July

 

So it's July already, so long June. I do love turning the pages on my two calendars, not that I'm wishing the year away you understand, but there's something refreshing about greeting a new month. New possibilities, new plans, activities and reminders already penciled in, its going to be a busy old month.

We have started off July in a fair bit of chaos as yesterday The Lads arrived to overhaul our central heating system. It has not gone smoothly. Yucky water leaked. The wrong boiler was put up, taken down again and eventually replaced with the right one. I am told that it's proving a "nightmare" of a job for The Lads due to such limited space in our small kitchen for access and pipey things.

Right now I am thankfully up in the Attic where there are no radiators and no pipes and downstairs is very chaotic indeed. The carpet and floorboards are up,  actually it's been very interseting to meet our one hundred year old floorboards in the hallway under the mucky blue carpet, we are hoping to have them restored at some point soon. I've been in a few of my neighbours houses recently with beautifully sanded and waxed wooden floors and I've been pointing and exclaiming "ooooohhhh!! I Want My House To Look Like That" ! I am dreadful in other peoples houses, I lose all sense of thinking privately and seem to exclaim !!! a lot out loud. I get over excited very quickly. I wonder how it is that everyone elses houses seem to be so much more appealing than my own, even though I dearly love my house to distraction. I keep reminding myself that my house is a WIP, and other folk have lived for years in their houses. We've been seven months in ours, thats all. Stay calm, it WILL happen. Our house will end up being gorgeous. Yes, Gorgeous.

 

Hey now, I can't welcome in a new month without chatting a while about the weather. Its glorious as it happens, very July-like and lovely and I am most pleased. I am wearing a strappy vest top and cool linen trousers with flipflops and feeling Summery. Long may it last.

This month I've opened up the first page of my new Academic Year diary.
It's my attempt at trying to get my life into some sort of order after a particularly forgetful few weeks where I have forgotten a lot and appologised a lot for aforementioned forgetfulness .

 

It has to be said, I'm the most chaotic, forgetful, ditzy, air -headed person you could imagine and much of my life is spent flying breezily and cheerfully by the seat of my pants. Mostly this is ok and I bumble along, going with the flow and trying my damndest not to screw up the really important bits of my life. I miss appointments, forget to pay bills, forget to send birthday cards. I end up having to say sorry a lot. Occasionally J gets cross and lectures me about trying harder to be more organised, tells me to write things down and make To-Do Lists.
I used to be a Lister, yes I used to have notebooks galore, endless scrawl telling myself what to do. But I grew out of the habit, and these past few months I've ballsed up on quite a few occasions, which has started to make me feel very bad indeed. Particularly as it has impacted on the lives of the Little People ( I forgot Little Lady's parents evening, and then Little Man's non-school uniform day :: Big OoOOOOpses)

So I got to thinking that perhaps the list-writing might indeed be beneficial. And so the idea of a daily diary to contain the lists (from good old WHSmiths). As well as being great for writing lists, I also now know that we are currently in week twenty-seven of the year, that on Saturday the sun will rise at 04:51, that there are 25.4 millimetres in 1 inch, that there are 1321.85 Million people in China. And I am getting used to writing lists again, daily reminders of things Not To Forget. Actually, isn't it great being able to tick things off? Tick, done. Feels good, yeah, onto the next thing. My life is in order and it feels good.

Comments

[Maddy]

Happy July to you too. I am a list maker, it's essential when you are a working mum. I'd forget some important school thing and then be booed when I get home having not sent most urgent signed note with children to school.

As a natural blonde it comes... naturally to forget and I often remember stuff way too late. Oh well, my friends know this and make adjustments for me, like texting me twice to remind me where I should be hehehe!

[Rebekah]

Sorry to hear about the house problems! They are never fun.

I love that top piece that you have. Did you make that? I love the combo of a quilt square picture with embroidery

[Steph]

Hello, I'm new to your blog but am already enjoying it heaps. What a bright and cheerful place to be. Thank heavens I'm not the only one who forgets ***important stuff**. I live in a world with a very organised family and colleagues and it's hard trying to keep up. Might have to go and buy myself a spotty diary too - my Country Living one is beautiful but like a doorstop - so I keep forgetting it!
Shall be back to enjoy your lovely blog again soon.
Stephx

[Catherine Maudsley]

I am so relieved to hear how forgetful you are - you feel like the worst mother in the world. My husband says I have a 'butterfly mind' - I flit from one thing to the other without finishing anything - Yes that's correct!! but I do laugh a lot! Like you I have to remember that our new house of 5 months has to be a WIP too but we left a house and garden that was all done and its hard isn't it. I alaso dream for England - I am totally sucked in by all the gorgeous pictures in Country Living and can sit and look at them for hours dreaming of old vicarages, cottage gardens..........

[Gem]

You sound just like me! I'm not terribly organised at home, although I am at work (Outlook keeps me on my toes there!) I bought a diary....but I lost it within a month. There's no hope for me :(

[Ali]

And what cheery spots to help you with your new organized adventures!

[julia]

I too fly by the seat of my pants and regularly miss birthdays, appointments etc. I too have a diary, problem is I forget to look in it. What's a woman to do??
Pop over, I've passed an award onto you!
Julia x

[Anna]

How weird. Have also just purchased a new academic spotty year diary from WH Smith-mine is red and very lovely. I keep stroking it, opening the cover and smoothing down the clean white pages. I do realise i have to ruin the loveliness by writing in it though. In my VERY BEST handwriting, of course.Something very satisfying about stationary, I think..x

[simone]

The calenders have lovely pictures. I always look forward to a fresh new month. That's a lovely looking diary you have there. I have several but neglect to write in any except for a small handbag diary for appointments.

[kathy]

Hi Lucy, V. jealous of your lovely weather, it is not great in East Devon. Love the new diary...I have just started to keep my diary up to date again - I have always used the kitchen calender and then when I am out I forget things! I know what you mean about other peoples' houses...my friends' houses always look so tidy and they say the same about mine(!). V. polite friends.....Good luck with the plumbers - keep hiding in that Attic if I were you! Kathyx

[CLAIRE]

Oooh Lucy you sound just like me, we could be twins...lol, talking of forgetfulness, keep an eye out for Mr Postie as your goodies have left the building...lol!! Better late then never, hope you like them......Claire xx