Killed by Death.

 

So, today was my first run of the new year and the first, since the week before Christmas, me bad! I am annoyed with myself as I had been doing so well, practically bouncing along in my new runners and clocking up a solid 20 minute run, over halfway in the Couch to 5K programme. So then all the Christmas prep had to be done and then 'course it was Christmas and then we had to recover from all the Christmassing, the travelling, the drinking and the eating by sitting around crocheting, watching movies and munching tidying up the selection boxes. Additionally the weather was very very bad, stormy and wet, sure you wouldn't have put a dog out in that! When we did venture out I almost got very stuck in the deep mud all alone in the dusky fields. Creepy.

 

It was with great trepidation that I got ready for my run, all the bits that had been tightening up before the holidays were once again a bit wobbly and I felt so creaky and old. Even my ankles are aging sigh...but I pulled on the lycra regardless. As a tribute to the force of life that was Lemmy Kilmister (1945-2015 RIP) I had this classic on the playlist.

 

 



 

I wouldn't be a big Motorhead fan but this song is one of the best running songs ever as well as containing one of the best nonsensical lyrics in music:

 

"If you squeeze my lizard,

I'll put my snake on you."

 

I mean what other mad eejit could get away with that! As a small digression my other favourite so-bad-it-is-good lyrics are these:

 

"Put your 'lectric eye on me babe,

 Put your ray gun to my head

 Press your space face close to mine, love" Thank you David Bowie.

 

Anyways, there is nothing that gets the old adrenalin flowing that running down a steep hill with Lemmy screaming in your ear buds. I doubt that the man himself would approve though. Apparently as a sop to the Doctors advice after being told he was very sick, Lemmy good-naturedly replaced his drink of choice - whiskey - to vodka. Live fast, die old eh?

 

I didn't attempt a 20 minute run today, just 2x 8 minutes with 5 mins walking in between and you know it went ok. I did get a weird cramp across my neck at one point and my eyes (WTF!) were sore at one point but I really enjoyed it. It is a strange feeling this running business, one the one hand I feel so exhilarated and alive in kind of the same way as I used to after a great nights clubbing or a night of the best craic down the pub or having a really successful week in my old job. Yet, on the other hand I feel so in control so focused, it is unusual. I didn't expect running to feel so er existential but at the same time it is so easy. Just pop on some shoes and off you go, if not for 20 minutes, then 8 or even 2 minutes. But is it cheating to plan your run so that the majority is on flat ground and the last minute is down that lovely steep hill? ;)

 

Right now I have to go and struggle with some OU study and whether access to politics and therefor rights should or can be extended to include non-humans? These are interesting issues for sure but there is one theorist that we are reading at the moment who is so complex he makes me feel immediately sleepy as soon as I try to read the text. Yawn.

Bye for now...Lots of Love.xxx



 

 

Wake up and smell the pine needles!

And relax. Everything that has need to be done is almost completed. The rest must wait. Let the holidays begin!

How are you all? I have been away from my wee blog for so long it seems a little rusty and dusty. The last few weeks have been a bit of a blur, I was ill, E started off with a virus that evolved into a nasty skin infection. Even Rosie the Lab had to go off to the vets with a poorly ear. So we have all been cozily tucked up drinking hot milk spiked with honey, vanilla and cinnamon, crocheting and watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix. It is a little hard to see and crochet though with a needy dog in a buster collar determined to sit on ones knee!

After a little resistance, I have finally persuaded Mr S to splash out on a real tree. Himself and O manfully set off to brave the wild danger of the ahem shops to bring back a good 'un and the boys did very well. Mr S has conveniently forgotten that he asserted that the old artificial leaning-tree-of- Argos would do fine and has been striding into the dining room regularly to fill his lungs with the Christmassy smell of pine. Nice. I was surprised thought at how resistant the children were to getting a new tree and was reminded of the importance of the Christmas Rules for the kids, like we always have the same tree and we always go to Grandma's and E is always the present distributer at the great opening ceremony.

When I was little we would always visit all my cousins on Christmas Eve, my Dad was one of those visitors who would work the kids up to a high level of over-excited exhaustion and then feck off home! We would then finish off at my Granny's, walking home through the (always!) frosty night shouting Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas until we were no longer in earshot. A quick peek out of the bedroom window just in case and then into bed for the hanging of the stocking. There would be lovely smells coming from the kitchen, a faint odour of paraffin from our Christmas Eve oil lamp and perhaps Elvis on the stereo turned way down low.

For me, the wonderful thing about Christmastime is that every family makes it their own with particular traditions particular to them. Religious or secular, it doesn't really matter. So what if you are a lapsed Catholic atheist, I will take the tree, the tinsel, the dodgy decorations, visiting the family, rowing with the family over the yearly trivia quiz, eating Mrs Ps' Florentines, drinking champagne...

How are you all getting on with your Christmas prep? Love it or Loath it? I love this time of year but it can become a little overwhelming especially if illness or some other unforeseen emergency occurs. I had a little twinge of anxiety as I walked into our local bookstore for a book that E had placed on her letter to Santa, thank-fully they had it in stock. Tis silly really, all the rampant commercialism -don't even get me started on the Black Friday vulgarity- but I love watching their little faces when they open their gifts and can't quite believe that Santa has got it right again.

I also like taking some little quite moments for myself, having a few moments in an empty church, a long walk at dusk and some quick easy crafts. Every year we always make these very easy kid friendly crafts.

 

The orange pomanders are great for teacher presents and we always team them up with the shortbread stars, plain, iced or flavoured perhaps with orange, cardamom and black-pepper for the big kids? The ivy wreaths are just twisted ivy with gold-painted paper stars, I think they would be so nice with some holly popped through at intervals but I haven't been able to get any this year.
So I am now off to tackle the great pile of ironing that needs to be done before we set off tomorrow to visit all the relatives. I do wish you and yours a most abundant, relaxing and joyous holiday! xxxxxxx

Replete

 

 

I love these in-between days slotted in between Christmas and the New Year, they are a lovely time to chill and think about how lucky we are. Time to hide inside, to lounge around in pyjama's, eat leftovers, read our Christmas books and then if the sun comes out head off on a long long walk through crisp aromatic pine forests.

 

We have been replete, abounding, and brimming with not only food, drink and presents but surrounded by our family and friends. It was so nice to visit all the relatives especially those that we only see maybe once or twice a year but it is so relaxing to come back home too. I was amazed at how good it was to see our wee doggy again. She was so excited to be home and has been so spoilt, E took this of her taking advantage of a lapse in law enforcement.

The weekend before Christmas we caught up with my relatives and then it was off to Mr S's clan to eat, drink and be merry. Thanks to Mr and Mrs P for their wonderful hospitality and scrumptious cooking.The children had been fizzing with excitement for weeks so they could not wait to pack their bags and jump on a plane to Grandma's where they made themselves at home immediately.
Santa managed to navigate the absence of chimneys and high winds to deliver two wonderfully lumpy stockings and a wondrous pile of presents under the tree. We were awoken at 4.15am Christmas morning by lots of squeaks and giggles until they ran into our room armed with Christmas torches to jump on the bed and blind us like two mini-dervishes.

As, I type here in my messy but homely house as the fairy lights flicker and the glitter still sparkles in dusty corners and the dying desiccated holly tumbles from the picture frames I was remembering all the plans that I made before Christmas and what a lot I didn't get around to doing. Did it matter, no indeed! Christmas was still Christmas, despite the fact that I did not:

• Bake gingerbread men or orange and cardamom shortbread
• or order a New Years Eve duck from the butcher
• make paper chains
• or a ivy and holly wreath with gold stars
• or twig star and Christmas tree decorations for the garden
• read 'A Christmas Carol'/Little Dorrit/Bleak House
• or 'The Dark is Rising.'
• buy more candles
• or the dog a Christmas present!
• paint the stairs
• or varnish the back door...

I did get around to doing a bit of crochet though and now have six granny squares mastered by a combination of youtube and this nice blog, Little Tin Bird. I wonder how long it takes to finish a double blanket? I am using yarn from Bergere de France collected from that weekly magazine Knit and Stitch. To be honest I got very bored with that magazine and it seemed prohibitively expensive for a couple of patterns and a little yarn. The main project was a knitted throw but I much prefer turning that stash into a granny blanket. To crochet with acrylic is fine but some of the yarns have extra wool content and they are beautiful to hold and work, so pure natural wool must be gorgeous.

Mr S bought me the cutest little red sewing machine for Christmas which due to the crochet addiction I haven't taken out of its box yet so I have two lovely projects to take me into the New Year. I never make New Year resolutions as for me they are synonymous with failure but crafty projects usually get finished eventually!

What are your New Year plans, dreams and projects? Happy New Year and I hope 2014 will be one of Joy! xxx
EDIT:(The lovely gingerbread shop was in the window of 'Cinnamon Square' in Rickmansworth, Herts, UK. This is a gorgeous bakery and cookery school, we had a selection of the most scrumptious cupcakes and pink sparkly strawberry macaroons.)

He's Back!

 

Actually, he has been down from the attic for about three weeks now. The kids demanded that we put the decorations up ages ago. I was insisting that this year we have a real tree for the scent but there wasn't any for sale when the munchkins were decorating so back came our little plastic leaner. Mr S did buy me a teeny living one which I will try to keep alive until next year.

I blame flippin' Marks and Spenser, for M&S Christmas begins simultaneously with Halloween. Groan, how much life and hard earned cash can the marketing and advertising execs squeeze out of us this year. Although having had that whine, it has been nice here, we have sort of dandered (Northern Irish slang for a slow wander) into Christmas, doing Christmassy things when the notion takes us before popping off to complete real-life chores and taking the time to recover from prolonged seasonal maladies.

The first week in December found us visiting Santa at the lovely Tankardstown House in County Meath and even though lots of unexpected numbers of children turned up, we bought some nice gifts for some nice relations and got to see the big man in the end for as long as the children wanted and then we had a gorgeous run around the walled garden at dusk.

Even though at the moment I feel quite physically and mentally drained due to a four week long cold virus and having to write 2000 painful torturous words on the economic liberalization of India, I feel very content and inspired. I also bought some beautiful handmade gifts from Jelly Jam who has a wonderful Etsy shop, I adore the Christmas lavender cushions and had to get one for myself.

 

While having a read of Jelly Jam's blog, I discovered a new-to-me blog Bobo Bun, I was so inspired by Mrs Bun's take on living with vintage and am very envious of her ability to make beautiful clothes. Energised by all this loveliness off I went to trundle around the charity shops and to my delight I found four sweet little vintage desert dishes for 50 cents a piece!

These are just like the ones my Granny used to serve her desert in. Desert was quite rare in her house for some reason, she preferred a strong cup of tea and a biscuit after her dinner but occasionally she would treat you to some ice-cream topped with tinned mandarin oranges. So these dishes are both a stroll down memory lane and filled with some baubles and tea-lights give out some lovely thrifty sparkle. Christmas, for me is full of nostalgic moments and the drawing in of light is a powerful symbol at this time of year. Especially tonight as it is blowing up a tempest.

So as much as Christmas is about drawing the light around oneself in the dark days of mid-winter (oh I love that word) so it symbolises the end of one year and the birth and regrowth beginning in the next. We all went to the allotment on Sunday to plant our new baby apple trees, I got two from the brilliant Future Forests in Bantry, Co Cork. They are old heritage varieties  and I love all the names and the tasting notes, we bought a 'Lough Tree of Wexford which is a small red eating apple and a 'Ballyfatten' which is a big fat cooker. It will take around two more years before there is any apples but it is so nice to plan for the future.

(Oops, I pressed the wrong button there, writing a draft post while drinking wine is a mistake -extra photos tomorrow.!!!)

Tomorrow: the storm has passed leaving little damage here in Oriel but others were not so lucky so today I am taking it easy and concentrating on the real importance of Christmas. This is the first day in a long time when I have not had to rush off and do something or have realms of study to complete. Yes, there is too much dust and a mountain of ironing and packing to do but more important is to spend slow, luxurious time with the ones we love and read a couple of great books.

At Christmas, I usually return to some much-loved childhood favourites and one special book is Alison Uttley's 'The Country Child' . The descriptions of the chill of the landscape, the bounty achieved by hard work stored within the farm and of Susan decorating the farmhouse are enchanting.

"Holly decked every picture and ornament. Sprays hung over the bacon and twisted round the hams and herb bunches. The clock carried a crown on his head and every dish-cover had a little sprig."

What are your favourite Christmas books and traditions? Oh, only six more sleeps!