And start really living.

When you look at that pumpkin you might think, ‘oh what fun that must have been!’ WRONG. It was potentially enjoyable for the first few scoops, but then I remembered how much I hated doing this every year-the mess, those dratted seeds, that slimy pulp. The worst thing about it is the staggeringly good pictures of everyone else’s. Anyway, my daughter was happy so I’m happy.

Two people, when I asked round, got close to what the pumpkin was supposed to be, and I promised to write this for them. It only took me a few minutes to know what to say because, as I see it, neither of them are ‘that’ll do’ people. They are kitchen disco, night swimming  go-getters.

I met someone a few months ago who was diagnosed with MS around the same time as me. She asked me if I let it keep me back, and then told me she always did too much before she stopped. She fell doing the gardening and landed with her head on the bag of compost. Her husband came over and said “now was that a deliberate choice or…?!” She is not a ‘that’ll do’ person either.

Recently I discovered that I am a ‘spoonie’, that is, a chronically ill person who has to be very wise about conserving their energy, always remembering how much they’ve still got to do in a day.  But, as I was spooning out that pumpkin I realised something-  I need to be extravagant with the times and people that matter the most.

The other insignificant spoonfuls can wait.