You can't take it with you...

[londonronnie]

Gosh, I've been a busy little bee lately! During the past week I have -

a. Booked a cottage in the Lake District for a week's holiday in July, for the OH, myself and Izzy.
b. Booked a place on my first ever Pros location tour, booked my hotel for the weekend and arranged a lift down to Watford and back (thanks linnhie!).
c. Sent in my registration for WINK and booked coach tickets to Milton Keynes and back.
d. Booked a holiday cottage in Exmoor for four days in June.
e. Booked a hotel in London for four days following on from the Exmoor trip.
f. Bought theatre tickets for War Horse for myself and my two daughters.

Phew! And this was the year that we were going to tighten our purse strings, having had a bit of a splurge during the whole of 2013.

The thing is, when six of your friends have been diagnosed with cancer during the previous eighteen months and two more friends have been diagnosed with other life-threatening illnesses - not to mention the shock of losing Lewis at a relatively early age - you tend to think 'what the hell'.

I'll let you know if I'm still thinking that when the credit card bills start rolling in... *g*

Comments

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

Go, you! Always assuming that the spending is more or less within reason, you really can't take it with you! And, wow, what a lot of terrific things you have to look forward to! How cool to spend a week's with your OH and granddaughter! Pros-related things! Holiday things! Play things! This is all very exciting. I hope you have a grand time, and I shall look forward to some trip reports!

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I can't remember a time when I've had such a lot of trips to look forward to!

It's unfortunate that the bills will all come in at the same time, rather than being spread over a couple of months, but I'm sure we'll cope, even if we're living on bread and dripping when we come home after the July holiday! *g*

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

Those are wonderful plans!
I really should do more like that as well...

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

Well, it's taken me a while to get my head around the fact that we actually can do stuff like this if we want to without being tied down. That's probably why we're splurging - we still haven't got used to the fact that we're free agents now!

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

What a great list. I'm sorry about your friends, so I totally understand that you need to enjoy yourself. I do wish I could do the WINK tour. What fun!

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

The really scary thing is that the majority of those friends are actually younger than me, which certainly does make you stop and think about what you're doing with your life.

You should try to come over for WINK one year! It's actually a con rather than a tour - previously known as Nattercon, which I'm sure you've heard of. We had a great time last year.

[caffyolay.livejournal.com]

Yep, Lewis, our nextdoor neighbour has terminal cancer and the best friend of an American friend I met through Pros has it too. It makes you think, so good for you for arranging lots of good stuff to do this year because you just never bloody know. Maybe hope to see you in June if you have time?

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

I've never known a time when so many friends, or friends of friends, are having to deal with serious illnesses. It's a bit uncanny really, and certainly very scary!

I'm not sure at the moment how things are going to pan out in June - we're only down in Exmoor for three full days this time and I've got to arrange to meet up with my cousins in North Devon sometime while we're there. Hopefully we can sort something out nearer the time.

[caffyolay.livejournal.com]

No worries at all, C. I didn't realise you had cousins down here and you do want some time to yourselves if you're only down for a few days.

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

Yep, two of my cousins are Westward Ho! born and bred - one now lives in Northam and the other in Torrington. And then last year another cousin moved to Abbotsham, so there's quite a little enclave in North Devon!

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

not to mention the shock of losing Lewis at a relatively early age - you tend to think 'what the hell'.

Hear, hear.

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

It certainly makes you stop and evaluate things, doesn't it.

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Sounds brilliant - good for you! War Horse, whee! Look forward to seeing you at (c), and hmm, are you hoping to get together with people for (d), too?

Absolutely agree with your reasoning. Well, I would, really :) But my god, eight friends, all in the last eighteen months? That's seriously shit. So sorry to hear it.

Also, I owe you email, yes!

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

Yay! You're going to WINK!

As I mentioned to caffyolay above, we'll only be down in Exmoor for a few days this time and one of those days will be spent visiting my cousins in North Devon, so at the moment I'm not sure whether we'll get the chance for the usual meet-up. I'll certainly speak to you about it nearer the time though.

Looking forward to the email!

[sunray45.livejournal.com]

Oh good on you! It's very true that you have to enjoy life while you can and not wait until you are old and decrepit and wishing you had done all those things. And again, you never know if you will live to be old and decrepit. *bg*

I know you'll have a great time. *HUGS*

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

That's the frightening thing, isn't it. Most of my friends who have been/are ill are younger than I am, so you can't help but wonder whether you'll actually get the chance to be old and decrepit!

Thanks for the hugs!

(I love that icon, btw)

[sunray45.livejournal.com]

The icon is Robin Wesley from Wild Geese. He's bloody gorgeous there.

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Good for you - and what a lovely list of things to look forward to!

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

I know! I've never been such a gadabout before! *g*

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

I think that, within reason, we should all do what makes us happy. It's a short stay—make the most of it, I say. :-)

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

Hear hear, my thoughts exactly!

*g*

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

You put us to shame. I normally have our holiday sorted by now but we're miles behind!

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

Well, it all started off with booking the week away with the granddaughter then everything sort of snowballed...

I'm not complaining though, I like having stuff to look forward to!

[sw33n3y.livejournal.com]

I like the way you think. It's also good to see you making the most of your 'aha' moment. I've heard so many people say 'if I hadn't done it then, I never would have'.

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

My new motto... "Carpe Diem"

*g*

[recycledmedia.livejournal.com]

YAY!! for you! I'm so sorry about your friends. Last year was pure hell! Life is much too short not to enjoy it while you can. Things to look forward to!! I look forward to enjoying your trips vicariously! :)

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

So many people I know seem to have had a terrible 2013. I've never known a year like it, to be honest.

So, time to look forward to good things in 2014 - for all of us, I hope!

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

Go you! That's a fabulous list, and think of it as investing in memories... Life's too short to be sensible all the time - grab what you can and hang on tight!

I'm so sorry about all your friends - that's a lot of people you're being brave and supportive for. *hugs*

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

"Investing in memories" - yes, excellent way of looking at it!

I think I've spent enough of my life being sensible, time to be daft now!

Thanks for the hugs!

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

Your plans sound wonderful. I'm very sorry to hear you have quite a few friends with major health concerns right now - it's true, you never know how much future any of us have to plan for. Hope you and yours have a damn good time executing said plans! (and don't forget to shout out if there's a chance of a quick London meet-up!)

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

Thank you, m'dear!

And oh dear... complications with the London leg of the journey unfortunately. Not sure whether we will be visiting the Smoke after all now, but I'll certainly be in touch if there's any chance of a meet-up!

[murphybabe]

I'm so sorry to hear about your friends - that's a horribly high number :(

I think your plans are brilliant, and I will keep my fingers crossed for a lottery win or similar to take care of your credit card bills *g*

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

A lottery win would do very nicely, thank you! Maybe you could make it big enough to cover the credit cards and a little bit extra? Enough for a nice apartment overlooking the marina in St Katharine's Dock, perhaps? Nothing too fancy, I'm not greedy...