Aha! Welcome back, me!

Well it has certainly been a while since I wrote on here. What’s happened in that time? Not much. I’ve only moved, had a baby, hobbithusband got ordained, I graduated and now we’ve moved again. It’s all been pretty quiet really. Ha.

Hobbitbaby is now 10 months old and while looking up some fun things to do I got intrigued, then enticed, then ensnared by Montessori. It reminded me that I went to a Montessori nursery when I was wee, and through doing lots (and lots) of reading, I couldn’t agree with its principles more.

Every once in a while I find something like this that completely fits my existing worldview and I get super excited. (And sometimes it’s just something that blows my existing worldview out of the water. See: Paleo, and especially this article about how saturated fat might in fact be good for you. Also, this about communicable cancer - say whaaaat?) The last similar excitement was probably upon discovery of Shane Claiborne’s Simple Way project in the States. In the words of Liz Lemon: “I want to go to there”.

And so in a fit of excitement I packed up most of his toys and books to put into rotation, and found myself seriously questioning a lot of kiddie things I hadn’t previously e.g. Beatrix Potter (re. confusing talking animals), Lego kits (re. restriction of creativity) and high chairs (re. restriction of freedom). Restriction of TV / iPads did not require any shift in my worldview to get on board.

But in all fairness I know jack about Montessori and how to implement it in my home. I bought “Montessori from the start” and read it cover to cover, and have been scouring the interwebs for information and inspiration. The more I see, the more I love it. I intend to share my journey here.

So, this will be a Montessori-at-home blog as well as an I’m-obsessed-with-food blog for a while. Because I have so much time on my hands at the moment…

As a final aside, I wonder if my recent obsession with Montessori is an answer to hobbithusband’s prayers. He has a diagnosis of ADD and needs things clear and ordered to function effectively. I, on the other hand take a rather, well… disordered approach to things. I start things then move onto something else when I realise said thing also needs doing. When I tidy I often lose things. (“I can’t find it. I know I put it somewhere sensible.”) I fly by the seat of my pants a lot. I have enough intrinsic order to not have to keep my surroundings ordered. So trying to keep things consistent and ordered for hobbitbaby is a) a blessing for hobbithusband and b) immensely hard for me. But it’s got to be good, and it’s giving me the inspiration to make my home a beautiful, functional and ordered environment. Win-win-win :)

Korean food - discovery!

Perhaps predictably, as my body realizes it has one less thing to worry about and relaxes, I am fighting off a bug. So, as I sit drinking gallons of honey, lemon and ginger, eating my garlic honey and chain-eating fruit, I have allowed myself some daytime television as a post-viva-recovery treat.

Following one episode too many of "Real Housewives" I found myself on the Food Network, squealing with excitement upon discovery of an episode of "Korean Food Made Simple" with chef Judy Joo, and learning how to make what turned out to be the coolest cake I've seen in a while. As soon as I can source some matcha powder I am ALL OVER this cake.

Green Tea Chiffon Cake (c) Food Network

I suspect this show will become part of my evening for the next few weeks. I am simply obsessed with Korean/ Japanese food!

Bee x

Celebratory Jumble Sale - more adventures in not spending money (and failing)...

Following the Best. Evening. Ever. on viva day (which included hot chocolate, Ethiopian food and a magnum of Prosecco), I decided to ramp it up a notch by arranging to go to a local Scouts-run jumble sale on Saturday morning.

I love me a good community event, and I have many fond memories of jumble sales as a child (where my pocket money could actually buy me things), so considering my current financial situation it seemed like a good place to go to maybe buy myself a celebratory item or two.

As we arrived a bit late all the good clothes/scarves had gone, but I discovered the nicest item I've seen in a long time - a set of Japanese bowls, plates, chopstick rests etc. I've been keeping my eyes open for small plates/bowls for this exact purpose as I use them a lot, but this struck the jackpot: £2 for the WHOLE SET. What better way to celebrate some freedom than a new (beautiful) toy to use whilst doing my favourite activity - eating?! Brilliant.

BARGAIN!

I also scored two - wait for it - jigsaws (!) for 50p each, which have already provided many hours of entertainment. We are SO rocking. So far, so good - then we doubled our expenditure by spending £3 on a cake. Lol. It was delicious, however.

Flushed from my retail success at the jumble sale I then went and spontaneously spent £4 on some knee-high boots in the first charity shop we found, which I then tried on (idiot) only to discover that they didn't fit and Helen and Douglas House don't do refunds (double idiot).

So instead of money I can spend on actual things, I now have a credit note in my wallet. I'm torn between feeling like a complete fool, and anger at my lack of consumer rights. When will I learn that spending money is like an addiction and I just need to not do it sometimes? Gah.

Ho well, I am enjoying my new crockery, even if I am now, once again, entirely strapped for cash.

Bee x

Result...

I'd say I have never been so tired in all my life, but this is soooo much better than after I submitted my thesis...

Oh happy day!!

Bee x

IT'S TODAY!!

All rights (c) Jorge Cham

T minus 1 day to the viva...

So it's my PhD viva tomorrow and I am a wee bit anxious.

Four years of my life assessed in 2-3 hours.

I have spent the past weeks revising everything from horizontal gene transfer to the common agricultural policy. From the effect of pH on nutrient availability in soil to genetic evolutionary theory. Oddly the most helpful article I've read is on economics and was published in 1968*. (N.B. My PhD has nothing to do with economics.)

I've found the process of revising has swung me constantly between confidence ('yeah, I KNOW this stuff! W00p!') and terror ('I don't know ANYTHING! What was I thinking?! Aaarggh!'). Once again I am struck by the truth that the more you know, the more you realize just how much you don't know.

Oh to be young again and think I know it all. I am resigned to feeling helpless in the face of uncertainty. If you think science has all the answers you are so wrong - it's all just questions, some based on better evidence than others. Pffft.

I am however heartened that at the end of it, one way or another, I will be going to Global Cafe in Reading for hot chocolate and CAKE. If I've done well I'll be staying for injeera and wot at Tutu's Ethiopian Table for dinner. Jon's offered to take me somewhere fancier to celebrate, but I can't think of anywhere I'd rather eat. If I can eat, that is.

Wish me luck!

Bee x

* It's about an idea called 'The Tragedy of the Commons' where an individual has it in their interests to exploit a common resource - but to the detriment of the greater population. It applies to everything. You can access a copy here if you are so inclined.

Sanding mania

One year at Taize my group of 2 German, 3 Swedish, 1 French and 2 Dutch people and I played the "national stereotypes" game.

Germans? Organised and efficient.

Swedes? Likewise. Plus Swedish houses are cool.

French? Stylish and nonchalant.

Dutch? Speak better English than the English, also organised.

English?

"You love tea"

Guilty.

"I never feel you get to know English people properly, even if you've known them for years"

You know what, yes, there's some truth in that.

"You're obsessed with carpets"

Sur- wait, what?

But yes, we totally are.

Rarely do I go to a house that isn't carpeted - it's the norm in this country. But why? When I've told this story, most people say it's because it's cold in the UK and we need our insulation. But the Nordic countries don't rely on carpet, and it's waaay colder up there.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized just how rubbish carpet is. Aside from its dust-harbouring properties, you need an electrically powered device to clean it. It's generally made from non-degradable fibres, and made in a factory in China.

It's inherently unsustainable.

I will grant you that it does need cleaning more often as carpet does tend to 'soak up' the dust, but I can get the dust up much quicker from a hardwood floor with a much wider range of implements.

Dogs, muddy boots, spilled drinks and children also hold no fear for me as I can also mop it.

When I moved home after uni I hired a sander and did my mum's floors. The guy at the rental place thought I was mental as it cost a couple of hundred pounds to hire the sander, and he reckoned I should just buy a new carpet. Good salesman, that one.

"But ha ha" I thought "in 10 years' time your carpets will be looking manky, and my floor will still be shiny. Besides I will save a fortune in electricity bills in that time, not to mention hours and hours of vacuuming."

There was much evil laughter inside my head.

Anyhoo, this has all been a ruse to show you some 'before' and 'after' pictures, so without further ado, here is my parent's dining room before...

Photo clearly taken after I'd begun sanding... note dust motes and nicely sanded edge in top left corner :-P

And after...

LOOK HOW SHINY!!

I'm a convert! All together now... CARPETS ARE RUBBISH!