Science corner

They don’t make television like this any more. No gimmicks, nothing flashy. Just a really quite interesting person talking about his work. I watched all five parts without even meaning to. Good for philosophers and academics, not that I know any of those.. ;)

Moonlit Kitchen Taste School

*Miso soup, while still not a huge favourite, is sooooo simple to make that I’m going to persist and keep eating it until I like it. Made some myself for the first time today.

*Dried figs are the latest food to prove that my taste buds are capable of improvement: used to hate them – now I crave them.

*I’ve been eyeing celery in the shops lately. I absolutely hate it, always have, never buy it and only ever eat it by unfortunate accident. But. It’s supposed to be healthy. It would add another commonly available vegetable to my repertoire. It’s used in recipes all the time and, since I already mostly leave onions out of anything I cook (bah, digestive issues…), it would be nice to be able to actually include an ingredient or two. What say ye? Shall I go forth and get me some stalks and/or roots? Actually, which one should I go for, for taste bud educational purposes?

snow girl

It’s cold out there. I should know, I went for a short run today (huzzah! I haven’t been exercising as much as I’d like to of late).

It’s also cold in here. I’ve been wearing two pairs of woolly socks all day (actually, I’ve been wearing two layers of just about everything all day, plus scarf and gloves) and it’s not too much at all.

I’m even cold on the inside. This morning I measured in at well below 36 degrees C; now, close to bedtime, I’ve crawled up to a little over 36.

I’ll just paint my nose orange and I’m all set.

No Wind Today

I figured out what made today feel so oppressive: there was no wind. If things are good, so is no wind. If something needs to change…then you need the wind of change. ;)

Monday 2010

January is very much the Monday of the year. Fresh from a weekend of holidays you stumble onto the terrifying reality of early(-ish) mornings, work, continuing darkness, overcast days and day after day of the same. It seems like January might never end. (It will, of course, we’re already half way through, but knowing that doesn’t actually help.) Holiday weight-gain? Humbug. It is January, with the magazine stands screaming Diet! Detox! New You!, that is the perfect time to have trouble restarting you exercise regime after the inevitable lapse and illness over the holidays, to keep eating a little (or much) too much – all those left-overs and oh it’s so cold outside, surely I need the energy – and generally to feel like a failure when the first day of the new year didn’t solve all one’s problems as if by magic.

The first book you start reading in the new year fails to sweep you away from the drudgery. The hat you start knitting can’t seem to settle on a sensible size and has to be restarted over and over again. The vegetables in the fridge go mushy because the time never seems quite right for cooking with them – I mean, you can always just eat nuts, right?

That’s me. On the Monday of 2010. And let me tell you, I’m very, very ready for Tuesday to arrive. Or February, or sunshine, whichever comes first.

To put a little sunshine in your life

This year I’ve been mostly wearing lots

I’m too lazy to try and take a picture of the perfectly white trees outside my window, but it would be a good illustration for what I’m here to say: it’s cold.

Not news, I know, and not even a record freeze, not here, not right now, anyway. Yet I’m sitting in my kitchen wearing not one but two pairs of woolly socks, a scarf with my hoodie, “fisherman’s gloves” (surely no fisherman would benefit, they must have something properly warm and waterproof) and a warming hunch about my shoulders, drinking hot ginger tea and looking at the candle flame as if that would help.

Yes, it’s cold.

10 for ‘10 (the late edition)

It’s a new year and people have been making resolutions and wish lists and whatnots, and one of the things around the internets is this 10 goals/wishes/promises for the new year (or decade?) list. And here’s little old me with a stupid cold, dreaming about skiing and getting rather bored of myself, and I thought: I’ll come up with ten things that would make life better this year. Goals if you will.

1. Relax more. Learn to relax. I’ve always been too jumpy and impatient to meditate but maybe I should give it a go.
2. Eat more raw vegetable foods. Go easy on the sugars and grains and nuts.
3. Keep running. Running is good.
4. More yoga. Yoga is good, too.
5. That “less computer more life” thing was really good. More of that as well. (Life = sleep, mainly.)
6. Have no fear. If an opportunity presents itself, accept it. If it doesn’t, go looking for it.
7. Don’t worry. If you have to worry, only worry about each thing once.
8. Change jobs. Embrace the unknown.
9. Talk to people. Embarrassment never killed anyone. The older you get, the less you care (or remember).
10. Put on your own oxygen mask before helping others. When it matters.

A little…trite? Perhaps. But quite important.

Look mummy, no eyes!

I went skiing (cross-country) for the first time in about twenty years the other day. Walking has been a challenge since, but overall I think it went quite well and I can’t wait to go again, as soon as this ha!-got-you-before-Christmas-is-over cold of mine clears up and it’s not too cold outside. Or warm, for that matter. For any other slightly inexperienced winter sports participants out there here are a couple of hints, though:

• An unlit track is terribly dark in the dark, even with all the snow, and in an open field it’s really difficult to know which way the track is turning if you can’t see it.
• The visibility suffers even more if there’s a mist (there was).
• What with the cold and the mist, it would be good not to sweat and breath heavily if you happen to be wearing glasses. They get steamed up. And then freeze. And then you really can’t see where you’re going.
• If, however, this has already happened, do not try to melt the frost by more breathing on the lenses. For reasons, see above.

It was really lovely all the same. Very beautiful, the little I could see, and it makes a nice change from running.

When life gets you down, Mrs Brown

Things that make me happy, with vowels:

a) snow, the lovely snow, the light and the beauty

e) my laptop heating up in my lap, making me that little bit warmer

i) the food I cooked today which will last me several days

o) no alarm clock waking me up tomorrow morning

u) the quiet

y) this amazing and expanding universe.

[That was not easy.]

Only a ninja…

Happy 2010!

Here’s what I’m thinking: this year I’ll (begin to) learn a new skill and put it to practice, professionally. It’s not a resolution, oh no, nonono. It’s common sense, a simple stepping out of my comfort zone. I’ve been a little too comfortable lately, but that’s all last year. This year I’m going to become a ninja. Oh yes.