Monday 31 May 2010

My Month in numbers: May

Hello.

Here's the fifth installment of the numbers which had an impact on me during the month.

This is my May in numbers:

10 = the number of tomato plants we've just planted in the greenhouse and garden.
I can't wait to be able to wander out again in my bare feet to fetch in my own crop collected in a pocket made from gathering up the bottom of my dress.

You get funny looks if you act like that in a supermarket ...

4,8,15,16,23,42= so after 6 series Lost finally finished. But really, was this mysterious set of numbers, given so much prominence in the early series, ever really relevant to the ending? Not really. Mind you, neither was very much else.

2.8m= The height - while seated - of 'Wild Man' one of the Ron Mueck hyper-realist sculptures we saw at the Extraordinary Measures exhibition at Belsay Hall:

We weren't allowed to take photos so I chose this particular one from the internet [clicking the photo takes you to the original source] as it gives you a sense of scale.

Despite his height, his nakedness means that he's reallynot an intimidating presence. In fact he really elicits your sympathy - would you want to be naked in a room full of people staring at you so intensely?

And yes, he is completely naked, a fact which I also had in mind when I chose a sideways photo to share with you!

If he stood up Wild Man would be over 3m tall. Equally, if he stood up, I think there would have been a small stampede of visitors escaping from the nearest door ....

29%= Approximately how far through Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall I am one month on.
In my
April numbers round-up I was only 4% of the way through ... can I have a gold star yet?

Last week, when I first came down with a cold, I went to bed early and hadn't been there long before a disconconcerting tumbling, fluttering and falling sound came from the chimney breast. As you might imagine, the idea that a bird had just fallen into our chimney didn't aid restful slumber, so I put the light on and picked up where I'd left off reading about Thomas Cromwell instead. I was only a few pages in when I came across this:

"At first there is no sound. Then the timbers creak, breathe. In the chimneys nesting birds shuffle". [pg 93]

Comforting or what????
So, I was then worrying about whether there was a bird nesting behind the fireplace on top of a growing concern over the temperature I was running. Turning back to my book for distraction imagine my delight when, several pages further on, 4 people died from a fever!!

I think I stopped reading right about then.

30 = the number of posts Kirsty and I drafted and posted over the 2.5 days Copy and Paste 1st year anniversary/birhtday party. It was almost 50% again of the total of posts we'd made in year 1! If you missed any there's a full list of the party posts in the sidebar.

18.05.10= marked 18 years to the day when James and I first got together:


[If you want to see the full page just click on the photo.]

3.5 cm= The height of one of my anniversary gifts: Beautiful, isn't he?

796 = the number of steps I managed on the 10 minute 'free-step' challenge on the Wii Fit plus [my other anniversary present]. You're meant to reach 800 steps and I absolutely would've except that... I had to stop and see to the burgers I had under the grill.

Is that ironic? Having to stop your aerobic exercise to prevent burgers burning?

£5.50= the amount paid for 4 very handsome vintage books we found in a charity shop:

They contain such wonderful illustrations that this certainly won't be the last you see of them. I'll be photographing some of the treasures they hold and featuring them in their own posts very soon.

OK then. If the old saying is true I guess that from tomorrow we can start 'casting a clout' again. Farewell May ...

... greetings June! Throughout the month I'll be taking 'Flying Lessons' a new e-course by Kelly Rae Roberts based on how to begin a creative business. So who knows where that'll lead? Maybe my 'June in numbers' will feature how many notebooks I filled through planning my next steps ....

Plus at least three birthdays are happening in June but only one of them is 'In the Night Garden' themed .... I think. Unless you want to be Iggle Piggle too Hannah?

Thanks for visiting me in May and a very happy June to you all.

Julie :)

8 comments:

  1. I like the number round up a lot and had a giggle at the sideways photo instead of the full monty. I'm 50% of the way through Wolf Hall so I'm glad it's not just me going slow.

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  2. That owl is just beautiful. I wonder how many hours were spent looking for him/her? (Is it me, or do owls always seem male?)
    Those books are also rather lovely. I look forward to reading about them.

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  3. I enjoyed the numbers post - what a good idea and witty too - you made me smile - thanks! Claire

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  4. thanks for presenting all of us with only the side view of the naked man :)

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  5. Eating homegrown food is just gorgeous, isn't it? We ate our first salad leaves of the year last night, so satisfying (if not filling). The owl is very cute and I'm a sucker for vintage books, looking forward to your next find!

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  6. Uh-oh. I have book envy (the vintage ones, not Wolf Hall just yet).

    I also have a surplus of tomato plants - the one batch of seeds that have nearlyall taken, and they're the crop I don't like. Pah! What happened to the carrot seeds, that's what I'd like to know?!

    And, sadly, I am a little more familiar than I'd like with Iggle Piggle, Makka Pakka and the Tombliboos, too.

    Happy June, lovely lady.

    x

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  7. So... I tend to just scroll thru the photos first, and then come back up and read the words properly... and was more than a little perplexed as to why you had a naked shot of {who I thought was} Charles Manson.
    I think I'd better lie down.

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  8. I saw the Wild Man at Manchester Art Gallery and was amazed at how realistic it looked, all the hairs that you had to resist reaching out to feel.

    Look forward to reading more about the books.

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