Hi,
A good week? I hope so and if it hasn’t been, fingers crossed that things soon improve.
Off-line
With half-term underway, the Jones Crew have been taking it easy on a much needed staycation.
We’ve had plenty of dog walks, breakfast out, and a few trips here& there. Child 2.0 does love history, bless him, so we’ve visited castles and spent time in the local library.
Local luxuries
With the Ever Lovely Mrs J at home resting, Child 2.0 and I headed into the suburbs and to the nearest big library. I had planned to drop him off, then have a pootle* around the charity shops, before picking him up.
( Pootle: to take a slow walk around a building; looking, but not necessarily doing anything with any purpose. )
However, five minutes of browsing the bookshelves turned into ten, and as a fell upon a book to read, I was soon settled in for the course.
You know, I had forgotten the simple pleasure of a good book. Being in quiet proximity to others, with the whisper of pages turned. The distant chuckles & giggles coming from the toddlers in storybook book corner. It was a rare gift of a handful of hours and I felt the right side of relaxed and recharged by it.
( NB: I am rather liking the AI’s choice of outfit – that is soooo my bag. MJs, turn-ups, and a cute jacket. )
T stuff
No Chams this week and with the warm weather blowing in from the south, the opaques and warm bodysuits have moved down a draw.
It’s funny that mixing & matching my femme and masc wardrobes has helped. Sure, I’m still in jeans and a shirt, but the layers beneath are softer, cosier fabrics, and I don’t feel so…. isolated or removed, if that makes sense.
If I think about the summer periods where this have gone a bit wrong, it’s that hard push into be blokey that seemed part of the problem.
Genderfluid: not easily bottled up I guess 🙂
Changing seasons
With the flowers in bloom and warming weather, I’m looking at my wardrobe and wondering what needs to go away, and what needs to come to the fore.
I’ve bought some knee boots in the sale, although they are EU 42, which I think is 8.5. I did move money over from my ‘pocket money’ account, as these were more than I would usually pay. However, as the last two ‘inexpensive’ purchases didn’t work out, I’m hoping the curse of buy cheap, but twice has been broken by doing it properly. Luckily, the previous items could be returned.
As someone who’s more autumn than spring/summer, I’m making the effort to put brighter clothes at the front of my mind, when it comes to packing for Thursday.
I would very much love a morning out and I’m hoping my calendar aligns, so Val and I can meet up for coffee. It’s been too long.
L x
This week’s goblin is very cute, and very contemporary chic too. Nice to see a well behaved blue dragon in the library, too. Just hope he doesn’t chuckle over his book and scorch the pages.
Points to Jones Junior for history and reading, both worthwhile, productive interests. I’m glad you got caught up in a book. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t set time aside every day to read something interesting.
Have a good weekend.
Sue x
Very pleased to confirm, that no books were damaged during the dragon reading session, Sue. It was touch and go in the car, following a snack of spicy crisps and a bottle of pop, though! 🔥
Child 2.0 – like his mum – is very much into reading and I think that shows in his school work. Luckily he doesn’t take after me in that regard.
I love to Pootle around op shops and book shops (especially the second hand ones). Thanks for the new addition to my vocab.
You’re very welcome and what a joy to peruse the second hand books. Funny the gems you may fall upon.
I hope you are keeping well, Vivien. Happy pootling!
You can’t beat a good pootle. Somewhat different from a firkle, but equally enjoyable.
I like using libraries for random picks for authors or subjects that I wouldn’t otherwise think of buying (which I’m trying to do less of, with one eye on the already protesting shelves).
That is a cute outfit. I shall have to remember it the next time I take Susie into the library.
Does C2 have a favourite period in history? I seem to have developed an odd fascination with the 17th century (when the birth of science started to ease out magic and superstition) and in particular European history around the Thirty Years War.
Not heard of a firkle, Susie. That’s a new one on me. I did think of you (and your love of books), as I wandered about. There was a table of books wrapped up in paper, under a sign proclaiming “Book Blind Date”. Each carefully wrapped package has genre and a suitably vague description on.
Ooo, C2’s history choice. Last time this came up, he mentioned a preference for ancient history. Not Roman or Greek, but Mesopotamia and possibly early Egypt. Those and some Norse too.
TBH, history sort of washed over me at school. It just didn’t go in. I don’t know if that’s a (undiagnosed) ADHD thing, the way it was taught, or just being useless academically. Oddly, it’s been more of an interest in later life, as you start to put together the English Civil War, effect locally, and nationally.
I’ve noticed that our library sometimes has a shelf of ‘lucky dip’ wrapped books inviting people to take a chance of finding something new to read and hopefully enjoy. They also have a display stand that features books for special themes or awareness events like wellbeing, BAME or LGBT history month.
Have you chanced your luck on a wrapped book yet? Just curious.
I did see a number of displays, posters, and books highlighting black history in Nottingham. Great to see as it was informative, it’s (local) history, and representation matters.