Thursday 31 October 2013

My Month in Numbers 2013: October


Hello you.

I feel OK about mentioning this because [1] the layers of yellowing leaves on the floor and [2] the fact that it's now dark by the time you eat your tea has already given the game away: it's now the end of October! Scary isn't it? [And not just because it's Halloween!]

But, as another month disappears from the calendar like a vampire's reflection it brings with it another statistical summary of the days it left behind ...

Let's begin with my results for The Communal Count I set us all. [As usual I'll answer both, you're welcome to pick one or none!]:

9 = the number of items of mail I received which were directly addressed to me. While this doesn't seem like very many it was definitely a case of quality over quantity! Many of those were parcels containing lovely things such as: a free and entirely unexpected gift from a fashion brand; my mail art swap card; a postal themed gift in a fabulous envelope and the largest order of scrapbooking supplies I've treated myself to in a long time! I'll take a handful of deliveries like that over mounds of junk mail and letters addressed to 'The Occupier' any day!

The second Communal Count prompt suggested we share any weather-related statistic and I chose this:

20 degrees C = the temperature on the way home from a crafty weekend away:
Just like the summer, our Autumn here [N.E England] has been pleasantly mild ... so far. There've been a few awful grey and chilly days, but interspersed with real mini-heatwaves like this one. And I'm not sure if that's helping me ease into winter gently ... or just prolonging the inevitable frosty agony!

Oh and while we're on the topic of my crafting weekend let's take a closer look at its vital statistics.

On the way there we stopped off in Harrogate where I had my first sit-down meal at the famous Betty's tearooms ...

30mins [approx] = the queuing time to get in:
But at least we weren't the party of 10 who  had to wait for enough diners to leave to create a big enough space for them all to sit together.

4 = the number of us at the table and 4 = the number of us who couldn't resist taking photos of our meals [if you look carefully you can see two other photos being taken at the same time I took this one!]

3.5 days = how long we spent at our now traditional twice-yearly 'Crafting in the Country' retreat. Other numbers include:
  • the 6 friends I met up with there;
  • the converted 17th Century farmhouse we stayed in;
  • the 5 bedrooms inside with 3 of us having a room to ourselves with the 4 others shared 2 twin rooms;
  • the 2 craft shops we visited over the weekend.
I was a little bit under the weather sat the time so spent a good deal of time over the weekend doing nothing ... apart from picking out the eyes of the Muppets.

No, wait ... that needs explaining ...

1000 = the number of pieces in the Muppets jigsaw we began ... but didn't finish:
And I trawled all 1000 pieces seeking out any pieces of jigsaw which had a Muppety eye on it, so I could begin to put all the characters in place.

At the end of the weekend, when it came to packing up to go home I was more than happy for the half-complete jigsaw to be thrown back in the box ... but my friend Jean had other ideas.

Off she went to the kitchen and returned with a fish slice ...
Which she then used to lift up big completed areas sliding them carefully into the box so we'll have a head start when we unpack it all at the next weekend away in the spring! 

28 = the number of antibiotics taken. Least said soonest mended.

40 = the number of tags made + 20 = the number of gifts wrapped as my contribution to a gift-per-day-for-40-days-until-'someone's'-turns-40 surprise birthday 'thing' I organised for someone this month!

As I explained to the birthday girl herself : "think of it like an Advent calendar only it’s 16 days longer ... and it's not in December".
6 hours = the time spent getting painty with 10 others at the Kate Crane workshop organised by 3DJean:
Photo borrowed from this post on Kate's blog.
I made 2 sheets gelli plate print and 2 art journal backrounds. One which I like and one which makes me wonder what on earth I was thinking when I chose the colours. It's almost like I've never met me!

And speaking of colour ... after the workshop James, who'd collected me, had to go into his office so  while he got on with something important at his desk ... I was left to  my own devices in the store room ... which led to ...
 
200 = the number of reels of flooring weld I arranged into colour order. Here's the 'before':
Either you 'get' the need to put things in colour order ... or you don't.

If you do then I'm sure the above photo alone, with its jumbled shades all thrown together on the poles, is enough of an explanation as to why I did it! And, although I stupidly didn't take an 'after' photo of all 200 in their happy rainbow, I did take this 'during' shot:
That's better isn't it?

If you don't 'get' it then you probably just think I have [a] 'issues' and [b] far too much time on my hands. To which I reply ... the next time you're in a life or death situation which can only be resolved by something being arranged in perfectly shaded gradations ... you'll be sorry you mocked! ;-)

[Now, let me confess that the '200' is only an approximate number because, surprisingly I didn't count each one. I think pandering to one of my obsessions at a time should be quite enough for one afternoon.

Arranging things in colour order in a warehouse is one level of weird ... but going on to then count them all up so I could mention it in a number themed blog post ... well .. that would just be ridiculous ...

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So, that's how my month's statistics added up. To share your own then ...
I'll look forward to reading your memory-keeping-by-numbers and in the meantime ... I'll be working on the next Communal Count prompts.
 
See you soon.
 
Julie :-)

16 comments:

  1. Another fabulous month of numbers for you - your crafty retreat looks great fun. And Betty's - how lovely, we have always been lucky and never waited more than 10minutes for a table.

    I was very late to the party with my numbers for September - have blogged them here - http://kkfantasticplace.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/blogtoberfest-2013-day-24-my-month-in.html

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  2. This has, as always, been an entertaining read ( and just as good the second time around). I am so relieved you went on to explain about the Muppets - I had an initial and sudden vision of you sitting with a pile of soft toys in front of you, one hand gripping a poor unsuspecting muppet and the other a sharp pointy tool - yikes! But of course you had to arrange the reels in colour bands - how was James going to locate the correct one quickly if you didn't? I arranged all my books on my shelves at university by colour, regardless of subject; î might not have remembered the author but I always knew what colour the book was :). A lovely read and will be trotting up mine this weekend.

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  3. Apologies. That should have been ''totting'.

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  4. I was on the point of ringing the Muppet Protection Society and the. I read on ...
    I have the opposite attitude to sorting things , I have to have random. Confession time, we went to friends for a New Year's Eve party once and I discovered he sorted all his collection of DVDS in alphabetical order - I had to rearrange some. Wonder how long it took for him to discover?
    My month in numbers is here http://debs14.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/my-month-in-numbers-october.html

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  5. Wow what a great collection of numbers this month Julie x
    I've only been to Betty's once but have loads of pics to show for it :D
    I've joined in again this month but totally forgot the communal count :(
    http://sheenasscrapsandscribbles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/october-my-month-in-numbers.html

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  6. Another great set of numbers and a lovely crafty month for you. I'm ok with your colour thing but mine is counting, I mean subconscious counting, stairs, red cars, rows of things and I would have counted the reels. I counted our fence panels once, 180 of them! Strange though, I never put these sort of numbers in my MiN's... Hey Ho. Mine are ready, I'll post them over the weekend.

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  7. oh yes I'd have colour re-arranged too. and thank you for the rule of one obsession at a time!! I'll post my numbers on Monday

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  8. It looks like you've been doing some excellent "crafty communing" this month.

    Years ago we used to spend a few days in Harrogate at this time of year, every year. It's a lovely place, but we never did make it to Bettys. There's a new ambition for our travels!

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  9. I do get it! :D
    The kids got me a new phone with a nice camera for Mother´s Day in October. You´ll see more pictures of my food in the future. ;)
    Great to read about your crafty get away.

    Her´s my month in numbers:
    http://keepitsimplemakeitgreat.blogspot.com.ar/2013/11/aedm-13-day-1-october-2013-update.html

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  10. posted my communal count http://helenascreativemaven.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/october-counts.html

    great prompts, thank you

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  11. Hello Julie, I posted my numbers & CC here
    http://miriamrogers.co.uk/?p=9953

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  12. Your color arranging made me smile and your weekend retreats always make me envious... I played along and recorded our hottest day at 32C :)
    Here's my spread for October: http://anounceofcreativity.blogspot.com/2013/11/october-in-numbers-and-citrus-twist.html

    Looking forward to checking the November collection on Pinterest!

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  13. Fabulous collection of interesting numbers. The meal at Betty's looks great and I was also imagining you picking eyes out of muppet soft toys.

    I've finally blogged my rather less interesting numbers - about 1 tonne of soil and 3 gorilla suits at http://messmuddleandfun.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/some-october-numbers.html

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  14. Oooh jealous- haven't managed to get to a crop in months.
    My month is here:
    http://handmadebykirsty.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/october-in-numbers.html

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  15. Lovely stories again Julie, I love the thought of arranging workshop supplies by colour what did they make of it when they saw it?

    I have finally posted my month here:
    http://katieonagapyear.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/my-month-in-numbers-october.html

    I really enjoyed thinking about post although I lost count a bit as I wasn't at home much! And it was hard to choose a weather story from the south of England this month in the end a tornado won!

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  16. You were seriously busy in October! I did like the idea of the fish slice to move larger puzzle pieces, quite smart really! I still have to do my October month, but hopefully I will complete it in the next few weeks :)

    I was wondering Julie if you would be okay with me submitting one of my MIN layouts for a magazine call? If they choose the layout, I would have an opportunity to explain where the idea came from and would definitely mention you. :)

    Hope you have a great week!

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