Totally incompatible... for 23 years

I am not 'into' horoscopes etc. but any time I have looked at one of those books about which signs I should have relationships with, they always say that Geminis and Virgos are totally incompatible and basically can't live under the same roof.

Oops, I didn't read that before I met Mr H.

Thankfully.

I was reminded of the Gemini/Virgo thing yesterday, when I suggested changing the sitting-room around because - well I just like changing things around occasionally.   Mr H said that he doesn't, but just to please me we could try it.  The agreement on my side was that if after a couple of days we agreed that it didn't work, then we could put it back.

So we shifted the CD storage, sofas and coffee tables, and vacuumed all those places that hadn't seen daylight for a couple of years, and although at one point we thought it wouldn't work, in the end it did.  And we managed to fit Mr H's cinema chair into the room as well so that was a bonus.

So I say "Pfft" to incompatibility... yes our views on things differ sometimes but a bit of compromise on both sides can usually smooth out the wrinkles!

Now, I wonder if he'd mind if I moved everything around in the kitchen....?

The week I've been waiting for

Mr H is home tomorrow!!!  for 10 days....  ooh will we still be speaking by the end of next week? ha.

And Django is coming back to stay for a couple of months.  I haven't missed him as much as usual, not sure why; but it will be nice to have company again and stop having to talk to myself.  

So tonight I will be putting the loud music on as it helps me concentrate on the clearing up the mess I live in, before he gets back. I may as well pretend to be one of those tidy wives haha ;-)

And... relax

Hey, well you'll be pleased to hear I'm feeling better since my last post.

Mr H reminded me that the only thing I have to do is Be Here.. which I knew already, but.   I will make the effort to clear a chair in the kitchen and another space on the table though ie. sort out the piles of paperwork which I just shuffle around to make room for a plate.

Gratuitous photograph: A little friend reading a letter

On Tuesday night I had a walk around the field with Django and decided I'd set myself too full a timetable for revising. Even walking the dog helps revision, as I go over things in my head and imagine trying to explain things to people.  So, I'll chill out a bit and also reduce the number of 'just in case' subjects I revise to a cursory read through later.  I'll concentrate on three and hopefully get to know them well enough that it doesn't matter what questions they hit us with on them.

Last night I went over to a friend's for tea of home-made lasagne, and not-so-home-made pavlova supplied by me. I was so tired when I got home from work that I fell asleep and only just woke up in time to go out!  But had a nice relaxing evening just chatting and was home at 10.30pm.

And at 10.30pm tonight I'll be waiting to pick up Mr H at the station - hurrah!  Django doesn't know yet, he will be so excited.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Bumbling along

I've lost interest this evening. In everything.

I could be washing up, proof reading my essay, having a shower, walking Django, writing my blog.... oh.  Well.

After cycling home I did some comprehensive weeding in the vegetable patch. That was enough for me, can I curl up with my book now?

The best part of today was standing under the Laburnum, listening to the constant hum of lots of bumblebees collecting pollen in their trousers...

I could have stood there all day but unfortunately 'stuff' required my attention.  Like work.

My mind's not really on stuff at the moment.

It's thinking about the fact that I'm picking Mr H up from the station next Thursday night for a long weekend.  He hasn't been home since March and everything in the garden looks so different now, I can't wait to share it with him.

Waiting for a storm

There's a threatening sense in the air,
The trees are whispering fervently,
"It'sss comingggg"...

The parched ground is ready,
The thirsty leaves looking to the sky,
Still innocently blue and clear.

But there is a promise of heavy drops
Before the night is out,
As thunder approaches on the breeze...

Sunbathing on Easter Weekend...?

Today I feel that I have been extremely lazy. This is based on the fact that I spent a large number of hours sitting on my sun lounger in the garden reading 'Atonement', drinking tea and watching the birds going about their business.

Normally this would be virtually impossible for me to achieve. I would end up weeding or doing other chores that need doing, and not being able to sit still. But since I had all those months sitting around unable to do things, I am much better at it now.

Django did much the same, except that he slept in various sunny/shady places around the garden instead of reading a book.

We were out walking at 7.15am up on the Forest this morning, and then I walked into town to the market for a few things, so I wasn't a complete slob.  And now it's shady so I have my chores to do - watering the vegetable patch.

Be proud of where you live

Tourist season has started in the New Forest. Locally known as 'grockles' they arrive for weekends and holidays in streams of cars and caravans, queueing to get through Lyndhurst.

Naturally the whole point of having grockles is to give the locals something else to complain about:

They clog up the roads.

The slow down to look at the ponies.

They bring their children.

They wander around the market at a snail's pace.

They have picnics where you want to walk your dog.

The fill up the car parks.

They generally get in the way.

Everyone wants them to just sod off home and leave us in peace.

Up until this year I have probably felt the same (albeit slightly tongue in cheek).  But this year I feel different and I'm not sure what it is that has changed my outlook.  Maybe it is being a regular visitor to Scotland and not quite feeling whether I'm a tourist or a local; maybe all this studying has made me see the world in a different way; maybe I've just grown up.

When I went out last weekend on a beautiful sunny day, and there were caravans on the road, I didn't start thinking 'oh no, here we go again'.   Instead I felt proud to live here, in a beautiful place that an awful lot of people want to come and visit.  

When I met some people walking who had obviously come from the camp site, I didn't snarl at them, I smiled and said good morning and if I'd had the chance I probably would have wished them a lovely holiday, or chatted about what plans they had for their stay.

When I thought about the amount of money tourism brings into the local economy I wondered what the place would be like without that input?

While Mr H and I were on holiday in Derbyshire, we met a lovely couple on one of our walks.  They didn't snarl at us for being tourists, we chatted about where we were staying and things we were doing.  That is the sort of local I want to be.

Too many people whinge about tourists but think about this - how lucky are we?  When they have to go home and tell their friends about what a great place they visited, we get to live here and enjoy it all year round.

Spontaneity and settling down

Well, that was a different weekend to what I had planned!   as you might have gathered from my previous post, at 4.30pm on Friday I got a text that Mr H was on his way home - and he had only decided to come two hours previous to that - a real spur of the moment visit.  

He says he drove the 450 miles to see me, but I know the truth - it was actually to see Django ;-)   Anyways it put all my plans of spending the weekend studying out of the window, but after the emergency washing up on Friday I did manage to get some reading done before he arrived.

We had a lovely homey weekend of dog-walking, veg patch digging, visiting parents and just chilling together.   It certainly got rid of the gloomy mood I'd fallen into - it was going to be 8 weeks between seeing each other and that was just proving too long. 

Four weeks is definitely the optimal gap.  Two weeks is too often because there is no settling down time.  More than 4 or 5 is too long and missing them desperately sets in.   Just the day and a half he was here this time was enough to top up the batteries.

After he'd gone I went to the garden centre to investigate vegetables as it's time to be planting seeds.  So now I have some sown outside, and some indoors. My kitchen table has been moved around to create an indoor greenhouse space.   The four 'sticks' are not vegetables, they are wiggly willow cuttings.

We do have a greenhouse, a very small one 6x4 - but it's full of stuff and in dire need of a sort out. A job for another fine weekend!

This evening I phoned my brother-in-law and his wife (what does that make her, a sister-in-law-in-law?) to tell them that I'm not going to The Family Wedding in two weeks time.  Oh, he says, haven't you heard the date has changed now?   What a shambles, first it's rushed through because of visas expiring and now it's been put off because of some other legal hiccup.  For heaven's sake - well whenever it is, I can't come.

Anyway I ended up having a long chat which was good, I'm looking forward to being able to drive 2 1/2 hours comfortably so I can go and visit them, and my sister too. 

On the Scottish front, I don't think I told you that after Mr H's interview he decided that the new job would be too big a step this soon, and that he didn't feel remotely ready. So he was pretty relieved when he didn't get it, and so was I because I'd been kind of thinking the same thing. Not that ambition to get on isn't good, but it isn't everything.  So all that has settled down and he can throw himself into his current job and get more experience until the right opportunity comes up.  

My boss asked me the other day whether I was thinking of moving to Scotland one day.  He's another Scotland lover but he said he knew exactly what I meant, and felt exactly the same, when I said 'Not at the moment, we both like it down here too much'.   

If anyone asked me, right now, that favourite interview question "Where do you see yourself in five years time?"  I really don't think I could give a definitive answer. 

KEEP CLEAR - Rant Ahead!

It's not really rocket science is it?  But WHY do people ignore this written on the road??

On Saturday I almost missed my train because a woman had parked across the KEEP CLEAR entrance to the station car park while waiting for the level crossing. And yes I called her a 'dozy ****' etc. while I sat there waiting. I probably would have had time to get out of my car, go over and offer to pull forward those extra 3 feet that would have allowed me to squeeze through, since she was apparently incapable of interpreting my pointing.

Today there were road works traffic lights which caused a tailback onto the roundabout near my house. So naturally people stopped ON the roundabout and left a 'car plus 1/2 inch' space to get through, for those of us wishing to go straight across.

And when people stop across KEEP CLEAR marking, or obvious (to me at least) areas of road which are required for movement of vehicles, and there is space for them to move out of the way, they just glaze over or studiously ignore the person gesticulating to them to "Please, with all due respect, would you MOVE!".   Gah!!!

I was thinking we should have KEEP CLEAR written on the road in front of our house, to stop people blocking the drive. But on second thoughts I won't because people would probably park there even more.

Mix and match

I'm working at home this morning and have taken the afternoon off, I've run out of steam this week.   Other than one evening when I forced myself to watch some comedy on iPlayer, I've been in the office all day and then studying most of the evening. 

Yesterday's staff 'workshop' and discussion day went well and we got lots out of it, but our agenda was a little optimistic so we'll finish it off on Monday.    I also got my TMA03 mark back from my tutor, 76% which I was pleased with. Very consistent with my first two marks!  I am determined to get it higher in the one I am writing at the moment so last night I went through all the feedback I had, and made some notes.  Now I'm ripping my 2nd draft apart.... but we also have a tutorial tomorrow so no doubt that will throw some more spanners in the works.

Today's gratuitous photo is me, standing on one leg!!!  I suddenly discovered I could do this yesterday morning, without having to have a supportive hand on something, as I have done.  It's strange how things seem to change all of a sudden.

This afternoon I'm going to the picture framer's.   Many years ago I inherited a glass-fronted bookcase from my paternal grandfather. It's in 3 sections which sit on top of each other, and has hinged 'up and over' glass front on each section.   My grandfather was also an artist and when my parents were visiting his widow recently she gave them a small painting he'd done which includes the bookcase. She wanted whoever had the bookcase to have the painting, and she will pay for it to be reframed which it needs. 

So this afternoon I'm going off to get that sorted out, I've been recommended one not far away.   A friend used to do it locally and was great, she is an artist and has a great eye so knew exactly what would look good. A few years ago she sold her business and the chap who took it over just did what you asked for, was no good for suggesting what would suit the picture.  So I was stuck, but our friend recommended this lady, so fingers crossed!

TP 132: Curves

Where does the curve of today's path lead.....?

The dusty, comforting curves of home.

Thematic Photographic at Carmi's

Frugality

I know I am not alone in my quest to spend less money, the Muddled Market Place is on the same track and I'm sure many people are after Christmas.

Mr H and I have rather been forced into it after years of being not well off, but not broke either.  Now we have two properties to run, plus paying for those student years of his where we didn't cut back as much as we should, so we're on a joint effort to not waste money.  

Before Christmas I spent more than I wanted to on food etc. ready for having Mr H home - not that I went mad but I probably spent twice as much as normal. I probably spent 1/5 of what some others did!   However since 23rd December I am proud to say we have spent precisely the following:

Fuel when we visited family  £31.94
Hot sausage rolls from the petrol station to eat en route   £2.98
Ibuprofen  £1.20

Now I reckon that is pretty good.  I really didn't think 6 bottles of wine would last 2 weeks, for a start!  Now I am so buoyed up by this that I am thinking of doing the Store Cupboard Diet where you eat the stuff that is in the cupboard / fridge / freezer instead of ignoring it and buying something else.   This might end up with some interesting mixtures but hey I can live with that.

Last night I had a sort out of clothes as my drawers were a mess, but was much more careful about how many I chucked in the charity shop bag.  As this has been rather a 'non-typical' year I can't really use the 'I haven't worn it for a year' benchmark.  I also put a few pieces on eBay, bearing in mind that it is only worth listing if it has a known brand/design name and is worth at least £5.00. 

Today I mended two pairs of trousers that had been sitting on the floor in the bedroom for at least a year - one with a button off and one where the hem had come down.   So that involved getting out my old sewing basket which I've had since I was a child and sorting out what was in it, which was rather therapeutic as was the actual mending.

Things have been chucked into the top of the basket over the years, so amongst the needles and thread I found loads of spare buttons (the ones that come with clothes when you buy them), some bootlaces, ribbon, lining cloth in a bag from a shop that closed down at least 20 years ago, some different coloured feathers and a repair kit for Mr H's Stihl chainsaw trousers. 

I also have some socks to darn, but have no wool so that therapy will have to wait until another day.

Time to relax

Today we are having a day off.   No appointments to meet, no people to see, no conversation to make, nowhere to go.  Just mooching and doing whatever we please.

So far that has consisted of Mr H walking Django and mending his trousers (he is the ex-upholsterer, I go nowhere near the sewing maching except in emergencies!); I stayed in bed til 10am, showered and planted some bulbs in the garden.  

That's another first - gardening.  Now I don't need my crutches out in the garden so it makes life a lot easier (especially the 'cleaning up after Django' part!).  I think this afternoon we will clear up some leaves and dig some potatoes/carrots for tea.

This is not our garden, it is at my parents' house, where I grew up.

So, other bloggers have been reflecting on 2010 and looking forward to 2011.  I was trying to remember the first 6 months of this year, but the only things that stick in my mind were the ice in January; visiting friends in Cheshire; a night out in Cowes at Easter; our week in the Lake District; Mr H getting his first Forestry Commission job; and our long drive to Scotland and back to view his new flat.  The rest of life was the grit and sand that filled in the gaps between the stones.

The latter 6 months have been about new experiences and good things coming out of bad.  It's so easy for people to see the negative, but I see the fact that Mr H and I are closer than ever; we both have jobs; I have started playing with art again; staff at work have been forced out of taking me for granted and are more involved (maybe I should see the crash as an extension to the management course I did just before it); and I have all you new friends!

As for 2011 - all I can say is that I will take it as it comes.



Who was 'HD' ?

This is the second bedroom/studio/study window.  It is an old Crittall window and it holds a bit of a mystery; for some reason I haven't really thought about it until now. 

It has some initials etched on one of the panes, the 3rd from the right, 2nd row down to be precise.

The way my mind has worked while staring at these, procrastinating over my studies is as follows:

The initials are etched on the outside of the glass.

They are old fashioned style which dates them.

They are on the opening side of the window, so couldn't have been done easily by leaning out of the window; whoever did them must have been out side.

Below this window is what was originally an added-on lean-to kitchen.

I thought about this, and now I have a vision in my head of a kid climbing up on to the kitchen lean-to roof and sitting by the window, maybe shooting at birds with his catapult, and idly etching his initials on the pane. (I'm assuming it was a boy but I suppose it could have been a tomboy girl). 

I started wondering who he was?

A son of the house? I suppose it must have been his/siblings bedroom window as there are only 2 bedrooms   Maybe it was a trouble-making friend messing around?  

Did he get into trouble?   there wasn't much that could have been done about it other than replace the pane; and given that this was a modest cottage (dating back to early-mid 1800s) originally inhabited by staff from one of the local manor houses, I doubt there was the money for that.

What do you think?

Six Word Saturday

Need to tidy. Where to start?

Disclaimer as I know Mr H. reads this blog. This cartoon is metaphorical not literal...

The weekend is generally my tidying/studying time, especially since I'm no longer in the habit of striding into town (15 minute walk) to see the Saturday market and look for things to buy that I didn't really need. 

The sitting-room, in fact the whole house, still has remnants of when I was sleeping in here - stuff in places where it wouldn't normally live.  Stuff we wouldn't normally have! Piles of DVDs borrowed from friends, rubbish/recycling baskets that were in here temporarily but now I find quite useful.  Magazines, books, CDs, aaggh and now my new floor bicycle that arrived yesterday!

The kitchen still has my trolley and stool in it although I haven't used them for a couple of months.  I could put them in the workshop I suppose.  My friend said I could sell the trolley but I keep thinking that I'll probably use it for going shopping, when I'm happy to walk but not carry a rucksack full of stuff!  or maybe I'll be too embarrassed to use a granny trolley. 

The kitchen table is covered in post, drugs, notes, stuff.

And I brought the recycling bin into the kitchen from outside, so that I didn't have to open the back door every time I want to throw away an envelope - I was ending up with piles of paper on the side ready to be put in the recycling. Under the drainer, where it got dripped on. The thing with our back door is that it was cheap.  So after 17 years there is a half-inch gap down the side of the bottom half where it has warped, so in the winter I jam a dog-towel in there to stop the draft. So it's a nuisance to open/close it in the winter. I know, I know!  but have you seen the price of a good quality, hardwood exterior door??

The desk has a large pile of post that belongs to Mr H on it, and a bag full of boxes of Paracetamol and Ibuprofen where my friend went a bit overboard buying it for me.  And other crap.

And as for the bedroom.... I need a severe clear out of clothes and somehow I'm never in the right mood to do it.  So I look sorrowfully at the pile of stuff by the bed in the morning, then come downstairs and forget about it.

Anyway, I do need to get some of this stuff sorted out before Mr H gets home on the 23rd, since my parents are coming for Christmas Day evening and we'll need somewhere to eat our food....

Latching on

In the garage, Mr H has a stack of workshop boxes with various things in them such as nails and spare car light bulbs; there is even one labelled 'fake £20 notes' but sadly it's always been empty.

My favourite is the one labelled:

Hooks

Catches

Hinges

Latches

Apart from the very satisfying rhyming of the label text, it is full of all sorts of - well, what it says on the box. Anything from tiny bolts, to window handles and old brass hinges. 

Yes we tend to collect stuff like that, I hesitate to say 'hoard' because it is in manageable proportions, but I like the fact that if we need just the right thing for a particular use, we are likely to be able to find something that will do the job in the garage. And it will usually be an old part, rather than a horrible shiny, weak willed new part from a shop.

What secret but incredibly useful store of stuff do you have that you have collected over the years?

New pages

Well, today is disgusting and wet so I'm quite glad I'm not going to the office again until Thursday!  I can huddle here and work with mugs of hot chocolate and cosy slippers instead...

I realised that many of you probably get completely confused about what I'm talking about, so I've added a new page about my boys.

Another new page is that my sitting room is now back to normal ie. the sofa-bed is a sofa again and the room feels huge now!   It will be nice not to have to sit on the bed when I have guests ;-)

Right, on with those e-mails!