Human Lifestyle

Woken by the phone and it was Richard, David's cousin, saying David's scan earlier this week had revealed something not too good, and he was therefore in hospital.  And therefore don't come at 4pm to work for David.  I may get time to go and see him in hospital in the next few days.

At about 11 I set off for the Steiner School for the financial interview for next year's fees.  As we only submitted our info a few weeks ago, the info hasn't changed and so our contribution is the same. 

I came back via the log pile just off Fulford Road.  I've found out the land belongs to the MoD and therefore they don't want the logs.  The treesurgeon took most of them, but because I spoke to them, they've left some for me.  So I came back with a very well loaded trailer, and did a bit of splitting and stacking, and later some chainsawing too.

I also did some cooking; I prepared some leeks and potatoes and an onion and stick of celery, and made a leek and potato soup which Gill and I had for tea.

At lunchtime I got confirmation that I'll be able to see Colin and Lucy next Wednesday after the Wipe Out Waste event, so in the afternoon I went to town to get my return ticket from Weston Super Mare to York.  I called in to Cycle Heaven as my front sprocket (chain wheel) is wearing down, which is why it's been jumping when I've pushed hard on it.  Also, my brakes are really not up to the job, and I find them very difficult to tighten.  So Ash tightened my brakes and said he'd order a stainless steel sprocket and replace the brakes with much better ones.  That'll be done next week when I'm in London.

I cycled on to the station and then on to Millers Yard and along the cycle track to home.

I popped round to collect more wood off Jamie, and met his wife Bernie. 

The leek and potato soup was lovely, had it with a couple of mini pitta breads warmed on a sheet of aluminium foil on top of the stove.

Gill and I had a game of Scrabble and I chopped up red peppers and put them for drying.  More yummy sweet paprika on the way....

A much better morning.  And therefore a better day... despite spending most of it doing paperwork!  Gill and I finished off our financial declaration for the Steiner School... we had to work out our gross income, then all our household bills, and other unavoidable costs, such as my Fiddlesticks advertising and travel.  The amount of 'available money' left gives the school the guide as to how much the fee (or donation as they put it) should be.  So, despite our saving money by not having a car, by being really careful with our electricity and gas use, we're going to have a lean few years ahead, because of the large chunk needed to pay for our youngest's education.

I also worked on my CV, which had been requested by a potential employer, and was really happy to get that finished. 

I took the Steiner School paperwork into the school before chucking out time, and Judy checked it over and I agreed (and signed) the annual fee, and agreed to pay a third of this at the beginning of each term.  As I was handing the forms into the office, I asked about the help that's needed in the school that most parents offer.  I said I'd be happiest doing garden-type stuff, and was told that there was a 'gardening teacher' but also a parent called Christine who did most of it.  At that moment, Christine walked past, so the office person stopped her and I introduced myself.  I'll have a meeting with her next week to see what sorts of things need doing.

Then our boyo appeared, I unlocked his bike and we slowly cycled home.  I found some pruned branches and brought a few home.  When we got back, I spent a bit of time with loppers filling a couple of potato sacks with cut sticks... they dry well in these paper sacks, and I use this size of stick for kindling.

Just before dark I popped round to see Tim Jones to pick up the second load of sticks from his garden, and he invited me in for a cuppa, and I met his wife and two daughters. I made a balloon animal for them both. Tim paid me for the half-day's work on Monday.  I now have a large pile of logs and sticks to chop up... again!


A bit later, after tea, I cycled down to Heslington with our other son so he could do his computer graphics lesson with Simon.  I cycled back home via a pile of branches recently pruned back, and got home in time for some washing up and then another cycle back to pick him up again.  I've no idea how many miles I've cycled today but it seems like quite a lot.

A good day which started with a lie-in and then Country Tracks on telly with my breakfast branflakes and muesli.  I spent some time researching my evening tomorrow, an RSA meeting in Newcastle.  This doesn't start til 5.30, which means I will be able to attend Stella Rawson's funeral at 11am at Holy Trinity Church in Heworth, on the corner of Melrosegate and East Parade. 

After lunch I serviced my youngest son's bike, as it needed oiling and a puncture repaired.  I also cut the front privet hedge, as we've used up all the logs which are usually stacked next to it so it's accessible, so 20 minutes with the shears and it was looking a bit less shaggy.  The very cold weather has taken off many of the leaves, so I'm looking forward to it growing again as it looks dreadful.

I visited Richard down at Country Fresh and discussed whether I could get a lift to London for the Falling Spikes gig at the beginning of February, and Rich thinks I could get a lift back but not down there, as a couple of people are going down with them but not coming back.  This probably makes it unlikely that I'll go.  But there are more local gigs planned.

I did a bit of chainsawing, some pallets, a few recently acquired logs, but not much as Gill came out and told me I was being loud and some time ago I'd agreed with a religious neighbour down the road that I wouldn't split logs on a Sunday.  Well I wasn't splitting logs, but the chainsaw on the pallet was fairly loud.

Later I went on a foraging expedition and came back with 4 pallets and a few logs.

When the children were asleep we filled in the forms for the Steiner School, as they need to know our income and expenditure, to work out how much the donation is that we should give.  This was complicated but I think we got most of the information together.  Now we need to photocopy loads of it to present to them.  I don't like paperwork.