I am joining in with Jenaveve's Just a minute meme, where we take a few moments to recall what we've been doing during the month. To the best of my recollection I have been ...
Watching ...
... a program called Masterchef, again. Without fail; six nights a week. I'm still trying to work out its true allure. I think its the focus on flavour. So many cooking shows focus on fast, easy and cheap as themes. I like the discussions about how to get the best flavours. I've been taking more care to caramelise my vegetables and adding that teensy pinch of salt to chocolate. And I think its working. Neither Argy or Bargy have complained that their food is pedestrian.
(Or could it be that the word "pedestrian" simply has too many syllables for a preschooler to wrap their mouth around?).
Growing ...
... carrots, broccoli and snow peas seedlings: squashed into their original tiny oblong baby-plant containers. Every day I've look out the window and made a mental note to plant them out in the garden. Clearly the mental notation system has failed 30 times. These plants will be goners by the end of July.
I have also started to prune my roses. I think it might be quite late in the season to be doing this, but I can't bear to hack into something that is still flowering. It feels like wanton plant destruction (... unlike the more slow and subtle annihilation of the potted seedlings).
Planning
... to finish the unfinished. I've made a list of the works-in-progress. It includes (but is not limited to): a quilt, cardigan, picnic rug, jacket, 4 pairs of children's pyjamas, 2 shower caps, a doll, 2 ladies' tops, a dress, vest, 2 scarves, a crochet granny square rug, two baby dresses and a pair of felt booties.
Do I get a prize, yet?
How about if I told you that I have also agreed to sew someone a Regency-era, empire-line dress ... with a train? By August.
(Holy Jane Austens, Batman!)
Erasing
... the less memorable parts of June. One or more family members were sick every week. Mr HB and I got a very nasty bug (oink, oink). Bargy simultaneously worked out how to scale the side of his cot, awake at 5am and drop his daytime sleep. I had to write 45 term fee invoices for our local kindergarten. The car got a flat battery.
Then there was the Great Cat Scare this morning. Our feline visitor went missing after 5 months of unfaltering dining and kipping at our place. No cat out the back. No cat out the front. No little bell tinkling out in the garden. Breakfast untouched. Unheard of. I was mentally constructing the obituary. And the difficult speech for the boys. Then Mr HB pointed out she was fast asleep in a ball upstairs.
(I think I uttered a naughty word that sounded like a piece of cutlery. Oh yes I did.)
Here's looking at you July ...
To see who else is playing along with Just a minute ... head over to Jenaveve's blog, August Street.
Did you know there is an exhibition of Jane Austen clothes at the National Gallery of Victoria at the moment?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/persuasion/
And it is not too late to prune roses! If anything, it might be a bit early. Definitely don't do them while they are still flowering. Don Burke says do them in August. Others say wait until after the last frost.
"I think I uttered a naughty word that sounded like a piece of cutlery. Oh yes I did."
ReplyDeleteToo funny!!
Though I will confess to a Sienfeld 'Dolores' moment where I tried to think of a swear word that rhymed with 'cutlery' before reading it again!
Oh, I feel terrible that you actually GOT the H1N1!!
ReplyDeleteWe're right there watching Masterchef with you. And we're now in the habbit of adding, oh, just a stick of butter here and there, to most of our dishes. Just for the SHEEN, mind.
Oh, and I could almost sob and hug you to hear that your younger one is doing the no-nap, up-at-five cot escape too. Our 2yo is doing EXACTLY that, and it's horrid, and now I don't feel so alone.
Gosh, I hate it when the cat goes missing without word! The thump your heart makes in your chest, the sick feeling in your stomach .... ugh, you have all my sympathy. I'm so glad it turned out okay.
ReplyDeleteDidn't you know the cat was waiting for you to carry him downstairs mmm well maybe that was my cat , lol .
ReplyDelete"I think I uttered a naughty word that sounded like a piece of cutlery"
ReplyDeletelol!
glad the cat was safe and sound :D
Your WIP list sounds inspiring - I am too fearful to add mine up. Glad to hear you food is not pedestrian - we have had some lively dinner time conversations about the flavour of our meals and whether they pack a punch on the palate.
ReplyDeleteI think all the cat lovers were on the edge of their seats for a minute there.
ReplyDeleteHopefully July will be a little calmer! Perhaps! It's certainly going to start well this weekend.
The "sounds like cutlery" doesn't translate so well into an American accent. Had to run a few through my mind before I figure out that one. :p
ReplyDeleteAnd I am well-known for not quite making it to the repotting of seedlings. I am an evil, evil plant killer.
You have my deepest sympathy...Jack is also waking at 5 and not sleeping during the day! he was scaling the cot before we got the big bed...
ReplyDeleteIt's a long day with an active little boy :-)
You would not believe how long it took me to come up with a naughty word that sounds like spatula.
ReplyDelete;)