Category Archives: musings

Tracks and trails

There was a light snow overnight and a crusty sprinkling over the grass when Lyra and I ventured out for a mid morning walk. As we passed the little wood to the east the shallow snow was covered in prints. In amongst the pointy toes of deer there were lots of what looked like theContinue reading “Tracks and trails”

Once more with feeling

Christmastide is nearly over. (It is not truly over until all the new Christmas socks and knickers have been worn, the last of the Christmas cake munched and the final, loathsome, soft centres consumed or binned – we still have a way to go on these fronts). The tree has, however, been wrestled outside leavingContinue reading “Once more with feeling”

Asceticism Abandoned

This morning, after considering the bathroom scales, I donned leggings and exercise wear with the tentative thought that, if the weather was not sufficiently clement for gardening and Lachlan was hogging the dog, I might hit the exercise bike. Obviously not immediately, I put a jumper on too and determined to work up to it.Continue reading “Asceticism Abandoned”

Listing to port

This is the time of year when the dreariness of the weather (stuck on the spectrum from drizzle to downpour), the necessity of eating the remaining dribs and drobs of Christmas chocolate and the sheer impossibility of deciding on and then commencing a new project together force a sedate (and sedentary) reconsideration of the pastContinue reading “Listing to port”

Rebooting

Between the celebratory bookends of Christmas Day/Boxing Day and Hogmanay/New Year’s Day I have successfully rebooted the Ruthven system by switching myself off and then on again. Several days of barely cooking have passed and, somewhat astonishingly, the leftovers from the gargantuan turkey and slightly more reasonably sized ham are largely all used up. AsideContinue reading “Rebooting”

Boxing and Coxing

After the catering marathon that is Christmas Day (we decided to do it the usual way notwithstanding numbers were down), Boxing Day was declared a day of rest (after I had washed the pans). Everyone made their own turkey sandwich of choice for breakfast and Lachlan and I tootled off with Lyra for a walkContinue reading “Boxing and Coxing”

Sit Rep T-1.9

Yesterday was a wash, literally, it rained like billyo all day. Productivity was also irretrievably dented when Keith and the printer/scanner fell out. An hour and a half of wrestling with it sent him into a thorough crimp. The fact that it then worked after switching the machine off and on again merely added insultContinue reading “Sit Rep T-1.9”

The Christmas warp speed effect

So it has been a few days since I hit the keyboard. “Why so?” I hear you ask. Reader, I was blindsided, as I am every year, by the realisation that Christmas is only a week away and I am sitting on a gazillion half finished projects all designed to be completed by Christmas and,Continue reading “The Christmas warp speed effect”

Better than Gravybones

I have established that there are some things Lyra likes more than gravy bones (her dog treat of choice). Usually any wandering off or other errant activity can be interrupted, and order restored, by bellowing loudly “Baby puppy, gravy bones” (and producing said treat). Over the last few walks, however, we established the limits ofContinue reading “Better than Gravybones”