November and New Home

We did it! We moved and although it was very stressful it's all forgotten now. We are all snuggled up in our box filled sitting room watching a film. Getting some rest and relaxation time together.

There are numerous boxes still littered around that need unpacking but we need to find some space for them first. It is going to be a looooong process! Things aren't looking so good on my November goals as I have slipped on the first hurdle! In all the hullaballoo of moving I didn't stick to my meal plans and subsequently spent a small fortune on our food bills. But this will be easily rectified by some smart planning.

I have enjoyed getting into bed each night wallowing in the familiarity of my bed covers even if it is in an alien room! I have also enjoyed sharing a little bit of Coleridge's world and feel so much more drawn to his poetry now that I know more of his personal circumstances. His link with the West country also draws me in and soon I am planning a little trip to walk (quite literally) in his footsteps! I did have this neat idea of tracing his travels from his birth place in Ottery St Mary to his homes in Clevedon as well as Nether Stowey and then hopefully in the summer taking a little camping trip to the Lakes and investigating the Wordsworth connection too. But alas, I found out that in between the West and the Lakes, Coleridge took an educational trip to Germany. I got a little excited at this prospect but I feel my family may fear I am taking this idea a little too far. Oh well I can leave Germany out for now. I am thinking of organising a fat busting post Christmas walk over the quantock hills with a handful of friends. I haven't decided whether to tell them about my current infatuation with the Romantic poet; I wonder if they would understand??

Until the next time, where I am forced to think about Christmas!

October here then gone!

October came and went. It is by far my most favourite month of the year, and this year it was extra special. Not only did we celebrate the birthdays, of which there is a few!! but I was lucky enough for my dear little family to celebrate my academic success too. We trekked the long journey to Portsmouth so that I could don the gown and grace the stage if only for a few short seconds. It will be one of those memorable events that will never leave me. I felt truly blessed that I had not only persevered but that my long suffering family had supported me all the way! I did hasten to tell them that this journey is not yet finished. I have another intense instalment of studying yet ahead of me!!! We will see how they all fare with that!! 

On to other matters; we have a moving date: next week! EEk so a lot of packing and panicking is ensuing but with these things they normally just progress, so it is sometimes a case of trying to endure, if not enjoy, the ride!

I have decided to try and make some monthly short term goals that will bring me some steps closer to the BIG ones. I find that it is sometimes hard to always be focused on those BIG goals because (well in my case) they seem such a long way off. So here are my little steps towards them for November.

My November Steps:

Financial:

To stick to the meal plan and shopping list, therefore keeping to the budget.

To overpay the mortgage by £300. 

To put £100 in the travel fund. 

To raise some cash from our unwanted goods - which will be slipped into the Sealed Pot!!

Health:

To take up an exercise class with a friend (who has persistently been asking me for the last month). 

To eat healthily and frugally!

To walk for longer spells.

Emotional well being:

To take more time to keep in contact with family and friends. 

To plan and organise my Coleridge expedition.

To plan our holidays for next year - big family meeting!!

To plan our advent calendar.

November goal just for me:

To read all of Holmes'  Coleridge biographies. 

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On to my reading goals! I would like to make more time to read but I somehow think that since we will be moving and the house isn’t exactly a palace, I am not going to be able to create more time for this. However, I will try to read a book a month and I would like to work my way through the ManBooker prize short list for 2012. I was delighted to learn that Hilary Mantel won, again. I also have a few unread books on my list which I hope to plough through too. Hmmmmmm do I really need to sleep????

Till the next time which won't include this view any more.