What I've read lately - in 21 minutes a day

I enjoy reading, but I do very little reading for pleasure. I knew that was something that I could do something about, and so I made it one of my priorities to read for pleasure for 21 minutes a day. Why 21? Nothing more than it’s 2021. I heard someone mention it on a podcast I was listening to while sewing, and it stuck. It sounded doable, and mostly it has been, and just like that I’ve found myself reading a lot more than I have lately. Who knew?

Mostly I read on my iPad in bed. I prefer the touch of books, but the ease and convenience of a device. I have both a physical and a virtual ‘to be read’ pile and expect to make progress on both, but in the meantime here’s what I’ve read lately.

1 Better Than Before, Gretchen Rubin

The sub heading of this book is ‘Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives’ so given that I’m on a quest to keep to my priorities this was an obvious starting point, in fact I think it was on Gretchen’s podcast Happier that I heard of the read for 21 minutes a day. I was also intrigued by the Four Tendencies quiz and then found myself head first into the book. It’s an easy read, and full of insightful content and advice but without being ‘preachy’. I learnt that I’m mostly an Obliger who meets outer expectations and resists inner expectations, or put another way “I do what I have to do. I don’t want to let others down, but I may let myself down” - my current crochet standoff with myself is a case in point!

I definitely wake up and think what I should do today, but rarely end up on my set agenda for the whole day. While applying the research and practical advice in the book I’ve realised that my external accountability is my lists - so given this was a book about habits, I downloaded a habit tracker app and get the enjoyment of ticking things off a short list, and also get the stats which appeals to my inner nerd.

2 Expectation, Anna Hope

I needed a different genre after finishing Gretchen’s book so headed for some fiction. This one is billed as ‘the most razor-sharp and heartbreaking novel of the year’ which is quite a claim. The book itself left me in tears, but that’s not unusual as I’m a soppy thing at times. It’s also testament to good writing and characters that are real - it was a book I didn’t want to end. It’s about three female friends, their friendship and the book covers various stages of their life. I enjoyed it, it’s an entertaining read but as I said the billing is quite a claim, but it’s definitely worth a read.

3 The Secret of Orchard Cottage, Alex Brown

I’ve had this book on my Kindle app for quite a while. I’d started it but not got very far - I probably abandoned reading rather than abandoning the book - but I tried again, and couldn’t put it down. The story follows April, the main character’s life as she navigates widowhood and a change of scenery visiting her elderly aunt. It’s overall feeling is feel good, but it’s not the plain sailing that you’d expect. There’s family history, relationships, village life and entrepreneurship and it ends on a higher note than it starts. Another one for your list if you’re after an easy read full of warmth and charm.

4 How I changed my job, my home, my husband & my hair. Re-educated, Lucy Kellaway

I’ll admit I was drawn to this book by the title. I’d a vague idea who Lucy Kellaway was - an FT columnist - but I’d not read any of her columns, I don’t think. This book is how she changed exactly what she said in the title, and founded, with her business partner, Teach Last - though that’s not the name they went with, but it’s the opposite of Teach First, and encourages people into teaching following successful careers.

It’s a good read, honest, funny and endearing. I liked the self-deprecating style, and even picked up some economics knowledge. It’s another book that focuses on change, in a ‘leap of faith’ kind of way and refreshing in her quest to continually learn and acknowledge her prejudices.

And I’ll admit I had to google the house she bought, which once I had felt a little more intrusive than I expected it to - but it’s easy to see why she fell for it. Now you’ll have to read it to find out that for yourself.

So here’s to many more 21 minutes!

Photo by marqquin on Unsplash

Reflecting on my week #150

It feels like the hundred and fiftieth post in this series should mark a momentous occasion, and in a way it does, sort of. A Covid kind of way, of course, what else? Even though the restrictions had changed before now, this past weekend was the first time we’d visited a garden since they had. Mostly that’s because, despite being a planner, this planner prefers a bit of spontaneity. This was severely tested though when I tried to book entry to a garden, any garden, on the Early May bank holiday, which is how we found ourselves with a booking at RHS Wisley last weekend. There were no bookings to be had at such short notice and so the planner in me kicked in.

The forecast was for wet weather, which also dampened my plans for a picnic. While soup would have been the optimum choice, it’s hardly normal picnic food, and I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. As it turned out we were relatively lucky with the weather - warm showers - and after a treat steak dinner (the delivered, cook at home sort) we weren’t that hungry in any case, so a coffee and a warm sausage roll did the job just fine.

It was odd, but good, to see people giving each other a wide berth and with the glasshouses and alpine houses still shut (we visited before 17 May when they reopened) we discovered new paths and spaces, in particular the area full of flowering rhododendrons and camellias, which at this time of year was a great time to visit.

The colours! Not even MOH calling them Rosie-dendrons (as he does) could detract from their brilliance.

There were paler tones too, this very pale lemon one was spectacular but there were also pale pinks and bright white rhododendrons too. They’ve certainly cemented their place on my plant “to get” list, which in their case is a plant to get list when I have a garden that’s appropriate, so I’ve a little while to wait just yet.

The only thing that could out-dazzle the rhododendrons was the lichen - so to get both, and plenty of it - no words! There was of course much more to see and these delicate succulents tumbling out of an urn were right at the start of our visit and it’s such a calming photo I had to include it here.

As we were walking around the gardens I was marvelling that things were “out already” and then quickly realising it’s May already and it’s perfectly normal for plants to be flowering. It was the Lily of the Valley that made me stop and think, ours aren’t close to flowering so it was good to get a glimpse of these. Dad has also said that his clematis is about 3-4 weeks behind where it normally would be, it’s not surprising though really is it, given the weather.

A few weeks back you’ll remember I set my word for this year and set about making my priorities my priority. I knew then that one of my big challenges would be logging off more timely, and on more reflection the very obvious came to me. That’s that we all always have choices and often we are the ones that can make them happen. That sounds more cryptic than it’s meant to be, but it’s true and not exactly rocket science. It’s not necessarily easy, and knowing how much I like a target I’ve set myself a target of logging off by 6pm four days a week. It really isn’t easy, the first week I didn’t manage it at all, but a target’s a target and something to work towards.

I’ve not picked up any crochet for a while, and I really should. I have plenty of new projects I want to try, but I’ve also plenty of projects to finish off - and so my priority really should be to finish those, it’s just that perhaps I’ve not fully signed up to that. Instead one night last week I got out my colouring book and pencils, and while MOH cooked tea had a thoroughly enjoyable time with this mandala. It’s not perfect, or even that symmetrical, but was great to do.

And I found them. These hooks that is. I’ve been looking for them for a while and then on Sunday I looked in a place I’d not thought of before and found the hooks we’d bought last year safely stored away. Now we stand a chance of getting our garden lights hooked up outside, just as soon as the weather behaves.

My garden in March

March is when our garden starts to come back to life, and that’s great as I think our garden looks best in spring. It starts with the traditional spring colours of yellow and blue - the yellow of the forsythia and the blue of the grape hyacinths. These follow the daffodils, which this year we didn’t make the most of as with what seemed cooler than usual temperatures we weren’t out in the garden as we have been in previous years. This year our daffodil spotting was mostly from our conservatory window, but this month the weather warmed a little - at times! - so there’s more photos, and we started to work in the garden on those warmer days too.

The phormium below looks a little crumpled this year, but that too has its own charm. It seems to have less ‘leaves’ than usual but does break up the ‘green-ness’ with its pink stripes, so it’s always a welcome addition. I’m hoping that the crumpled-ness is a normal thing, though this leaf looks like one of the frosts could have interfered with it.

One of the larger pruning jobs we did last year was to severely reduce the euonymus, this seems to have helped the ornamental quince as it’s full of the prettiest orange flowers. These are intertwined with the yellow pompom flowers of the kerria, a plant which has migrated from our neighbours. I like the boldness of the two colours together, but then again this shouldn’t be a surprise as orange and yellow was one of the hair colourings I experimented on before settling on, what has become, my normal pink and orange. (It looks way better than it sounds, trust me).

Elsewhere in the garden there’s other signs of new life. The cherry tree at the back of the garden - the one that was hosting the vine and the grapes last summer - also has buds ready to burst out. The blossom, which is being blown about the garden as I type this post, is white and pretty, but not as pretty or spectacular as the pink cherry blossom that people flock to Greenwich Park for.

There’s reminders of how hardy plants are. This primrose looks a little nibbled, but is steadfastly growing alongside a geranium which has died back over winter, while nestled in its pot in a sheltered part of the garden.

Just along from the pot nestled at the base of the tree with its burst of burnished yellow is the new growth of the pyracantha. Its thorns sharp and ready to make their presence known, as I teased them back to the supports on the fence, and through the wire trellis to give some privacy.

The ground at least was soft so unusually we were able to get this spiral support in for the rose closest to the house, normally I miss doing this and the rose bends forward for the light and they end up growing more horizontally than vertically, which also puts them in peril of MOH’s lawn mowing skills.

I’ve already shared photos from my garden in April, so head over there to see how things progress.