Off the radar

 It's been a largely successful first couple of weeks without wifi internet in the house, although we have had some initial hiccups and adjusting to do, the details of which are all too boring to go into.

Blogging is pretty interesting. I had planned to go to a coffee shop and use their wifi to save my mobile data, but found I was in no mood for that today. That might be a nice habit to form in future though, and really I should seize and opportunity to get out and about. 

Moving on anyway. We had half term here which was great. Too short as always, but it really felt it this week. The weather was lovely and we had a fantastic time together, going places, and spending time in the house being creative. We have been sewing mad. Ivy bought a sewing book a few months ago now and has been dying to make a ragdoll. I've been dreadful about giving time to projects like this, and am ashamed to say I really haven't helped the girls develop their skills in lots of ways. We saw this one through anyway and had a wonderful time doing it, and the girls learned so many new techniques while we did it. 

We have also been working on the girls' world book day costumes. I love making costumes but often leave it too late, so I had the girls start thinking about this in January and we have completed them in plenty of time. H is a dragon, and I is Hermione Granger. I love making costumes that I know they will enjoy and wear again and again for play.

I have also been knitting. I finished a lace vest pattern that I had been working on (knitted as one piece, did not enjoy). And have begun on yet another cardigan. This one is from a lovely pattern I have which has variations for either a lace or textured yoke, and different sleeve lengths. I was going to do the lace version but decided to try something different. I chose a mad Easter bunny pink, which seemed a good idea at the time. I'm hoping I will wear it in the event!

I said in my last post that I would say more about our allotment - the main news of which is that we have one. We have been on the waiting list for 3.5 years and honestly this is sooner than we expected to be given one. In August last year we were offered a starter plot (two raised beds) at one site, which we gratefully accepted. Being August there wasn't much we could get going, but we did what we could, however before we had a chance to really get stuck in, we were offered a full plot on the same site last month. Of course this is the perfect time of year and we can't believe our luck. In the same week then we were also offered two raised beds at a neighbouring site which we have also accepted. This site has larger plots, so if/when we are eventually offered a full plot there we will almost certainly let the other plot go. In the mean time it has been wonderful getting digging and thinking about what do grow, and starting seeds on my windowsill. I had a bit of a moment when it came time to start my blue hubbard seeds, something I hadn't expected to do again. It feels as though the life we had started in Cwmgors, and which we snuffed out, may be beginning again. I wish I was as fit and well now as I was then so that I could enjoy it, although perhaps the fresh air, exercise and sense of purpose that the allotment will bring will be exactly what I need.

New Year, new me

 Hello. I'm back. I like blogging, it feels completely obsolete and obscure now.

 For whatever reason, Christmas, winter, not much to say, I've had another of my breaks. And it's hard to say exactly what is new with us, not a lot I imagine. 

We are at the end of February now and finally starting to get our momentum up again now that there is the promise of better weather (though the reality is probably a few months off)

I can't sum up everything we've been up to the past few months of course, it would be sill try, and honestly it's probably just more of the same. I've been through my camera though, which admittedly I rarely use, and have picked out a few photos: 

At the beginning of January I started on a regime called the Human Being Diet, which is by a nutritionist called Petronella Ravenshear. I was recommended it by a friend who also has chronic pain as it is supposed to be very good for inflammation. I did follow this diet to the letter for just over 5 weeks, and I lost 20lbs, however while I expected a (promised) spike of energy after the first couple of weeks, I never experienced this, and instead began to feel like a slow and drifty jellyfish. This last week I have re-introduced carbohydrates into my diet (a bit too much probably) and am feeling much more myself, as well as more able to join in family activities of cooking and eating, which are really important to us. 

Here I am eating a plate of salad and prawns, which I really don't enjoy.

I have been making truffles. This was really the thin end of the wedge. Before I broke my diet I started making my (allowed) two squares a day of 85% chocolate into truffles. Well, one thing leads to another and rules began to be broken. I mainly include as cooking from scratch is a great pleasure for me and a value I'm keen to raise the girls with, and something we are better and better at, although it has always been a priority. 

s

I signed up for a drawing course last year, but as it was booked up for the first term couldn't begin until January, by which point I had completely lost the bee in my bonnet which has prompted me to enroll in the first place and couldn't really remember why I was there. I had already resolved to stop going after a few weeks when the arthritis in my hands flared up and gave me the excuse I needed to stop. What I do want to do is spend more of my own time practicing drawing and being creative - which I supposed was probably my interested in the course - but that's yet to really happen. 

I haven't been drawing, but I have been knitting - actually that won't be helping my hands - and have made some lovely garments that I'll get a lot of wear out of. 

I had a sweater vest (crocheted) that I made a couple of years ago, but which was really too long to wear with dresses, and finally took the plunge and chopped off the bottom and stay stitched the bottom. 

I love a sweat vest, and that inspired me to knit another (pale lilac, plain knitting, I don't have a photo), and Will also knitted me a beautiful blue sweater vest so I'm now complete. 

I also knitted myself a vest/waistcoat to wear at the allotment (more on that another day). This was a pig to knit, with several hundred stiches to pick up around the outside edge. 

And two lace cardigans. The purple one was intended to be my first every cable project, but after frogging back the same 5 rows three times I threw the towel in and found a lace pattern instead. I'll look for a cardigan pattern with a simpler, not all over, cable as my beginner project I think. 

I have been for quite a lot of winter swims, at least once a week, although probably less than in previous years. I put this down to my general sleepiness/antisocial-ness at the moment. 

I hope that the next few weeks will see my energy and enthusiasm picking up, and that I should have a little more than knitting to update with. 

We are getting rid of the internet in the house and changing to just a pay as you go mobile data dongle, so internet use will be extremely limited after that. Perhaps I will need to explore using the library computers. 

Until next time.