Challenge 49 - DO A SOLSTICE AT STONEHENGE

WOW!   AND WOW AGAIN!

This one took me completely by surprise.  Was expecting it be a box-ticking challenge, and actually had a slightly spiritual experience.  I have always thought I was just a plain old common-or-garden atheist, but am now detecting an undercurrent of humanism, with a hint of paganism, and maybe even a dusting of druid-ism.  I am therefore much more exciting than I thought I was! Or rather than I was yesterday.

Everything fell into place - my 3 children got up willingly at 4.45 am, the weather was 'balmy' and dry, the car-park had one last space left with our name on it, and the sun even popped its head out of a cloudy sky to rise majestically and cast its light through the narrow gap in the stones. To top it all my gorgeous friend, Jane, arrived from London abandoning her car on a verge and scaling some barbed wire to be with us.  I do love you Jane!

It was a true celebration of life - in all its most weird and wonderful forms, but all smiling and happy.  It had all the optimistic revelry of New Year's Eve, but without the hangover of disappointment and anti-climax that often accompanies it.  Life may not get better, but the days are definitely going to get longer - so let's celebrate.

The stones were the true star of the show.  To stand within the inner circle, leaning against these iconic giants, watching the sun rise was a privilege.  As humans they make us feel small by towering over us, yet as humans they make us feel tall by reminding us of what we can achieve using our amazing brains, bodies and spirit.

I know where I'll be this time next year, complete with mistletoe, bells, antlers, stick and some velveteen curtains.  Care to join me?

Challenge 48 - STAR IN A PANTO

I do not do drama, or role play, or performing, or even pretending to eat a non-existent cake for the 127th time off a plastic plate in a plastic cafe run by 5 year olds.  An occupational hazard, but one I avoid at all costs, usually by hiding in the cupboard.

Sadly on Tuesday, and thanks to all my colleagues' evil and vindictive disposition, the cupboard was locked and I was forced into a Jolly Postman costume, and thrust onto 'stage' in front of the whole school to play the lead role in our annual festive AD-LIB panto.  There were no lines to learn, no stage directions to rehearse, no characters to absorb - just fear to conquer, embarrassment to overcome, ordeals to dread, 250 children to entertain, my dignity to preserve and my knees to stop knocking.

And I was SO right to be fearful.  I had to drink magic potions with the Wicked Witch, eat uncooked porridge with the Three Bears, be chased by the Big Bad Wolf, dance the Macarena with the Ugly Sisters, perform an Irish jig on my own and stand on a table singing "I believe I can fly" - twice!

By the end, I did believe I could fly, I did believe I could touch the sky - I had risen to the challenge, and unexpectedly quite enjoyed it.  The smell of the grease-paint had tickled my nostrils, the roar of applause had echoed in my ears, the stage lights had dazzled my eyes.

Broadway here I come......dahling!  I think about it every night and day, I spread my wings and fly away.....

Thanks to everyone for pushing me very forcefully out of my comfort zone in the cupboard.

Challenge 47 - INVENT A COCKTAIL

This challenge had an element of danger - locking me in a room with 30 bottles of weird and wonderful spirits and liqueurs, and instructing me not to emerge until I had invented a super-cocktail with extra zing and oomph!  I was gone some time, but eventually emerged with not just one elixir of loveliness, but three.  And I was still upright.  Though a little cross-eyed.  And giggling.  A lot.

I am not precious with my talents - I will share the fruits of my tipples for all to enjoy:

Hot Flush:
1 shot blackberry brandy
1 shot vodka
1 shot ginger wine
1 dessertspoon chilli syrup


Menopausal Madness:
1 shot grand marnier
1 shot tequila
1/2 shot grenadine
1 shot orange juice

Fab-at-Fifty Festive Fandango:
1 shot brandy
1 shot vermouth
1 shot cranberry juice
1/2 shot spice syrup.


Get out the charity shop cocktail dresses, slip on your dancing shoes, get mixing, shaking and stirring... and let the party begin.......










.......and end, many hours later, when I eventually fall into bed full of festive fandango, oozing menopausal madness and experiencing a serious hot flush.

I awake next morning, feeling both shaken and stirred, and hoping that the cocktail fairies might have arrived during the night to restore my kitchen to its pre-cocktail order, and my head to its pre-cocktail happy place.  

Alas - both the cocktail fairies and James Bond have left the building!  Kitchen remains hungover, and head is in a sticky mess.

But I still love cocktails!