A list of activities that could potentially earn Grown-Up Girlies a badge – so far.
- Craft activities – knitting, sewing, crocheting, embroidery badges, BUT you have to make something useful and grown-up for each badge – knitting an iPod, quilting a laptop bag, for example.
- Nature activities – finding leaves from 5 British trees, drawing the footprints of three different animals, following the Hockley Woods trail.
- Cooking – coming up with a meal based on three main ingredients, designing a dinner party menu for six people where one is vegetarian, one is wheat-intolerant and one is on a diet (see, grown-up issues).
- Exercise – we’d have to be able to manage a minimum level in five different activities – running, swimming, lifting weights, skipping etc.
- Literature – reading a book, and then giving a three minute review back to the group. Maybe have a creative writing slot, where we have to write a 500 word short story in a certain genre.
- Work – all I can think of this is creating a 2-page CV that has no spelling mistakes or lies.
- Music – be able to identify 5 No. 1 hits from each decade since you were born. Go to an opera. Learn to play one tune on a musical instrument (and the recorder DOES count).
- Gardening – grow one thing in a pot from seed to ‘fruit’ (or flower). Pick up a worm. Cook a meal using something you’ve picked form a garden/allotment (if you don’t have any food/herbs growing, you can ask a fellow GUGAS member if you can pick something from their garden).
- Fashion – I want to have this, because I’d like to learn something, but I’m not sure what to do. Maybe it could involve the personal shoppers at Debenhams.
- Housework – how to clean things with green/eco products and very little effort. How to declutter without throwing away everything you won. How to persuade the other people in your house to do their fair share. Sorry, this one’s a bit dull, but I like the idea of a badge for this.
- School subject-orientated things – history, geography, maths and religion ?
- DIY
- Drawing, painting
- Fencing, indoor wall climbing, ice-skating
There, my list so far. N (work) and I were discussing whether drinking 1.5 litres of water a day should count as a badge-worthy activity – and as GUGAS is yet to be a proper organisation, and the rules are open to change, we decided drinking water should definitely be on the list.
Today for lunch, I’m trying bacon and Gruyere scones. While it sounds like a nice idea, I’m not really sure what you eat with it to make it a proper lunch. The greedy person in me says “LOTS of scones” but I’m wondering if baked beans or a salad will be good.
I blame the new brand of coffee. I had two cups of it one morning this week, and then on the train I came up with a world-shattering idea : a grown-up Brownies ! Obviously I can’t actually call it that, as I’m pretty sure the Girl Scout Association, or whatever it calls itself, might object, but it’s really the best way of explaining it to people (to a book publisher, my local council’s community project funding board, potential members…).
It’ll be a group scheme, where members do certain tasks in order to gain a proficiency badge. The tasks range all over (I’ll have to find the updated list for my next post) from arts and crafts, through exercise and sports, DIY and school-type subjects. Each badge has a certain number of tasks you have to complete at a certain level in order to gain the award. However, you don’t have to do all the different subjects, just the ones you’re interested in.
Someone mentioned it sounds a little like the WI, which is also an inspiration. However, my local WI is really a tad too old for me (actually, my REALLY local one meets in the middle of the day, it’s the next-but-one-local-one I mean) and I know that I could start up a new group, especially if it’s for a younger demographic. But would they let me do badges ?! The badges are REALLY important.
Will ponder more about this. Have people at work, home and ex-work giving me ideas, and I already have ideas for the patron of our organisation (torn between Cath Kidston, Jane Asher and Jane Brockett, with also yearnings for Ray Mears and Carol Klein for the outdoor stuff). More to come…
Can I blame work again, for how tired I’ve been ? Or just the fact that not going to the allotment has made me feel really guilty and I haven’t been in the mood to blog ? Anyway…
Had to stop with the compost making as we were invaded by fruit flies, drawn by the kitchen caddy. So, I haven’t been to the allotment for over a month now. It’s raining this week, so there’s not much point going to dig up beds, but that’s my next thing to do.
Have been very active on the knitting front. I am almost finished Notting Hill Vest (just the sides to sew up); finished the armband on my Veste Everest (now completed); darned my favourite work top (but not very well); darned my Lord of the Rings socks (again, not very well, it’s more of a patch rather than a darn); started and finished the Thuja socks from Knitty; and the WIP box looks better as a result. I still have four more days of leave, so I’m hoping to finish the NH Vest, finish a scarf I started today (moss-stitch in the last of the Rowan Polar I have) and maybe start a pair of socks in some Lorna’s Laces stuff I bought last week. I was also hoping to start a long-line cardigan but Angel Yarns have been a bit naughty, by advertising sale yarn that they don’t have in stock. Which is a pain, and not particularly trust-inspiring. So I’m unlikely to get the yarn while I’m on leave, which was the whole point of ordering it last week.
I got Nigella Express and have been making a few of the meals from it. We’ve had the mini meatballs (lovely) and the pollo cac-something-or-another. The green eggs and ham pancakes were delish but very filling. Today we’re having the naan pizza and for dinner, the mustardy pork chops, as seen in the first programme. Oh, I also made the sauerkraut dish but it was pretty heavy and I didn’t put in the juniper berries.
The job is better. I met my first befuddled scientist (his hair was disappointingly neat though) and I think I scared another one by telling her how I’d been known to burn books I hated – she’d been asking my advice on what to do with 30 year old textbooks, thinking they had a value of some sort. Rather than snort ‘Pshaw!’ in her face, I gently recommended the recycling service offered in the building, but even then, she didn’t want to know (because developing countries want out-of-date textbooks, and antique collectors quiver at the thought of getting their mitts on university textbooks ?). So, I told her what I’D done with unwanted books in the past… To be fair though, it was just the two, and I’ve never regretted it. I would never have read them again, and I didn’t want to inflict them on others.
And speaking of books, I seem to have started a book club at work. There have been 40 responses to my post about joining or starting one up, but luckily, someone else seems to have taken the helm with me. We just need to find somewhere that can cope with 40 people. The first meeting is in two weeks’ time and we’ll just be discussing books we like. I’ve just read “The Girls” which was a lot more fun than I expected. It didn’t make me cry though, so I was a teensy bit disappointed.
They are definitely in a bad state. It looks like blight, and although it’s not my fault as such, the planting out would not have helped matters. Certainly the rain didn’t. And having the plants becoming very bushy and watering from above…well, could I have made any more errors ?! Got a bit upset yesterday at the allotment as J said she has blight too, and that it might be airborne, and now I feel everyone on the allotment is going to blame me. And then I couldn’t get back up from taking a closer look at the fennel – dodgy hip – and got scared that I’d end up spending the night at an allotment that I was coming close to hating. I’ve dug up some of the worst affected plants (putting them in a rubbish bag) but the whole lot may need to go. After all that, the most successful tomatoes have been the Tumbler variety, grown outside my kitchen window in a hanging basket. They taste lovely, even to a tomato-hater.
Visited the new Waterstones in Lakeside today and saw a sorry sight.* There was a man sitting at a table, surrounded by books, but no people. It seems he may have been an author doing a book signing. But no-one was wanting a book. And then, when I saw a poster advertising the titles, I thought I knew why. What a rip-off of Lemony Snickett ! The books look just like the Series of Unfortunate Events. Compare this to these and be glad you didn’t have to read the blurb too.
*Why a sorry sight ? I thought about it and realised this guy has got his stories published AND his publishers are happy to support him on a book signing. Loads of people are probably really jealous of him. Maybe Lakeside just wasn’t ready for a book signing.
I had my first tomato ! A cherry tomato from the hanging basket, and very tomato-y it tasted too. I’m hoping the sun will hold out for another week, but after seeing the weather warnings (rain, and lots of it) I don’t think the tomatoes at the allotment are going to be red for at least a week.
Just finished reading “One Good Turn” by Kate Atkinson. Oh so good ! It’s quite frustrating, as there are a number of interwoven stories and your brain leaps ahead, trying to connect the characters. The end is brilliant but one thing niggles me. The last line of the book is the second phone call. When was the first phone call made ? I can understand it was made, and it makes you want to read the whole story again, but surely there should be a little clue ? Maybe I’ll have a look if anyone discusses this on the internet.
Planted the last of my tomatoes on the allotment today so I’m all ready to start preparing that third bed. The second bed has root veg growing in it : swede, turnip, carrots, Florence fennel and parsnip. I’d like to add my celery and possibly the leeks, but there has been some advice regarding the leeks in this bed, so I might not do them just yet, while I ponder.There was a small snail on one of my tomato plants, as I removed the tray of seedlings from the mini glasshouse. I didn’t see it at first and then {insert title of post}. I then checked VERY carefully before I removed anything else, but it looks like there was just the one beastie. Something took a nibble at my cucumber seedlings, as there’s a leaf half-chewed in one of the pots, but one out of 12 isn’t bad, and the seedling itself still looks healthy. The chilli seeds MAY be sprouting (the second wave of celery seeds certainly are) but it’s a little early to tell. I hope I get at least one plant out of the six I’ve planted – it would be so cool to grow my own chilli peppers ! I’d have to hope for a pretty warm summer though.
Bought the yarn for the Fairly Easy Fair Isle cardigan and am about halfway through. Had to start the first sleeve almost from scratch again, as I’d forgotten to do the increases. I still managed to mess it up the second time, but I’ve seen how, and it’s not that big a deal, so I’ve written myself a set of directions, so that I can ‘mess up’ the second sleeve in the same way.
I read “Gods in Alabama” at the weekend, while ill in bed, and have also started “Sleeping Arrangements”. Both good, but unfortunately, I didn’t like “Fat Girl : A True Story”. It’s a pity, as I thought it would be absorbing, but it wasn’t. Maybe being on a diet that’s proving fairly successful has skewed my mindset a bit, but I didn’t like the main character/author and she seems really keen to show all the disgusting things about being fat, things that I find aren’t necessarily true, just those things you think when you’re in a really bad mood.
Toad in the hole for dinner again. It makes me so happy to know that that’s what I’m having, even on a day which is muggy, and even when the Young Chap is going to be home late. Mmm, toad in the hole with slightly undercooked batter, gravy and sweetcorn and broccoli. And a Fruit Pastille lolly (on special offer at the mo, even without Antoine de Caunes advertising it) for afters.
Driving lesson update – managed to confuse the accelerator and the brake pedals twice. But no-one died and my instructor says I’m doing very well. I even had a pedestrian wave thanks at me for slowing down at the zebra crossing – my first wave !
That’s the name of the first recipe from my juices book. It’s a mix of grapefruit, orange and lime. Very nice, though quite sharp. I can imagine it would be good for a morning drink as it did open my eyes ! The book recommends keeping a bit of the pith from the citrus fruit, but the drink came out a little bitter, so I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. I have another one all ready to try tomorrow, but for now, I’d better go and clean out the juicer. I’d use the dishwasher except I think it’s easier to clean the juicer straight away rather than wait until the dishwasher is ready to go.
And in case anyone was wondering, my driving lessons are going well. I got to drive up and down the seafront this week, doing left and right hand turns, pulling out of junctions, slowing and stopping at traffic lights AND beeping the horn at a slow motorist who’d failed to notice the green light. Except I wasn’t allowed to do the last thing – my instructor did it. I’d have probably turned on the radio or something…
The local library is coming up trumps, I have three more books to collect from my reservations. As I’m going out, I may as well buy the yarn I need for the Fairly Easy Fair Isle cardigan. Well, now I’ve found a cheap enough wool, I’d be crazy not to, wouldn’t I ?
Lightning visit to the allotment yesterday, just to dump some more rotting veg and lawn clippings for the compost bin. The first bin is finally starting to break down, so I’ve started the second bin. The tomatoes are ALL doing well, though it’s time to tie them up to supports. No sign yet of my second batch of celery seeds, nor the chillis, but it hasn’t been very warm or sunny yet. If it doesn’t rain today or tomorrow, I’ll go over and transplant the rest of the tomato plants.
Am still knitting away at Lucky, but hoping to get it finished by the end of the week. I’m halfway through the second sleeve, so then all I need to do is knit the ties to go with it and sew it together. Then it’s back to Gigi. I really would like to make the Fair Isle cardigan from the SnB Nation book, but it’ll cost me around £50 to get the wool, and possibly another tenner for the circular needles. And even though it’s raining today, I’m fairly sure there won’t be much opportunity to wear a thick cardigan this side of October.
Tried another dish from my Fresh Chinese book, the Kung Po Chicken. Nicer, we both felt, and we lamented the lack of peanuts (I was too lazy to go and buy unsalted peanuts from Sainsburys), as that would have made a lot of difference. I now have lots of water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and bean sprouts left over, so am thinking of making a Chinese style soup.
Planted chilli seeds today, and put my basil seedlings into a bigger pot. However, my herb book advised against this, so I may have to start all over again with fresh seeds if this batch die. It’s raining today so I hope my tomato plants in the plot are doing well.
I had a binge on my local library’s catalogue and reserved about 20 books from the list I’ve been keeping, cut out from magazines. The library no longer charges for reservations from their own stock (this includes the two neighbouring authorities too) so hurray for that ! Two were all ready to pick up yesterday : The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life, which wasn’t very good. The author was my height and weighs about five pounds either side of my current weight (which is changing, as the diet works its wonders) but that’s about the only interest I had in this book. The other book was about Mrs Beeton, which I have yet to start. I did polish off Blue Shoes and Happiness today, the latest (I assume)* in the First Ladies’ Detective Agency series. As I’m feeling a bit under the weather, the simple prose was just what I needed. Well, that and a small pot of tea (the ordinary kind – I do have some roobois (?) in the cupboard but I don’t like it much). I also bought some Toffeepops biscuits, as a comfort food, but was dreadfully disappointed to find they tasted of cardboard. Has the recipe changed ? I loved them as a student, I used to buy them every week from the Co-op, and now… The Young Chap also had a food nostalgia moment, but his turned out OK. It seem that Super Noodles taste as good as they ever did. Humph.
ETA : * No, there is an eighth one in hardback now.
Went to check on the transplanted tomatoes and while one has keeled over, and another couple look a bit tired, they seem to have transplanted quite well on the whole. My cucumber seeds have sprouted already, which is lovely, and there are spots of green in the oregano tray.
Cooked the first recipe from my Fresh Chinese book, chicken chow mein. I substituted spring onion bulbs for the shallot, and ordinary soy sauce for the tamari sauce, so maybe it affected the final flavour. It was a little bland, but definitely ‘fresh’ tasting. Even doubling up on the portions (it’s considered a side dish) made it a fairly small meal, so next time I’d definitely do another dish to accompany it.
After the whole kerfuffle with Waterstones last week, back to Amazon. I ordered two books yesterday in the afternoon, and when I came back to the house at 11.15 a.m. today, the parcel was waiting for me. I paid for 1st class, not the rush service, so I’m pretty impressed. Obviously I need to stop buying books, but at least they’re all slightly discounted… Oh, and the titles were : I Like You, by Amy Sedaris, who I only know because she was in a couple of episodes of “Sex and the City” and is quite a bit older than I thought, and House Proud. It’s written by someone quite attractive (so says the Young Chap) so I guess that’s why the author is on practically every single page. However, compared to something like Sew Easy, which is also quite personal, but does not feature the author in every other photograph, it grates a little. Danielle Proud has got gorgeous coloured hair though…
Had the loveliest surprise today. The postman knocked on the door, with a parcel for me. At first I thought it was another parcel of books from Waterstones, due to the mix-up (more in a moment) but it was even better. A big, double-layer (the best kind) box of Belgian chocolates ! The recipient of the pink cardigan I knitted (well, her dad, actually) sent me a thank you present. Yummy (I’ve had three chocolates so far).
Waterstones did answer my e-mail, three days after I sent it. Not very customer-friendly, is it ? As I’d already sent a complaining e-mail to a company today (no names, as they have resolved the matter now, at least) I fired one off to Waterstones too. I would definitely not use the on-line service again, unless they were the only stockists of a title. And even then, I would ask the branch to order the book in for me.
Finished, more or less, my first bed on the plot. It looks fairly flat and just a few little weeds. I think I’m ready to plant something, finally. I have come to realise that it’s unlikely I’ll get everything planted in time, so I might save some seeds for next year, but the seeds I’ve sprouted so far (including oregano and cucumber now, too) will be going in. I’m going to aim for a spread of stuff, so I’ll have something to pick all season long. I met someone new on the plot, with a friendly, boisterous dog. She offered no advice whatsoever – is this a gender thing ? Or maybe it’s because I’m sending out “no advice please, I’m floundering enough as it is” vibes ?
