More rambling
My friend came to see me today without her toddler. It turns out they have had a tummy bug this week which is why she didn't come on Wednesday as originally planned, and her husband has it today so he stayed home and so she could leave the baby with him. Which is a nice change. Although I love little L, who is completely adorable and has the longest eyelashes in the world (and is of course my future daughter-in-law), she's just too active sometimes, what with Xavi as well it makes it difficult to have a conversation. And she's started walking so she's at just the right height to reach all our non-child-proof stuff on low bookshelves, such as CD racks and computer wires.
Anyway this is just a post to say I've had a very nice day. My friend brought me chocolate cake and reusable breastpads which she happened to have seen in an organic shop and thought I might like a pair of, ater we had a discussion of how the disposable ones stick to you in a rather uncomfortable fashion. These ones are wool and silk. I haven't tried them on yet.
And we went for a nice walk as the weather was gorgeous. Xavi came in his front-pack and slept most of the way. He has been very good the last couple of days, since I started keeping him more upright during and after meals. He throws up less, and grizzles less as a result. And sleeps much better. And smiles more. So I'm happy. :)
I've just finished reading Lilith by George McDonald, who wrote The Princess and the Goblins, among many other things. C.S. Lewis said he didn't think he had ever written a book in which he did not in some way quote from George Mcdonald. Anyway, Lilith is a fantasy book too, but for adults, not children. CS Lewis quotes it in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and a couple of other places too - I had fun trying to see if I recognised things from his writing. I really enjoyed it but it took quite a few chapters to get into it. It seemed like it was rather jumpy at the beginning, rather disjointed and not going anywhere clear, but then it smoothened out. I find George McDonald rather wordy, although the storyline is usually good he sometimes uses too many sentences to get there. A bit like Tolkien perhaps although in Tolkien's case it's too much description in between events, rather than too many words. I wasn't so keen on the ending of Lilith, and it was quite closely linked to Christianity in parts, not that that bothers me but I'm saying it in case anyone else reads it on my recommendation and is put off by this. But it did have a very good storyline and was interesting and thought-provoking in parts. Now I can move on to my next book, the Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart - but I've read that before so I know I like it. And after that... well, I've just got HP6 back from my little sister. She's had it since August - about time for a reread methinks! :) At which point I may even find time to do a bit of theorising with you all on NewClues.
Have people seen the winter clothes in H&M? They have some lovely skirts and things. Mainly skirts in fact. I love tweed skirts, I have two. One is grey and long and slightly too big for me, and one is pink and knee-length. It was an impulse buy when I was still working for the EU and had to look smart, and it's my favourite skirt despite the fact that I would never normally choose to wear pink. With all due respect to Umbridge. ;) (so, not much then!) Anyway, there are lots of tweed skirts in H&M and I promised Daniel before Xavi was born that I would start dressing nicely after I regain my normal size. Which I have. So tomorrow we are going to buy me a skirt and some new knee-high boots if we see any we both like - I hate shoe-shopping. My old ones are made of that soft stuff that goes threadbare if it gets scuffed too much, and I've had them for several years and they have been heavily scuffed in places.
I have to say that all this is most unlike me. For a start I don't like high heels - they're so impractical. Especially with a baby. Not to mention uncomfortable (except my wedding shoes, somehow those were really comfortable). And I intensely dislike clothes that have to be handwashed or dry-cleaned, and so many things do nowadays it seems. I don't like trying to look attractive; I like being able to sit in any position I choose and grovel around on the ground wearing holes in the knees of my jeans if I like, and cry without worrying about mascara or foundation, and not panic if a baby throws up on my shoulder. Which is why jeans and a t-shirt/sweater are good - practicality rules. And I hate wearing tights/stockings. They are the devil's clothing, in my view - which explains the need for knee-high boots, to keep my legs warm between skirt and foot.
This is why I only ever dressed smart for oral exams at university and for my job. Interpreters have to look perfect, otherwise people would start questioning why they pay us so much per hour!
Also I hate clothes shopping, because I never find what I'm looking for. There's always whatever I was looking for last year or what I will turn out to want next year, or nothing in my size. So you can probably expect a disgruntled post on Sunday.
In other words I'm not a very girly person at all. So choosing voluntarily to go skirt-shopping so that I can look pretty when I don't have to is something close to a miracle. Daniel is over the moon and wants to get me all sorts of things - possibly he recognises that this opportunity may never arise again. :) Which is in fact why I'm going too. I don't need nice skirts now, but I can guarantee that when I do, the shops wll be completely devoid of them, so I might as well stock up and then I'll never have to clothes shop again! Yay! :D
Which reminds me - Gracie did you see the lovely bright green short-sleeved t-shirts they had in Marks&Spencer this summer? If you didn't see them at the time, drop in and have a look, they might still have them. I bought one and it's great. £10 well invested - it fitted me right through pregnancy and has now returned to my normal size/shape along with me. :)
Anyway this is just a post to say I've had a very nice day. My friend brought me chocolate cake and reusable breastpads which she happened to have seen in an organic shop and thought I might like a pair of, ater we had a discussion of how the disposable ones stick to you in a rather uncomfortable fashion. These ones are wool and silk. I haven't tried them on yet.
And we went for a nice walk as the weather was gorgeous. Xavi came in his front-pack and slept most of the way. He has been very good the last couple of days, since I started keeping him more upright during and after meals. He throws up less, and grizzles less as a result. And sleeps much better. And smiles more. So I'm happy. :)
I've just finished reading Lilith by George McDonald, who wrote The Princess and the Goblins, among many other things. C.S. Lewis said he didn't think he had ever written a book in which he did not in some way quote from George Mcdonald. Anyway, Lilith is a fantasy book too, but for adults, not children. CS Lewis quotes it in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and a couple of other places too - I had fun trying to see if I recognised things from his writing. I really enjoyed it but it took quite a few chapters to get into it. It seemed like it was rather jumpy at the beginning, rather disjointed and not going anywhere clear, but then it smoothened out. I find George McDonald rather wordy, although the storyline is usually good he sometimes uses too many sentences to get there. A bit like Tolkien perhaps although in Tolkien's case it's too much description in between events, rather than too many words. I wasn't so keen on the ending of Lilith, and it was quite closely linked to Christianity in parts, not that that bothers me but I'm saying it in case anyone else reads it on my recommendation and is put off by this. But it did have a very good storyline and was interesting and thought-provoking in parts. Now I can move on to my next book, the Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart - but I've read that before so I know I like it. And after that... well, I've just got HP6 back from my little sister. She's had it since August - about time for a reread methinks! :) At which point I may even find time to do a bit of theorising with you all on NewClues.
Have people seen the winter clothes in H&M? They have some lovely skirts and things. Mainly skirts in fact. I love tweed skirts, I have two. One is grey and long and slightly too big for me, and one is pink and knee-length. It was an impulse buy when I was still working for the EU and had to look smart, and it's my favourite skirt despite the fact that I would never normally choose to wear pink. With all due respect to Umbridge. ;) (so, not much then!) Anyway, there are lots of tweed skirts in H&M and I promised Daniel before Xavi was born that I would start dressing nicely after I regain my normal size. Which I have. So tomorrow we are going to buy me a skirt and some new knee-high boots if we see any we both like - I hate shoe-shopping. My old ones are made of that soft stuff that goes threadbare if it gets scuffed too much, and I've had them for several years and they have been heavily scuffed in places.
I have to say that all this is most unlike me. For a start I don't like high heels - they're so impractical. Especially with a baby. Not to mention uncomfortable (except my wedding shoes, somehow those were really comfortable). And I intensely dislike clothes that have to be handwashed or dry-cleaned, and so many things do nowadays it seems. I don't like trying to look attractive; I like being able to sit in any position I choose and grovel around on the ground wearing holes in the knees of my jeans if I like, and cry without worrying about mascara or foundation, and not panic if a baby throws up on my shoulder. Which is why jeans and a t-shirt/sweater are good - practicality rules. And I hate wearing tights/stockings. They are the devil's clothing, in my view - which explains the need for knee-high boots, to keep my legs warm between skirt and foot.
This is why I only ever dressed smart for oral exams at university and for my job. Interpreters have to look perfect, otherwise people would start questioning why they pay us so much per hour!
Also I hate clothes shopping, because I never find what I'm looking for. There's always whatever I was looking for last year or what I will turn out to want next year, or nothing in my size. So you can probably expect a disgruntled post on Sunday.
In other words I'm not a very girly person at all. So choosing voluntarily to go skirt-shopping so that I can look pretty when I don't have to is something close to a miracle. Daniel is over the moon and wants to get me all sorts of things - possibly he recognises that this opportunity may never arise again. :) Which is in fact why I'm going too. I don't need nice skirts now, but I can guarantee that when I do, the shops wll be completely devoid of them, so I might as well stock up and then I'll never have to clothes shop again! Yay! :D
Which reminds me - Gracie did you see the lovely bright green short-sleeved t-shirts they had in Marks&Spencer this summer? If you didn't see them at the time, drop in and have a look, they might still have them. I bought one and it's great. £10 well invested - it fitted me right through pregnancy and has now returned to my normal size/shape along with me. :)