Angel Jem's City Cottage

WI quiz night. We won! Roast pork made into tortillas tonight. Hostages on TV and finding a new programme to watch. Watching my hyacinths growing daily. Sashenka on my Kindle.  I'm enjoying this book a lot.

Who knew that having a new business was just like having a new baby? No, don't laugh. Listen to this story. It was about a year and a half ago that Mr Angel Jem read this book, The Litigators, by John Grisham. I love JG, I read a lot of JG for the same reason I watch a lot of courtroom dramas and sit on a Sunday watching football. Mr AJ likes them, so there's a lot of it about and it's well worth sharing an interest together (and, no, he CANNOT crochet, although his Mum used to dressmake and he has a lot of respect for useful crafts.) The role of the book is crucial in our story. The hero, David Zinc, has it all; a good job in a big firm, a big BIG firm. But it takes all his time and he is working for the firm. So one day he walks out. Just goes, sets off, gets well drunk in a bar and wanders off to a very dubious part of town where he meanders into a 'boutique' (meaning small) law firm and asks for a job. We were in London. Seriously. Staying for a week in...

My nephew helping me to add a sitemap to Mr Angel Jem's website. Slow cooked lamb with mint sauce. Match of the day and some good football. Building links both virtual and actual. Crocheting a ripple blanket that keeps my knees warm.

Football on Sky. I love watching it with Mr AJ who gets real enjoyment from it. Cheap hyacinths at Morrisons. January isn't January without them. Brisket beef that takes 5 hours to cook. And Yorkshire pudding. Closing the curtains at dusk after a cold sharp day. A new crochet magazine with interesting reading and a cute free gift. What I spent Hyacinths 4×1.25 Magazines 2× 4.99 Mini chocolate 2× 42p

Peace. Quiet. Half an hour in the house free from people, work and that little nagging voice saying "You should do the washing." Be still! Go AwAy! Just let me be!! I never realised how much I would miss just being at home, not doing, not making, not having the endless list of work (house or otherwise) and how much worse that would get when Mr was at home working full time and I was out til 2pm, leaving a bare 60 minutes when I could sensibly hope to have time just to be before children came home. And how much time a new business takes! It is all-encompassing, like a baby, like an elderly relative, it sucks time up and spits out little in return. Don't get me wrong, like a baby or my aged P's I love it, I really do, I love knowing that the website is mine and the IT skills I use and expand daily are well worth it, adding to my CV and meaning I feel more confident and able to say yes to opportunities that beckon me on. But I still need to be the sole practiti...

Tivo meaning I could watch an excellent episode of Simon Schama's history of the Jews that I recorded back in September. Kindle meaning I can read Robert Harris' new novel, An Officer and  Spy about the Dreyfuss Affair in France. Laptops meaning I spent about 2 hours trying to get a site web for Mr Angel Jem's website. Galaxy Tab meaning I can post on Blogger even now while my laptop recharges. My Family meaning all of the above are only tools to enhance my life with Mr AJ, DP, JW and the Princess. Money spent 4.48 on a wrap from McDonald's for lunch 9.30 on fish for tea and a small custard pie that had my name on. I haven't spent much on line this week: what I have has been refundable by other sources (for school or business) so I'm happy with that.  First sign of the laptop out and I get asked to do this, that or the other. Being busy is a good way to avoid spending.

Going back to school after a holiday knowing that I was going BACK to the same school. Baked camembert for lunch thus combining a treat for the first day with finishing off some stuff from Christmas. Watching Dead Poets Society with DP and wishing I could have had or been a teacher like Mr Keating. Fried mushrooms. Teaching someone to multiply decimals and watching him get it. Money spent today. 9.50 on Doritos for lunch, chorizo and peas for tea.

Mr Angel Jem's new business and the fact he keeps pushing me past my comfort zone. A quiet Sunday afternoon with the FA cup and the last of the Christmas tin of Roses, Planning ahead for the week; menu planned, work planned and social life, such as it is, planned. Playing Filofax. New diary, new year. Cottage pie for tea. I still have to make this; a quiet half hour in the kitchen and something warm and rib sticking for tea! Money Spent Nothing today. No books, no magazines, nothing.

What I love about Christmas is how much of it stays the same year after year. Rather than throw everything out and start again, my Christmas decorations basically get tweaked with the addition of something nice and the retirement of something worn or tacky (depending on your own personal attitude) And this year has definitely been the year of the PJ day. About 6 days this holiday have been lazy do nothing days. You can't beat a good, relaxing holiday.

Watching Death Comes to Pemberley with Mr Angel Jem and then today with my eldest and youngest. Having a lovely chicken and chorizo paella to make for candlelit supper for just me and Mr AJ tonight. Watching the rain on the windowpane outside as I sit inside. Rippling along with MY blanket Pear cider nicely chilled Money Spent today £29 in Tesco's. It was 4 pies for lunch, some ladies necessities, 2 tea towels for £1.75 and two magazines that fell into my basket; this month's Country Homes and Interiors and Craftseller, just for the Scotty Dog. £2.99 on John Newman's album, Tribute. This was with a £2 voucher from Money Saving Expert

Messing on the computer to draw up a poster for Attendance Tigers at school Sharing chips with curry sauce with my three children A Virgin TiVo box that means I can watch Sherlock again (and again and again) Having Nordic slippers that keep my feet warm The final day of Christmas lights. I'm de-Noelling tomorrow Money Spent today Chips £9 (included a curry sauce and large sausages) Drinks £3 Filofax Finance sheets £2.50 I sort of feel I should record what I've smoked and what I weigh in a Bridget Jones way, but I didn't ever enjoy that book, I don't smoke, and I daren't tell anyone yet the truth. So, no. Gratitude and spending are enough for now.

My son loves Sherlock Holmes. Of course we watched it last night, but this was his Christmas present to me. A really beautiful gift, as he has signed away all rights to the story so any money I ever make from it is mine..... (I jest. It's a 70-30 split in my favour) Please read and enjoy; Irregular Christmas by D P Kneale 221b Baker Street 24 th December 1881 An extract from the accounts of Dr John H. Watson In the year that I had known the venerable mind of our age that was my friend Sherlock Holmes; I had never seen him celebrate the festive season on any given holiday. He sneered at Easter, laughed scornfully at the celebrations of Pentecost, and given me scornful looks when I mentioned the holiday of Valentine’s Day. So you will forgive me if I did not anticipate Holmes celebrating the monumental date of Christmas. In the weeks leading up to the holiday, Holmes had not reacted with the scorn I anticipated. The most hostile he achieved was a scornful glance as ...

My children My parents Being able to sort out the firm's IT so far Sherlock.... how did he survive? My favourite is the bungee jump. Having a footie mad husband who comes in from a game and expects me to have ordered flyers without him. Duh?

Of course I know that Christmas is about more than just presents, I do, I do. But I do dearly love a haul of gifts that will brighten my winter and take me through to May when I can add to it with my birthday. I like a variety of gifts; I very rarely get a BIG present, generally I don't do perfume, I'm not a big Label lover and anything I need electronically I will save for and buy when I need it. So, what did Santa bring me this year? Rachel Khoo's new book . I loved My Little Paris Kitchen TV series and book a couple of years ago, so I jumped at the chance to get this book for Christmas. I love the recipes but even more I love the photos of a life lived partying in France. It's very like the quilt of annual pictures that flood the blogosphere at this time. Attic 24 , Little Tin Bird who managed three very pictureful posts, and Domesticali among the rest. My favourite picture from the book is this wintery scene with a red hat and red skirt standing...

I celebrated New Year last night with the most important people in my life.  Just me, Mr Angel Jem, DP, JW and the Princess. She is 11 now and can stay up till Midnight better than I can! And the ticking clock made me think.  This year is about keeping it simple.  I have work for me, work for Mr Angel Jem, my children, my parents and my husband. That's in no particular order,  of course.  I will see my friends regularly,  I will blog when I can or probably when I need a supportive comment,  I will keep the house just good enough and everything else can go hang for a year.  Keep my life simple, laugh a lot and work on my IT t shirt collection. Hope you all have a brilliant year ahead,  full of love and challenges.  Roll on 2014!