Things I've Found In Pockets

Guest Post: Fish Pie!

2012-05-10T21:06:00.000+01:00

My sister Ailis was at the doctor's office recently, and got chatting with another mum there. The other mum was consumed with guilt because she had given her baby a taste of chocolate biscuit, and felt so much better when Ailis said that Kate went wild for Jelly! There's so much guilt around motherhood, and so many rules, and everyone has an opinion. I'm here to say this:

"All babies are different. All mums are different. Don't beat yourself up if you aren't following ALL of someone's rules!"

My friend Miira's beautiful two-year-old lives almost entirely on breastmilk.
My middle child ate anything he could reach, as soon as he could reach.
My last child spent several years living almost entirely on air, supplemented with the occasional nut, and is now having a growth spurt and eating five large meals a day.
Some babies are very interested in food.
Some are not.
Some mums get a huge kick out of feeding their babies.
Some do not.

My only warning is that babies need MILK, and lots of it. Have you noticed the food bits in your baby's nappy, if they are eating solids? That's because although a six-month-old baby can enjoy food, their body is not able to process it properly. The foodie goodness comes right out the other end, along with any 'added vitamins and minerals'. So ensure that your baby is still getting almost all of their calories from breastmilk or a sensible substitute.

SO. Here is Ailis' Fabulous Fish Pie recipe. Apparently, Kate (8 months old) thought this was the best thing after Jelly...

To buy:
Salmon and cod - I got mine from the fish monger and asked him how much I needed. It would be easier if you get it without any skin on.
Flour, milk, butter (for the white sauce and extra milk and butter for the mash potato)
Cheddar cheese
Potatoes, leeks and an onion.
Black pepper, bay leaves, freshly grated nutmeg and allspice.

Method:
Like most people who have been cooking for a while I don't measure anything. I just do it by sight and taste so apologies for the lack of quantities. It also depends on how big you want it to be and how you want it to taste!
To start I poach the fish in just enough milk to cover it and add the black pepper, nutmeg, bay leaves and allspice to taste for 5mins. Remove the fish and retain the milk for the sauce.

Preheat the oven 180 degrees Celsius. 360 degrees fahrenheit (I think).

Saute the leeks and onion in butter until soft. Add flour (about a tablespoon) to make a roux. And then slowly add the milk from the poached fish and stir until it coats the back of the spoon. Should be a consistency like custard. You can take the leeks and onions out, make the white sauce and then add them back in after. But I like the flavour it generates by leaving them in. Remove the bay leaves.

Cook the potatoes until tender and then mash with the butter and milk. Add a little of the nutmeg to it.

Flake the cooked fish and add to the white sauce. Mix well and place into a over proof dish.

Place the potatoes on top of the fish mixture and grate some of the cheese on top.

Place in the preheated oven for 12 mins. Or until golden and bubbling. I whizzed up some of the fish mixture so that Kate could benefit from the leeks and onions (as they were too big for her to gum!). I have found that puréed potato goes gloppy so I just keep that mashed. I'm also a lazy cook so I don't peel my potatoes - I use the Maris Piper variety where the skins disintegrate anyway so it isn't a problem.

My mum used to use Idaho potatoes and they seemed to have much the same effect. And a lot of goodness is in the skins anyway so that's my excuse! So that's it. Hope you enjoy it. We all certainly did!

- Ailis, Daniel and Kate

(OMG, the cuteness! -Editor)

Keeping a Green Scene

2012-05-06T20:26:00.000+01:00

Hello Peeps!! I hope everyone has had a good week. Was it productive? Was it kind to the planet? Can it be both? I'm just ruminating on things today.

It's a quandary: When I cycle to work, and I think, "Oh, I'll pick up some groceries on the way home," I tend to get a plastic bag with them because I travel really light when I'm cycling. Obviously, I don't have my reusable bags in the boot of my bike! But, because I'm cycling I buy less because carrying home six bags of groceries on the back of my bike would be a trial. So that's good, right? Whenever I drive, I try to optimize my drive time, running car-only errands on the way home and so on. I obviously need to add small-folding reusable bags to my cycling kit.

At my temp job, I've been instigating some recycling. I've even made a cardboard box into a recycling bin, neatly labelled: "PAPER AND CARD RECYCLING". I glare at people when they chuck their paper in the regular bin. When I leave, they will probably recycle the bin and that will be that. They do recycle their printer inks and toner cartridges though, which is awesome.

When I use produce that's been packed in plastic, I can recycle the plastic easily, in this great town. But it has to be washed, using gallons of precious water... The south of England is in a drought these days. You might think "But it's always raining in Dorset," and you would be right! But It's not real wet rain: Two inches in April, the wettest April EVER. In the tropics, two inches falls in half an hour. When we were in Trinidad in December, five inches fell in a day. When you think about just how many people live in Dorset, and how many inches of rain each person needs, you begin to realise how dire the situation is.

We all want the best. We all want stuff. I really want some new clothes so that I don't look like I'm wearing hand-me-downs at work (often, I am). Luckily, I'm broke, and the boys actually grow out of theirs, so they NEED new clothes. I can wear the same stuff for ever until it falls off of me. When I invested in clothes in the past, it was good quality stuff. Expensive, but on sale. So it lasts. Max wears lots of his older brothers' hand-me-downs. That's pretty green.

There's a huge market for Green Living, have you noticed? If you decide to save the Earth, and check the internet for tips or buy a magazine for Cruelty-Free or Sustainable living, there are all of these things that you NEED to BUY right NOW!! Apparently, instead of just wearing the clothes I have, I should throw them away and buy lots of organic recycled cotton stuff. I should throw out my cleaners and buy eco cleaners and a hundred pounds of baking soda. I need to buy a water bottle, even though I have sixteen of them in the recycling bin. Kids should have organic, wooden, bpa-free toys even though they will STILL just play with the box. Someone ought to sell organic recycled cardboard boxes for kids, they will make a fortune.

Okay, I am exaggerating. A little. But it irks me that many people, in an effort to live more gently on our planet, immediately spend a heap of money and raise their carbon footprint by a zillion percent. We CAN save the world, simply by not buying more stuff.

But it takes thought, organization and inspiration. And that is hard for a busy family, isn't it?

We've been changing our eating habits at home to 'Almost Vegetarian'. It's weird, how easy it has been for me to return to vegetarianism. I was a fairly strict vegetarian and sometime vegan for fourteen years before I got married, but started cooking and eating meat for a few reasons. Recently I had this revelation that actually, my reasons were dumb. So I stopped! I told the boys that they were welcome to fry bacon or sausages for breakfast, and have meat at school or when we went out, and they were cool with that. In an adolescent boy, eye-rolling, sarcastic kinda way. And it's pretty interesting, the boys have been eating more vegetarian food outside of the home as well, going for the less-meat option or the fish or the downright veggie. They have also become very fussy about the meat and fish they do eat. It's got to be really fresh and cooked to perfection. The bacon is sitting uneaten in the fridge, while haloumi and mushrooms disappear in a breakfast fry-up. I don't think I'll buy bacon and sausages any more. We're going Veg in this house.

So, while my attempts at green-ness may not be completely perfect, our diet and lifestyle are fairly Earth Friendly. I spend quite a lot of time thinking about it, and making small changes. There is so much every person can do, if they change a few habits.

What small changes can you make to go greener?

Dear Spring...

2012-04-29T12:22:00.001+01:00

You call this a Sunday?

I mean, really.

Boredom is a Bee in my Bonnet

2012-04-27T14:44:00.000+01:00

We live in a world of constant entertainment. Every moment of the day, right up until we close our eyes at night, we are pandered to. From the TV to the radio to our constant connection with our friends to the games everywhere (Games! On our phones, in the newspapers, at school, on the computer screen at work); it's all fun, fun, fun.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the connection. I enjoy games. I like that I can be entertained and informed in the rare quiet moments at work. I love that I can instant-message my faraway friends. But sometimes I wonder if we aren't limiting ourselves by simply accepting the distraction that's offered, instead of just doing nothing.

I have this bee in my bonnet about Boredom. I feel that it helps to reboot our brain, rests the soul, connects us to our inner selves... or something. I annoy my kids all the time, insisting that the TV screen remain unplugged during the term time, arbitrarily banning the PS3, taking us off on unplugged tree-hugging expeditions. They humour me (and even hug the darn trees) and we commune together. We lie looking up into the leaves. We do nothing. If they do complain, "I'm booooored!", I say, "Excellent! Boredom builds character!" They roll their eyes. Clearly I am a despotic weirdo.

As a young man, Einstein worked as a clerk at a Patents office. I like to think of him sitting there with nothing to do, thinking about the latest electronic gadget to be filed, twiddling his thumbs and daydreaming. I wonder if young Albert would have had the flashes of inspiration which led to his Theory of Relativity, if he had had facebook? Or, would he have spent the quiet mornings at the office 'LOL'ing at pictures of cats instead?

The lack of photo for this post is purely to illustrate my boring point (Is this post visually appealing? No? Too bad), and not as a result of my being too frantically busy to look for one. Maybe.

Things in Our Pockets

2012-04-22T23:30:00.000+01:00

I've been doing laundry all weekend... The sun shone for long enough to dry sheets and towels outdoors, and they smell like the tree that's flowering nearby. Everything else is drying on racks inside while the hail and rain crashes down. What's up with this weird weather? Will spring ever come?

In laundry pockets:

Two army men
A chocolate wrapper
Two paperclips
A sharpener
A felt pen that's had its nib bashed in
One Trinidad Dollar
£3.26
Chas' missing keys
A memory stick
Several napkins
A nut (the edible kind)
Some matches
Sand
Interesting rocks
A hair tie

Spring always brings interesting pocket finds, doesn't it?

Cute as a Button

2012-04-17T18:30:00.000+01:00

We hung out with cousins of all ages during the holidays: From very competitive Scrabble-Winning older cousins all the way down to the Kate of Awesomeness. I kept looking at my boys, holding their little cousin, entertaining her, adoring her, and it made me nostalgic for the days when they were little enough to have a bath in the kitchen sink.

Come and visit again soon, Kate, my kitchen sink needs you in it!

Cuz Writers Gotta Write...

2012-04-16T19:26:00.001+01:00

HELLO PEEPS!

You know what they say, if you want to be a writer you should write every single day. I myself have said this. And facebooking, "Easter technique: Eat chocolate til you feel sick. Lie on floor playing board games til feel slightly better. Eat more chockie til feel sick again. Repeat indefinitely", does not count as quality writing, apparently.

The only sensible thing that I have to say is that I am the time-management queen of the universe. I give you my stellar time-management tips below.

Multitasking: I often ride to work, getting my exercise/commute multitasking mojo in gear. (Note cycling metaphor. Genius.) This gets my blood pumping first thing, and forces me to eat a healthy breakfast before I leave. I ride at a fairly easy pace so as not to arrive all sweaty. Cycling to work has to be the best thing ever. You may have to change into your work shoes when you arrive, if you need to wear impractical shoes for work. I'm allowed to wear practical shoes for work so I WIN!

Delegating: I have been delegating tasks to teenagers... actually, I left for work on Friday announcing "I am never coming home, this house is too messy. You and your friends go right ahead and burn the house down while I'm out." After work I bought two bottles of wine and went to a friend. I called home to say "Max and I are eating supper at Tracy's, and you have to STARVE because I bet there isn't a clean fork in the house." They laughed at me and said that they were enjoying a completely clean house, and dear readers, they had completely cleaned the house. Vacuumed, washed, put away, scubbed the stove top, made the beds. It was like a maid service had been. So if I need to delegate to teenagers I need to remember to suggest that burning the house down is a suitable activity.

Chas' Breakfast Documentation

Teenagers. They are interesting. Just keep the fridge stocked with lots of bacon.

Organization: I recently got a new Filofax. I've always been a Filofax person, as I love the way you can compartmentalize your life into different sections. My new one is larger, an A5 size, and it's very helpful. I have a section for Blog Posts (with completely brilliant ideas that may never see the light of day), Article Ideas and Notes, Things To Do, Diary, Blank paper for drawing and doodling, pockets and sleeves for sticking stuff in. I carry it with me everywhere, so that everything is in one place. Previously, I had my smaller filofax but often made lists which got lost because they were on larger pieces of paper, or wrote article drafts in other notebooks... I noticed that I tended to use A5 notebooks and sketchpads for stuff, so wouldn't it make sense to store everything in one A5 organizer? It works for me. For some people, a smart phone might be a better option. I used to blog from my blackberry, so it is possible, but I am still seduced by stationery! Whatever you do, if you're a freelancer, you need a way to keep your life organized.

And if you're a working mother who also freelances and has kids and would like her life to be not just about drudgery and toil, you need to multitask, delegate and organize. Also, wine, chocolate and awesome friends are a must.

Letter from Boarding School

2012-03-30T15:00:00.001+01:00

Ahh, Boarding School...

"One dormitory used to lock the other borders out, so they settled it with a fight. Two prefects were there, and there was a roll-call to see that all the fighters were there... it was a lovely fight. Pat Grant was in it, and he fought well, considering his size..."

"I hope Podge is alright, I miss him a lot..." Aww, that's you Pappi. I miss you a lot too. XX

Letter from Pat O'Connor to Thora Brand, 1935?

2012-03-28T10:26:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I was blissing out with the relative peace and quiet at work, and as soon as I posted how lovely it was to have nothing to do but read old love letters my boss turned up with a HUGE HEAP of filing for me. Hi Sandie :)

So here's another letter without further ado. Click on the pages and you can zoom in. They are not easy to read, for those of us who have become unused to reading handwritten letters, but it is worth it. Especially if you are a grandchild or great grandchild of the writer. Some questions are answered in this letter, and some are raised. Enjoy your read, and I'll get back to my dusty heaps of purchase orders!

Edited: Click on the page, and use your 'zoom' button to zoom in. It's actually easier to read that way than in real life. Internet Explorer not so good, iPad fabulous. Anyone with a Kindle? It should be easy to read there. Do let me know!

Love Letters to my Grandmother

2012-03-27T11:13:00.000+01:00

I have been meaning to read all of my grandmother's letters for ages, and with things so quiet this week at work (Students on Spring Break) I thought I would bring a few in with me. I am sure you will agree that I HAD to share some of my findings with you absolutely immediately. (And everyone who comes into the helpdesk says "Oooooh! Can I see?") I wish I could print every letter in it's entirety... but I will definitely scan the lot.

"My own darling,

..." It is snowing like blazes so we may not get out at all today!

"...The old landlord at the Harrington arms is such a funny chap. He told us there was a nuddist colony just over the way! And leaning to Parkinson said 'If you look a likely lad maybe you would be interested now.' So you see, he evidently thought I looked quite settled down.

"... I will find a 'Bookie' this evening and place the bets for the National. Also for Nurse. Hope your stars foretell the truth! Darling Princess that is all my news I am afraid, only that I love you and love you and love you. I won't join the nudists, it's much too cold! God bless you my own sweet darling, a great big kiss and a very special snuglet. It would be a nice day for snuglets with the cold rain!"

"...All my love dearest darling, your very own Pat."

The thought of the 'nuddist' colony in the snow cracked me up... and I love the stars foretelling the winner for my witchy grandmother!

More to come! For more fab Blogging and notices of upcoming Magazine Articles, 'Like' Nan Sheppard on facebook and stay tuned!

Just Do It

2012-03-25T09:12:00.000+01:00

Artists and writers (and most people) have so many good ideas which they never DO anything about. I'm sure everyone reading this has a half-finished project, an idea for a book, some paints they bought three years ago that have stayed in their packaging ever since, or been fiddled with once and stuck in a container...

There are some holidays coming up, and spring is inspiring everyone. Could you take make some time over the spring break, and get a project well under way? What ideas have been knocking around in your cranium, what have your friends been nagging you to finish up and exhibit, publish, show off? When will you make the time to get it DONE?

Me first: I've got three children's books to illustrate. I'm an artist, I've done the sketches, the layout is in my head... I have five days off for Easter, and I AM going to make a start on this!

There is always an excuse not to: Before, I had a wonderful studio... but the immediate problems of paying the bills meant that when I was there, I worked on fast-money items, not risky illustration projects. Now, I have no studio, no space, and that has been my excuse. No more excuses! I'm going to do this.

Now your turn!

With special thanks to my creative friends who inspire and nag me...

Celebrations!

2012-03-13T21:05:00.001Z

I've been riding my bike to work, EVEN on the cold, misty mornings, which is like riding through cold dishwater, really, and not the sparkling birdies-tweeting-in-the-morning-sunshine experience you think of when you think about riding to work. It's character building.

It is my birthday this week. It's my uncle Sligo's birthday on the same day. Best of all, it is CARMEN'S birthday this week and Carmen is the one I am most celebrating. Carmen is an inspiration! I love you Carmen, from your indomitable spirit all the way to your new and improved kidney. You rock! Everyone, go and sign up to be an organ donor right now. Really, think about it. I might have lost a dear friend had a generous family not thought of others.

Sligo and Carmen will be celebrating our birthdays in Brasso Seco as usual, and I will be there in spirit you guys, all weekend. On Friday night, I will eat a lot of cake and be entertained by my my local friends. I'm looking forward to it!

Weekend Awesomeness

2012-03-10T16:48:00.000Z

Yesterday ,when I got home from work, the latest issue of 'The Green Parent' Magazine was waiting in my heap of mail. Yippee! My article, "Unplugging Teenagers", looks really good and I am feeling like a million dollars.

Today, the sun is shining for the first time in ages. So I put my comfy shoes on, sped out and crossed things off my list: Get Margo's mail! Go to post office! Buy new toilet seat! Stationery store! Corner shop! Cut new keys!!!! The total round trip was probably about two miles, and the exercise was good. When I got back, Max and Sam and I walked to the park. In between, I'm washing my sheets and duvet cover and hanging them out in the sun. Sean and Chas have gone for a long ride with biking friends. Sam is playing computer games, and Max and his buddy are outside climbing the tree, which has little leaflets all over it.

I have a moment of peace, so I'm catching up here, and doing housekeeping on my facebook page. I have several more lists, in a heap beside me, so if I am supposed to be doing anything for anyone, don't panic. You're on my list. And, DELEGATING is on my list too, because a woman's got to know when to say "Actually, perhaps I should not attempt to sew my niece's Roman blinds all by myself when I could easily HIRE SOMEONE."

What are you delegating, busy peeps? And what great feats will you accomplish while you're not doing that thing?

I have NO IDEA what's in pockets this week!

2012-03-07T14:39:00.001Z

Sean is here, and he's being house husband for a whole month. It's a weird reversal: "How was your day honey?" "Ooooh, today I did ALL the laundry!" "So why is the laundry basket full of smelly sports kit and wet towels?" "Aaaaagh! Where did that come from?!"

Muahahahaa!

I said that it's okay to give up on the housework and go have fun because it ain't going anywhere, but he is determined to get on top of things. Good luck, Seanos!

Inasmuch as I have no idea what is in our pockets this week, and so far everything hasn't been horribly destroyed with green crayola/chewing gum/packet of vibrantly-coloured sweeties, all of you mums who don't have a house husband are going to have to pick up the slack for me: What wonderful, disgusting, strange-smelling or unspeakable items have you found in pockets lately? I'm dying to know!

On Yer Bike!

2012-03-01T21:00:00.001Z

So, I have been driving my brother-in-law's car for two weeks, but yesterday I had to give it back. Alas! And I told myself I'd start cycling to work instead. So naturally, this morning was freezing and misty moisty. I nearly caved and took the bus.

Me on my way home from work. Ok, not really.
Max's friend Jimmy takes to the sky.

But no! I was brave, and donned my gloves, and hit the road with plenty of time to spare. And lo, it was cold and damp and fog stuck to my cloves and my face froze. But the ride back HOME, dear readers, after work, was divine. Sunshine, cool breezes and trees blossoming.

I think this weekend we'll go and ride in the park.

Things in Pockets

2012-02-28T20:17:00.001Z

SAND! You know spring is coming when we've got pockets full of sand. And, socks which are clean, but when you try to turn them right-side-out you realise that you have washed a sock full of sand. and then you have nice clean sand on the kitchen floor. But who cares, it means the weather is warming up!

Lists, also nice and clean. I wonder what was written on them? We'll never know.

Half a biscuit.

Come on, Spring!

Inspiration is Hard Work

2012-02-26T13:12:00.000Z

The last six months or so have been seriously productive and positive for me. I have had actual paid articles published by actual national magazines, and I have a good idea of the direction I want my writing to go in. (Grammar Police! Do you know I still have to psych myself up to end a sentence with a preposition? In fact, that whole sentence should be re-written but this is MY blog so I won't. Ha!)

Where was I?

So yes. I know what I need to do. I've had six months of really quite disciplined writing (and filing and updating and selling), every morning, and focusing on myself and my craft. Because all artists know that inspiration rarely just strikes; you have to sit down every day, at around the same time, and work. Paint, draw, sculpt, write, exercise those muscles of your craft. Train your body and mind to focus, and open the door to inspiration and great things.

I am hoping to have my two children's books illustrated by the end of the year. I have had that thought before, but I am saying it here: Somehow, I will make the SPACE to do this. Having no studio is a good excuse, but excuses are for wusses. Right, Sharon? :)

Now, I have a regular job and my majorly mind-boggling challenge is how to hold on to that creative and disciplined mind set and KEEP WRITING even though I haven't got those handy hours when the boys leave for school. I am a morning person and find that if I work at night, I am not as focussed. Working late at night on a regular basis also makes me less sparky during the day and turns me into a morning grouch, although I can pull a few late night deadline-meeting work sessions if needed.

Clearly, what I need to do is get up earlier and write before the household gets up. Which means that you might find me here regularly again, musing over my morning chai. Having Grammar Police moments. Talking to my sparrows, who are cross again because the last time we hung the bird feeder, it was too close to a branch and the naughty pigeons spent a happy few days gobbling up all of the bird seed and chasing the smaller birds away. We refilled the feeder this morning and hung it sensibly at the end of a skinny branch, so cheer up sparrows! And Spring is coming! The tree is sprouting tiny green leaflets, and Chas and I have had a happy morning servicing bikes in the sun. I don't know why anyone makes new years' resolutions in January, I advise mulling it over until Spring and then taking action then.

How do you make the time to work, if you do work at home? Share your tips!

Photo of Samwise, by Chas Sheppard

Thursday Thirteen and Anti-Cabbage

2012-02-23T15:11:00.000Z

I am back at my favourite 'Temp' job. At work, people go by with bright blue spiky hair. And Orc-type creatures, fully armed. Persons so completely covered in paint or clay they look like Art themselves.
I walk through an Art Gallery to get to my office.
I am disorganized and a little swamped at home, but last night I did a ton of laundry and even IRONED stuff!!! We've been here before, haven't we. But now I have older kids, so it's easier.
At least we don't have dog hair.
The boys are being pretty helpful. But they haven't figured out that cooking is not helpful if the kitchen looks like a hurricane has hit when they are done.
How can I inspire myself to get some writing work done once I get home from work, and not collapse in a brain-dead slump? Suggestions please :)
When I was taking care of Margo, she had a grocery list in her head that said, "Milk, Cabbage". Every time she went out she bought those items. I would take her to the supermarket, and she would insist on buying cabbage. Then later that afternoon she would sneak out and buy more cabbage. Then she would pull me aside and say, "WHO has been putting all this cabbage in my fridge? It's ridiculous! Please take it with you." And then the next day she would buy more. No-one in my family likes cabbage, but we ate it dutifully, in stir-fries and coleslaw. Or we gave it to neighbours and friends, until they very politely said "No. Thank You."
We get organic veggies delivered every week, from a nearby farm. For the winter months, cabbage has been a staple of our diet, along with parsnips, carrots, potatoes... This week, as I was saying, "Go on, have some of this scrummy coleslaw," the boys finally revolted. A hilarious discussion ensued ("Remember Margo and the daily Cabbage? It's BACK!") and we decided that we are being STALKED by cabbage. Is it Karma? We long for spring and summer, and tomatoes, and salad greens...
I am writing this at work, in a rare quiet moment. Sometimes, it's absolute chaos here.
I'm using my brother-in-law's car while they are away, and it's been lovely... long drives to visit cousins, short drives to work. Hopefully Spring will be here next week, when I have to go back to taking the bus.
Or, as it will be Spring and warm and sunny, I may ride my bike. Hmmm...
Which will solve my needing-exercise problem very neatly.
Happy Thursday, everyone!

Right Back Atcha, Sparrows

2012-02-08T11:10:00.000Z

Sometimes, life just sucks.

In the old, old days, I used to write in a diary. It was good, and cathartic, and therapeutic, and all. I think I like writing on my blog most though, because I have TERRIBLE HANDWRITING which sometimes I can't read. And I like the tappity-tap noise of the keys. I'm just used to it. And I love the input and hilarious comments from readers. This blog has always been public, read by cousins and friends and next door neighbours, which is the opposite of a diary. Which is PRIVATE. Even if you had a little brother and little cousins who would find it and read it, giggling, and drive you mad, the point is, they were NOT SUPPOSED TO.

Obviously, I am thinking, I should just start a secret blog! But I know I won't, because the internet is actually not secret, duh. And, all of my whining would not ever be a secret or a surprise to any woman out there who has been where I am. It's just boring general life-sucks whining, and nothing you've never heard before from your friend, or your sister, or your self. It's not even that interesting. Certainly not Soap Opera material. Not the kind of stuff I enjoy reading or writing. Just a slow end to one of the frustratingly predictable cycles of my life. My internet friends and real friends and loved ones, let's just say that right now, I am not feeling my best. The year of the Water Dragon has come along and sloshed the muddy water of the Heilongjiang River all over my sparkle. I invited it to. This is my own doing.

But I figure, mud makes excellent compost. Nothing's going to keep this lady down for long.

Meanwhile, my sparrows are eating their way through yet another feeder of seeds. Without so much as a thank you. Ungrateful beasts! Where are all the blue tits, who flitted about so sweetly? Have the sparrows chased them away? Do they prefer the feeder when it's higher up in the tree? Is my birdseed not good enough for them? Have they flown South? I hear it's even freezing in Italy. We have still had no snow here though, and I am grateful for that!

Things in Pockets, Besides our Hands Keeping Warm...

2012-02-03T12:33:00.002Z

Brrrr! Are you cold? (Trinis need not reply. And I DEFINITELY don't want to know what colour your Carnival costume is or how many sequins will be adorning your boobs.)

I am having a patchy week of ups and downs, including one article published that I am really proud of, 'Computer Games and your Amazing Brain'! The PDF is a little blurry, but you can buy the magazine here for the full awesomeness. Aquila is a really good magazine for kids!

Uploading PDFs, getting myself registered for Sole Trader whatnots online,Taxes and so on has meant HOURS of waiting for things to scan at zero miles an hour and then little popups saying "Scan Failed!" and "Does Not Support BMP" and phone recordings: "Your Call is Important to Us..." So in between, I painted one wall in my living room GREEEEEN!!!!! Which is awesome. It's darker than I thought it would be, and I had a panic moment (as you do), but OH my goodness it looks really good. It's a huge room and the other walls are basic beige so it works. At least that's what I think! I need to get out my skinny brush and touch up the edges and corners.

I didn't take a picture of the whole room because it's knee deep in Lego. And there are clothes folded in heaps on the other half of the sofa. Notice the pull-up bar hanging in the doorway for boys to hang upside down. But that one little corner looks terribly House Beautiful.

So, what have you got in your pockets this week my peeps?

We've got Cough Drops, Gloves (Max has gloves in EVERY SINGLE POCKET of EVERY jacket and coat he owns, so he has no excuses!) Packs of Kleenex, Used Kleenex (crunchy and soggy both), A Few Coins, Lists, Lint, Notes From Teachers, Notes TO Teachers (for heaven's sake!) Bottle Tops, Keys (but not the ones we were looking for) Chockie Wrappers.

The bird feeder has fallen out of the tree. Oh travesty! There is a little posse of sparrows glowering at me through the window. I never knew sparrows could glower until now. Glower all you want, sparrows! It's too cold for me to climb trees today!

We Really Love Our iPad

2012-01-30T12:06:00.000Z

Where did the sunshine go? This has been a weird January, I have had my duvet covers and things hanging outside to dry in the balmy Bournemouth breezes. People have been out in t-shirts. But no more! The weather gods must have noticed us all out enjoying the sunbeams and today they are making up for it with grey skies and snow flurries, but mostly rain.

Dandelions, by Sam

I love my iPad. I haven't been using it for work, YET, but as a toy it absolutely rocks. This painting was created by Sam in moments, using ArtRage. We have SketchbookPro, which is a good app for drawing... and cheaper, and easier for young children... but ArtRage is really fun, especially if you like to smush paint around and are not afraid to let your creativity flow and leap!

For kids, there are so many good apps. Max uses 'Times Tables Quiz', which is free, and there are plenty of other good number and word games which are free too... if you can tolerate the ads that pop up in between every move. I love 'Words With Friends', but the ads are really annoying. If you've got 'Flipboard', look for 'The Kid Should See This' and National Geographic for youngsters, and my Facebook Page if you want to keep up with my latest writing adventures. Women's Health is there, The BBC, Oprah, Yoga Journal. I can keep up with the news, and do research. I can make notes on Bamboo music on Garage Band. I guard my apple id with my life, so that the boys cannot download any apps I don't approve of.

'Star Walk' is a beautiful app which will show you exactly what is in the sky at any moment. If you have ever looked up at night and wondered, "Is that Jupiter?" then you really need Star Walk. Best of all, you can click on any object in the sky and get loads of information about it! We often see satellites glinting in the sky in the hour or so after sunset. Star Walk will tell you which satellite it is, and what it's doing there. SO AWESOME!

'Ted Talks' is a great app to have, because all of the Ted Talks are amazing. There is a Kindle App and iBooks. So many free books to download! If only I had time to read them all! I am learning to use 'Scripts Pro', a scriptwriting app, and playing with ArtRage with my mind on storyboarding and on illustrating my children's books. Of which I have written at least two, and they are fabulous, but they really need pictures. I'll keep you posted about all of these exciting projects! I've always been an artist, and having access to new media is cool.

So yes, I love my iPad, and it will gradually change the way I work. It's nice to have such a great, new, different outlet for creativity. But I still love my laptop!

Zombies. All They Need is Love

2012-01-23T19:51:00.001Z

So, we have decided, in a fact-seeking early-morning scientific assembly at Chez Sheppard, that zombies are simply misunderstood. They walk around groaning "BRAAAAIINNNSSSSS..." In fact, they are only trying to explain that due to their lack of functioning brains, they are feeling down and really need a hug. They want to groan, "HUUUGSSS..." and somehow (due to the brains situation) they can't formulate their statement clearly. See? So the next time someone lurches up to you with their arms outstretched, try to find some empathy in your heart, and don't just run away screaming.

"HUUUUUGGSSSS!"
... Discuss.

Good Things

2012-01-20T11:14:00.000Z

Yesterday, there was a complete double rainbow against a dark grey sky. Three seagulls coasted under it, catching the sun and shining so brightly. Everyone was calling everyone else up and saying, "GO AND LOOK OUTSIDE!" and all evening, "Did you see it?" It was at heading-home-from-school time, and teenagers with iPods and phones stopped their bikes and took pictures. When they got home they were all yelling up the stairs and then coming in and dumping their wet jackets on the floor and announcing that they had seen the most amazing rainbow. And then stunned because I SAW IT TOO.

The rainbow faded quickly, but the rainbow mood lasted all evening.

Gratuitous Brasso Seco Holiday Shot

Today it's dreary and grey again, but I keep looking through the window just in case. The birds at the feeder are annoyed. "Whatchoo lookin' at? come and fill 'er up!" I have lots to do, from boring stuff like sole trader taxes to exciting stuff like submitting query letters to new magazines. I have had a few articles accepted or printed this week and it's heady stuff! The new Work Your Way Magazine is out, and you should order or subscribe today! The website is great, and the magazine (featuring my, um, features) is brilliant.

I have an article in an upcoming issue of Aquila, a lovely magazine for curious kids. In which I attempt to explain Mirror Neurons and Empathy to a ten-year-old audience.

And, Green Parent Magazine would like to print my article on getting teenagers unplugged.

All of this is after a year of queries, rejections, total lack of replies, and loss of faith in self. Unfortunately, I cannot quit the day jobs yet, but it's nice to see my name in print, and it makes rejections easier to accept!

What's good with you, peeps? Is 2012 your year?

January, You Are the Pits

2012-01-18T12:55:00.002Z

...Or as my friend Tracy says, "This weather is PANTS!" an English expression which I have adopted wholeheartedly. Yesterday, my camera SD card arrived via registered mail (Thank you thank you Seanos!), so today you get to have a photo of sunshine to brighten your day!

Damian's Bay, where we battled big waves. I bodysurfed a lot, then used my brother's surfboard once and had to lie on the beach to recover.

My lovely friend Pat left a box of hand made Cocobel Chocolate for me at mum's house while I was in Trinidad. I have been eating ONE every few days, they are amazingly good and so pretty to look at. The truffles are ultra-creamy, and the fruity-centred ones, which I usually HATE and give them all to dad, are scrumptious. Not overly sweet or overly 'Flavoured'. The nutty ones are awesome. The chocolate coating itself is very good too, and I know what I am talking about. I think these may be the best chocolates I have ever eaten. Pat, I am RUINED now, I will never eat Cadbury's chockies again. When will we be able to order Cocobel from here? We may have to resort to FedEx!

Looking through all of my photos (1,783 of them!) I am revisiting my holiday. But I'm really supposed to be working. So I will be terribly disciplined, and get back to work, and leave you with just a few.

See, it wasn't ALL sunshine! Five inches of rain falling... and then evaporating again, only to fall an hour later. The forest was like insta-watercyle. I wonder what five inches of rain weighs? These photos taken at the beautiful Brasso Seco Eco Resort.

Hellooo? Is This Thing On?

2012-01-16T12:12:00.001Z

It is well and truly January, peeps. I haven't posted here in weeks! We were off the grid for most of our holiday, which was lovely. I forgot my camera SD card in Trinidad, with thousands of holiday pictures on it, and hopefully it will be here soon, Sean put it in the mail for me. I'm praying that it arrives safely!

Even though I haven't been posting here much, I am still writing regularly over at Work Your Way. If you are a parent who works from home or runs your own business, check out the site for great tips and inspiration! I have a new post up there every Monday morning. I've also been temping last week, at a marketing company. No eating bonbons on the sofa here!

In other news, the weather is not too dreadful (for January), I have many good books to read (which I will eventually get around to), the iPad is loads of fun and we are all enjoying "Artrage" and "Starwalk" among other programs. We all got colds from our travels, but we are fine now. The boys are getting more warlike, and know everything about guns. But they also know about hugs.

I'm watching the birds bicker round the nearly empty feeder as I write. They eat all of the seeds at top speed and then sit looking accusingly through the kitchen window until I climb back up the tree and do a refill. Don't they know I have other things to do?

Happy 2012, my faithful readers!