Author: Chatter

Do you trust your instincts?

I’m tempted to say yes. I probably shouldn’t but on many occasions I’ve been proven right.

I think it’s easy when meeting someone for the first time, when your instincts tell you this is not a nice person.

On the other hand totally relying on your instincts may not be such a good idea when it’s a life or death situation.

Not an easy question to answer but a combination of factors plus your instincts should help keep you right.

The above is word salad. I learned it from Trump. 😂

What is your favorite place to go in your city?

Luckily I live only a mile from Belfast Lough which runs from the Irish Sea into the harbour in Belfast City.

No matter the weather I love to drive down and walk along the coastline.

Each walk is different depending on whether the tide is in our out, whether it’s raining or the sun shining.

Time of year determines what birds will be on the water’s edge. Heron gulls, oyster catchers, cormorants, dunlins and greylag geese are some of the most common. Very entertaining to watch the cormorants diving for fish and the gulls flying high and dropping their shells on the rocks to open them. If I’m lucky there will be the occasional crane or egret.

Walking closer to sunset the light is glorious over the Cave Hill as the sun sinks into the west.

Definitely my favourite place in Belfast city.

What book are you reading right now?

I’m reading Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I’ve just started but the fact that I’m still reading at page 59 is a good sign.

I’ve found it hard to find a book that I haven’t discarded after a couple of chapters as they don’t hold my attention.

The last good read was Graham Norton’s Frankie.

There are too many books on the market all following the same formula and which are so predictable in their story lines. Hoping to get to the end of this one.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Despite the troubles we’ve suffered here in Northern Ireland I still think it’s the only place I’d like to live.

I like to be close to family and friends and unless they all moved with me to another country what would be the point ?

Our weather here is not always the best but it beats the extremes of other countries where it’s either too hot or rains non stop. Our climate is temperate and kind to my delicate skin. Not much need for sun tan lotion here.

There are mountains beside the sea, lots of areas of outstanding beauty and you can drive from one side to the another in a westerly direction in about 3 hours. Northerly even less.

We have lovely restaurants and theatres so plenty to do and see. Most of the people who live here are friendly and down to earth . We have our problems too, homeless and poverty an increasing drug problem but what country doesn’t.

We have a great education system and a highly educated workforce.

I am quite content where I live.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever found (and kept)?

If you’ve read any of my previous blogs you’ll know I love walking and mostly by the sea.

One day when the tide was out I decided to walk out along a promontory that stretches out to sea.

Something caught my eye, it was blue and looked out of place. It was quite slippery so I decided as I was on my own I wouldn’t try to reach it.

I told my husband and we agreed to go back the next day at the same time and have a look for it. I hoped it hadn’t gone back out with the tide.

But there it was, a small blue bottle with little shells attached, suggesting it had been there a long time.

I was able to reach it and take it home, and I now have it on display. I think it could be a very old Milk of Magnesia bottle. It is a beautiful colour especially with the light behind it.

A lovely find. Here’s hoping for some more.

Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).

I rarely buy expensive personal items for myself but if I have to name one purchase it has to be my teeth.

I spent over £ 5000 getting a bottom set of teeth. I’m including the blog that tells you how I reached that decision. It was a long and painful procedure but in the end I had a set of shiny new teeth.

https://apvallan.com/?s=Teeth&submit=Search

What will your life be like in three years?

As I’m 75 I don’t look to the future anymore, I count each day as a blessing.

I would like to think it would be much the same as it is now, enjoying being with my family, walking, relaxing and admiring what President Harris is doing in the USA.

None of us know what the future holds. So live life as if there’s no tomorrow.

Is there an age or year of your life you would re-live?

Unless you live a utopian lifestyle many of us will not get through a year without some trauma or disappointments.

I’ve had my fair share of both evenly spread out over my 75 years.

I can’t think of a year I would like to relive. There were obviously good times but these were balanced out with the not so good times.

It would be better to pick highlights from each of my 75 years, like my wedding day, the birth of our children and our four grandchildren.

I hope I’m the only one that can’t pick a year to relive. I’m happy to just pick out the good times and put the bad times in a box not to be opened again.

What historical event fascinates you the most?

It has to be the eruption that caused Pompeii to be immortalised in time.

Imagine the inhabitants going about their daily business to have the air sucked out of their lungs and for their lifestyle to be preserved under 20 feet of volcanic dust.

When it was rediscovered in the 18th Century it was found to be mostly intact with the citizens frozen in time.

A wealthy lifestyle with an opulent way of life has given insight to living conditions in AD 79 and they seem to have been something to envy. A very sophisticated society with beautiful art and lavish homes.

Fascinating, because we consider our modern day society to be civilised with better living conditions than ancient times. I think we definitely have that wrong.

What does it mean to be a kid at heart?

No idea. Never been a kid at heart. Grew up quickly and started looking after myself at 16.

Not even sure what it means. Do I like prancing about in mud, scaring the life out of myself on a scary ride or skate board on a pavement and knocking people down?

No never been a kid at heart once I’d grown up and had to deal with real life.

Hopefully haven missed out on anything. Maybe I took life too seriously but you play the hand you’re dealt.