A spot of R&R for spring
Dear folks,
Apologies for my recent silence. This time I haven’t broken my foot, run out of money, fallen ill or flown off on holiday.
I simply needed a break. Every now and then I reach not exactly breaking point, but at least cracks-appearing point. I get tired of living on autopilot, with Weekend magazine at the wheel. Where my heart once soared at the thought of trying a new recipe for dinner, my stomach drops as I realise the evenings ahead will be spent not socialising with friends, but making the daily trek to the supermarket for ingredients and spending the following few hours following chefly instructions.
If I reach a stage at which I feel cheesed off and impatient, I tend to truck on and record the process with as much humour as I can muster. But if I get to the point at which life ceases to be fun and the days roll out ahead of me in endless sheaths of uniform black-and-white magazine pages, I know it’s time to stop – at least for a while – and cut loose for a bit. I have all sorts of ideas bubbling away between the ears; which magazine to follow next, what experiment to try, but for now I am having some much-needed R&R time.
This weekend I went to Birmingham to see wonderful old friends and have delicious meals cooked for me – meals that weren’t invented by Hugh, Yotam or Dan. I wore a dress when I felt like it and a pair of jeans when I wanted to be comfy. I didn’t have to plan anything, and it felt fabulous.
My exercise is back on track and my diet is deliciously indulgent when it wants to be, and healthily austere when I just fancy a green salad. Everything is balanced nicely. As soon as I’ve recharged my batteries I’ll no doubt be back on some unlikely tangent, quite possibly involving the Daily Mail. Please bear with me while I enjoy the springing of spring and the feeling of liberty in the air. But do check back soon, as, like a captive with Stockholm syndrome, I can never stay away too long.
X
PS In the meantime, as always, the random post button at the top-right of the page might provide some stand-in entertainment (or some humourless drivel, depending on how lucky you get).
I've always found it funny when people write letters to the Guardian's Weekend magazine complaining that the recipe ingredients are too middle class and the fashion only looks good on thin people. After all, it's just a magazine. Or is it? I decided to follow its recipes, fashion and lifestyle advice as closely as possible, to see if the aspirations promoted therein can really be achieved by the average reader who is not especially wealthy, not necessarily model thin and is obliged to work regular office hours. This blog has no affiliation whatsoever with the Guardian but I link to the Weekend magazine website for the purposes of illustration. 
Guardian Girl 
Hope you enjoyed Birmingham. I always like going there, it has such a buzz.
Went to see Dancing at Lughnasa (sp?) at The Rep a few weeks ago. Such good value, especially compared to London Theatre.
Too intiimidated to commet….love your writing jody.