee breaks (Irish coffee breaks) and best of all not having to wear a mask! Dare we believe that covid restrictions are slowly coming to an end? In Scotland we can now have 6 people from 6 households meeting outside. Shame I don't have 5 friends then (kidding, I have lots of friends, at least 7). It's so strange how quickly I've got used to the restrictions. It's been a year now (who would have guessed) and this now feels like the norm. Wearing a mask everywhere (I secretly like this as it means I don't need to wear my false tooth lol). Keeping 2m distance from people (we humans naturally have a virtual space around us, who wants to touch strangers anyway),...

  Well spring has definitely sprung! The daffodils are in full bloom, the clocks have jumped forward, there are cute, bouncy baby sheep in the fields (no, not lambs. Lambs are meat, we eat lamb, we do NOT eat baby sheep!) and we've had snow, of course! Which has killed the daffodils and made the baby sheep very cold! I shall tell you what I've been thinking about this week... Underwear! I used to love it. Lacy bras with matching knickers. Lots of colours and tiny embroidery, silky and pretty and sexy (yes, I can say that). It was a joy. Even when no one saw it, I did. I would go to work in the city centre and I'd always be wearing lovely underwear. Tiny knickers, thongs, g-strings, French knickers. I started my first job at Williams & Glyn's Bank as a full time clerk in 1985 aged 16. My first wage was about £300 (that must be at least £1000 today). And I bought a pale pink pure silk teddy (do we even have 'teddies' any more?). It was £50. And I adored it. £5...

  So I did it. Very chuffed. 31 days without chocolate, biscuits and cake. I must be honest and tell you that I thought about cheating on more than one occasion. Just a little nibble? No one would be any the wiser. No one would ever know. What harm would it do? But I didn't - not once. It became more of a personal thing. My own pride. I'd just be cheating myself. I know that's a cliché but it is true. And look at my stash (see pic). This was in my house and what I was fighting. I was asked what I would have first. A difficult question to answer. I wanted it all! But what would come first? Probably the Cadbury's chocolate orange buttons. I was very excited, but then I got nervous. What if I decided chocolate wasn't all that? What if I'd gone off it? But that was daft, I adore chocolate, it's simply impossible that I'd not like it.... So something weird happened. I got up yesterday morning, and I didn't eat chocolate. I had no real desire for it. I jus...