Slow Living - Doing It Old Style!

Brie

OH is making something lovely in the kitchen for dinner.  Some sort of beef stew which has involved the beef soaking in wine since yesterday.  There will be dumpling!

I've got to get my art desk back up on stilts.  I bought it second hand for £40 but it's a good quality solid wood, painted white, two drawers with a matching straight back chair.  But as is the drawer frame is too low for me to pull the chair in tight enough to sit comfortably due to my chunky thighs.  So I had a work colleague make me some table risers that were 3 inches high.  Used those for about a year but decided that they were too high but I don't have the kit to do a chop job so got my wood working guy that was building me a new gate and garden arches to take a 1 inch slice off them.  I want to put the 2 inch sections back under the legs and see how that works.  If it's still too high I'll swop in the 1 inch slices.  And then get back to my painting of my hair guy's front door.....

leftatthetrafficlights

@London_1 - I'm glad your move has worked out so well for you all 😁 

@Brie - I hope that your art desk is better with the smaller stilts! 😉 

Today has been a very slow one - finished my book and prepared dinner and that pretty much covers it!! 😂 Tomorrow I'll be walking the dog and cleaning- there's enough of today's food left for leftovers tomorrow so I won't need to do any cooking....

Dinner was cannellini beans with dijon cashew cream; mixed grains (oat groats, rye berries, barley groats, short grain brown rice) with barberries, sunflower seeds and hemp seeds; rocket with black grapes, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pomegranate and blood orange balsamic; broccoli and broccoli sprouts 😋 



I woke ridiculously early this morning (3am!😳) so I'm pretty tired now - I think a shower and early night are called for - just popped on to wish everyone a lovely slow evening 😁🐌

Teaparty_mum

Sorry I’ve had a few days off from my phone.

@leftatthetrafficlights thank you my lovely, it was definitely the shower gel that caused the itching so it got donated (brand new it was) and I’ve gone back to using the gel I was using before and so far so good..

I do hope everyone is okay ? Sending hugs, supportive vibes and love to those who need them .

London_1

Apple crumble last night was delicious and went down a stom,not a lot of left overs for tonight feet up and a bit of knitting this morning then off to Newport for Cribbage after lunch. 
Just about takes care of my day.
The window cleaner is here bless him, and is doing his best, even though its spitting with rain a little but the guy needs the cash and rain doesn't seem to deter him. I think a hot drink for him will go down well

JackieO xx

Brie

Tried the 2 inch risers under my art desk and knew immediately there were still too high so I swapped in the 1 inch version.  In reality it would be best with something in between but I'll stick with these.  I've about 3 project lined up that need to be progressed so now I have no excuse and will have to get on with making masterpieces!!!! (ROFL)

Last night's dinner turned out to be huge chunks of ox cheek which after being marinated and slow cooked for a few hours was so lovely and tender.  OH decided it needed chunks of bread with it instead of dumplings.  There's enough left for dinner tonight so that's nice.  Maybe it will be with dumplings.  Or maybe chips or mash.  

leftatthetrafficlights

@Teaparty_mum - I'm glad the issue with the shower gel has been resolved 🙌 its great that you identified the problem so quickly 😁 

@London_1 - I'm glad you enjoyed your apple crumble 😁 I'm really not a dessert person but its one of my dh's favourites - I have a box of stewed apple and one of stewed rhubarb in the freezer so at some point this winter I'll make crumbles for him 😉 

Today has been lovely - I did some writing, sorted laundry, walked the dog then came home and started planning for my New Year which starts on Friday 😁 I have a lot of things I want to achieve but they are mainly things that I have let lapse over the past few months, so its predominantly about re-establishing habits as opposed to introducing new stuff. The main thing I have to focus on is my mindset - its been far too easy for me to make excuses and not follow through over the past few months and that's not who I am generally. Taking back control of my head and not letting external factors have undue influence is the most important thing for me to achieve so that's what I'm going to be working on over the next 12 months. 

Tomorrow I'm going to start re- introducing the daily routines that I've let fall to the wayside, clean the house and continue to explore ways I can improve. It's always an exciting time of year for me - a time to look at where I've been in the past 12 months, analyse where and why I've slipped up, where I currently am and to set goals for the next twelve months. I love the combination of reflection, acceptance and forward thinking - it's occasionally painful in some respects (although being brutally honest with myself is also very cathartic) but also very liberating so it's a process I look forward to 😁 

Anyway, I have a lemon verbena and hibiscus tea waiting for my attention so I'm going to get on with that 😁 Dinner tonight is the same as last night so I won't bother repeating photos or descriptions! 

Have a wonderful slow evening! 😁🐌

London_1

Hi chums , The dreaded housework the bain of all our lives has become a lot easier for me now as my DD and I houseshare  I only really have my bedroom and sitting room to look after as my DD does the rest of the house

 I am quite happy to set my routine for cleaning in chunks, so I don't get too exhausted. I have both rhuematoid and osteoarthritis now, and my right arm no longer works  very well as it has lymphodema, so I am restricted to light housework only
.Basically if its above my shoulders or below my knees DD does it

The middle bits I can cope with OK.

On a Monday morning I tidy my sitting room,not that it gets very untidy as I am a' putter away' sort of person  and dislike clutter.
 
Empty the waste basket, and dust and polish around .As the window cleaner came yesterday, this afternoon I'll give the inside of my sitting room windows a going over, and it will look nice and neat again.

 Fridays I do the bedroom and en suite, DD hoovers the floors for me or whips the mop around the en suite.I do the shower every day inside before I exit it after my shower ,so it is always looking shiny and clean.

 I'm an octogenarian,  and find life a lot slower paced, as my movements are a bit more resdtricted. But what I can't manage DD is happy to do bless her.

 I still like to potter and cook though, so I like the garden ,but either DD or my son-in-law mow the lawn and do the heavy stuff. 
I have found that by doing maybe one or two clean or tidy jobs in short bursts is better than wearing myself out in a long day of housework .

I do an hour at a time then stop, and do somethings else for awhile Usually a cuppa and feet up for half an hour

Dust will be here when I'm long gone ,not that there is a lot of dust anyway

 I put a wash one when I know the weather is going to be dry as I like mine line dried
 DD does her own and her husbands wash when she wants, and uses the tumble dryer.

She will help me with the wrestling of the duvet changing though and sheets and pillow cases are easy as I sit on the bed for the pillow cases and the sheets arefitted so no problems there


I have a friend who is permanantly cleaning her house, and never seems to have time to stop and smell the roses .
A nice lady, but very much a 'Mrs Bucket ' and one always feels like Mrs Buckets neighbour and terrified of dropping a crumb anywhere. She' very nice but a tad obsessive about housework.

Life is far too short to worry about things lke that, slowing down, means you see life from a different perspective and enjoy the little things more.

Yesterday I spent half an hour watching two birds argueing over some food DD had put on the bird table in the garden We have a conservatory that stretches across the whole back of the house and its lovey to sit in there and watch the different birds feeding, the sun was out and as its south facing the conservatory was nice and warm

My friend would be worrying about any mess the birds made I just enjoed watching these two little birds arguing over some bird food
 Probably to her I was wasting time but I was enjoying the spectacle, then a jackdaw swooped down and the little ones flew away and he scoffed what they were arguing over

Living a slow life is great 

JackieO xx

Wednesday2000

I’m having a slow day as the workman is here so I’m sitting in the other living room as he is making noise. I have my dog sleeping in here with me and I’m trying to make my way through my pile of books. I’m reading one I bought at a bookshop near Columbia Road flower market the other day called Haunted London. I have my fluffy white blanket on my lap and I’m about to make a cup of tea.😍

leftatthetrafficlights

@London_1 - watching wildlife is never a waste of time in my opinion! 😁 

@Wednesday2000 - escaping to the other room with a book and a puppy sounds ideal!! 😍 

Yesterday was a lovely day - just writing and planning stuff, making lists and relaxing 😁 I cooked a shepherdess pie (green lentils, swede, parsnips, onions, carrots, sage, thyme and stock) and served it with broad beans and spaghetti squash 😋 absolutely delicious and plenty left over for today 😁 
 


Today I've walked the dog (really good walk today - I think we're finally on the same page!) then I've cleaned the house 😁 This afternoon is going to be filled with chamomile tea and relaxing so I'm looking forward to it ....

Have a fab slow day 😁🐌

London_1

Nice day this morning knit and natter, then dropped into the library to pick up a book I'd ordered then DD picked me up as it was raining and brought me home .Had a nice lunch finished off the last of the apple crumble.Read some of my book and snoozed for an hour, cosy and warm listening to classical fm turned low which is so soothing whilst hearing the rain outside
Lasagne for dinner that my DD makes beautifully, so feeling rather full now  

The dogs were pretty frantic tonight as there was a local firework display ,calmed down now thank goodness

If its dry tomorrow we shall have a nice walk down to Appley beach with the dogs through the park and have a coffee at The Dell and watch some of the boats going out to sea from there

DD has made some nice craft decorated jars, recycled from indoors for my great granddaughters.

I suppose I'll have to start thinking about Christmas shopping soon, I'll make a list tomorrow 

JackieO xx