..is so much nicer than the inside..

The shed was Barry's domain. He was the patient fixer of things, he mowed the lawns, replaced the lightbulbs, made the gates both red and yellow, cut the hedges, climbed the ladders into the loft, dealt with the mice, mended the fence, chopped the wood, and more. He also kept all the leftover bits and pieces from every job he did and hoarded sets of tools for cars and bikes long gone and collected more jars of  rusty nails than can be imagined!  Just in case.

In a fair world women would not be left to clear out their mens sheds.

But what a support team I have behind me!  I loved all your suggestions - I will adopt the explorer/playful/inner child mindset, I will whistle up the courage, I will probably sigh and swear and laugh (my helper has a great sense of fun). Bribery is a great idea, and I am already thinking up ways to celebrate....

When I have Kondoed the shed I will have gone through every single item I own.

I have to confess it has been quite exhausting at times, both physically and emotionally.

Decision fatigue.

And the sentimental is by far the hardest (I have corralled all the photographs and letters), though there is little of sentimental value in the dreaded shed!

I just love a quiet start to my day.

I remember last year Lotta mentioned the idea of a Winter Plan and one is slowly forming in my mind. It involves quiet starts and reading some books I've had in mind to read for a long time, like this one which I first saw in the Peggy Guggenheim in Venice in April (a little thrill as I write that - did I really go? Did that really happen?)

The leaves on the rowan outside the bedroom window have gone now and we have had two very cold, very sunny days.  I think I will find a new notebook for the Winter Plan

Did anyone see the Orionid meteor shower? Although there was little cloud he moon was too bright. Some stargazing could be part of winter. I will plan some outdoor things to counteract the tendency to hibernate!

What will you do?

..about the state of the world. (Though it's good to have your emergency kit somewhere you can find it if you need it!)

Don't Panic is the title of an hour long video by the late Hans Rosling (a hero of mine). It is so worth watching and will change your world view forever.  If you don't have an hour and have not seen it yet this 4 minute one should not be missed.

Brilliant.

There is more - all fascinati,ng and a new book called Factfulness.

A chilly two degrees tonight, but little cloud so it may be possible to see the Orionid meteor shower if I can stay awake long enough.

I lifted the summer rug and put down the winter one today and will get the faux fur throw for the bed out of its drawer. The HeatGen t-shirts and tights are already being worn (I needed them for a concert in bone chilling Glasgow Cathedral on Wednesday!) and the big scarves are at the ready.  I'm thinking thick soups and hearty stews. Must get the crockpot out of the cupboard.

And there's a category of things I've not considered yet and that's emergency supplies (thanks Julia for the reminder). I do need a new torch.....

Any advice on emergency kit anyone?

Stay warm (unless you are in the southern hemishere in which case - enjoy doing the opposite from us!).

Since my laptop came back this afternoon I cannot find anything!!

It all looks different and it may take me some time to re-orientate myself and make sure everything I need and want is still here somewhere. I lost my purse today - that was enough stress for one day thank you.  (I did find it again thankfully.)

So where was I? Ah yes, I still have piles of stuff around the guest room but I have now sorted it into categories as follows..

Things to try to sell on eBay
Things to sell at the village hall fundraiser
Things to offer to family and friends (one gone already)
Things to donate to charity shops
Things to keep - just because.

I have found more treasures I had forgotten about - a lovely piece of old fabric and a favourite sundress. When I locate my photos I will show you them :-)

..is everywhere.

I was going to post the song The Last Rose of Summer but it was too too sad!

The invasion of the mice meant I had to get into the cupboard under the eaves, so while I was in there I pulled out the boxes to investigate exactly what was in them.  The contents are currently spread all over the guest room - but it was the final cupboard in the house - nearly there!

And I've just had an offer of help with clearing the shed.  Yay!

This wee town has been host to a Robert Mapplethorpe exhibition, Andy Warhol and now a tiny Degas!

The restored Burgh Hall has been a great success on every level (see here). I particularly like the idea of just one painting and associated talks and classes, and sixty or so people had already visited today when I arrived at about 2pm.

A quote from Degas which I had not heard before...

A painting is an artificial work existing outside nature, and it requires as much cunning as the perpetration of a crime.

..author of World Without Mind which caught my eye in the bookshop recently, has some interesting things to say!   (6 min video).

which makes a day in the city and a lunchtime concert possible.

We have pretty good public transport.

We also have landslides, which disrupt it at times!

It's the work of a minute to light a candle, place a few ptessed leaves ( they've been under the rug since last autumn) put a flower in a glass or otherwise decorate the table or tray for a meal.

I believe in it.

Even if just for one.

Adds joy.

Tastes better.

Makes me grateful.

Makes me smile.

 I titled a recent post about the pace of my life fast and slow. It could equally apply to my computer!

Not yet at the repair shop for various reasons, I decided to try a little self help. I watched a couple of tutorials and I managed to refresh my browser and delete cookies and some documents and downloads and the effect was amazing. Much faster.

I confess I am lazy about learning about the computer, and so embarrassed about my ignorance I avoid asking for help when I need it! How foolish is that?

I am finding this site helpful. Hate to be sexist but the fact that it is written by a woman shows - it's in English!  I took the laptop to a repair shop once where the guy only talked computer-speak and preferred to talk to men.  Barry had gone to park the car so he was forced to speak with me but when Barry walked in he turned - in mid sentence - and spoke to Barry (who wasn't much more computer literate than me, if truth be told and didn't know what the problem was with my computer.). I still feel so indignant!

Despite my best efforts however there are still problems, so if I suddenly go quiet.....

Do you like a change of pace? Some city buzz, some country quiet?

A dynamic business set in the peaceful surroundings of the North York Moors, Gillies Jones have an international reputation. It is worth a call to see if the glassblowers will be working when you visit as it is fascinating to watch them in this small workshop.

One day I will buy one of these.

If I could just decide which colour....

Mannion in York and Helmsley make the best scones ever. I said to the guy who served me 'I wish I had the recipe for your scones' and he flashed back, with a big smile 'Not on your life!'

Time to wander fantastical shops (Harry Potter music) and magical Christmas decorations.

Browsing the bookshops..

Bought this one

Noted this one.

A seat in the sun outside Carluccio's in St Helen's Square, people watching and listening to a singer with a voice like an angel.

One of the best views of the Minster is from the cafe in Marks and Spencers store


.

Three buses, two trains and a ferry later to a very different, simpler, quieter and calmer environment.

Love them both.

Happy to be home.

I do like a change of pace and am lucky enough to enjoy both city life and country life at different times.

A few slightly faster paced days in York went down a treat and I'm going to log lots of photographs in this post....so visually stimulating

It still felt like summer just 200 miles south! We have gales, flooding and landslides here..now Weebly why are you printing these upside down? Ah, if you click on them they appear right way up. How odd.

I used to teach in this wonderful old building.

Friends' city gardens were looking beautiful.

The roadworkers' hieroglyphs amused me.

Especially this one.

More tomorrow all being well..

..as they say. The laptop is going into A&E and as you know that can take some time..

I am posting the most calming photo of the latest batch. I like the stillness, and the way the chalk mark on the wall echoes the bicycle wheel....little things to take my mind off my technology woes (the irony is not lost on me!).

I hope to be back soon - I am missing you. Perhaps you might like to browse the archives which by now are fairly extensive. I would never have imagined I had so much to say (or that so many people would want to read it!) Thank you for being here.