Monday 21 July 2008


Have to start with a picture, here's the children's favourite meal - jambalaya - cooked in my latest car boot treasure. You'll either love it or hate it!


Claire tagged me about a week ago with the following :: write a letter to yourself at 13. After reading Claire's fantastic and very funny letter I was, to be honest, a bit daunted. But here goes :

Dear Julia,

You're now older than your mum, and you'll never believe how quickly the journey here has been. It won't seem like five minutes since you were sitting in your Laura Ashley bedroom, listening to Paul Young and gazing at the ugly bloke from Depeche Mode adorning your walls.

With 40 fast approaching you'll find yourself in the midst of the most contented time of your life. Casting off all the insecurities of your twenties you'll enter into motherhood in your thirtieth year (no party then!) and finally find the "career" that has eluded you so far. It won't be highly paid, fast paced or earth shattering but it will bring your more satisfaction, happiness and fulfilment than any bonus ever could. Enjoy your midday lie-ins, they'll become a thing of the past, as will going to the toilet alone and leaving the house in less than an hour.

Give up now on the "Princess Diana" haircut, it does nothing for you and the amount of hairspray you're using will be contributing to global warming (don't worry, you'll soon be learning about that). A healthy diet does not consist of chunky Milky Bars and chipsticks. Appreciate what you've got and know that you'll never be a size 10 again, but also that you won't particularly care.

Try not to get too upset if the Valentines postie at school never delivers that huge cardboard card from Sean in the second year, by your mid twenties you'll have had your fair share of boyfriends and you'll have forgotten all about him. In the summer of '96 a man sporting a rather suspect purple and jade green fleece will laugh his way into your heart at your first meeting. 12 volatile but happy years later he will still make you laugh and look after you like no-one else could.

Friendships will come and go. You'll learn that some women never actually leave the school playground. Let them go and instead concentrate on the steadfast ones, those with whom you share your highs and lows, your tears and laughter, those who make you a better person, the ones you couldn't imagine life without.

One of your greatest pleasures will be your home. Just as it is now, it will be a bolthole, stuffed with your ever expanding collection of other peoples' cast offs, a place full of laughter, noise, tantrums and eighties music.

Try to understand your parents and their concerns about your whereabouts, their hopes and fears and their expectations. The screaming fits won't change anything and it will all become very clear later in life and you'll repeat the whole experience with your own children, but they won't have the freedom you do.

You'll still recognise yourself at nearly 40, there'll be a few more lines, and your skin won't quite exude that healthy glow without a bit of help, but overall you'll do. All around you women (and some men) will be injecting themselves with toxins, waxing away all body hair and lifting, removing and tucking in various bits of their bodies but you'll embrace you late thirties, with its' receding gums, grey hairs and wobbly tum and laugh your way through it, looking forward to the next 25 years!

love from Julia


Now I have to nominate some blogging pals so it's going to be Lucy, Fiona, Steph and Carol. Over to you ladies, if you feel like it..........


I'll end with a few shots of our French holiday which feels like a million years ago. I didn't have a chance to tell you much about it but one of the highlights was a trip to Honfleur, just looking at these houses made me want to move there..............


See you all later in the week............

20 comments:

Mippie said...

That is, by far, the best tag I've ever read! What a wonderful exercise and so true! xo-Mel

LinenandRoses said...

Great letter and thanks for the tag! I'll give it a go. Honfleur looks lovely. My Mum and Dad are going there at the beginning of September.

Locket Pocket said...

What a lovely letter - I really enjoyed reading it! Lucy x

Kristy said...

I love the casserole.In fact I was tempted to bid on a cake tin in the same design http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=120285399115&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:VRI the seller has a few other matching pieces too.

trash said...

Well, we LOVE jambalya but I'm reserving judgement on your now buy ;-)

French Knots said...

What a lovely letter, Paul Young has just been on the radio and it made me all nostalgic for my youth.
Love the casserole dish!

Betty said...

What a wonderful, wonderful letter to yourself. It seems that you are lucky indeed! To be happy and satisfied with yourself is worth all the riches in the world.

Miss sew n sew said...

Your letter was great really well written it's funny how things change!!You sound very full filled and happy with life!
Sarahx

pink-petal-designs said...

Lovely letter, and i love your pot too.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful letter! So well written and funny too. love the cooking pot!

JuicyFig said...

wow! what an excellent letter, and such a fab idea, got me thinking about my own teen years now...EEEK!

Kath
x

Lina said...

Excellent letter! I had a life sized Paul Young poster (from "Jackie" - does that magazine still exist?!) on my door which was so regularly "snogged" (ahem, using the correct terminology of that era of course) his mouth eventually disappeared he he!! Now off for a nose around the rest of your blog...

Ragged Roses said...

What a wonderful letter! A lovely read. I remember going to see Paul Young in concert!
Kimx

claire Maraldo said...

You did well girl!

That was a delight to read.

gotta get on with the tag you sent me. Oh why am i so crap?

My mum had that saucepan.

Anonymous said...

Loved the letter,...hmmm Lady Di hair, mine went delightfully with my 'train-track' braces :)

Kate in Tassiexx

Brierley + Clover said...

Julia, that letter is fantastic! Is it too cheeky to say I'd love to see a pic of your Lady Di hair? ;)

Thanks so much for your finger crossing too - it really does help :)

Jade x

Cowboys and Custard Mercantile said...

I applaud this post and your charming letter...
You really jogged my memory with your letter and the photos of Honfleur.. I stayed near there in the village of Pierrefitte en Auge some years ago and spent a few hours in this lovely little Normandy town..

Michele.
P.s Thank you for your 3 comments Julia.. and for your kind offer of help.. all you will need is a pinny and a good pouring arm!

Debbies-English-Treasures said...

That "letter" was so lovely to read...
Thanks for sharing!
Kisses Kisses
Debbie
xxx

Garden Girl said...

Brilliant Tag, really enjoyed it. Love the enamel pot as well!!! x

Carol said...

Oh gosh Julia I have so much to catch up on! I am in a panic now.....where to start.
Well I love that little honey pot -still!
The photos of France are wonderful...another place I must visit...we are hoping to do a trip to France and Italy in the camper next year!!!
Your letter is excellent - big tick for you there miss.....I will have to think and sleep on this tag.
Carol xx