The heating plan...

We have a plan. This should save money on our heating bills, and keep us warm this, and every winter.

1. Have heating on a timer first thing in the morning, and from about six to seven in the evening only. This should mean we can get out of bed, have a shower in the warm, and the children can have a bath and go to bed in the warm.

2. Learn to light and use the woodburner, I seem incapable of lighting it and keeping it alight, this may be me, the size of the wood, or draw. But I simply must learn and definitely put it on for four/five o'clock on the evening on cold days.

3. Collect as much 'found' wood as possible for the woodburner, and add to coal and wood piles whenever cheap supplies found.

4. Put blankets and spare duvets on top of mattress' but under the sheets, we did it on ours last night and its fantastically warm.

5. All wear and find slippers, finding more of a challenge but am sure we all have a pair somewhere.

6. Put as many rugs down on the plain wooden floors as possible, and fill any gaps in the floor boards with tiny tight pieces of rolled up newspaper.

7. Heavy curtains, we have decent fitting curtains in most of the rooms now, just lacking some in the kitchen. The kitchen door has a number of air gaps around it. Top tip to find these is simply run your hand slowly around the door to find cold spots. I must find a decent piece of material to make in to a curtain this weekend, and fit it, am positive we're losing lots of heat through the door, and around, the admittedly lovely picture window.

8. Make sausage dogs for kitchen door, and dining room door, again these could be lovely, and keep us nice and warm.

9. Wear jumpers, we all need to reminded of this, as given a preference, am afraid we'd all prefer the heating on and wandering around in t-shirts and shorts.

10. Wear my lovely hand made leg warmers more in the evening to keep warm.

11. Just use one room in the evening, to heat up and stay warm. This should either be our bedroom, which we can now watch telly in, or the woodburning living room.

12. Buy some condensation granules for the windows at the front of the house, this really is a problem on sea facing windows all winter. Other than that will have to resort to drying the windows every morning. And frankly life is too short for that.

13. Hang out in the kitchen when we're cooking as its lovely and warm.

14. Buy firelighters in case I can't get the hang of the fire.

15. And the final outside heating part is sort out all our winter coats, hats, scarves and gloves, and wash them and put them in order of who they belong to on the coat rack. Can't believe its only just occurred to me that if say all my things were on one peg I could find them in the morning. This is good home learning borrowed from the nursery school.

Any other tips more than welcome...

Busy day, and very complicated

Children, dogs, arrangements, faxes, and travel are all causing me to enter near mind melt this evening. I've also further complicated my own brain by deciding that I simply must make a vegetarian toad in the hole for dinner tonight, so that we finish up our runner beans and carrots. Not sure have ever made one, or a batter for that matter. Think me and Jules used to buy batter mixes and make toad in the hole at Uni until we were found out by our better cook friend Kate who said we could not buy them anymore.


Magically Kate could make things without scales, or recipe books, do actually know it was because her Mum was, and is Proper and taught her. In fact, she is a great cook, and even made my wedding cake, which was fantastic and very glittery, far cooler than people on top.


I will research how to make toad in the hole, and report back, if good suspect it fits meal criteria of carbs and protein, and vegetables on the side. And saves on washing up. If bad, poor German students whom have not informed we are veggie, and am just surprising them every other day with a delightful home made veggie concoction, and then some kind of meat covered in things so I don't have to touch it the next (chicken burgers, pies etc you get the picture.) will hmm , just be surprised by funny English people. If they are not already that is, though do think apart from sick in middle of night whole family awake incident this week has passed by very quietly.

And will again tonight, as are being frugal and don't intend to buy wine, but instead have interesting conversations around the fire together, or alternatively just watch Sky plus'd things.

Any good toad in the hole for vegetarians but deliciously low in fat and calories to help me keep off the 3 pounds I have lost from Hill Walking this week anyone??

Good news for Friday mornings..

The Bridge Community Cafe in Hastings assures me it will always keep semi skimmed milk in stock, someone else please now ask for a continual stock of croissants.

Thinking about clothes

I actually considered my outfit this morning, decided on a knee length black cotton skirt, black leggings, brown boots, slouchy t-shirt and zipped hoodie. A sort of thirty something relaxed but nod to style look.

Course the day hasn't gone as planned, was hoping to meet friends for coffee, possibly go shopping, possibly lunch with K, and just have a couple of hours away from housework/dogs/children.

However J was sick last night, in the middle of my bed, and in hers, and on the floor, and in her hair. So that's taken a lot of cleaning, and washing, and inevitable cleaning up poo to get to washing line (the dogs not children's!). Then she insisted she wanted to go to nursery, but could not eat anything, or muster the energy to hold her friends hands or walk. So I said no. This resulted in the most spectacular meltdown our family has had in Hastings, on the lovely Godwin Road. In front of lots of my friends, some other parents, two lovely ladies walking dogs who could not stop watching, a nice older couple who were trying to park in their drive but could not get in due to daughter spreadeagled on pavement screaming. Most tricky bit was when Daisy the Dog decided to pull at lead and bark at Other Dog walked by lovely ladies, who kindly just crossed the road, as they could see child on floor, dragging itself behind buggy, excited dog and stressed mummy was not good combination.

The morning has improved with the perking up of daughter, oh and some cleaning. However am quite embarrassed to ever go down lovely roads again. Might just stick to walking on main roads where its dangerous so can justifiably strap her in the buggy and walk very quickly, with a fag on preferably!

Jesus, and its not even lunchtime yet. Must dig out copy of Toddler Taming, and start again I think. Biscuit bribery as a method of child control is not very helpful whilst child is sick, also bit embarassing especially in front of other decent mothers with rice cakes.

How much fun can you have in a bookshop (quite a lot)

Back to 1992, and Charter Place, Watford. After the closing of the long stay 'mental' hospital there were a number of people who met the 'care in the community' category who spent their days cruising the shops.

My absolute favourite was the Pointing Man who usually sat on a bench at a busy road junction, between Cassio and Watford Roads if I remember rightly. His job was to point at all the vehicles coming down the road. Sometimes he had to do this very quickly, because it was quite a busy road. He used to also point at pedestrians, but only if he did not recognise them. I was delighted to be one of the people he did not point at, after about a year of walking past him. I really did feel accepted in the community.

We also had the barking man, who was quite small, and well used to bark, he was often found in the lift in the bookshop. This was quite scary, especially when he growled. Some people said he was not actually barking but muttering swear words under his breath. I'm not sure about that. Of course the barking man inspired one of the boys, not sure if it was Tim or Nick but they were never found out anyway to answer the phone in the bookshop by barking. Sadly, rather than an amused twentysomething calling, it was Head Office who insisted upon an Investigation. Really, they should have just banned drinking at lunchtime.

I have to admit to a fear of the Red Indian Man too, so called as he was amazingly tall, and had a feather or two in his hair. He mostly just walked about, was never heard talking or making other noises but was once spotted trying the underarm roll on deodorants in Boots. Which does remind me of another bookshop employee from Books etc days who scared us silly once by telling us he shaved under one arm to see what it was like. Not quite sure why I was so fearful of him, but it was proper unusual.

I was however, highly impressed by Not Very Bad Boy, actually quite Nice Nick, who later evilly two timed me's best trick; this was to change the words on the computer. Favourite time was when he changed an obscure Thomas the Tank Engine book, to well you guessed it Thomas the Wank... And a lovely middle class lady found it written on her till receipt.

Think there was another Investigation, again stopping staff drinking at lunchtime would surely have worked...

And of course how could I forget the first proper real gay man I met, although have forgot his name now. He was the Deputy Manager, and as such was allowed to wear grown up smart clothes. Unfortunately he was a little rotund and often wore a beige jumper and brown trousers, occasionally mean members of staff said mean things about them. Me, I went to Heaven with him, and had a great time. Was just sad was not allowed unlimited days off work afterwards to recover.

Course then it was alleged that he robbed the shop. They thought it was him because I think there was an Investigation in to discounts, and so on. Plus he had keys, and whoever had done the robbing of the safe took the time to wander the shelves and find a copy of 'Crime and Punishment' to pop in the safe. Probably a fairly literate robber.

Those days...course now most fun in a bookshop we have is looking at the gold fish, or drinking coffee (which is absolutely fantastic improvement since the Olden Days).

Vintage housekeeping and home schooling equates to very strong Christian beliefs.

Oh gosh, or golly golly gosh! Have just realised that people who call themselves vintage whatever; schoolgirls, housekeepers, parents etc mean they are Very Christian and probably would hate me.

I thought vintage was more about having a lot of old bits, or lots of pretend old bits a.k.a. Cath Kidson. But this is not the case, I think it may actually be a belief that a woman's lot is housekeeping and homemaking and child rearing so that they should not work, or go to school, or have any more fun than doing crafts and talking to other women.

See also home schooling, and possibly extended breastfeeding, because what other better way to control women than to control their boobs! Although do think this might be extending argument quite far. Had thought that home schooling was about belief in loveliness of the world, wanting children to grow up free of pointless authority, and political ideology, oh and a belief in the whole child education. (n.b. note to Harriet - fantastic idea for your dissertation religious thought as related to child centred education...).

Anyway am now disillusioned with whole world, and prefer conventional to unconventional, if unconventional is Radical Christianity. Can I start an AntiChrist Craft Group please? Where are all the non believers these days? Have people dropped Atheism along with the Labour party?

Cutesy Kitsch Rubbish

Can get too much, fills holes of house with clutter, can turn from cute to twee and I'm sick of it.

From now on my new style is modernist, sort of 90's habitat, all good edges, some soft lines on sofa's, and greys and pale pinks. I will no longer covert the tat that I don't have, but in true 90's style will get a new career, earn lots of money, and then put all my new purchases on credit card. I shall not pay these cards off in a timely manner because I will be too busy taking little weekend breaks to new 'happening' cities like Prague and Seville, and possibly even Marrakesh. I may actually purchase a little house in the souk in Marrakesh on my credit card, and do it up by employing reliable colourful locals, and fill it with authentic blue coloured Moroccan 'finds'.

Or, alternatively, I might just go to bed early with a new book, come down in the morning, bored with my unstylish house, and knit some things to jazz it up a bit.

Style ideas anyone?

I want one of these, oh and a cute baby to play with it..

Heal's Christmas catalogue is now out, and cunning people sent it to me in the post. Don't they know its credit crunch/credit all gone in my house time.

Nothing to say

I enjoy a good chat wherever I am, and whatever I'm doing (well except to drunken men on buses) but am just too tired to chat this evening. Must go and lie in a sort of coma on sofa for next three hours, until sun is over yard arm and could be revived with a lovely gin and tonic.
Can't wait for the revival.

I'm in 1992

I've been transported back to 1992, I'm a size ten and work in a big bookshop called Dillons in Watford Town Centre. My hair is sort of longish brown, and I wear it tied up with my bookish glasses. Sometimes I leave my glasses off to look more attractive, but struggle to recognise people without them.

I arrive at Dillons aged 19 after one year at Uni, which was just too much, too young for me, and a couple of months as a pizza restaurant waitress where I became a little manically obsessed about serving customers quickly, and thus probably was quite annoying to work with. I took a Christmas job at Dillons- ended up staying for two years, and wore my striped uniform shirt, undone over a long sleeved t-shirt. I can't remember what trousers I used to wear then, although I know I was over hot pants but not totally over shorts.

I worked at on the first floor at the back of the shop, with a man called Chris, who was the supervisor. He used to wear red jumpers and smoke matching red Marlboro's. There was Tim Cater, and Caroline, both Uni graduates passing time in the shop.

At the top of the stairs there were sections about flower decorating and cooking. A grown up lady called Caroline was in charge of these, and was very, um accessorised. She worked with a cheerful young man called Luke, who was I think the supervisor.

The staff downstairs seemed to change more frequently, but Craig, the floor manager was always there, as was Tanya, his deputy (or was it the other way around). Tanya used to brush her hair every break time, and was the first woman I'd ever met who did not use hair products or was styled. She was possibly a kind of hippie being from Australia, and once said she thought incest between twins was probably acceptable. I am still shocked by this statement 16 years later.

I fell in love with Nick from downstairs, over Spitting Image puppets in the window. He broke my heart by sleeping with a cocktail waitress in America. I never forgave him.

Later, I got back with my crazy first year at Uni boyfriend and got caught snogging him outside the shop once when I was supposed to be already at work. That was the day that one side of my face rose up in high red weals. After being sent home on the bus, I visited the doctor, who diagnosed flea bites from sleeping on the dog's cushion.

1992 - with lunch from bhs, cigarettes on the bench, beer after work, purple DM's, opaque tights, The Guardian and New Statesman and Society, the Diceman, 1984 and CND Christmas cards.

What a blast - and hello to Luke, from that time who I have just unexpectedly bumped in to miles from Watford in our local nursery.