My Month in Numbers 2013: December

Hello you. How'd it go? I hope you had a good time, you deserved to ...

Now then, before 2013 gets scrumpled up in a ball and thrown into the recycling bin with the remains of the Christmas wrapping paper I'm sneaking in here to statistically summarise the final 4 weeks of my year.

Thank you to everyone who joined me with theirs during 2013 and if you've been thinking of making 2014 the year you try out documenting your month in numbers then you'll be very welcome ... I'll look forward to it this time next month. But until then ... 

... here's my December 2013 in numbers ...

Let me begin with my responses to the Communal Count #6:

• [a] How many Christmas movies is too many? Well ... I watched 8 full movies during December and snippets of at least 4 more and to me ... there is no such thing as too many Christmas films [unless they've got talking dogs in them, which too many of them seem to have].Watching the Christmas24 channel while I wrap presents is one of my favourite things about the entire season!   
• [b] How many Christmas events did you attend? 8 which includes: 2 x Christmas lunches; a meeting, with added cake, at work; a muddy Christmas market at Bowes museum; a few cosy get-togethers and ...

A 12 hour crop = we decided that, for the final crop of the year, rather than our usual 6 hours we'd all get together for a 12 hour crafting marathon. We all contributed something to the table and had a lovely buffet lunch and tea [when you're crafting for that long you need an almost constant supply of strong tea and good food!]after which we really had to drag ourselves back to crafting rather than stop for a cosy nap!

To keep the creativity flowing we played an impromptu game of  'cardmaking by committee'. OK, this isn't an actual game [unless there's a way I can make money from it, in which case - it's definitely a game and I'm copyrighting that name! ;-)] ... but it involved us adding one layer to a card, then passing it on to the person sitting next to us who added another layer/element etc. It certainly managed to keep us on our toes ... although I'm not entirely convinced that each end result made a cohesive card ... maybe there's a reason we don't always create by committee ... ;-)

However we didn't quite make it to the full 12 hours after all; we finished after just the 10 hours. I know. Lightweights.

But, seeing as it finished earlier than  I was expecting at least I got home in time to pour a glass of wine, shove a bag of popcorn in the microwave and settle down in front of ...

the 2 final episodes of Borgen 3 on BBC4 =  if you'd told me, a couple of years ago when the political drama Borgen was first broadcast here, that it would be so very good that I'd regularly be on the edge of my seat concerned about the machinations within Danish coalition government ... I really wouldn't have believed you. [Just writing it out it still sounds faintly improbable ... and yet it's true!]

771 pages in the library book I'm currently reading =  For one reason or another I didn't read any books during November [breaking the regular reading habit I'd been nurturing for the last 18 months] ... and now my latest read seems to want to make up for it!

Somehow, in the reviews I'd read of The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt's latest novel, the actual size of the thing had passed me by. James collected it from the library for me and asked 'Have you seen the size of it?'

I hadn't; it's a biggie:

Let's put it this way, it's the kind of book which, if you plan to read it in bed, and if you're not overly fond of concussion you'll need to prop it up somewhere secure.

Other than the slight matter of the risk of personal injury ... yes, I would recommend it. I'm just over half way through and loving it. It's one of those books where, rather than get caught up in constant plot or action, you find yourself simply 'living' in it, like a second life. [And after the hours it takes to get through all 771 pages you actually will have almost moved in with the narrator!]

70 dresses on display at the Bowes Museum Laura Ashley exhibition:

Can I just repeat that for you. So you feel the impact: 70. Dresses.

70 dresses!!

Be still my frock-loving heart:

This was the colourfully beautiful sight that greeted me on entering the room [empty but for James and I ... and the 70 dresses!] containing a 60th Anniversary retrospective of Laura Ashley's dress designs.

And, dear blog reader, I almost cried.

Look, I know, what's new eh? Quite often I mention on here that I get overcome and shed a tear over really random stuff but that's just because well ... I do actually get overcome and shed a tear over really random stuff a lot of the time! But, look at it this way ...

... it was a room filled with pretty dresses, flowery dresses, colourful flight-of-fancy dresses; with no glass between them and me to give it a proper museum-like feel. So ... to someone who spent the first dozen or so years of her life playing with dolls ... it just felt like either I'd shrunk and was now inside a doll's wardrobe ... or else they'd all come to life:

I opened my mouth to try to explain to James why I suddenly felt all giddy ... and found I couldn't string a coherent sentence together. All I could manage was: 'You've never been a little girl have you?'.

But I have. And I know she'd have loved it as much as I did. In fact ... she might have loved it more because ...  they had a rail of replica dresses you could try on ... but they were only in child sizes!!

The only concession they made to full grown frock fans was two capes you could throw on over your clothes then take a photo in behind the frame which was no real compensation and yet, when you're a blogger/scrapbooker and you're in an unoccupied room with a perfect photo opportunity in front of you ... it would be a dereliction of duty not to take advantage of it! So here I am:

And finally ...

 

... something I found at the last minute became one of James's favourite stocking-filler gifts this year: 

 

'Over 120 ways of using bread' = Can I interest you in a Banana and lettuce toastie? Or lamb brains on toast? What? lost your appetite?

 

OK then how about the 'raw beef sandwich' which is recommended 'in cases of weak digestion' instead? These are all genuine dishes you can find in the pocket-sized vintage recipe book I managed to buy for James, without him noticing, while we were both browsing an antiques shop on the Saturday before Christmas.

 

The back of the book declares 'Bread built an Empire' and, as he's a bit evangelical about bread [major food group in his diet!] and we both love vintage books I thought it would make a perfect gift. Here he is sharing the loaf-love with my sister before Christmas lunch.

I think the empty Bucks Fizz glass is a clue to how she's managing to remain looking interested ...

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So, that's my December ... and yours? Did you count up anything this time round? Are you sharing it in the coming days / weeks?

 

As usual all the instructions for how to join in the Month in Numbers community can be found on the dedicated page of my blog which is also the best place to start if you're planning to join us for a month or two ... or 12 in 2014.

 

I'll get round to visiting, commenting on, and Pinning all your posts as soon as I can in the New Year.

 

Wishing you all a peaceful and magical start to 2014 and if things ever feel like they might not be heading that way just think... things could be worse: you could be sitting next to someone who wants to share 120 ways of using bread with you ...

 

Actually I will be, and that's just where I want to be. [I know, sorry, I'm a big softie. Next thing you know I'll  be crying about pretty dresses ... oh ... ].

 

See you next year my lovelies.

 

Julie x

Simply A Moment [December 2013]: A Matching Pair

Hello there.

I  think this will be my final post before Christmas and I think it's rather appropriate ... some wintry scenery and festive cheer has found its way in!

It also marks a whole year of my joining in with 'Simply A Moment' - a blogging meme hosted by Alexa at Trimming the Sails - making this the 11th [I missed one month!] time I've paused to document a fleeting moment of time.

[To learn more you can read Alexa's tips on how to record your own moments and if you do join in, there's a link box on her December moment for you to add yours.]

A Matching Pair

Date: Monday 16th December
Time: 9.35am
Location: Like so many of my 'moments' this one happened while walking close to home.

After a weekend of long working days [trying to get projects completed before Christmas] walking to shops in the crisp fresh air feels like such a treat.

Intoxicating almost; like a good glass of wine.

'This is free' I think 'I can have as much  of it as I like!'

I'm working my way up to the Post Office hoping that I don't miss a delivery of supplies while I'm out. The irony of that situation would not be welcome right now.

Ahead of me an elderly man walks with a spritely little Yorkshire terrier who [the dog, not the man] is wearing a little blue coat with tweed trimming and is drawing smiles and attention from those around him. A man walking up his drive shouts a hello to the dog walker who in turn asks after his health:

'Oh, not so bad' he replies then, gesturing toward the dog: 'I wish I was as fit as he is!' and the owner agrees. Everyone, including me, looks down affectionately at the dog.  Then we round the bend ...

'Look who it is, look who's here' the dog walker says to the dog and allows a few extra feet out of the extending dog lead so the dog can get greet and elderly lady who beams at the sight of him:

'Hello Charlie, hello.' she says bending to pet him. Quite obviously Charlie is famous round these parts! Who knew?

As the three of them stop to chat I overtake, up the bank, and onward to the Post Office which turns out to be a bustling grotto of pre-Christmas parcel posting.

On my way out I notice a box of festive snow globes on a bottom shelf and bend to take a closer look; I pick one up and - as you just have to do - I gently tip it up creating a tiny whirling snow storm inside.

Back out side now and in this chilly December morning air I suddenly am made aware that while one of my hands is snug and warm ... I'm missing a glove on the other; the one I removed to look at the snow globe!

As I search my pockets and bags [like someone doing a poor mime of 'Oh, I seem to have lost something'], assuming that I absentmindedly tucked it away, an old lady passes by then stops and turns to me to say:

"Someone else has forgot something!"

"I seem to have lost a glove" I say holding up my unevenly attired hands by way of illustration.

"I've been going through my pockets too" she confides and we share a  smile; a conspiracy of forgetfulness.

As I can't find it anywhere then it's back into the Post Office I go for a good look on the floor when my eyes meet those of elderly man in the queue ... who holds up my black beaded glove!

I grin in return and again hold up one gloved and one chilly one, this time as proof of ownership.

"I was just going to hand this in" he says handing over the glove, completing the matching set. I thank him and leave. And who should be outside but ...

... Charlie and his clearly proud owner chatting to yet another someone who looks delighted at his presence!

So many smiles. So many little acts of human [and canine] connection. Good job that's a sharp wind blowing ... I can blame my watery eyes on that ...

I slip my hand back into my glove and head home.

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Thank you for taking one of your moments to read one of mine.

 

If I don't  see you before ... I'll wish you some wonderful Christmastime moments in the days ahead.

 

Take care ... and take a glass of sherry or two and a bacon-wrapped sausage while you're at it.

 

Julie xx 

Do You Know: Graham Rawle's 'Lost Consonants'?

 

Hi you.

 

Earlier in the week, when I posted about the extra consonant that turned a simple care-label on a belt into a flight of fancy about a  glittery 'finfish', it made me think of the Lost Consonants series created by author and artist Graham Rawle.

 

I must have come across his Lost Consonants in the Guardian newspaper's Weekend magazine over a decade ago and in case you're not familiar with his work I thought I'd link you up today.

 

The 'lost' consonant idea does pretty much exactly what you'd think; but dropping that one single letter ... it makes a world of difference to the meaning! See for yourself ... 

 

 

What do you think?

I love them; word play combined with collage is a little bit of creative-heaven for me!

Wouldn't the idea make a fun starting point for an art journal page? Or a scrapbook title? I'm sure there's some fun to be had there!

I could go on much longer, and more embarrassingly, about how much I admire Rawle's work, and how unbelievably frustrated I was to discover on his blog that he'd just given a lecture at the Uni where I work from time to time ... if only I'd known I'd have done my very best to have sneaked into a seat at the back!

But instead .. I'll leave you to enjoy more examples on  Graham Rawle's website where you can find links to his other works and his books.

Soon, soon.

Julie :-)

It's a sign: Must be the one with the sparkly scales

Hi, it's me.

I'm one of life's magpies; not only because I'm drawn to collecting actual shiny treasures [hello silver shoes!] ... but I also can't help collecting together overheard conversations, 'found' wisdom and funny signs etc; things that unexpectedly catch my beady eye and make the average day just that bit brighter.

Funnily enough, the silly thing I'm sharing today manages to combine the two ...

I'd bought a glittery belt, to add a touch of sparkle when I'm wearing jeans, which had a care label attached informing me that some of the glitter may come off. But hey, being a crafter that didn't phase me; randomly finding my hands / face / furniture lightly dusted in sparkle is all par for the course. ;-)

So, I duly read the label,  snipped it off and left it out to drop into the recycling bin. So far so mundane no?

Or did you notice it?

Because then I noticed that, rather than warning me that "due to the nature of the finish" of the belt that some glitter may shed ... what it actually said was:

Personally I've never met a finfish ... but considering they're apparently glittery by nature ... I bet they're the belle of the ocean ball. 

 

[Until of course they're caught and their skin gets turned into belts that is ...] ;-)

 

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Funny how a simple typo, adding in one extra consonant, can take you off on a flight [swim?] of fancy isn't it? 

 

 See you soon.

 

Julie  

Overheard: But it complimented her cold pink nose so well ...

Hello hello.

When you're someone like me, who likes to keep her ears open for snippets of overheard chatter, the winter can be a tricky time to be listening-in; woolly hats tend to muffle the sound! ;-)

Fortunately there are those occasions when someone manages to make themselves heard despite a layer of hat-ness getting in between us ...

Date: Late November 2013
Time: 8:50am-ish

My current route for a morning walk takes me past a path that leads to a primary school, and on this particular occasion I was passing by at that point in the school run, so close to the start of the school day, when things tend to get a little frantic.

Cars and vans were pulling up alongside me dropping off little ones left right and centre.

Then, ahead of me on the path there stood two sweet girls aged around 4 and 6 bundled up in winter coats and knitted hats with teddy-bear ears, to keep the bite of the crisp November morning at bay.

Next to them, bending over the smallest of the two, a slightly frustrated mother licked her fingers and began rubbing at the girl's mouth.

The girls were still, and silent while the mother, in a frustrated tone laid down the law:

"When I tell you to go and clean your face after your breakfast...

... I don't mean: 'go and cover your face with make-up'!!

You've got lipstick all over!"

Then the mother looked up at me as I passed by, well aware that I'd heard what she'd said. And, despite me not wanting her to shout at me too ... I really couldn't help but smile!

[p.s: When looking for a suitable photo to illustrate this I spotted this photo James took of me a few years ago on Christmas morning. But, just so you know: I don't always go for a walk around the neighbourhood in bronze metallic heels and flowery tights. Well, not every day ... ]

 

So, did you or your kids ever do something that had to be dealt with at the very last minute before the school bell rang?

 

Things like that are always fun to hear in the comments. I'll be waiting  .. without my hat on ... to hear them.

 

Julie :-)