Thank you for all the amazing ideas for meal planning. For anyone interested, the comments are on this post and are really inspiring and helpful. Thank you. I will go back and answer all the comments (I love seeing comments, it is so interesting to get other insights, people are incredibly kind and from so many places!) when I am able.
At the moment, my brain is not working. There's stuff going on that's not really blog stuff, and also I am suffering from silly lack of sleep. I am strictly surface thoughts only.
btw did you know that Sainsbury's think that a serving of white vinegar is around a tablespoon full (@ 15 and a third millilitres). My mouth sucked right in at the thought of it! I suppose a tablespoon of vinegar in the spoon sounds more than the same amount sprinkled on chips or fries but it still seems a lot to me. Also did you know that the Goodman of Paris, who is the apparently the author of a late fourteenth century cookbook, said that the best way to see if the vinegar was any good was to drop some of it on some stone and see if the stone bubbled. I supposed it's a good test if it's very strong vinegar and something like limestone. I don't think it would work on slate. The recipes are quite odd but interesting. The advice on how to live isn't totally female friendly.
Wednesday, 31 May 2017
Saturday, 27 May 2017
Meal Planning
I fail on a stellar scale when it comes to meal planning. I've been getting better, but it's still a case of 'random is as random does'. I really need to break this, though. It could make such a difference if I could just get the hang of it.
As usual, when I'm desperate I turn to eBay. I bought an inexpensive book on meal planning called 'The Family Meal Planner' by GoodFood. It promised, and I quote, 'Thrifty recipes and 7-day meal plans to help you save money and time'. Hah!
I suppose what I was hoping for was a sort of explanation of how to get a dratted meal plan to work when the cook self sabotages. Instead I got some ready made meal plans, which looked pleasant and varied enough. Some of the recipes are no doubt thrifty. The sweet potato and pineapple korma which is sweet potato, tinned pineapple chunks and tinned coconut milk in roughly equal measures with added korma paste is probably inexpensive. I'm not going to test it. Some are not thrifty at all. The Highland beef with pickled walnuts and pastry puffs is not what I consider thrifty. It may use stewing beef, but it calls for ready made pastry (I can't make pastry anyway), a can of stout (like Guinness) and half a jar of pickled walnuts. A jar of pickled walnuts costs £2.50 at time of typing and the least expensive can of stout is 88p. That's before you've put in the meat! It isn't fillet steak, but it's not exactly bargain basement.
There are lots of tips about balancing the cost over a lot of meals, with lamb on one day but lentils the next, and lots of ideas for using leftovers and freezing. I am ashamed to admit I was hoping that the book would do my thinking for me. I suppose it serves me right.
As usual, when I'm desperate I turn to eBay. I bought an inexpensive book on meal planning called 'The Family Meal Planner' by GoodFood. It promised, and I quote, 'Thrifty recipes and 7-day meal plans to help you save money and time'. Hah!
I suppose what I was hoping for was a sort of explanation of how to get a dratted meal plan to work when the cook self sabotages. Instead I got some ready made meal plans, which looked pleasant and varied enough. Some of the recipes are no doubt thrifty. The sweet potato and pineapple korma which is sweet potato, tinned pineapple chunks and tinned coconut milk in roughly equal measures with added korma paste is probably inexpensive. I'm not going to test it. Some are not thrifty at all. The Highland beef with pickled walnuts and pastry puffs is not what I consider thrifty. It may use stewing beef, but it calls for ready made pastry (I can't make pastry anyway), a can of stout (like Guinness) and half a jar of pickled walnuts. A jar of pickled walnuts costs £2.50 at time of typing and the least expensive can of stout is 88p. That's before you've put in the meat! It isn't fillet steak, but it's not exactly bargain basement.
There are lots of tips about balancing the cost over a lot of meals, with lamb on one day but lentils the next, and lots of ideas for using leftovers and freezing. I am ashamed to admit I was hoping that the book would do my thinking for me. I suppose it serves me right.
Friday, 26 May 2017
Yorkshire Tea
Bear came third in his class in the Triathalon type thingy he did yesterday, and I am so proud of him. He enjoyed it a massive amount, wanted to do it again and dumped a very large bag of swag. He came home with a tshirt, a water bottle, snacks (or, rather, the wrappers of snacks including squeezy yogurt), a bottle of ready made Yorkshire Tea iced tea and a box of ten Yorkshire Tea teabags which had a coupon for 30p off included, all in a very nice gym bag. I suspect Yorkshire Tea may have been one of the sponsors.
Bear asked for a cup of tea. I don't drink much tea these days, DH doesn't touch the stuff, and I've steered bear away from normal tea for a while. Father drank tea faster than he drank whiskey, a legacy of being a regular in the Army, but I never felt comfortable with bear getting tea. When I was little it wasn't unusual to see little babies with bottles full of tea, not always milky tea either, and generations grew up on it. I still kept bear on juice or water. However bear is 10 now. He makes his own toast, he makes his own cereal (well, he makes toast and cereal when he can be bothered and can't delegate to me), he walks to school and back on his own and even runs his own bath. I made him a cuppa, using the tea from his swag and carefully putting his teabags separately so he could be proud he was drinking his own tea. Bear was slightly unimpressed, but agreed he would have it again, especially if I put sweetener in next time.
As I said, I've kept bear away from caffeine. On the whole it's water, flavoured water, juice or milkshake with an occasional peppermint tea. I shouldn't have been surprised when bear still couldn't sleep at midnight. Sigh.
Not only was I kept up late but I woke at daft o'clock realising that DH's normal shirt (soft cotton, nice and warm) wasn't going to be appropriate on the hottest day of the year so far (26C or around 79F - those from outside the UK please don't snigger, it's shocking to our system!) so I leapt up and ironed a linen shirt for him. I can now barely hold my eyes open.
However the smell in the garden isn't there so I've been washing blankets. There were ten blankets/throws/snuggle blankets on the sofa alone. I think I've got a little carried away. I may get rid of some and pack some others away, but I do enjoy throws, many of which are now on the washing line. There's eleventy ten more to do as well, but I'll have to see how the weather forecast looks. It will be great to get ahead there before I start Day One of the cleaning plan.
Bear asked for a cup of tea. I don't drink much tea these days, DH doesn't touch the stuff, and I've steered bear away from normal tea for a while. Father drank tea faster than he drank whiskey, a legacy of being a regular in the Army, but I never felt comfortable with bear getting tea. When I was little it wasn't unusual to see little babies with bottles full of tea, not always milky tea either, and generations grew up on it. I still kept bear on juice or water. However bear is 10 now. He makes his own toast, he makes his own cereal (well, he makes toast and cereal when he can be bothered and can't delegate to me), he walks to school and back on his own and even runs his own bath. I made him a cuppa, using the tea from his swag and carefully putting his teabags separately so he could be proud he was drinking his own tea. Bear was slightly unimpressed, but agreed he would have it again, especially if I put sweetener in next time.
As I said, I've kept bear away from caffeine. On the whole it's water, flavoured water, juice or milkshake with an occasional peppermint tea. I shouldn't have been surprised when bear still couldn't sleep at midnight. Sigh.
Not only was I kept up late but I woke at daft o'clock realising that DH's normal shirt (soft cotton, nice and warm) wasn't going to be appropriate on the hottest day of the year so far (26C or around 79F - those from outside the UK please don't snigger, it's shocking to our system!) so I leapt up and ironed a linen shirt for him. I can now barely hold my eyes open.
However the smell in the garden isn't there so I've been washing blankets. There were ten blankets/throws/snuggle blankets on the sofa alone. I think I've got a little carried away. I may get rid of some and pack some others away, but I do enjoy throws, many of which are now on the washing line. There's eleventy ten more to do as well, but I'll have to see how the weather forecast looks. It will be great to get ahead there before I start Day One of the cleaning plan.
Thursday, 25 May 2017
This May be Too Much Information
I still have a dressing on my leg. It's been over a week. I've had washes, but no shower. I am desperate for a shower. I've been torn because I was raised that Dressings Must Be Kept Dry and, well, it's been a week, it's one stitch and how bad could it be?
So today I swathed my dressing with cling film, put a tubular bandage over to keep it in place and got under the shower. It was bliss - until the postie rang the bell. I could have cried! I'd barely got wet. In the end I channelled my inner awkward, leant (discreetly) out of the window and told him to leave it on the step. Then I finished my shower in peace. The dressing is fine and I feel a lot more presentable. My awesome new neighbours took in the package.
So it's life as usual here.
So today I swathed my dressing with cling film, put a tubular bandage over to keep it in place and got under the shower. It was bliss - until the postie rang the bell. I could have cried! I'd barely got wet. In the end I channelled my inner awkward, leant (discreetly) out of the window and told him to leave it on the step. Then I finished my shower in peace. The dressing is fine and I feel a lot more presentable. My awesome new neighbours took in the package.
So it's life as usual here.
Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Back to Everyday Life
Why aren't towels colourfast? Seriously? Things that get wet regularly outside the washing machine should not leak colour.
Bear is doing a Triathalon type thing (suitable for 10 year olds) and he needs towel, swimshorts etc and I looked for a new towel as ours are getting threadbare. Tesco were doing a very reasonably priced, not too large towel that's supposed to get fluffier every time it's washed. But I didn't get all of the whites that were in the previous wash out and one of bear's vests lurked in the corner.
It was a pristine white, even after six months of hard use. It is now a delicate shade of acidic turquoise. I'll try and get the colour here
I suppose it could be worse. It will do as a vest top for over the summer which means we get a little more wear before bear grows out of it.
Bear is doing a Triathalon type thing (suitable for 10 year olds) and he needs towel, swimshorts etc and I looked for a new towel as ours are getting threadbare. Tesco were doing a very reasonably priced, not too large towel that's supposed to get fluffier every time it's washed. But I didn't get all of the whites that were in the previous wash out and one of bear's vests lurked in the corner.
It was a pristine white, even after six months of hard use. It is now a delicate shade of acidic turquoise. I'll try and get the colour here
I suppose it could be worse. It will do as a vest top for over the summer which means we get a little more wear before bear grows out of it.
Tuesday, 23 May 2017
Manchester
I read the news today about the bombing of the Manchester Arena and my heart broke for the parents and families. I read about the casualties and wondered how those police and ambulance people would cope with dealing with that awful tragedy. I thought how sad that a concert that should have been a safe place for young teens was targeted and how so many would be changed by this experience. I also read of the ordinary people of Manchester doing what good people do everywhere - offering rooms to stay for the stranded, offering a meal, a safe place, somewhere to charge their phones, lifts, blood donations, opening nearby cafes and hotels to take in the shocked survivors, what good people do in hard times.
Dreadful things happen, whether it's a natural disaster like the earthquake in Turkey which had Israeli search and rescue teams helping out or whether it's man made like the dreadful events in Manchester which has led to the rush of support from local people in the moment and prayers and support from around the world. Always, in the bad, if you look you can see all the good people who step up and pitch in and do the right thing regardless. I utterly condemn those that would do such dreadful things. I give thanks for the vastly greater number of good people who keep the world turning.
Dreadful things happen, whether it's a natural disaster like the earthquake in Turkey which had Israeli search and rescue teams helping out or whether it's man made like the dreadful events in Manchester which has led to the rush of support from local people in the moment and prayers and support from around the world. Always, in the bad, if you look you can see all the good people who step up and pitch in and do the right thing regardless. I utterly condemn those that would do such dreadful things. I give thanks for the vastly greater number of good people who keep the world turning.
Sunday, 21 May 2017
Quiet
All has been lovely and quiet here. I've pottered very gently (leg is getting a lot better) and on the whole it could be worse.
I've taken some time to browse reddit.com, which was fun. There's a tab at the top which will take you to random subreddits, different topics from a very diverse range of subjects. I've dipped into a few and subscribed to a decluttering sub and a funny cat sub amongst others. However if you do try to run through a selection of random boards, I strongly suggest that you wait until you are not at work and do not do so where children or those of a delicate nature can see the screen.
Some of them I didn't understand at all. There's one that's dedicated to the different types of socks or stockings in anime. I'm not linking to it. It's quite disturbing and you'll have to take it on trust. I'll link to cute pictures instead.
I've also started browsing eBay for clothes for bear for next winter. I'm hoping that bear doesn't shoot up too much, and that if I stick to the likely age range then I'll do okay. I'm trying to catch the sellers who are clearing out winter wardrobes, but I may have left it too late. It's always good to buy things off season if they are a little less expensive, and second hand children's clothes are a reasonable target. Salt and grit is also less expensive in the summer - if you can find it.
This is not fresh advice. I read about buying out of season in a book on Medieval Social History. Housewives in the fourteenth century were advised to order the salt fish so necessary for Lent in early Spring and to order it early, some recommending that it was bought in well before November. The fish must have been very well salted!
I've taken some time to browse reddit.com, which was fun. There's a tab at the top which will take you to random subreddits, different topics from a very diverse range of subjects. I've dipped into a few and subscribed to a decluttering sub and a funny cat sub amongst others. However if you do try to run through a selection of random boards, I strongly suggest that you wait until you are not at work and do not do so where children or those of a delicate nature can see the screen.
Some of them I didn't understand at all. There's one that's dedicated to the different types of socks or stockings in anime. I'm not linking to it. It's quite disturbing and you'll have to take it on trust. I'll link to cute pictures instead.
I've also started browsing eBay for clothes for bear for next winter. I'm hoping that bear doesn't shoot up too much, and that if I stick to the likely age range then I'll do okay. I'm trying to catch the sellers who are clearing out winter wardrobes, but I may have left it too late. It's always good to buy things off season if they are a little less expensive, and second hand children's clothes are a reasonable target. Salt and grit is also less expensive in the summer - if you can find it.
This is not fresh advice. I read about buying out of season in a book on Medieval Social History. Housewives in the fourteenth century were advised to order the salt fish so necessary for Lent in early Spring and to order it early, some recommending that it was bought in well before November. The fish must have been very well salted!
Saturday, 20 May 2017
Sainsbury Delivered
I like the Sainsbury's products, and while they average a little more you can still get some awesome deals. However the drivers from the local depot aren't user friendly. I've posted before about uncomfortable encounters with the drivers and I ditched them after one experience too many.
Then it came to this week. I need compost. I want to re-pot the herbs from Aldi into bigger pots before I start seriously harvesting them. They have not only survived but I think they are going to take off as soon as we get some sun. I have the pots. I just need some compost. I think I am going to have some serious problems in the central bed when I start digging there as well. Everything was dying off before I started with the weedkiller and I suspect an ants' nest. This will require some compost once everything is treated.
Tesco don't have any compost on their deliveries and neither does Morrisons. Darn, my two go-to stores couldn't help. I wondered about risking Asda who are okayish but not always good if there's a problem. They don't have compost. Sainsbury's do carry the compost. I had a rummage around the internet, including Amazon, but the delivery charges were high - reasonably enough! After all, we are talking a lot of brown stuff being lugged around. So I put in a Sainsbury order.
I got some good stuff. I won't lie, they do some good, ethical, wholesome products. Unfortunately the quality of drivers hasn't improved over the last few years. He was pleasant enough and at least he unloaded his van by himself, which was more than the Morrisons man did, but he overplayed the 'cheeky chappy' routine. I hid in the kitchen while DH dealt with the delivery. Yes, I ordered a lot of compost. Yes, our garden is smaller than his truck. No, I did not over order as I'm not even sure that I've got enough for all the pots. I'm glad DH was there because I felt heckled. He went on and on and on.
I don't think I'll be going back to Sainsburys soon.
Then it came to this week. I need compost. I want to re-pot the herbs from Aldi into bigger pots before I start seriously harvesting them. They have not only survived but I think they are going to take off as soon as we get some sun. I have the pots. I just need some compost. I think I am going to have some serious problems in the central bed when I start digging there as well. Everything was dying off before I started with the weedkiller and I suspect an ants' nest. This will require some compost once everything is treated.
Tesco don't have any compost on their deliveries and neither does Morrisons. Darn, my two go-to stores couldn't help. I wondered about risking Asda who are okayish but not always good if there's a problem. They don't have compost. Sainsbury's do carry the compost. I had a rummage around the internet, including Amazon, but the delivery charges were high - reasonably enough! After all, we are talking a lot of brown stuff being lugged around. So I put in a Sainsbury order.
I got some good stuff. I won't lie, they do some good, ethical, wholesome products. Unfortunately the quality of drivers hasn't improved over the last few years. He was pleasant enough and at least he unloaded his van by himself, which was more than the Morrisons man did, but he overplayed the 'cheeky chappy' routine. I hid in the kitchen while DH dealt with the delivery. Yes, I ordered a lot of compost. Yes, our garden is smaller than his truck. No, I did not over order as I'm not even sure that I've got enough for all the pots. I'm glad DH was there because I felt heckled. He went on and on and on.
I don't think I'll be going back to Sainsburys soon.
Friday, 19 May 2017
Bear Grows Up More
I checked with school and it is okay to send bear into school on his own.
A lot of the parents already do this, but I do not want to have a telling-off from the headteacher and thought I had better play safe. Bear can be there in literally two minutes and doesn't actually cross a road. I think he's fine. He definitely thinks he's fine. I breathed a sigh of relief that the school think he's fine. The pick up/drop off was very hard on my leg.
This morning I stood at the door and watched bear hurtle down the street. He was fine. He used to forget my existence as soon as we got within ten yards of the school gate. Now he forgets my existence as he leaves the house. I think I've done something right.
Thank you for all the good wishes. I really appreciate the hugs - it's helped!
A lot of the parents already do this, but I do not want to have a telling-off from the headteacher and thought I had better play safe. Bear can be there in literally two minutes and doesn't actually cross a road. I think he's fine. He definitely thinks he's fine. I breathed a sigh of relief that the school think he's fine. The pick up/drop off was very hard on my leg.
This morning I stood at the door and watched bear hurtle down the street. He was fine. He used to forget my existence as soon as we got within ten yards of the school gate. Now he forgets my existence as he leaves the house. I think I've done something right.
Thank you for all the good wishes. I really appreciate the hugs - it's helped!
Thursday, 18 May 2017
Today is Not Day One
I fail at the cleaning plan.
I only have one stitch, but it feels quite painful if I stand or walk for more than a moment or two. As it is still only a two days on, I've decided to wimp out and leave it. Apparently as it is lower leg it can be slow to heal.
Also uncle is in hospital again.
Also I got a letter for father today, from a jazz band in Czechia that he followed. I'm going to have to write back and let them know he died two years ago.
Also, did I mention, very sore leg.
Also the garden needs doing and plants I ordered have arrived.
It's a complete pity party here. To be honest, I'm most worried about uncle, but it is a regular cycle. He feels under the weather, then he doesn't eat, then the diabetes kicks off, then it gets complicated, then he gets back into hospital where he is stabilised, then he gets back to the home.
I've been naff raffing around but I'm determined that tonight I will make the most of enforced sitting and make a dent in the outstanding knitting.
I only have one stitch, but it feels quite painful if I stand or walk for more than a moment or two. As it is still only a two days on, I've decided to wimp out and leave it. Apparently as it is lower leg it can be slow to heal.
Also uncle is in hospital again.
Also I got a letter for father today, from a jazz band in Czechia that he followed. I'm going to have to write back and let them know he died two years ago.
Also, did I mention, very sore leg.
Also the garden needs doing and plants I ordered have arrived.
It's a complete pity party here. To be honest, I'm most worried about uncle, but it is a regular cycle. He feels under the weather, then he doesn't eat, then the diabetes kicks off, then it gets complicated, then he gets back into hospital where he is stabilised, then he gets back to the home.
I've been naff raffing around but I'm determined that tonight I will make the most of enforced sitting and make a dent in the outstanding knitting.
Tuesday, 16 May 2017
Tomorrow is Day One
It sounds like one of those motivational posters, but actually I'm starting the Simply Clean 7 Day kickstart tomorrow. Day One is to declutter. There is no way on this planet that I will be able to do even a token declutter in one day. The book is chirpily optimistic that I will be surprised how much I can accomplish. I reserve my judgement on that. I plan to use the rest of this week at least. I have a lot of clutter. Fortunately there is a handy checklist for a whole house declutter at the back.
Part of the problem is that I don't have homes for everything. If I can just establish a home for everything then it will be a breeze. As it is I can see me spending the rest of this week just decluttering the dining room.
To be honest, I think the book may be aimed at better housekeepers than me. It says that just filling a couple of bin bags will make all the difference. I suspect that two bin bags won't make a dent. Also the kitchen is FULL as I have a year's supply of pasta amongst other things stashed as the yearly gluten free Tesco sale has ended.
I have a sore leg. It was a very minor biopsy, but it still stings, so tomorrow I will be taking it steady and working up to more. Bear was very sweet about my leg, and is checking that all is okay. It is, but I feel like I've been cuddled better.
Part of the problem is that I don't have homes for everything. If I can just establish a home for everything then it will be a breeze. As it is I can see me spending the rest of this week just decluttering the dining room.
To be honest, I think the book may be aimed at better housekeepers than me. It says that just filling a couple of bin bags will make all the difference. I suspect that two bin bags won't make a dent. Also the kitchen is FULL as I have a year's supply of pasta amongst other things stashed as the yearly gluten free Tesco sale has ended.
I have a sore leg. It was a very minor biopsy, but it still stings, so tomorrow I will be taking it steady and working up to more. Bear was very sweet about my leg, and is checking that all is okay. It is, but I feel like I've been cuddled better.
Monday, 15 May 2017
Impulse Control Fail
I bought another book on how to clean your house. The 'Clean Your Home in 30 Days' had potential, but I could never get past Day Three. It did have some effects, however, and we had a marginally cleaner home for a while.
This time it's a book called 'Simply Clean' which promises a lovely, clean, tidy home in just 10 minutes a day. I'm not holding the book to that promise. It's never going to happen. However it may work if I take away the unrealistic timescale. For example, I am supposed to vacuum one day a week. According to the book it should take ten minutes. We have three bedrooms, a junk room, a bathroom, a study, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. Also three sets of stairs. Okay, it's lino in the bathroom and kitchen but it would take me more than ten minutes to get the vacuum between all the rooms.
You know those shopping channel adverts which start by advertising a chopping board or something and then keep saying, 'but that's not all...' and, 'wait, there's more...' and they are adding in knives and kettles and all sorts so that the overpriced chopping board looks like a good deal. I feel like the book is doing similar. You have a daily routine. Then you have the ten minute task. Then there are the monthly/bi-monthly/yearly type tasks. Before you know it it's an hour at their estimate and goodness knows how long in real life. However if it gets a clean house then I'm good for that.
One thing that is promising is that it starts with a seven day action plan to get you ready, then a 28 day kickstarter. As Day One is to declutter it may take me a while to get past that, but I can live in hope.
I won't be starting it tomorrow as I have a biopsy on my leg, but I'm optimistic. As it starts with a declutter then I can stretch Day One over a few days as any leg pain allows (I've no idea how painful it will be, probably not much). Then I can go for it with gusto!
This week there are tests all week for bear's class. Bear is calm and seems to quite enjoy it. Please let that continue for a long time!
This time it's a book called 'Simply Clean' which promises a lovely, clean, tidy home in just 10 minutes a day. I'm not holding the book to that promise. It's never going to happen. However it may work if I take away the unrealistic timescale. For example, I am supposed to vacuum one day a week. According to the book it should take ten minutes. We have three bedrooms, a junk room, a bathroom, a study, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. Also three sets of stairs. Okay, it's lino in the bathroom and kitchen but it would take me more than ten minutes to get the vacuum between all the rooms.
You know those shopping channel adverts which start by advertising a chopping board or something and then keep saying, 'but that's not all...' and, 'wait, there's more...' and they are adding in knives and kettles and all sorts so that the overpriced chopping board looks like a good deal. I feel like the book is doing similar. You have a daily routine. Then you have the ten minute task. Then there are the monthly/bi-monthly/yearly type tasks. Before you know it it's an hour at their estimate and goodness knows how long in real life. However if it gets a clean house then I'm good for that.
One thing that is promising is that it starts with a seven day action plan to get you ready, then a 28 day kickstarter. As Day One is to declutter it may take me a while to get past that, but I can live in hope.
I won't be starting it tomorrow as I have a biopsy on my leg, but I'm optimistic. As it starts with a declutter then I can stretch Day One over a few days as any leg pain allows (I've no idea how painful it will be, probably not much). Then I can go for it with gusto!
This week there are tests all week for bear's class. Bear is calm and seems to quite enjoy it. Please let that continue for a long time!
Very Relaxed
When bear was little and up early, I'd let him loose with YouTube while I dozed behind him. I used to love hearing him listen to 'Duncan does Tekkit' as Duncan had a wonderful, calm, soothing voice that had complete mastery over the minecraft tekkit. I've found my equivalent.
I spent most of Sunday afternoon hanging with bear and DH and listening to iknitwithcatfur (awesome name!) and watching her playlist of stitch patterns. It's incredible. She is just so calm and methodical. There are 242 videos of different stitch patterns in that playlist, (some of them are repeated) so it occupies me for hours. I sit there with my own, much easier knitting and drift away into a sort of zen state. Some I want to try, some I wouldn't attempt with two months training and a safety harness. I still enjoy seeing it. It is now on my 'how to relax' list.
Apparently there are tests at school all week. Bear is cool with that. He's still mortified because he has to hand in the actual slip that I have actually written on for the permission. His teacher will know that I have seen that he's getting sex ed! I'm not allowed to discuss it with him.
I didn't have much in the way of The Talk myself. School was sketchy and I don't think my mother knew where to start, though she did her best. I do remember, when I was about five or six, I had been reading the News of the World. There was an article that included a phrase that a young man had not known the facts of life until he was in his twenties. I didn't know what that meant, either, so I asked father. Looking back, I must have had a clue from the context because I knew that if I asked my mother what the facts of life were she would have calmly answered that it was about sex and I would have shut up straight away. Father was an easier target. Poor man, I can still remember him saying that it meant that one day I would be a woman in a voice that was half portentous and half panicked. I thought that meant I would be taller and develop a bust and told him airily that I knew all about that. And that's when my parents stopped getting the News of the World.
I spent most of Sunday afternoon hanging with bear and DH and listening to iknitwithcatfur (awesome name!) and watching her playlist of stitch patterns. It's incredible. She is just so calm and methodical. There are 242 videos of different stitch patterns in that playlist, (some of them are repeated) so it occupies me for hours. I sit there with my own, much easier knitting and drift away into a sort of zen state. Some I want to try, some I wouldn't attempt with two months training and a safety harness. I still enjoy seeing it. It is now on my 'how to relax' list.
Apparently there are tests at school all week. Bear is cool with that. He's still mortified because he has to hand in the actual slip that I have actually written on for the permission. His teacher will know that I have seen that he's getting sex ed! I'm not allowed to discuss it with him.
I didn't have much in the way of The Talk myself. School was sketchy and I don't think my mother knew where to start, though she did her best. I do remember, when I was about five or six, I had been reading the News of the World. There was an article that included a phrase that a young man had not known the facts of life until he was in his twenties. I didn't know what that meant, either, so I asked father. Looking back, I must have had a clue from the context because I knew that if I asked my mother what the facts of life were she would have calmly answered that it was about sex and I would have shut up straight away. Father was an easier target. Poor man, I can still remember him saying that it meant that one day I would be a woman in a voice that was half portentous and half panicked. I thought that meant I would be taller and develop a bust and told him airily that I knew all about that. And that's when my parents stopped getting the News of the World.
Saturday, 13 May 2017
Eurovision
It's Eurovision tonight. The UK have, I think, a chance of possibly finishing in the top 10. Or perhaps the top 15. Or even not last. I don't think I'll be able to stay awake until the end of the voting, but I plan to enjoy the madness that is the Eurovision Song Contest.
It has not finished as I type, but when it got to Croatia I took strong drink. It didn't help. Croatia was just so odd but good for him. I may not be sober enough to post later.
Fortunately I won't have to be up too early. Today bear had his piano lesson where he did dreadful things to Tchaikovsky, then his maths tutor, when he utterly rocked at working out the angles of septagons and hexagons, then a stiff game of football in the street with his pal, then the gym. I am not expecting to see him too early.
It has not finished as I type, but when it got to Croatia I took strong drink. It didn't help. Croatia was just so odd but good for him. I may not be sober enough to post later.
Fortunately I won't have to be up too early. Today bear had his piano lesson where he did dreadful things to Tchaikovsky, then his maths tutor, when he utterly rocked at working out the angles of septagons and hexagons, then a stiff game of football in the street with his pal, then the gym. I am not expecting to see him too early.
Friday, 12 May 2017
Being a Mum
Bear brought home a consent form for sex education.
Bear squirmed as I signed the form. What was worse, I insisted on telling him that he could always ask me or his dad anything because things that were said in the playground were often rubbish. If he was confused he should check with us. I told him that humans were strange creatures and when it came to sex there were all sorts of odd things around, not all of them healthy, and it was okay to ask us stuff. I thought bear was going to pass out from embarrassment and I think I used up three years' ration of cringe in one short conversation.
As a ten year old, bear is absolutely mortified that his mother might know about sex. I admit that I thought it was funny to see his horror at the conversation, but I tried to make it safe. I would rather he could come to me or DH and ask us about the stuff that is out there, and while I might have to look stuff up, I'd rather he asked me than get lost and caught up in something he regretted.
Things have changed so much since I was his age. I had my only, very sketchy sex ed lesson in the days before AIDS. Now there is AIDS, drug resistant syphilis, drug resistant gonorrhoea and all sorts of other nasties that I've hardly heard of in my rather sheltered experience. When I was ten I barely knew about the magazines that were on the top shelf of the newsagent. Nowadays I would be very surprised if at least some of bear's classmates had not had an encounter with porn by the time they leave primary school.
I think the school is in a good place to give non judgemental and sensible information. I'm happy for them to teach these lessons, no matter how appalled bear is that I actually read the form and I know that he will be hearing about sex. Now I just need to navigate the best way to let bear know that it's okay to talk to me and DH if he needs to. Also, I need to make sure bear doesn't realise how sweet he is when he's mortified.
Bear squirmed as I signed the form. What was worse, I insisted on telling him that he could always ask me or his dad anything because things that were said in the playground were often rubbish. If he was confused he should check with us. I told him that humans were strange creatures and when it came to sex there were all sorts of odd things around, not all of them healthy, and it was okay to ask us stuff. I thought bear was going to pass out from embarrassment and I think I used up three years' ration of cringe in one short conversation.
As a ten year old, bear is absolutely mortified that his mother might know about sex. I admit that I thought it was funny to see his horror at the conversation, but I tried to make it safe. I would rather he could come to me or DH and ask us about the stuff that is out there, and while I might have to look stuff up, I'd rather he asked me than get lost and caught up in something he regretted.
Things have changed so much since I was his age. I had my only, very sketchy sex ed lesson in the days before AIDS. Now there is AIDS, drug resistant syphilis, drug resistant gonorrhoea and all sorts of other nasties that I've hardly heard of in my rather sheltered experience. When I was ten I barely knew about the magazines that were on the top shelf of the newsagent. Nowadays I would be very surprised if at least some of bear's classmates had not had an encounter with porn by the time they leave primary school.
I think the school is in a good place to give non judgemental and sensible information. I'm happy for them to teach these lessons, no matter how appalled bear is that I actually read the form and I know that he will be hearing about sex. Now I just need to navigate the best way to let bear know that it's okay to talk to me and DH if he needs to. Also, I need to make sure bear doesn't realise how sweet he is when he's mortified.
Thursday, 11 May 2017
I Did Sums
I did sums. I worked out that I saved 28% on the goods I had delivered today. It was the Tesco '3 for 2' offer on some of the gluten free stuff, mainly their own brand. I bought insane amounts of pasta, plus brown sauce, gluten free fish fingers and a few other bits that wouldn't expire quickly. This is the important part - I used mysupermarket.com that the price hadn't been artificially inflated before the offer so that I was actually saving the money. You have to watch the supermarkets. But it had been around that price all year so 3 for the price of 2 was definitely a saving. I got bear to check my sums.
I've finished the blanket. I can't get a decent photo.
The pale colour is much more a mid blue. It was supposed to be knitted in Carron One Pound, and you were supposed to get two times 454g (16oz) balls in each of the three colours. Then you were supposed to knit in three strands. At three separate points you were supposed to knit with three strands of the same colour. This means that you had to unwined the balls of Carron One Pound and re-wind them into three separate skeins. I recoiled from that in horror. Instead I got some inexpensive 100g balls of DK (though the Carron One Pound is equivalent to Aran, I went for cheap) and I ended up using three balls of colour A, four balls of colour B and four balls of colour C (I think the yardage was inconsistent). Carron One Pound is not always easy to get here, and if I had bought their yarn it would have cost @ £66 instead of @ £16.50 inc p&p. The free pattern that I used is here and the YouTube video is here. As I used a different weight yarn the blanket was 44 inches across instead of 50 inches, but it was 60 inches long, the same as the pattern. The pattern was described as easy, and it is just a sort of rib, but it was 2x2 rib, but not aligned so you couldn't switch off, you had to concentrate. Even worse was trying to make sure you always got all three strands around the needle when you were making a stitch. I used up a lot of swear words.
It feels a little like cheating. Carron have spent money, paid designers and done the photography and website to give a free pattern that is supposed to encourage us to buy their yarn. If cost had not been an issue I may have bought three balls of the One Pound and used any leftover yarn for scarves or something, but I was never going to wind a ball into three separate skeins. I think that is why I grew up with my mother and grandmother never sticking exactly to a pattern. The really good brands of yarn invest money on pattern designers for gorgeous patterns to tempt you to buy their brand yarn. In three generations, there hasn't really been the money to spend on the good yarn. So you fiddle around with the less expensive brands and try and work it out as best you can.
The blanket is incredibly warm and snuggly so I will definitely be making more. I may try the aran weight, if I see a good deal, but even the least expensive still costs more than cheap dk. I may do more sums to try and get it the right width.
I've finished the blanket. I can't get a decent photo.
The pale colour is much more a mid blue. It was supposed to be knitted in Carron One Pound, and you were supposed to get two times 454g (16oz) balls in each of the three colours. Then you were supposed to knit in three strands. At three separate points you were supposed to knit with three strands of the same colour. This means that you had to unwined the balls of Carron One Pound and re-wind them into three separate skeins. I recoiled from that in horror. Instead I got some inexpensive 100g balls of DK (though the Carron One Pound is equivalent to Aran, I went for cheap) and I ended up using three balls of colour A, four balls of colour B and four balls of colour C (I think the yardage was inconsistent). Carron One Pound is not always easy to get here, and if I had bought their yarn it would have cost @ £66 instead of @ £16.50 inc p&p. The free pattern that I used is here and the YouTube video is here. As I used a different weight yarn the blanket was 44 inches across instead of 50 inches, but it was 60 inches long, the same as the pattern. The pattern was described as easy, and it is just a sort of rib, but it was 2x2 rib, but not aligned so you couldn't switch off, you had to concentrate. Even worse was trying to make sure you always got all three strands around the needle when you were making a stitch. I used up a lot of swear words.
It feels a little like cheating. Carron have spent money, paid designers and done the photography and website to give a free pattern that is supposed to encourage us to buy their yarn. If cost had not been an issue I may have bought three balls of the One Pound and used any leftover yarn for scarves or something, but I was never going to wind a ball into three separate skeins. I think that is why I grew up with my mother and grandmother never sticking exactly to a pattern. The really good brands of yarn invest money on pattern designers for gorgeous patterns to tempt you to buy their brand yarn. In three generations, there hasn't really been the money to spend on the good yarn. So you fiddle around with the less expensive brands and try and work it out as best you can.
The blanket is incredibly warm and snuggly so I will definitely be making more. I may try the aran weight, if I see a good deal, but even the least expensive still costs more than cheap dk. I may do more sums to try and get it the right width.
Wednesday, 10 May 2017
About Schools
There have been a lot of good points made in the comments about schools, so I thought I'd witter a little about my take on it. My experience of education was poor. When I started school in the early 70s they were experimenting with the idea of 'learning through play'. I believe the idea was to encourage children to explore ideas through playing, and I think that in some private schools it is currently very successful. However in the state schools with insufficient training and staffing ratios, it was an epic fail. I can still remember that at the age of eight a teacher had us all come up to the chalkboard to write our names and a massive number couldn't manage it. I learned to read, write, add and subtract at home. We were all very badly prepared for High School.
The first High School I went to was what is now called a sink school. My experience of the first two schools is why I am not totally against testing and rating schools (I don't agree how it is currently done). We were desperately short changed. In the first high school the subjects were more or less glossed over and behaviour was appalling. If you wanted to sit exams you had to stay on an extra year. Otherwise you just got certificates, which would have left you at a real disadvantage when it came to getting a job. When I was around 14 my mother managed to get me to another school. My experience in the first High School meant that I never studied geography or Religious Studies, had half a term of biology lessons and I was floundering in terms of basic maths and grammar. I did okay at O level, and, after teaching myself to write a legible cursive script (no writing was taught at primary apart from making the basic letter shapes), I got really awesome A level results. As a result of my experience, I think schools matter. I don't think it is the most important factor. I think a lot of it is up to bear. But I still think schools matter.
There are two state schools that are relatively near. The nearest is a very good academy that has a lot going for it. It is within decent walking distance, has great reports and bear is likely to do well there. So if bear doesn't pass the exams to the grammar schools, it's okay (and I have made sure bear knows it's okay). He may not. I think he's awesome, but there are a lot of awesome kids out there.
The other state school within reasonable distance is appalling. It has a semi permanent police presence. I know kids that have been so badly bullied there that they have been in danger of real injury. Bear is not going there - I'd home school first and that is definitely a last resort! Whatever happens, I'm sure bear will manage.
The first High School I went to was what is now called a sink school. My experience of the first two schools is why I am not totally against testing and rating schools (I don't agree how it is currently done). We were desperately short changed. In the first high school the subjects were more or less glossed over and behaviour was appalling. If you wanted to sit exams you had to stay on an extra year. Otherwise you just got certificates, which would have left you at a real disadvantage when it came to getting a job. When I was around 14 my mother managed to get me to another school. My experience in the first High School meant that I never studied geography or Religious Studies, had half a term of biology lessons and I was floundering in terms of basic maths and grammar. I did okay at O level, and, after teaching myself to write a legible cursive script (no writing was taught at primary apart from making the basic letter shapes), I got really awesome A level results. As a result of my experience, I think schools matter. I don't think it is the most important factor. I think a lot of it is up to bear. But I still think schools matter.
There are two state schools that are relatively near. The nearest is a very good academy that has a lot going for it. It is within decent walking distance, has great reports and bear is likely to do well there. So if bear doesn't pass the exams to the grammar schools, it's okay (and I have made sure bear knows it's okay). He may not. I think he's awesome, but there are a lot of awesome kids out there.
The other state school within reasonable distance is appalling. It has a semi permanent police presence. I know kids that have been so badly bullied there that they have been in danger of real injury. Bear is not going there - I'd home school first and that is definitely a last resort! Whatever happens, I'm sure bear will manage.
Tuesday, 9 May 2017
Typical
Today I put in the applications for bear to go to grammar school. I don't know what will happen, and if he doesn't make it then the local school is awesome, but he is showing all the signs of being really bright, and the teachers and tutors agree. One school is free, but has around 800 applicants for 180 places (and is a massive bus ride away) and one school is not free and will be a serious stretch (and is a massive bus ride away). I don't know if I'm doing the right thing by bear, whether he will be better off in a challenging academic school, a local school with a good mix of people, or what. I am pretty sure that the system ought to be that bear would be best in the local state school. I worry that I am making the wrong ethical decision. I worry about every facet of it. Besides, bear may not make it. It won't be the worst thing if he doesn't get into a fancy school and it may end up being a positive, I just wish I knew.
While I was sitting here, desperately wondering if I was doing the right thing, I put on the latest episode of Lucifer. This week's murder took place is a very selective school. I watched all the parents backbiting and the scramble of the playground politics and I am now officially terrified.
While I was sitting here, desperately wondering if I was doing the right thing, I put on the latest episode of Lucifer. This week's murder took place is a very selective school. I watched all the parents backbiting and the scramble of the playground politics and I am now officially terrified.
Monday, 8 May 2017
Gluten Free
I've got quite a writer's block going on, so nothing much to say.
However, for those in the UK there are some gluten free deals going on. Morrisons are doing extra 'More' points on some gluten free stuff. I got an email saying that if I spend over £100 in my next order I would get 10,000 extra 'More' points. If you cash it in for vouchers that comes to £10. I am saving the Morrisons vouchers for Christmas, and I thought that if I picked my deals then it was worth it. Now I've added on at least another 1,000 points on with the offers and stocked up on some bits and pieces that will keep me going for a while. It is scarily easy to spend £100 on grocery shopping. According to the order, I've spent over the £100 and saved @ £14 in multi buy savings. I watch the multi buys with some scepticism but it seems to be the regular price. I am expecting a large order tomorrow.
The Morrisons site said that it was coeliac awareness week so I had a quick look on Tesco's website just in case. They've got quite a few gluten free deals as well. It's mainly the Tesco own brand stuff which are three for the price of two. I had a quick look at mysupermarket.com and it looks like the prices have not been hiked for the 'deal'. Next week I'm getting a year's worth of gluten free pasta delivered. It practically never goes on sale, and it has a loooong shelf life (I bought a year's worth of gluten free pasta last year as well). I've had a quick look through the gluten free stuff and added a load of other favourites while I was there as the deal ends on 16 May. According to the total at the end I've saved @ £20, or around a quarter of the total. I think that this is a reasonable deal but it is a big outlay.
I thought I would share so that anyone interested could have a quick look.
However, for those in the UK there are some gluten free deals going on. Morrisons are doing extra 'More' points on some gluten free stuff. I got an email saying that if I spend over £100 in my next order I would get 10,000 extra 'More' points. If you cash it in for vouchers that comes to £10. I am saving the Morrisons vouchers for Christmas, and I thought that if I picked my deals then it was worth it. Now I've added on at least another 1,000 points on with the offers and stocked up on some bits and pieces that will keep me going for a while. It is scarily easy to spend £100 on grocery shopping. According to the order, I've spent over the £100 and saved @ £14 in multi buy savings. I watch the multi buys with some scepticism but it seems to be the regular price. I am expecting a large order tomorrow.
The Morrisons site said that it was coeliac awareness week so I had a quick look on Tesco's website just in case. They've got quite a few gluten free deals as well. It's mainly the Tesco own brand stuff which are three for the price of two. I had a quick look at mysupermarket.com and it looks like the prices have not been hiked for the 'deal'. Next week I'm getting a year's worth of gluten free pasta delivered. It practically never goes on sale, and it has a loooong shelf life (I bought a year's worth of gluten free pasta last year as well). I've had a quick look through the gluten free stuff and added a load of other favourites while I was there as the deal ends on 16 May. According to the total at the end I've saved @ £20, or around a quarter of the total. I think that this is a reasonable deal but it is a big outlay.
I thought I would share so that anyone interested could have a quick look.
Tuesday, 2 May 2017
Still Tired
Yesterday we went to Temple Newsam. I really need to get a decent camera, but the only ones I seem to find are the ones that look more complicated than Mission Control and cost a kidney. Here are the pics I managed.
I didn't realise there was a walled garden with glass house. It was a nice, short walk down through some gorgeous bluebell woods. They weren't quite out, so I'm hoping to go next weekend. Bear and DH were unimpressed by the flowers but enjoyed the actual walk. Bear hurtled round the grounds, had a marvellous time and bought three postcards.
When we got home his pal was waiting and bear spent a lot of the afternoon running up and down the street playing football. As there were no serious injuries and only minor amounts of mud, I took it as a win.
Bear was utterly wiped out by the time bedtime came, and I think he had got too hot. He was violently sick all over the study carpet and immediately felt better. I didn't. Of course I gave him cuddles, tucked him in and stayed until he fell asleep. It took about fifteen seconds but I waited around a while just to be sure. Then I had clean up. I started off with spray cleaner, then water with generous amounts of disinfectant, then finally a good layer of baking powder which I let lie overnight. It did the trick. There's no smell and the only stain is white powder in the carpet.
Bear went into school today after I checked with the school. I'm pretty sure that it was just bear being hot and tired. He managed okay, but was very disappointed that I didn't take him to football. He looked at me with massive shadows under his eyes and hollow looking cheeks and assured me that he really wasn't too tired to run round a pitch non stop for an hour.
I'm going back to my blanket. I can't wait to post the pics once I've finished.
I didn't realise there was a walled garden with glass house. It was a nice, short walk down through some gorgeous bluebell woods. They weren't quite out, so I'm hoping to go next weekend. Bear and DH were unimpressed by the flowers but enjoyed the actual walk. Bear hurtled round the grounds, had a marvellous time and bought three postcards.
When we got home his pal was waiting and bear spent a lot of the afternoon running up and down the street playing football. As there were no serious injuries and only minor amounts of mud, I took it as a win.
Bear was utterly wiped out by the time bedtime came, and I think he had got too hot. He was violently sick all over the study carpet and immediately felt better. I didn't. Of course I gave him cuddles, tucked him in and stayed until he fell asleep. It took about fifteen seconds but I waited around a while just to be sure. Then I had clean up. I started off with spray cleaner, then water with generous amounts of disinfectant, then finally a good layer of baking powder which I let lie overnight. It did the trick. There's no smell and the only stain is white powder in the carpet.
Bear went into school today after I checked with the school. I'm pretty sure that it was just bear being hot and tired. He managed okay, but was very disappointed that I didn't take him to football. He looked at me with massive shadows under his eyes and hollow looking cheeks and assured me that he really wasn't too tired to run round a pitch non stop for an hour.
I'm going back to my blanket. I can't wait to post the pics once I've finished.
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