Life skills.

My son has reached the grand old age of 20.  He can travel solo to Australia and is captain of the university tennis team.  He has lived away from home for the past two years, but if there is one thing that fills him with dread, it is the cooker.  Below is a conversation we had yesterday night.  The subject was gnocci, that complicated, italian food which requires four minutes simmering in water on the hob...

• Josh Eves

  I couldn't work the hob, so I boiled a kettle, kept filling the saucepan and then draining it when the next kettle boiled. Did that a few times. Haha. And microwaved cheese sauce for it too! Ha.
• 

  12:56am

  Sarah Eves

  was it cooked?

  why could't you work the hob???
• 

  12:56am

  Josh Eves

  Of course!
• 

  1:36am

  Josh Eves

  Couldn't light the hob, will get lessons off my flatmates. 

  
  

  
  

  Oh my, oh my, oh my !!!

Desperately seeking...Hector.

Well, it appears that Hector has yet to reach the Knutsford depot.  Although I'm basing that on Mystic Andy at the depot,  who informed me that he knew Hector hadn't arrived as he hadn't been scanned.  Not scanned?  Hector is recorded mail, which means the only tracking available is a computer generated number to show he was posted (Llanrhidian), and a signature at his destination address to prove he was delivered.  Royal Mail, I am cross!!!  But Mystic Andy has assured me that if I ring again tomorrow they will have a better idea of where Hector is.  Really???  Needle in a haystack springs to mind,  but for now I have faith  in Mystic Andy.   

And the update on Hector?  He arrived!!!  Safe and sound, my faith restored in Royal Mail.

The quirks of Royal Mail...

Pondering.  In the last three days I have sent out ten parcels.  By the law of averages they won't all arrive on time, but what of the three I sent out Monday morning?  The two second class parcels arrived today, whereas first class Hector is still in transit!!!  Languishing in a depot somewhere, awaiting delivery. 
And I am left wondering.  In 2012, is there really any difference between first and second class post, aside from cost?  

Diversifying.

Today is a lazy day.  On the sofa, bowl of cheerios in hand,  I am trying to muster up the enthusiasm to finish Scarlett while  ignoring the splatter of hailstones falling down the chimney.  6pm, but feeling much later.  Not a big fan of winter.

 I love my owls, but my shop is missing small, impulse buy items;  items that are (relatively) quick to make and can sell for under £10.  I think £10 is a cut off price for impulse buys,  and it would add variety.  So I  have been experimenting with gadget cases, and will soon be an expert on phone dimensions, ipod dimensions,  kindles.  So many gadgets, makes my one solitary phone look quite minimal, never having owned an ipod or a kindle.  
But what I do own is a hot water bottle...a beautiful, moss green hot water bottle, bought from a wonderful Folksy shop called Selvage.  Yes,I have reached the age where I find hot water bottles exciting - I love hot water bottles,and Selvage does  beautiful ones!
http://folksy.com/items/2508449-knitted-hot-water-bottle
http://folksy.com/items/3778986-Snoozy-Owl-gadget-case

Oh my, oh my, oh my.

Poundland.  A treasure trove of bargains amongst the tat.  I love finding a bargain, but today I had an altercation at a till. Bip, bip, bip went the items.  £2 went the till.  I had more than two items.  As I (thought) I was handing over a £10 note, I queried the bill;  bip, bip, bip the items went again, I handed over another note and then wondered what had happened to the first one.  How could it possibly disappear??? I rummaged through my bag, my pockets...the floor - no note.  The lady on the till called a supervisor and off they disappeared to do a till check, leaving me to ponder the missing note.  For ages.  And then I realised - I hadn't had a £10 note, having spent it earlier.  Mortified...

Suki, guardian of cotton reels.

Simple pleasures.

 I am the mother of a 20 year old. Sometimes, it seems like yesterday that I was bundling Josh in to his dufflecoat, bread in hand, to feed the ducks.  So many afternoons spent at the park.  But then he started school and we didn't go so often.  Years passed by and I forgot all about the park - until a visit two years ago, with my parents and grandma. Memories came flooding back, and I now visit regularly.  In a hectic, materialistic world the park is an oasis of calm.  Now, I am rediscovering the simple pleasures that nature offers.  With my camera.  Sitting with the squirrels, feeding ducks - the rich colours of autumn, the falling leaves - the rustling underfoot.  Simple pleasures.