Happy Friday, and not just any Friday but one where many people finish work for the holidays! Yahoooo!
This year is the first year in 8 years that I’ll be working over Christmas, it feels kind of strange! It’s all good though – with my first year of being Freelance plus working in the wine bar (or shop, as it is in Tier 3) I can’t complain! As miserable as I’ve been lately (more on that shortly), I really love this time of year. New Year’s is my favourite time of the year and I’m so ready for 2021.
I can’t lie, I’ve been feeling really shit lately. Like, seriously shit. I just can’t seem to snap out of this funk that I’m in – every day I wake up, and the first thing I think is “bloody hell, it’s here again”, “it” being the familiar grey cloud that looms above my head, with seemingly zero intention of floating the fuck off. Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s the circumstances, maybe it’s that it’s impossible to predict if I’m coming or going with these tier announcements and ever-changing shifts at the wine bar, or maybe it’s just that I’ve finally reached my limit for the shit that 2020 has thrown at us all. Who knows? I’ll tell you what I do know though, I’m so over feeling like this!
Don’t get me wrong, of course I’m privileged, blessed, and of course I know this. I have a roof over my head, food on my table, and life could always be worse. But jeeeeeez life feels hard right now. I can’t keep up with my Whatsapps (friend, if you’re reading this and I haven’t replied, I will reply before 2021, promise!) I can’t keep up with cleaning my house and the absolute last thing I can keep up with is bloody Christmas. I know I sound like a Christmas grinch but I find Christmas stressful at the best of times, never mind in a COVID world where uncertainty is rife and the rules change every two minutes. I’m so ready for a fresh new year to be upon us (and yes, I’m aware that COVID isn’t going to disappear because we’re in a new year). A new year, for me, brings hope and moving forwards.
But in the meantime, I wanted to share some loveliness with you this week, just in case on the off chance you’re feeling as shit, helpless, and frustrated as I am. This will help!
Reading
You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero
LOL. Shall we just write this one off? I’m still reading, but weeks go quicker than I can keep up with at the moment. I’ll confirm soon whether I actually do recommend this book or not (though I suspect it will be a YES!)
Same with this one – I’ll confirm pronto whether I recommend. If I had to say at this point though, it’s an absolute HELL YES.
This Review for Marks and Spencer’s Slippers
I have no words for this one, except that this is the exact type of thing that is keeping me going right now. I just LOVE the fact that this was posted, what a thoughtful, gorgeous, caring, beautiful, precious, amazing, uplifting person. This really gave me a boost whilst feeling so shit about life, the world and everybody in it. There are such wonderful people about, here’s my public reminder to self to remember that when I feel particularly jaded!
Watching
One Voice Children’s Choir – Maroon 5 Memories Cover
For the first time in the 5 Minute Coffee Corner history (WHAAAAAT?!) I’m sharing this video for two weeks on the run. And that’s because it’s just so bloody beautiful! I mean, what more could sum up 2020 than a bunch of kids in little rectangular boxes, getting together in the only possible way, singing their hearts out from their homes where they’ve probably spent the last 9 months, and creating a beautiful piece of feel-good music?
Did anybody even know what Zoom was until this year?! I can’t really remember, I think I’d used it once or twice but that was about as far as my experience went. This time exactly a year ago, who’d have known what was in store for us in the year ahead? Yet a year on, we’ve got people like this all over the world, some of whom are creating masterpieces from their very living rooms. It really is crazy when you think about it.
Woman Receives Cochlear Implant and Marriage Proposal
You know those articles that start with “I’m not crying, you’re crying!” or something similar? Well, this isn’t one of them. I’m sobbing, whether you are or not, and I’m not even trying to hide it. I stumbled across this video and thought it was so humbling to see how thrilled this girl was with the gift of hearing, and I reminded myself how fortunate I am to be able to hear fully (note to self – remember this when you wake up being miserable about the grey, looming cloud of doom). The video is emotional enough, but then he goes and adds a proposal to the mix, and what can I say?! I’m a sucker for proposals at the best of times. I sobbed like a baby for about 20 minutes. If nothing else, this will give you a quick mood boost for a little while, enjoy this delightful video!
Do They Know It’s COVID Time – UK Politicians Parody
Alright, alright, before you think I’m getting too political (do you even know me at all?!) I don’t want to turn this blog into a government hating sesh. But if the boot fits and all that!
This video has been doing the rounds this week, my friend sent it to me a few days back knowing how much I adore this sort of stuff, and it didn’t disappoint. For all of my non-UK readers, you might think that it’s shocking that we have the power to so freely make a mockery of our own government, and I suppose it really is one of the benefits of not living in a dictatorship, we’re very fortunate! Sometimes I feel bad about the amount of abuse our government* gets, after all, regardless of the fact that we all think they’re idiots, nobody knows the right way to lead a country through a global pandemic (with the one exception of the incredible, wonderful, perfect Goddess Jacinda Ardern). But these things really do make me laugh so much, and I love that people take the time to make them.
*With the exception of the abhorrent Priti Patel, Michael Gove and Jacob Rees-Mogg, because, honestly, they deserve everything they get for being such awful, despicable human beings.
Now, sit back and enjoy this video that somebody has gone to great lengths to create (also if you see any more like this, please do share with me because they’re my favourite!)
Listening
I shared this last week, and as forecasted, I’m still listening to it! I’m still loving the songs discussed last week (champagne problems, evermore and coney island), but I also love gold rush and no body, no crime. I love this new Taylor Swift and the stories she tells via her songs, and I can’t wait for more of her releases very soon.
Recently, my Timehop reminded me that this time some years ago, I was at an array of exciting gigs throughout the month of December. One of these was one of my favourite gigs in history, Pete Doherty at the Albert Hall in Manchester. He was doing his new stuff, but as 11pm approached (which is the curfew for the venue) he decided to treat us to a mixture of stuff from his Libertines/Babyshambles days. One of my favourite songs ever is Albion, it’s always such a treat to see it live and I thoroughly loved watching the videos from this particular gig. Listen to it, and enjoy!
4th and Vine by Sinéad O’Connor
This is such a feel-good tune. It reminds me of my parents, they love Sinéad O’Connor (now Shuhada’ Davitt) and I have them to thank for my love for a lot of the artists I listen to. I can’t wait for Christmas to be able to see and be with my family again and blast family favourites through the ceiling speakers, and get drunk and party like we haven’t been able to do this year (within our permitted household bubbles, of course!)
Take Me to Church by Sinéad O’Connor
Another great one from Sinéad O’Connor (or as she was then!) and I recommend a listen if you just need a bit of a good tune to have a bit of a move about to. I don’t know why, but I feel like the minute we can get back to those great old pubs in town, I’m going to get up on karaoke and persuade my mates to sing this with me! Such a good feel good tune.
Before You Go…
I actually don’t have anything to share in this section this week, but what I would like to say is that a lot of people are struggling to cope right now, be it Christmas woes, work stress, or quite frankly just 2020 being in existence.
I’m seeing a lot of inspirational quotes being posted across my social media feeds lately, and I wanted to remind you of something that’s helping me a lot, which is that everything is temporary. This feeling won’t last forever. There is light at the end of the tunnel, even if it doesn’t feel like it now. Keep going, even if all you manage is to get through the day. Better days are coming, and we will appreciate the good times so much more after all this. You got this.
Enjoy your weekend, especially if you’ve finished for the holidays (in which case have an extra few bottles of wine this weekend – you deserve it!) See you next week!
Reflect and Introspect 