The Simple Woman's Daybook | Thursday 13th July 2017

FOR TODAY - THURSDAY 13TH JULY

Outside my window ... it is overcast with a gentle breeze. Everything looks fresh (and not too battered) after the recent rain.

I am thinking ... that it is time to get my act together and start blogging again. I've had a bit of a wobble in overcoming the depression but am on the mend again. I'm trying to keep life simple so will only be blogging occasionally for now.

I am thankful ... that it is the school holiday and that, after this coming Sunday, I have no teaching or playing commitments until September. I have taken the decision to cut back on the teaching from September (to do with the office politics rather than the actual work with the children) so life is going to be different. I'll still be working with children (i.e. recorder lessons and clubs, and also the youth band) but no more work for the company I provide individual brass and woodwind lessons for.  

In the kitchen ... it's all tidy for once. I'm sitting at the dining table to type this, the radio is on and at one end I can see clean, empty work surfaces and the other end I can see out into the garden.

I am wearing ... skirt, t-shirt and cardigan. None of it matches and I look like a 3 year old that's been allowed to dress herself!

I am creating ... photos for the summertime photo scavenger hunt. I hope to post some at the weekend.

I am going ... to take part in a psychology study at Bath University this afternoon. It's my third time of taking part in this study which is to do with the differences in how the over 50s differ from people in their 20s in their approaches  to savings and investments.

I am wondering ... whether I will get the third bedroom emptied in time for the decorator to start painting next week. It's taking longer to empty the room than I thought it would!

I am reading ... 'Far From True' by Linwood Barclay. I'm gradually working my way through some books that have been in the bookcase for ages (ages = years!). It's not a very demanding read but it suits my mood and I'm enjoying it.

I am hoping ...  to arrange a couple of theatre trips to London. A new-to-me company is advertising coach trips from Bath to London for £5 each way and they also offer a choice of later return journeys that National Express. It means that I'll be able to go to a matinee performance and catch the coach back without worrying about the time. I'm trying to get tickets to Les Miserables (again) and Kinky Boots.

I am looking forward to ... friends coming to stay for the weekend. It's a last minute arrangement so they're going to have to manage without me for part of the time as plans have been in place for months at band to take the children busking on Saturday and to play at the Civic Service on Sunday. 

I am learning ... no, I can't think of anything I'm learning. There must be something but my mind has gone blank!

Around the house ...  I'm moving everything from the little bedroom down to the living room. Most of it has to be either sold, donated or skipped so it's just a case of getting on with it. I've taken photos and am ready to place adverts for the majority of the things for sale, and I've also sent about a third of the stuff to the skip. This will be the end of the decluttering of the house ... at long last! 

I am pondering ... whether to get the air conditioning sorted on my car. As soon as the hot weather arrived and I wanted to use it, it went wrong and will be very costly (in excess of £600) to repair. I have the money but am struggling to convince myself that it is worth that sort of expense when I can just as easily open the car window.

One of my favourite things ... early morning walks before everyone is out and about and I have my favourite route all to myself.

A few plans for the rest of the week ... apart from the university study this afternoon and the band commitments at the weekend, I don't have any firm plans. I'll just see what happens.

A peek into my day ... I'm feeling stressed dealing with the fallout from my resignation from certain teaching commitments, even though everything that could be said was covered in the letter and the first conversation. 

A favourite quote for today ...

"Without music, life would be a mistake", Friedrich Nietzsche

Linking with The Simple Woman's Daybook