Blog Headers

Inspired by Alicia at Studeo, I thought it would be fun to revisit old blog headers. I'm surprised I was able to find so many.

Time for a new one I think. What next, I wonder?

7 Quick Takes: 14th May 2010

1. This has been a fascinating week for British politics. After last week's inconclusive general election result, we have a new government - a coalition between the Conservative and the Liberal Democrats, the first time two political parties have governed Britain together since the Second World War. I thought it would take at least two elections with a hung parliament (no overall majority) before a coalition government became a realistic possibility, and that the most the Conservatives would get would be an agreement from the Lib-Dems not to bring down a minority Conservative government in the short term. I'm glad to be proved wrong, as the alternatives all looked pretty bleak. If it works, it just might be the beginning of a new more consensual era in British politics. If it doesn't, then it will be back to confrontational politics with a vengeance.

2. While all the political events have been playing out, I've been pretty much under house arrest as Cherub has chicken pox. Apart from a couple of itchy-scratchy interrupted nights, it hasn't been too bad. She has had it more mildly than the older girls did. Lots of spots on her body and upper legs, but not many on her arms and face. All being well, I think she will be over it and able to go back to playgroup on Monday

3. I've been putting current photos onto Flickr for the past year, and have taken advantage of the time stuck at home with a sick Cherub to start uploading old pictures. Fortunately I had backed up all my digital photos up to 2008 to my MacBook, so when the hard drive on the iMac died recently I didn't lose much, if anything. It was the prod I needed to start putting them online, though. So far I have done 2005, 2007 and most of 2006 (no logic to that!) and my Flickr picture count is up to 734.

4. I stumbled across this quote from G.K.Chesterton: "The only way of catching a train I have ever discovered is to miss the train before." Lightbulb moment! I now understand why in my commuting days I missed such an extraordinary number of trains. And why I find myself  saying "I'll aim for the 10.24, and then I should get the 10.34". Scarily, I'm married to someone who often gets to the station so early he ends up accidentally catching the train before. How on earth does he do that?

5. I have one seriously double jointed child. How freaky is this thumb-twisty thing she was doing this morning?

6. Cherub is now in a thoroughly contrary stage. Witness this conversation:

Me (to Star): Do you think it is worth hanging out the washing? Or will it just get rained on?
Star: The second option, I should think.
Cherub: I think the third option!

7. She is still very cute, though, and desperately looking forward to her fourth birthday next month. As she told me this morning: "I'm excited all the way to Africa and back!"

Read more quick takes at Conversion Diary

Pirate

By Cherub ... 

Complete with pirate hat, eye patch, beard and belt!

Simple Woman's Daybook: 10th May

Outside My Window ... a bright but chilly morning. A few minutes outside hanging up washing left me shivering.

I am thinking ... about this blog. A couple of busy weeks with little time for posting slipped into a longer hiatus than I intended and left me pondering my blogging future. I'm in no doubt that I want to carry on blogging, but I'm wondering in what direction I want to take this blog, or even whether I would like a new start with a new blog. Or then again, I may just continue meandering around here in random circles. Watch this space. (PS: A big thank you to those of you who wondered why I was so quiet and checked to see I was OK.)

From the learning rooms ... a letter officially offering Cherub a school place for September arrived last week. Since then she has been busy playing "going to school". I'm delighted with what I have seen of the school and I think she will love it. One of the things I particularly like is that they ease the children in very gently, and from the beginning of June she and I will be going together once a week for taster sessions.

I am thankful ... for Tevye. In so many ways.

From the kitchen ... baked potatoes and cauliflower cheese tonight.

I am wearing ... jeans and a cherry red sweater.

I am creating ... back to knitting the same socks I was knitting four weeks ago. I took a diversion and made half a cardigan for Cherub. Now I can't find the rest of the yarn so it may never get finished.

I am going ... to orchestra rehearsals. Before Cherub I used to play violin in a local orchestra, but had to stop when I was pregnant and constantly coughing. Then Thursday evenings got tricky. Now it is finally feasible to go back, and I'm enjoying playing the violin again after four years of blowing things. Still loving my trombone, though :).

I am reading ... The Twenty-Two Letters by Clive King. Children's historical fiction.

I am hoping ... that the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats will be able to come to an agreement and form a workable government after last weeks inconclusive general election. This is not a good time for political uncertainty.

I am hearing ... the washing machine whirring and Cherub playing with a box of Duplo - mostly these days she prefers Lego, and the Duplo hadn't been out for a while. She has a cold and is home from playgroup having a pyjama day.

Around the house ... lovely clean carpets. The nice man who cleans our carpets finally made it back from the Canary Islands where he was stranded by the ash cloud.

One of my favorite things ... Facebook. I'm really enjoying Facebook lately. I like the opportunity for quick and easy social interaction with different circles of friends.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... a quiet week and a busy weekend: dinner party with our neighbours on Friday; playing at a village fete with the brass band on Saturday; taking Star to Leamington Spa to dance on Sunday (if the weather is nice we may take a picnic lunch and make a family day trip out of it).

A Picture Thought I Am Sharing ... from one of our London trips last month

Find instructions and links to other daybooks at The Simple Woman

7 Quick Takes: 17th April

1. Ash in Sky: UK Cut Off! ... Thanks to a volcanic eruption in Iceland virtually all flights in UK airspace have been grounded since Thursday lunchtime. The ban is now in place until at least tonight, but it looks as though it will go on for longer. Much of northern Europe is in the same position, and over 60% of flights within Europe were grounded yesterday. There is no sign of the ash cloud on the ground, but it is floating around at 20,000 feet, just where the planes want to fly. As ash is known to pose a severe risk to jet engines, nobody is going anywhere. Ironically a friend's son had his flight to Crete cancelled ... where he was supposed to be studying seismic activity! Perhaps he should have gone to Iceland instead.

2. Hopefully the volcano will have sorted itself out by the autumn, as we have booked flights for Tevye and I to spend a weekend in Budapest. Bizarrely, it is possible to fly to Budapest and back for the same cost as a full tank of petrol in our Vauxhall Zafira (not a large car!). Flights on budget European airlines are cheap; petrol is not. 

3. It's been a busy week, as somehow all our Easter break activities got crammed into the second half of the school holiday. We finally made it to Alice in Wonderland and liked the 3D, though found it took a good 10 to 15 minutes to adjust to the 3D glasses. I'm trying to get my head round the idea of 3D television - somehow I think I would find it very disorientating to watch TV in 3D.

4. Monday's trip out was to Hampton Court Palace, as Star has been longing to do the famous maze there for some time. Angel opted not to come, so it was just myself, Star and Cherub. Cherub was intrigued by the royal apartments, but confused as to why King William III did not have a TV or computer!

5. On Thursday I took Star and her friend to London to visit the Tate Modern art gallery, and to take part in a Draw Like a Designer workshop. Both have ambitions to be fashion designers, so this was right up their street. Isn't it amazing how one simple but obvious idea can completely transform how you approach something. The key to fashion illustration is templates! Once you have a template of a figure (looks a lot like an undressed paper doll), drawing clothes onto it becomes easy. I would never have thought of that. Duh!

6. I have realised that complaints of "there's nothing to eat!" from my daughters actually translate as "I can't find anything junky to snack on". When offered real food, they suddenly become not-so-hungry. Unless the food is grapes, strawberries or blueberries, but my budget can't keep up with the unlimited demand for those.

7. Lesson learned last week. If sending girls somewhere by bus, to save on that ludicrously expensive petrol, make sure they know where to get the bus back. I had to rescue Star and a friend from from a shopping centre after they lost - and therefore missed - the bus home. So much for economising.

Read more quick takes at Conversion Diary

Simple Woman's Daybook: 12th April 2010

Outside My Window ... a clear, dry morning. Pink blossom on the hedge round our back garden and daffodils at the front. Finally it looks like spring.

I am thinking ... this is going to be a fun week.

From the learning rooms ... Easter holiday field trips. History and art this week.

I am thankful ... for time spent with my girls. They are growing up so fast.

From the kitchen ... chaos. During school holidays everyone is out and about randomly, making meal planning very difficult.

I am wearing ... black and white pyjamas, snuggly blue dressing gown.

I am creating ... socks for my brother, promised since Christmas. Cherub's little dress is finished and she is wearing it today. In reality it is more of a tunic top than a dress, but it looks cute with leggings.

I am going ... to take Star and Cherub to Hampton Court Palace today.

I am reading ... another non-reading week. I am in such a reading slump this year.

I am hoping ... nothing at Hampton Court causes Cherub to freak out. We tried taking her to the cinema last week and she freaked before we made it to the front of the queue for tickets.

I am hearing ... Peppa Pig

Around the house ... tidy bedrooms. It won't last, but both older girls currently have reasonably tidy rooms. It doesn't happen often.

One of my favorite things ... my iPod Touch, which will keep Cherub entertained on the train (I hope!)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... Today (Monday) - Hampton Court; Thursday - taking Star and her friend on an art trip to London, visiting the Tate Modern followed by an art workshop on fashion illustration for the girls; Saturday - clothes shopping trip with Angel and Star

A Picture Thought I Am Sharing ...

Find instructions and links to other daybooks at The Simple Woman

7 Quick Takes: 9th April

1. For the first time this year I took all three girls to the Easter Vigil. Cherub was very pleased to be allowed her own candle, though it was a rather high risk strategy. Nothing got burned, though quite a bit of candle wax got spilled on clothes. She was very worried about the Easter fire, and had to be taken to a safe distance by Star. I think she may have got mixed up with Bonfire Night!

2. The General Election is on. At last! In Britain a general election of all Members of Parliament must be held at least once every five years, but the timing is chosen by the outgoing government. This lot have left it to almost the last possible minute. Voting is on May 6th, so we have a month of intense electioneering to look forward to.

3. A welcome side effect of the election is that our current relatively relaxed homeschooling laws will continue, at least for the time being. The government had intended to introduce pretty draconian regulation of homeschooling in the near future, but their plans were thrown out by the other parties in the "wash up" (where the outgoing government tries to shove through as much last minute legislation as possible, which can only be done if the measures are not contentious and the other parties agree).   

4. We tried taking Cherub to the cinema for the first time last week. Tried, but didn't succeed. She seemed quite enthusiastic about seeing "Alice in the Rabbit Hole" (as she called it), but freaked out when we got there. I think the meltdown was due to a combination of the size of the building (it is part of a complex that includes an indoor ski slope), the number of people, and suddenly recalling a previous freak out in another part of the complex last summer (an encounter with a Disney-style character meant to entertain children, which she finds utterly petrifying). By the time we had waited in the (long) queue for tickets for two minutes, it was obvious that she was not going to cope. We went to Toys R Us instead.

5. Star took part in her second dance festival on Monday evening. Last time her group were performing their dance for the first time, really needed more rehearsal, and the best that could be said was that they got through it with no disasters. This time they were much more polished and came second in their group, with a mark that qualifies them to take part in the All England Championships next year. Their dance was originally choreographed for an older group, who performed it in this video:

I think most of the dancers in the video would have been 13 or 14 at the time, whereas Star's group are a bit younger, mostly 11 or 12. The dance is essentially the same, with a few minor tweaks and the addition of an extra mermaid. The style is lyrical modern.

6. Any one else a Doctor Who fan? A new series started here last week with Matt Smith as the Doctor. So far, so good.

7. Quote from a daughter who shall remain anonymous: "Can I borrow Dad's jacket? I don't want to get tomato ketchup down my white top ..."

Read more quick takes at Conversion Diary

40 Trash Bag Challenge: Weeks 6 and 7 Update

Heading into the final straight of the  40 Trash Bag Challenge ... nine more bags over weeks 6 and 7, making a total of 30 altogether. In theory last week should have been week 8 and the final push, but it didn't happen. Ten more bags to go to reach the target, which I'm hoping I can achieve over this week and next.

11 bags of books

2 bags of old magazines, catalogues and papers

9 bags of clothes

1 bag of old shoes

3 bags of toys, games and puzzles

4 bags of bedding

Simple Woman's Daybook: 5th April 2010

Outside My Window ... no rain! The whole weekend has been more or less dry, but Star and my brother headed off bright and early to a car boot sale* only to find it was called off because the field was waterlogged.
* Car "boot" = "trunk". Sellers pay a small amount for a pitch to sell items from the back of their cars. Probably the closest British equivalent to the US garage sale.

I am thinking ... I need to get back onto my housework to-do list. I have been letting things slip.

From the learning rooms ... Easter holidays started on Good Friday, so the girls have two weeks at home.

I am thankful ... for wonderful neighbours who are helping me get my iMac up and running. Our next door but one neighbour dug a spare hard disk out of his loft for me, and A-next-door has offered to install it for me. Meanwhile we are waiting for some very small torq screwdrivers to arrive so that we can actually get into the machine!

From the kitchen ... leftovers from the leg of lamb we cooked for Easter Sunday.

I am wearing ... blue pyjama bottoms, white pyjama top, soft and snuggly blue dressing gown.

I am creating ... still knitting Cherub's dress. Should be finished this week.

I am going ... to Northampton to take Star to a dance festival. An hour's drive (each way), two or three hours of hanging around, two minutes dancing. We are going with a friend and her daughter who is in the same dance group and stopping off at IKEA on the way.
 
I am reading ... Making Use of the Census (a guide for historians)

I am hoping ... there is no such thing as too much chocolate.

I am hearing ... Cherub watching Balamory.

Around the house ... a chocolate mountain. Or possibly several chocolate mountains.

One of my favorite things ... the new Wii. I think we are all going to have a lot of fun with it. (Cherub: "I'm going to have a turn next ... because I's desperate!")

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... IKEA and dance festival today; evening with neighbours on Friday; otherwise a free week to do whatever takes our fancy.
 
A Picture Thought I Am Sharing ... by Star

Find instructions and links to other daybooks at The Simple Woman

Random Dozen: March 31st

 1. How do you feel about the marshmallow Easter Peeps?
Which are ... what???

2. Chickens are notoriously nervous creatures. When you are nervous, what is the best way to calm down?
Play music. As in play it myself, not listen to it. Not necessarily the most convenient way to calm down, as most nerve-inducing environments are not conducive to musical outbursts.

3. People say, "April showers bring May flowers." Do you enjoy Spring rains?
No. Take a look at the weather related post below. If you lived in this climate, would you enjoy spring rains? Particularly when they follow on from winter showers, and precede summer downpours.

4. When I was randomly flipping through TV channels this week, I saw a show in which tattoo parlor employees received tattoos of a co-worker's face on their bodies. I can't imagine having a portrait of a colleague tattooed on me. But if someone forced you to receive a portrait tattoo (face only) of anyone, who would it be? Why?
It has to be three people - a face for each of my daughters.

5. Would you rather have a tattoo (any kind) or a nose ring?
Definitely a tattoo. Something tiny, cute and discreet. There is no such thing and a discreet nose ring.

6. Do you have any special plans for Easter?
Attending the Easter Triduum - the series of three services that mark the summit of the Catholic year, on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday - followed by a big family celebration lunch and playing with our new toy on Sunday. 

7. Cadbury Eggs or Reese Eggs?
No Reese's Eggs over here, so definitely Cadbury's. Preferably creme eggs, closely followed by caramel eggs.

8. What was the last thing/person you took a picture of?
My small daughter crashed out fast asleep on the floor, surrounded by toys.

9. What book are you reading now, or what was the last one?
Making Sense of the Census, a guide to the 19th century UK censuses for historians and genealogists. It isn't what you might call exciting, but it is useful.

10. What do you think is the most difficult task when it comes to Spring cleaning?
All of them. I hate cleaning. I can cook, shop, do laundry and other household maintenance tasks with reasonable competence, but when it comes to cleaning everything falls apart. 

11. How many pairs of flip-flops do you own?
Five. Two plastic pairs for the beach; one black and one white pair; and one cute pair of thick soled Rocket Dogs with beaded tops.

12. Which color makes you happiest?
Yellow. The colour of the sun, summer, daffodils and IKEA (ok, you need to add in blue there).
 
You can find more Random Dozen's at 2nd Cup of Coffee.

Spring Weather

This week's weather forecast ...

The price we pay for living in a "green and pleasant land".

Simple Woman's Daybook: 29th March 2010

Outside My Window ... wet and horrible. Spring at its worst. Maybe good for plants, but not for people!

I am thinking ... about plans for the Easter holidays.

From the learning rooms ... school and playgroup carry on until Thursday. Usually the girls have a few days off before Easter, but not this year. With Passover and Holy Week happening during school term time everything is going to seem very rushed.

I am thankful ... for Google Docs and Flickr. It looks as though the hard drive on our iMac has died, but as I now store most documents and photos online I can live with losing the files that were on the hard drive. Most of my iTunes library is also on my MacBook, so that isn't a bust either. (And yes, I know I should back things up!).

From the kitchen ... preparing for a family Seder meal as Passover starts tonight. We have hard boiled eggs in salt water (to represent the tears of the Israelites), baked potatoes, cold fried fish, salad, and various traditional Passover sweets (I usually make cinnamon balls, macaroons and coconut pyramids). I need to fry the fish this morning, then Cherub can help me make the sweets this afternoon.

I am wearing ... dark grey cords, long sleeved purple t-shirt, handknitted socks.

I am creating ... mark two of the turquoise knitted dress for Cherub. The first version was coming out too big and heavy, so I'm now working on this little maxi top / dress to wear over leggings.

I am going ... to be starting work at the local record office as a volunteer for half a day each week, probably starting in the summer. I'm also looking into the possibility of volunteering at this Living Archive for another half day. If I enjoy the work, I'm hoping to take a part time or distance learning course to qualify as an archivist.
 
I am reading ... a book about the population of the UK in the 19th century.

I am hoping ... that the dead computer will be fixable at a reasonable cost.

I am hearing ... nothing except the whirr of the laptop.

Around the house ... the usual level of mild surface clutter. Not out of hand, but never quite conquered.

One of my favorite things ... hair straighteners. As someone whose hair naturally turns in on one side and flicks out on the other, I now finally have tidy hair (mostly!).

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... ballet exam for Star this afternoon; small seder at home tonight; big seder at my sister-in-law's tomorrow night; band practice on Wednesday; Easter Triduum; chilled out family day on Sunday, playing with the special Easter present I have up my sleeve.
 
A Picture Thought I Am Sharing ... playing is just too exhausting!

Find instructions and links to other daybooks at The Simple Woman

Random dozen: March 24th

1.  What is your favorite sign of Spring?
Warmth! The first day when it is warm enough to go outside without a coat. I love being able to feel the fresh air instead of having to wrap up against it. In the past I used to judge the arrival of spring by the cat. We had this beautiful, but very timid grey puss, who would only go outside if the weather was nice enough to tempt her. Between October and March she was a completely indoor cat, and we always knew spring had arrived when Puddy decided it was warm enough to venture out of the cat flap for the first time.  

2.  Did you remember to spring forward on March 14?  If not, how did it impact your day? I did not. And if I had done, it would have left me an hour early for everything. We are springing forward next Sunday, March 28th.

3.  If soil, time, talent and climate were no problem, what vegetable would you plant in a garden this year?
Peas. Whenever we go to the pick-your-own farm peas are our vegetable of choice. We love them straight from the pod - even the daughter who doesn't normally eat peas likes them raw and freshly shelled - and there is something relaxing about shelling peas.

4.  If soil, time, talent and climate were no problem, what fruit would you plant?
A cherry tree. I love, love, love cherries. And I would get the joy of all that pretty blossom as well as the fruit.

5.  What is your least favorite insect?
Wasps. They sting. 

6.  March 22 was World Water Day. To celebrate, here are some water questions. Do you drink bottled water? If so, what brand?
In the past I used to drink bottled water in the summer as it was easier to keep in the fridge. In the winter I would just drink tap water as it comes out ready chilled. Now we have a fridge with a water cooler, so no more bottled water. As for brand - the cheapest supermarket own brand. And I like my water still not sparkling. 

7.  Have you ever been somewhere that it was not safe to drink the local water? If so, how did you handle that?
In Greece they usually advise tourists not to drink the tap water - it is safe enough, but the different mineral content (or some such?) makes it liable to upset stomachs that aren't used to it. I buy bottled water.  

8.  How many glasses of water do you drink per day?
It varies. Sometimes many, always a few. I tend to grab a cup of water when I'm in the kitchen doing other things, but often only drink half of it.  

9.  March 24 is the birthday of Harry Houdini.  Have you ever watched a professional magic show? Share.
Only children's entertainers. The last time was at a friend's daughter's birthday party when Cherub was two. Cherub was petrified and has now decided that magicians are to be avoided at all costs.

10.  Have you ever been a participant in a professional magic show (up on stage!)?
No. I am not a going-up-on-stage sort of person.

11. March 24 is also the birthday of Steve McQueen and Clyde Barrow. Do you like Westerns or gangster movies?  If so, what is your favorite?
I can't remember the last time I watched a western, but I went through a phase of liking them as a teenager - inspired by The High Chapparal on TV, I think. No specific favourite, but a friend and I had a joint crush on Clint Eastwood for a while, and I remember enjoying Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

12. (Really random)  What U.S. state that you've never visited would you like to visit someday?
I've never been to the US, so I'd be happy to visit any. If I had to choose, I think it would be between New York, California and Alaska (inspired by Theresa).
 
Random Dozen comes from 2nd Cup of Coffee, but this week is being guest hosted South Lakes Mom at I Didn't Know THAT!

Simple Woman's Daybook: 22nd March

Outside My Window ... a dull, grey and breezy March day.

I am thinking ... about what I want to do once Cherub is at school full time. I an rather optimistically hoping that I can find something I can do part time that will fit with our family life while also allowing me to use my historical experience. Nothing came of the application for tutoring work I sent in last autumn, but I now have a Plan A (distance learning tutor) and a Plan B (archivist).

From the learning rooms ... Angel was remarkably upbeat and cheerful about maths homework yesterday. Apparently her class has homework league tables divided into upper and lower divisions. The winners of each league get chocolate and as she is more or less exactly in the middle of the class she reckons she should be able to top the lower group. (As she is in the top set and maths is not exactly her favourite subject, middle is good.)

I am thankful ... for good energy levels after a long period of being slow and lethargic.

From the kitchen ... chicken pie and chips (fries) from the freezer. I am taking Cherub to play with Little Friend N after school so no time to cook. 

I am wearing ... blue jeans, flowery purple and blue tunic top, purple cardigan. 

I am creating ... a turquoise knitted dress for Cherub, a pale green scarf for myself, and socks for my brother. I am now up to the waistband on the dress (knitting bottom up in the round), have nearly finished one sock, and just need to cast off the scarf.

I am going ... to the local record office to talk about gaining work experience as a volunteer. Work experience - paid or voluntary - is a prerequisite for training as an archivist in the UK.

I am reading ... still nothing.

I am hoping ... that thinking ahead now will open up job possibilities later.

I am hearing ... Something Special on television. TV time for Cherub = blogging time for me.

Around the house ... floors that need cleaning and hoovering.

One of my favorite things ... warm(ish!) spring days when it is possible to go outdoors without a coat after having to wrap up all winter.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... playdate for Cherub this afternoon; record office interview on Friday; a sleepover for Angel on Friday; my first band concert playing the trombone on Saturday (exciting but scary as there is plenty of scope for me to make some glaring obvious mistakes!); a family meal out on Sunday to celebrate Angel and Tevye's birthdays.

A Picture Thought I Am Sharing ... a preview of our bedroom makeover pictures

Find instructions and links to other daybooks at The Simple Woman

Star's Room Makeover

Star is my design minded daughter and knew exactly how she wanted her room. For the colour scheme she chose a deep red and white. The longest wall was painted in Roasted Red, and the rest of the walls are Apricot White.

The highlight for Star of having her room done was getting this new Ikea day bed. The section with the storage drawers pulls out to make a double bed for sleepovers, and she can use it as a sofa during the day. The duvet cover came from Argos (a bargain, reduced from £14.99 to £4.99), as did the red rose canvas.

This is the other end of the long wall. She already had the curvy mirror, but it looks much more of a feature on the red background. Like all the other furniture in the room, it came from Ikea.

The shelf holds her penguin collection - Cherub had taken the largest, softest penguin for a walk, so there is a gap at one end - and her piggy bank collection is on the desk (nicely in the way, but she insisted that was where she wanted it!).

She kept her existing white curtains, but has plans to trim them with red braid and tassels. The furry bean bag was a Christmas present a couple of years ago.

... and back to the beginning. The photo frames are still waiting for pictures to go into them. A friend gave her a photo collage that needs to be hung on the red wall, and she is looking for a white wall clock. 

In This House ...

... we have ways of dealing with children who misbehave.

We put them in a cage.

And anyone who complains gets the cage treatment too.

Random Dozen: March 17th

1. On a scale of 1-10, how superstitious are you, honestly?
Zero.

2. Julius Caesar is quoted as saying, "I came, I saw, I conquered." Which circumstance or experience of yours does this saying best describe? 
Somehow I feel it should be a physical experience - not sure why - so I think it must be the time I walked 120 miles from London to Walsingham in Norfolk to raise money for a charity, alone, in seven days. I had never done long distance walking before and had no idea how to pace myself. I reached a point about three or four days in where it simply hurt less to keep walking than to stop and rest. I made it, and can honestly say I have never been the slightest bit tempted to repeat the experience.

3. If I peeked in on your day like a mischievous little leprechaun, at what time would I most likely find you blogging?
It varies, but usually either the beginning or end of the day.

4. Re springing forward for Daylight Saving Time, is there anything you've ever been really early or really late for?
Not that I remember. I am a just-about-on-time-by-the-skin-of-my-teeth sort of person. I usually get to places either exactly on time or a couple of minutes late.  Rarely early, but never seriously late either (though I bet Tevye will think of an example to disprove this!)

5. What are you most looking forward to concerning Spring?
Warmer weather. Unfortunately it usually comes along with more rain, which isn't so pleasant.

6. Shamrocks are the national flower of Ireland and are picked on St. Patrick's Day and worn on the lapel or shoulder. Do you wear green on St. Patty's Day? 
No. It just isn't an English thing.

7. One of Caesar's assassins, Casca, said, "But, for my own part, it was Greek to me," which of course means he didn't understand something. Probably his own lines in the play. Anyway, what is something that is "Greek to you," something incomprehensible or indecipherable?
Gardening. I like to look at plants. I can recognise plenty of wild flowers, but the domestic, cultivated ones are a closed book. As are gardening books, which make no sense. At all.

8. Is March behaving more like a lion or a lamb where you live?
More like a sloth. Creeping in veeerrryyy slowwlyyyyy. 

9. "An extra yawn one morning in the springtime, an extra snooze one night in the autumn is all that we ask in return for dazzling gifts. We borrow an hour one night in April; we pay it back with golden interest five months later." -Winston Churchill. If you had one extra hour per day every day, what would you do with it?
What would I like to do with it? Read. Knit. Exercise. Study. Play music. What would I actually do with it? Probably waste it. Time somehow seems to slip through my fingers. Hmmm. Maybe the internet has something to do with that.

10. Legend says that every Leprechaun has a pot of gold hidden deep in the Irish countryside. Aside from real gold or money, what material item would be in your dream pot of gold?
Ooh! Can I have three wishes? An iPhone (oh, I covet an iPhone!). An iPad (how to choose between the iPhone and the iPad? Too hard!). And I would love a good trombone of my own (to replace the beginner trombone belonging to the brass band I'm playing now).

11. "The best things are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of God just before you." Robert Louis Stevenson. Look around you right now and tell us about something essential or beautiful very near you that you take for granted every day.
My family. The most beautiful and essential thing I have, and the one I most take for granted.

12. Just for a bit o' fun, click here (www.blogthings.com/irishnamegenerator/) and then report your Irish name. 
Roisin Campbell. If I was a boy I would be Aiden Power, which sounds very like Austin Powers. I don't see myself as the intrepid spy type, so robably just as well I am a girl.
 
Find more Random Dozen's at 2nd Cup of Coffee.

Simple Woman's Daybook: 16th March

Outside My Window ... it still doesn't really look like spring. It is a little warmer this week, but there are no obvious signs of green outside my window. I read yesterday that daffodils are blooming a month later than usual this year.

I am thinking ... I should delete this prompt, as I can never work out what I am thinking!

From the learning rooms ...K-next-door has a new job and will not be at playgroup after Easter. Cherub has taken the news surprisingly well.

I am thankful ... for Angel, who celebrated her fifteenth birthday yesterday. 

From the kitchen ... Orange Chicken for dinner. I made this for the first time last week and it was delicious. Half of Angel's birthday cake is still in the fridge. She wanted a sponge cake with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. 

I am wearing ... black jeans, red sweater, hand-knitted socks. 

I am creating ... a turquoise knitted dress for Cherub, a pale green scarf for myself, and socks for my brother. The same as last week, but I have made progress on all three. 

I am going ... to take Cherub to playgroup. When I get back I will finish this daybook, do some work on my local history project, plough through a pile of ironing - and then it will be time to collect Cherub. 

I am reading ... I don't think I read anything last week. I am in the reading doldrums at the moment. 

I am hoping ... that Angel has a wonderful year, and is just as delightful at fifteen as she was at fourteen. 

I am hearing ... Peppa Pig.

Around the house ... our bedroom is finished, and Star's new bed arrived last week. 147 screws later it looks good. Pictures of both rooms to follow later in the week. Only Angel's room left to go now. 

One of my favorite things ... pink and sparkly little girls. 

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... school gym and dance showcase for Star on Wednesday (she is doing aerobics, apparently!); extra ballet class for Star at some yet-to-be-determined time; birthday sleepover for Angel on Saturday; trip to a car boot sale with my brother for Star, to get rid of some of the fruits of our decluttering; band practices and lots of taxi-ing children around for me. 

A Picture Thought I Am Sharing ...

Find instructions and links to other daybooks at The Simple Woman

Random Dozen: March 10th

1. How old is the oldest pair of shoes in your closet?
Do hiking boots that I have had for nineteen years count?

2. Did you buy Girl Scout cookies this year? If so, what variety?
A little American English / British English translation needed here ...
   Girl Scouts (US) = Girl Guides (UK)
   Cookies (US) = Biscuits (UK)
Girl Guides do not sell biscuits, so the answer must be no.

3. Do you know how to ballroom dance? If not, would you like to?
Absolutely not, on both counts. I'd rather play the music than dance to it.

4. Were you a responsible child/teenager?
I was a horribly, atrociously irresponsible teenager, and I am so, so glad that I am not my poor mother, for whom I now feel acute sympathy. My children are far more responsible (so far, at least) than I was, proving that there is no justice in life.

5. How many of this year's Oscar-nominated movies did you see?
Of the films nominated for best picture, none - not even Avatar, which I wanted to see but never got around to.

6. If you're going to have a medical procedure done, such as having blood drawn, is it easier for you to watch someone else having the procedure done or have it done yourself?
Watch someone else!

7. What is your favorite day of the week and why?
Most days have something I particularly like about them, but also other not so good bits. On balance I think my favourite might be Monday. Tevye goes off to work, the girls go off to school and playgroup and I get a blissful two hours to myself to breathe. I enjoy having everyone home at the weekend, but weekends are usually busy (or chaotic) and that time to recharge on Monday morning is a true luxury.  On Monday afternoon I usually do the supermarket shopping, so back to earth with a bump.

8. Do you miss anyone right now?
My adopted aunt died when I was thirteen, but I still miss her.

9. Do hospitals make you queasy?
No.

10. At which store would you like to max-out your credit card. Not that you ever would, you responsible person, you.
John Lewis, closely followed by Marks and Spencer, Next and Ikea.

11. Are you true to the brand names of products/items?
Only if they have an apple on them.

12. Which is more difficult: looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when he/she is telling you how he/she feels?
I'm not a natural eye contact person and would prefer to stare at the floor in both cases.

Find more Random Dozen's at 2nd Cup of Coffee.

Simple Woman's Daybook: 8th March

Outside My Window ... exactly the same as last week. Another bright and sunny but crisp and cold day. More frost tonight, I think.

I am thinking ... how slowly spring is arriving this year.

From the learning rooms ... Star sent out of an English lesson for talking. She claimed she was practicing for a "speaking and listening assignment". Hmmm.

I am thankful ... for internet shopping. I just bought Star a pair of track pants for £5 (reduced from £22.99). Hours of frustrating traipsing round shops with a grumbling eleven year old saved. 

From the kitchen ... sweet chilli chicken stir fry and Dorset apple cake.

I am wearing ... dark grey trousers, short sleeved pale pink sweater, purple cardigan, hand-knitted self striping socks in blues, purple and pink.

I am creating ... a turquoise knitted dress for Cherub, a pale green scarf for myself, and socks for my brother.

I am going ... to take a yawning Cherub up to bed as soon as I finish this post.

I am reading ... Rural Life in Victorian England by G.E.Mingay. Slowly.

I am hoping ... Cherub's runny nose doesn't turn into anything worse.

I am hearing ... Cherub's I Can Cook on TV.

Around the house ... the bedroom painting blitz continues.

One of my favorite things ... bacon sandwiches, with butter and English mustard.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... getting my hair cut tomorrow; a choreography competition and dance show on Saturday (Angel is dancing. Star, Cherub and I are watching.); Angel's fifteenth birthday next Monday.

A Picture Thought I Am Sharing ... wine, good company and Swiss Toblerone chocolate fondue. I love, love, love my neighbours!

Find instructions and links to other daybooks at The Simple Woman

40 Trash Bag Challenge: Weeks 4 and 5 Update

Steaming ahead now with the 40 Trash Bag Challenge ... five bags of books in Week 4, and five bags of clothes in Week 5. Past the half way point with 21 bags of stuff out of the door.

9 bags of books

1 bag of old magazines and catalogues

7 bags of clothes

1 bag of old shoes

3 bags of toys, games and puzzles

Random Dozen

1. Do you prefer even or odd numbers? Any particular reason?

Odd. They are more interesting. You get prime numbers and one, which is its own square. How weird is that? All even numbers are divisible by two, which is just plain boring.

2. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being "not at all" and 10 being Carly Simon-worthy, how vain are you?

Maybe three? It would once have been two, but has crept up a bit under the influence of teen and pre-teen daughters.


3. Among these Irish stereotypes, with which do you identify most closely? Talkative, Proud, Inquisitive, Love to party, Hot-tempered

As soon as I read it I assumed I would say talkative, but then I got to inquisitive. Tough call, but I think I'll stick with talkative.

4. How lucky do you consider yourself?

Extremely.

5. What is the subject of your favorite post that you've written?

Probably my conversion to Catholicism, which I wrote about here. There were a number of others written around the same time that are also favourites, such as this Where I'm From poem. Given that this purple patch of blogging was nearly four years ago, my blog is clearly on a lengthy downward spiral.

6. Describe March weather where you live in three words.

Wet. Damp. Drizzly.

7. How apt are you at detecting blarney when you hear it? (Smooth talk, flattery)

Pretty good, I think.

8. How "green" are you, environmentally speaking?

Fair to middling. I'm pretty good at recycling. I managed for three or four years with no tumble drier, and now I have one try to use it sparingly. But after many years without, we now have a second car, which I'm sure more than cancels out any other greenness. And I loathe environmentally friendly lightbulbs.

9. What is your favorite song this week?

Not sure if it counts as a song, but I've just discovered the Rimsky-Korsakov Trombone Concerto (see yesterday's daybook ...) and that is top of my current iTunes playlist.

10. You are walking along and see a coin on the ground. What denomination does it have to be before you will stop to pick it up?

Maybe twenty pence, maybe fifty. There is an inverse relationship between my age and stiffness and the amount that would tempt me to bend down. The days of picking up coppers are long gone. 

11. Complete the sentence: "Every time I look outside my window ...."

... I involuntarily check the weather, which being British is liable to change at any moment.

12. What was the #1 song on the day you were born? See this site to find out.


Only the Lonely, by Roy Orbison. In the US it would have been Save the Last Dance For Me (The Drifters).


HT: Dorothy at You Did What? for last week's Random Dozen.  Find more Random Dozen's at 2nd Cup of Coffee.

Simple Woman's Daybook: 2nd March

Outside My Window... blue skies and a bright, sunny morning. Still chilly, with a frost this morning, but spring is lurking in there somewhere. 

I am thinking ... what a poor blogger I have been recently. Nothing to write about? Or just not in the mood for writing? I'm not sure. 

From the learning rooms ... Star has been looking at MacBeth in English. I know this because she gave me a highly entertaining and unexpected rendition of her own version, from which it was apparent that she had a surprisingly clear grasp of the characters and plot. Surprising because she ususally gives the impression that most of her school lessons go in one ear and straight out the other.

I am thankful ... Star's bedroom is pretty much done. She got up at 6am to finish clearing it out last Tuesday. The painting is finished. It just needs curtains and pictures to be hung and her new bed to arrive.

From the kitchen ... cottage pie for dinner, and maybe some baking with Cherub this afternoon. Last week's gold digger buns were good

I am wearing ... dark blue jeans, purple t-shirt and cardigan, blue handknitted socks

I am creating ... soft pastel pink socks for Star. I have moved on from knitting multiple pairs of mittens to multiple pairs of socks.

I am going ... to get in an hour's trombone practice while Cherub is at playgroup.

I am reading ... Rural Life in Victorian England by G.E.Mingay

I am hoping ... to catch up on various jobs around the house this afternoon.

I am hearing ... Rimsky-Korsakov's Trombone Concerto. I want to play like that.

Around the house ... paint test squares on our bedroom walls, as our room is next on the makeover list. We are thinking mainly cream with one (small) wall in a deep turquoise.

One of my favorite things ... a sunny day after weeks of grey skies.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... a couple of days puttering about with Tevye (who is taking Thursday and Friday off work); a meal with our neighbours on Friday (I have to make a French starter); a schools' gym competition for Angel; extra ballet for Star.  

A Picture Thought I Am Sharing ... more snow last week. Surely that must be the last of it.

Find instructions and links to other daybooks at The Simple Woman