Well April just flew by! It didn't feel long ago that I was writing my March roundup post and now here I am writing an April roundup!
April, thankfully, has been quieter than the last couple of months which is just what I wanted/needed.
Crabbing!
I sat in the garden to have my morning coffee and was desperate to get out of the house for the day. The boys appeared and I said to them "Let's go out! Fancy going crabbing?" A big yes from both of them.
We already had a bucket and some nets but popped to a nearby shop to get the other things we needed, stopped to get some bacon for bait and headed to Walberswick.
We were super lucky to get a great spot on the bridge and after a slow start moved to the other side and then it was NON-STOP! To the point we had to stop because the bucket was full.
We felt like we had been there for hours, when in fact it was just an hour and a half! But it was enough. We didn't realise how tiring an hour and a half of crabbing would be. And just spending that quality time together was lovely.
Definitely on the list to do again soon. Nice, cheap and fun day out.
Target!
After joining a 12 Step Programme in February I started weighing my food and counting calories, the best way for me to control my food intake, portion control, ensure I'm getting my 5 a day, and to not binge. Previously I have done the 5/2 diet to help me lost weight but this time I managed to hit my first target without any fasting days. Just through determination, mindfulness and self-control.
I'm actually starting to like myself and my body again!
Panel Event!
In 2023 I sat on a panel at work, in front of an audience, live on zoom and recorded, to talk about my experience with anxiety. I LOVED it. I had on my bucket list to be involved in another panel event and in April I got to tick that off! This time the theme was therapy. I was joined by two other colleagues, Wendy Robinson from Campaign Against Living Miserably and Jeff Brazier. It was a really good experience, great to hear from the other two colleagues, Wendy and Jeff. And another thing ticked off my bucket list.
Closure!
When I first met Jeff Brazier I fangirled at him. Full on, authentic, fangirl. "I watched you on Shipwrecked!". For those who don't know what Shipwrecked is, it was an amazing reality show from the early 2000's....back when people didn't just go on reality shows to become famous or get brand deals.
What I didn't tell him then, or when I saw him again in 2024, was that not only am I a fan of his but also of Jade Goody, the mother of his children.
I still think of Jade a lot. I always used to manifest that one day I would meet her and we would become friends. I found her authenticity so inspiring. When she died it was the first time in my adult life I'd felt grief. Which I only just recognised. It's "odd" to realise you felt such grief for someone you never actually met.
I still wear the perfume she created called "Shhh" and her other perfume "Controversial". Shhh is my go to perfume if I'm going to an event and want a bit of confidence and comfort.
I had an overwhelming feeling of needing to share my feelings about Jade with someone who would understand and who could listen, because I feel like no one else gets it. And Jeff was the person for that.
I didn't know how I would do it but when he turned up at the office I asked for a chat and I offloaded. He was so kind, he listened, he appreciated what I said.
I apologised if it was hard for him to hear and if he didn't know what to do with it but he listened.
I also said that I believed I was supposed to meet him. I couldn't meet Jade but meeting someone who KNEW her as well as he did was the gift given to me instead.
I felt a real sense of closure after being able to let that out.
