Monday, 2 January 2012

The Snowflake

...although it doesn't appear as a snowflake here as I seem NOT to be able to design a scattergram in the shape of desired flake.

Anyhooooo These are my PERSONAL aims for the coming year. Community project(s) will be on here very soon. (Before the end of this week - promise)

Personal Aims:

1)  To listen and understand, to digest information before it quickly evaporates. This sounds a bit vague but I have major issues with information retention - seriously! I aim to train myself in some way to be in the moment and not off in one of my many daydreams.
This is going to enable me to USE information I am given to move forwards with other plans. I cannot hope to campaign/learn/help anyone unless I learn to listen. So this is where I begin my snowball. Collecting the snowflakes to make my ball. If any of you know of any methods to help with this I would be grateful to hear them.

2) I have decided to walk the length of Hadrian's Wall in August.  I love walking and am really looking forward to having a few days away with my other half and two lovely friends. This, of course, will need a modicum of fitness, I don't have a modicum of fitness. I don't have a minicum of fitness either - yes I realise that I just made up a word...what of it? 
So, with this in mind, I intend to improve my fitness. Another snowflake. This will, in turn, ease my chronic back problem. I think I feel a flurry. I will be needing some orange hair and matching socks apparently.

3) I will keep this blog going until at least the end of this year. This is a smallish task I guess, however by writing every day my writing habits will improve. This in turn should WILL have the added bonus of making me more focused and ready to write extended pieces. I have a competition to enter - I need 3 chapters written and a full synopsis by March 31st. Terrifying but I will do it, and even though I won't MAY NOT win, I will have succeeded in writing to deadline and submitting a good piece of work, which I can then re-work and submit somewhere else. If you fancy giving this competition a go here's the link: http://bit.ly/w2ynXV Good luck!


4) I will sort out my finances! Look for better deals and be generally more thrifty. I will be setting up a saving 'pot' for Christmas 2012, yes I winced too. this might help me begin to look forward to Christmas rather than the annual dread which begins around September 1st!


5) I will eat something that has grown on our allotment!
Ramshackle circa now!
A serene hideaway circa soon(ish)
This sounds as though I have been actively avoiding eating our produce. I haven't, we just haven't grown anything yet. We were very excited when we finally got our plot but we just don't seem to have been very motivated. This will change. In the process of tending our veggie patch I will become fitter - another little flake! At the moment the plot is completely overgrown - we have cleared it twice (I say 'we' in the Royal sense -  I actually mean my husband) and it's all a bit overwhelming. So much so that I had too lie down to think about it! So this year, in earnest, we start again....together!
Do any of you have great tips for allotmenteering - please post!


The weather hasn't exactly been inspiring here in the UK today - however - despite of the weather we braved the mist and rain and went for a cobweb exorcising walk. Right now I'm feeling rosy cheeked and content. I really hope all of you had a good start to the year too.


Off now to start a little planning for the writing competition - wish me luck!





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3 comments:

  1. Gibb2 January 2012 at 15:41

    Home grown food, lovely. We do this ourselves, I say we, I get involved in clearing the weeds from the 2 growing areas we have in order that Alli and Scott (son and wife) can grow food amongst yet more weeds. As a family we've become quite accomplished at this, but it does occassionally shed some food. Spuds, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, runner beans and suchlike, but weed are clearly our speciality. However, I get great pleasure from seeing my son pick from the plant and into the mouth (not with spuds tho' that would be wrong - even aged 6) My only advice would be to plant in such a manner that produce doesn't arrive all at once otherwise you'll end up giving most of it away.

    Reading the Tale Chaser blog has made me think more about what I should expect from the coming year. I usually give this very little thought, and rarely make resolutions (except 2 years ago I decided to engage more with checkout and sales personel, and if they wear a name tag use their name. I've found it makes shopping a much more pleasant experience and continue this habit). So, no resolutions, but things I would like to achieve this year.

    Top of the list is to sing. While I have in the past been in receipt of singing lessons, and indeed have performed singing roles on stage and camera, it's been my excuse for singing, a sort of more or less tuneful noise which with any luck will be drowned out by the others singing with me. No, I need to sing to a standard to which others will want, nay wish, to listen. (I'd like to be able to play more than 3 tunes on the guitar too...) I've attended functions where singers entertain using backing tracks, and realised that what they are doing is little more than karaoke. Well I can do that, and I will.

    The other thing I need to do is get up off my lazy behind and add a further revenue raising skill to my portfolio. Something different to the so called work I now occasionally do. I have some ideas, I just need to make it happen. I also need to spend less time finding things to do on the computer......

    How do I apply the snowflake effect to myself? I'm not sure, but one thing I am sure of. Orange hair? No no no no no.....

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  2. RASM19752 January 2012 at 17:44

    Well done baby - you have inspired me, once again!
    Just returned from tending a (very) small patch of our (much) neglected allotment. Unearthed a few random potatoes. Not enough to worry the local farmers; the McCain contract is still in doubt - but sufficient for supper for three! Xx

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  3. Unknown2 January 2012 at 18:21

    Wow Gibb!

    I am thrilled that I have inspired you to get a start with your own snowball - everyone should sing more!!

    Thanks for the allotment tips too.

    I love your shop assistant practice - this is something that I, too, try to do. And for someone like me, an rabid shopophobic, I do find that having a conversation no matter how brief or inane does really help!

    Onwards and upwards! Keep me posted - I love to hear abut other people's successes.

    Spread the word, throw the snowballs - you never know who you might hit (in a metaphorical manner) - could be someone very influential in whateer field you are in xx

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