Divest-October

I had my flu jab on Sunday which knocked me for six yesterday.. mostly I slept. Anyway back here a day late for the October update on my progress towards divesting myself of stuff and negative attitudes especially procrastination of routine tasks.

I read an interesting tip this month that suggests a way of staying on top of life. Basically if a task will only take a minut, do it straight away- eg mop up a spill, take the clean laundry and put it away etc. Now actually I am pretty good at doing these things already. The jobs I put off are the ones that I think will take 10-15 minutes, mostly because past experience tells me that although they should only take that time and sometimes do , sometimes they don’t. For example ones involving a phone call, if you get straight through to the right person then yes it takes 10 minutes, but if you have Options to press and wait a minute whilst we connect you and here’s some jolly music, you can kiss goodbye to an hour. Or you have to do something online. First my big laptop can take ten minutes to install it’s updates which is the computer I prefer to do things on, rather than the tablet which I browse on and no doubt pick up undesirable cookies which will plague me for life. So then I’m online,up pops a chatbot, do I need help- well yes but not from you! Eventually I find the right place on the website and do whatever. Next thing I know there’s an email asking me to rate my experience.

So yes I put off those jobs because I know that for every one that takes the expected time of ten minutes there will be two that take much longer.

There are of course other jobs which take ten minutes but I put off because I just don’t like doing them. Like emptying the hoover bag. I have an old upright one, works fine but then emptying it is a nightmare, it’s the reassembling bit, you have to have the cylinder in just the right place- we even drew arrows on it to show me where to do it, but then you have to have the filter in the right place and go in at the correct angle, and the dust goes everywhere if I’m not careful. I try to time it with the fortnightly bin collection, and when it’s not raining. But I’d rather put it off just a bit longer.

So I am trying to improve my attitude to these things. If I allow an hour to do a job on the computer and it only takes ten minutes well I have a WIN!

Other than this I’ve not much to report this month. I have got in the habit now of when I spot something in the process of doing another job, that I don’t want or need anymore I move out of the house, usually in the bin or if I think there’s an earthly chance someone else could use it I take it to where I expect someone of that ilk might light upon it and think Whoopee just what I needed.

At the last Family History group I attended we were talking about how to present our findings. I shared the excellent workbook I use, and in return oohed and aahed about others ideas including scrapbooking. I am an inveterate collector of bits of paper- any leaflet going I pick it up, any ticket or programme I keep it, pretty ribbon on something I keep it, postcards yes please. All dotted around the craft room. Add in old photos that didn’t make the albums and I have the makings of a scrapbook. I completed the first page this month using two photos from an old calender, some letters leftover from a picture I made, pretty paper and an old ticket for a football match, added some writing and I have used the stuff in a way that I can enjoy looking at and maybe one day the subject of the page will have a memory from his childhood to treasure from his Nana.

So there we are, stuff going out, stuff put to use and less prevaricating of jobs that should take ten minutes but probably won’t.

Joining with Carolyn and others here-https://youronewordblog.wordpress.com/2023/10/30/checking-in-10-23/

I wonder what jobs do you dislike doing and put off and why?

Glad I put the garden waste bin out before I wrote this as it’s raining now.

Unraveled Wednesday

Quite good progress on my sleeveless jumper- half way up the back. 12″ more inches before I shape the shoulders. And a new book. There is a very good series available on ITVX at the moment called The Tower. It’s an adaption of this book. The book is as good as the series. The cover says it all.

Once again joining with Kat and others to talk knitting and reading. Link here-http://askatknits.com/2023/10/18/unraveled-wednesday-10-18-23/

Scrap Happy Day

Late! Again!

And now for something completely different. But first a disclaimer- or two- I have no idea if this will work plus I pinched the idea from a plant nuresry in Burford, Oxfordshire- the one near the carpark if you care.

So my friend’s husband, Graham, donated me lots of plants this year including some in broken flower pots which I could keep.

Like this one. Which I hope is broken enough to count as scrap.

Not broken enough for my needs, so I helped that crack on its way a bit.

So now it’s really an X flower pot. Time to fill it with special compost and add some succulents.

And hopefully it will grow nicely at an angle and become a Garden Feature!

At the moment I have it upright to stop the soil falling out and will shortly put it in the porch to over winter. It can keep a pot of acorns I hope might leap into action and become the oak trees they were meant to be! Not that I have any idea what I’m doing with them either- hoping covering them with a bit of soil and topping with dead leaves will mirror what would happen if a squirrel took them.

Please check with Kate and the others for some really nice scrap happy projects. Link here-https://talltalesfromchiconia.wordpress.com

Unraveled Wednesday

One snail for a little boy to bring inside. Can’t wait to give it to him later on this month. Meantime

Something for me, only mine will have a V neck. Going to be cosy, hopefully I’ll be wearing it this year!

And as to reading, something most appropriate for chill Autumn/Winter nights, Midwinter of the Spirit by Phil Rackman-set in the prettiest county in the UK Herefordshire (in my opinion) and the city of Hereford, we have spooky goings on and exorcism set in the present day. I watched it first as a TV series quite recently on ITVX, I believe its also available on some pay for channels. The TV programme is based on this book which is the second in a series of books with the same character, Merrily Watkins who is the rector of a small country church and the Diocesan Exorcist. I enjoyed the programme, hence borrowing the book from the library. The book is living up to expectations!

Joining once again with Kat and the others for yarny chat- link here-http://askatknits.com/2023/10/11/unraveled-wednesday-10-11-23/

Out and About

We all love a good outing don’t we? I have been lucky enough to enjoy several during August and September. I thought it might be fun to blog about them from time to time under the title Out and About.

So I’ll begin with the coach trip I took to Highclere Castle. It was my first ever venture on a coach trip that was for the general public rather than with a group. I have to say I loved it, especially as I was able to pal up with a very friendly lady called Linda who was also flying solo.

I wonder does it look at all familiar?

Highclere Castle might be known to you as Downton Abbey. Sadly you aren’t allowed to take photos inside. But you do get to see the main rooms used in the series…library, hall, dining room, sitting room and many bedrooms. Not the kitchens- those scenes all took place in a studio.

The house is owned by the 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, in fact it’s their family home. The Countess was acting as crowd control on the way in..15 in at a time then wait a bit. The Earl was litter picking and bin emptying in the grounds!

What I had totally failed to appreciate was that the Earl of Carnarvon back in the 1920’s was the chap who funded the archaeological dig of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Many years later the family were rootling around the castle when they finally got round to unlocking a door and lo there was a room stuffed with items from the dig. These were also on display ..down in the basement where the kitchens used to be. It made a fascinating exhibition . Again no photography.

However you can take pictures of the grounds.

So I did.

My next outing saw me return to Avebury Manor, a National Trust property and one of my favourites. They were heavily promoting their Christmas Display later in tbe year, so I may be back. Not so many pictures this trip as it hadn’t changed much from previous visits.

I could seriously live here, so pretty. I had lots of good conversations with the room volunteers, especially about grey ladies and monks drifting around the place! Not that I saw any spooky goings on.

Not the warmest weather when I visited but at least it didn’t rain.

Hope you enjoyed these two visits..more to come. I wondered where have you been to recently..any ghostly apparitions perhaps?

Unraveled Wednesday

It took a while but I finally finished this lovely pink and fluffy cardigan for Little Miss P.

It’s fastened with a Popper or snap fastener if you prefer which is covered with a button.

I was held up with my knitting because I agreed to crochet yet more poppies.

We have now officially finished making poppies and early in November they will be displayed in the local church in time for Remembrance Sunday.

Just a quick project now.

I am making a snail for my youngest grandson J. He loves snails but his Mum won’t let them in the house so I am knitting one he can have indoors!

The book is the latest Richard Osman. I had a brand new copy from the library and with 44 people in the queue for it have been in reading mode for the last couple of days. It is good- I laughed- I cried- it’s his best in my opinion and Joyce is still my favourite character!

Joining with Kat and the others to catch up on all things yarny- it’s been a while, but I am still here! Link here-http://askatknits.com/2023/10/04/unraveled-wednesday-10-4-23/