(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Posted by louisa on Wednesday 6 April 2011 in chickens | 2 comments

In our chicken coop today, you’re either evil or slightly gormless.

Bloomin’ lovely inspiration

Posted by louisa on Thursday 24 March 2011 in meta | 8 comments

I’ve just been catching up with some blogs in my feed reader and read this wonderful (short) article on Simple Green Frugal by Notes from the Frugal Trenches.

Titled “Bloom where you’re planted”, FT explains she hears a lot of “if only”s (for example, “if only we had a bigger kitchen, we would make jam”) but she’s realised:

in almost any circumstance, you can choose to bloom where you are planted, or choose to stay underground. Listing all the reasons you can’t simplify, or make frugal, green choices, will never let you break through the barrier to a purposeful life.

A great sentiment, very nicely put – especially at this time of year when we’re thinking about stuff sprouting & blooming and starting anew.

By nature, I’m a pessimistic procrastinator but I’ve been trying optimism on for size recently – I’ve become the silver lining girl at drama (two weeks until the first performance and the prompt still has by far the biggest part…) and I’m trying to be a bit more go-getting too – getting on with stuff rather than leave it until the world is perfect and stars are aligned or whatever. I’m going to keep the “bloom where you’re planted” sentiment in mind next time I find myself saying “if only” or “I can’t do x“.

(Speaking of blooms, our across-the-road neighbours bought us a lovely Spring-flowers bouquet for keeping an eye on their house while they were away – tulips, narcissus & daffodils, hyacinth and two types of purple flowers I can’t identify. We have flowers in the house so rarely that we don’t actually own any vases any more: these are in an old nutella jar on the office window sill, with an old pickle jar holding the overflow daffodils on my desk. I’m enjoying the novelty of having them but glad it’s warm enough to have the office door open – those hyacinths are rather aromatic!)