Life Lately.

Well, hello there strangers!! How are you? Good Summer?

I know it’s technically Autumn and normally I would have been back blogging for a few weeks now, but it’s not every day your best friend gets married!!

Also, my fiancé very often can’t get the Summer holidays off as it’s only fair that parents get time off to spend with their children, so he had last week off instead for us to spend some time together.

OK, now a life update of Summer. Where to start?!?!

I think I’ll start with the happiest and most exciting thing. My best friend got MARRIED! And I was a bridesmaid along with another one of my friend’s and my BF’s sister. It was a very long, but amazing weekend, I went down on Friday to help set up the venue which was when it really hit me that it was real haha.

Before, I was like “I know it’s coming up and I’m so looking forward to it” but when you actually start putting out the centrepieces for the tables and the seats for the ceremony I was like “Damn, this is happening. The day is here!!!”

We got ready in a gorgeous house a few miles away. It was so fun doing hair and makeup, then getting in our dresses together

It was the most beautiful ceremony and evening. I admit, I actually didn’t watch much of the ceremony because if I looked at my friend’s I cried! I had to watch the registrar and just listen as that was the only way I didn’t cry. Couldn’t make eye contact with my friend’s Mum or my fellow bridesmaids as I could feel myself welling up again. I’m such an emotional wreck lol!

It was so typical of the British weather that it rained on and off all day. It got lovely and heavy just before we arrived at the venue, so getting us all inside was a team effort of lots of people holding umbrellas and skirts up.

The photos were fun as we all had to run outside as the rain eased, then run back in when it started raining again. Finally, in the early evening, the sun poked through the clouds and we managed to get some sunnier photos. I can’t wait to see all the professional photos!

The tables and barn looked beautiful; the flowers were just gorgeous and the speeches had all of us laughing! Then we went outside and lit sparklers, after that it was time to dance.

Our dog, Poppy, went to stay with a friend and I was so worried about her thinking it was the worst weekend ever. First, I left on Friday, then she had a bath (she hates water!) and her beds were washed (she throws a tantrum if her bed is gone) then the next day Mr AN left and she went away.

Apparently she was super excited when she saw she was going into a new car, so I worried for nothing. Man, she makes me laugh!

She was excited to see us when we went to get her and I had my arm round her the whole way home, but when we got home, she decided it was time to sulk and she refused to make eye contact for the rest of the day. She also refused to be in the same room as us until the evening. She’s such a madam!

It’s taken until this morning for her to be normal again; I think we’ve finally been forgiven!!! Phew!

Talking of Poppy, it’s been a bit of a Summer for her too. Back in July, she was acting really strange. She was so restless and I didn’t know what she wanted. I made sure she had food, water etc. but she kept following me around and head butting me for attention. I just could not work out what was wrong.

She was attempting to get on the sofa, which she hasn’t for ages, but she managed to get herself onto my lap with her front legs, but she couldn’t get back down as she’d tucked her back legs under my legs. (She has arthritis in her back legs, so she is a little unstable on them). I had to lift her up and then she was sat on my lap completely (she weighs 30kg). After walking all over my bladder, kidneys and jabbing me in the legs she finally got herself next to me on the sofa and…. By the fan.

Turns out that was what she wanted. She soon fell asleep head resting on the arm of the sofa, face in the fan.

A few days later on a walk, her back left foot started bleeding on the top, between her toes and she was acting really restless again, so we took her to vet as it’s better to be safe than sorry. The vet thought that her arthritis was having a flare up and she was in a lot of pain. To humans, we would sit down if we were in pain, but she refused and was walking round for hours. I SO wish she was able to tell me what’s wrong with her. I felt so guilty for not realising until she was restless for a second day.

She was prescribed some pain killers and honestly, the next day she was like a new dog. Completely transformed!! It was amazing and made us so happy to see her bouncing around again! Now she goes up and down the stairs numerous times a day and is back to her old self. It’s just been amazing to see. I know it’s not a magic fix for arthritis, but I just don’t want her to be in pain.

Sometimes, I think she forgets that even though her legs don’t hurt, she isn’t as strong as she used to be, so she sometimes wobbles around a bit and she can’t really run as much as she tries to. She sort of puts her back legs together and uses them as one, so she hops.

Now, we are just trying to do everything we can for her. Another vet thinks the bleeding on top of her toes is where she can’t pick her back legs up properly anymore, so they scrape the ground when she walks. It makes sense, because she has ground down her claws on her back legs.

SO… we had to try dog boots. OMG what a faff!

We have tried three different types. One type we could not get to stay on as they were lace up and had holes for her claws, but they didn’t work because she doesn’t have long claws on her back legs anymore, so they just kept twisting. She managed to fling them at me along with a roll of tape I was trying to use to stick the damn shoes on.

The next set of shoes, seemed easier to put on and worked, but she put her toe through them in 5 minutes. Into the bin they went.

The third set? We can’t even get them on her. So, I think I may have to ask Mum if she can make her a pair which will fit her feet a lot better.

All fun and games here!

But with that face? She’s totally worth it!

GENERAL NEWS

I spent Summer doing client work and reading books, so although I had time off of blogging, I didn’t have the whole summer off work. But, my workload was basically halved and that of a normal working week, so that has been good for me. I feel better rested and more enthusiastic to get back into recipe developing.

Over the summer, I did come to a conclusion though. Blogging has opened many doors for me and I wanted it to be my full time job, but my food photography work is what pays the bills right now, so for now, my blog is a hobby. It’s a little bit of spending money every month and I develop recipes because I enjoy doing it, but I have to stop making myself ill by working so hard. If I miss a post because I’m doing other work, then it’s not the end of the world.

That is so difficult for me to say. I’m a perfectionist, workaholic. But I HAVE to start putting my wellbeing further up the list. Right now, I’d say I’m right at the bottom of the list. Poppy, Mr AN, the house, my jobs… all above me. I can’t see myself ever putting myself first, but I do need to listen to my body more.

I’m just going to be doing what I can, when I can. I still love sharing recipes with you, but I felt like, before Summer, something had to give because I couldn’t continue like that. I was a zombie and basically felt like I was just existing.

I’ve still been having trouble with my ears after that mega infection I had a few months back. I now have Eustachian tube dysfunction and have been trying all sorts to try and clear them. Now, I’m being referred to ENT and may end up having an operation which sucks.

Basically mucus like fluid has got stuck behind my ears after my drum burst during the worst of the infection. Whilst I don’t have a new infection, they are still painful and I get incredibly dizzy most days. They pop every day and… I just don’t feel 100%. I have a steroid nasal spray at the moment which is meant to be opening up my tubes and allowing more fluid to drain away and while they have improved slightly, I’m still getting a lot of pain.

ARGHHHHH why can’t I just get a normal infection that lasts a week or so then goes away. The actual infection lasted over a month and 6 months later, I’m still having trouble!

Anyway, I’ve babbled for long enough. Congratulations if you made it this far!!! I’m back in the kitchen today, so will be sharing Pumpkin Caramel Cookie Bars later this week!

Have a fabulous week!

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