Who needs sleep?

Apparently not me. Learned an interesting thing this weekend when Mr Y in E was home on his days off. I sleep like a log when he is around, and don't when he is away. I slept really lightly last week and woke many times each night, Friday and Saturday night while he was home slept like I had not slept in a hundred years. Went to bed early didn't wake once and woke refreshed at unheard of hours in the morning for Yank. Anything before 9am on the weekends and you should consider yourself lucky to see Yank. On Saturday and Sunday I was up at the early hours of 7.15 and 7.36.

Mr Y in E went back to Warwick yesterday evening and I tossed and turned all night, woke numerous times. I was so all over the bed that even kitty would not snuggle with me. He curled up on his fathers pillows and mourned him, until I stole those in an attempt to make a pretend husband in the bed. I don't wake tired or exhausted more just irritated if I take the time to go to bed at a decent hour to get some sleep then sleep I should get. Not this crazy tossing and turning. If this is to be the norm I have a long 4 weeks to get through.

Making it through

The clocks "Sprung" forward this morning. I was happy, giddy with the anticipation of another hour of light. The day has not disappointed the sun has been bright the sky clear dappled with white clouds. There is a new beginning and an ending all at the same time. The joy of knowing you have yet again made it through the darkness and come into the light. Knowing that the worst is over and better lay ahead. There is a sense of accomplishment for bearing the darkness and growing from it, almost like endurance, testing ones self to know how much one can take with the knowledge that the brightness will return. With no darkness and no cold one can not truly enjoy the light and the warmth, and I do enjoy it appreciate each moment that is given knowing the time is short and before too long the darkness will return. I can manage that though, not only manage it but grow stronger from it. There is no need to think of those things at this moment now because we are still counting up, counting to the longest day, mentally remembering all the things we are grateful for so that in a few months when we are counting down we can hold those memories close.

Stuff

The world is full of stuff. Everywhere you go they are trying to sell you more stuff, near holidays the powers that be tries to tell you that all your friends and family really want more stuff. In turn you receive stuff. Then you have so much stuff you have to buy more stuff to store it and stuff to organize it. Then they bring out new and better stuff so you donate your old stuff so that someone with less money can buy your used stuff and they too can have stuff. Then there is the stuff for work, you have to buy a bigger hand bag so you can transport it too and fro.

I use to have very little stuff. I had one room in a house with friends and I was pretty stuff less. The mattress was mine but the rest of the furniture belonged to my friends who were kind enough to lend me their stuff. I had a few pots a few plates and utensils, and of course books but on a whole not much stuff. I was happy. My friends had LOTS of stuff, they owned a HUGE house they were renovating for a B&B and when you are doing that you need stuff. They actually did not have enough stuff yet to fill their B&B. They were more than happy to share their stuff with me and I hope that in some way I gave back something positive in return for the use of their stuff.

Now I am older and I have my own place and I have stuff and Mr. Y in E has stuff and it is too much stuff. I wish I was not so susceptible to the marketing of stuff, I was happier with less stuff, or sharing stuff. We own a Panini maker that sits in the cupboard and only gets used maybe twice a year I know Mr. Y in E enjoys Panini’s but really can’t he just buy a Panini two or three times a year.

Time to De-Stuff.

Weigh in Wednesday

Sorry guys I know it has been a while since I have done a weigh in Wednesday. I have lost a small amount of weight but I seem to be holding steady at 12st 1.5 pounds. My goal this week is to see if I can loose that 1.5 so I can be right at 12st.

Not for the faint of heart

In my quest for healthy eating I ran across a post by Laura over at The Lazy Organizer all about green smoothies. Basically fruit and spinach smoothies, I am not a big lover of spinach but hey if the fruit covers the taste I am willing to give it a go. I made my smoothie and it was good, a lovely purple color because I had used some blueberries in it. While out shopping I picked up more spinach for my green smoothies and my husband was confused and commented on my hatred of spinach. I explained my green smoothies to him and he suggested adding spirulina powder. I will let Wiki do the talking on Spirulina. Always one to try something new I headed down to the health food store and picked some up. This is were it get a little interesting; the powder is BRIGHT green (see photo) and smells a little like cat food (I know I have a cat). At this point I was a little worried but always the adventurer I went a head and threw the recommended 1TBS in my smoothie.

As anticipated it turned the whole thing for lack of a better description baby poo green. I pulled out my special smoothie cup and poured the contents in and carefully tasted the first sip. I was amazed, while it was not as sweet at the smoothie with out the spirulina it was still highly drinkable. So I will continue my green smoothie quest in the hopes that it will help me be healthier. I shall report back if I say loose 20lbs over night or can leap tall buildings in a single bound.

PSA

A Public Service Announcement courtesy of my niece

New Tennants at the Casa de la Yank

These little guys followed me home from Wisley Gardens yesterday. I am a sucker for succulents. I still remember when I first came to know about succulents, I was working part time at a nursery to save money to come live in England. The nursery delt mainly in herbs, I like herbs they are basically weeks and you just throw them in a pot and ignore them. I watch people spending years perfecting techniques on African Violets or Orchids and I am impressed but I know that I would just kill them. Anything that requires more than dirt and throwing water at it on an infrequent and sporadic basis should stay far far away from Casa de la Yank.

I have looked online and basically I stick my new tenants in well draining soil (soil mixed with sand) and only water them infrequently. Works for me.

So this is my pledge to my new tenants:

I Yankee in England promise to get you a nice pot with soil that has lots of sand mixed in it and to not water you very much, if you promise not to die on me.

Dear Mr. Y in E,

I lost the cat. I was doing some crafting last night and realized that he had not come to annoy me for a while and the house was very quiet. I glance over to the couch to see if he was snoozing on his favorite pillow and he wasn't. I did a quick search of his favorite places; the bed, my laundry hamper, his blankie, the new scratching post (that was a great buy) and the bathroom rug, he was no where. My heart stoped and I panicked. I was horrified that I might of left a window open and in his anger that you had left he had escaped with hope of a better life somewhere else. I quickly checked all the windows but they were closed, I sat down in the living room in desperation knowing I would have to call you and explain than in less than 12 hours of life with out you I had managed to loose our cat. In a last ditch effort i made smoochy sound hoping he might come to me. A sheepish kitty emerged from under the duvet cover I had hung on the banister to dry that morning. I am sure he has decided that this was a good place to wait and pounce on me unexpectedly.

Other things I have lost since you've been gone:

1. My favorite crafting scissors-turned out they were under a pile of patterned papers did not find them till I cleaned up last night.

2. My exacto knife - I had been using it to craft and either kitty has knocked it off the crafting table and dragged it to one of his unknown hiding places or I have put it away in the wrong spot and will find it in a few weeks when looking for something else.

3. The SudoCream I went to put some on my poor cracked nose yesterday and it was no where to be found.

I have yet to loose my keys yet but that is only a matter of time, good thing we left a spare with the neighbours.

Sincerely,

Yankee in England

Trying to be Positive

I sent Mr Y in E off for a month worth of work about 3 hours away from where we live today. It is one of those needs must kind of situations. I try to think positive, I am not sending him off for an 18 month tour of duty in a war torn country. He will be home when he had two days off in a row.

For those of you who don't know Mr Y in E is a chef and before he left this morning he has stocked the fridge and freezer with stuff for me to eat while he is away. He truly believes I am not able to feed myself, that if he was too leave me for two long I would waste away and die of starvation. What he did not know it that I have a few things going for me:

1. I know how to use a microwave and where to buy ready meals.

2. I have take a way menu's in a drawer in the kitchen.

3. I have an excess of body fat and it would take quite a while to actually DIE of starvation.

4. I can actually cook and I am not terrible at it. I am just lazy.

Never the less I have a tuna casserole in the fridge I might seriously have to start giving away because I have no hope of eating it all before it starts to go bad. I also have mini cottage pies in the freezer, the base for a butter bean bake that only requires me to top with bread crumbs and grated cheese and cook.

In my effort to remain positive I have made a list of the pros of this situation:

I get the whole bed to myself. Well I have to share with kitty but worse case scenario I throw him out and close the door.

I get to watch whatever I want on TV and not feel guilty if I know one of my programs conflicts with a footie match

I can eat all the eggplant, peppers, and squash I want and not feel guilty knowing Mr Y in E hates them.

I can make really big messes crafting and not feel the need to clean them up right away.

I can leave my towel on the floor in the bathroom and know it won't annoy Mr Y in E

I can make vegetarian meals with out Mr Y in E commenting on the lack of meat in that evening meal.

This does not really make up for all the Cons of this situation but it does make me feel a little better.

Well the washing machine just dinged and as soon as I hang out my clothes I am off to a new craft shop I found to check out the new stuff and start working on the above mentioned mess.

Kitty and Cupcakes

My DH knows me well and knows how to keep the peace. Last night I was surprised with cupcakes from a lovely bakery in London, a late birthday treat as DH did not make me a cake, all was forgiven when the red velvet cake came my way.

Kitty is not opposed to using tools to get what he wants. I made tuna bake last night and he really wanted some.

Interesting things I learned this weekend while clearing out some drawers

1. I own way to many tights, a necessary evil for my job. This is what prompted the drawer cleaning to make room so the tights could have their very own drawer.

2. Mr. Y in E is addicted to buying cough syrup, apparently not to taking it as we had 7 bottles of 4 different varieties.

3. I may never need to buy band aids or plasters as they are called here again.

4. When you get a free gift with purchase of make up it is never a color that a real human being would wear.

5. As I have lost weight I have bought clothing in smaller sizes up to three sizes smaller in some cases, but have been buying the same size knickers, this explain a whole lotta problems.