People often have a New Year's Resolution, I'm not one to assign myself to something that will inevitably end in failure. I'm not just being all pessimistic and negative, there really is evidence that the majority (about 88%) of New Year's Resolutions end in failure due to a number of circumstances, usually the main reasons are that resolutions are unrealistic and are often to vague.
As a result I don't set myself a series of resolutions or even a single resolution in order to promote self-change within myself. And I still will not be creating any this year.
However this year I am going to try something I've not done before. I'm going to identify a number of aims I wish to complete or work towards during the coming year, therefore if I don't complete them at least I have worked towards my wishes for the year.
Here they are, my wishes for 2012
1) Search and apply for teaching jobs, hopefully gain a teaching job.
2) Find an affordable home for Seb and I to live comfortably in again.
3) Do things that will make the world a better place.
Best wishes for 2012, I hope it brings you many laughs and adventures.
*high five*
Victoria. x
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Adventures in Fire Making
Christmas morning I woke, we cuddled and then I was given a small present by Seb. I unwrapped my brown paper parcel to find a cute tin with buttons on top. First instinct was sewing kit. Opened it, peeked inside to find a lovely fire lighting kit. It comprised of a fire striker, some char-cloth and birch bark. I was pleased, very pleased.
Today I decided I would try my hand at fire starting. I packed my rucksack with a saw, a book, an inflatable cushion, a bottle of water, a microwaved baked potato, a small amount of cheese and some leftover stuffing. Oh of course not forgetting the most important item, my fire lighting kit. I took a stroll down to the woods. Selected a patch of land we had previously had a fire on and cleared it of leaves. Next it was time to collect fire wood. I rambled around the woodland in search of fire wood of all kinds of sizes. I even went a bit ambitious and used the saw the cut a few good sized chunks of dead wood.
I started my fire preparation by selecting a few small twigs for kindling and placed then plat in a row on the ground. Next I rolled up a number of dried leaves, I loved the crunching sound they made as I rolled. Anyway next I placed the small twigs in a square around the leaves, criss-crossing the twigs as a I went.
Then the fun part, I got out the fire striker, the char-cloth and the birch back. I carefully placed the char cloth on a dry leave and used the fire striker to create sparks to light the char cloth. Success. I lit the char-cloth and wrapped it in the birch bark and kept blowing to keep it ignited. Placed it in the fire and kept blowing. Fire. Whoot. Success. Whoot. Blow. Ahhh flames gone out.
Boo. Yep that's right, I blew slightly to hard and out went the flames. All of them. I repeated the process for a good hour until I'd used up all the birch bark and only had a teeny tiny amount of char cloth left and then no success followed. Despite my failings in fire starting I had a joyous time by myself in the outdoors. Before heading home I sat on my inflatable cushion, ate the cold stuffing and pondered on how despite how wintery if felt (even if the temperature was mild for this time of year) how beautiful the outdoors is, the sounds, the sights, just everything about it. We only have one planet and really should look after it the best we can.
Victoria.
x
Today I decided I would try my hand at fire starting. I packed my rucksack with a saw, a book, an inflatable cushion, a bottle of water, a microwaved baked potato, a small amount of cheese and some leftover stuffing. Oh of course not forgetting the most important item, my fire lighting kit. I took a stroll down to the woods. Selected a patch of land we had previously had a fire on and cleared it of leaves. Next it was time to collect fire wood. I rambled around the woodland in search of fire wood of all kinds of sizes. I even went a bit ambitious and used the saw the cut a few good sized chunks of dead wood.
I started my fire preparation by selecting a few small twigs for kindling and placed then plat in a row on the ground. Next I rolled up a number of dried leaves, I loved the crunching sound they made as I rolled. Anyway next I placed the small twigs in a square around the leaves, criss-crossing the twigs as a I went.
Then the fun part, I got out the fire striker, the char-cloth and the birch back. I carefully placed the char cloth on a dry leave and used the fire striker to create sparks to light the char cloth. Success. I lit the char-cloth and wrapped it in the birch bark and kept blowing to keep it ignited. Placed it in the fire and kept blowing. Fire. Whoot. Success. Whoot. Blow. Ahhh flames gone out.
Boo. Yep that's right, I blew slightly to hard and out went the flames. All of them. I repeated the process for a good hour until I'd used up all the birch bark and only had a teeny tiny amount of char cloth left and then no success followed. Despite my failings in fire starting I had a joyous time by myself in the outdoors. Before heading home I sat on my inflatable cushion, ate the cold stuffing and pondered on how despite how wintery if felt (even if the temperature was mild for this time of year) how beautiful the outdoors is, the sounds, the sights, just everything about it. We only have one planet and really should look after it the best we can.
Victoria.
x
Saturday, 10 December 2011
The problems of giving...
This post title may make me sound like a humbug but I'm having a real problem with giving gifts and such this Christmas to work colleagues. I've been at my current workplace since the beginning of October now and I still don't feel I know the staff well enough to know what to get as 1) a secret santa gift and 2) a whole workplace gift/s.
I won't go into details about the secret santa gifts at the moment just in case... but I'll say this has been so difficult. Whilst the workplace gifts... I am seriously stumped. I know they like food there are often cakes, sweets or biscuits in the staffroom so thought perhaps I could make some cake pops? or felt snowflake baubles (but then I'd have to make 15) or I could just be normal and make cards. But I hate giving them as I feel they produce so much waste but how else do you show people you do not know very well that you wish them a seasonal cheer.
Ah such a tricky one. Oh well. On ward we go.
I won't go into details about the secret santa gifts at the moment just in case... but I'll say this has been so difficult. Whilst the workplace gifts... I am seriously stumped. I know they like food there are often cakes, sweets or biscuits in the staffroom so thought perhaps I could make some cake pops? or felt snowflake baubles (but then I'd have to make 15) or I could just be normal and make cards. But I hate giving them as I feel they produce so much waste but how else do you show people you do not know very well that you wish them a seasonal cheer.
Ah such a tricky one. Oh well. On ward we go.
Friday, 9 December 2011
Snow? Please!
I've just been going through a few pictures from the past few years in search of seasonal images for digital Christmas messages for friends back in Wales. I don't do real Christmas cards as I feel they produce too much waste and feel a personalised digital card is more appropriate for my planet loving ffrindiau (meaning friends in welsh) back home.
I liked this photo the most, it was taken back in 2009 in Tunbridge Wells. Seb was working and I had the day off so I went wondering over the common. I took loads of photos that day but this one really caught my eye this evening. I'd never really noticed it before.
Most of the photos had been taken over the past two years during the snowy periods right around this time of year. Where is the snow this year? I've really enjoyed the snow in the past and this year I am overly prepared (which is probably why we haven't seen any as of yet). I love the snow, it's beautiful and so much fun when I get to play in it with Seb. If as a nation we were all prepared for snow then we would not have experienced the problems we had experienced in recent years. But anyway... I really would like some snow to play in.
And here are a couple of photos of the fun Seb, Tazz (the dog) and I have had in the snow.
Most of the photos had been taken over the past two years during the snowy periods right around this time of year. Where is the snow this year? I've really enjoyed the snow in the past and this year I am overly prepared (which is probably why we haven't seen any as of yet). I love the snow, it's beautiful and so much fun when I get to play in it with Seb. If as a nation we were all prepared for snow then we would not have experienced the problems we had experienced in recent years. But anyway... I really would like some snow to play in.
And here are a couple of photos of the fun Seb, Tazz (the dog) and I have had in the snow.
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Wake up, freak out.
As any that knows me will already know I passionately believe in man-made climate change and feel major steps need to be taken to firstly mitigate against the future impacts, secondly to reduce the green house gases that are causing the global climate to change so rapidly and thirdly that we need to doas much as possible to ensure we do not reach the tipping point at which irreversible climate change will occur.
From current science it is clear that climate change is already taking place on a global scale but in the future if we do not significantly reduce the emissions we as a global society are creating there will be no turning back and the impacts will be catastrophic particularly for the worlds poor.
In light of this, here is a video I find inspiring and hope you will enjoy. It's hard hitting, gets the point across but reminds you that we haven't reached the tipping point yet. If we work together, we can mitigate the future impacts of climate change but we must take action now.
On a big scale:
We need a deal to be made at the COP17 in Durban, without a formal successor to the current Kyoto agreement action on rising emissions and climate change will be halted again, possibly pushing the world closer to that tipping point. As I read recently, if we don't make the economical, social, political and environmental commitments now, in comparison our current issues will be like a tea party in comparison to the issues of the future.
On a small scale:
Do what you can to reduce your personal emissions, even the smallest of action will be of benefit.
From current science it is clear that climate change is already taking place on a global scale but in the future if we do not significantly reduce the emissions we as a global society are creating there will be no turning back and the impacts will be catastrophic particularly for the worlds poor.
In light of this, here is a video I find inspiring and hope you will enjoy. It's hard hitting, gets the point across but reminds you that we haven't reached the tipping point yet. If we work together, we can mitigate the future impacts of climate change but we must take action now.
On a big scale:
We need a deal to be made at the COP17 in Durban, without a formal successor to the current Kyoto agreement action on rising emissions and climate change will be halted again, possibly pushing the world closer to that tipping point. As I read recently, if we don't make the economical, social, political and environmental commitments now, in comparison our current issues will be like a tea party in comparison to the issues of the future.
On a small scale:
Do what you can to reduce your personal emissions, even the smallest of action will be of benefit.
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