I’m unambitiously working on the principle of having something achieved every day, which might be quite a small thing – not feeding the chickens or other items of the daily routine, but an accomplishment, however modest, that makes me feel I’ve made progress.
Not that I’m knocking the fact of achieving everything in the daily routine, mind you, there are times when, for some of us in periods of tiredness, stress or depression, getting out of bed and eating something is enough. That’s not a situation I find myself in at present, very much the contrary, but I’m aiming to find a balance between constant busyness and being lazy.
I am finding it difficult to get around to writing, not because I’ve lost my blogging mojo but because, now I’ve moved the computer back into the study, I don’t write in the evening unless I leave LT on his own for half an hour or so after dinner and neither of us wants that. So I’ll come back to the “five things” posts, in the hope it’ll only take a few minutes and I’ll actually do that.
So here are five achievements of the week – not all of them done by me, however.
1 The bonfire heap, which was huge, has been cleared, four tree stumps hauled out, rubbish buried and ash spread and covered with topsoil. The same man who dealt with the septic tank pipe and soakaway came with his small digger to do the job, which took most of the day. I mentioned that he hadn’t sent his bill for the first lot of work but, as soon as I have it for the entire job, I’ll pay same day. He said he knows I will. Of any of his customers, he’d have least doubt of me. “I’d trust you with my life,”he said, extravagantly but charmingly.
2 The last of the roof tiles (I have surplus of everything, darlings) have been put in the Dutch barn by my friend with a fork-lift on his tractor. LT and I went to fetch an extra pallet to spread them out a bit more, they’d been rather piled up on four or five pallets from where they’d reposed for several years in the rough grass. Then he shifted them, then we moved them again so we could reuse another of the pallets and they’re now all tidily stacked under cover. We’ve got some kerbs to shift and some other bits and pieces, but they have to go on pallets first. I’ll need help with that, but it’s lined up for next weekend, weather permitting. And then, after a few more small items have been shifted, there will be a clear run for the mower. It’ll be great.
3 Today, LT and I (after a little rest from our exertions in tile carrying) potted up the pepper and the squash plants. Everything in the greenhouse is coming on well and I just want today’s chilly wind to leave us before things are planted into the garden.
4 LT had an evening in London, meeting up with former work colleagues. So I went to Norwich for lunch, whizzed back to take him to the station, then back for two school meetings and home again to spend a solitary evening – dry too, darlings, because I was picking him up from the station again later. Earlier in the week, we’d been to a Nadfas lecture, which was a first for him, and lunch in Norwich afterwards. Such a social whirl, quite remarkable.
5 More of a social whirl, our good friend Revd Dave came for tea on Wednesday. I made two cakes in celebration – and, for the greater achievement, he kindly took half a dozen eggs away with him and we had eggs for dinner, which meant we managed to use up 18 in a single day. We took my old friend Jan out to lunch on Friday too and Weeza and co are coming for lunch tomorrow. Splendid.
Startlingly, I opened the local paper on Friday to find we were pictured at the Street Market. Just a random snap, I daresay it was my keenly pointing arm that attracted the editor’s attention. Always a bit of a shock when you see yourself unexpectedly, like hearing a recording of your own voice. Still, LT has made the local rag, which must make him an official resident.
First time I’ve ever had my picture in the paper! The local rag is obviously either a) starstruck or b) desperate (delete as applicable.)
What blogging software do you use? Couldn’t you update it from the iPad in the lounge?
Also, where do you get your pallets from?
I use WordPress and yes, I can write on the iPad. However, I can’t get the same feel for writing on it – I don’t mind typing generally on it, but letters and blog posts just aren’t the same, somehow.
When they built the four houses between here and the Rectory about three years ago, we said they could leave the pallets on our field as they’d have had to dispose of them otherwise. We’ve used a lot as firewood but others have been useful to stack things on. I don’t have another source of pallets at present, but if I see any building going on, I can ask. Do you want some?
We’re redesigning our garden, and I’m going to be building one of those sort of rattan style garden sofa things – pallets are good for that sort of thing, and I will be trying to source some later in the year I suspect.
A bit like this, I’ll be aiming for: http://www.handimania.com/uploads/pallet-patio-furniture-collage.jpg
Sorry Matt, somehow that didn’t get sent to my inbox and I’ve just found it in the ‘pending’ tray – I became so cheesed off with spam comments that I set comments with links for approval. They look good, if I hear of any really good pallets, I’ll send them your way.