Where growing, making & good living come together

In my life

Posted by on Monday 23 January 2012 in meta | 0 comments

I have a giant to-do list today – work stuff, voluntary work stuff and stuff at home – so I think I need a brief take-stock breather :)

Outside my window is just so lovely right now. It has been raining on and off all morning but right now there’s bright sunshine, an equally bright blue sky and the bottle-green leaves of the holly bush are shining. Someone really supped up the colour levels out there today.

I am thinking about the mega to-do list of doom, about new projects & old stalwarts and how I’m going to make something fun & geeky in a few days when my Fimo order arrives :) I am also thinking about the pack of sweet cicely seeds I randomly found in my desk last week – whether it’s too late to plant them now or whether I should give it a go.

I am thankful that John’s bad back – which has left him pretty much unable to move since Friday – seems to be getting better.

From the kitchen, we just had a bit of a random “what have we got in the cupboard/fridge?” lunch but we’re having a perfectly wintery beany beef stew for tea (our version of this, with cornbread, because mmm, cornbread!) and we had these lemon-garlic chicken thighs for dinner last night – although I couldn’t bring myself to use the same amount of oil or 30 (!!) cloves of garlic as the recipe suggests. I was a little worried that it would lack flavour/punch because of that, but it was surprisingly delicious.

I am wearing just about the only warm top I own which has neither a hood or a pouch at the front. I keep forgetting and try to put my hands in the non-existent pouch. In another clothing-related mishap, I forgot to put on my second pair of socks this morning so even though these ones aren’t threadbare like the other day, I still feel nude in just one pair of socks!

I am creating sadly very little. This will hopefully change soon!

I am going to take the Lily-dog for a walk before the lovely sunshine disappears again – just think, this time last month, it would already have been dark!

I am reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I’m not that far into it – it’s pleasant enough and there have been some lovely turns of phrase but it’s not wowing me just yet.

I am hoping that I can get back on top of things soon. I feel like I’ve had a mental energy required/energy available mismatch since at least the start of the year – like Rachel, I’ve been largely hibernating and I’m fine with that, but I have to come out of hibernation sooner or later!

I am hearing not a lot of anything, other than the clack-clack sound of my own typing. John is upstairs in a back-pleasing position on the floor so I’m alone in the office, excepting for my canine companion of course – and for once she is silent! Sleepily silent:

Around the house things are still in a state of chaos as the plasterer has pushed us back another week or so. Between last weekend’s coldness and this weekend’s John-bad-back-ness, it’s been a bad fortnight to be living in a half-demolished living room — no stove to keep us warm, no TV for watching films to pass the time… Still though, two good things: the blue winter sunlight is making everywhere look beautifully muted and even though I did it without my glasses on so couldn’t see much of anything, I did a pretty good job of cleaning the glass/mirror in the bathroom this morning :)

One of my favourite things aside from John’s back improving, the gorgeous weather, yummy food and surprisingly clean glasswork in the bathroom, I got a parcel of lovely things through the post this morning. Ok, I selected and bought the (very heavily discounted) lovely things but still, it’s nice to get fun things in the post and they’re all as nice/nicer than I thought they would be so I’m very happy.

A few plans for the rest of the week hopefully getting on top of stuff, hopefully making stuff with Fimo if that arrives soon and a belly-dancing workshop (!) – we’re running the latter for the kids at drama but I think I’ll have to show willing and get involved too, much like I had to do with the Arabian-scale singing last week. I am no more of a dancer than I am a singer. Thankfully the kids at class are far more talented than me!

How’s your day been? What did you get up to over the weekend?

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In my life

Posted by on Tuesday 10 January 2012 in meta | 8 comments

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done an “in my life” so here goes!

Outside my window it’s dark but throughout today we’ve watched squirrels, robins & tits, and Boron-cat & next door but one’s tabby enjoying the sunny – if cold – weather.

I am thinking about casting our next drama production – there are 40 kids & 40 parts in the play, which seems like it should be easy. But everyone wants to audition for at least two parts and some characters need to sing but not everyone is a singer, and of course not everyone is suitable for every role anyway… We’ve got to fit all the auditions into a small amount of time too so it’s been a logistical nightmare!

I am thankful that I got the above sorted – or at least everyone into efficient groups for the auditions – the actual casting is largely someone else’s responsibility. I thought it would take about an hour but it’s taken all afternoon – satisfying that it’s done but a little annoying that it’s a one time use thing.

From the kitchen, we’re having a expensive treat dinner – the organic sirloin steaks we got in our December Swillington Farm meat box – can’t wait :)

I am wearing my big green hoodie, which is funnily enough what I was wearing last time I wrote one of these! I don’t wear it that often, it’s just a coincidence!

I am creating … well, I should have been creating a fun new website but I got caught up in that drama thing. But generally this week I’ve been creating two new websites (ooh!) and a design/ideas sheet for our new living room.

I am going to switch off this evening. I have a lot of things on my to-do list but my brain, she is frazzled.

I am reading Enough: Breaking Free from the World of Excess by John Naish – a random library pick. One of my 2012 goals (which I still haven’t finalised/written about) is to review each book I read this year (even if it’s just a tweet) so I’ll write about it when I’m done.

I am hoping that all the drama kids are happy with the parts they get in the play and that they enjoy doing it – that’s more important to me than whether or not the production is a success really. I’m also hoping that the cut on Lily-dog’s paw heals soon as it’s painful when she walks on it outside but she doesn’t like missing her walks! And third, I’m hoping I manage to cook the steaks perfectly this evening :)

I am hearing John on a conference call across our desks and Lily snoring. A quiet relief from the noise of building work upstairs throughout the rest of today – John’s dad has picked up where we left off demolishing the fireplace and assorted issues.

Around the house there is a lot of dust – again, exactly the same as last time! — then it was because we were converting our coal hole into a mini-utility room and now because of pulling down old plaster in the living room. This is the last bloomin’ time I buy a doer-upper house…!

One of my favourite things of today has been how Lily-dog’s tail wagged when I sang her a new song this morning. Another favourite thing of today has been having a bit of a revelation which halved my workload for the week (hurrah!). A favourite thing of the week: a perfect cup of tea yesterday morning.

A few plans for the rest of the week nothing terribly exciting afoot – some living room renovation shopping/decisions to be made tomorrow, lots of drama stuff (we’ve got to get going on a smaller production as well as the big one), working on the new websites, some (ahem) World of Warcraft and maybe some laundry detergent making after Su bullied me into it ;)

What’s going on in your life?

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In my life

Posted by on Thursday 26 May 2011 in meta | 1 comment

I’m not really one for memes but I do like these quick summary ones that Debbie does:

Outside my window the sky has been mostly grey but lower down, the vista is green, green, green.

I am thinking about what our younger drama group would enjoy doing for their summer showcase this year: something to challenge & stretch them as well as be fun. I’ve been looking for scripts and feeling half-inspired to write something myself (but not for performance this year – too short of a time frame!).

I am thankful for the rain – and John’s help getting the washing in when the showers started.

From the kitchen pate on toast for lunch, pasta with tuna & tons of veg for dinner. Surprisingly few snacks!

I am wearing my big green hoodie. Not flattering but warm and comfy.

I am creating some 3D room designs and working on some ideas for artwork for our soon-to-be new utility room. (We’re finally converting the coal hole we found last year – expensive but it should be very much worth it.)

I am going to bed very shortly as it’s nearly 11pm and

I am reading Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld – one of my favourite books. In a parallel universe, I am American and went to boarding school – and Sittenfeld stole my diary. Such attention to detail and wonderfully drawn characters.

I am hoping that I can write something half as good as that one day.

I am hearing the builders singing along to the radio and making jokes. (Well, that’s what I was hearing for most of the day, right now I’m hearing a cat meowing to get my attention.)

Around the house there is a lot of dust!

One of my favourite things an almost-dusk walk around the woods with Lily-dog. We met some ducks, the chocolate lab with the white splodge on his nose and a very excitable cocker spaniel. Two horses – one white, one brown – were in the field, contrasting to the yellow-speckled green blanket underfoot.

A few plans for the rest of the week I want to try to get into the garden to build something tomorrow and also pot on/plant out some more plants. I’d like to go to the Saltaire Arts Trail over the weekend if possible but I’m also aware that we have work to do here and at the house we’re finally (hopefully) selling. I would like curry to feature at some point in the forthcoming long weekend too. Mmm curry.

What’s going on in your life?

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