Monthly Memoir – February

January was such a crappy month, I was relieved when it became February and now I can’t believe it’s over already. That always happens. Those one or two days less than most months somehow make a huge difference. So anyway, this is my very first Monthly Memoir and I aim to do this every month (obviously). If my time is accountable to you guys, hopefully it will encourage me to stay busy…

This month I have continued with the editing and typing of my book, but not as efficiently as I hoped. I have a scene in a clockmaker’s shop where I wrote in my first draft about a picture of a lady on the mantlepiece – see bookmark. I ended up spending an hour trying to find the bookmark I had obviously once referred to. Then I gave up and decided to find a different lady. I picked Knowle House in Kent and then Highclere Castle in Berkshire (Downton Abbey fame), but it is a lot more difficult than you might expect to find a list of occupants of these houses throughout history, and when I realised how long this was taking me for such an insignificant moment in the story, I put a stop to it and made a note to pursue it at some point in the future when I can’t sleep.

I’ve continued to catch up with editing you tube videos I recorded a while ago. The first in February is just showing what I bought from online craft shop George Weil…

and the second is about the Creopop 3d pen, of which I’ll also do a written review soon. It literally arrived just as we were about to leave to stay with family for the weekend, so I took it with me. My nieces were fascinated!

 

And yesterday, I’ve finally finished a video about the day-in-the-life of a wood-fired Rayburn owner, which I hope will be useful to anyone with one, or thinking of buying one. (If you’re not, then this will be of no interest what-so-ever.) Please also read my other blogs on the subject.

I’ve been making a steampunk wedding guestbook (similar to this Alice In Wonderland one) during the odd hour in the evenings and at weekends. I was getting fed up of negotiating my workroom with all the required crafting equipment all over the floor, so decided to take it all down into the basement and work on it down there. As well as clearing the floor, it has freed up cupboard space and given me the opportunity to actually get somewhere with my endless struggle to tidy up. This is still on-going, but hopefully pictures will come next month.

Oh yes, it was Valentine’s Day in February. My husband and I have never really been roses and dinner people on this particular day; however we do enjoy the excuse to buy each other presents. A long time ago he bought me skateboard, and this year I returned the gesture. He bought himself a cheapy version of the penny board a few months ago, but was finding it difficult, so I bought him the cheapy version of the nickel board, which is a bit bigger, and therefore a bit easier. No bones broken yet. He bought me this camera strap, which is the best bit of photography paraphernalia there is. I’ve only really had the opportunity to try it once, when we went to Nunney Castle, but already I know it’s going to revolutionise my days out with the camera. He also bought me this variable ND filter to fit my 14-140 zoom lens so at last I can get decent depth of field in bright daylight, and have a go at blurring water. I’m looking forward to trying that. 

Whilst my photography learning is mainly in the digital processing stage at the moment, (mostly due to the weather), Chris is getting hands-on with portrait photos. It conveniently provides Oshun with new fashion photography that will hopefully help sell the clothing; but inconveniently means that as the most opportune model (“model” meant in the loosest possible terms) available, I have to make the effort to look half decent on a Sunday when ordinarily I would look my slobbiest. Follow me on Instagram to see these photoshoots behind-the-scenes when they happen.

I have simply loved the new X-files series, but six episodes is far too short. It just isn’t enough for the new generation of viewers to really get what it’s all about. It’s a pity Mulder and Scully aren’t together any more, like they were in the last film, but their relationship and close-ness is still lovely to watch. Episode three, where they did a homage to everyone’s all-time favourites from the original series, was just a delight to watch and from the moment we spotted the toad-licking characters at the beginning, I was just grinning the whole way through!

What have you been up to in February?