I’m on holiday from work for Easter! It’s not all adventures, cocktails, ice cream and growing old disgracefully though. Sometimes I have to be really responsible and morph back into my role of ‘Mum’ or ‘Mother’ as I am affectionately called (but I hate the latter title because it makes me sound very old). They’ve always called me ‘Mother’, I’ve no idea why. Now, this role is not half as glamourous as my role of ‘Middle Aged Adventurer’ or even ‘Competitive Athlete’ but it is huge fun (most of the time) and the most rewarding role I have. I’ve missed them loads and I love to have them home. But they do drive me slightly crazy and this is why…………I’m convinced girls would not be the same by the way, but I’m sure they come with their own challenges, or so my friends tell me.
They both arrived back within two days of each other and within 24 hours their rooms were an absolute tip again, although I think they may be a little less tip like than at Christmas as I can actually see the floor, but it’s early days.
Only one day into the holiday and I have already transitioned quite effortlessly into the role of full time chef, personal assistant, launderette attendee, chauffeur, personal shopper and beautician.
So a typical day in the life of ‘Mother’.
Request number one…….”Can you help me book return flights from Bristol to Faro in June, I’ve booked a villa with my mates?”; fifteen of them, boys and girls, all descending on one Algarve villa………….think ‘Love Island’. So, we are doing a degree in Astrophysics but we need assistance to operate the EasyJet website! But of course I assisted and flights are now booked.
Request number two (this is gross so if you are squeamish skip this paragraph). Can you get rid of this blackhead on my back? So then I get my makeup bag and utensils out and morph into beautician for extraction of said spot. Job done and the other one needs a lift to his girlfriends. Hopefully not the same girlfriend as the one that it looks like he’s going to grow over the Easter holiday in a glass of water! Seriously, I’ve just stopped asking questions!
Chauffeuring done and everybody says they are going to be around for dinner so I spend two hours cooking a Spaghetti Bolognese. Then the text arrives to say we won’t be back for dinner after all, so Bolognese sauce goes in the freezer for another day.
Then I fall over a pair of wet shoes in the hallway. We have a shoe cupboard for shoes, we also have a rug inside the front door to protect the wooden floor. But the most sensible place to put a pair of wet shoes is in the middle of the wooden floor to leave a water mark on the floor and ensure that someone breaks their neck on the way to the kitchen.
I decide I’ve had enough for one day, the house is quiet because they are out, so I decide to take a shower, wash my hair and go to bed early with my book. Or so I thought! Now this next occurrence has happened before and they know it drives me insane and I have a proper “Mother take a chill pill” moment, so why they still do it I have no idea. We have one of those ‘magic’ cupboards…..the one that ‘Mother’ ensures has a spare of everything in so we never run out. You know the one I mean. It contains toilet rolls, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, laundry products, cleaning products etc. We’ve had it since they were born and the contents never change. So why is it then, when they run out of shampoo in their shower, they take my coloured hair shampoo out of my shower (neither of them has coloured hair), rather than getting a full bottle of their shampoo out of the ‘magic’ cupboard which is closer to their shower.
So there I am, wet through, in the shower when I reach down for my shampoo which is not there. ‘Mother’ really did need a chill pill at that moment when she had to get out of the shower, cursing, to retrieve her shampoo.
Anyway, said day was repeated three more times. Different days and different dilemmas but all along similar lines, until I’d had enough. I love them dearly but it is so important to take time for yourself otherwise you go crazy and it stops being fun. So I went AWOL. The answer to “Where are you?”, was as follows!
Yes I lasted four whole days before I drove myself down the motorway (after turning down the bass and adjusting the seat in my car……but that’s another story) for a little bit of an escape; half a day at the Turkish Baths, Harrogate. I don’t tell them exactly where I’m going for fear they’ll be waiting outside for me when I come out, I just disappear. The lady on reception when I telephoned the day before said they had just one space left for the morning session, provided I did not want any treatments. I explained that I just needed a phone free lie down in a darkened room for the morning in the baths so that would be fine.
The Turkish Baths are amazing. If you are ever near Harrogate, go! They are fully restored Victorian Turkish Baths that underwent a major restoration at the turn of this century. Harrogate itself is a beautiful town. In 1571 the water springs were discovered which made Harrogate a ‘Spa’ town. In the 1880’s the then mayor of the town came up with, and had developed, an international quality bathing and hydrotherapy centre which became the Royal Baths. The baths opened in 1897 and the water was pumped to them from various springs around the town and treatments were offered for conditions such as arthritis, rheumatism and sciatica. After the war the number of wealthy visitors coming to take treatments declined and the Baths limped along until they finally closed in 1969. They remained closed until they underwent a restoration project costing millions commencing in 2002. All the glazed brickwork was restored along with the terrazzo mosaic floors, ornate wooden carving and Arabic decorations.
Inside there is a cold plunge pool, eucalyptus infused steam room, showers and a caldarium of three rooms, each one intensifying in heat as you work through them. It is heaven! The sign on the wall in reception by the coffee machine says it all…….’Perfecting the art of relaxation since 1897′. By the time I got there I felt like I had been born in 1897 but three hours inside the baths sorted me out. Before you come out, there are some lovely loungers to lay on, as they recommend you spend at least 20 to 30 minutes acclimatising back to a normal temperature before you leave or you can go a little light headed. I laid down with my book for the last 20 minutes and oh my goodness, I’m not embarrassed to tell you that the next thing I remember was being woken up to tell me the session had ended…….I just hope I did not snore!
So that was my perfect morning of rest and relaxation. I just had time to purchase a little treat in reception as I’m running low on it and this is a good recommendation for anyone who has trouble sleeping. This last year my sleep pattern has been severely disrupted by that time in my life. I’m hot, then I’m cold, clothes and covers are on, then they are off, then I need the toilet, then I’m wide awake. It drives me crazy but this little bottle really helps me get to sleep. It might be psychological but I don’t care…..it works for me and that’s the main thing. It’s basically a pillow mist of lavender, chamomile and patchouli. It’s all natural and just one little spritz on my pillow if I’m having a night when I just can’t settle, and some focused breathing and I’m soon off into a relaxed slumber. So that’s another mid life crisis tip…..I’m just full of them.
Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you, there’s a Betty’s in Harrogate too, like the one in York, so I went in there after, but no cake pictures were taken because I had eaten my treat before I even thought about photos. But it was a delicious end to a lovely relaxing day going AWOL. I am now safely back at home ready to take on another fun filled day in the glamorous role of ‘Mother’.
