Little Goals – December 2016

Posted on December 3, 2016 by nicdempsey

Last month of the year! It feels like 2016 went by in a flash, the days are long but the years fly by…

So the focus for this month is all about survival and coping. I’m still bit SAD but I got through November in a much better state than I expected so I’m hoping that if I apply the same attitudes and principles, it’ll be ok.

One of the things that I will be doing this month is reviewing the year against my goals for 2016. I want to think about what went well, what didn’t go well and what I want to do for 2017!

FINANCE

Stay within limits. This month is about not going mad with money, I tend to panic somewhere in the middle of December and start throwing money at it. I need to sit on that and carry on as planned.

HOME

Clean the oven. Lots of cooking is happening over Christmas so I need to start with a clean oven.

Deep Clean the living room. It’s always useful to get the living room as tidy and de cluttered as possible before I put a tree in there and it helps make tidying up after Christmas easier.img_5284

CHRISTMAS THINGS

Get Christmas Cards written, CD’s burned and everything posted by 15 December.

Get Christmas decorations down and check lights etc before Christmas Eve.

Buy a stack of birthday cards for January birthdaysIMG_3634

BODY AND MIND

Stretching. Every day, it’s helping and it needs to be a focussed 10 minutes a day at least.

Exercise. Do the following 22 times in December. 20 squats, 2x 30 second planks, 10 sit ups, 10 press ups.

Get outside. I’ve been pretty good at getting outside on the days that I don’t work but on work days, it’s too easy to spend my lunchtime working or reading the paper. So I’m setting this to the days, I will be in the office this month so 16 days. Yes, I will only be in the office 16 days this month, I love Christmas.

ALLOTMENTimg_5421-1

Burn one of the piles of weeds and organise the compost area (it might happen this month!)

Work on the edges of the plot

Get the other beds covered for winter.

Think about buying seeds for next year!

Posted in Goals | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Friday Links

Posted on December 2, 2016 by nicdempsey

Happy Friday!

I’ve had a busy week and didn’t spent a lot of time at my desk or near my computer. Which is one of the reasons there aren’t many links this week. The other is that I increasingly feel that I’m living inside some sort of bizarre reality show, because the news is just so out there….

Brexiteers will trash anyone who gets in their way. Robert Chote was on the Today Programme last week and he was reasonable and measured. He noted that the OBR had asked the govt if it wanted to disclose anything or if the OBR should plan on the assumption that policy will continue as is. The govt did not give any new information. I was clear that I wanted Britain to remain in the EU one of reasons for my decisions was economic. Brexit will cost, it may not cost as much as the OBR think, it may cost more, but there will be a cost. The brexit campaign was not honest about this, they want it both ways. It’s time to quote Kipling…(he was writing post WWI but the point stands)

I could not dig; I dared not rob;

Therefore I lied to please the mob.

Now my lies are proved untrue

And I must face the men I slew.

Jeremy Hunt doesn’t understand how technology works. James Naughtie was right!

Donald Trump versus the US Constitution. This man is about to promise to defend something he either hasn’t read or wants to tear up!

The Myth of Self-Control. Finally!

Confessions of a lonely 20 something. I had two very similiar reactions to this. One, it’s your 20’s, everyone in their 20’s feels like the whole world is having a party that they haven’t been invited to. Second, why are you medicalising something that is perfectly normal? It’s not mental illness, it’s being in your 20’s, I accept that it’s harder for millenials to grow up but that’s the cure. Recognising that it is actually you, and them, and the world. It will pass, stop obsessing about it.

 

Posted in Links | Tagged , | Leave a comment

What I’ve Read – November 2016

Posted on November 30, 2016 by nicdempsey

I have to admit it’s been a quiet month for reading. I just haven’t had the time. In November I priotised sleep and being organised over reading and I also decided to tackle a book that required more attention and I couldn’t just rush through it.

Gin Glorious Gin: How Mother’s Ruin Became the Spirit of London – Olivia Williams (TBR pile)

Finally a book from the physical TBR pile. I’ve had this since last Christmas (it was my secret santa gift) and it was fun. Easy to read, interesting and showing a pretty good knowledge of it’s subject.

Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer – Rick Riordan (library book)

Luc and Josh and I all decided that you’re never too grown up to read children’s books and we’re reading it together. I like the way that it links into the Percy Jackson books with a cameo from Annabeth and I like the Norse Gods because they are much more earthy than the Greek and Roman Gods. It’s funny the conversation at the top of the book about why use C.E dates not A.D (that works for Christians but Thor is touchy since Jesus didn’t show up to the dual he was challenged to) made me laugh out loud on the bus!

The Plantagenets: The Kings Who Made England – Dan Jones (TBR pile)

This is fun, I haven’t finished yet. I’m always reluctant to describe a history book as a romp but that’s pretty much what it is.

Posted in Books, Reading in 2016 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Food and Budget Update: 19/11 to 25/11/2016

Posted on November 29, 2016 by nicdempsey

The return of some food prep! That’s all about to go out of the window in the next couple of weeks because my weekends are about to get busy again but it’s a good start and reminds me that I can do it!

SHOPPING

img_5414_2Shopping at Lidl was £5.15 and Sainsburys shop was 3.55 at total of £8.70

FOOD

Saturday night dinner was chana masala and dahl with rice and flatbreads.Sunday morning we ate scrambled eggs and flatbreads and on Sunday night I was out for dinner.

Breakfasts for the rest of the week were egg rolls.Lunches were Saturday’s leftovers with flatbread

Monday was stir fried vegetables.

Tuesday was a burgerWednesday was pasta and green beans. I was stupidly tired on Thursday and had a bowl of pasta with cheese, sometimes you just want to eat and then fall flat on your face, Thursday was that day.

Friday was pizza because it was Friday

Posted in Cooking, Food, Money | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Life Happened: Drudge

Posted on November 28, 2016 by nicdempsey

It was another straightforward week.

Oli turned 7img_5436Getting into work was an experience in frustration every day.

and stupid questions abounded

I had a flu jab, slept loads, painted my nailsimg_5450did some work at the allotment On Saturday night I babysat for Kathy and Adam, the children were a delight and I got to watch Match of the Day and it was a weekend where Chelsea won!

On Sunday, I did very little. I was supposed to go Kathy and Adam’s for a belated Thanksgiving but I just didn’t have the emotional energy for other people. I’m a natural introvert, that combined with a month were I have pushed through, done well at not being a complete hermit and given that it’s the end of the month, I just didn’t have a conversation in me. I was sad to miss the fun but I needed a day in my head because the coming week is going to be busy and I needed to charge for it!

Posted in How I Live | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Sunday Music: O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Posted on November 27, 2016 by nicdempsey

It’s the first day of Advent, which means that I can start to think about Christmas, even if it’s not December yet!  The first Sunday of Advent is when I can start playing this year’s Christmas CD. This is the first song AND appropriate for Advent…

Posted in Christmas, Music | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

2016 Goal Recap – November

Posted on November 26, 2016 by nicdempsey

There are technically four more days in November but as tomorrow will be spent either on the allotment or at home sorting out my life for next week and the last three days of it have three days of first aid training, two birthdays and Stef’s anniversary, I’m calling it done now!

I think by now everyone knows how I feel about November and that I wasn’t looking forward to it. Dreading it might be a more accurate description so I’m surprised to find myself saying that it wasn’t too terrible. Why? I’d be lying if I said that I had no idea but the answer is more complicated than ‘it was nicer than I was expecting’. I did more work this year because I’d given some consideration to the things that I would find difficult in November (being awake, enthusiasm, cheerfulness, organisation) and I put my resources into those areas. I worked on going to bed early and being out of bed by 6:30am, I did try to find something good about every day, I made an effort to be cheerful and when I couldn’t, I shut my mouth or I tried to! I put effort (even when I didn’t want to) into food prep and keeping up with the house, because all a sink full of washing up is going to do is bring my mood down.

I also was more accepting of feeling blue or not having energy, reminding myself that it’s a period of time, not forever and just getting on with it. Earlier in the month, I was surprised about how deeply I felt about something but I talked about it with a couple of people and was able to put it in it’s proper place.

So on to November’s goals.

Thankful. I’ve been doing this and you can go and see here.

FINANCE

No specific tasks, just staying on track and being mindful. Still there.

HOME

Clear out the messy cupboard. Done. The rest of the house is looking pretty good too.

BODY AND MIND

Stretching. I’ve been doing this much more often, it could be because it’s got the cold or maybe it’s my age but I found myself needing to stretch and before bed and sometime during the work day (stretching in the toilets not ideal but do-able!).

Going for a walk outside in the daylight. I managed this three days out of five when I was in the office but it’s been rainy and horrible so I haven’t been out as much as I should have.

ALLOTMENT

Burn one of the piles of weeds and organise the compost area (yes I have an area, it’s a mess!). Still not done. It’s really beginning to bug me but it’s just too wet.

New raised beds, order them and get them in place. Done all five assembled and in place and one of them planted with broad beans!

Sow broad beans and poppies. Broad beans done, poppies not.

Carry on with tidying the edges of the plot before we can’t work on the plot at all. We’ve done some of that at the top of the plot and we’ll work on the edges in December.img_5421-1

 

Posted in Goals | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Friday Links

Posted on November 25, 2016 by nicdempsey

Happy Friday! I think that we’re just going to have to have a Trump section and then other links this week. It seems like every day, I think that he can’t do anything else more ridiculous and every day he manages it….

Obama reckons with a Trump presidency. This is a long read but worth it.

Remember folks, Trump is going to drain the swamp. Probably so it’s easier to get at the money. The President-Elect Is Suing Washington, D.C., So His Luxury Hotel Can Pay Less in Taxes

Trump takes credit for preventing something that wasn’t going to happen. Or the President-Elect is a lying liar who lies part 1000

The Enduring Scandal of the Trump University.

And on Tuesday, this happened which I don’t even have words for..

Vox wrote about it and quoted Christopher Meyer “it would be lunancy walking on stilts”

No Trump, We Can’t Just Get Along. About right…

Other news and opinion

Also American and worrying but not Trump what’s happening in North Carolina, that’s pretty scary…

Abortion in America, being out of options. You’ll never stop women having abortions, you’ll just make it less safe..

The enormous pop-up clinic trying to bridge America’s health divide. This is the awful warning for the NHS. “The things we fought for in the past, may be lost again unless we are prepared to fight for them” – Clement Atlee

The reality of ‘just about managing’ in Birmingham. The problem with just about managing is that the well off can feel that way too. I feel that way, it’s that sense of never being able to get ahead of yourself, to save, to plan, to have nice things. And people are feeling like that in much better circumstances than I’m in and much worse. I’m going to keep saying it, housing and it’s cost is at the root of most of the issues here…

Tony Blair wonders what has gone wrong with centre-left politics. and can’t see it him.

Our boys need to be rescued too. True but this is as much about placing a middle class value on what is good, which is less to do with how we raise boys and more about the value we place on academic learning. My brother is brighter than I am, but I’m more academic and can argue better. Neither of us are stupid we learn differently and want to do different things with our learning. Why is only way (mine) considered better? Clue, it’s not because I’m a girl…

Why older men who date younger women are so infuriating. I don’t know that it’s infuriating, so much as really icky.

The macaron is a pastel menance.

Jeanette Winterson on her Christmas traditions. Sometimes I find Jeanette Winterson really difficult and I don’t agree with her about lots but the quote below is just perfect and if given the terrible time she had with her parents, she can find that in herself well that’s pretty amazing. Also trifle with tinned fruit is the only way to make it!

I think about that time and, without being sentimental, I am sure that if we can find reconciliation with our past – whether parents, partners or friends – we should try and do that.

It won’t be perfect, it will be a compromise, and it doesn’t mean happy families or restored bonds – there is often too much damage, too much sadness – but it might mean acceptance and, the big word, forgiveness.

I have learned, painfully, over the years that the things I regret in my life are not errors of judgment but failures of feeling.

So I am glad of that last Christmas with my dad – not because it rewrote the past, but because it rewrote our ending. The story, for all its pain and sometimes horror, did not end tragically; it ended with forgiveness.

Posted in Links | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A week of lunches and breakfasts.

Posted on November 24, 2016 by nicdempsey

I read somewhere that the key to having a sucessful life was to reduce the amount of decisions that you needed to make in the course of a day. The theory is that you have a limited amount of brain capacity that you can devote to decisions and if you start off by making lots of them, you lose that capacity and that leads to chaos. Ok maybe not actual chaos, maybe more “I can’t decide what to cook for dinner, let’s order in” type chaos.

I don’t know if the theory is accurate or rubbish, but I notice that if I set up my day in advance (if I know what I’m wearing, where my keys are and what the plan for breakfast is) then I don’t feel that I spend the day feeling behind.img_5415Everyone knows this. There are people who can be effective, creative, happy and chaotic, but I am not one of those people, I am like a toddler, I need routine and certainty to function properly and thrive.

The only downside to this is that because I’m an adult, I have to enforce the routine and certainty upon myself because I don’t have a parent to do it for me (she retired, exhausted after years in the field with me, Ben and my Dad!). This means that I need to make time to do the things that will make my weekdays less stressful. This is the worst thing about being an adult, it’s that you have to show up and do the work. Things won’t work unless you do. Things can go wrong sure but all of adult life involves getting the hell on with it.

I’ve been open about how menu planning keeps me on track financially and stops food waste and it’s been fairly clear in the last 8 months that all the produce coming off the allotment saw my strict menu planning relax a little bit. But the allotment has stopped producing, there are things growing but very, very slowly. So I need to get back to effective menu planning because I no longer have 24 courgettes a week to turn into food!img_5295-1Which is why on Sunday night my fridge contained all my lunches and breakfast for this week and why they are all the same thing. Lunches are leftovers from Saturday night, dahl, rice and chana masala and flatbreads. Breakfast will be an egg roll. All of this can be heated up in a microwave at the office and I chopped a load of carrots and peppers to go with it. This week the only cooking I’ve had to do has been dinner. New recipes are always fun and cooking can be creative but sometimes (and for me that time is almost always in November!) feeding yourself is effort and frontloading the week is what works.

Posted in Cooking, Food, How I Live | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Allotment Adventures: Wind, Rain and Raised Beds

Posted on November 23, 2016 by nicdempsey

It’s been roughly a month since I last wrote about the allotment. In that time the clocks went back and November got really serious about being a horrible month.

The lid blew off the box of tools, it has rained and rained and we’ve had a couple of frosts. So the marigolds and courgettes came up, no more courgettes until next year!img_5418We bought and put together five more raised beds, watched the garlic and onions pop up and planted broad beans. There was a delivery of woodchip at the weekend, so I decided to mulch the raspberries, I’m still not entirely convinced that we should keep them in that spot but they are going to stay there for the next year and the best raspberries on the site are from the plots that mulched this year, also if it keeps the weeds down so much the better.There are three long beds at the bottom of the plot, my plan is to grow tomatoes and cucumbers in these next year and its nice to have them in place. Other than Ma, you can also see the other onion bed.We will get around to framing the other three beds in the middle of the plot but that’s not going to happen until spring time.Between now and Christmas, any work we do will be on the edges, pulling and digging up the couch grass. At some point we will do some burning but it’s just been too wet, we will get to it though, not least because I want another compost bin there!

It’s all about doing things that will make our lives easier in the summer but it’s looking good.

Posted in allotment, Gardening | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment