Blogging Your Life Away

It's 5.30am & already I've spent 1 hour on the internet - checking & sending emails. When I wake up early it's often the 1st thing I do. Recently, I decided to spend less time - maybe just checking in two or three times per week. So far, so good. Then this morning I decided to refine 'my favourites list' & came across an old blog which I go into from time to time. What she has to say hit home - even though I spend alot less time blogging & surfing than I used to, it still takes up too much of my time. Time which could be better spent as anyone who visits me will know :-)
I'm not going to stop blogging - I plan to spend some time touring over the next few months & want to document it but I think Cindy's advice is good & sound. www.dominionfamily.com

Weight Watch

Having re-read my New Year resolutions, I have to report that I've broken them all except the weight loss one. Doing quite well at the moment & I do have to Dec 31st to complete it.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 - 1st stone
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2 stone 5 lb to go!

Goats, cat, turkeys.

Mischief & Rosie (2 goats) arrived at the beginning of Sept for Mick's Birthday.

Bobby (fat, ginger, non-mouse catching, tail-less , lazy tomcat) was bought from the animal sanctuary in Antrim. Don't know how the kids managed this one as I dislike cats & he's a particularly nasty tiger. He gets thrown out every morning & within 10 mins is purring at the door to get in again. If he made an attempt to chase mice I might have grown to like him. At the moment it's a battle of wills & if I don't win he's out on his ear. Turkeys - was going to put a photo of them on but since they've been & gone thought it was pointless. We got them from a commercial place at 12 weeks & reared them for Christmas. Fed 100% organic feed & totally free-range I thought they would make a good dinner - they were just as bland & tasteless as any other turkey. As a chef on TV before Christmas said, " They're ugly when they're living, ugly when they're dead & worse when they're cooked". I'm inclined to agree with him but never being one to quit I'm going to buy some Bronze in the Spring & try them. If they're not tasty then it'll be fillet steak for Christmas from now on!

Happy New Year

"How we spend our day is, of course, how we spend our lives"
Annie Dillard

New Years Day just wouldn't be complete without a few New Years Resolutions :
1) Well, considering my blog has been unattended to for 4 months, I suppose I'd better start by committing to updating it at least once per week. It's a good way of talking to yourself without anyone thinking you're nuts.
2) New Years Day is always special - a fresh start, a time to review past achievements & set out new ones. Yet everyday given to us is special, a time to enjoy our families & friends & yet the busyness of life seems to often drain our time spent doing things we really want to do. So this year I am going to try to make the 1st day of every month an extra special day - a day for a special dinner with tablecloth, candles, flowers & invite someone over for dinner who I wouldn't otherwise take the time to have. So watch out - it might be you!
3) To be on time or even early for any necessary appointments. (No snide comments allowed). This is probably the hardest one.
4) To drag IB out for a walk everyday & refuse to accept any excuses from her for not doing so!!!
5) To reach my target weight of 9st 10lb by the end of the year.

The list could go on but I'll leave some for next year, if I'm still alive & kicking.

Weight Watch

Slow but sure.
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Check out this blog ( www.janne.cc/blog/ )& go into 'The Incredible Shrinking Woman' section to view photos of her before & after. An inspiration to me.

Mommy, Teach Me

With schools starting back next week, I've been trying to prepare myself for back to 'homeschool'. I've read some good books over the years but it always helps to freshen ones mind with new material. While browsing I came across 2 sites which I liked - www.mommyteachme.net & www.mommylife.net . I ordered both 'Mommy, Teach Me' & 'Mommy, Teach Me to Read' from www.Amazon.co.uk . I'm reading both at the same time (as one does) & they've been an inspiration for me. They're the type of book I wish I'd read years ago (as with most home education books) as if I'd known there was such a thing as home ed when I had my 1st 2 children I would never have sent them to preschool or school. There are still folk out there in N. Ireland who don't know that they can teach their children at home & can do so with very little difficulty. There is nothing mystical about being a teacher & regardless of what teachers think it's not only teachers who can teach. Check out the above sites if you get a chance & take time to read the 'My Story' section in the latter one.

'THE RIGHT PATH IS THE ONE THAT WHISPERS EVEN WHEN THE REST OF THE WORLD IS SHOUTING ABOUT ANOTHER'
Barbara Curtis (Author of above books)

Hedgehog

The boys found a hedgehog in Polepatrick (our local cemetry - sounds morbid but it's actually a really nice place for a walk - not too many graves yet) so we took it home in a box ( which is what the British Hedgehog Association recommends if you find one during daylight) & are feeding it dog food. It seemed lethargic at first but seems to be coming round & is eating lots - probably thinks it has found a 4 star hotel. Will post a photo of it later.
EDIT: fed & watered it for 3 nights - it has disappeared much to the disappointment of the children & we didn't manage to capture it on camera.