Category Archives: me

As I Buttered Toast and Poured Cereal This Morning

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and gave Adam his meds and took my own and cleaned up a bit of a mess and organized school uniform and dug through the clean laundry looking for a matching pair of socks for Simon, I remembered something my mom asked me when she was here:

‘So, do you enjoy being a hausfrau?’

Yes. That’s me. Really.

Source

I can’t say I like the term or the English translation housewife, and I’m not exactly one anyway, since I freelance, but the overall answer is yes, I do.

It’s not something I ever expected to be. Or thought I would enjoy.

I don’t like cleaning, who does? Well, I guess some people do, but I don’t. If we had a few extra quid we’d hire a cleaner.

But I like the overall satisfaction of taking care of my family. Of cooking them nice things to eat and organizing our Christmas and our lives.

I do think it needs a new name, as I am not my house’s wife, and I am also not just a ‘stay at home mom’. Not even people who do no outside work are just that.

It’s my life. And it makes me happy.

Being an Introvert

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If you’ve read this blog for any length of time you may become aware that I am an introvert.

Many many people don’t realize what this actually means.

Does it mean I am anti-social? Not at all. I love going out for a coffee or a drink with a friend or a group of friends

Does it mean I am shy? Yes, in my case it does, but not all introverts are shy.

What being an introvert really means is that after I’ve had a coffee or a full day with my son or a long day at a client’s, I need to be quiet for awhile. I need to stare at the internet or write in my journal or just stare into space for a bit.

Simon and I are perfect mates because we are both introverts. And can find our quiet while being in the same room. Often after Adam goes to bed barely a word passes between us as we both recharge from our days. And the words that do pass? Are usually important, not just idle chit chat.

I’m actually having my quiet time right now. I sent the son and the husband to get the Sunday papers and a treat or two while I cleaned the bathroom. Yes, cleaning the bathroom is quiet time. Sometimes folding the laundry on a Sunday morning is my quiet time.

And a bath is definitely my quiet time.

Although I hear a key in the lock and it’s about to end!

Working On My Style

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As I wrote about a few months ago, I’ve been updating my wardrobe and my ‘style’, trying to get away from just jeans and t-shirts all the time.

I’ve also been updating my accessories. I’ll never be a huge jewellery wearer again (says the girl who used to wear 8 rings, 9 earrings and 4 or 5 necklaces all the time), instead choosing to show my style with the things I carry. Not just my handbag, which my mother in law actually bought, but my purse, my bus ticket holder, my business card holder, my phone case and my favourite shopping bag.

The amazing thing about those last four things? They are all Cath Kidston.

If you don’t who Cath Kidston is, you can click the link or listen to my husband who walks out of her shop and says ‘It’s like the 1950s in there…’

And I like it. I like her fabric patterns. But mostly I really like the way her products are designed.

A perfect example is my new shopping bag. It’s not just the fabric that I love, but the fact that it is two bags in one. So if I just need a few things, it’s a handy small tote and when the shopping takes over, it opens out and slings over my shoulder.

Now, if you’ve heard me complain about the decorations in my house, which is wall to wall flowers, you’re probably wondering why I hate that but love these.

Well, my house is overkill. Every wall, every drape, every blanket that was left by the owners is flowers. Even the tiles in the bathroom and kitchen have flowers!

That’s too much.

My accessories, on the other hand, are accents.

And go perfectly to compliment my plain black hand bag and/or plain brown canvas work bag.

PS The shopping bag linked to above is my anniversary present from Simon. Our anniversary is this Tuesday, the 4th. 🙂

PPS Cath Kidston has no idea who I am, did not pay me to say I love her stuff and never will. 🙂

I Was *So* Aware I Have A Uterus…

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So yesterday was the fateful day that I had my Mirena Coil inserted.

I had been booked into my GP’s office to do it a month ago but there was a problem: I need a pap smear and Chlamydia swab first, which my GP didn’t realize when she referred me to the practice female health expert.

During those procedures, that doctor decided my cervix was too movable for her to be comfortable inserting the coil, so she referred me to the Family Planning Clinic at City Hospital, as they do it with a local anaesthetic, which the GP’s office doesn’t have.

And so I went yesterday. And I was really nervous. I have no idea why, as smears don’t bother me, but something about this was making me quake in my boots.

But the staff at City Hospital FPC were fantastic. So much so that I am probably going to write a letter of praise, even though, in my usual brain dead fashion, I’ve forgotten their names.

I told the nurse, as she was doing blood pressure, weight and height, how nervous I was and she told the doctor and they both were so gentle and understanding and careful and explained everything as they went. It took forever (or so it seemed) including the doctor having to find a different something or other because the one she had wasn’t working properly and the nurse held my hand and kept me chatting.

Once it was over and I was sent on my way I was, as it says in the title, so aware I had a uterus, which I said to my husband on the phone as I headed back to the bus.

But by bedtime the cramps had stopped and I was no longer aware I have uterus.

So that’s birth control for me for the next 5 years.

I Do Like It When My House Is Clean

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Too bad I have to, you know, actually clean it, to get it that way.

I admit, sometimes it’s pretty gross. Fibro flare usually means cleaning drops right down my list of things to use spoons on. So, yes, sometimes my bathrooms are growing things.

There. I said it.

This is part of why I don’t like people just dropping by. I need at least a few hours notice to run a sponge around the place and disinfect.

I used to not be like that. I used to keep a very clean bathroom and kitchen, at least. Used to hate a dirty bathroom or kitchen.

So what happened?

Depression. Fibro. Three year old boys.

All things that have taken precedence over a clean house.

These days some things are a given. The dishes are all washed before bed. The table and kitchen counters are cleaned. The tub gets rinsed regularly.

Other than that?

Call before you come over.

Okay?

Why I really Bought A Tablet

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If you happen to read my Business Blog for Designed To A Tee you will note that I bought a tablet this week.

It wasn’t the tablet I crave, which is an iPad, but a nice little Android tablet that was 1/3 the price of a iPad.

As it says in that blog post, I did buy it so I could learn about Android. But I bought for another reason as well.

My hands.

At 43 years of age I have mostly reached the point where I cannot hold a pen for more than a few minutes. So I can sign my name but can’t really take notes in a meeting. I can make out a cheque but I can’t write in my journal.

And I need to be able to do all of those things, from note taking to journalling. And sometimes you don’t have your laptop with you. So you have your tablet.

I have been using my iPhone for these things, but the keyboard on my tablet is so much bigger I can practically touch type on it, as I am on this keyboard as I type this. Not quite as fast as I type on a keyboard (which is somewhere around 80 – 100 wpm) because the onscreen keyboard doesn’t react as fast and because it’s not full size.

But faster than on my iPhone. Easier, also.

So I bought a tablet.

I love her.

Her name is Sally.

Finally, The Lawn Is Mowed and The Windows Are Washed…

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Am I the only one who realizes there’s a recession on? Because getting the two things in my title accomplished has taken, literally, months.

Why?

Because of people not returning calls, that’s why.

I left messages and/or emails for about four window washing companies. One called me back. They got the job.

I left message and/or emails for about eight lawn service companies. One got back to me and then never showed up to give me a quote. The person who just finished Simon grabbed from next door! He said he’d drop off a quote. He did. He got hired. And will continue to do the lawn every two weeks until the end of August or until I tell him for sure we’re staying in the house.

Which is another group of people who never call me back. Our estate agent.

Is it me? Is it the way I say ‘Hello, this is Robyn Fraser and I am looking for a window washer/lawn mower/if my landlord will renew our lease’?

Is it my accent?

Or do people not want work? Goodness sake, I’m tapping every avenue I have looking for work and these people have me calling and they are ignoring me! I would rejoice if someone called me!

But now the lawn is mowed and the windows are washed.

Now if the landlord would just let us know if we can stay in the house…

It Sounded Like A Good Idea

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So I was on Mumsnet recently, as I so often am, and someone was lamenting the state of their house, as we so often do (Yes, yes, less MN, more cleaning. We’ll get right on that.) and someone suggested what she called the 10 Loaf method.

Which is: Do task A for 10 minutes, do task B for 10 minutes, loaf for 10 minutes. And we all told her it was a brilliant idea.

So I tried it today.

Task A was cleaning the kitchen.

Task B was folding laundry.

Loafing, was, well loafing. 🙂

And while it sounded great in practice, I don’t think it really worked.

Instead it felt like I was leaving half finished jobs. Doing it in 10 minute increments is great, I think, but the changing task part? Not so much. I didn’t get to finish my kitchen clean up completely because Adam woke up from his nap but probably would have gotten much further if I had just concentrated on that in 10 minute increments. Although the laundry is folded, I’ll give you that, and it probably wouldn’t have been even started if I’d just concentrated on the kitchen.

So next time, I think I’ll do 20/10 loaf instead and see how that works.

So, Yesterday I Went Shopping

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My birthday, you may recall, was in February. And at that time I acquired, between my mom & step-dad and my parents in law, £200. Of which I had, until today, spent £12. And that was just last month.

You see, I’m a cheapskate. I hate paying full price for *anything*.

The problem with that being finding things I like in my size when the sales happen.

Last month I found a pink and grey stripped tunic top/dress at Dorothy Perkins (can’t find it on their website), originally £40. I got it for £12.

And then today I was at the mall and wandered into Debenhams. And found three pairs of jeans.

These, which I got for £12.50, down from £25

These, which I got for £9, down from £30

And these which I got for *free* as they were on the buy one get one rack with the ones above.

All pictures sourced from Debenhams

I think, based on the website, that the red ones were on the wrong rack and I shouldn’t have gotten them for free. Although, as I remember, they were marked at £9 like the brown ones above them.

Anyway, big bargains. I was very pleased.

I’ve also been looking for a new purse, so I went into Cath Kidston. I do like their purses but none of them were quite right. I did, however find this very useful ticket holder to keep my bus ticket in along with some other cards.

So a very successful day’s shopping, indeed!

Finding My Writer Again

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If you had asked me when I was growing up what I wanted to be I would have told you, no hesitation, a writer.

Well, until I discovered the theatre. Then it would have been a scene designer.

I am a designer, not of the scene, but haven’t really written, except in this blog, in ages and ages. I can’t even seem to write in my journal any more, partly because my hands are so bad I have a hard time holding a pen for longer than a few lines.

But yesterday I started to write. (Yes, I tried NaNoWriMo last year and failed)

It’s fan fiction, and I won’t be linking to it because it’s adult fan fiction and my mother reads this blog. And I am not sure who else, but maybe my niece. It’s not work for either of them. 🙂

It’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan fiction. I think I was inspired by the fact that Buffy premièred 15 years ago this past week. Without that show my life would be very very different. I wouldn’t live in Belfast. I wouldn’t be married. I wouldn’t have Adam.

And so I started to write a story that’s been floating in my head for awhile. It’s a cross over with the show Supernatural. It’s slash with Xander and Dean. It is most definitely NC-17/FR21.

If that’s something that interests you, send me an email. I’d be happy to link you up to the site it’s on. tee @ leyser dot org. Usual formatting.

If it’s something that’s going to offend you, ignore this whole post. Nothing to see here. Move along.