A Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY ~ Friday 11th October 2013

Outside my window...I have just been privileged to watch two deer ambling slowly along the boundary of the back field near to the wood. A young buck and his female friend were munching tasty roots with the odd turn of the head towards me. Can they possibly know I'm spying on them through my binoculars? 

The diet of roe deer varies and includes brambles, buds and leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs, herbs, rose plants, ivy, ferns, heather, conifers and grasses, so there are lots to chose from around here! At the moment their pantry (larder) is bountiful! Roe deer are common all over Scotland (and much of England) so we are lucky that most days we have a brief sighting. 

For instance, when returning home and driving up the lane last evening, we turned a rather sharp bend in the road and there up on the wall stood a doe. She didn't wait for us to stop and take a photograph (which would have been rather dangerous on that particular part of the lane...but I'd have tried) She gracefully leapt into the air clearing the fence and wall with ease. 

It all happened in a matter of seconds, but it was a magnificent sight of such a beautiful creature up close which will stayed etched in my mind. 

So what else is outside my window today? Thankfully not the gale force arctic wind that has been visiting us for the last two days. Everything is still this morning. The birds have returned to the feeders, even though one was blown completely off the tree and emptied all over the floor. I laughed to myself when I thought about the mice that would come for their usual scavenge for anything that had dropped from the feeder only to find an abundance of seed like Mount Etna waiting for them! 

So why didn't I sweep it up? Well, I thought there would be many thankful mouths eager to do the job for me.

The washing is hanging out on the line and dancing to some unique tune that only they can hear. 

But there's a little sad to report I'm afraid. Most of the Virginia Creeper's leaves have fallen in a heap at our back door. Maybe it wanted to enter to be out of that cruel wind? 

Most of the trees haven't lost their leaves yet, but I know it's just a question of time. 

And finally there's what I would describe as a Simpson sky (from the TV show The Simpson's) A cartoon kind of sky with pockets of blue with fluffy white clouds.

Yesterday, I saw a double rainbow not once but twice! (More of that below) 

Maybe I am having a lucky week and should buy a lotto ticket? 

Ahh...here comes a little sunshine. Now that is lucky! 

I am thinking...about yesterday and the fact that when the wind was so strong it upped and blew the BBQ cover away. When I say away, I really mean away! I searched every inch of the garden and beyond but couldn't see it anywhere. It's not like I could miss it. It's quite large and black! 

It had completely vanished and was a total mystery. I had a vision that a local sheep might have had it land on its back causing quite a stir amongst it's flock by wearing the first sheep mac!  Very this season! 

I gave up searching but later in the afternoon it mysteriously appeared again. I haven't a clue where it went, but thankful it returned. It's now securely fastened down with ties!  

I am thankful...that it appears we've all made the transition from Australia to the UK with relative ease. Of course there are people and things we miss but generally we seem to be settling in really well. There's still a long way to go and there's our first winter to get through of course, but I'm confident we'll make it. 

McMuffy isn't so sure...she felt that icy arctic blast the other day so she's keeping her passport handy just in case! ^..^

In the kitchen...There's a freshly baked cake in the cake tin and two new fresh herbs pots on the window sill. I love to have fresh herbs near to hand and they do thankfully seem to like living in my kitchen. I've got mint, basil, dill, coriander and thyme at the moment. The Aga remains cold, but not for long. The engineer is coming to give her a fitness check next week and then hopefully she'll be given a clean bill of health. We have lots of plans for our adventures and will no doubt share some of them with you.

I am wearing...Dare I say it...? 

Joggers again with a sweat shirt (there's even a thermal vest hidden under there, but don't tell anyone. That's just between you and me). I think this might be my screensaver wardrobe for the next few months with the addition of the odd giblet when necessary. By the way, a giblet is my name for a gilet. It's just that I started saying giblet and it's stuck ever since. 

For those of you whom may not have heard that word before...it's a quilted sleeveless waistcoat. I have a few in different colours and find them so useful when I just need a little something extra. 

I am creating...well I haven't actually started yet, but I will. I want to create another calendar for next year. I know I better get a move on hadn't I. 
Last year I had such fun drawing and creating a calendar, so I thought I'd draw something for the re-opening of my Etsy store. I know I stated that I'd open shortly and that was months ago but how did I know that the time would disappear like it has. I don't know what on earth I've been doing to waste the time! 

I am going...to start to decorate a room next week. I know how exciting is that? Rock star lifestyle and all that! We've got some sofa's arriving in just under two weeks so the pressure is on. There's a lot to do before they arrive and then we have the nerve biting question of will the sofa's even get through the door! 
Once more it appears I'm living on the edge. 

I am wondering...why I can't keep these journal entries brief. I've notice that other people can just answer each of these questions within one sentence. I have no idea how they can do that. I'm in awe. (I'm making a conscious effort here to keep this answer brief...but it's impossible for me) 

I am hoping...that I won't upset anyone with my next little story. I'll set the scene first. 

My hubby has been involved in the weekly weigh-in since he started in his new company. It includes incredibly detailed spread sheets so obviously they had him at 'hello'. The spread sheet shows everyone's name and their weekly recorded weight. The big weigh-in takes place on a Thursday morning and only takes a few minutes for everyone to step on the scales, but it's amazing how many people suddenly develop spontaneous meetings or problems that need their immediate attention, hence they miss the weigh-in. These problems seem to arise more so, especially when the group might have had a meal out the night before! 

My hubby has been fit and cycled at least 30 kilometres to and from work when we lived in Melbourne, but the bike has remained static and growing cobwebs since we arrived here. But that may be rectified shortly because for two weeks now he's been a hairs whisker away from being 'The Naughty Boy'. 

Yes, that's a large group of ******aged men that are feared of being given the title of the weekly naughty boy! If you are awarded this terrifying title for putting the most weight on then you are awarded 'the Buddha' ornament to sit on your desk all week highlighting your naughtiness! 

Grown men have heard from woman that taking your shoes off can help in these circumstances, but they've even taken it further by taking off their watches before being weighed and there's even been talk that the scales may have been tampered with! 
Well they are a group of engineers after all, so I suppose anything can happen! 

The Buddha was very close to spending some time quality time with my hubby this last week, but someone else was slightly more naughty. So you can imagine his reaction when I told him that there was some freshly baked cake to accompany his evening cuppa...mental battles commenced...but he gave in! 

But joking aside It is a fantastic organised event and everyone pays a small fee to enter each week. So far the money they have raised for charity exceeds £15,000 pounds over the last three years. 

I'm reading...Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

It is an International Bestseller and rightly so. 

Its subject matter is and has been one of great debate.

I'm finding this book slightly disturbing because as the news has shown the subject matter contained within this book is all too real. It shows that in nineteen minutes you can bring the world to a screeching halt and Peter Houghton (a much-bullied New Hampshire teenager) did just that. On a beautiful March morning, he went into school with guns instead of books, and started shooting! The town is obviously left reeling.

I have to say I am enjoying reading the book although perhaps enjoying isn't the right word to use but it is riveting. I'm only a third of the way through so I can't comment too much at the moment, plus I don't want to spoil it by doing any more research before I've read it.

I have read all of Jodi Picoult's books and never been disappointed and I don't think that will change any time soon.

About the Author (extracted from Amazon):

I grew up on Long Island with my parents and my little brother, the product of a ridiculously happy childhood. My mom says I've been writing as long as she remembers - my first masterpiece was "The Lobster That Was Misunderstood," at age 5. I honed my writing skills beyond that, one hopes, before I headed off to Princeton, where I wanted to work with living, breathing authors in their creative writing program. Mary Morris was my teacher/mentor, and I really do believe I wouldn't be where I am today if not for her guidance and expertise. I had two short stories published in SEVENTEEN magazine when I was in college. However, when I graduated, a desire to not eat ramen noodles exclusively and to be able to pay my rent led me to take a job on Wall Street (not a great idea, since I can't even balance my checkbook). When the stock market crashed in 1987, I moved to Massachusetts and over the course of two years, worked at a textbook publishing company, taught creative writing at a private school, became an ad copywriter, got a master's in education at Harvard, got married, taught at a public school, and had a baby. My first novel was published shortly after my son was born, and I've always said that the reason I kept writing is because it's so much easier than teaching English.

In fourteen years, I've published thirteen novels: Songs of the Humpback Whale, Harvesting the Heart, Picture Perfect, Mercy, The Pact, Keeping Faith, Plain Truth, Salem Falls, Perfect Match, Second Glance, My Sister's Keeper, Vanishing Acts, and the upcoming The Tenth Circle, this March. Two of my books (Plain Truth and The Pact) were made into Lifetime TV movies; Keeping Faith will be another. My Sister's Keeper is in development at New Line Cinema to be a feature film. And there isn't a single day that I don't stop and marvel at the fact that when I go to work, I get to do what I love the most. My husband Tim and I live in Hanover, NH with our three kids, a dog, a rabbit, and the occasional donkey or cow.

I have already bought Bridget Jones' 'Mad About The Boy' and it's waiting on my bedside cabinet because I think after reading Nineteen Minutes, I might need something lighter to read. 

I find when I read a thought provoking book or something similar to this one, I need to take time before moving on to the next book but when I do it will be a light-hearted choice.
For example...I started reading a chapter of 'Nineteen Minutes' whilst sitting in the hairdressers last week when suddenly I became aware that tears were brewing. 
It doesn't seem right to say I'm enjoying reading it because it is so emotionally charged but it is a riveting, poignant and thought-provoking novel. 

I am hoping...to carry on in good health to enable me to fully appreciate all that I have.  

I am looking forward to...having a trip down South to visit family soon. We haven't seen everyone since we first landed back in July.

Around the house...My son is studying in his room, McMuffty is gently gruffing to let me know that it's getting near her dinner time. Everywhere is tidy but what's not done now will have to wait. There are two fires giving warmth and a glow, setting the scene for a relaxing Friday evening. The wine is chilling and the meal prepped. Don't you just love Friday nights? 

My favourite quote of the day...Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend ~ Albert Camus

One of my favourite things...is taking photographs! I am at a stage when I can't leave the house without my camera. Since I started blogging I've progressively got worse. I can't resist snapping away at the most bizarre things and at odd times. Things come into my my eye line and I have to take a shot because I know that they can change or disappear in an instant. Take the other day for instance...a double rainbow appeared. 

A few plans for the rest of the week: A bit of everything really...you name it and I'll probably be doing it! Well within reason obviously...no ski-diving again this week! I don't think my body could take it! ;D

A peek into my day...It starts. The autumn leaves begin to fall.

 So that's it for this week; I hope you enjoyed your October visit and if it's your first time reading my day book entry, I hope you'll be back again soon.

Don't forget to pop over to The Simple Woman's Daybook and check out the other day book entries.

 I hope to see you again soon...Have a wonderful weekend.

Have fun and hopefully the sun will shine for you!!!

~ ♥ ~