The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:


Well, ain't t'internet marvellous? I was having a peek at an 1G account of a blog that I 'follow' (sporadic posting, so I don't think that I am a follower as such) and came across a 'meedja savvy' 1G poster that made me feel utterly miserable about the 1G concept, on account of their 'perfect house' perfect kids' 'perfectely curated rooms/outfits/holidays/life/full-time career' 'perfect petsof....' 'perfection', 'perfection', 'perfection'. Ugh. I mean how do you have a tidy house (inside and out) with 3 (I think) under tens?



I don't aspire to perfection


But then today, I came across a craft project that I admired (yes, on p1nt3r3st ) that had a link to an 1G account. This person has a mix & match/sometimes clash lifestyle, a rescue doggy (I think), they work full time, make interesting things (not everyones cup of tea, but there is skill and application gone into each piece), and they lead an interesting life - getting out and about and making moments and memories with their family. Their child is smiling (seemingly spontaneously) in virtually every picture that they feature in. I learnt so much 'reading' this 1G account. Even about the fantabulous 'Hare' trail that is on in Norfolk - with 50 hares in the city of Norwich alone!



I like a homespun life that seeks to 'live' and not to be a carefully crafted movie set at all hours of the day....... I sat 'reading' this second 1G account with a smile on my face - and with lots of thoughts of I/We could do that.....................


Yesterday's tea was 'made up'. But it was the 'summer version' of a made up 'winter version' of what I call Morrocan stew. Basically, the winter version has b/nut squash and sweet pots in it, the summer version has courgettes So, onions, garlic, carrots, courgette, red pepper, and chickpeas. A tin of chopped tomatoes and a dollop of ras-el-hanout, which I make from scratch, but is fairly widely available in supermercados. Bit of stock and voila! Served with green beans and brown basmati.


Tea this evening was lentil bolognese and pasta. Clean plates all around


Small expenditures today included; the TV guide, bananas and 2 x cucumbers from the mrAl S6 - they were a decent size too, well worth 35p :T


I'm slowly but surely getting my crafting mojo back I'm grateful that a friend said, 'why don't you just...' when I was clearly procrastinating on account of wanting to do something 'properly', instead of just 'good enough'.........


BG had some fantastic new experiences today - time will tell if it has been stored in their memory banks But was also a bit clingy this afternoon, for some reason. But the plus of that is that plenty of reassuring hugs and kisses were required, so I was happy to be the obliging parent on that score :cool: Perhaps they are having another growth spurt :eek: Given how they polished their tea off, and asked for more, this could be a distinct possibility :eek:


Today I am grateful for these 3 things;

learning from good teachers

caring/careful lorry drivers

seeing places through another's eyes.


Ta for popping in. Appreciated.


Greying X

apple_muncher

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

I like a homespun life that seeks to 'live' and not to be a carefully crafted movie set at all hours of the day.......

Absolutely!

in_need_of_direction

Just for one day I'd like my life to look like a perfectly crafted movie set.

starnac

Greying don't be fooled by these accounts! Those pictures, although they look like a "snapshot" into their lives, trust me it's not. I'll bet they've taken hours to "set up" that perfect photo. It grates me slightly, with a daughter, growing up, that people see these as their lives but don't see what's behind it.

Sorry for the rant.

Glad BG had a lovely day yesterday

Honeysucklelou2

Don't think a tidy house is possible with under 10s! I had 7 under 10 at one point and it definitely wasn't tidy, but we made lots of memories going to the park, blackberry picking in season and local walks. Simple pleasures...

Greying_Pilgrim

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

Just for one day I'd like my life to look like a perfectly crafted movie set.

I see your point inod! However, after about 15 minutes, I would be - 'don't put your coffee mug on there - it's £5k worth of walnut veneer!' and BG definitely wouldn't be able to jump up and down on the sofa covered in ivory toned raw silk..........

starnac wrote: »

Greying don't be fooled by these accounts! Those pictures, although they look like a "snapshot" into their lives, trust me it's not. I'll bet they've taken hours to "set up" that perfect photo. It grates me slightly, with a daughter, growing up, that people see these as their lives but don't see what's behind it.

Not a rant lovely - I quite, quite agree. I just 'turn off' when I see stuff like that - it happens on blogs too. But I guess I don't know who they think they are appealing to? But of course, the impression can be given that 'you too' can have it all, and it just piles on stress and pressure to achieve a look/or a style or whatever. what you see, is what you get with me I'm afraid. I prefer the truth, or something akin to it - never was no good at telling porkies or stretching facts I agree that if you tell everyone every bad thing and misdemeanour that happens in your life, it gets a bit tedious. We all have to take rough and smooth with our living, but making out everything is peachy all the time, doesn't ring true somehow. Anyway, doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things - don't think I'll pay that 1G acc another visit - just take delight in shaping our own lives, and seeing how much fun we can garner

Honeysucklelou2 wrote: »

Don't think a tidy house is possible with under 10s! I had 7 under 10 at one point and it definitely wasn't tidy, but we made lots of memories going to the park, blackberry picking in season and local walks. Simple pleasures...

Surveying the 'rubble' that is currently my dining room, I have to agree - and I've only 1 under 10! Certainly aspire to the sort of 'simple pleasures' that you outline Honeysucklelou2, that's for sure


All I've achieved this morning is to unpick a garment that I have been given in order to utilise the material for something else. I'm waiting in for a parcel, which I don't think is going to arrive. It's not a tracked service - but RM - but I'm sure they usually send an email to at least say it's on it's way, and I've had no such email.


Haven't really got much to report. At this rate we'll snag a nsd, but that's about it for :money:


Not decided what's for tea yet. Well, I sort of have, but I'm missing one ingredient, and trying to think how to improvise without making the dish pants as a result.


BG is having a snooze - one minute they were 'weeding loud' their version of one of their story books, the next their head had drooped and they were falling asleep. And I still find it funny.........


Ta for popping in.


Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:


I'm pleased to report that 4/4 of the colombian avocados from mrA were lovely and ripe - one had a brown spot, could have been a virus or bruise, but the 'lost flesh' was less than 10% of the fruit, so good enough, especially as the stones weren't overly large. I've bought a net of 4 more (£1.50) on the strength of this purchase


My RM parcel is still to arrive Most unlike the company I ordered from. Previous orders have arrived the day after the order has been picked. And of course, you're not allowed to query lost parcels for 10 working days of whatever.......... Maybe it will come today.


Tea last night was 'buddhabowlesque'. I cooked up some brown basmati, steamed some broccoli (frozen), made some cucumber salad, beetroot and apple salad and marinated some tomatoes with red peppers. Topped it all off with an omlette and scattered some pumpkin and sunflower seeds all over.


Tea tonight will be pizza, probably black olive with potato wedges.


We were planning a little adventure 'abroad' on Sunday. But if today's weather forecast is to be believed, it won't be worth stepping out of the door. Little bit disappointed, as we've not had a family day out in quite a while. But worth keeping an eye on the forecast, as the weather does sometimes improve........


Few bitsabobs to get today, so best get a wiggle on I think.



Just realise this post seems a bit 'down'. Don't mean it to be. Lots to be grateful for, and all is well. Off to count my blessings, whilst I get a wiggle on


Greying X

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:


Well, I'm pleased to report that late this afternoon - me parcel arrived :j - 'First Class' post, three days later... :whistle:


Moving swiftly on.


BG and me went for a pootle around to see how far it was - t'was just far enough - as we got slightly damp from several half-hearted showers; which was just as well, as mumma dint take 'er coat.............................


HB have (well, the branch I visited) the 'Eastern Enders' offer of 4 cans of beans for £1 - choice was chickpeas, white kidney beans, red kidney beans....... and I'm sure there was another................ Anyway, I partook and got 2 red and 2 white kidney beans.


I got another punnet of Egyptian red grapes for 79p for 500g as they are lush


However, I left their 'easy peeler' clementines on the shelf, as they have jumped 30p for no discernable reason, and I think mrL are cheaper...............


I got a cabbage from Fife for 80p from m£$ As good, if not better than the mrA offering - and some DARK green leafage left on it :j Will enjoy it as part of a (veggie) Sunday roast, if the weather turns as inclement as proposed


You'll be pleased to learn that we 'took heed' of a notice saying 'please help yourself' to a box of courgettes that someone had left outside their house. There were only 2 left - yellow coincidentally - and whilst i still have 2 yellow courgettes left in the fridge, I have so many recipes/ideas for them, I was scared I'd run out....................... So, Dear Reader, I obeyed instructions..........................



Tea this evening turned out to be black olive pizza and wedges or pasta, depending on yo' preference. All plated was scoffed, and there is (a little) pizza left for another day.


We have spent the day snoozing, shopping, or participating in our 'favouritist eva' activity - y'all are gonna have to discerne for y'selves which 2/3 applied to BG...................................... All in all, today has been swell And probably my biggest dilemma - and I kinda mean this tongue-in-cheek, but also to point up how grateful I am for the blessings in my life - is whether to do 'moss stitch' or 'double-moss stitch' for a project I'm contemplating. The sample I worked up hasn't made it a clear cut choice.............



Today I am grateful for these 3 things;


Delivery.......................................................... finally! :rotfl:


cardboard boxes and their contribution to the development of imagination and play.....................


Variety


Ta for popping in. Appreciated.


Greying X

beanielou

A cabbage from Fife :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j

& courgettes.

Cheery_Daff

Yellow courgettes are ace I've got FOUR yellow courgette plants so am having to pick (and eat) daily for fear the darn things will get too big amd overtake me :rotfl: so I sympathise with the person who put them outside the house - sadly I don't think I'd get many takers out here as we don't have a road, just a footpath, and most people don't pick up large vegetables when they're out for a country hike :rotfl: :rotfl: