So now I seem to be on a roll. My lovely friend Teresa has promoted my blog on her Facebook page and instructed me that I need to update much more regularly and I have started a second blog "Toddler Tales" about life with a two and a half year old. Let's just hope I can keep it up.
Work life has become increasingly busy. At the end of last week I had two companies ring me up to check my availability and offer me jobs. Somehow I've managed to swing it so that I remain at the BBC but drop to two days a week, and start a new project next week at an Indie doing 3 days a week. I know it means I'm full time and full on again for the next few months, but I'm hoping that this will both help the finances and highlight my profile to the Indie world again. Then come the end of the year I might be able to find a project that I can work part time on and still earn the required pennies.
Of course I'm still hoping for that elusive lottery win. Some days I just get that feeling that today is the day I'm going to win.....of course it never is, but there is no harm in trying.
We're off to the Gower this weekend for a night under canvas. Alas without our faithful hound this time as the site doesn't take dogs. It could be an interesting time as we are going so that my husband can take part in a world record attempt. No, it's not how many people can fit in a 3-man tent. Nor is it how many marshmallows can be toasted over a camp fire in one go. It is in fact the world record attempt at skinny dipping. Yes, really. At 07.30 on Sunday morning 300 or so naked people will take to the sea up to their waists for an allotted period of time to achieve a world record. Good on them I say. I'll be the one taking indecent photographs that may somehow find themselves on Facebook!
Well I'll report back on that one next week and in the meantime I'll just keep on writing.....
Thursday 16 June 2011
Sunday 12 June 2011
Rain Rain Go Away....
Well after another absence of three months, I've finally got a spare five minutes to update my blog. The weather is terrible and I have a slight hangover but I'm learning to grab those spare minutes to actually get some things done.
Life has as usual been full on but we've crammed a lot in over the last few months with more adventures to come. The garden has been really productive and the rewards that we have literally reaped to date have been fresh raspberries and strawberries, rhubarb and peas. I have tomato planes, courgettes, lettuces, beetroot, leeks and french beans to look forward to. I did have a few squash plants but those irritating snails and slugs took a real liking to them and scoffed the young plants. I have a thing about not wanting to use slug pellets and try to remove any pesky gastropods by hurling them over the hedge. Alas this wasn't enough so I'm going to have to think of another solution.
We had an amazing family holiday to Lefkas in May to see my Dad. We were really spoiled and had the most fantastic time. The villa that my Dad owns is in the most spectacular location surrounded by the mountains and with views out across Nidri to the sea and islands beyond. It has it's own pool which was well used by us all. Corey was given a little inflatable dinghy by his Grandad which he loved. He would sit in it floating blissfully around the pool whilst shouting directions to Daddy to "swim under the boat" and "throw my my beach ball".
We've managed a couple of nights camping in Salcombe. We arranged to meet friends on the Saturday but decided to head down ourselves on the Friday. Despite being given directions and a description of the site we somehow managed to end up at the wrong campsite and only twigged when as we headed back from the beach we passed the campsite that we should have been at on the way to the campsite we were actually pitched at. Oops. We did a swift de-camp on Saturday morning and re-pitched at the right site in time for when our friends arrived. A lovely weekend was had despite some heavy rainfall.
Work has been busy but that's nothing new. I was given a promotion which somehow meant more to do over less time as due to budgetary constraints I was asked to handle four projects doing four days a week. Well at least it gave me a day a week to concentrate on my other job - no rest for the wicked!
We went to a wedding yesterday and had such a great time. There were friends that I hadn't seen for literally years and it was just brilliant to catch up with them. Hopefully it won't be so long until we next see them again. The weather decided to make another rainy appearance, but the venue, an old barn was stunning - if a little on the cold side! Mingling with friends, drinks in hand with a hog raost and then a barn dance to top it off made it a fantastic evening. My poor husband had a sober evening as he had to be up at 05.00 Sunday morning to head off to Windsor on his motorbike where he was marshalling as part of his NEG (National Escort Group) course. Still I had a great time and I got a free taxi home.
Things to look forward to are more camping trips including next weekend where my husband has decided to take part in the world record attempt at skinny dipping in the sea just off the Gower coast - hmmmm not something I'll be taking part in but if the weather is good it should be fun being a spectator! We have a couple more weddings later in the year and if funds allow we are hoping to make a return trip to Greece.
Now if only this rain would stop I could get out in the garden and plant some more veggie seeds.....Rain Rain Go Away......
Life has as usual been full on but we've crammed a lot in over the last few months with more adventures to come. The garden has been really productive and the rewards that we have literally reaped to date have been fresh raspberries and strawberries, rhubarb and peas. I have tomato planes, courgettes, lettuces, beetroot, leeks and french beans to look forward to. I did have a few squash plants but those irritating snails and slugs took a real liking to them and scoffed the young plants. I have a thing about not wanting to use slug pellets and try to remove any pesky gastropods by hurling them over the hedge. Alas this wasn't enough so I'm going to have to think of another solution.
We had an amazing family holiday to Lefkas in May to see my Dad. We were really spoiled and had the most fantastic time. The villa that my Dad owns is in the most spectacular location surrounded by the mountains and with views out across Nidri to the sea and islands beyond. It has it's own pool which was well used by us all. Corey was given a little inflatable dinghy by his Grandad which he loved. He would sit in it floating blissfully around the pool whilst shouting directions to Daddy to "swim under the boat" and "throw my my beach ball".
We've managed a couple of nights camping in Salcombe. We arranged to meet friends on the Saturday but decided to head down ourselves on the Friday. Despite being given directions and a description of the site we somehow managed to end up at the wrong campsite and only twigged when as we headed back from the beach we passed the campsite that we should have been at on the way to the campsite we were actually pitched at. Oops. We did a swift de-camp on Saturday morning and re-pitched at the right site in time for when our friends arrived. A lovely weekend was had despite some heavy rainfall.
Work has been busy but that's nothing new. I was given a promotion which somehow meant more to do over less time as due to budgetary constraints I was asked to handle four projects doing four days a week. Well at least it gave me a day a week to concentrate on my other job - no rest for the wicked!
We went to a wedding yesterday and had such a great time. There were friends that I hadn't seen for literally years and it was just brilliant to catch up with them. Hopefully it won't be so long until we next see them again. The weather decided to make another rainy appearance, but the venue, an old barn was stunning - if a little on the cold side! Mingling with friends, drinks in hand with a hog raost and then a barn dance to top it off made it a fantastic evening. My poor husband had a sober evening as he had to be up at 05.00 Sunday morning to head off to Windsor on his motorbike where he was marshalling as part of his NEG (National Escort Group) course. Still I had a great time and I got a free taxi home.
Things to look forward to are more camping trips including next weekend where my husband has decided to take part in the world record attempt at skinny dipping in the sea just off the Gower coast - hmmmm not something I'll be taking part in but if the weather is good it should be fun being a spectator! We have a couple more weddings later in the year and if funds allow we are hoping to make a return trip to Greece.
Now if only this rain would stop I could get out in the garden and plant some more veggie seeds.....Rain Rain Go Away......
Sunday 6 March 2011
Not Enough Hours....
Well, it's been three months since I last posted. Shocking really, but I just don't know where the time goes. Christmas and New Year flew by. Work life has been stressful, home life has been full on and that has left me with very little time to pursue anything else.
As I spend a lot of my working day staring with glazed and dry eyes at a computer screen, the last thing I feel like doing when I get home is to pick up the lap top and spend the evening staring at that. So instead, when I finally get the time to sit down I stare with glazed eyes at a TV screen instead. In the absence of having any good books (I never seem to be free when the library is open) I need something to help my brain unwind, and that tends to be a bit of telly. I don't really watch the soaps, unless you class Holby City as a soap, but I do like a good drama and I am a sucker for a bit of X-Factor just because I don't have to think!
However, as soon as the nights begin to draw out, once Corey is in bed I will be spending some of my evening time in the garden trying to be productive. I do grow vegetables, but the last couple of years it has been a little half hearted. This year I'm hoping to put a bit more effort in so we can reap the edible rewards in the coming months. We are lucky to have amazing rhubarb and raspberries. Last year we also had blueberries, courgettes, strawberries, and a few lettuces. This year I'm hoping to expand on that.
When Corey is awake and I am around, then obviously I want to spend that time with him. He is an amazing little boy with a cheeky personality whose vocabulary grows every day. I want to be around to play with him, talk to him, read him stories, sing him songs and show him the world. This afternoon we were in the garden. He was digging, playing with his water table, helping me plant some bulbs, and generally having a good time. I couldn't do as much gardening as I wanted, but at least it was a way of combining things that needed to be done together with sharing time with my little boy.
Steve and I actually managed to get out on Friday night to a favourite local pub to have a few beers and some uninterrupted time together. However, I forget that I can't take my alcohol like I used to and a pint and a half of real ale, topped off with a couple of whisky and gingers, followed by a cheeky liqueur when we got in, found me flaked out on the living room floor. Basically I passed out and woke up in the early hours wondering where I was and how I got there - it also wiped out most of Saturday as even Steve flagged after an 06.30 start and had to go back to bed for a little nap mid morning!
I'm hoping to pick up my writing course again. After a great start with my very first assignment, I got stuck on the second and haven't been able to move on......that was back in October. I've had another 5 or 6 assignments through since then and really need to squeeze in a few hours somewhere to get back on track. It would be amazing to get to a point where I could actually earn some money from writing, but unless I pull my finger out and actually start writing that is never going to happen.
Work takes up too much of my life, but until I find that magical part time job that will pay enough to cover the bills, or land a windfall on the lottery, or be left some country pile by a distant relative I never knew I had, I'll have to keep plugging away full time.
There are really not enough hours in the day. Or maybe I just need to schedule my time more effectively....
As I spend a lot of my working day staring with glazed and dry eyes at a computer screen, the last thing I feel like doing when I get home is to pick up the lap top and spend the evening staring at that. So instead, when I finally get the time to sit down I stare with glazed eyes at a TV screen instead. In the absence of having any good books (I never seem to be free when the library is open) I need something to help my brain unwind, and that tends to be a bit of telly. I don't really watch the soaps, unless you class Holby City as a soap, but I do like a good drama and I am a sucker for a bit of X-Factor just because I don't have to think!
However, as soon as the nights begin to draw out, once Corey is in bed I will be spending some of my evening time in the garden trying to be productive. I do grow vegetables, but the last couple of years it has been a little half hearted. This year I'm hoping to put a bit more effort in so we can reap the edible rewards in the coming months. We are lucky to have amazing rhubarb and raspberries. Last year we also had blueberries, courgettes, strawberries, and a few lettuces. This year I'm hoping to expand on that.
When Corey is awake and I am around, then obviously I want to spend that time with him. He is an amazing little boy with a cheeky personality whose vocabulary grows every day. I want to be around to play with him, talk to him, read him stories, sing him songs and show him the world. This afternoon we were in the garden. He was digging, playing with his water table, helping me plant some bulbs, and generally having a good time. I couldn't do as much gardening as I wanted, but at least it was a way of combining things that needed to be done together with sharing time with my little boy.
Steve and I actually managed to get out on Friday night to a favourite local pub to have a few beers and some uninterrupted time together. However, I forget that I can't take my alcohol like I used to and a pint and a half of real ale, topped off with a couple of whisky and gingers, followed by a cheeky liqueur when we got in, found me flaked out on the living room floor. Basically I passed out and woke up in the early hours wondering where I was and how I got there - it also wiped out most of Saturday as even Steve flagged after an 06.30 start and had to go back to bed for a little nap mid morning!
I'm hoping to pick up my writing course again. After a great start with my very first assignment, I got stuck on the second and haven't been able to move on......that was back in October. I've had another 5 or 6 assignments through since then and really need to squeeze in a few hours somewhere to get back on track. It would be amazing to get to a point where I could actually earn some money from writing, but unless I pull my finger out and actually start writing that is never going to happen.
Work takes up too much of my life, but until I find that magical part time job that will pay enough to cover the bills, or land a windfall on the lottery, or be left some country pile by a distant relative I never knew I had, I'll have to keep plugging away full time.
There are really not enough hours in the day. Or maybe I just need to schedule my time more effectively....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)