Is that a known acronym, ‘OLLI’, or have I just made it up I wonder?

I’m so sick and tired of rain and wind. Is it normally this wet in the winter in UK? I can’t recall to be honest. Dark and gloomy yes. But this dampness feels unrelenting.

A Sunny Interlude Approaches

On the bright side, in only four sleeps I’m going to Barbados. Along with three treasured ‘old’ school friends we’ve planned this celebration for a couple of years, ecstatically happy that we’ve all achieved the magnificent age of 60 and still (mostly!) feeling sensational. Our dear friend Kate died at the age of 40. We’re always mindful of how short life can be. OLLI.

Our chosen destination reminds me of the jolly, catchy tune from 1975 by Typically Tropical ‘Woh! I’m going to Barbados’. We’d decided a couple of years ago when we planned our adventure that we wanted to go somewhere none of us had been before. That turned out to be tougher than it sounds I can tell you!

If you’ve not heard the song, here’s a treat for you …

However the absolute BEST version of the song I found is the one below – with Pans People ‘dancing’. I use the term quite loosely. It seems my memory of their movements being cool, and the reality, are rather different. I highly doubt they’d be allowed to ‘perform’ like this today, it’s a little risqué – there’d be outrage! Maybe the four of us will do an impression of their exhibition. Hopefully not. But as we’re ‘All Inclusive’, after a few cocktails anything’s possible …

Movie Mania

I spent nine days and nights with Lisa and our grandsons in the February half term holidays. Such gorgeous boys, full of character and bundles of energy. When I’m with them I’m grateful I had my daughters when I was young. Lisa was born in 1976, a year after the Typically Tropical song. In those days I could’ve got away with dancing on stage in a scanty bikini, I had the physique for it! Not so now. Much as I love the boys, being 60 I can’t deny that my energy levels aren’t what they used to be by a long way.

I’ve watched many movies with them over the past couple of weeks. There’s been visits to the splendid Storyhouse in Chester. ‘Spies in Disguise‘, and ‘Doolittle‘. Both brilliant films I loved as much as they did! We watched lots at Lisa’s too – this dreadful weather makes it difficult to play outside, and there’s only so many outings to do as they’re so costly.

In each movie I was mindful of messages and morals. Am I alone doing this? I also enjoy picking up the hidden ‘adult’ humour that passes the boys by. It’s even easier to do when certain films are watched more than once – a frequent occurrence!

Here’s a selection of hidden meanings that stood out for me:

• Jumanji: welcome to the jungle (2017). I’ve never watched the original film so wasn’t sure what it was about. It took a while to work out what was happening, but once I did I found it fascinating. My favourite was around the three strip tattoos each ‘player’ has at the start of the game. They soon realise what they mean when one them is eaten alive by a Rhino. Then returns – minus one life. The classic line revolves around one of the characters being afraid to take a risk because he had ‘only’ one life left. Hmmm, that’s all we get folks! One life live it I say. OLLI.
• Another cool movie that I’ve previously watched was The Simpson’s Movie (2007) – Homer ‘accidentally’ pollutes a whole town which then gets shut off and threatened with extermination. In the nick of time, he realises what’s important in life and saves the day. For me the moral was showing that none of us are perfect. We’re often thoughtless and selfish. Importantly, our actions have consequences that can affect the lives of many. Wake up and think about what you’re doing day-to-day and consider long-term effects.
• Monsters University (2013) – Another one I’ve watched before but enjoyed regardless. Lots of great messages in this one. When you look around there’s so many shapes, sizes, and shades of people. In the current political and educational climate (the pressure on kids to ‘perform’ nowadays is astronomical and ruining their lives), I could really relate to this. From time immemorial, different qualities have been needed to make a team and change things for the better. I loved ‘Belbin’s Team Roles‘ when I was studying management and leadership. I think I was a ‘Shaper’or an ‘Implementer’! Working together with the different strengths and weaknesses, means we’re more likely to succeed than going it alone. Focus on a goal, work hard, be persistent, admit defeat – but don’t give up and try new methods.

It’s been a delight to be so close by to our grandsons since November. The benefits of being able to stay in one mooring for up to 14 days over the winter has made it possible.

A Bit Of A Boating Update

Having been meandering along the cut between Tattenhall and Chester now since November, it’s time to move further afield. While I’m away in Barbados next week Barry will be moving us to Nantwich.

We’re then heading slowly north west to Liverpool where we’ve booked a passage through to the South Docks. It’s one of the few places on the Inland waterways we’ve yet to experience. Our closest was trading at the IWA Eldonian Festival in June 2016. We had a brief look at Liverpool then, but as soon as the festival was over we cruised quickly to our next trading event at Middlewich FAB.

It’ll be an amazing experience to go to Liverpool by boat, and I’m sure we’ll have a few visitors while there:

“Following a £22 million facelift, the canal link opened to boats in April 2009 and extends from Stanley Dock Lock Flight on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal via Albert Dock to the South Docks. This stretch of canal travels along the city’s historic waterfront passing museums, restaurants and galleries making it a great option for a family day out. The canal also passes many listed buildings on its route into Liverpool including the photogenic Three Graces.”

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/liverpool-canal-link

We’re certainly going to be doing our best to live this one life well, as long as we are fit enough to 😉