Wednesday 28 February 2018

Behold the Beast

Well there's been a whole heap of hyperbole in the media about the 'Beast from the East' or rather warmer than usual air over the Arctic driving changes in the Jet Stream mean that the UK is getting cold weather systems from the east resulting in colder temperatures than we'd normally expect for this time of year.  It has resulted in the usual shutdown of British public transport systems, some schools closing and dire warnings of 'stay indoors', 'check on your elderly neighbours' and 'the end of the world is nigh!'  Oops sorry that last one just slipped in.
 
Back in the real world, Britain has been experienced snow across most of the island, unsurprisingly, some areas have had more snow than others.
 
We had this, despite the warnings we have not seen any sight of polar bears, zombies or armies of orcs on wargs.  We did see some very fat pigeons hogging the bird table and some long tailed tits holding a choir practice around the suet balls but that was all.
 
We lit the fire.
 
We stared at the fire
 
We tested out the quilt.
 
 Some of us got really close, just in case those polar bears tried to move in.
 
And then we went to bed.
 
After much suspicious sniffing of the snow on the doorstep the Nu ventured out into the garden and has now got a new nickname - Wencescat - as she carefully and with great deliberation stepped in my footsteps to avoid that horror of horrors, a wet belly.
 
To be fair this is probably only the second time in her life she's seen snow settle and quite rightly she decided that the fire was a much better option.


Monday 19 February 2018

Cleaning

I spent yesterday with my quilting group, most of the ladies decorated tins and flowerpots with decoupage and damned fine they looked too.  Haunted by our individual guilts I and a friend used the uninterrupted time to work on our respective quilts and progress was made - hooray.
Jean-Luc was due to meet up with friends for his weekly Sunday evening of music and beer.  This meant our paths would barely cross all day.
 
The result of all this social activity was that I returned home to a note pinned on the kitchen door with 'Wet Floor' and a 27 point list of Jean-Luc's  mammoth kitchen cleaning spree.
 
Today I retaliated with a purge on the bathroom.
We are talking tea tree oil and bicarb cream cleaner, vinegar sprays and Dettol.
 
 
War has been declared in the 2018 Spring Cleaning Olympics!
 
Let the frolics begin.
 
 

Saturday 17 February 2018

New Years Resolutions

I don't do New Year Resolutions but I have realised that about January each year I have an unconscious personal ritual I carry out.
 
 
Every year I reread Rhonda Hetzels' book Down to Earth.
It's a guide to simple living.  It's not preachy, it doesn't assume everyone can or wants to live the same life; but what it does do is have some solid advice broken down into sections that you can use and adapt to help live a simpler life.
 
I guess by rereading it, I am reconnecting with the principles that I want to be part of my life. 
Although I live in a rural area, we will never have a small holding, orchard and probably no chickens or bees (the garden is just too small).  I can however budget, grow as many veggies as I can fit in,  and make as much as I can. 
 
 
Jean-Luc cooks wonderful meals from scratch and he makes enough meals to freeze for future meals, we buy in bulk when things are cheap and have a store cupboard and freezer to store it.  I preserve as much of our excess veggies as I can - (go courgettes and tomatoes!) and haunt hedgerows and supermarket isles for cheap fruit and herbs for preserving.  
 
 
I make soap and laundry liquid, we haven't bought soap for over seven years and we only use shop bought laundry pods once every two months for white linens.  I'm learning to make my own clothes and try to buy good quality that will last when I do buy clothes - I'm lucky enough to have a sister who could be in the GB Olympic knitting team and who makes me gorgeous jumpers and dresses.



We are not perfect; on the non-frugal side Jean-Luc loves holidays in hot climes, loves his car and, as an IT specialist, loves high quality techy stuff.
 I love good wine, good coffee and good cheese.  I have a Doc Marten boot fetish and love books.  And of course I have a deep need to stash yarn and material.
 
Both Jean-Luc and I agree on the basics though - pay your bills first, save before you spend and wait until you have the money before you buy luxuries.
Why all this info - well it's just my way of saying very few of us are going to be able to live the perfect sustainable lifestyle with a small holding and eco house and we all have different ideas about what are necessities and what are luxuries; about what makes life bearable and what we want rather than need in our lives. 
The important thing is if you want to live simply, start with things you can change in your present lifestyle, develop a plan you and your family feel comfortable with and implement that plan; you can always change it later.  Life can change and unexpected things happen so be flexible and have some wiggle room but figure out what it is you can and want to change and do it.
Living simply can be challenging but rewarding, but if something isn't working for you don't feel pressured into continuing with it; some things that seemed a good idea prove to be just the opposite; so either try tweaking it to suit you or try something else completely.
 But if you fancy trying living simply - good luck and enjoy it.
 
 

Thursday 8 February 2018

Pfeh!

Jean-Luc and I have now recovered from the village lurgy that we have been suffering from for over a month. Until last week we'd barely been out except for shopping trips; notable exceptions where a trip to a local antiques warehouse, an evening out at the pub (we were in bed by 9.30) and today, when we went for a short walk at a local nature reserve.  We ended up with Jean-Luc napping on the sofa and me snuggled up in a shawl nursing a cup of mint tea - both knackered by a 45 minute walk. Ridiculous. 
Opinion around the village is that this bug hangs around for at least 4 weeks and wends its way through your system in series of ups and downs - you think it's gone, you do some light physical activity and woomp! back down you go into aching limbs and sore throat territory.
The bells have been rung, crosses painted on doors and the parish council are mustering volunteers to stand at the entrances to the village intoning 'Unclean!' in sepulchral tones.
 
In an effort not to be drawn into the horrors of daytime TV, I spent the time crocheting socks. 


 
Snuggly and cheerful rainbow socks.
 
Considering the weather - beautifully warm.

I've also finally got to grips with quilting this quilt.

 
I sort of like this pastel quilt; it's not in my usual colour range and is made from a load of fat quarters I had bought on a whim.  It's been hanging around for a while now as a UFO and I've finally bitten the bullet and started finishing it - with help of course!