Cigarettes, chocolate, cocaine? No....

I'm addicted to Hoseasons.

I'd always associated holidays more closely with St Lucia than St Albans so, when I had kids, it came as a bit of a shock to find myself booking a UK cottage holiday.

Seven years on, my relationship with the great British cottage holiday is similar to that of an addict to her drug of choice. I am slightly embarrassed by it. I hide it from my husband. I rarely speak of it. But I spend most of my spare time thinking about it, searching it out and buying it. And I regularly overstretch myself to afford it (especially when I treat myself to a National Trust property - the purest high and oh so worth it).

But, sadly, getting the fix I crave is rarely easy.

Take this week. I need to book a weekend close enough to Legoland to satisfy a bribe being cashed in by Kid#1, but near Guildford. Simples. I shall find my perfect cottage in Surrey. Er, no I won't.

One problem is, regardless of which website you think you are on, soon enough you'll realise it's another Hoseasons white label. So, as you fly around the internet typing in 'family cottages', 'unusual properties', 'holiday lets', you still end up looking at the same places.

My search is not helped by my poor geography. I may be able to pinpoint all the states of America, but ask me how Stratford-upon-Avon relates to Bristol and I'm stumped. And so the fun continues as I seek out a pretty three bed, with availability, and a saintly owner who will do me the huge favour of letting us stay less than seven nights. How generous.

Four hours later, I have travelled a virtual world from Godalming to Dunstable, and journeyed past somewhere called Biggleswade. I have stared at dots on Google maps til my eyes bleed. I have considered squeezing us all into a one bedroom flat. I have thought of inviting local millionaires to come with us so we can afford a barn conversion. I have cursed my addiction, thrown the iPad at the cat, and in one moment of extreme desperation, even Googled 'Landmark Trust'. Don't be ridiculous, those places DON'T HAVE TELLIES.

Story about Crazy Love

It was 6.pm in the evening. Almost every worker was getting set to leave the office after a hectic day. Noise of chatting workers was heard throughout the company’s complex. Everyone was happy that the working day had come and gone. As the evening was gradually giving way for eerie darkness, most workers had left, and reduced was the silence.

At the extreme of the office of Accounts was a very beautiful, slim, elegantly dressed lady with long dark hairs neatly rolled as a bond on the gap of her head. She had just finished with her work and was leaving for home too. She strode to the outside car park where her brand new and latest model of Toyota Camry was parked. As she inserted the key into the door key lock, an attractive and gorgeously dressed young man walked to her.

‘Hi pretty’ the gentleman greeted with a smooth smile.
‘Hi’ Nancy reciprocated reluctantly trying to remember if she has ever met the young man before.
‘I know you are trying to remember if you have ever met me before’, Am I right?’ the gentleman teased.

‘May be you are right, but please who are you and why did you decide to talk to me?’ Nancy enquired gently. Nancy who although looked a bit embarrassed by the stranger, however, could not look down on his charming face and romantic approach. What is this guy up to? She thought.

The more the stranger smiled at her the more she felt like something within her was trying to draw her to him. She tried as much as to ignore his smooth smile, but the stranger kept smiling as if he could read what was in her mind and knew how she felt.

‘I’m Kevin’ he introduced himself. Nancy felt like she should not tell him her name for sake of fear, but she couldn’t just resist any thing about him.
‘Hum… I’m Nancy’ she said shyly.

‘It’s my pleasure meeting you, Nancy’

‘It’s my pleasure too’
‘I understand how you feel. Perhaps I got you at a wrong time’ Kevin apologized.

‘Oh no! I’m okay’ she countered.

‘By the way how did you notice me and came to this place? She interrogated gently.

‘Love and destiny’ he answered smiling.

‘What do you mean? Nancy enquired.

‘I’ve been a secret admirer for over four days’. He admitted.

‘Don’t tell me you are teasing me’ Nancy said.
‘Nancy I’m not teasing you. I’m serious and besides you are beautiful and I love you’ Kevin flattered.
‘Thank you for the compliments, but I think you are taking the discussion too far. We have just met and we have not known each other well and you are talking of a relationship already?’ Nancy spoke diplomatically.
I’d just come out of a relationship having shattered emotions and my life torn into pieces, but I just can’t resist Kevin. He’s handsome, oratical, charming and besides there is something about him that sends fire within my being she thought. Nancy felt like flinging herself into his arms and at the same time thought of not being seen as cheap.

However, she was on fire.
‘Nancy, I don’t truly need that long protocol. I know what I want. There is something special about you that I like. And I strongly believe you are the woman of my life’ Kevin said seriously.

‘I hope you are not flattering me’

‘No, Nancy, I ‘m in love with you. Beautiful and very intelligent girls like you deserve love and care, and not games. Please let me show you love and how caring I’m’ Kevin entreated. Nancy’s heart began to beat faster. She felt like she had just won a jackpot worth millions of dollars.

‘Well in as much as I would want us to have a relationship, nevertheless, I need some time to think over it’

‘No problem. You can give yourself time as much as you want to think’ Kevin replied. ‘Okay! Please I got to go home now. Where do you live so that I could give you a ride’ she pleaded with him.

‘Thanks Nancy, I’ve come with my car. That’s it parked over the other side of the road’ He explained. Kevin gave Nancy his card and received hers too. Nancy got into her car bade him farewell and drove home.

Kevin departed for his own car too. Driving home, Nancy was betwixt fear and joy ‘Am I doing the right thing? I’ve just come out of a relationship and here am I dying already for a man I know nothing about. But I’m beginning to like … to love him. He’s just irresistible. I know Damien cheated on me after we had been in love for two years. Ah! Some men could be heartless. Oh my God, I just don’t know how to turn Kevin down. May be I should give him a chance. Who knows what the future holds for anybody. He might turn being the prince charming I’ve always dreamt of, she told herself. As soon as Nancy got home she called Kevin to let him know that she has consented and wouldn’t mind to develop a relationship with him. Kevin invited her to dine with him at one luxurious restaurant the following evening. Nancy honored his invitation and they enjoyed themselves.

‘Nancy, how did you see this place? Do you like it?’ Kevin asked.

‘Yeah, it’s great here!’ She replied.
‘Nancy, I’m glad you came and most importantly you are giving me a chance to show you my love.’ He appreciated.

‘Please don’t tell me that you don’t have any girl in your life,’
She enquired.

‘I had one a year ago. I loved her and I was very committed to her in a relationship that lasted over a year. We had plans to marry and we were already working on it when she suddenly left me for a guy she said was her first love in college years ago. That’s how our relationship was broken’ Kevin narrated.
‘How did you carry on with your life? Didn’t you have another girl in your life since then? Nancy enquired curiously.

‘No, I felt cheated and I promised myself never to get involved into any serious relationship until I met you yesterday’ Kevin explained.
‘Since you’ve met me now what makes you think you will not treat me casually.’ She queried.

‘I have just learnt that love has two facets. We have the good side and the crazy side. Nancy, please believe me, I’m in for a genuine love. I want to marry you’ Kevin implored.

Even though Nancy was secretly pleased with the idea of marriage, however, she had some reservations because she thought Kevin was too fast about everything and that she needed more time to study him and know if they were compatible.

‘Kevin, don’t you think you are too fast about this? However, I have just come out of a relationship and I’m afraid to develop one, not even soon’ Nancy explained in a tone that indicated she was worried.

‘Please Nancy tell me your story’ Kevin begged.

‘Oh Kevin, it is such a bad experience I never like to remember. Please could we discuss something else’ she implored.

Kevin grabbed her two hands to comfort and reassure her of his love.

‘Nancy, I truly sympathize with you. However, you must carry on. Life must continue. Please look into my eyes. We both have had similar experiences. We were truly out for love and in love, unfortunately with the wrong persons. Now those fates have brought us together I think we could make it up with each other for good. Nancy, believe me we can make it together. Please let’s give ourselves the chance’ Kevin persuaded.

Kevin’s discourse reassured Nancy and lit up her emotions. She felt like someone who had just resurrected from death.

‘Kevin, I think you are right. Life must continue. Our past experiences have just taught us great lessons. I wouldn’t mind to give you my heart, my love, my life. You are the great miracle that had just happened to me. You’ve brought me out of my confusion and nightmare – you have resurrected my dead emotions and romantic prowess. I had vowed never to fall again in love with any man. But you came and spoke to my wounded heart and bruised life. Yes, I believe you Kevin; yes I believe we can make it together’ Nancy declared sobbing.

Kevin noticed that Nancy was sobbing and that her eyes were gradually filled with tears. He stood and held her tight to himself.

‘Nancy, I love you and I promise you’ll never regret about this day.’ Kevin comforted and promised.

‘I love you Kevin’ Nancy uttered. Kevin and Nancy left the restaurant for home. One the way Kevin informed Nancy about his company’s board meeting trip to UK scheduled for the following day.
‘Honey, I’ll travel tomorrow to U.K for a board meeting and will be back in five days. Please I’m sorry that I did not inform you all this while’ he informed and apologized.

‘Okay, no problem, I’ll wait for you. It’s just that I’m going to miss you so much’ she said calmly.
‘Yeah, I know. I’m going to miss you too. But we’ll make it up as soon as I’m back’ Kevin comforted her.

Kevin traveled to UK for the board meeting. Upon arrival at his hotel he gave Nancy a call and she felt no much loneliness. Two days after Kevin had traveled, Nancy began to experience fever and weakness in her body. She went to a hospital for medical check up and was told by the doctor that she was pregnant of a month and two days.
‘My young lady the test conducted shows that you are pregnant of a month and two days. Congratulations’ the doctor said gladly.
‘Please doctor did you say I’m pregnant?’ she asked anxiously.
‘Yes, you heard me right. Are you not happy that you are pregnant and that you will soon become a happy mother?’ the doctor interrogated gently.

‘I’m doctor, but but … Nancy stammered.

Nancy stood up and left for home.
On the way she worried and thought greatly. ‘Oh my God, I’m pregnant for Damien. I must do something fast or else Kevin will know about it. The only solution to this is to abort the child. But I’m afraid; it might complicate my health or endanger my life. But I can’t afford to lose Kevin too for anything. Oh my God, please help me I’m confused’ Nancy worried greatly. Nancy could not abort the child. She worried all day and it made her look like someone sick. It was evident to all. Kevin returned from trip and noticed Nancy’s sudden change of appearance.

‘Honey, you’ve grown too tiny. I hope it is not because of my trip’ Kevin teased.
Nancy didn’t reciprocate. She was too quiet and it raised a greater concern to Kevin. ‘Honey you have been too calm since I came back. Is anything the matter? Please tell me?’ Kevin interrogated gently.

‘No honey, I’m all right? She replied calmly.

‘But you don’t look happy and besides you’ve lost some weight’ Kevin enquired.
“Honey, I’m afraid to lose you. I don’t want to lose you’ Nancy cried resting on his chest. She burst in tears. Her statements raised more concern.
‘Honey, why do you say you don’t want to lose me? You can’t lose me, you. I love you’ He reassured her.

‘Kevin, I don’t want to lose you. Please I don’t want to lose you’ she repeated and cried.

‘Please tell me what the issue is and I promise you will not lose me. I’ll help you’ He promised.

‘Honey, I’m, I’m, I’m pregnant’ Nancy opened up in tears.
‘How do you mean? I haven’t made love to you yet. How come you are pregnant? This is certainly not from me’. He declared sternly.

Nancy was on her kneels and in great tears. ‘Please get up and explain to me this pregnancy.’ He queried.

‘Kevin, two days after you traveled I felt a bit feverish. I went to the hospital and the doctor told me I was pregnant of a month and two days. It dawned on me that I was pregnant for Damien. Since that day till you came back from the trip I have worried myself to death not knowing what to do next. The thought of abortion came to my mind, but I didn’t want to do it. I was afraid’ she narrated.
‘Abortion! Please don’t do it. This child has come to stay. Have you let Damien know about it?’ he interrogated sympathetically.

‘No Kevin. I was confused and dying. I thought of what you and he might say. I was afraid the outcome would be disastrous. Though I may not have done the right thing, however out of confusion, I felt keeping it to myself was the best idea until you came and woke me up out of my insomnia’ Nancy lamented.

‘Alright, to me, getting rid of the child isn’t the best idea. I think we should give him a chance to life’. I wouldn’t mind to father him. I think we should plan our wedding now. That’s the only way you and the child won’t lose me’ Kevin exhorted.

‘No, Kevin, No, this is not right. Please you can’t assume this fatherly responsibility just like that. I think it’s time we parted ways. I can’t stand living with you and bearing in me a child that is not yours. I can’t stand this reproach, this shame’ Nancy regretted.

‘Nancy, I love you whether with the child or not. This is certainly a great mistake; however, there is room for correction and a second chance. By the way, let’s assume there was an accident that caused a disability to your physique would I have stopped to love you? Would we have parted ways? Listen to me; I may not be doing what will seem good to other people’s eyes, however, I love you. Nothing can quench love, not even many waters’. He exhorted.

‘Kevin, thank you for accepting me just as I’m. I’m grateful and I shall never forget this day’ Nancy appreciated.

‘Nancy, I have just learnt something new again. The scope and depth of love is yet fully assessed. Love is very deep and no man can fully decipher its mysteries. Nevertheless, I’ve made up my mind and I’ll marry you. We must go and see your parents for the wedding arrangements’ Kevin declared.

Kevin and Nancy got wedded within a month. The lived happily. Nancy gave birth to the child and had three other children for him.

The End!

Why Use A Love Spell? You Do Not Need Crazy Love

Love is a feeling which you have little or no control over. It has made many people commit suicide, sell plots of land and remain bankrupt. It makes most people to behave in an abnormal manner. To the people around them they act stupid but to themselves they are only responding to some queer forces. Extreme crazy love is usually associated with love spells. A love spell is dangerous because it is like your life stands still and all that is important is the other person. It becomes endless love. This is usually used by people who their love is un reciprocated. It is a bad feeling to love somebody who does not love you back. It can even cause a bad heart disease. Love spells are also used in revenge missions. I have heard of married women who have used love spells on their promiscuous drunkard husbands in a trial to tame them.

People who are subjected to love spells become real slaves of the other partners. In most cases, no amount of verbal abuse or even physical abuse that is enough to make the love disappear. The endless love cannot be easily reverted and it mostly calls for intervention from friends and relatives. It is the extreme form of crazy love. I once read a story about a girl who was subjected to a love spell when she was sixteen years old. The amount of audacity and courage she explained left my mouth agape. She used to escape from school at the middle of the night, jump over electric fences amidst much darkness and run over the bushes only to have a glance at a teenage boy.

Love spells blind your eye in such a way that you are not responsive to any amount of mistreatment. She used to be beaten over a small quarrel and she even miscarried. Her mother was very touched that she had to save her from the hands of death. She got her a school far away from the bustard and her life continued. What disappointed me was her confession that she still had love feeling towards the guy but she restrains herself. This means that love which is influenced by a spell is endless love. It is very unfair to see someone struggling to free herself from crazy love and yet she can't.

Crazy love is very disturbing especially if you do not need it. Love spells are known to mess people's lives. There should be a social court where such offenders are judged and persecuted. Love should come from within without any external forces. That is the real true love which you should celebrate. It does not feel good to be loved by someone because you had to use a love spell on her. You live feeling guilty since endless love will haunt her for a life time. It is not possible to revert the already done damage. Be patient with life and with the advent of dating sites you will find love so effortlessly.

How to Show a Man You Love Him? 7 Really Good Ways You Can Use to Show Your Affection

Sometimes it can be the easiest thing in the world to show a man that you love him and yet the most difficult especially if you don't have a clue how to go about it! Here are some simple yet very effective tips that can make your man sure that you adore him from the bottom of your heart.

Be faithful to your promises and vows
Don't be the type of woman who forgets all about the vows and promises she made to her man after she manages to hook him! He will feel used and betrayed if he finds out that you are a woman who cannot keep her word. If you make sure that you have integrity and loyalty towards him - he will not doubt your love for him.

Accept his faults and shortcomings
If you love him then you will accept him just the way he is. You will understand and accept his flaws and shortcomings. He will know that you really care when he finds that you are forgiving and loving towards him instead of being critical and judgmental in every way.

Be ready to make changes
One of the best ways to show him that you love him is to be ready to make the necessary changes that will help the relationship. If you realize that your faults and bad attitudes are responsible for jeopardizing the relationship and you are willing to do whatever is needed to save it, then it will prove to him that you love him and don't want to lose him.

Don't have too many expectations
Don't have too many strict laws, standards and expectations. The poor guy will not be able to come up to them and always feel intimidated and insecure. He will begin to resent the fact that he is "below par" if he does not satisfy you in any way. Instead be accommodating and compatible.

Be selfless and giving right through
The secret of a successful relationship is sharing. If you are willing to be utterly selfless and giving without expecting anything in return, it will make him confident of your love. In fact, your attitude will reflect your personality and character and prompt him to be as loving and sincere as you are.

Be completely faithful and loyal to him
Ask any man and he will tell you that fidelity is one of the biggest priorities of a relationship. No man can be happy with a woman who cheats on her partner. If you are faithful and prove it time and time again, he will know that you are sincerely in love with him.

Give him time
A man is only truly happy when he gets attention and loving from the woman he loves. If he is neglected or ignored in any way, he will start to look for attention somewhere else! If you are careful to make him feel wanted, appreciated and loved - you can be sure that he will recognize your feelings of love for him.

How to Love Life Again

When change happens, we do not always know how to deal with it. That is especially true with death. Losing someone or something we love, e.g. a spouse, a child, a friend, a pet, or perhaps even your job can be very difficult. Life changes in ways we may never have contemplated. When this happens, and it will happen to everybody sometime in their lives, how do we deal with all the emotions? How do we move on with our own lives? How do we begin to love life again?

Below are five steps to begin that process.

STEP 1: You Can Do It
The first step is to acknowledge the possibility that you can make it through whatever difficulties you face. While grief consists of five distinct stages, very few people will go through those stages one after the other. You might experience them one by one or several at the same time. People process grief in their own time and in their own way. What does this mean for you? Well, it means that you may acknowledge you can make it through moment by moment over and over again.

STEP 2: Feel Your Emotions
Really feel them, then reach for the emotion that is just one step lighter than what you are feeling now, e.g. one step lighter than fear, grief, depression, despair, and powerlessness are insecurity, guilt, and unworthiness. Now that may not seem any better and yet step by step you will begin to feel a little bit better. This does not occur overnight, but it does happen.

STEP 3: Find the Music
Make room in your life to include music that feeds your soul. Include music that lets you express your anger, your depression, your giddiness, or whatever emotion you are feeling at the moment. Especially good is laughter. You know the kind: the cheek hurting, belly aching bellow of laughter, the kind that brings tears to your eyes. When it is over, it is a relief just to stop laughing! Ahhh....

STEP 4: Go for the Support
Reach out to someone who will support you. This may not be who you expect. You just might find a very special friend by venturing out to others. Go out for lunch or dinner. Spend hours on the phone talking about all kinds of things. Find someone who will let you talk as much as you need, someone who will really listen. Another form of support to consider is Hospice. Look them up in your local phone book. They have an incredible amount of knowledge and support available.

STEP 5: Dare to dream.
Imagine your world the way you would like it to be in the future and write it down. Then take one action every day towards that dream. On some days the action you take may be as simple as reading your dreams over and over again. And, remember, it is okay if your dreams keep changing. If the step you take today does not feel right, well, then change directions and take just one more step. What is most important is that you do take one action step toward the future that you choose.

These five steps are really very simple, but I will guarantee you that they are not always easy. I will also guarantee that you are worth every beautiful step you take towards your dream.

Being Crazy in Love

Unknowingly, we often put an imaginary wall in between our perfect partner and ourselves, thinking that this is the only way that we can get protected from pain. While inside this makeshift bubble, we ask ourselves, "What does it really take to be in love?" After reading all Shakespearean sonnets and memorizing all the love songs in the radio, the same grueling question still reverberates in our minds. Yet in truth, the answer is simple and it only relies on our choices.

Let loose. Unfetter your inhibitions and welcome all the feelings that love has to offer. Sometimes, we are constricting ourselves with that perfect concept of finding the one and possibly lifting ourselves up from single life. We have our personal ideal concepts of the perfect marriage, the best Valentines date, the preeminent soul mate and the ultimate boyfriend.

We engross ourselves with too much poetry and disguise that we forget how "luv" used to be dangerous and fun. Being crazy in love makes all the difference in the world of passion and romance. Yes, fairytales do present visions of perfection in princes and dukes, but in reality, you can find more ardor and desire in the boy next door or the tattooed guy on the motorcycle. Erase all your reticence and fear and let go of something that puts you away from possible relationships. Take a risk and be free of prospects and anticipation. Once you do all these, you'd be surprised as to how love can be so endearing and enlightening so long as you receive it with open arms.

Keeping Love Healthy with Money Problems

Money may not everything, but it also isn’t just anything. It helps us not only to survive, but also allows us to enjoy other luxuries and do many enjoyable things with the ones we love. Money also gives us the strength and confidence to chase after our dreams and assists us in making them come true.

When money is short such as in the credit crunch and debt is involved however, it can affect your romantic relationship, no matter how much you and your partner may love each other. This is because when you go from a life of comfort to a life of struggle and unwanted change, it creates stress for everyone involved and patience can be short. When patience is short, it causes people to be easily annoyed with each other and they tend to snap at each other quickly due to all the worries on their mind.

Can money problems and a credit crunch ruin a good romantic connection? It can- but it doesn’t have to! With all the financial trouble out there today, it is very likely you will find yourself in some money trouble sooner or later. Naturally, both you and your partner are going to feel concerned and stressed out about it, and that’s okay. The only important effort you both need to make is to do whatever it takes to avoid turning on each other and playing blame games, and instead work together love creditin taking care of your financial situation. As unpleasant as it may be, you both will have to make certain changes in order to keep your heads above water until your situation improves. This includes budgeting on things you never had to before and finding less expensive ways to enjoy life.

Work together in finding romantic things to do together that cost less. It is essential that you keep your romance alive and healthy during rough times and not allow money obstacles to tear you and your love apart. Tackle your money problems together, but do not neglect your love life. Make dates to do something nice together that will not out a strain on any of your wallets. For example, you can reserve a certain night for “movie night”, rent some movies and cuddle on the couch together with some sweet snacks. You could also cook up a romantic dinner at home, or go out for dinner and come home for dessert. There are many things you can do- the point is to be attentive to your relationship and not get drowned in your money worries. There is time to work on finances and time to enjoy your relationship. Your passion for each other should not go on hold and there is no need to turn against each other, because this is something you both can tackle and conquer together- as a loving couple.

Things to Remember:

How you felt about each other when you first fell in love and focus on why you love each other in the first place

* Remember how supportive you both were of each other when things were going well. It is time to now supportive of each other through struggling times too.
* Remember that it takes two to keeps things good or to make them go sour. Team work is the key!
* Always be open to listen to one another, even if you do not always agree. Ignoring things, blaming each other or closing up to what the other has to say will not make your money problems go away and could actually make it worse in more ways than one.
* Tackle this together and come up with a plan you both like to help you both get back on track.

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