Check Up time!

Snix's cat box. Notice the organised folder on top with all his data and insurance papers. What a well organised cat, that is!

January seems to be a month for a lot of check ups in our house!

 

Our cat, Snix (his name is a pun on St. Nicholas as we got him right before Christmas 9 years ago), had his annual check up with the vet this week. He was not amused... Poor baby, he was sleeping on my bed, all warm and snug when I just whisked him into his cat carrier before he realised what was going on and could protest. Once there, with a rather defeated attitude he kept pressing himself towards me for comfort, while he quietly accepted being examined: eyes, teeth, weight, claws, heart, etc etc.



"I refuse to model today. No photos, please!"



He got a clean bill of health, but the vet suggested he was moved on to cat food for older cats. Not sure Snix could believe his ears! Food for older cats!? He is a mere 9.5yrs old.... A cat in the prime of his life, if you ask him. But apparently food for older cats contain more calcium which they need more of as they get older. So, he got his booster injection and was back on my bed in no time. Hopefully, a year till next 'trauma'.

 

The surgery was busy with loads of other cats and dogs in for the check ups. Or as one of the cats needed - medicine to induce vomiting because the silly cat had eaten rat poison. Something that doesn't happen too often to cats, according to the vet. Dogs, yes, but cats tend to know better. The owner did say this particular cat was generally rather stupid...

 

And today was my own check up with the oncologist. It is now just over 1.5 years since my own cancer operation and I am so grateful and happy that everything seems to be fine. I was very lucky with the early discovery and have had a very good recovery. I feel I am back to "normal" now, but with added awareness of my own health and I don't take anything for granted any more.

 

Next week is the annual MOT and service of my car.
I hope that goes well, too!

Falling Out of Rhythm...

Let me start by wishing all Norwegians everywhere "Gratulerer med dagen".

17 May is the Norwegian constitution day and celebrated and revered by all. Yet again, I am not able to be in Norway on this day, but I am there in spirit!

 

♥

It has been a while since I wrote on the blog and my only excuse is 'life'. I have missed the blog and reading about what people get up to and getting inspiration from so many. But it has been a hectic month, both at work and at home with exams looming for Our Boy. In addition, I have been struggling with a bad back since Christmas and have tried to get this under control with physiotherapy sessions and daily walks which does wonders for both body and mind. I hope to be back on the blog more regularly now!

 

Here are some picture from what I have been up to the last couple of weeks:

 

Capturing the chestnut tree in bloom in the street behind my office...

 



Business meeting in London...

 

Afternoon tea with Our Boy

 





Fundraising event at work for the children's charity Barnardos

 



Another course to learn to make leather-wrap bracelets

 



A glimpse from my daily walk by the river.

A little piece of heaven on earth

☺

 

Grumpy Country Bumpkin...?

Just loooove this area of London...

Our Boy and I went to the Norwegian embassy in London yesterday to renew his passport which is due to run out in January. The consulate services and passport office got new locations (still same building) three weeks ago and it is all very smart! Must also say the people there are lovely and very helpful. It was quick and efficient and the new passport will be mailed us when it is ready. Good news is also that the new passport will now be valid for 10 years. No more going to the embassy with him every 3 years...!

 

We also found some time for shopping for the young man.

☺

 But I feel a need to vent:

I am rather annoyed with certain shops. Particularly those where you are met at the door by a bunch of scantily clad overly-excited-super-informal-and-way-too-familiar-for-my-liking young male shop attendants (and some young ladies) dancing away to deafening music (it is IMPOSSIBLE to talk inside the shop), dressed in OPEN SHIRTS and flip flops (hello! it is NOVEMBER!!! - OK, I KNOW it is part of the 'uniform') in premises so dark that you have to feel your way around the room...coming up to within an inch of your personal space and asking whether they can
 

"Help you guys with anything?".

 

It didn't help my mood as we were leaving we were surrounded by chorus of
 

"So nice seeing you guys"

"Thank you guys for shopping with us."

"Hope you guys have a nice day".

"Hope to see you guys again real soon"
 

coming from 10-15 attendants whose job clearly is just to smooch (and annoy) the customers!

 

Nah, it made me really grumpy!

 

This is not the way NORMAL people behave on this island.

I know the brand is not British, but this kind of behaviour really doesn't work here!

It just seems sooooo fake!

 

I grant that the quality of the clothes are good (the jeans Our Boy bought last year still look brand new!), but

 

I do not want more-than-half-my-age-over-the-top-eager-shop-attendants try to make me feel hip and young...

I do not want to be called 'you guys'.

I do not want people to pretend they care about me when I perfectly well know they couldn't care less, except for what is in my wallet!

And I HATE loud music in shops!

I just leave then - I can't think!

 

Don't worry.

I swallowed my annoyance and didn't embarrass my teenage son who did get what he came for.

☺

And on Sunday I am off to London again!

But that will be a different trip!

♥

Yoga - My Obsession...

nope... not me - borrowed from the web

I have now been taking weekly yoga classes for almost 3 years. It has become a real passion and a necessity for my general well being. I started to notice the benefits of the yoga practises after a few months and I am still thrilled every time I squat/bend/stretch and feel that I am more flexible and stronger than I used to be. Sitting on bent knees or squatting was something I could never do as the knees would hurt too much. That is no longer a problem. I rarely suffer from any types of back aches (I have had a bad back for many years) and I just love the feeling you get after a yoga class. I can go tired into a class, yawning and just wanting to curl up and go to sleep, but after the class I am calm, awake and refreshed. No wonder yoga means 'to join' body and mind!

 

And I know that I will sleep deeply that night waking up refreshed the next day. The breathing practise is great for focusing the mind and you feel how good it is for the body to take deep concentrated breaths as we all tend to shallow breathe too much.

 

I highly recommend yoga to anybody - no matter what size or age you are. In yoga you don't compete with anybody else - we are all differently made and just because you can't do a posture perfectly doesn't mean there is something 'wrong' with you. Perhaps your body just can't do that particular posture. A friend once lent me a DVD where this fact of different physical limitations was illustrated very clearly - simply because we are not all built the same way! But that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy yoga and benefit from it! Yoga is not about pushing through pain. If you feel pain, you are not doing it right.

 

This fall I have also signed up for some lunch time classes on Thursdays. I have to admit, I am not that good doing the practises on my own although I am getting better and I actively use the breathing practises in my day. So, Thursdays I rush from the office to get my one hour of yoga before I go back relaxed and ready to take on the rest of the day.

 

Tuesday evenings and Thursday lunchtime is

 

ME TIME

 

Do you make sure you get some YOU TIME during the week?

 

 

Tried and Tested: Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam

5.30 am...

An alarm clock set in error rang somewhere in the house and by the time I found it, I was wide awake.

Light summer mornings help as well... even if it is a Monday!

Well, no point in going back to bed. After a quick shower, I started the washing machine, continued tidying up after the return of Our Boy who came back yesterday afternoon after a successful canoing trip in Sweden (although literally covered in mosquito bites...).

Now what?

An idea!

My former neighbour popped by yesterday and had brought a load of rhubarb from her garden. There was a punnet of strawberries in the fridge 'begging' to be used. 

So, my version of Rhubarb and Strawberry jam was born:

400 grams strawberries

400 grams rhurbarb

400 grams sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Bring it to the boil and let it all cook for about 15 mins and transfer to clean jars.

To add to my productive morning, I also mixed a batch of dough ready to bake some bread when I get home tonight. I think fresh baked bread with some of this rhubarb and strawberry jam will be nice...

Oh!

I think I hear the washing machine finishing.

Just in time to hang before going to work.

Already a productive day and it isn't even 8 am!

Have a good and productive day

- no matter when it starts for you!

PS: I just realised this is my 501st blog entry.
Wow!
Who would have thought...

Please Explain 472 vs 403...

I consider myself fortunate that we live so close to work that I can ride my bike.

The terrain is completely flat so it is no effort really.

♥

It is so close, that I have even counted the times I push down my foot on the bike pedal on either journey...

But herein lies the mystery...

On my way TO work it takes 472 pedal pushes.

On my way HOME however, it only takes 403 pedal pushes...

☺

Have a lovely day - whether you are on a bike, on foot, in a bus, a train/tram or a car!

(Yes, the sun is shining!)

Gearing Up for The Bank Holiday Weekend

"Happiness comes when you believe in what you are doing,

know what you are doing,

and love what you are doing."

This weekend is a bank holiday so we have three days off to look forward to

(May Day is always taken on the first Monday of this month)

The Professor is coming home

Our Boy has completed and handed in his Tech project for his IGCSE

I will have finished a larger project at work

Bring on the weekend!

PS: May we please have some sun...?

Well Trained...

The illustration on my office calendar for the month of May could have been written by me:

"I had been told that training procedure with cats is difficult.

It's not.

Mine had me trained in two days..."

I think about this when I stumble out of bed at 4 am to let The Cat out...

It also strikes me as strange that nobody else in the house hears him...!

From a Different View

I normally cycle to work, but today I had to stop in the park on the way in to the office and leave the bike to the repair shop. 

The bike was in need of some minor adjustments, so this is the quickest and handiest way to get it serviced. Lovely, friendly and chatty guys. But why wouldn't they be? Their repair shop is in this lovely park!

So, walking in to work was a nice opportunity for a stroll on a lovely spring morning. Suddenly, I saw things from a different angle when on foot as opposed to rushing in on the bike. I had never noticed how bent this tree line in the park is. And I pass it at least twice a day - for 13 years!

My favourite tree in the park is getting ready!

The Japanese Cherry tree (?) is in full bloom

I love the details on the old bridges over the various brooks in the park

Doesn't this look peaceful? 

I can almost 'hear' the bench calling me to come and have a rest...

The bike will be ready at the end of the working day so I get to walk through all this loveliness all over again!

♥

Apparently, it has been forecasted to reach over 20 degrees today- and it is only March! 

It will be the warmest day of the year so far...

♥

And to top it all - it is Friday!

Enjoy the weekend!

♥

Resurfacing...

The garden wall is 'on fire' with color.

I am slowly resurfacing in the 'blog world' after a few very intense weeks at work.

Still hectic, but more manageable.

It has been so intense that I have hardly had time or energy to read other blogs!

;-)

We are experiencing uncharacteristically warm weather these days which is strange when you see the leaves in their autumnal best.

Mornings are dark, though.

We try to brighten the time with lighting candles when we are having breakfast. 

I think we must be close to England's biggest consumer of candles...

Such a small gesture makes it all cosier, don't you think?

Happy autumn!

Happiness is...That Friday Feelin'!

Every Friday morning just after 8 am 

Chris Evans plays on his radio show, The Breakfast show on BBC2,

Sammy Davis Jr's "The Candy Man"

from Roald Dahl's story 

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".

Yep, that epitomises that Friday Feelin' and we can't help belting it out and singing along...

;-)

The Professor is coming home,

in-laws are well installed

and the sun is shining!

Bring on the weekend!

What gives YOU that Friday feeling...?

Busy Days!

It is a bit quiet on my front these days 

- not much time for the blog.

My dear in-laws arrived before the weekend

and we have been busy settling them in and

spending time with them.

This is a busy time of year for many people I guess, not just us in the educational sector.

Conferences, meetings, plans, budgets, as well as the needs of new staff, new visitors, new students all need to be addressed.

It is like everybody have hatched and thought up a lot of ideas and plans while on summer holidays...!

But on the whole I like it!

I like being busy.

But I also like to see an end to this particularly stressful period... probably will stay this intense for another couple of months...

In the meantime -

Thank God for Yoga!

It is literally a life saver and keeping both my mind sane as well as my body flexible.

New class tonight and

maybe a glass (diet-Coke) in the pub next door afterwards....?

:-)

Early Morning Gratitude...

borrowed from Anne Geddes

I am grateful for bright summer mornings when The Professor has to get up for another early morning flight... 

Getting up at 4 am is of course so much easier in the summer than in the winter.

Of course, I don't HAVE TO get up - he is perfectly capable of looking after himself 

;-)

but I worry about him 

not hearing the alarm clock, 

forgetting something (which is known to have happened before...), 

the taxi not coming on time, 

and so on.

Besides, that blissful feeling of going back to bed for a few more hours is rather special and precious...!

Just wish 7 am didn't come around so quickly!

;-)

My Shopping 'Secret'

I don't like grocery shopping. 

A weekly shop would take about two hours out of my precious weekend time 

• going to the shop, 
• choosing the groceries, 
• putting them in the trolley, 
• putting them on the band, 
• packing them in bags, 
• putting them in the car, 
• carrying them from the car to the kitchen, 
• unpacking and 
• putting it all away. 

It is just such a waste of time!!!! 

So, I don't do it.

Instead, I have a nice polite man in a brightly coloured van bring our groceries to our house once a week!

Several supermarkets offer this service here in England.

I use Ocado. 

I log in to my account either via the computer or my IPhone and put in my shopping list for the week and 

hey! presto! the shopping 'appears' in my kitchen...
(OK, admittedly I have to put them away myself, but I like to have my own order in things anyway ;-))

;-)

I actually save money this way as I spend less money than going to the shop. 

This tells me how much I am tempted by things I see when I am in the shops.

The quality is always superb and they have a real no-nonsense policy. 

I can edit the order until quite close to delivery.

Delivery can even be free if I choose the delivery time carefully.
On the anniversary of the arrangement they send me a nice bottle of wine.
That is customer care I can like!
I also see it as a small way of saving the environment as I don't have to drive to the shop myself.

Well, it works for me.

I still go to the supermarket 'once in a blue moon' just to remind myself why I shouldn't bother...

:-)

Feeling Righteous

I think I have earned some 'brownie-points' in the neighbourhood... 

 We live in a cul-de-sac where most of the houses are situated in the old apple orchard which used to belong to the main building dating back to the early 1800s. Most of our neighbours are really lovely and we get on well. We are 19 properties consisting of some flats in the old building and town houses in the old orchard. We share among other things a communal garden. There is a gardener that comes once a week and looks after it and that way it is always well maintained and nobody argues over people not pitching in... 

We also share the drive-in to the properties, and not to forget 

- the recycling bins... 

We have three types of bins:

1. The Blue bin which takes paper/clean foil/glass/tinned cans/plastic bottles/telephone directories etc

2. The Green bin takes food and garden waste and small quantities of card board.

3. The Black bin takes all other types of household garbage.

 Each household has a black bin at the end of their garden and we have a common area for the blue and green bins which we all share. The system really isn't difficult to learn as the bins are clearly marked with what goes in them. However, some of the flats are rented out and new lodgers always take a bit of time to get used to the recycling scheme... I won't go there... In addition, here in the UK people don't use designated paper bags for disposing of food waste - it is all just thrown open into the bins. 

Well, it doesn't take much imagination to envision that the blue and green bins end up looking rather horrible and the potential for smells and flies having a grand party in the warmer weather... 

Therefore, after the bins had been emptied yesterday morning, Our Boy and I got the water hose out and cleaned them properly inside and out and used some disinfectant to get rid of any potential 'nasties'... 

The-Best-Neighbour-in-the-World joined us and together we got through them all. 

They are now all 'spic-and-span'!

How lovely it is to feel so righteous... 

;-) 

I think I will bring up the suggestion of getting a company in to clean them on a regular basis. 

With 19 households it really shouldn't be expensive!

Another weekend project has been getting to grips with the granny-throw I started last October. 

I know - it is taking FOREVER! I get bored of it and put it aside, but I want to complete it now!

I think I am about 70% done and have started putting the squares together. I kind of regret not having a clear design in mind when I made the squares, but it isn't looking too bad. 

I like it when there are patterns in these, and there is actually a system to it...

;-)

However, it will be a &*% job to fasten all the loose ends...

Repair or Renew?

picture borrowed from http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:REA_washing_machine_with_wringer.gif

I spent most of the morning waiting for a repair man for the washing machine...

It is rather annoying that when you book a repairman to come you get a 'window' from "8am till 12 noon" or from "12 noon till 5 pm". So much wasted time!!!

Anyway, the problem with the machine started 11 days ago when it wouldn't spin and it didn't seem to rinse either. This is serious - the machine is in use at least once a day! 

The machine is 4 years old and in this part of the country that is normal time for a machine to need replacing as we have so much hard water (limescale) which destroys washing machines/dishwasher/kettles etc. Bearing this in mind, I decided to be a little savvy and took out an extended warranty on the machine two years ago so all this repair work is covered until next year. The policy also states that if they can't repair it, we get a new machine...

Win, win, I'd say.

Although I reported it immediately, it took the first repair man 6 days to come and he said 'it is the pump that was faulty' and changed it. However, the first wash proved that it wasn't the pump...

It still didn't spin nor rinse.

So, today - 5 days later the second repair man came out and said 'it is the heating element' which he changed. Fingers crossed - it seems to be working.

 However, I got the distinct impression the repair men were more eager to try to repair it than to replace it since that would be at a higher cost to the insurance company they are working for...Although, it would have been nice to get a new machine, I don't see the point of throwing away a perfectly good machine if it can be repaired so hopefully by changing the pump (probably wasn't necessary) and the heating element the machine has got 'a new lease of life' for perhaps another 4 years...

But it makes me think how many machines might get thrown away because people think the parts can't be replaced and the manufacturers want to sell you a new machine...

I now have to tackle a 'mountain' of dirty clothes - 11 days worth....!

It says something about the amount of clothes one has since we have managed without

a washing machine for so long...

Wonderful Weekend Anticipation

picture borrowed from the Internet

I don't know what happened to this week!

It has just flown by.

Being busy has that effect, I guess.

:-)

The week has as usual been filled with

• work (but funnily enough I don't feel I have much to show for it, though...),
• a day long conference on employment law,
• a quick drink with the girls one night,
• taking Our Boy to his guitar class,
• lovely lunch with a friend
• yoga class in the evening,
• some work meetings
• many phone calls,
• cooking dinners,
• some cleaning,
• some laundry,
• some tv,
• reading 
• and so on...
 

In short - LIFE

But it has been really chilly even though it looks like spring.

The picture above is from the area behind the colleges called 'The Backs' and it looks exactly like this now as the crocuses are all in bloom.

I hope the weekend will give some time for taking some pictures and catching some rays of sunshine.

According to the app on my new phone (!) it is going to be sunny on Sunday!

I hope you have some sunshine, too.

Wherever you are!

:-)

Braving the Elements...

picture of the pub borrowed from the Internet

I have mentioned my love of lists before:

At the beginning of a weekend I make a list of the things I would like to accomplish that weekend. Sometimes I get a lot done and sometimes I don't. But at least it focuses the mind.

It is also soooo rewarding to be able to cross things off the list!

Therefore, after a particularly efficient weekend I felt very rightous and rounded it off yesterday with a brisk walk and a spot of lunch together with my Welsh and Danish friend.

It became a brisker walk than anticipated as it was sooo windy! Yes, it is spring like here in My Corner of England with lots of little flowers coming out, but we could have done without that wind..!

Now that the days are getting longer the intention is to increase the exercise level by making a walk along the river and across the fields to the neighbouring village most days of the week...

(famous last words???)

Note to self

- must avoid rounding off the walk with a stop at the pub!

(or at least limit the visits to once a week!)

Coping with Stress

A sure sign of me getting stressed is that I start writing lists...

I wake up in the middle of the night fearful of having forgotten something and can't relax until I have noted it down.

Then I worry about forgetting 'The List'...

I have instead started using the note function on my mobile and jot things down there.

I mean - I don't go anywhere without my phone and rarely forget it! I almost feel 'naked' without it

(how did we manage without it before...???) 

This system seems to work well for me and it is very gratifying to be able to delete things off the list...

I still woke up at 5 am several days this week needing to put things on 'The List', but at least I don't forget it at home!

And being able to roll over and have another couple hours of blissfull snooze is veeeeery nice

Btw - have you noticed the light is starting to come a little earlier in the mornings...?

;-)

The Charming Culprit!

The sun has mercilessly been streaming in through the windows today making it obvious that they are in need of a good clean...

However, none need it more than the patio doors where The Cat has managed to make his 'mark' the last few rainy days...

You can hardly see through the windows for his muddy paw marks!

I guess I've got the work for the weekend sorted then...!

My olive tree behind The Cat also seems to need a little TLC.

I can see there are other places needing a good shine as well... Renovating is such a messy job!

But we kind of see the end of the project as the painting starts Monday and the floor arrives the same day... Hmmm... not sure how we will arrange for them all to work at the same time

;-)

While I am on my 'crusade' for the humble semolina I share a recipe for old fashioned semonlina pudding:

Boil 5 dl of milk (I use skimmed) with 1 dl of semolina till it thickens

Add then 

a pinch of salt,

1,5 tbsp of sugar (I use Splenda)

and 2 eggs

Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 20 mins and serve either hot or cold with a dollop of jam.

A very quick, easy, and cheap dessert!

As I have been getting some questions regarding my silicon muffin tins I included them in the picture above.

They are so practical.