Tag: Prose

It wasn’t a hobby to begin with

Share a hobby you’ve picked up recently — what got you into it?

I’ve written about this in another post but here’s an update.

Almost three years ago my children were using a language learning app, but the free version of the app only allowed so many mistakes in a day, which meant they were running out of ‘lives’ regularly. So, I bought the family version for the year.

Knowing how kids are with such things, I decided that, rather than waste the money, I would do something that I’d always wanted, and it would be just for me, to treat myself. I would learn Italian.

Early on in my journey a friend suggested that since I already spoke English and Welsh, maybe I have a flair for languages, which intrigued me.

I finished the Italian course and moved on to Spanish, then French. And now, almost three years later, I’m on Brazilian Portuguese. And it’s become a hobby.

Whether I’ll ever use these languages remains to be seen. I’m keeping them fresh by reading and watching videos in those languages. But for me, it’s a hobby, and it’s just for me.

Ten Ways to Tell that You’ve Had a Successful Summer Recess

Pen y Fan

You know you’ve had a successful summer recess when:

1. You spent less time in the emergency room this year than last year
2. Your house looks like Genghis Khan rode through
3. You have bright, shiny new graffiti on your walls
4. Your laundry is threatening to break out of the laundry room
5. You still can’t find where that smell is coming from
6. Your cupboards are bare
7. Your neighbours are still talking to you
8. You managed to put together an acceptable school uniform
9. You opened your last jar of coffee on the day they went back to school
10. And despite all that, all you can think about is going back to bed to catch up on some sleep!

Congratulations. You’re a survivor.

Real beauty isn’t skin deep

If you had to get a tattoo right now, what would it be and why?

If you had to get a tattoo, then you probably wouldn’t have a choice as to what it was.

But assuming that a choice was offered, I would choose to decline. I’ve never understood the desire for tattoos. They simply don’t make sense to me. Tattoos are just one more proof that real beauty isn’t skin deep.

Beauty is about what we are on the inside, the type of person we are, how we treat others, the quality of our character. Those qualities take inner work. They can’t be painted on, neither by cosmetics nor by ink.

Best cup of tea ever

How did you meet your significant other?

At the end of the buffet table my friend was serving hot drinks. As I reached the drinks station my friend looked at her, pointed to me, and said, “This is my old friend.” Then she looked at me, pointed to her, and said, “This is my new friend.” And the rest is history.

We married two years later and were together until she passed away 8 years ago, after almost 43 happy years.

I still miss her every day.

That’s what I call significant.