January …ing

I thought I’d continue my …ing series because it reflects my life well, a little bit of this and that here and then. It always makes me smile when you comment on how much I get done because let’s face it, a month is long and there are many things that just happen and get done, 20 minutes at the time. I am a firm believer in incremental progress. So without further ado, here we go. 

:: Making sauerkraut. This took a grand total of 10 minutes. I shredded a whole white cabbage with the food processor, then worked salt in with my (very clean) hands. I think it was 2% by weight but check a recipe before you have a go. It took about 5 minutes to release some water from the cabbage. Then I mixed in a teaspoon of caraway seeds and transferred all to a large glass jar with a tight seal lid. I topped this up with brine to make sure the cabbage was covered. The magic happens all by itself, all I had to do was open the lid once a day. I was a bit worried about trying the sauerkraut because the gas released was stinky. It took two full days to work up the courage to try. Delicious!

:: Also making humous. This also takes no time at all, just a tin of chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon and garlic and a food processor, a bit of salt if you like. I portion it into small tubs to have for lunch with some raw veg and crackers. I developed an expensive crackers taste, I buy them at the cheese mongers. The homemade humous lasts longer in the fridge than the bought stuff, maybe because by the time it hits the shelves in the shop, it is already a week old?

:: Eating fresh bread with humous and sauerkraut topping. I know, sounds weird but it is rather tasty, particularly on Richard’s bread. He makes sourdough and a normal wholemeal seeded loaf. I am actually eating rather well, on the whole considering it is a dark comfort food kind of time of year. My weakness is frozen mashed potato (cooked!) from Ikea with lots of butter but I figure if I eat it with equal amounts of broccoli or green beans, it is ok. 

:: Listening to the Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman. I was not convinced by the blurb but a comment by my friend Dorothy encouraged me to read the first one. Very enjoyable indeed. 

:: Watching This Farming Life on the BBC iPlayer. I look forward to this series every January. I like this year’s farming families and enjoy their farming year (although farming seems to be primarily very hard and not financially viable).

:: Finishing a lecture that I have been working on since early December. I have come to accept that lectures need time to develop, the process can’t be rushed. A bit like the fermenting of sauerkraut I guess. Content is one aspect but another time consuming part is to ensure sure my lectures meet accessibility legislation, ie all figures have accurate alternative text for those who rely on screen readers, using colour schemes with high contrast, clear reading order on the slide and accurate transcripts. Our workload contribution model allocates three hours of preparation for a one hour long new lecture. Ridiculous of course and clearly not based on evidence. Alas, it is written and recorded and with our e-learning specialist now who will be creating a story with it. 

:: Sewing button holes on my animal print denim jacket. Buttonholes in layers of denim are a nightmare. The process may have involved a few tantrums and a great many swear words but it is done. I am now preparing mentally for hammering in the metal buttons. Maybe in February.

:: Knitting (and unravelling) a new pair of socks. I wanted orange and pink stripy socks but I didn’t enjoy making the stripes. 

:: Dreading the final school tracking reports for James and Alistair. They have been issued and now sit in the boys school bag until they are tortured into handing them over to the responsible adults. It can take a while. They also keep the upcoming parent’s night quiet, at the off chance we might not notice it is scheduled. They clearly think we are really stupid… which we probably are but the school team keeps us informed by text. 

:: Enjoying ballet as much as ever. We are definitely nearing intermediate level, the barre exercises are more and more complex and the centre practice, too. We are practicing jumps and turns, which is very tiring. I am wondering if I could find a stretch of wall at home for a barre?

:: Waiting for the inevitable train crash to happen across the big pond, courtesy of the vindictive orange man with the short fuse. Sadly the wrecking ball will not stop at the borders. 

:: But feeling confident in the strength of our own democracy and the relative sanity of our political discourse. I mean, it is not perfect but all in all, not too bad.

:: Loving our robot vacuum cleaner. It frees up a lot of time and provides some entertainment when it gets lost or poked by the dog. If only it could climb stairs and tidy. It doesn’t clean as well as I do but way better than the boys. Life is all about compromises.

:: Also loving that daffodils are back in the shops. A bunch a week is just what I need. 

:: Stretching my wings professionally to improve my chances of promotion. Two new projects on the go, one of which might take me to France for a visit.

:: Suffering with rather severe Raynaud’s every time I go outside. I went grocery shopping today and could barely drive home. It got worse in the cold car. I could not carry the bags in (no grip) or operate the phone but Siri likes following instructions and called Alistair, to come and carry the bags in. Also to unlock the door. 

:: Wondering what February has in store other than stress at work, I am near drowning, but always with a smile on my face. 

That’s it for January! Thanks for visiting 😊

P.S. The tower blocks on the photos are prepared for demolition, all four of them. They have been gutted over the past year and will be coming down in March. I imagine it will be rather spectacular to watch.