In the beginning ...

... there was Eden.

The Eden Project has been the beginning of our holiday for the last two years (previously it had always been a very long, but worth-it day out). We stop on the way down and stay at their wonderfully quirky, unusual youth hostel. It is the perfect start to our holiday and never fails to send me off feeling so positive that I can change...

Because change is good - a bit scary sometimes, but good. Life is taking one of its frequent sideways shifts and I will be time rich again, which I love 😍 but frugality beckons - it's those swings and roundabouts again. However, after some time at Eden, I start to see a path through the wilderness. Less buying is never a bad thing (not sure Daisyfay is totally on board with this in practice; there in spirit but ...) and priorities need focus. Our priority is always the Miracle Girl and the summer - so less spending is back, but I am going with the fact that what do we really need?

The main exhibition at Eden this year is Earth Story - one part of it, about extinction, reduced me to tears - I just stood there thinking it's all about money. Other parts were so inspiring about how to do more. So for me this year is going to be about do more - we do try, but once on the hamster wheel it's hard to keep focused. Don't get me wrong, we all need the money ... but there are some positives to having less of it, and some more time.

So I have a plan (again), my journal is up and running, I'm writing 😀, and I'm positive (I love an Oxford comma almost as much as an ellipsis...).

An inspiring place, with so much to challenge you...

For the first time in forever ...

... there'll be music, there'll be light!
Well not quite, but there will be a sort of balanced bank account at the end of the month - which I have to say is cheering me up more than music and light could probably manage...

(Have you seen Frozen? We have, it was good, the music was excellent! But you can have too much of a good thing - the Miracle Girl loves it - she knows all the songs off by heart - and sings them very dramatically at top volume - all the time ...)

So - the epiphany ... I feel I can't really keep going with it as a theme - it's stretched out far too far to be classed as an epiphany any more ... more a slow ascent into changing things - it's not such a catchy title though! Anyway, so far, I have:
* beaten my cup-a-soup habit and started drinking fizzy water in school instead
* had prunes and yoghurt or grapefruit for breakfast most days
* whooshed fresh beetroot, orange and carrot juice most mornings
* cut down processed carbohydrates (especially bread - no "bought" bread, only from the proper bakery or homemade - and only at the weekends... )
* made healthy salads with lots of nice stuff in for lunch, and taken nuts and dried fruit for snacks
* eaten more fish
* been running ...
* been for walks and just got outside more
         
Next I am planning to:
* go to bed earlier to get more sleep ... so that I could contemplate getting up earlier, and then go running ...
* drink less wine (repetitive refrain ...)


Quite pleased with myself...

Wonderment

I am in a state of wonder.

Or is it shock?

I am nonetheless very happy ... though bemused by my own stupidity ...

I am at climbing - nothing unusual there! Not our normal night so no-one to chat to ... brought the iPad to occupy myself in a gainful way ... decided to try and sort out my emails, as I tend to stockpile them, over months and months... did lots of deleting ... and reading of the unread ... and discovered a wonderful thing ... I paid off a credit card last August! Now you would think I would remember this, but, for some reason I hadn't, and, what is more, thought I still owed a rather hefty amount on it.

Wonderment. Oh happy day! Makes up a bit for the debacle of the car and the phone.

Not sure it's exactly a grassy plateau, but I'm not complaining ...

Happy holidays...

Easter holidays - much needed! Last half term was mad busy - worked nearly every day - obviously good on the earning side, not so good on the clean your house/ write your blog/ declutter your stuff/ diversify your life front.

Jobs to do :
*  reassess plan - organise!

*  check bank balance - transfer money - pay money off!!! Yay!! (There'd better be money there after all this work - haven't had chance to check yet!)

*  see if we have enough money to put a deposit on for caravan in Cornwall (always assuming it's still available!)

*  hope we have something, however minimal, towards the campervan fund.

Okay - so these are initial jobs - I have such a long list ...

Does everyone have a list, I wonder...
Do other people get through their lists?

We saw a gorgeous campervan today - vw, dark pink, flowers - Daisyfay was impressed.

I don't want much, basic will suit - bit of make do and mend, I don't mind.
Still dreaming ...