After a colourful two weeks in Crete it was back to the UK and to a brown and dull countryside.
Crete itself was very brown with a very low rainfall, but perfect conditions for bouganvilliea to blossom in giving everywhere a pop of colour. I've tried and failed several times to grow it in the UK.
You may be wondering what this has to do with 'Blues'.
There are two parts to it, Blue as in feeling sad and Blues as in Birmingham City FC.
My GAD and PTSD has been in overdrive the past few weeks, even a holiday hasn't helped. It's difficult to explain but it is possible to be happy and do nice things and even look and sound like everything is ok, whilst underneath your whole life is falling apart and you're catastrophising and the whole world is against you.
I used to think it was normal to say 'I imagine the worst, then anything else is a bonus' I realise now that this has been going on since my late teens and this approach is not normal. I of course know my life isn't unravelling and my world isn't falling apart and I'm not going to jail for not having paid my car tax back in May, but in the 4 weeks whilst I've been waiting for my £80 fine to reach me (it arrived on Saturday) I have indeed been thinking that Jail is the worst outcome, so a CCJ wouldn't be that bad, but why if they've taken our car and crushed it whilst we've been away, so I've been checking the camera on the front door almost hourly (yes whilst I've been by the pool and on a coach trip) and I've still got to pay the 2 months car tax I missed and I don't know how or to who and telling me not to worry because they'll contact me eventually isn't helpful and I'm just exhausted by it all. I contacted the DVLA on Monday and paid the £106 outstanding and they couldn't have been more helpful and understanding.
Back to the other Blues.
I went to Birmingham to watch the football on Saturday, the day after we got back. It was the first home game of the season and my first game in my new seat as a season ticket holder.
I've opted not to buy this years shirt as I just don't like it and decided to go in something colourful and summery to carry on the holiday feeling a little bit longer.
I need to do something about the colour of my hair, the blue has faded since the start of the holidays, just in time for back to school, but I'm not happy with this grey, there's no shine to it.
I've had to sell my Cup ticket back to the club for the match against Brentford on Tuesday due to family commitments.
It was nearly a blues day all round after going behind and a disallowed goal, but we managed to pull back an equaliser in the dying minutes.
As it was a lovely day I opted to walk back into town rather than catch the 1875 bus and I noticed just how colourful the area was.
I've carried on taking photos of colourful things this week for my One Daily Positive and Project 365.
The rest of the weekend and week has been spent with the grandchildren, rearranging appointments, booking hotels for my upcoming Ultra Marathon next month and the London Marathon In April 2027. Getting files up to date for going back to work next week. Football tickets have been bought to take our great nephew to watch Barry Town, letters have been written and birthday cards sent and 101 photos have been uploaded onto Vinted and all this productivity and family time has lifted the Blues and things are looking a lot brighter and more colourful.
