July … ing

 :: Listening to “Here and Beyond” by Hal Lacroix. I needed a bit of feel-good science fiction and this one ticked the box. It is a cautiously optimistic generation ship story, which I liked. Often, in such generation ship stories, something goes catastrophically wrong but not here, although plenty of setbacks and issues. I am also listening to “The Bridge to Always” by Lynda Marron. This is firmly set on earth, in Cork and so far most enjoyable. I am also enjoying “The Correspondent” by Virginia Evans. Three very different books, for sure.

:: Cringing because of bad science in fiction. It drives me potty. 

:: Admiring my red nails. A simple pleasure. 

:: Quilting my Ice Cream Soda quilt 2.0. I discovered the wavy stitch my machine can do and used it to stitch wavy lines about 2 cm apart. I had planned to hand quilt this otherwise entirely hand stitched master piece but in the end, I didn’t have it in me. I’ve been working on this for two years I think, maybe longer? So long that I can’t remember exactly. I just want to get it over the finish line now.

:: Eating well. Annie has taken over some of the chef duties and made some delicious meals. I really liked her chorizo paella dish, and her black bean enchiladas. I am also eating cherries and apricots. A lot of them. Best time of year for my favourite fruit

:: Cooking nothing exciting but I did make a delicious raw broccoli salad with a recipe from my friend. I also used courgettes from the garden for Courgetti Spaghetti (a dish we eat regularly in summer). Another dish worth mentioning is my crispy sticky sesame tofu with quick pickled vegetables and boiled rice. 

:: Looking forward to my short trip to France, by train. I bought a four day InterRail Pass, with a first class supplement. I only have a week of leave but it will be fun. I am meeting to old friends from Switzerland for the weekend, then will spend a couple of days in Paris, en route from and to Glasgow. Maybe I’ll go to Lyon instead. The world is mine to explore.

:: Trying to find motivation for my ballet summer school, five days of classes in a single week. I loved it last year but yesterday (the first day) was so busy, I didn’t enjoy it much. Too many bodies in too small a room. I am skipping tonight but might go back tomorrow. 

:: Updating vaccinations. I had my MMR vaccine last week. I got this on the NHS, a nice surprise. I have quite some travelling scheduled in from November through to March, so need to have my shots up to date. We are lucky to have vaccines!

:: Making time for walking, every day. I like to stop by the walled garden up by Gartnavel Royal Hospital a couple of times a week, to sit on a bench and enjoy the restful quiet. The photos above were taken there. I also walk to the Hyndland bakery regularly for a loaf of sourdough rye. I like a purpose for my walks. Walking takes up a good proportion of my days and requires some careful planning around work but it is a good balance to working at home. It doubles up as reading time because I always have an audio book on the go. 

:: Running - when time is short. Steps add up more quickly at a faster pace, so a time saver. It is also good for cardiovascular health, and bone density. And just in general for my mood, too. 

:: Watching the Great British Sewing Bee. I am glad I can do my own sewing slowly, one seam at the time. I am also watching a new to me series, Rocco Schiavone - Ice Cold Murders. It is set in Aosta in Northern Italy. I love it. I am watching it in Italian, covering the subtitles because I don’t need them but it is a lazy habit to read them if available. 

July has been good, mostly. How was yours? Thanks for visiting😋