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! 😁🐌