My Month in Numbers 2012: October

Hello.

Well ... I promised I would be back blogging with my monthly round-up in numbers ... and here I am although, for a moment, I thought I wouldn't get the chance.

[That moment was the one on Monday evening during which I was travelling with someone in an ambulance. Long story. Everything's OK now. But still ...]

Anyway what counts is that I'm here now with my vital statistics for October. [Ha! What counts. Get it? Numbers? Counting? Ahem  ... moving swiftly on ...] 

As always, you can read the hows, whys and wherefores here if you'd like to join in too.

3 = the number of books I've [almost] read:

When I took this photo I had reckoned I'd have finished them all by now but I've been a lax reader!  

 

I can highly recommend Bears of England - a lovely mix of folklore and fact all wrapped up in Edward Gorey-esque storytelling and illustration.

 

7 = the number of us who packed up our stretchiest-waisted clothes and craftiest supplies for a weekend of eating and making in the countryside.

 

8 = the number of us who expected to go. Sidney GlitterPants ... your presence was missed!  

 

8 = the number of these fleecy beauties [spotted in an otherwise decent clothes shop] we'd need to have bought to form an official 'crafty weekend' regulation uniform:

We even discussed embroidering our cottage trip 'tour' dates on the back.

[We go twice a year and can never remember how many times our various group members have been to date. I have mooted the idea of us all getting a tally chart tattoo to save on arguments ... but so far no one's up for it.]

Anyway ...

While we were debating the merits of these breath-taking outfits ... we remembered that the focal point of the cottage is An. Open. Log. Fire.

And suddenly the idea of wrapping ourselves in 4 square metres of flammable neon fleece seemed less appealing ...

8 = the number birds we roasted over the weekend:

The eagle-eyed amongst you will have spotted that these don't look especially edible. [Nothing gets past you does it?]

Rest assured they were not on the lunch menu, they were our paperclay bird project, [mine's at the front, second left] and we weren't actually baking them, just gently warming them, with the oven door open.

However ...

... over the course of the afternoon, as they dried out, the majority of the birds ended up headless as every few minutes a resounding 'thunk' rang out as clay head hit metal baking tray. And, one by one we'd have to poke our own heads around the kitchen door to peer in to identify and claim the remains.

But fear not, if you pop back here next Tuesday I'll show you the finished product - complete with head!

25 = the age we are when our bones stop growing according to a lecture I attended at work last week.

Why am I telling you this? Because if you joined in with, or simply remember, my 'Height of Summer' series you may recall:

• several of the contributors discussing having continued to grow well beyond teenage years, meanwhile...
• there were several others who hoped there was still time to gain a few centimetres!  

Well, now you know! If you're under 25 don't give up hope! If, like me, you're over 25 ... well, you'll be used to life disappointing you by now ... [joking!].

And, while I'm on the subject of work:

• 3 = the number of new students I'm assisting this term. Which currently involves ...
• 9 different lectures/classes covering 2 subjects;
• in 5 different buildings where ...
• 10 is the highest floor I [all be it slowly] walk up to each week to attend a lecture [it's the highest floor there is on campus so I can't really go any further!] here's one of the views from up there:

 and ...

• 1 = the number of pens which have so far run out of ink while I've been note-taking. Hazard of the job!

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If you're joining in again this month I can't wait to pick out the common threads which are so often woven across all our posts!

If you're new to the idea:

•  there's a tutorial and some more info here.
• I pin all posts which contain at least one photo + which link back to me to the Month in Numbers Pinterest board which makes it quick and easy for others to see who's joined in and to visit a post to say hi. You do not need to have a Pinterest account to view the board or for me to pin your post.

And for old and new alike, a quick reminder ...

Here's the Month in Numbers 'etiquette':If you write a post and want to leave a link for myself and others to visit and/or pin please bear in mind that this part has a shared aspect to it.

• When you swing by my blog to drop off a link to your Month in Numbers post - please leave a comment for me while you're there. Not because I'm needy ... but because it feels fair. Reciprocal.
• Please link to my blog in your post. As much as I'd like to think that everyone who reads your blog already knows what 'My Month in Numbers' means... the truth is, they don't. So unless you explain where the idea comes from and how your readers can join you in doing the same next month, they are none the wiser.
• Please take time at some point in the month to visit and comment on a few of the other posts too.

Right then ... I'll step aside now so you can gently throw your numbers at me.

Happy counting!

Julie :-)