I found this postcard recently in a stash of photos from my university days (was that really twenty years ago?!) It feels as apt now as it did back then, and I've been digging through the comfortable complacency that's settled on me in the intervening decades to rekindle my sense of outrage. There is, after all, plenty to be outraged about. May was another month that seemed to both fly by and last forever. Most places still in lockdown, outcry in the UK about Dominic Cummings breaking the rules, and George Floyd's murder sparking protests and long-overdue questions and reflections and awareness of systemic racism across the world. Everything feels up in the air. At home, May saw my first lockdown trip to a big supermarket on my own - so far I've been waiting in the car park while Peter went in. It was surprisingly uneventful - not too many people, not too long a wait, and everything pretty well stocked. I'm not sure I'll ever get properly used to wearing a mask, but hopefully it won't be for too long. So. An update to my 20 in 2020 list - although with so many things still impossible it does feel rather futile. Still, I do like to keep track, so here we go. 20 things mended (7/20) May was a month of mending outdoor things. First, and most dramatically, the septic tank overflow pipe. The farmer who uses our fields for his cows noticed a suspiciously lush green patch of grass (and a bit of a smell), and suggested we might want to check our drains. He was right (he usually is) - the pipe was completely blocked. We borrowed a set of rods, and spent a sunny afternoon shoving them into the pipe until the gunge poured forth. It wasn't quite as grim as it sounds, and I'm always pleased when I can do something myself rather than having to pay someone else. The second outdoor thing I mended was this wall. Not strictly what I had in mind when I started this list, but if I hadn't fixed this, the cows would have broken into my hay meadow. I'm trying to get the hang of quickly fixing a gap in a wall like the farmers do, rather than spending months trying to make a perfect new section. 19 letters written (7/19) Just one more in May, although I've now had three back from people I've written to this year. I do like letter writing, and getting hand written letters in the mail is one of my favourite things. 18 days without internet (2/18) I didn't make time for one of these in May, and I really do need to in June. The rate I'm going I'll have to have half of December without the internet to make up for the rest of the year. 17 books read (35/17) I contemplated whether I should stop keeping track of what I've read, given that I passed my target before the end of March, but I think it would be nice to look back on a whole year's worth of reading so I'm going to keep going (for now, at least). Lots of audio books again, but I've started using the tablet for ebooks as well (and there are still some paper books too).
I've never really thought much about how I choose what to read, but there are patterns. It seems I don't read much fiction, and I read far more what can only be described as 'self-improvement' books than I would usually like to admit. In some senses I'm easily influenced, and this year especially have found myself down rabbit trails suggested by the library app (see February's running-themed list, for example). I like non-fiction books about people doing things that I like doing (gardening, walling, knitting), and I'm increasingly enjoying nature writing. I'm still working my way through the local library's rather eclectic selection of things, making an effort to read more explicitly anti-racist stuff, and returning to some old favourites occasionally too. I rarely buy new books, but my usual charity shop line of book procurement has been out of reach for a while now, and I have bought some new (mainly work-related, which I have mixed feelings about). I quite like this not-very-organised approach. 16 household items or pieces of clothing made (13/16) None in May. 15 meals with friends (5/15) Also none in May (but we have had some in June, most exciting!) 14 meals from home grown produce (0/14) Also none - and we're not even getting many eggs at the minute either, oh dear! 13 evening lectures (0/13) Again none, although we have done what feels like eleven million quizzes and a murder mystery. I've noticed the local Transition Towns group is putting on a series of evening seminars though so I might join one of those in June. 12 donations to the foodbank (3/12) Much of April's commuting costs went to the foodbank again. It feels a bit odd writing this here, as I don't tend to list what else I've donated to, but this was originally set as an intention to donate a physical bag of food to the collection point, but that's been impractical for the last couple of months. 11 solo days out for me (0/11) 10 loaves of bread made (0/10) 9 bike rides (1/9) Yes! Finally! Just a couple of miles round the block, and my brakes and gears were clunky and my seat kept twisting as I was riding, but it felt SO good to get out on my bike! Now we're allowed a bit further I might head to the flat railway trails again soon. I'm not a big fan of hilly cycling on narrow lanes, and without the trails, that's what I'm left with round here. More bike rides soon! More things not done...
8 organised runs (2/8) 7 new places visited (1/7) 6 attempts at cheese making (0/6) 5 'No Quibble' weekends away (0/5) 4 pairs of socks made (0/4) 3 days volunteering (0/3) 2 LAND centres visited (1/2) Yes! Well, not in person, of course, but Those Plant People did a lovely video tour of their place which I watched with great enjoyment, and I'm counting that as a visit, since it seems as close as we'll get this year. 1 holiday (0/1) Er, no. This one isn't going to happen this year now. So there we are. It seems from this list that I've been doing nothing but reading, household chores and watching videos of other people's gardens. I have, in fact, spent quite a lot of time working, and an awful lot of time in the garden (I'll do a proper garden update soon - possibly later today if it keeps raining). We're almost half way through June now and I'm going to make a real effort to do make a start on some of the things on this list that are being neglected. I'm sure I can manage another bike ride, and I must get a pair of socks on my knitting needles soon too.
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Hello!Sit down and make yourself comfortable. I'm Jenni, and I write here about our new foray into country living, which includes growing food, knitting, baking, wandering around the fields, and seeing which local cafe serves the best cake. Categories
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