Maladjustment can be painful.

I have not blogged for over two weeks. I have been blogging in my head............(I wonder if other bloggers hold conversations with themselves that way too?) but have not managed to pull anything together that seemed to be right to share. It is easy to make the small adjustments, to take on the small practical steps and they are easy to talk about. Somethings about this just now are more personal to me, and not always right to pour out on other folks.

I spoke in church two weeks ago. Yep the sermon bit and yep kind of a scary place to be. I found it hard to pull my thoughts together and hear exactly what was the right thing to say. I had been really challenged by Proverbs chapter 3. Really worth a read even if you are not normally into the bible. I tried to share the challenges in that chapter for how we live our lives. It was only three days later, in a conversation with my brother where I was making it very clear that I would never again be speaking in church......... that it became clear that actually I was talking about maladjustment, about living a life that is radical, that makes a difference and I truly believe that is most possible when God is the very life source.
My problem just now is that I have got so insanely busy that I need to become maladjusted to myself and my learned behaviour patterns and that is a painful process.
I had a physio appointment this week to look at the mass of pains around my shoulders. She was one of these matter of fact people. "Your posture is horrible" being my favourite line. It appears that all my muscles in that area are having to work full time to maintain that level of horribleness and they are now at the point of protesting much. The cure to this maladjustment? I have a number of exercises and I have to lie on my back on the floor for twenty minutes and let my shoulders move towards the floor. Lie still for twenty minutes.............. she clearly does not know me!
I am away to do the ironing!

What about me, and cardboard boxes?

It suddenly dawned on me this week that I am cleaning the house without chemicals (Check out www.vinegartips.com) but what am I cleaning me with? Organic would certainly be better but oh so expensive, and expensive is something we absolutely cannot do just now. I was considering throwing in a couple of drops of essential oils and a good splash of olive oil into my bath last night but I am a little uncertain about the wisdom of such creativity. I am off to see if there is a good website with some good recipes out there.

My Mum often said that we were never happier as children than when we had a giant box in the living room that we could create a pile of things with. You have probably heard the same and lament a generation bereft of the same creativity. Actually I think it was the box and my Mums time and enthusiasm that made us happy campers. I am trying to be that Mum more, less with my eye on the next thing that needs to be done.

And boxes are indeed wonderful fun!! This house is well underway to be a true mansion and it has a letter box which you can post real letters that you have written to yourself on behalf of your little brother!!

Change the World for a Fiver

Check out "wearewhatwedo.org.

Mahatma Ghandi says "We must be the change we want to see in this world."
This is a quote I have read at least three times in different places this week and it is a good one. It is the basis of the book after which I have named this post.

So here goes on a few ideas.
Read a book with a child- easy in this house and I am happy to loan two book loving children to anyone who would like to do this.
Fit at least one energy saving bulb- we fitted three last week and the kids are fascinated by how dull they start and then brighten.
Smile and smile back- actually can I confess that sometimes I am that smiley person and other times I deliberately walk down the street, particularly in town, with my head down. What If I see someone that I was at school with and might smile and then end up having to strike up a conversation?
Plant your very own Christmas tree- how cool is that but at this point I am uncertain whether Sarah loaned me the book or gave it to me. She may notice the missing seed packet!
Have a bath with someone you love- like it. It is kind of small tho and kind of close to the little girls room!!
Get fitter feel better- actually Energize which I have signed up to (OK, organised!!) means three hours a week and I am beginning to really feel the benefit.
Walk more- amen!
Recycle mobile phones- need to, there are a few lying around here.
Give your change to charity- I tend not to notice the collecting cans at checkouts in stores but get this "After all, 1p per person per week adds up to 30 million quid per year". Good eh? It does say to that if the golden retriever outside the store does not have a coin slot in its head then do not try putting your coins in it. Sensible advice, I feel.

Hey, there are so many more things. A good book, simple changes, achievable by us all and put together by people who have a sense of humour. I may be purchasing a few of these as Christmas presents!!

Small Steps

Having recently been diagnosed with an overactive needtoachieve gland I have had to stop reading Seven Ways to Change the World, which is the book that sparked the call to maladjustment. The concepts are too big, the ideas for change too many, for my current condition. However I have been given Change the World for a Fiver (Thanks Sarah!) which seems to be so right for just now. I'll get back to you on what my small changes will be.

On Wednesday I went shopping to my local Aldi store, cheap definitely and the staff are so cheery and helpful every time I have been in. I made the decision that I should tell someone. No e-mail contact available so I thought "What the heck" and dialed head office. The following conversation took place.

"Hello. Aldi's"

"Em yes. I'm just phoning to tell you that I shop in your Dunfermline, Halbeath Store and your staff are always very helpful and friendly and I thought maybe it would be good to pass that on."

Silence. "Oh. Oh well em I'll just put you through to our regional manager and you can pass on your condolences to her."

I have to confess I laughed and she flustered a little and I was put on hold.

"hello. Aldi's"

"Hello. I'm just phoning to tell you that I shop in........................"

Silence. " Well that is good to hear. To be honest with you we never really get calls like this so I will be very happy to pass your comments on and will make a point of calling the store today."

We live in a world so quick to complain. I am going to try each week to congratulate someone somewhere who may normally be passed by or only ever hear the complaints.

My little brother won a car in a charity raffle this week. We have all been highly entertained. As a couple they are two of the most generous people I know. There is a principle on the bible that says give and it shall be given to you pressed down flowing over....... . I cant think of two people who more deserve to win a car!

Unplug the Christmas Machine

Will people please stop asking my little people what they are going to get from Santa!
I have had quite a few conversations with people in the last week who are kind of anxious about Christmas. Money is the biggest issue and that is compounded by others expectations. It strikes me that there needs to be some honest conversations going on but that I know is not always easy. I am blessed to be in families where that can happen and there is good listening. It sometimes doesn't tho as we are so busy and hurtle in to things.
I am enjoying "Unplug" and have a queue to read it after me. I need to get a move on. It is not that it has all the answers. I guess the strength in it is encouraging reflection of what is important to each one of us as individuals and that needs to be done before it all starts. For some of you it might already have. For us it'll be Thanksgiving first.

Bread making and cleaning

We had a busy day yesterday and I am in danger of making you think, if you do not know me, that I am some kind of domestic genius or indeed domestic obsessive.

I discovered a recipe book entitled "Baking" on a shelf in my Mums caravan and borrowed it. This may be increased to "stole it". In it I found this great recipe for soda bread. All ordinary ingredients, no yeast or waiting or bread maker. Are you impressed? I was, at the risk of sounding really sad. The littler boy helped too I have to confess before I take all the credit.

He and I spent a chunk of the morning cleaning. A necessity. I love the fact that as I am using no chemicals he can get involved. He took on the job of the vinegar rinse in the bathroom. I did the soap/bicarb and he rinsed.................and rinsed ..........and rinsed. He just loved that spray and the result is a bathroom that smells a little like the local chippie!! (Minus the deep fried smell!) Still the bathroom is clean, the asthma is not triggered and all for a few pence. You cannot beat it.

The little girl and the littler boy also decided to get involved with the clean up after dinner. Quite right too since it is 95% their mess. My favourite discovery on this cleaning journey is my spray bottle with water and two squooshes of dish washing liquid (ASDA's eco is great!). It cleans all my surfaces fab and the kids fight over having a turn. Wish you could have seem them at (and on!) the dining room table spraying and shooting their cloths up and down. One shiny table, two happy kids and one less job for me.

Back to the bread................................. . It looked fab and the first slice tasted fab as did these chunks.

This large chunk of uncooked dough in the middle was less appealing. Ah the joys of different oven temperatures! Next time I hope it may be impressive all the way thru. Actually that was kind of what I had been discussing with some folks last night but that is another story!

Charity Shops and kids

I have no idea whether the charity shops in St Andrews are any good or not and I did go into them, three of them in actual fact. My kids and shops are a challenge. My kids and charity shops go together like ......... well you can think of a combination. First problem is that they seem to be full of glass and ornaments and on shelves everywhere so I hover anxiously watching little people dart around. I do not want to buy glass and ornaments and I do NOT want to buy broken glass and ornaments. Way too much stress there. And the "I want..." "I need" monster seems to take over quickly. The little girl and I spotted a cute Tigger Fleece (If you know her soooooo approp) and she is desperate to try it on. Well it is huge. "No worries, Mummy, just put it back and get me a smaller size!". Mmm, doesn't quite work like that. We bought the huge fleece and at a couple of pounds and at least three years of growing in it, it is a huge bargain.

I'm still processing Christmas. I am realising it is deciding about what is important and narrowing to that rather than trying to do everything and feeling that it did not quite live up to expectations. In fact i am walking a path just now where I am having to take stock of the other 51 non-Christmas weeks and am realising that while I like to do everything and then fit something into the nonexistent space that is left, that it is time to narrow. There is actually a call to become maladjusted to my normal living. This process may hurt a bit.

On the bicarb front................... please do not use the baking kind. It will work just fine but really expensive. Buy in bulk either online or Tesco does a box in the eco cleaning section but please do not be tempted to throw that in the cake mix................. .