I was thinking the other day how much things have changed.
Then I got to thinking how much I had changed. Life sends us on paths we least expect and unless we rigidly stick to fixed opinions and timetables we can meander down these paths and cherry pick that which we most would like to do.
Sat chatting about this to a friend she asked me what had changed the most during the course of my life and one by one these things came to mind.
Stay at home Mum to Shop Manager
I volunteered at Oxfam on a Saturday morning when my husband could mind the boys, just to get me out of the house a bit and to meet new people, within six months I was the paid Shop Manager working 30 hours a week. This was my career path for 20 years, moving from charity to charity.
Married with kids to divorcee with one teenager at home.
It had to happen there was no way forward.
Cat lover with 4 cats to animal lover in general with 3 dogs and 1 cat.
Shop Owner to Small holder/Self Sufficiency Wannabe
Girl who ate bacon buns for breakfast and bought a pre cooked chicken breast to zap in the microwave every night for tea on the way home from work to vegetarian (occasionally venturing into Pescatarian territory).
Following on from that one ... girl who lived for two years on ready meals and sandwiches (I left my first marriage with only my clothes, books, cats and son so we didn't have a cooker) to one who cooks from scratch with veggies from the garden.
Girl with a back concreted yard to one with 5 acres.
And I realised this morning how much my food tastes had changed in the last few years, when I decided to make myself some Oatbran Porridge for breakfast. I haven't had it for ages and yet when I did the Dukan Diet I ate it every single day for a year and loved it. This morning it made me feel totally yucky and very ill afterwards, me and milk no longer get on AT ALL. I have drunk my last Latte and ate my last milky porridge.
I could go on and on and on and bore you all senseless but you get the picture. Life threw me curveballs and I just went with them, even my food and drink tastes have changed dramatically. I mean I'm even sat here drinking black, unsweetened coffee when I used to be a white with two sweeteners girl.
So much has changed, most of it for the best and I just rolled with the changes. I think you have to don't you to keep yourself sane. I know now I am more self reliant than ever before, I have little or no regard for material possessions. I could watch my house burn down and not shed a tear as long as those I love, both human and animal were safe with me. Starting again would not phase me in the slightest.
I know what's important in life ... family, friends, health and happiness, a bit of financial security helps to but is not the be all and end all. We are so lucky in this country with what we have, mostly a roof over our heads, food in our tummies and people that love us. There are so many that have none of that, and we that do have the ability to be able to help those that do not.
Gosh so much whizzing around my head today not the usual sort of post at all ....
... oh and by the way Karon's Pickled Radish recipe worked very well.
The remains of the pickled radish are sitting very prettily in the fridge with the vinegar now a beautiful shade of pink.
What has been the biggest change in your life, or maybe it was a small change that made the biggest difference ?
Sue xx
