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Do I really have to work?

It’s currently 07:45 and I’m still in bed.  However, I’ve already had my breakfast – I made porridge and a cup of coffee and brought it back to bed – so breakfast is finished.  I’m now reading “The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories”, the cat is curled up beside me and ClassicFM is on in the background.  Surely this is a Saturday and I can comfortably stay here for a while longer??  Sadly it’s Wednesday and I have to commute into the spare room, which isn’t exactly torturous, but leaving my little idle is!  Oh well!

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Relaxing After Easter

Background: I’ve been left with one cat and she is decided clingy and needy.  If I sit down then it is an open invitation for her to sit on my lap – the exception to this is if I’m at a table/desk.

Today is a bank holiday and this morning I started to read a new book (A Venetian Reckoning by Donna Leon– see below 👇)  I knew that if I sat down then the day would be spent with a cat on my lap and not in a cute way you see on the telly.  So, and I admit it!, I hid in my bedroom so that I could read.  Naturally her hunting instincts meant I was found the minute she realised I wasn’t in the same room as her and there’s only three other rooms in the apartment.  However sitting on the bed with my knees up meant no cat on the lap, despite a few attempted incursions.  This has lead to what I can only describe as a really pleasant day.  She’s been asleep beside me while I read (and on occasion closed my own eyes) and it is contentment all around.

Now I do realise that because she wasn’t actually sitting on me, it means I’ve neglected her shamefully throughout the day and I will have to show undying love and affection to her when I do go to sit on the sofa later.  However, for now, I’ve had an absolutely wonderful day, stress free with no cat howls, read my book, dunked biscuits in my tea and dipped into the internet here and there.

I think I might just have found the format that works for calm days of nothingness – I will return to it for more days like this.

Book in question should you choose to indulge:

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A grand cup of tea

www.facebook.com/677287782/posts/10152459424452783/

She might be gone but she’ll never be forgotten- my lovely little Pip helping herself to an unguarded mug of tea 😸

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Snuggled Up

Yesterday I bought a “thing” – it’s a throw with a hood and mittens.  It’s one of the softest things I have bought in a long time (normally it’s balls of wool).  I spent most of the afternoon offering my purchase around for people to feel – it really is that soft!

When I got home I unwrapped it and posted a photo of me proudly sporting my new throw.  I have to say when the evenings get cooler I really am going to be as snug as a bug! 

Peep
Peep

I am so excited about this – it’s currently being used as a cushion, as it folds up into the hood – it really works as a comforter 

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My Radio

I love listening to the radio – I have one in every room in the apartment even the smallest room!

Actually, that’s not exactly true – I did have a radio on my locker but retired it for the telly.  What I mean by that is we get the radio through the television and the signal is much, much better!  However this morning two things happened to be bring the radio back to the locker – I woke up in time to listen to Gloria on LyricFM and the remotes were over on his locker.  The radio was found, plugged in and I snuggled back down to listen.  It really was glorious!  The reception wasn’t too bad either.

Speaking of reception – I mentioned earlier that reception is better on the telly – well that’s not really worth anything if there’s no electricity!  As was the case last week.  I had just gotten off the bus when all of the house alarms started going off.  It seems that when the electricity fails you don’t get silence these days.  I do like having no electricity – it’s like an adventure!  Anyway with no telly or internets there was only the radio left!  So out came my transistor (I don’t think they can be called a tranny any more)  and the reception of BBC radio 4 was PERFECT!  We listened away ’til the lights came back and at that point all of the static electricity that was being generated completely destroyed the reception.  Now I know some will go what did you expect but it had never dawned on me before – yes, electrical weather but household, no!

Here is my old faithful –

IMG_2728 I’ve had her for too many years than I’d care to admit to!

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Slow Progress

Confession time – I hurt my hand from playing Nintendo 😦  At the time I was also making a baby blanket for my cousin, so the blanket kind of ground to a halt.

Ok it wasn’t just that my hand/thumb was killing me – it was also the fact that I’d decided to make this blanket with stripes that encouraged me to put off picking it back up again.  Don’t get me wrong – I love this blanket – it goes up lovely when you’re doing it all in the one colour.  However, a different colour for every row is a pain in the bum!  For the first few rows I didn’t weave in the ends – figuring I’d do it with the border – however I realised it was going to have to be done with each row if it was going to be well hidden.

On Friday night I dreamt that my cousin’s wife had, had a baby boy.  This would have been a good thing ’cause I was making a blanket for a girl – this might have been my sub-conscience trying to ease my guilt.  So although the plan for the weekend was to read I put it on hold and picked up hook & wool.

As I type I’ve got 50% of it done (no photo) – the fact that it’s 100 rows makes it easy to see your progress.  I also decided to post updates on Instagram as I went along:

Saturday Morning
Half way through the day…
End of Day / Sunday Starting

BTW the blanket is from this pattern: www.Lemonlaneblog.wordpress.com
If you do it – enjoy it.

I’ll post another photo this evening to show where I am by bed time.

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Sunny Sunday Breakfast

In the mornings we have sunshine on our veranda but come the afternoon the sun is out in the back garden.

So this morning I had my breakfast out doors.  Yes the weather has been that good over the last few days.

Armed with my iPhone I took a photo but can’t decide which app – the Instagram or Flickr?

Instagram

or

Flickr

Whichever one you like let me reassure you it was all really delicious & relaxing.

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Making Ikea

I’m really proud of myself – I’ve just put together a chair from Ikea.  Himself was going to have a lie down so I decided to give it a go and I’m now sitting on it as I type – I’m soo proud of myself even if I did swear a bit every time I dropped the twisting thing!

My New Chair!!!
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Learning

Yesterday my email account was hacked and everybody in my address book was sent something – not sure what as I didn’t open it. Anyway three cheers for Google! They decided that it was spam and blocked it so the mails didn’t go anywhere. My only problem after that was to think of a new password and make the change so I looked to my bookshelves for inspiration. Eventually I came up with something so all is well with the world – however as I was looking at my books I noticed that I have a few books about learning some different languages. It really was an Oh Yeah! I have those books – so now I’m going to use those books! As I type I realise there is one other text book somewhere in the house – I will have to dig that one out although I can start with what I have. I have to admit that I’m rather looking forward to getting stuck in but it will require me to make sure that my desk is cleared – I have to get some stuff shredded 😉

I wonder if I will do any better by myself compared to school & a brief stint in college? At least there won’t be any exams – eek and bane of my life – you would think that as a grown up I’d be beyond that kind of thinking – I guess old habits die hard.

Speaking of looking at my shelves – I wonder if it really is the wrong time of year to dip in to one of my Christmas books? Possibly maybe I’ll save them for night time reading.
I’ve just realised that it is I’m going to dip into next – I started reading Maya by Jostein Gaarder but have never managed to finish it – I’m only hoping to get a little bit further on in it – yes finish what I’m reading and then have a look at that.

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December 8th

Ok so the making a post every day isn’t really working out. There have been two reasons for this – the minor one is that I was away over the weekend doing my Christmas Visits and the major reason is that our internet at home is on the blink. Right now I’m on my lunch typing this on my little net book
So festively speaking what has been happening the last post? The houses on the bus route are finally lit up. OK maybe not as much as last year but there is a recession going on. Speaking of lights I put up some lights around the fireplace on Friday. They are really pretty so I plug them in first thing in the morning so I can look at them as I potter about getting ready for work. I have to say it works really well ’cause they are white lights against black marble so there is an element of reflection going on.
My mother, sister & myself were off for the weekend visiting and delivering cards & presents etc. However when we went to visit my aunt on Sunday I realised it was the first decorated house I’d been in and there really is something about it that makes you break out in a big smile. After that visit we had the 2.5 / 3 hour drive home so I spent the evening in a daze – recovering from the journey and also trying to figure out where will I put the Christmas Tree next weekend? I’m still not sure I have a feeling that it is going to be a case of putting it together and then seeing what will fit where!
The one thing I was looking forward to when I came back from my travels was the Christmas edition of The Radio Times! According to a previous edition it was due out on Saturday but no joy – perhaps it will be in on Tuesday?! I popped my head in the door of the news agents this morning – no joy 😦 However I’m hoping for the edition that has the two dancers on it and not the dalek. I’ve gone off that stuff and Dr Who doesn’t exactly scream Christmas to me. On the other hand we’ll be getting 2 copies of it – one for me and one for himself (don’t ask!)
Speaking of Radio Times that leads me nicely into the topic of seasonal viewing 🙂 Who was watching Delia? I only want a small part of her house – boy was it fabulous! and as for the food – I think there will be one or two of those recipes experimented on over the next while. Tonight I’ll be watching Kirstie’s Homemade Christmas. Mind you I think I’ll be recording it as I’m going out tomorrow evening and will miss it – so record them and watch them as I decorate the tree!! That is a plan I’ve just come up with as I’m typing. Now I really am looking forward to Saturday 😀
Well I must go as I have to clock back in and dedicate myself to the company for the afternoon ;P