ONE Our lovely hound needs a decent walk every day. My children promised us faithfully (of course they did) that they would walk a dog if we got one but they rarely do. My husband walks/runs with her when he’s home but he’s often away. So it’s mostly down to me and, to be honest, I don’t mind at all. I usually love walking her. It gets me out into our beautiful surroundings for fresh air, exercise, inspiration and thinking time, and I often walk with friends so it’s doubly good. I go out in all weathers, even if it’s a howling gale and the sort of driving rain that stings your face. This week I have donned full waterproof gear and waded through vast puddles, pushed forwards into the scarily strong winds, avoided going near to the cliff edge and been very pleased indeed to get home. So has the dog.
TWO Although it’s not been especially cold so far this winter, I took advantage of the January sales and ordered a 13.5-tog winter duvet. It arrived yesterday and it’s SO COSY. It’s like sleeping under a massive, soft pillow. It’s now even harder to get out of bed in the mornings.
THREE I am fully conversant with nutrition and healthy eating. I have edited cookery books extolling the virtues of quinoa and kale, buckwheat and beetroot. Despite all this knowledge I still sometimes go through a whole day without eating any fresh fruit or veg (tut tut). I endeavour to get as much as possible into the children but I can be quite lax when it comes to me. This morning, in an effort to eat more healthily, I made myself a big bowl of porridge topped with with a banana, flaked almonds and sunflower seeds. I did then drizzle maple syrup over the top but, hey, it’s a start. I make my porridge the traditional Scottish way – with water and a pinch of salt – which horrifies my husband. He makes his the namby pamby way with milk.
FOUR My daughter’s recent biology homework was to make a labelled model of a cell. It turns out she knew she had to do this before the Christmas holidays but somehow we ended up doing it at 9pm last night. She/we stuck two kitchen sponges together, held them in place with a cardboard ‘cell wall’, drew on the components and made labels with cardboard and cocktail sticks. Hey presto, a definitely home-made, simple plant cell which was Good Enough for today’s deadline. Unfortunately, it’s still on the kitchen table…
We had a frantic text exchange and I sent her a photo to show her teacher. She’s a serial leaver-behind-of-important-things and I refuse to trek into school any more.
FIVE I couldn’t drive it over to school, even if I was so inclined, because I went to visit a friend this morning. The last time I saw this friend she was in full building-work chaos, coping with a temporary kitchen in her front room, making non-stop mugs of tea for the builders and keeping three children out of their way. But it was all totally worth it – just look at that beautiful polished concrete floor and the way the sunlight streams through the windows. While I was there, the sun moved round and bathed the sofa in warm rays and it was very tempting to curl up in the sunshine and have a little sleep.
This is the first time I’ve joined in with Amy and her Five on Friday posts. It’s nice to link with other bloggers and a neat way to present my series of random thoughts to you today. Have a great weekend.
acoastalplot 
I feel a bit swoony looking at that lovely polished concrete floor. In my next life when I have a stunning contemporary home I will have a floor just like that.
Quite impressed with your porridge – mine is oats + water + sugar. I’m Mrs Basic at Breakfast.
LikeLike
The floor had that effect on me too.
LikeLike
Aah porridge the Scottish way, I like it. I do sometimes drizzle some cream over it 🙂 I made cells for an outreach activity a while ago, we used sweets to make up the organelles of the cells and set them in place with jelly. We used petri dishes but any roundish dish would do. Just in case another cell needs to be made at some point. Have a great weekend. x
LikeLike
That’s such a great idea and, if another cell is required, I will pinch it. Thank you!
LikeLike
What a gorgeous room. I think I’d quite like daily walks with a dog as well. Of course they’d be even better if it was by the coast. Well done on the healthy breakfast. I could do with eating more fresh stuff as well I think. It’s all namby pamby porridge around here I’m afraid, I’m very impressed at your hardness in eating it made with water and salt. Wishing you a good weekend. CJ xx
LikeLike
You too, CJ. Will a canine companion be joining you on walks soon? I highly recommend it. X
LikeLike
You cannot beat a good duvet dispite what the Queens staff at Windsor appear to think!
I like the sound of your porridge recipe.
LikeLike
We spent Christmas in the French Alps when the children were very small and the beds had massive, pillowy duvets. I’ve been a convert ever since.
LikeLike
Your friends new home is beautiful isn’t it! I like the plant cell a lot, very creative, and very creative on the sending in a photo of it! Hope you enjoy snuggling under your new duvet, we got a new one last year and I was amazed at how much nicer it was than the old one! They do get thin don’t they. Thank you for joining Five On Friday this year! Happy weekend! xx
LikeLike
I wish we’d thought of changing the duvet years ago – our old one was rubbish in comparison! Hope your weekend is going swimmingly x
LikeLike
Sounds like you have bought your duvet just in time for the cold weather. Thank goodness for technology getting your daughter out of trouble at school;) have a good weekend . Barbara
LikeLike
She’s a lucky girl and has been given a reprieve by her teacher (as long as she remembers to take it in for the next lesson!). In my day, I’d have had to suffer the detention.
LikeLike
I thought we might get away with sheets, merino blankets and quilts at the new cottage. You’ve made me think again! Porridge – always Monday to Friday, a daily walk – yes please, interior decor inspiration – no more, my head is spinning with choosing paint, flooring, lighting and appliances, homework – definitely no more, thank goodness. Have a lovely weekend Sam. The North Kent coast was beautiful today and we saw a stunning sunset as we left Canterbury.
LikeLike
Yesterday was beautiful, wasn’t it? I’ve been a convert to duvets for several years now. The fact that you can wash them was a big plus when the children were small. I’m really looking forward to seeing your plans for your cottage come together, inside and out.
LikeLike
Oh that duvet looks so comfortable Sam…it is making me feel sleepy just looking at it. Your friend’s house is gorgeous, how about that light x
LikeLike
It is tempting to crawl into bed whenever I go into the bedroom!
LikeLike
My youngest is 17 and he still always forgets stuff. Like forgetting to give me the house key on the first day back to school after winter break so I had trek back to school to get it. Walking is a wonderful thing. And having a canine companion can only make it better. She looks like such a sweetie. Best wishes, Tammy
LikeLike
She is an absolute sweetie, Tammy, and we can’t imagine life without her now. My boys (14 and 16) do occasionally forget stuff but they’re nowhere near as forgetful as their sister…
LikeLike
Walking with a dog every day is definitely a good thing – for the soul as well as the exercise.
LikeLike
I go on about it to anyone who’ll listen. Even my brother, who’s not a dog person, is gradually coming round to the idea, much to the delight of his children!
LikeLike
Now that is an impressive floor. I also loved the idea of a new duvet to wrap into with the forecast of colder weather. I am afraid I like my porridge the namby pamby way with milk.
LikeLike
Ha ha, sorry – I didn’t mean to have a dig at anyone who likes their porridge with milk. It’s a running joke with my husband!
LikeLike
nothing like a cosy duvet to make staying in bed so tempting! I make my porridge with half milk half water, can’t quite cope with the full water, and I’m afraid it’s syrup not salt…….I do stir flaxseeds and other healthy things in though too x
LikeLike
Flaxseeds – very healthy!
LikeLike
When I saw the photo of the beautiful, pristine duvet, I half expected the next photo to be your wet dog on that duvet!
LikeLike
Ha ha, you’ve made me laugh! That would have made a hilarious photo sequence but thankfully she’s extremely well-behaved and doesn’t come upstairs unless invited.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve been there as far as the kid-leaving-homework-at-home. I think you did the right thing. A smart person told me that you can’t continually “rescue” kids when they do stuff like that. Eventually I stopped and they learned to be more organized.
LikeLike
It’s a fine line, isn’t it? But part of our job is to teach our children how to cope as adults and I suspect my daughter won’t have a PA to run around after her!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely post Sam. Now I want a new duvet too :o)
LikeLike
Go for it CT. Forecast is for cold weather…
LikeLike
Five delightful snippets.
The weather has been so wet that I’ve been dog-walking in my wellies and PJ bottoms and then peeling wet clothes off.
Water and salt porridge for me too but everyone else in the house likes namby-pamby. Very annoying!
Cute duvet cover!
VERY impressive cell!
OMG, your friends home looks gorgeous!
Great post.
LikeLiked by 1 person