I wish I was...

Good grief, I think my body has gone into emergency hibernation mode and so today I set about trying to comfort myself with copious cups of tea, my new red hat (so happy to be wearing a hat again although Grandma will be scowling down at me) and giant slices of Jamaica cake. That stuff is sooo good but not as sticky as I remember it. Have they changed the recipe for every great thing these days? I swear Cadbury's Creme Eggs are smaller as well... or it could just be that I have become fatter?

Well anyway, as you can imagine, being back in the homelands means a lot of self-discovery and trips down memory lane to help settle in again. My dad's house is a great place for this. The man has the entire back catalogue of photos all the way up to our great grandparents. I discovered fascinating folders of when my Dodo (Grandfather) was a prisoner of war in Libya and other memories that have been waiting patiently to be joyously rediscovered. They weren't sore about it, they just looked up at me with glee and did a little dance in my hands as they came to life, waltzing and whipping their tales up into a frenzy.

Seeing pictures of myself as a little girl reminded me how much I used to love getting dressed. My mother, grandmother and I would head off on shopping adventures and they were very generous with me. My grandmother would chase me around with a hairbrush until my mane gleamed!

These days, I am rather tight with myself and don't spend half as much time as I used to getting ready... I also keep my hair short because it's easier and generally have a bit of a 'chuck it on' attitude.

I'm thinking, if I am starting afresh, why not dress afresh? I still by no means can afford to and the arrival of the Boden catalogue yesterday nearly broke my heart but come hell or high water, I will find similar pieces in the charity shops! It's time for a mini revolution, people.

The one thing I will never be able to buy is that lovely feeling of being a little girl again but here's to remembering and wishing...