I could be happy just living to learn...

Hello! Sorry for my un planned absence at the end of last week, things got a little on top of me (once more!) and unfortunately this blog is the one and only thing I can let slide.


Picture Credit here

I'm currently going through the process of applying to university to start again in September next year (eek!) and I had the joy of having to write a personal statement for this! A process which I detest, because I hate telling people why I'm so utterly amazing they would be wrong not to give me a place and lots of money! Hence this has taken me much longer than perhaps it would the average person, and has involved much more hand wringing. But, I have nearly finished and hopefully can submit my application this evening. Which means I shall be free from the stress of getting it done before the deadline, and can hopefully start looking forwards to planning our christmas.

My 7 Good Things this week are a little eclectic to say the least...

1. Pretty yarn, which helps me to make a present for a loved one
2. Simon and Garfunkel- Bridge over Troubled Water is just sublime and has been on repeat this week
3. James' hugs
4. Snow! I can't be the only adult who thinks this is a good thing all round
5. My beautiful new pendant from Paper Sparrow. (I won a giveaway on the blog A Beautiful Mess, which is amazing within it's self, and was privileged to receive some amazing art created by unique souls.)
6. Planned visits with friends this weekend
7. A hot cup of tea whilst it snows outside and the temperatures are below zero

Here's to hoping that I can get myself a bit more sorted in the next few days and can actually tell you lovely people about some of the things I want and plan to!

Hoping that your week will go serenely to plan

Lindy xxx

PS: for music I'm back to the genius of the Court Yard Hounds

PPS: yes I do sit on my iPad in my lunch break and write my blog, why do you ask!

Unemployment

Image from here

Just in case you were wondering, unemployment sucks. This might not seem like a revelation to the rest of the world, but it certainly is to me.

Sorry, I think this post needs some back story. I have a 12 hour a week contract as a junior manager at a local supermarket. This was perfect whilst I was university. It gave me a nice balance between having the time to do my university work and having a job to do, something to distract me from my degree (in a good way). Now when I finished my degree, I had assumed that I would either have another job to go to (more fool me), or that I could get some overtime at my current work place in order to keep me occupied.

Neither has happen. There is a complete overtime ban at work at the moment which I don’t see being lifted anytime soon. Hence why I feel unemployed. My 12 hours is spread over 2 evenings at weekend. So all day everyday I sit at home on a weekday and watch people go out and be productive members of society. This has become harder now that J has gone back to work. For the first few weeks of living in the flat, he had booked it off on holiday so we were both at home, and it felt like a nice relaxing holiday, albeit one with a multitude of boxes to lift in. You have no idea how guilty I feel siting in our beautiful new flat without a full time job, and without much to do.

I have naively thought that I would be okay with sitting at home and relaxing. It was the one thought that kept me battling through my degree- the idea that when it was all over the stress would end, and I could relax a little. Well i’ve relaxed enough now, and I need something to do! I don’t react well to having nothing to do. It makes me lethargic and un-motivated, a vicious cycle of doing not much.

So I have come up with a few ways of combatting this whilst I look for a job. And believe me I am looking for a job like I have never looked for anything before, but there are only so many times a day I can fill in forms telling people that I am fantastic.

One of the things I am doing is NaNoWriMo, I wanted to get back in to writing and this seemed like the perfect structure that I needed to keep me on track. I’m writing complete balls, but just the practice of writing something is good for me I think. J’s Dad has also lent me one of his old guitars, so i’m learning, badly I may add, to play a few chords on that to give me something to occupy myself.

For some reason its hit me particularly hard having nothing to do. My normal response to boredom would be to go and do some volunteering, but whilst looking for a job I can’t give a long enough commitment to make it worth a charities while to train me. Its all rather depressing.

No one tells you this when your doing a degree. Perhaps i’m the aberration. Perhaps the rest of the world is good at doing nothing. But I certainly am not.

So this is why, ladies and gentlemen, unemployment sucks. I completely fail to understand how people can do this long term. (I don’t mean unemployed in the sense that your staying at home with children or something, but just staying at home and doing nothing.)

So okay. Rant over. Now I have to go find something else to do. Damn.

To do or not to do... that is the question

So I thought I would share with you what my to do list looked like today. (And they say that students do nothing!)

-Washing (two loads)
-Tidy the living room
-Write 500 words on the dissertation
-Governors meeting
-Crochet panel for blanket
-Read article
-Email uni about the MA
-Apply for job


Needless to say some of that did not get done. Namely the washing. I hate doing the washing with a passion and thus its always the first to go off of my to do lists! (Yet I like having clean clothes- its a war in my head- do I like clean clothes more than I hate doing the washing?... hmmm...)

I shall be back at the weekend to join in with Saturday Steals once more, but as you can no doubt tell the real world has intruded once more in the stressful form of dissertation deadlines and job applications. See you Saturday!

6000 Words

This ladies and gentlemen is what 6000 words looks like.



This is what has kept me from blogging about my degree more. (I’m ignoring the irony that it is my degree which is keeping me from blogging about it!)



This is what has led to my speedy progress with crocheting as it has become procrastination activity number one.



This is what the last piece of work ever for my course looks like.



All of that said, these have been some of the easiest 6000 words I have ever written. I don’t know why, but suddenly it feels as though my writers block has been lifted. The first semester of my third year was really hard, it felt as though I had to draw every word out of me kicking and screaming on to the page. But this essay- it just flowed, it took a while, but it was actually quite easy to write.

Now that i’ve said that it was easy, I have obviously jinxed myself for finishing the dissertation now... damn it!

Strength without measure

I must firstly apologize for the lack of posts in the last week. Although I am on reading week from university, and should theoretically have more time- this is not the case! Never try finishing a degree, applying for a MA, and organising to move house at the same time, stress ensues!

My work load this week has not been helped, I must admit, by the Winter Olympics and the lure of the figure skating. Ever my weak spot when it comes to watching sport, I have become addicted this games. I have been most touched this week, and most inspired by the example of Joannie Rochette. I’m sure most people know the back story, but this Canadian skater tragically lost her mother two days before her event (Ladies Singles Figure Skating) was to begin. She has demonstrated the olympic spirit in the way she has conducted herself, though out this last week, and I am sure that her bronze medal is worth more than its weight in gold. Her strength and fortitude, to preform at the top of her game under the most awful circumstances, and yet still be able to conduct herself with dignity has been a real inspiration. I like many others am perhaps to quick to give in to stress and to allow myself to become side tracked from the real issue. More than her beautiful skating I will take away from these games Joannie’s example of fortitude in the face of difficulties. I think that if we all applied a little of her strength to our every day lives, and indeed remembered how fortunate we are not to have suffered her loss, our stresses and difficulties would pale in comparison.

On a happier note, for christmas, I received two sets of tickets to go to the ballet this weekend. One to see Giselle and one to see Swan Lake. Expect over excited reviews, as I have never been to the ballet properly before and really don’t know what to expect! I wish everyone a relaxing and rejuvenating weekend.

Now... I really must find something to wear to the ballet tonight....