Happy New Year All

Of course I celebrate New Years', even though out it can be a bit scary and miserable. Nothing better than an excuse for a small party with friends. This year we are off to our friends' in Hampshire and their gorgeous eco house. Lovely light, and wood and people.

So happy new year all you celebrators and markers of the occasion (which is largely, after all quite a pointless excuse for a party).

Ten Years Later...

There hasn't been a great deal of fanfare about heralding in a new decade, although most people have looked back on the last ten years and where they were and are now.

I'm tempted to do a quick round up of my life in ten, even though I could never really cover it and it is all a bit 'surface level'.

Essentially, I have the same partner, cat and am the same person, taking on a few pounds of course. I have two children, I started my career properly, and left it within the decade. I had some money during the earlier part, and now don't. And I've moved from East to South to East London then Hastings. I've become part of two fantastic geographical communities, and sadly left one all the time realising how important all the communities we're in and have been in are to us.

And I've lost some people on the way; and gained some people. The losses have been great to us, and people around us. The gains; two children and some fantastic friends some who have stayed the same and some new.

We've also had a 'credit crunch' realisation and have spent our first Christmas, and much of the last couple of years without credit. It's been tough, a bit embarrassing sometimes but so worth it. And the bonus is that of course things can only get better.

And talking of things can only get better; I lost my politics during the last ten years; disillusionment set in, and its only now I'm beginning to understand the politics with a small 'p' that are important to me, and the issues that really really matter.

This decade I plan to be working in the house at the start and doing some courses and studying. By the end of the decade I hope I'm in the same house, with the same people and friends. Just maybe with the addition of a dog. Small things eh?

Merry Christmas one and all

The hatches are battened down, the fridge is full, the trial run of Yorkshire puddings were flat (cook them longer next time), the booze is in and the stockings are up.
Merry Christmas everyone.

This year's Christmas Wreath at Tattyhouse

This is our Christmas wreath, made out of re-used cardboard, scraps of paper, and old decorations. Poor Christmas angel teddy used to have a whole family of friends but bits of them keep falling apart, aah.

Soap, soap and lip balm

I've been meaning to mention this for ages but one of the nicest consequences of this blog is I've 'met' virtually a lovely woman who has been sending me soap. Yes, that is right lovely, lovely all vegan natural gorgeous smellling soap to try out. I've been doing this for some time, and waiting for her to set up her website so I can add the link. Well, rather belatedly on my part here it is;
http://www.brackencraft.co.uk/

All gorgeous, natural stuff, no harm caused in the production and you know you're doing the right thing in buying from her.

Advertisment and promotion formally over...

If I could be doing anything right now...

I'd be sitting in a busy pub, on a comfy sofa drinking a lovely vodka and cranberry chatting with friends and smoking Marlboro Lights indoors. I might even have a game of pool, and hope the lights would shine the way to home, or at least the holes.

Shine on and smoke on UK.

Snowed in down South

We were planning to go and visit my parents tomorrow, up in Hertforshire but sadly the weather has changed our plans. The snow up there has stayed since Friday, and it is just getting snowier and snowier with treacherous roads and traffic jams on the motorways. Train travel not possible either; and apparently fights are breaking out amongst the commuters at London Bridge trying to get home.

Misery, misery, misery - oh and Eurostar has been cancelled for three days.

Queens Head is Good Bon Viveur's Pub (according to Saturday's Guardian)

And doesn't it look lovely? Amazing views across the county too. And apparantly good beer for those who know what that is (i.e. not me). Here's the link; http://www.queenshead.com/ . All's good bar the writing on the roof.

Must go this Christmas.

Fancy a pint anyone? Oh and gis' a lift as don't fancy being the driver.

There is a snow day after all...

Just been called in to the school again to pick up children due to power cut. Which was a little premature as power was on (again?) within few minutes. Still, not much learning going on today and more fun. They'll just have to enjoy some colouring and making and the telly.

For now anyway - some friends are over later so usual Friday madness of a little wine, popcorn ground in to floor, DVD's and possibly sharing pjymamas to come..

No snow day today

There is a little snow on the ground, all buses are suspended in Brighton and it seems nearly all schools. Here in gloomy Hastings all seems to be open, just quiet and dark and wet. Oh, and the carol concert will no doubt be cancelled. Which is a shame as I fancied a quiet cry in the back row.
After Jem's attempts to sing as loudly as she could at the last carol concert though it may have been tears of another sort in my eyes.

No snow day. No snow day.

Best Kept Secret in Town

I had the best night out last night, fantastic film in the school hall; 'Like Water for Chocolate'. Suddenly I like the magic realisim, and I adore the book. Then off to dinner with our school book club to the best kept secret in town. Here is the lovely place:

http://thaicafeandbookshop.com/home . Amazing dinner, spicy yet edible, and gorgeous gorgeous aubergine for main. And one of the best bits was the atmosphere; dinner squeezed in to tiny tables in the middle of books, full of people browsing the shelves, chatting and drinking bring your own wine and as much of the free chillled water as needed. This was quite a lot during my Tom Yum soup.

Want to go again tonight for dinner.

Speedy News

My neck still hurts, it is cold, we are up early and I've had two coffee's already. Latter potentially a mistake though I'm a buzzing with hill walking energy though lacking will to get out in the icy weather.

Tiny Thing Conversion Factory: Pandas to Gnomes by Mochimochi Land

Love it, from Craft.

It must be Christmas stress

I've got my neck disease, a sort of allergic reaction that looks, and is very painful and can have the appearance of someone who has tried to hang themselves. Last time I had it in a significant way I was doing a really stressful job, working shifts and generally totally miserable. It morphed in to a horrible itchy underarm thing that only got better when I stopped using all products, including deodorant. Luckily was on holiday in chilly Poland/Czech Republic at the time so not too bad for people around me.

This time I'm not sure what to blame on neck disease. Sort of Christmas stress; over-use of products, hair dye? Who knows - no cream will make it better, and I'll just have to ride it out. The first time I had one of these skin things, it was during my finals, and was cunningly of my body, elbow disease, making it really hard to sit still at desk with my arms on it. This time it is just hard to not pull my own bloody neck skin out Ala a Christmas chicken.

Dear Auntie Beeb

I shall have to stop watching 'Never Mind the Buzzcocks' shortly if you persist in having horrid unfunny presenters like that nasty piece of work Frankie Boyle on. Can you not find a decent proper replacement for the lovely, albeit sometimes sarcastic others.

I'm also very unimpressed with the grumpy fat one. There is nothing worse than seeing an old woman hater calling prostitutes whores. It's just not on.

So dear Auntie sort it out please.

Bev age 37 and a bit

P.s. Noel Fielding is lovely, and he can stay.

Dear Father Christmas

I'd quite like one of these please. Then I will make some vegetarian marshmallows with it.

Thank you very much.

We had a power cut last night...

They happen about once a year or so, here in the country/outside London world. Always a bit inconvenient - last night I could not sleep and was reading/watching telly when the world went a bit black. We're relatively well organised with candles to hand, lighters, a torch and a battery lantern. Trouble was the renewable energy torch decided last night it would take its kinetic powered status a little far and only work when you shook it. Leading to some shaky lighting.

Still, it only lasted about half an hour, and is fairly dramatic as a little reminder we're not in town now. Of course we are in town, local town so also bit confusing as to why Hastings itself is in 1970. And we're talking about bringing trams back, which I'm delighted by. Used to adore Croydon's trams and getting them to work.

A House of One's Own...

So today, for the first time since I think last July I had the house to myself from 9.30 until 2.30pm. I had not realised it had been so long, and in a false sense of security I did not plan any exciting time to myself so I did the obvious:

Washing, cleaned the bathroom, gardening, tidying, wrote Christmas cards and um, sorted some paperwork. I even considered the ironing but fortuitously Mat had broken the iron only this morning. Well maybe it had broken itself by having two feet high flames leaping out if its plug socket earlier.

What will I do with my time when Jem is at school full time? I'm hoping to do a class in Tai Chi, and not just the one for older ladies. I'm trying to get on a free community course in creative writing; although it seems amazingly hard to sort out (part of the paperwork earlier). And um, got to be more to life than housework and coffee...

Sun Jars Really Do Work!

I've wanted one of these for ages, well about a month anyway. And I've got one! Yay, with some birthday money and via the post. I had it on for a night, loved it, re-charged it in the day on the window sill and come the second night - nothing. The bloody thing didn't work. Was very upset but did not want to admit had been fooled by lovely marketing and maybe they didn't work at all in gloomy UK winter etc. so just moved it to second room. Hoping magic would occur.

Then I tried again last night, it only lights up when dark so I spent some time wandering about with the gorgeous darkened jar trying to find a little dark spot. When Mat asked why I didn't just turn it on. Apparently he'd turned it off a few days ago. And I was composing cross complaint letters in my head!

Do you have to be self obsessed to write a blog?

One of my friends in all innocence said that she could not ever write a blog as she was not self obsessed enough. Which made me start wondering; the obvious how self obsessed I am but also whether it is an interest in yourself that makes you write. Or is it a need to get the incessant internal dialogue out without boring people. Alternatively or boring them but as they are reading from a distance you don't know.

Or is it self reflection; a real kind of diary or journal writing when one notes the actions and thoughts of the day; mostly for yourself, maybe a little for posterity and maybe some to be 'out there. Of course the latter is the most alarming concept and leads to the thought that all bloggers are exactly blatant attention seekers, including the author herself.

Now of course this is not wholly true, as we tend to be computer nerdy types who sit in our quiet rooms on our own with our incessant internal dialogues rather than out on Big Brother or trying to get footballers. Although it may just be that we are uglier. But of course that is not true as I have yet to meet a scary faced blogger nevertheless it is a thought.

What do you think? Not of me. of course, but of blogging as a form of self obsession?

Hamster Bill Hurried Home

She's been found. Located due to shuffling noises in downstairs bathroom and found as she'd trapped herself in the empty beer bucket and could not get out.
All really pleased. And Bill pleased to be back in warm cage, we think...

Thank you for all your lovely helpful comment - most useful was Sophie suggesting use of humane mouse trap on reflection. As I guess that was beer bucket in the end.

Missing - Hamster Bill

Oh God! Where is Bill? Can anyone help us? We've lost the hamster - somehow he got out of his cage and we can't find him.

Mat says he's never heard of a happy ending in these cases.

Pom Pom Tastic Fantastic

This years' lovely pom pom tastic fantastic, thanks to the lovely Craftzine blog...