confession time
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I Can’t Do Math in My Head, Among Other Things
Despite the fact that I have a degree in Finance, worked for a hedge fund (and actually worked for a time on the trade desk, where we traded currencies and commodities), I can no longer do math in my head. In fact, I’m even struggling to make sense of the sentence that I’ve just written. The best way to understand what we do is to know that we work in a similar fashion to forex brokers – we help people to trade currencies in the easiest and most efficient way. Yes, it can be a very complicated process, hence why it’s affected my own mind so much. Honestly? I think…
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Writer’s Workshop: Big Fat Focaccia Fail
I’ve been so good. Drinking my water and eating my veggies and fruit. Trying to stay away from the candy dish. Saying “NO” to the luring call of the afternoon cake or a biscuit (that’s a cookie) with my tea. Hopping around my sitting room to “Just Dance 2” (extra points for ducking behind the sofa to hide from walkers on the lane). But today at the Farmer’s Market, my self-control *gulp* failed and after nearly a YEAR of self-denial, I broke down. I couldn’t resist the call of feta-olive-tomato focaccia. Since I told myself I won’t regret it…Just Dance 2, anyone? Mama Kat offered…
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Fill in the Blank Friday – on a Saturday
T.G.I.S. (Thank God Its Saturday. Because, you see, I wrote this on Friday – and then things went downhill further than I thought they could go, and I went to sulk in a corner. And *oops* didn’t publish my post.) So. It’s been a crap kind of week, really. One of those weeks where you really don’t want to ask me how I’m doing, because it’s highly likely that I’ll tell you. And you really don’t want me to do that. Trust me. Anyhoo….I hate to be in a glass-half-empty mood, I really do! I need a serious attitude adjustment…. …so for now, it will take the form of “Fill…
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A Brief Question for a Tuesday Morning
It’s only 8:30 on the second day of school, and already, I’m eyeballing the Baileys. Has it ever crossed your mind that the tantrums you endure could be a harbinger of something worse to come? Like being killed in your sleep, suffocated by a stuffed unicorn named Pinky? Yeah, me neither. I don’t know what I was thinking. I need more Bailey’s coffee. You can go about your day now…
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And Away We Go….
Earlier this week, I wrote a post about travel. I love to travel. I also love to plan trips. I’m very good at the planning bit. Typically, there are lists involved. Lots of them. I like lists. What I don’t like is packing. Once upon a time, in a time long before nappies, schedules and car seats, I could throw things into a bag and go. (My favorite kind of trip is still the last-minute kind, I will admit.) Somewhere along the line, however, (quite possibly after I had been vomited upon during a flight, where I remembered to bring a change of baby clothes, but not mommy clothes) I…
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Dear So & So
I think that Kat might be taking a break this week, but I really needed to write my Dear So and So’s, anyway. Because that’s how i roll…… So here we go: * * * * * Dear Dog Groomer, Thank you for shaving my puppy*. It was really getting tiresome picking weeds and seeds out of her tangled ears. If I looked shocked when I picked her up, it was only because she looked so…weird with short ears. Love, A Happy Cocker Spaniel Owner *Boy, that sounds wrong. * * * * * Dear Macy, I promise to stop laughing at your short ears. But. Dude. You look goofy.…
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Dear So and So – In Which I (Mostly) Give Thanks
Dear Macy pup, If you empty out one more of my herb pots into the middle of the garden, I’ll…I’ll…well, I really don’t know what I’ll do to you, but there will definitely be no more belly rubs for you. Love, The lady who walks you, feeds you and spoils you * * * * * Dear Trampoline, I will not be assembling you this time, as my blisters (from taking you down) have finally healed. Please talk to whoever lives in the hedge – if there are any faeries in there, they are hired, because right now, that’s the only way you’re getting put back together again. Love, A…
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Why I Shouldn’t Read Bedtime Stories when I’m Tired
The kidlings have amassed quite a collection of story books. Of course, I had quite a collection before they were even born, one way of clinging on to an old dream of being a children’s picture book illustrator. (These days I rarely sketch, and if Pea asks me to draw something for her, inevitably, it’s not what she wanted….so…) Anyhoo. Back to the books. We do have quite a few, and it’s a rather diverse lot. Boo, of course, has quite a few dedicated to airplanes, trucks, and trains, and a broad collection of “Sam” books. Pea has the usual amount of Fancy Nancy, Pinkalicious, and princess-related books. Curious George,…
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You Want Me to Eat…What?????
One exciting thing about moving to a different country is the opportunity to try new foods. Granted, British cuisine has historically been panned (particularly by the French) as being plain and bland. This is definitely not the case, although I will say that much of the food we traditionally associate with the United Kingdom falls in the category of comfort foods. There was, of course, a learning curve as many foods we eat in the US are known by different names here: eggplant = aubergine zucchini = courgette french fries = chips Whereas (potato and other) chips = crisps gelatin = jelly (and don’t think that doesn’t cause puzzled looks…
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A Path That Shouldn’t Have Been Traveled, or I Hate Cows
In a few weeks we will be moving to a new house here in town, as our lovely landlords will be returning from Australia and need their house back. And as much as I love the quirkiness of this house, the garden, the great location, the fab neighbors and – my favorite, the amazing Stoves range*, the next house has double-paned glass, insulation and a two-car garage. This is an upgrade, to say the least. I know how difficult it can be to find an upgraded house that has all your needs in one and matches your style. You can click here to see a wide variety of homes if…