We have just come back from camping in Bakewell in the Peak District with our friends. The weather was totally dreadful on Wednesday, it really tested our positivity...but we still managed to have fun, which says a lot about having good company. Our friends are fantastic!
We had a long lunch in Castleton, and took in various outdoor shops in Hathersage too.
Our day out at Chatsworth was marred by our son breaking his big toe...so the next 4 weeks of the Summer holidays are going to be a bit different now. All the best laid plans and all that...
Saturday 1 August 2009
Tuesday 21 July 2009
School holidays are iminent
There is one hour to go until the school holidays start...I feel quite excited, even though I do have to go to work a bit over the next six weeks. Its an opportunity to see friends who are not local, and also travel a little, see new things, have lots of fun!!
The end of the school year is also a little sad, there will be parents who won't be back in September as their children will have moved up to senior school. Also some of the people I chat to I probably won't see over the holidays, people I quite happily pass the time of day with but don't actually have their numbers.
I tend not to overschedule as I like to be able to do things on the spur of the moment, but seeing some blank days in my diary feels a bit scary...daft or what?! I have made a definite attempt not to subscribe to "busy busy" that some mothers do, and take my children's lead on what they feel like doing (or not doing!).
However, the weather is not looking summery at all- someone the other day said it was like November with leaves! What a great saying!
The end of the school year is also a little sad, there will be parents who won't be back in September as their children will have moved up to senior school. Also some of the people I chat to I probably won't see over the holidays, people I quite happily pass the time of day with but don't actually have their numbers.
I tend not to overschedule as I like to be able to do things on the spur of the moment, but seeing some blank days in my diary feels a bit scary...daft or what?! I have made a definite attempt not to subscribe to "busy busy" that some mothers do, and take my children's lead on what they feel like doing (or not doing!).
However, the weather is not looking summery at all- someone the other day said it was like November with leaves! What a great saying!
Monday 20 July 2009
Why do we have so much stuff?
Now my children are in bed I can write a little more (horrayy!), but M (age 8) has said not to write anything about him as he doesn't want anyone to know about his routine! C (age 7) just rolled her eyes and said "not your blog again!". Its only been 4 hours since I've had it.
Anyway, back to my subject...I saw a great website at the weekend called www.storyofstuff.com which follows the story of stuff from natural resources through manufacturing to consuming to recycling. Basically it explains how the current paradigm is that more stuff is better, and that infinite economic growth is desirable and possible.
It also talked about planned obsolescence and perceived obsolescence, planned being whereby manufacturers deliberately make goods that have a limited shelf life ie. designed to break after so many years, so we have to go and buy replacements and perceived being things going in and out of fashion so more and more stuff is bought then ditched.
We work, earn money, watch tv and adverts, spend to make ourselves feel better, work harder to earn more money, too tired to do anything other than watch tv and adverts, spend even more to make ourselves feel better and so on, a veritable treadmill of life.
It is a very thought-provoking piece of film (about 20 mins long), and well worth viewing.
The oft quoted slogan "buy green, fair, local, used and LESS" its the less part that speaks volumes to me...
Anyway, back to my subject...I saw a great website at the weekend called www.storyofstuff.com which follows the story of stuff from natural resources through manufacturing to consuming to recycling. Basically it explains how the current paradigm is that more stuff is better, and that infinite economic growth is desirable and possible.
It also talked about planned obsolescence and perceived obsolescence, planned being whereby manufacturers deliberately make goods that have a limited shelf life ie. designed to break after so many years, so we have to go and buy replacements and perceived being things going in and out of fashion so more and more stuff is bought then ditched.
We work, earn money, watch tv and adverts, spend to make ourselves feel better, work harder to earn more money, too tired to do anything other than watch tv and adverts, spend even more to make ourselves feel better and so on, a veritable treadmill of life.
It is a very thought-provoking piece of film (about 20 mins long), and well worth viewing.
The oft quoted slogan "buy green, fair, local, used and LESS" its the less part that speaks volumes to me...
Living things in the garden part 1
Lettuces have been mostly picked, I have grown Cos, Mixed Salad Bowl, and Little Gem. Strawberries are at the back under the netting. I haven't bought any lettuce or strawberries this year! Result!
I think this is a quince. The fruits are furry. This year I am going to make quince jelly.
I know this is a pear! We have got twice as many as last year, I can't wait for them to ripen...
Cat and chickens. They tend to ignore each other unless I plonk the cat next to them to take a picture!
Welcome to my Blog!
This is the first time I have done this, so please be gentle with me!! I have no idea which direction I will go in, so I may meander around somewhat until I find a way which works.
Hopefully some of what I write may be of interest, amuse, inspire, if not, there are plenty of other blogs to read out there!
In my mind blogging is another way of procrastinating, because at this exact moment I should be cooking tea, but instead I'm battling with counters and webcodes and stuff...hmm its educational I suppose but won't feed my children. Fortunately my husband is laid back, so he knows that when he returns home there is either nothing on the table, or a wonderful home-made meal. Which reminds me, there is mince waiting in the fridge to be turned into chilli so that's what I had better do now (gosh this will make riviting reading), pics to follow (only joking). phew first post over, ttfn.
This is the first time I have done this, so please be gentle with me!! I have no idea which direction I will go in, so I may meander around somewhat until I find a way which works.
Hopefully some of what I write may be of interest, amuse, inspire, if not, there are plenty of other blogs to read out there!
In my mind blogging is another way of procrastinating, because at this exact moment I should be cooking tea, but instead I'm battling with counters and webcodes and stuff...hmm its educational I suppose but won't feed my children. Fortunately my husband is laid back, so he knows that when he returns home there is either nothing on the table, or a wonderful home-made meal. Which reminds me, there is mince waiting in the fridge to be turned into chilli so that's what I had better do now (gosh this will make riviting reading), pics to follow (only joking). phew first post over, ttfn.
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