Monday 21 November 2016

Memorandum Monday: It's Not Ice Skating

New Monday, new plan. So I started my plan round about Thursday; but round here, right now, it feels like we can start the weekend - or the new week - any day we choose. And that's why on Thursday Operation Get Out of the House began: because if my patient is to return to work before Christmas, as he plans to, he'll have to stay upright and awake for more than a coupe of hours at a time.

I'm a cheap date: trees 28p each, new gingham tea towel £1.14, handful of buttons £1

It's the best time of the year for trying to Get Out of the House. If I mention Christmas shopping, his eyes light up. He likes Christmas shopping. I suppose, for an Accountant, it goes under the heading of Allowable Essential Expenses, and so it's guilt free. Thursday afternoon, we started out in town, where we discovered a new shop, Sostrene Grene. It's like a very chic Tiger, mixing Ikea's natural wood with a Woolworth selection. There was yarn.

On Friday afternoon we drove further out of town, to another new-to-us gift shop. There was a whole room dedicated to yarn. Sian, I thought, you've got a good thing going here: where to Saturday?

Another little village, out in the country. Ah, no: no wool. But second best: a new museum, a tiny one, for us to visit in the old courthouse. Sunday, then. Could I pull it back? Could I achieve wool piggery for two weekends in a row whilst masquerading as a concerned caregiver and enthusiastic trip adviser? 

Yes, yes, I could. We went to the Narnia themed Craft Fair we had enjoyed so much this time last year. There was a stall piled high with hand dyed yarns. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Today? I've set him to sand one of the chairs we ought in the junk shop. Exercise sitting down, he said. Can do, no problem, I replied. Just let me answer this text from your daughter:

Just paid to go ice skating in the bucketing rain. At least I'm one step closer to finding out what I'm good at, because ice skating is not that thing
There's exercise, and there's exercise; and there's sitting down exercise and there's sitting down hard in an unplanned kind of way. I'm sticking to knitting, when I'm sitting.

Have a good week!

But before you make a start, how about a memo? Do anything new at the weekend? Learn anything you didn't know before? How about making a note! Write it down in a memo, this Monday! We'd be delighted to hear all about it.

Last week Alexandra, Deb, Helena, Jane, Mitra, Mary-Lou, Karen, Maggie and Barbara shared their weekend goings on. GIve 'em a wave! Wish them all the best, this Monday.

19 comments:

Patio Postcards said...

OH THOSE BUTTONS! Your photo layout of the little trees, plaid tea towels & "those" fabulous buttons is Ikea like but better! "Allowable Essential Expenses" is the new heading for my December Stories page about budget & spending ... it is my new favourite phrase :)

My Mr Man & your TA are seemingly at the same stage of recovery - sending continue energy for full upright & awake wellness.

Happy week.

Maggie said...

Fancy buttons! Sounds like your rehab programme for the patient is going well. An interesting series of outings!

Julie Kirk said...

How did you manage to come out of that shop spending under a fiver?!! I looked at their website *swoon*.

I've been ice-skating a few times ... did lots of unexpected sitting down there!

Did I do anything new this weekend? I went to a different Post Office - does that count? And while I have been to see the starlings doing their murmurations quite a few times before - this time was the first time we saw a white one in amongst the tens of thousands of black ones. That was new!

alexa said...

Love the Not So Small One's text; and your comment about sitting down hard made me giggle - worthy of Winnie The Pooh :). So, a gifted and thrifty shopper with window dressing skills to boot: I always love your "still lives" ( if that is indeed the plural of a Still Life!). Glad the Accountant getting mobile again too.

Ali said...

Great post and sounds like a great few days. Sound like hubby is on the mend - I hope so :-) x

Jennifer Shaw said...

Sounds like a really fun weekend and yay to new yarn!! I bet it was fun to get out so much after such a long time in the house. I get feeling nutty if I have to stay in the house for too many days in a row.

alexandra s.m. said...

You crack me up Sian! I love reading your posts!
Beautiful picture!!
xx

Ruth said...

"Allowable Essential Expenses" ... LOVE that! If I happen to mention Christmas and shopping in the same sentence to The Brainy One, his eyes glaze over ...
Good to know that TA is fit enough for an excursion or two and sitting down exercise is highly recommended!

debs14 said...

I love the way you are cleverly managing to incorporate yarn buying into TA's rehabilitation! It must be so nice for him to feel well enough to brave the outside world again. Let's hope he continues to improve and manages to get back to work as planned.

KraftyKaren said...

I shudder at the thought of ice skating and can only envisage all the broken-ness that would ensue - if I can break a toe by accidentally meeting it with a falling jar of peanut butter and a wrist from deciding to take a flying lesson inside a narrowboat, then I just wonder what on earth would happen with putting some like me onto ice - I think sitting down pursuits are the safest.

Wow where on earth did you find a man that likes Christmas shopping - I must tell Mr P that such a guy exists :D

Have a great week and enjoy all your new wool - hope your DH is soon feeling much better!!

Lizzy Hill said...

Sounds a VERY good week all round. Except for the ice skating! I tried it once. Doesn't really fit with OZ, & as you can imagine, I was useless. anyways, glad you found shops and villages and fairs and museums. Bonus bonuses on top of the wool ;)!!!

Karen said...

I think you've coined a new phrase, and can expect to see it again in blogland---Allowable Essential Expenses---just perfect for this time of year. All those shops sound delightful. They're the type of shop I love, but my husband would wait (willingly, I might add) outside if it's nice or in the car if it's not.) Glad to hear TA is out and about. And I agree that your photo is just as charming as the post!

helena said...

good to hear he is on the mend and able to be out and about - love the sound of a chic Tiger shop - have a great week

Susan said...

Slow and steady right?! Sounds like a fun weekend with mini-adventures - love the photo of your new acquisitions too!

Barbara Eads said...

I love sitting down activities! Especially after you've done all that walking on your outings. A little knitting sounds like the perfect end to a long weekend!

Mitralee said...

oh goodness the adventures you've had! Love those buttons! Glad you are getting a good peep at all the cool yard!!!!

Melissa said...

Oh, I do hope your patient continues to improve and get more energy each day! I do like those exercising examples - I'm choosing sitting down exercise when I ride the stationary bike, although we've had lots of walks outdoors during Robbie's vacation and our trip to the southern most tip of Texas. Hope you're having a great week!

Jo said...

Oh it sounds like you had a fabulous few days out, can't wait to see what you make with all of your wool!

Missus Wookie said...

Allowable Essential Expenses sounds good to me. I've been trying to get out and about every day, yarn/wool is on dd's Christmas list :)

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