Excitement

I felt that after my (rather poor) blogs on political occurrences of the last couple of years (Election 2015 and Referendum 2016) that Tuesday's surprise announcement that there would be a General Election this year on 8th June deserved some blog action.  But really there isn't an awful lot to say.  Fortunately some great excitement occurred last night so I felt the two together merited blog time!  So feel free to skip the political bit to read about the real great times at the bottom!

While sitting at the computer on Tuesday I got this group message from a teacher friend:

Apart from the despair that conservatives will get re-elected as labour is in disarray... on the bright side... YIPPPEEE - Poling day = closed school!!

I puzzled and wondered if there was a bi-election today so I went on the BBC site and there was the announcement with Teresa May live.  I really did feel excited - not necessarily in a happy or worried way, but just in a 'this is momentous' way.  I find it odd that our country can hold elections so quickly.  We followed the US election for at least a year before it happened and with all the talk of the Dutch, French and German elections this year, it rather seemed like the UK didn't want to miss out.  I will be interested to see if there are many changes of seat and although there will be certain things I am hoping for, my main feeling is that not a lot will change. 

So now the really special news...!!  We went to have dinner and play games with some new aquaintances last night.  We cycled: I'd like to say it was because we are naturally athletic people, but really it was because the car was in the garage.  We cycled out of there place after 10.30 at night, fairly city centre, and were waiting at the lights, when towards us and over us a Barn Owl flew!!!!!!!!  It was fairly low flying and directly towards us so we were able to see it clearly and have no doubt what it was.  It was gone within seconds but it felt like such a magical occurrence.  This is the first time I have confidently been able to say 'I have seen an owl in the wild'.  Wow! Special special times! 

Snake's-head fritillaries

At Rose Hill Runners on Monday, a fellow runner mentioned these flowers.  It meant nothing to me and she said they hadn't meant anything to her until they saw the signs when walking with her botanist friend who was most excited to see them.  So off I went for a little walk today following the signs to see what I could see.  There ensued a lovely meander through Iffley Meadows, not something I knew existed.  Very happy times.

 Interesting to read this sign on the way out and learn more about the area and the flora and fauna to see.

 Excited to learn from the information sign about the cuckooflowers so I went back and took some photos.

And on the walk back to Iffley, I couldn't resist any longer, a photo of the beautiful view down the side part of the river from the flood gates bridge.  The greeny emerald almost turquoise colour of the water at the moment I find quite captivating.

Resolutions

Happy New Year!

We had a fun time last night playing games with friends.

I quite like the thought of not making New Year's Resolutions and have been feeling proud of the list I made when we came back from travelling because I didn't make it at New Year - strange logic!  Well, I thought I would take a look at them now and see how I am getting on and whether I still want to persevere with them. I was talking with a friend yesterday about how she had set a goal of reading 50 books in the year and had made it and how she liked having a specific goal.  I might try that with some of these.  The italics below are the bits I wrote on return from travelling.

1 - Local - I would like to try and buy more things locally. I love the convenience of Amazon online (and am sure I will keep using it), but I want to feel I am supporting real people rather than just nameless and faceless businesses. Not sure how to make this have a specific goal, but I will keep it here as a reminder of a general principle.  Maybe I can look into some local craft shops and there is a pottery shop my mum mentioned.

2 - Community - in a similar way, I want to know more and have more of a connection of people in the community. I loved seeing that in small New Zealand communities and also up in Stornoway. Hopefully the new Rose Hill community centre may be a starting place for that. Goal - go to 4 community events this year - yikes!  I was pleased with the Rose Hill and Iffley Low Carbon Group event we went to.  Hopefully more like that.

3 - Packaging - I want to think more about what I buy and try to buy things with less packaging. In particular, John has become good at thinking about plastic. He bought the book 'plastic free life' in California when seeing an exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium about the amount of plastic sea animals ingest. We are planning to research local places where you can go refill washing up liquid bottles etc. If anyone knows of any places around Oxford or has any good tips then do share! We have made a good start on this one and are pleased with our refill centre we have found, which I still need to blog about.  And I have started reading the plastic free life book now so hopefully that will help.  I am also interested finally in doing the show your plastic challenge for a week.  Maybe that would be good to do again at the end of the year for a comparison.

4 - Baking - I really enjoyed having the time to learn to bake a bit in Uganda and want to try to make the time to do it now as well. I want to keep practising the same recipes until I can do them quicker without having to keep checking the recipe.  I feel I have done ok with this so far though I am definitely having to be deliberate about it.  Here's my goal then: 4 banana cakes, 4 giggle cakes, 4 lemon cakes, 4 cookie batches, 4 shortbread batches, 4 muffin batches and 4 other baking attempts.  That's 28 baking events so I'll need just over one every 2 weeks.  I will try record on here how I get on. 

5 - Cooking chapattis and popcorn - I also enjoyed learning to make these and don't want to forget! 

Bread - I would like to learn to make bread too. Pleased that both of these are happening.  I might start a tally in the kitchen of how often I do these this year.  I'll hope for 5 of each.

6 - Basic ingredients, less processed - again, something from my time in Uganda. I'll start small and see where it's worth it.  Again, I feel this is going ok, and then plastic free desire definitely ties in with this.  Not sure how to goal this one, which probably means I won't really do much about it.  Maybe I'll save the specifics for next year.  Although we were given a cheese-making set for Christmas so that will be my goal to achieve as that is definitely in the less processed category!

7- Phonetics - a random one that cropped up while in Denmark and so I popped it down as something I'd like to learn...one day!  Funnily enough had a conversation just before Christmas with a friend who is on a speech and language course about the phonetics she has to learn, so I know its possible!

8- Blogging - I've really enjoyed blogging this year. I'd like to keep it up with General musings on things that happen. This is will be an easy one to check on my goals.  Now what to set...  well, there ought to be 28 posts just on my baking!  Let's say 20 non-baking posts in 2017 and at least 4 general musings posts.  I don't feel this has come very easily since being back.

9- More minimalist - although I am really looking forward to having belongings around me again and I still like nice things, I'm hoping to slim down belongings a bit and have another sort out as we unpack. We did do a trip or two to the charity shop when unpacking but not hugely.  I hope to slim down my clothes when I have had my colours done later in the month.

10 - Fewer clothes - I don't remember jotting this one down before, but glad I did as I wouldn't have tried to do it! This year has definitely proven that I can survive without many outfits. Although particularly in South America, I missed not having anything vaguely nice for an evening, (my indication that we were going out was putting on a pair of dangly earrings!) I definitely don't need an overflowing wardrobe. Andy H, your wardrobe with just the pair of jeans in is my inspiration! Oops, don't think I can then class clothes in my previous listing - see above!

11 - Rare shopping centre visits - I don't feel the need to visit a shopping centre often anymore. No problem there.  Haven't felt the desire to go since being back.

12 - Keep reading - I really loved how much reading I did this year. I did read quite regularly before anyway, but just want to make sure I keep it up. I wonder how much I'll read my kindle at home and how much I will go back to paper books. I am happy that I am still reading, especially a lot over Christmas.  Though now I am startled by the 50 book challenge my (mother of 2!) friend set and achieved.  But I still don't feel I would like a target.  Maybe next year.

13 - Outdoors in the UK - thank you for your suggestions of your favourite places to be outdoors in the UK. I definitely want to make the effort to visit them all. Goal - to actually make a list of the places people mentioned!  I feel this may be wildly unlikely but I am going to try for 12 National Trust Visits!

14 - Make lists - I did find I enjoyed making lists this year (as this is evidence!!) and I liked feeling efficient that things were getting done and weren't being missed. I wonder how that will continue now we are back. I have started a list book of things to do since being back but don't think I am very good at keeping up with it.  I keep trying to move it to the kitchen work top so that it is more in my face.  Think I will need to be better at this.  My goal is to photograph my completed lists when I complete a page.  Maybe 3 pages in the year?

15 - Exercise more consistently. I would love to run three times a week as I tried to do in Uganda. I'm looking forward to returning to Rose Hill Runners and seeing if I can finally get under 30 minutes for a park run... Totally haven't done this very well since being back.  Think some goal orientation will help here.  Minimum 1 run a week of minimum 2Km.  Maybe I'll go back to 20 Parkruns.  No, I think I will do 30 Parkruns or Rose Hill Runs during the year.  Good luck!

16 - Knitting - I enjoyed knitting in Uganda and particularly when we were home in June. Hopefully I can keep that up. Anyone have any (easy) knitting projects they would like me to do! Fairly happy that I have been doing some of this.  Let's say 7 projects complete in 2017.

Phewwff!  That was a longer list than I was expecting, but I am pleased to have thought about it and hopefully I'll be able to review next year and see what I have achieved.  I worry it's rather long and I'll forget about things so I will try an abbreviated list here:

1. Run each week.
2. 30 Parkruns/Rose Hill Runs 
3. Visit 12 National Trust Places
4. Bake 28 times (see above for details!)
5. Knit 7 projects.
6. Go to 4 community events
7. Make a list of Outdoor Places to go
8. 20 Blog Posts including 4 General Musings
9. Photo show me your plastic challenge
10. Make Cheese
11. Make chapatis 5 times and popcorn 5 times

Write - that seems more manageable and hopefully I haven't missed any.  I have tried to put them in order from hardest to achieve to most likely to achieve.

Let's go 2017!

May Flowers 2016

We arrived back in the country this year on the afternoon of 30th April. It's now 31st May and I wanted to get this post done today before the marvellous month of May ends. I do so love the word 'May' - with a capital letter. It makes me think of blue skies and light air and floatiness.

I had thought often about how we were missing winter this year, apart from our week in Japan in December. What I hadn't thought about what how lovely it would be to return to the UK for May and see it all at once in its Spring glory. I try to keep a flower diary where I record my first sightings of each flower each year. It has made me much more aware of flowers and I have learnt the names of some more and am pleased when I do it. It does however stress me sometimes to be always looking for the new flowers and I sometimes forget to appreciate them at their peak. This year I have been able to enjoy May in its fullness. I am sure my flower diary is packed away in some box or other so I can't write in their about this month. Instead I shall record here the Spring life that I can remember. 

- Gorgeous heavy blossom. I love it when the trees look laden. 

- Oil seed rape, or as I like to think of it, 'fields of sunshine'. 

- Roses

- Forget-me-nots

- Lilac

- Gorse

- Wild flowers that I don't know the names of. 

- Geraniums

- Pansies (not sure if that's the proper plural!?)

- Wisteria 

- Clematis

- Lupins 

- Tulips

- Rhododendrons 

- Iris

- Forsythia 

- Horse chestnut pink and white blossom
- Daisies
- Dandelions
- Valerian - Mum identified this one for me.