TIME TO RELAX WITH FRIENDS

Today was the day I told myself I would relax and perhaps even have a lie-in - that is until I woke just after 5 a.m. and couldn’t get back to sleep!  I suppose I could have got up and done some housework, but decided I would rather carry on with my knitting, which was what I did, until it was time to go out and meet two friends for coffee.

Margaret, the lady on the left in the top left shot in my collage was our bridesmaid 51 years ago, and we have kept in touch over the years and meet three or four times a year.  Her sister, Lin, lives in Northamptonshire and as she was visiting, Margaret thought it would be a good idea for us to meet for coffee - and of course, I was up for that.  When we reckoned up, it was 23 years since I had last seen Lin, but we were all chatting as if we had seen each other only last week!  

I hadn’t been to Muffin Break, where we met, for sometime, and had forgotten that they have smiley faces at the bottom of their coffee cups, which made us all smile, especially as I tried to balance the cup!  After much chat and catching up, as we were taking our leave of each other, Margaret mentioned that we had known one another for 54 years!!  I told her that wasn’t possible as I was only 54 - whereupon another friend, Wendy, who just happened to be passing, said, “That’s a lie - you’re only 50!”  Don’t you love friends like that?  So then I walked a little way with Wendy and we said we needed to meet for a catch-up coffee sometime.  We both agreed we don't know where the time goes and are certainly never bored.

On my way to the Bank, I met these two lovely fellas, busking in the town centre - and the cheeky chappie at the top right gave me a wave and a smile especially when I put some money in their hat!  

I meant to take a photograph of my friend, Debbie, whom I met for lunch, but we were chatting so much, I forgot, but she was smiling quite a lot, so the smiley face can represent her.  Debbie was telling me that she has been doing some mindfulness training in a solicitors’ office where she works and it was very interesting to hear about that.  

It’s good to be in touch with people regularly through texts and email messages, but nothing beats meeting up for coffee and a good old chin-wag and I have to say that NO cake was consumed today!

All in all a lovely day, although the weather has been rather disappointing - it’s quite grey and cold now, and we have even had some rain, but we are thankful that we have a warm house.  At the end of Mental Health Awareness Week, I can see how dull and miserable weather might affect those living alone, so I hope we get some sunshine to lift all our spirits for the weekend.  

“A cup of coffee shared 
     with a friend is happiness tasted
          and time well spent.”
Anon


P.S.  Thank you for all your kind comments and stars about Bobby Charlton's football boot yesterday, which were much appreciated.