SUNDAY 19 FEB 2023 1156HRS GMT

 

Apologies in advance to those for whom this style somehow actually works, but is it just me or is this silliest 'bookcase' style EVER:

 

 

 

I've tried stacking books to save bookcase shelving space - and then been hugely frustrated by having to juggle the stack to retrieve the book I need.

 

Why buy books if not to use as reference material (medical, cookery, crafting) or to share with trustworthy friends and family (trustworthy meaning you know the book will come home sooner rather than never), and how in the bloody hell are you supposed to use those books if you constantly have to juggle a stack to get at the one you need??

 

The diagonal bookcase is 'trending' - meh. I loathe trends, always have, and the diagonal bookcase to me is one of the most pretentious of trends currently making the rounds. It ranks right up there with those home magazine pieces asking 'Do you arrange your books by binding colour?' (oh please, books must be carefully 'arranged' for subject, not colour - books are for using as learning tools and, you know, actual READING. 

 

Books ARE NOT NOW NOR EVER HAVE BEEN FASHION ACCESSORIES FFS! 

On another topic - briefly as I have to scurry off in a few minutes to do offline things - Wednesday 22 February is Ash Wednesday and I have to finalise my Lenten planning before then. Of course I'm making Lenten sacrifices - this year one is putting a hold on jigsaw puzzle purchases. But the really big one is clutter.

I obviously have never been into 'minimalism' in any way and my home reflects that - my decor style is more 'vintage semi-rustic farmhouse cottage' and has been all of my life. 

 

As a decor style it works nicely - functional whilst pretty in a practical way with fabrics and other soft furnishings all machine washable and most items in the decor scheme having a functional use. It's a charming way to live in a home and Paul (always into vintage anyway) loves it. But it can go to cluttered in a surprisingly fast way.

I'm currently watching a television series for 'decluttering' inspiration (Nick Knowles Big Clear-Out) and it definitely has inspired me...

My starter Lenten sacrifice is to spend the entirety of Ash Wednesday decluttering the living room. I would post a photo showing just how desperately the decluttering is needed except I am too embarrassed to expose the depth of the need that has developed in this room since First Sunday of Advent 2022. 

 

Wish me well! 

PS - COULD MY FOLLOWERS PLEASE USE COMMENT BOX TO LINK YOUR BLOGS? Somehow I've lost the links and haven't been able to visit yours for some time now. Yes, comments to this blog are moderated (spammers, sigh) so I will copy your comment to catch up on your blogs but will not publish your info to this blog unless you say it's ok with you to do so.

 

 

MONDAY 13 FEB 2023 1040HRSgmt

 

 

 

So, this scene has been carefully dusted and wrapped in acid-free tissue paper since the morning of 3 February 2023 and I am quite missing it. Paul is happily engaged in a hunt for the camels and one of the angels that match, he has nearly a year to find both or either - the main search is for one of the angels. The original full set came with two angels, one 'in-flight' holding a Gloria banner and the other kneeling in adoration. It would be hoping for too much to find both but one is not outside the realm of possibility. 

 

Lent is fast approaching - 22 Feb is Ash Wednesday this year. The night before I'll be stripping the mantel of the winter decorations leaving only the empty glass domes, the mantel clock, and speaker (which I have been waiting for more than a year to be mounted on the wall!). Paul says these mantel decor schemes make it meaningful to him, he said Saturday night (during a rare joint telly watching - Neil Oliver's splendid Saturday night slot on GB News) seeing the displays makes him think, including the stripped mantel during Lent. As we grow older and simultaneously yet more dismayed at the direction geopolitical and societal events  are turning, faith is ever more important to us both. 

 

When Paul and I were first together, he had a bit of difficulty keeping his agnosticism to himself - eye rolls and deep sighs when I'd be reading Daily Office or saying the Rosary. But over the years he's asked questions, discussed beliefs and customs, participated in things like setting up the Advent Wreath and Nativity scene. When I won the vintage Fontanini set on eBay and it was delivered on the morning of the Epiphany, he was as pleased as I was and helped arrange the display including testing the illuminated Star of Bethlehem. When I put the tissue wrap and sturdy box on the side table ready to take the scene down, he wanted to know more about the significance of the 2 February date (the Presentation of the Infant in the Temple). 

 

Not bad for an Aspie raised by dour Wee Free-Presbyterian mum and maternal grandparents. Growing up in a home where joy was considered bad manners left marks, marrying me late-in-life has been a revelation to him, he says. LOL, now he's disappointed if his stocking isn't bulging with fruits, sweets, and silly desk toys (although the colouring-in books and fresh sets of Crayola crayons never impressed him so I gave up on that years ago). 

 

Valentine's Day is another revelation to him - he wanted to know the religious story behind St Valentine but he also now enjoys the flowers, chocolates, and a nice meal. Honestly the man gets as much pleasure bringing home the flowers and box of chocolates as I get from having him do so. We don't do cards or romantic gifts (we don't for our anniversary, either - but woe betide if there isn't a special meal 17th January!) but we do celebrate the day. 

 

Same for birthdays, btw. He has progressed to the point of remembering not only our birthdays but Fox's family days as well and reminds me to send a 'money-gram' on their special days. He was over the moon about the eldest graduating from high school last spring, and equally over the moon about the youngest's first birthday. He even remembers 'his' daughter-in-law's birthday. He doesn't call Fox his step-son nowadays, he calls Fox his son, and the boys are his grandsons. 

 

All of which eases the worries current events are causing, the greatest being Putin's insanity - how far will it extend and can we make it through anything he throws at us? I find myself constantly checking, rechecking, checking and checking everything prepared not only for possible war but also the mess the UK (and God help us, that lunatic Sturgeon down in Edinburgh) so-called government is making. 

 

It's not really a joke to wonder 'how fast can I crochet and quilt more blankets' when we're keeping the heating turned down even on the coldest days - the skyrocket electric and natural gas costs are truly horrific. Paul isn't laughing when I fret we've used too much of the stored BBQ charcoal and he isn't laughing anymore about my eBay win of a wash tub and mangle I can set over a campfire to do washing. He was brought up much the same as I was and understands 'things' are now at a point preparedness is wise on two counts, one the stocked items being extremely helpful and two the peace of mind that comes with knowing we've done what we can, just in case. He's becoming very good at remembering to put something on the fridge posted list if he uses the penultimate tin/loaf/battery/bandage...I rotate stocks but cannot manage without the list being kept up to date.

 

I think about my dad raising us off-grid (until the county came in with a court order, capped our artesian well and forced us onto county power and water) and how valuable the lessons from those days are now. One cauldron for laundry, one for the weekly chicken slaughter, and one for candle dipping. The Singer sewing machines (one 99K hand-crank table top model and the other a treadle), kitchen garden, the 'make do and mend' ethos that got my grandparents comfortably through two World Wars and The Great Depression, and my childhood family well off enough to support a comfortable life as well. 

 

Lessons I think - I fear - will come in handy sooner rather than later.
 

 

 

THURSDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2023 1159HRS GMT

 

Last day of Christmas, tomorrow morning the Nativity scene will be dusted and wrapped in acid-free tissue, boxed with the LED lit Star of Bethlehem until the First Sunday of Advent 2023 (3 Dec). 

 

My plan worked - no more 'annual anguish' 7th January taking down the Christmas tree and all the trimmings. Leaving the Nativity scene on the mantel through 2 Feb (Presentation of the Infant Christ in the Temple) has worked to ease the abrupt un-decking I once endured. Yeah, I do love decking the halls for Christmas and enjoying the sight from First Sunday of Advent through Epiphany. And yeah, taking everything down the day after Epiphany used to be painful. Use to be, once I worked out leaving the Nativity scene on display (ok, and the lighting on the front garden potted evergreens) made it not only less painful, but more meaningful.

With the Nativity scene on the mantel through the 2nd of Feb, I found myself contemplating the Christmas message in a way I hadn't in previous years. The Nativity scene has become less 'a Christmas decoration' and completely definitive spiritually meaningful display. I won't deny finding a nearly complete Fontanini Nativity scene (missing the camels, angels, and stable but the main figures are present and in good condition) on eBay makes for a more important display. Paul stopped to look at it several times over the period and asked questions - why are there two shepherds, why are the kings (Magi) three different races, who is the guy kneeling across the manger from Mary (at least he knew it is Mary, lol, and 'the guy' is Joseph her husband). This morning he said he's going to miss the scene because it made him think and be more interested in Christmas story without the distractions of the more secular Christmas decorations. WINNING!

 

I've kept to the NY Resolutions. I won't disclose the entire list here but one is weaning myself off my Internet 'doom scrolling' addiction and so far I'm finding I turn the laptop off earlier every day. The news is so

But I've exchanged my Internet addiction for...jigsaw puzzles. Father Christmas was rather good to me this year bringing me new jigsaw puzzles and vouchers for accessories. Sorting trays, working board, and a really long 'watch list' on eBay, lol! 

The watch list pays off - yesterday I 'scored' a brand new still in sealed plastic 4-in-1 250pcs per puzzle set Vivaldi's Four Seasons including a CD of the Four Seasons. 

 

I sincerely hope the Vivaldi set comes 'pre-sorted. Two weeks ago I won a brand new Cheatwell 'Classic Brands' 4-in1 vintage advert posters (Oxo, Bisto, Golden Shred featuring the now 'cancelled' Golliwog doll, and HP Sauce) which of course meant I had to go find the other two sets in the 1996 Classic Brands collection. I love vintage advert posters but the Cheatwell sets come with all 1000pcs jumbled together in one bag and the claim is 'the fun is in sorting 1000pcs into four individual puzzles. Oh. Dear.

 

Successful search for the other two puzzles sets came up with two 'pre-owned' sets listed as complete. One, the sporting images, came with the four puzzles already separated and neatly labelled in zip-grip bags - indeed complete 'all present and correct'. The other (Pears Soaps) is partially sorted and I have no idea (yet) if all four are complete. Oh. Dear. 

I have a system, however I did need to buy another 6-tray sorting set to finally begin to get the Pears Soaps set sorted and I'm sure the extra trays will be helpful when I start sorting the brand new set. The Pears Soaps set is a mess and I suspect it was a gift someone started to try sorting and gave up on when the frustration outweighed 'the fun'. 

I welcome (mostly) the challenge - it keeps my doom scrolling to a dull roar and good thing, that, considering how absolutely dismal the news is. 'Things are not looking good out there' (understatement of the century line from the Paul Newman cops-under-siege movie Ft Apache) and after scanning the headlines (with very occasional actual article reading) I have to find something much less distressing to focus on. The puzzles help, as does crochet, sewing, and embroidery. Bonus, the handcrafting yields useful items. The puzzles supposedly 'keep the mind sharp' (I hate Suduko and other 'brain teaser' challenges) so I'm counting that as useful as well.

Fox is happily ensconced in raising his infant son with his wife (my second dil, and wow is she fab!), living the boring life and says 'boring is best'. I know just what he means but it is interesting my oldest grandson (Fox's first born) says the same thing. Maybe the drama his mum brings (serious drama, so serious the drama that girl generates and thrives on) has made a 'boring is best' believer of my now 18yo grandson. 

Praying for peace whilst preparing for the very real possibility of war. Putin is endangering the entire world, the sooner all this madness from Moscow ends, the better!