How embarrassing. My girlfriends and I were having a lovely morning, coffee and orange juice blended with catching up on everyone’s movements around the world all set of to perfection through being able to watch the passing parade of pretty young things looking gorgeous in the latest fashions. Long legs, short skirts and flat tummies although as one of us commented, ‘she’ll look just like us one day!’ And we all did look like that once.

It wasn’t until a couple of hours later when R texted me apologising for not paying for the coffee and juice that I realised I had also done a runner leaving the F & S to pay our share. I couldn’t believe I had been so vague as to forget such an obvious thing but when one of my friends said to blame it on a senior moment I began to wonder whether my forgetfulness was a sign of menopause. So I googled memory loss and menopause and if I wasn’t confused before I am now. It seems that according to some writers I can blame a lot on menopause including temporary memory loss and forgetfulness whilst other sites indicate that this isn’t a symptom of hormonal imbalance at all.  Determined not to let this happen again I wondered how I could avoid being so vague and it seems that with a couple of simple activities this problem can be alleviated.

Sleep 8 hours a day sounds so easy but I cannot remember doing this since I was about 18 years old. If you aren’t having sex at that age, you are dreaming about it, then along come three children, mortgages, a husband who goes through employment and midlife problems, divorce, teenage children, and unemployment. There may have been a few years when there wasn’t something happening in my life to intrude on my sleep but I could count the years on my fingers. Unless I resort to drugs I still wake up at 3 am with my heart thumping and feeling hot all over. Sleeping tablets are an option but from previous experience I tend to adversely react and become completely zonked out for about 48 hours.

Activate the brain was another puzzling piece of advice as once I am awake at 3 am there isn’t much to do but lie there thinking about replanting my garden, putting a pool in and renovating my kitchen and bathroom. This is much more fun than counting sheep and I never seem to empty the bank balance.

Eating well is easy particularly as I found a site that recommended coffee to activate the brain and chocolate for well being so there is no excuse not to have that espresso and after-dinner chocolate with a whiskey thrown in for good measure.

Lastly reduce stress is laughable when at the moment I am coping with removalists and packers on both sides of the world, negotiating with suppliers of telecommunications, gas, power and water in the UK and Australia in addition to pacifying a husband who hates the thought of returning to Australia with no sign of employment for himself or me.

None of the above options either appeal or are possible so I have decided to follow the advice contained in my photo; I am going to look for a good bar, order a glass of champagne and watch the roses grow which in this part of the world are looking particularly stunning due to the glorious spring weather we are experiencing.