Sunday 11 January 2015

A little organization is needed


Here is a rather poor photo of my other Gillian McDonald print I've just framed.  This is Moorland Skyline I.  With a big a flash blob in the middle of it and the end cut off . . .  You get the general idea though.

The New Year is always such a good time to take your life and give it a little shake.  To ditch those bad habits you have fallen into and to start afresh.  I have promised myself NO procrastination this year, no putting off of jobs, and a general "don't put it down, put it away" mindset (quoting the late mother of a good Yorkshire friend of mine).

No being idle and thinking, oh I'll just buy a loaf this time as I'm busy (even though it is always the best unsliced wholemeal or spelt loaf we get).  I need to get myself organized and make one before we need it.  I did so yesterday afternoon and made a cracking granary loaf with extra Sunflower seeds sprinkled on the top.  I just had a piece as part of my breakfast, and it is very satisfying and tasty, and with just 4 ingredients - flour, yeast, salt and a little fat, plus spring water.  Think how many must go into the creation of the Frankenbread in supermarkets, those hidden extras to stop it going mouldy or stale for sometimes a week or even 10 days!

No more scratch meals because I have left things until the last minute.  No more unfinished jobs.  No more jobs put off until tomorrow (oh dear, Scarlett O'Hara and I could have been sisters, she was an Aries, that much I am certain!)

I seem set to be doing much more travelling too.  I have just bought a Senior Citizen's railcard, which will save me 1/3 on rail travel for the next year.  For £30 it seemed like a good investment.  I will be travelling down to Hampshire regularly to see my best friend, who is so very ill.  I have also arranged to go and stay with our eldest daughter in Sheffield in a couple of weeks' time.  I need a bit of culture, so we are doing Sheffield Museums and Galleries (and doubtless the Antiques quarter) on the Saturday, and on Sunday I have suggested going to Lincoln on the train.  I am quite excited about that as I've always wanted to go there.  I'm going up in the summer as we plan to explore Chatsworth gardens (and house).

Meanwhile, the weather seems to have scotched today's planned eradication of Overgrown Brambles in the Paddock, so I guess it will have to be the ironing first, and then Tidy the Junk Room.

I have starated as I mean to go on and there is a new post on my Edward Thomas blog.

6 comments:

  1. There is some great suggestions there for the New Year - I am dreadful for putting off today what I can tomorrow :( This is going to be the year of the declutter for me. I did manage to get rid of a lot of stuff last year (although a lot still ended up in storage boxes in the garage!). Have just spent an hour going through some books and am quite pleased that I have managed to persuade myself to part with at least 20 fiction - they will be off to our local charity second hand book shop soon (before I can change my mind!!).

    Enjoy Lincoln - a place I would love to go to too. I will check the new Edward Thomas blog post later - off to do some more decluttering now!!

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  2. Enjoy your decluttering. I really must get a grip as I have just done a little tidying today and found a Christmas card envelope from 2012! Mind you, it HAD been kept as it had a little Chinese saying on it, and one that was pertinent for a friend of mine today.

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  3. Lincoln is my home city and we always spend two or three nights at The White Hart hotel in Bailgate, very close to the Cathedral and castle - and to lots of antique shops. This year we are going in May because Lincoln's copy of the Magna Carta is on display in the castle and I really want to see it.

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  4. Sounds like you have some great trips planned and plenty of visits to you friend too. Hubby made bread yesterday for the first time in almost 12 months...shocking!

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  5. NO procrastination this year, no putting off of jobs, and a general "don't put it down, put it away" mindset

    Oh,if my husband would make this resolution! He is a serious offender on both counts LOL As for me, I plan to finish all my almost done and half started projects.

    I don't envy you the brambles, please don't overdo it, it sounds like a tough job.

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  6. I think we all need to some cluttering.
    I try to keep up but I had company and somethings like mail and bills just got away from me.

    cheers, parsnip

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