19 June 2014

Pleasures Of The Non-Shouty Kind









Honestly?

I didn't really like yesterday.

My nearly-teenaged daughter treated me in a manner not dissimilar to something you might find on the bottom of your shoe.

"I can't help it, it's my hormones!" she yelled, tossing her hair and flouncing off to her bedroom (probably to Face Time her best friend and regale her with tales of her horrid mother).

"Oh really?  Hormones?  Gosh, how strange, I don't seem to ever have had a problem with mine" I replied sarcastically, my entire body clenched with perimenopausal angst.

Too late, she's gone.

As for the two men in my life?  Well, they seem incapable of talking about anything but football and the bloody World Cup at the moment.

Supper time last night was completely commandeered by talk of who scored what and how many points so-and-so team has.  When I tried to interject about something non-football related, I was shouted at.  Half of me wanted to cry, half of me was tempted to tip the homemade spicy bean burgers and salad over their heads!

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for something that unites the world but this unrelenting hype over men who command outrageous salaries for rushing around on a field now and again and can barely string a sentence together?  Yack.  No thank you.

You know, I didn't speak to a single soul yesterday between 9am and 3pm.  I cooked, cleaned, laundered and gardened.  I love being a SAHM and, yes, it does come with its perks but, now and again, it can border on being the most thankless job known to mankind.

Meh!

Keen to tip the balance, I decided to console myself with a few pleasures of the non-shouty kind ...

1.  My garden.  It really is looking pretty at the moment.  The anchusa and cornflowers I bought as seedlings from Sarah Raven are growing like billy-o and have already provided me with several large vases full.

2.  Roses on my bedside table.  D bought me a rambler for our 'first kiss anniversary' and it's absolutely covered in blooms and buds.

3.  Beginners knitting lessons.  Yes!  I've signed up for a short course at my local yarn shop, starting in August.  So excited!

4.  New crochet patterns in the making.  Watch this space!

5.  Cheery beach huts; one of my souvenirs from Southwold.

6.  A favourite brooch.  (Bought a number of years ago from this clever lady.)

7.  A loom band bracelet made especially for me by my daughter whilst in one of her friendlier moods.

Well, the England match is on tonight so I'm planning on making myself scarce.  A long bath and some optimistic pinning to my 'If I Ever Learn To Knit' Pinterest board I think!

xxx

25 comments:

  1. Your pics are just gorgeous, Heather! Very restorative and restful. I am so sorry about your day yesterday. It's probably no consolation but I fear it goes with the territory of being a parent of teens to be on the receiving end of this sort of thing. But those who have come out the other side all assure me that it passes and everybody comes out ok so I am hoping for the best. Hard work to remember it though when one has been minced up by teenage scorn or resentment. I send you a sympathetic hug and hope you have a lovely relaxing girly evening doing just what you like and with no football anywhere in sight! E xx

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  2. Other way of handling those types of situations : go on strike ! You will not believe how fast the people around you will become conscient of the work you always do... :-)
    And I am looking forward to seeing your new crochet projects !!
    Xxx

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  3. Football? What Football? I think I have finally perfected the art of screening it all out. My husband watches TV alone these nights whilst its on (with headphones yay, the best invention!), and I'm off doing other things.
    I advise finding a quiet corner in your home, the kitchen works well for me, then some music, a good book or magazine, some crochet or sewing, a nice glass of wine, followed by a bath and early bed with a book - not a football in sight!
    The teenage girl scenario alas is not so easily screened out. We're hopefully coming out of it at 19 now but boy, its tough when both her hormones and my menopausal hormones are out at the same time! It can be very hurtful at times, I know, but it does all pass. Try not to let it get to you personally, its not you, and remember she loves you even when you're getting the "I hate you" bit.
    Big hug and hang in there Heather!
    Gill xx

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  4. So here's the silver lining Heather - you have to have the crappy days so that you really, really appreciate the good ones !
    Fortunately no football lovers at all in our house - but totally agree about the non sensical salaries they have for what is basically kicking a ball about some of the time and living the high life for the rest of the time !! Oh isn't it good to moan !
    Aaannnyyyyway ....... hope the rest of your week is sunny and bright and brilliant ! Kate xx

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  5. I think we've all had days like that! :)
    Keep smiling - if nothing else it makes the others wonder what you know!
    x

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  6. We all have days that make us want to throw our hands up, pack a bag, an find a sunny happy island. I have them all the time. I am happy to see that you have so many wonderful tokens of happiness surrounding you :-) I love the embroidery on the yarn project. I never thought to embroider with yarn on yarn! Here's hoping today was better and brighter!

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  7. Hey, you just saved me a blog post - I had pretty much the same day yesterday, with the hormonally inflicted daughter, etc, so may I please just copy and paste this? ;-} Teasing! But it seems we also find solace in the exact same way, too - those yarn colours make me instantly calmer and happier...and I'm learning to knit in September, too...I wish we lived down the road from each other so I had a survival buddy! Chrissie xxx

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  8. Oh dear, that's not something I'm looking forward to! The daughter's hormones I mean, mine's not quite there yet and I hope I had at least a few years yet before we get there, I hope. The football I do have to put up with so I'll be hiding too tonight! Love your pics and your new crochet make looks very pretty, can't wait to see more :)

    S x

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  9. PS Good luck with the knitting, I'm sure you'll be thinking nothing of using two sticks in no time! ;)

    S x

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  10. I agree with Thomasina, it will pass. Just don't say/shout anything you will regret later, even when the little darlings are kicking you in the teeth. The worst has passed for my 17yr old (fingers crossed here) and it was Tough. I knew the moment she was born that my 'leaving' hormones and her 'starting' ones would collide.
    We have an Entente Cordiale at the moment and we skirt around each other one week a month (for her). I am all done (7 yrs of h. e. double ell) bar the depression and occasional hot flush/night sweat - bleh. (oh and the face tweezing, sigh).
    Susan xx

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    Replies
    1. We are practically a football free household, despite two grown sons, Lucky me.
      x

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  11. I hope that today has been considerably less shouty for you. Your lovely things are lovely though, especially the flowers. xx

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  12. Oh god no, is there really a match tonight? They're keeping it quiet here, but I have special new library books and sewing I want to do so no guilt about being antisocial either! Bloody hormones best excuse for s****y behaviour ever. My nearly 14 year old is so much calmer now as she lays on her bed with the door shut, coming out for meals and football. My 12 year old is ok grumpy now and again, nothing could ever match the slanging matches I had with her sister. And yes I'm hormonaly strange now like you too. How exciting you'll be a knitter very soon x

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  13. Dear Heather, I really do commiserate with you; long long past any and all of this 'weird' behaviour I can sit back and doubly assure you that yes, it does indeed pass and is forgotten in the ensuing years. Do always remember that she really does love you even in the midst of the outbursts and I'm sure you've heard it said "You always hurt those closest to you!"
    The football is another story; that seems to keep coming relentlessly and isn't it strange how THEY can talk footie to their hearts content but if we were to try to monopolise conversations with craft subjects THEY seem to have the ability to zone out!!! Perhaps this is a good time to tell of extra spending you've done on craft supplies and such like - nothing will be heard and you will have the 'comeback' that "I did tell you!" haha!!!
    Your pics are absolutely gorgeous Heather, I wish you happy times learning to knit - you won't ever regret it, and I'll look forward to seeing your crochet projects. Stay sane and keep smiling - this too will pass! Love, Joy xo

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  14. I'm not a SAHM and I have days like this too, when all I do is work in my little office, and the people I see on the hallways cannot be counted as 'humans' anyway (not talking to a soul from 9 to 17 sometimes!), and.... NO GARDEN TO CONSOLE!! My boys are not old enough to really discuss football with my husband (who, thankfully, only shows a moderate interest in football over the Worldcup, and when Worldcup is over, football is forgotten), but they do shout at me sometimes. Yesterday my four year old shouted: I do NOT love you! And and... I do NOT like the color of our toenails :-) heheh he really said that :-) I guess we all have our 'off' days... but I'm looking forward to seeing your new pattern, it looks lovely!!! Greetings from Istanbul...

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  15. Oh.....I've got this to look forward too, although my 6 year old has already starting growling and sighing ( very loudly!) when asked to do anything. Love the look of your new crochet project and those Beach Huts, we went to Southwold last year for the first time, so pretty! Hope you have a better day today! Sarah xo

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  16. It seems we all get this. I was in such a bad mood last night........and sadly it seemed to be with me when I woke. School Trips, Home Economics and Mufti day planning this morning was just a little too much for me with no-one lifting a finger to help and also barking out orders for cereal, bagels and toast. When did I become a slave? A fair amount of shouting from me this morning about how I have bred the biggest bunch of lazy oafs ever, and that wi-fi gets switched off after school prompted growls back. Deary me. I have the biggest pile of laundry to iron, the house is a heap. A part of me wants to just forget about it and crochet but i'm too mad to crochet! ha ha! So ....on with the thankless chores today....sigh.......xxx

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  17. Ha that was a great post! I'm so glad my kids are on their own now. Conversations like that don't happen nearly as often. And my husband talks mostly of nascar, football and hunting so I get your pain.

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  18. I soooo get you right now!!!! Football!!! Why does it have to be so long? A whole bloody month!!! And why is it that everybody thinks a SAHM has all the time in the world and does nothing anyway????!!!!!! Anyway loved your photos and loooooooove the tattoo!!!! It's gorgeous!!!! Have a fab weekend!!!!
    Love
    AMarie

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  19. Would it be wrong to say I cheered when England went out, and neither my husband nor my children care any more for the game than I do. But the hype in general is insane.

    Raising kids ... it can be thankless at times ... but my four are pretty much grown and now tell me how much they valued that I was essentially a SAMH (I worked very flexible hours mostly from home so it didn't impact on them, in fact the boys were home schooled and barely registered that I also worked I've discovered) ... they do notice what you do, and they will remember, they just need to mature a little to appreciate it properly.

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  20. Oh what a day... I have a nearly three year old who is testing my patience this week. The wee man declared this morning that 'he was not made to tidy up big messes and he was getting sore legs taking allllll his toys to the bedroom' yet, there was no problem taking the contents of toy'r'us through to the living room... I do hope there is less football talk and shouting for you. But... That beach hut hanging thing! That is gorgeous! xx

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  21. It looks like you find exactly the right things to regroup and center yourself. Beautiful photos - love what you've shared!

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  22. I agree with Ingrid, strike!! I hope that I wasn't too stropy a teenager but I suspect I probably was and I've chosen to forget. What you need is some "me-time". Not sure how it fits in with your plans but a day out seems in order to me!

    I think I found the rare egg in my partner, he's completely non-interested in football. I do get a lot of it at work and sometimes I ignore it, but other times I try to get involved and I do find it irritates me less :-)

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  23. Hellooo :) Happy to have found you via the blog hop on the blog hop from Cherry Heart. I look forward to a good nose around your lovely blog xx

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