A Year of Marvellous Ways and More

 Since my last post about setting up an online book club (which seems to be popular with  a few, so watch this space!) I finished reading possibly one of the most beautiful stories I have ever come across.

I stumbled across this book in Waterstones and was drawn to the front cover (I know, how shallow!). Reading the blurb on the back I was not initially taken by it, but skipping through the first couple of pages I saw some potential so treated myself. 

Wow am I glad I did! 

This book opened up a whole new genre I'd never even thought of, 'Magical Realism'. Doesn't that just sound amazing? I would say it describes my general state of mind in day to day life; real, but slightly off in its own little world..... anyway.....

So, if your a reader who likes a story then I'd say perhaps you might struggle with the development of this plot line. It skims in and out of now and then, this person to that person and creates a real diverse tale of the characters lives that only really makes sense at the end.

When I read the title of this story I thought it meant a year of wonderful events, but no. Marvellous Ways is a PERSON! She's an old lady who lives in a gypsy caravan on the banks of cove with a floating church and boat house. She's so connected to the earth when she breathes it sounds like the wind in the trees, when she smiles the flowers blossom and her laughter sounds like bird song- how very poetic of me!

The story of her life is told in snippets of her story telling and why she is the way she is, why people have found her and why she believes she's a mermaid.

There are some truly beautiful one liners and quotes that make you want to grab a pen and some pretty paper, write them down and give them as gifts to loved ones. 

If you want to discover a new way of reading and learn a little about yourself, read this. I promise you wont regret it.

So what now?

 Well I'm glad you asked because two beauties of books turned up on my doorstep today, these being the quirky cartoon creation by Jessie Cave (Lavender Brown from Harry Potter) 'Love Sick'. Basically this is going to be a pick up and flick through as I please book, its full of doodles by Jessie that express her feelings towards love, life, friends and the general things that we ponder everyday but don't share. 

 My next 'reading' book is 'The Versions of Us' by Laura Barnett. I can't wait to get into this! It was suggested after I added A Year of Marvellous Ways to my read section on goodreads. The blurb tells me its based on a couple and the development (or not) of their relationship set in the 1960's, but there are three different versions of this based on the events that occur (something to do with a rusty nail?!?)....Ooooo!!

Anyway my reading window is calling, the Ercol Daybed looks inviting and my big, chunky knit pink cardi beckons me. I have shopping to do, uni work to research, work out to do and a shower to have. But for the next hour this where you'll find me:

P.S, come find me on goodreads: Kim Flisher

Trying to get my head round this blogging thing.......

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Book Club?

 If- like me- you think you spend way too much time on social media sites looking at pointless quizzes that tell you what colour/animal/element/tree/any other obscure object you are, or know more about your colleagues Aunties ex husband than is more than decently respectable, then perhaps you would be interested in this idea?

For  a while I've been toying with the idea of setting up a 'little library' which is basically a box full of books stuck in the middle of a town or village where people can pick up a book and donate their own, thus creating a little society of book readers sharing their old and unwanted books. However this is expensive and you always run the risk of either people misusing it or vandalising it.

 So instead.....

Shall we set up an online version? 

 Create a facebook group where people can display the books they would be happy to swap with another member? All personal details would be kept between the swappers and no money would exchange hands? All postage would be paid for (if posting) by the individuals?

 I have a ton of books that I have read to death and would love to give away to people who I know would enjoy them as much as I have. They are well thumbed, mostly not new, but books are not destined to stay shelf perfect. They are meant to be loved by many- what's the point in reading an amazing story and then keeping it to yourself?

 So this is me testing the waters. Let me know if you fancy taking part and I will keep you updated on any progress. 

 I think it would be a wonderful way to encourage people away from social media and the mind numbing nothingness it creates.

 I hope you do too :)

A (VERY) small collection of the books I would like to share, wouldn't it be great to explore the different genres of books you never thought you'd enjoy until you were given the chance to swap and explore?

Lazy Friday

 Being a student I like to take advantage of having free time when everyone else is hard at work (I'd like to add that I DO work hard, but as a student nurse my timetable is all over the place) and go to the places that are usually mega busy at weekends but fairly quiet weekdays. It's not that I'm not sociable (well not entirely!) I just like to take my time and not feel rushed.

 So yesterday me, my friend and her freshly baked baby (sqeeee!) decided to treat ourselves tea and lunch at the local Tearoom. 

The Cosy Kettle sits on the main through road in Hamstreet and (oddly) has a tattoo studio above it. It's just as well they don't serve alcohol as I can imagine some badly made tattoo related decisions may be made ;)

I love that they serve the milk in tiny milk bottles, I would have absolutely no use for them at home but that doesn't stop me wanting a couple!

I decided on a root vegetable soup, served in a rather snazzy pot. It was delicious and I must admit I'm quite keen to have a go at making my own.

They also have a little shop, selling local homemade bits and bobs, they did little packages that contained everything you needed to make your own goody which I will remember for birthdays!

 It was a really lovely couple of hours and I would highly recommend the Cosy Kettle if you ever visit the Romney Marsh. They make and sell their own (AMAZING!!) cakes, cookies and milkshakes, but after all that tea and soup I couldn't handle a mighty slice of chocolate fudge..... gives me an excuse to return though ;)

Soup and Cozy Evening's

Today I got my soup on and I thought I'd share with you this super easy, yet super tasty recipe that never fails to hit the spot on a cold winters day complete with a chunk of crusty warm bread.

You will need:

2 red onions (sliced)

10 Sage leaves

2 stalks of celery (chopped)

4 cloves of garlic (chopped)

1/2 a red chili (deseeded and chopped)

2 chicken or veg stock cubes

1 squash -my favourite is chestnut, but butternut will do (chopped but not peeled! Love your skins!)

5 bacon rashers if you fancy (sliced)

Olive oil, salt and pepper

Using a BIG saucepan fry the bacon (if you want to use it) and sage leaves in the oil for 5 minutes before adding the onions, garlic, chili and celery and continue frying until soft (about 10 minutes).

 Season with salt and pepper then add the squash (this can be abit of a squeeze if the saucepan isn't big enough), plop the stock cubes in 1 and 1/2 pints of boiling water to dissolve and pour into saucepan.

 Cover and simmer for half an hour until squash is squishy, then blitz the living daylights out of it with a blender (mine is a hand held, but a 'posh' one will work too!). 

 Pour into bowls (serves a hungry 4) and serve with chunky bread, warmed, with butter.

DeLISH!!

 This also keeps for around 3 days in the fridge if you can't handle all of it in one sitting.

  This is my favourite soup to make and eat, its very thick and satisfying and I've had alot of people asking for the recipe.

 After all of that hard soup making, I'm sitting down with a cup of tea and a good book in my cosy living room. 

I hope your evening is just as relaxing!

Stress is not my friend

 The past two weeks have pushed my stressed limits to breaking point. Two 3000 word essays and a maths exam with a pass grade of 100%- all due within 2 days of each other. 

 I'll admit I'm not the most organised of people, things get jumbled up and muddled round in my head until I struggle to distinguish between what I have done, meant to have done and what else needs doing. 

 I broke down last week when my laptop wouldn't connect to the Internet. It was such a little thing, all that needed doing was a reboot of said laptop to make things tiptop again. But at that moment in time it was the straw that broke the camels back:

 'I can't do it'

 'I don't understand'

 'Everyone will be disappointed in me'

'I'm never going to be a nurse'

 Today was due day, the EXAM that requires 100% pass....... a MATHS EXAM! I don't think you need me to elaborate on how crap I am with numbers, but let's just say I'd rather face a room full Katie Hopkins (yuck) than walk through the doors of a numeracy exam.

 But something happened before I set off on my commuter train to London. My farmer man gifted me with a treat. A harmonica! I've wanted one since Christmas when I got a cheapy one as a joke present and really enjoyed making tunes on it. It cheered me up no end and made me stop being a moaning Molly and start being a positive Polly :)

 If I've passed these essays and exams or not, it's not the end of the world and it's certainly not going to hold me down. 

Stay positive. Stay happy.

 '

The Little Things

 Today has been rather wonderful:

I finished the essays I have been writing and agonising over for the past month
I woke up warm- a difficult thing to do in a Rayburn heated house
I went for ANOTHER run (my running shoes are going to go on protest soon)
I planted the Daff bulbs gave me for Christmas
And I spent time outside feeling lucky.

 

 The picture really doesn't do the view justice. It was stunning- even my car and feeding trough couldn't spoil it, although the sheep which would have really added to it were not interested in a photo shoot.

 

I'm not a gardener by any stretch of the imagination, but I just about handled potting these Daff bulbs- yes I know it's a tad late, but hopefully sitting in the window will encourage them to bloom even if it is a little later.

 

 

Neither me nor my farmer man can quite believe how GREEN everything is right now. Usually this time of year is very grey and dull. However the fields and our garden are growing like crazy and the grass needs cutting of all things!!

 

 It's days like these that are important for me to store in my memory bank, because living on a farm in winter is hard; its cold, muddy, windy, dark and just very grim at times. I look forward to the sun every year as it transforms not only the farm, animals and activity, but also my positivity. 

 

 I hope that where ever you are you take the time to find a slice- no matter how small- of the bright moments among the murky.