{quilt} while you're ahead

32//2012

Still here.

I think I am.

I'm enjoying the warmer weather and the blue sky and the company of dear friends.

Patience is required.  But how to re-fill when empty?

Knitting is good.

31//2012

Rambling randomly on... on a Friday

- It's sunny.

- It's been unseasonally warm for the past two days.

- I'm not complaining.

- I've been doing some 'free' embroidery and I'll show it to you soon.

- I bought a light pink sweater to celebrate the oncoming of spring.

- I've had my hair done and booked an eyebrows appt.  Spring cleaning has started!

- No 1 has been given a big project to do at school.  He's chosen the history of "Ferrari".  When I did mine I choose the American war of Independence.  It's obvious that school isn't what it used to be.

-  'o tempora o mores'.  My dad used to roll his eyes and say that to me on a weekly basis.  Now it's my turn to unleash it on my offspring.  A bad case of history repeating itself!

- I have got about 4 loads of washing waiting patiently for me (name the song AND the artists)

- I've painted my nails blue.  Just because.

- Tonight Mr M and I are going to the cinema to see "The Artist"

- Tomorrow Mr M will disappear all afternoon on a rugby fuelled afternoon/evening. 

- When you step into No 3's bedroom his robot/money bank speaks to you and its eyes lit up.  Very scary.

Money banks should not to that.

- Do you ever read the last page of the book you're reading to see what will happen?  I do.

- Yes, I agree it's stupid.

 

Have a good weekend.

 

 

28//2012

Random Friday

- I've read "The Happiness Project" recently.  I don't normally go for 'self-help' type books, but I have to admit I really enjoyed this one.  Perhaps because it was written as a personal story (a year long experiment by the author at 'increasing' her happiness level) but I didn't feel I was patronised or spoke down to.  AND a few of her 'tips' kind of stuck too.

Following the author's examply I decided to cut down on the clutter.  Easier said that done in my case... the zen-type I ain't.  But having swept through the kitchen like a demented hurricane of tidyness I have to admit it did make me feel better.  Happier? maybe.  Better? definitively.  I'll leave you to decide if it amounts to the same thing.

Now you can see the centre island and if you need a pencil or a pen they're located in the freshly decoupage yogurt pots near the phone base.  (Call me Martha)

If you need the phone... well that's another matter altogether... you're on your own there.  Last time I used it I was getting something out of the deep freezer, so it might still be in the garage!

I sharpened approx 4553 pencils and tried 2332 felt tips.  They're in pots too.

(and yes some of them are still unsharpened but they're late comers, found in corners later on.  Give me a break, ok? I almost got Repetitive Motion Syndrome from doing that!)

- The 'tidyness' weather front fizzled out when it hit the cold air of the hallway and hasn't reached any other room yet.  Although a small cell did briefly re-form in the master bathroom which looks rather spiffy now)

- When I cleaned the fish tank I somehow succeded in throwing away the little insignificant looking piece of plastic that actually held the important task of breaking up the large and violent bubbles coming out of the pump.  For a while I couldn't work out while the fished thrashed about and the water was kind of stormy.  Then it hit me - at 10.30pm, on my way to bed - and I had to spend a good while going through the rubbish bin looking for it.  Nice.  Not.  The fish are grateful for the tiny bubbles and calm water, they told me so.

- Two days ago I listened to a BBC Radio 4 programme on the tallest tree (anyone?) in the world.  Who would have thought that listening for half an hour to a man climbing to the top of a tree could be so riveting.  Radio at its best.

- Do you listen to the Radio?  Local? Digital?  I love my digital country station (currently I'm obsessed with Country 105... but only when Mr M is not around.  He doesn't 'do' country music.  At all.)

- No 3 is going to his first sleep-over on its own at grandad's house.  Without his brothers.  Another step up the 'he's going to leave me one day' ladder.  My baby.  Sigh.

- Mr M and the other two are off to see Star Wars: episode 1, in 3D tonight.

- Yippee I don't have to go!

- Shall I knit or shall I sew?

- My right eye is now framed by two red blobs.  One above, one below.  Not nice.

- The weather has warmed up and there is no-way that rugby training might be cancelled this Friday.

- Plus I bought a sledge which means it'll never snow again in my children's lifetime.

- I've had a really 'fuzzy head' week which of course was the prelude to a migraine.  Bum.

- It might explain how I managed to post Mr M's Valentine card without a stamp.

- Doh.

- My children are demanding to be fed again. 

- Boring.

27//2012

Today I was going to talk about vegetables.  How having a box delivered every week has forced me into trying new recipes and getting to know new vegetables I didn't even know existed before.

I was going to tell you about my last night adventure with celeriac... how I found a recipe in Delia's "Vegetables" book I had all the ingredients for (a miracle in itself); how I had to google "peeling a celeriac" because I had no clue.  How my hand turned brown from handling aforementioned peeled vegetable.

How I religiously slow-cooked the soup for three hours.

BUT NO.

TODAY IS NOT GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN.

At all.

Allow me to moaningly elucidate my point:

- I slept badly.

- 7.45am finds me washing the bathroom floor after No 3 couldn't take off his hockey gear in time to go... with not very pretty consequences.  He's very embarassed, please don't mention it to him. (He did get dressed all by himself without me telling him 250 times so I couldn't knock that)

- 7.55am the washing machine is on with dirty hockey gear

- 8.30am the now-clean hockey gear is now in the dryer.  Thank god for the dryer.

- No 2 is not feeling well and decides not to go to the already paid/non-refundable expensive hockey camp.

- Take No 3 to camp with detour via Mr M's office to drop off things he'd forgot to take this morning. 

- Clean the rest of the bathroom.  Might as well.

- No 2 miraculously recoveres and decides he does want to go to hockey camp after all.

- Take No 2 to camp.

- Stop at the park on the way back home to walk Lilli who then attacks this little puppy who dared jumping up at her to play.  She's an old maid.  Doesn't do playing.  Normally doesn't attack other dogs either so I cut the walk short and run to the car with the tail between my legs.  

- Decide to warm my fragrant 'Slow-cooked celeriac soup' and whilst pondering on which bowl is more photogenic... SPIT/SPLAT... a large blob of scalding soups lands on my face right above my eye.

 

* * *

 

So here we are.  My eyelid hurts.  

Not very pretty language was used at the time: I don't remember exactly but it involved a lot of expletive. A LOT.

An ice pack was applied and I'm sure a red mark will appear soon.

It's still painful an hour later, I have no photos, the soup was, after all that, just ok and I have no photo of it either.  It doesn't deserve them.

I'll give you Hyacinths instead:

I am not in a good mood.

It's only 1.30pm.

25//2012

 

Random Friday is back.  For this week at least.

- I tidied up my handbag and wallet:

There were months worth of leaflets and receipts and other bits of paper... why does it always happen? why do I find it so difficult to throw thing away?  Seriously.

- Last night I went to the theatre with a friend.  We saw Caryl Churchill "Top Girls".  And I don't wish to be rude or anything.... but what was that all about?  Have you seen it?  Can you explain the connection between the first act and the other two? Why on earth did it end like it did?

I love the theatre and was looking forward to see this play; it had had great reviews, it had run in London for quite a long time... I just didn't get it.  I was left befuddled and confused.

And I had to drive home through this:

Snow.  Why is it that everytime I go out with friends it then snows?  Are the heavens trying to tell me something?

- Cooked my first meatload the other night.  Tasted great.  Looked... scary.   More like the 'by-product' of a meatloaf than a meatloaf itself.  I need a better recipe I think.  Please help.

- This might make me sound like a terrible mother but I'm inordinately happy that hockey training has been cancelled for the second Friday in a row.  I'm now doing a snow dance so that the rugby training will get cancelled too.

- I bought a replacement nib for my Lamy fountain pen and now it writes like a dream.  It's all in the little things folks, I tell ya.

- No 1 has been accepted in the school he wanted to go but he doesn't know yet, I'm waiting for Mr M to come home to show him the letter so we can all celebrate together.  I can barely contain myself.  If I and hug him one more time he'll run away from home so it's better if I sit here and 'chat' with you.  Distract me please!

- No 3 dressed as a pirate this morning for 'Charity Day' (or let's see how many sweets we can eat in one morning day) at school.

I love the fact that he came out with the outfit idea by himself, that he wanted to make a costume and not buy it.  He painted the t-shirt with red striped, I painted his face.  He thought of the monkey too.  so cute.  Actually he's much cuter without a black eyeliner patch and a dodgy (very non-pirate like) beard.

- Thank you for liking my happy socks and granting me permission to start another project.  I have.  And the moment I get a minute of light I'll show you... It's very gratifying and it's all Nancy's fault  Hers is much better than mine though.

- Have a good weekend out there.  Keep warm.

 

16//2012

 

If yesterday my post was a tad random... today I'm giving myself permission to ramble on about this that and the other.

- Have you come across this article on the Huffington Post?  If you have/have had children do read it.  It really struck a cord and I'd be interested to hear what you think.  It poses into question the whole 'carpe diem/all diem and every diem' attitude that's out there.  The guilt inducing 'enjoy them now because time flies' type philosophy.  Of course we have all wished days away during hell-trip to the supermarkets with screaming babies and run-away toddlers.  We've all counted the minutes 'tll daddy comes home' on occasions... but does that make us BAD parents?  If we don't live all our days in a state of contemplation for the miracle fruit of our loins... if we don't stare in awe into grubby/muddy faces... are we terrible mothers?  I have recently just reached the stage when I can go to the toilette again and close the door behind me after 10 years... and let me tell you... I still love my children.  In actual fact I probably love them even more now that I don't have to hold a conversation while sitting on the loo!

The writer talks about two different types of 'time'.  The one when we just 'live' everyday, and maybe lose our patience and scream and struggle.  And then the other type, a time within time when all disappears and we stare enchanted at our sleeping children, or we just look at them wondering if anybody has ever loved another being this much.  As long as we have those moments all is well right?  As long as we 'carpe' those moments... the rest of the diem won't matter.

Right?  

Anyway, that's just me.  I just thought it was an honestly written article.  Whaddya think?

End of ramble no 1

- Because I've lived in England for the past 21 years and English people love talking about the weatherI'm entitled to speak about it in two consecutive posts so here I go:

Yesterday evening is snowed.  Generally speaking not amazingly remarkable if it wasn't for the fact that we had all kind of weather (except for hails) in one day.  It started cloudy then went sunny then cloudy and rainy, then sunny and windy and then snow.

Bonkers.

Today when I walked Lilli the grass was covered in crunchy ice.

The sun was out and the sky so blue it almost hurt my eyes.

Pretty.

162/2011

And so the last day of school has come and gone.

The boys have shed their uniform and are already in their pjs, No 1 is on the computer (his natural habitat) and No 2 and 3 are playing hairdressing with their puffles.  If you don't know what a puffle ... consider yourself lucky and carry on regardless.  Ignorance at times is bliss.

I've just ordered the last present (thank God for internet shopping), and spent the morning wrapping and listening to Michael Buble's Christmas cd. I'm so rock'n'roll.

I have a broken nail and have tickets to go see "The hear of Robin Hood" at the Royal Shakeaseare Theatre in Stratford.

I found the most enourmous swede in my vegetable box this morning.  I need recipes ideas.  Fast.  Although it doesn't strike me as a vegetable (is it a vegetable? a root? a monster?) that spoils quickly.  For all I know this particular specimen has been around since the Great War.

It'll be just us for Christmas this year.  For the first time (if you dont' count the one when were all really ill and nobody dared crossing our threshold.  My father in law left us a piece of turkey on the doorstep and ran!).  I suggested having eggs and chips for lunch because then nobody would ever forget it.  He wasn't that impressed with the idea.  Sigh.

I've started a new quilt.  Because of course that is the sensible thing to do 9 days before Christmas and with three children at home.

I'm very excited about the Downton Abbey special on the 25th.  Mr M doesn't share my enthusiasm.

Have you had snow?  No snow here, just rain and incredible winds.

My Christmas mugs are out.

157/2011

The shopping is done, the house is half clean (the bottom half...)

- we have tea in the house.

- one bed is made

- and the baking for the school fair is in the oven

(I give you proof)

- I guess I should have known that all this was leading me straight into a migraine wall at a 1000mph.  All the signs were there... will I ever learn?

- how about we listen to this and try ignoring it, shall we?

 

156/2011

- I haven't bought one single Christmas presesnt.  They're all in my head.

- I must sort out the house insurance renewal.

- I have to clean the house and make the beds for the visitors coming at the weekend.

- I must make the lasagna for Saturday night and bake cupcakes for the School Christmas' fayre on Saturday afternoon.

- The dryer needs emptying, the washing machine needs re-filling and the ironing basket... well let's ignore that completely.

- I've managed to go to the supermarket three times in the last four days and we're still out of tea bags.

- Yesterday I completely blanked out the commitment I made to No 2's teacher to go and help for a couple of hours.  I was in a book store with a friend instead.

- I told Mr M I was sorry but didn't have anything to make him lunch with when on my last visit to the supermarket I re-stocked of all he likes (a part from tea...) because I had forgotten I did that.

- Which proves that even when I get it right... I get it wrong.

- It feels like I'm going to explode in a million little pieces.

- So I took the dog for a walk up a hill in a mad, cold, strong November wind that filled my head and didn't leave any space for thinking any thoughts. 

- I feel better now.

- I might even remember to pick the boys up from school...

 

 

131/2011

Half term is moving along nicely.

We've been baking

and eating the fruits of our efforts

and then eating lots of greens to compensate

A little bit of crafting has taken place too

to match the colour explosion of the little maple tree (mutilated by a wayward rugby ball, let's not dwell on that) outside my kitchen window

And yesterday we had the most fabulous day with friends.  

We went for a walk, had a wonderful pub lunch

and walked back home to homemade cakes and steaming hot tea

Today the weather couldn't have been more different.  Grey and cold.  And the rain!! oh my the rain.  All three boys had a hockey day and were outside for 6 hours.

They were completely soaked when I got to them.