My Month in Numbers 2011: March

Hello again.

How are we all feeling now we're over a quarter of the way through 2011? Dizzy? Bored already? Still finding surprise Christmas decorations you forgot to take down?

Me? Well enjoying the fact that, as I've been blogging my 'months in numbers' for one and a quarter years now, I can really easily look back to discover what I was doing this time last year.

And, as fine and dandy and gift-filled as this month has been, it can't really compete with March 2010 when my favourite living writer gave me some hair conditioner. But then ... what could ever compete with that? Really?

Never the less, there've still been a few noteworthy moments this month ... namely ...

2 months 'belated'= how long after my January birthday I received birthday cards and 4 birthday presents:

Due to various reasons [and in some case the simple fact of geography] they'd not been able to give me them sooner. But this beautiful birdie plus a wonderful necklace and some fab crafting items were definitely worth the wait!

2 + a bit months 'belated' = how long after Christmas I exchanged gifts with a good friend and work colleague who I could never quite catch up with on campus.

We finally arranged an illicit present swap [mine held ^ this scarf] near the outdoor smoking area one morning before lectures! Festive, wouldn't you say?

2011 Census= the first National Census I've filled in:

Other than on our mortgage it's really the first 'official' record that we're are our own family unit of 2, in our own house. In 100 years time won't all those local history buffs be enthralled at those fascinating details it recorded ... like my exact job title .... and how I get to work ... and how neither of us have a current passport ... exciting times!

Actually I'm still a little sad that I never got to provide answers to some of life's more pressing questions e.g:

1. Is it ever acceptable to mix red and pink in the same outfit?
2. Is TKMaxx a supernatural source of wonder? or;
3. Is cake for breakfast OK as part of a balanced diet?
4. Are you ever likely to wear the new pyjama bottoms/lounge pants you bought last week for £6:00, as 'real' trousers, outdoors, in public, this summer?

[To which my answers would have been: 1. Yes of course. 2. Yes, have you not seen their journal collections ... and the dresses? 3. Yes ... what else are you meant to eat? And 4. Errr ... yes, you have met me haven't you?].

And the one thing I'm glad they didn't ask?:

1. How many units of Internet do you consume each week?

Because I would simply have had to have risked jail and a fine ... and lied about my online consumption levels!  

Which leads me on to  ...

6 cheeses = I planned to tell you about the time this month that my friends and I had a 6-cheese lunch in a wine emporium ... but frankly it deserves a whole post [and scrapbook layout] all to itself ... so watch this space.

1 year out =  the mistake I made when giving my age to my local paper who asked me to take part in their reader's books column. [I've blurred out my personal details - not because of vanity - but more like security ... I give enough away as it is!]:

But you'll just have to take my word for it that I somehow gave the editor the wrong age. I was a year out ... the wrong way!

I said I was a year older than I am!  It just dawned on me one night after I'd emailed her the  text - but before it was printed. It was like an epiphany that I'd written entirely the wrong thing [How? How?]. It was also too late to get it changed ...

Knowing it would make the perfect addition [no pun intended] to this 'month in numbers post' was the only redeeming feature of my stupidity! Ho hum ...

Can you see on there that is asks what I'm currently reading? Well ...

 Page 21 = You were warned in last month's round-up that I was in possession of a new and vast novel [2666 by Roberto Bolano] the progress of which I was bound to use for number fodder here each month. I may only be up to page 21 but perhaps you'll forgive me when I tell you that, up to now, the only thing that has happened in the entire plot is that 4 scholars have attended several conferences on German literature ... that's it.

Bet you can't wait to read it yourself now. 

30p = how much I paid for this:

It was one of the 5 books for £1:60 that I found in my favourite rummage-y secondhand bookshop [it's in Helmsley if you're interested]:

Getting books that cheaply means I feel OK cutting into them and tearing them up to use in my work. Next week [when I've finished it] I'll show you something I've already made using pages from the astronomy handbook.  

4 Alice in Wonderland costumes = the rare treat which HannahBanana discovered and brought to our Alice-themed crafting weekend. Here's a playing card putting Tweedle-dum's tie straight [or is it Tweedle-Dee? And how does one tell?]:

Amazing costumes aren't they?!

Yet sadly I have no photos of the fourth outfit ... which was the one I got to wear - a pink and white striped confection of pure dress joy, one which I was reluctant to take off as I was getting quite used to the swishyness it added to my walk [even if I did have to turn sideways to get past the sofa!].

As soon as someone sends me a photo of me in it ... you'll be the first to see and hopefully it'll be followed swiftly by the layout I must make with it!

Finally I'll move on to the last scrap-worthy moment March brought me...

45 years = how long my Dad's had this greenhouse:

And now ... after all those years of faithfully assisting him [and me] to nurture every kind of seedling and innumerable tomatoes ...  he's decided to let it rest and had ordered himself a new one.

And like so much in this post this old friend also deserves a scrapbook page and nostalgic blog post all to itself ... so it looks like April's already shaping up to be a month's worth of scrapbooking ahead.

Still ... there're worse things to have to tackle ...!

If you want to share your month's numbers with me and my readers then simply leave me a link in a comment or an email and I'll edit this post and add you in. Don't forget there's a blog button in my sidebar you can grab if you're joining in.

Happy new month to you all. I hope it brings you many, many noteworthy / scrapworthy / shareworthy / smileworthy moments.

Take care,

Julie x

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Posts of those who joined in this month:

• HannahBanana's numbers included a bunch of odd folk [she + I included] wearing homemade aprons and a skirt that she's hand-printing - go look - you'll wish she was going into production with them. I do!
• FavouriteWorkofArt blogged some important firsts, and lots of numbers related to her beautiful children!
• Claireliz scrapbooks her numbers and this month's recorded an enviable cake intake!