Paid taxes last week. As I work freelance, I do this January and July (based on whatever my accountant comes up with). The January payment is always a bit of a deep breath after the madness of the holiday season.
Dismembered buxom tree on epiphany, apologising as I do every year. Yes, I know: a bit strange and pathetic.
As I have a long weekend away planned for the end of January I’m now on a very straight and narrow budget for the next three weeks so I can be a bit profligate while away.
Which means when I want something to read, I’m shopping my shelves; and when I feel the want monster regarding anything, I’m shopping my closet and things I already have. I remind myself I’ve got Shalimar, all the wintery perfumes I already own, and my little bottle of Lush Turmeric Latte to play with and if I want to be able to ‘play’ on my small holiday without it completely compromising the budget and credit card I have to be good now.
You’d think it wouldn’t be that hard.
But I actually have to make myself really look at what’s in the closet, in the perfume box and in my work area (where some perfume lives), in the jewellery box, on the bookshelves.
It sort of means slowing down and taking in what I’m seeing. Sometimes I find that difficult. The want monster wants to override the seeing and just skip on to click on the basket and get that neurochemical hit.
But.Must.Be.Good.
Clothes are the easiest to resist. Books the hardest.
So, this week I’m on the second entry in a YA trilogy (Daughter of Smoke and Bone) which I’ve read already several times (still, I am seeing new things, thank goodness).
I’m parsing Lush Turmeric Latte (turmeric, gardenia, benzoin, vanilla and tonka and some grouping of other spices) which is (as I said last week) scratchy from the turmeric, warm and spicy and very nice for January which is a weird time of year here (mild, wet, cold, wet, mild, wet and on and on). It has the feel of sitting in your favourite café waiting for a latte and some sort of delicious baked good with a good friend or a good book. Vicarious pleasure.
But today before writing I put on Bond No 9 Chinatown in the hope it smelled like it used to (weird floor wax flowers) rather than a wan version due to reformulation. The opening is better (ie, stranger) than when I first re-tried it over the summer. Definitely more of that French corner grocery thing and very ripe peach that Luca Turin talks about.
I’m listening to Tuareg band Tenariwen (Malian guitar heroes) ‘The Radio Tisdas Sessions’.
And finally rotating between pinafores (I know that sounds like something a five year old would wear but they work well over warm shirts and actually look reasonably adult in denim or heavy cotton) and turtlenecks of different colours plus leggings or heavy tights and boots – and actually trying to choose from outside the same three pairs of earrings.
How about you? What is your January looking like?
Pics Pexels and mine
My DH and I are going on a trip too, in a couple of weeks, for just a long weekend, so I’m with you Cinnamon. We just finished sitting our granddog yesterday after two weeks, so now it’s time to do the errands and household cleaning that he kind of prevented. Our county library system started investing in ebooks, and I’ve learned to use the Libby app which allows users to check out ebooks (or audiobooks) from the convenience of their smartphone. You can make the type size nice and big, if you want, so I love it. Best of all, it’s all free. For me, it’s a savings of thousands of dollars.
Granddog 🙂 I love the idea of ebooks but find if I read too much on the iPad I don’t sleep as well. So, sometimes for hols I’ll upload books but mostly I read the regular type. I am hoping the local charity shops will keep me going for a while.
Apologising to the Buxom Tree isn’t strange – I talk to all sorts of non-human beings, including plants. I just apologized to a Wolf Spider who was roaming the shower, reminding her that we had an agreement: stay out of the parts of the bathroom where I put my accessible parts and she could stay. She broke the agreement but still I apologized as I reminded her of that and explained while flushing her down the drain.
I’m over buying things here – my roof is being done, it’s costing me a bit more than originally hoped – and I don’t need anything, anyway.
xoxox
Ah, spiders. They are very welcome here as long as they stay out of the way (ie, high corners are fine). Good wishes on roof. Everything is more expensive now. Sigh.
Cinnamon, I’m still trying to get through the Tove Jansson biography. It’s interesting but I can’t seem to get through three pages before I’m bored & sleepy. It’s only been two years so far. Sadly it has halted my ability to read anything.
We didn’t even end up putting the tree (fake) up this year. After making about 5 definite dates and times to do it we were just too lazy.
The Xmas cards all got hung up though.
Are your pinafores the ones that have a bib, ruffle sleevelets and ankle length skirt? I’ve often dreamed of owning one of these myself.
I’ve also got a couple of holidays locked in and am doing my level best to keep some extra aside.
Portia x
Maybe it’s time to give up on that book and give it away so you don’t see it any more? Uh, no. No that sort of pinafore.
alityke I hope the best for your DH. You’re in my thoughts.
Jan is reigning it in a bit. I’m coming into Jan with zero balances on cards and I’m trying to keep it that way. Running out between rainstorms to Trader Joe’s to grab multiple bottles of the unsweetened iced tea I like and the kohlrabi “pasta” I’ve been enjoying. Standing by with the pump at ready to drain the pool if need be (it likely will this week, so I may pre-emptively drain it a bit tomorrow.) Trying not to hit the ever-present “buy it now” button.
Our area also mulches trees left for collection, so I don’t feel bad about people using them. I still wish The Grove (the overblown, overdone, and over-exposed mall here in “Hollywood”) would just plant a damned tree though..
That’s offered here: the bring your tree in to be mulched. I’ve done it some years, but the buxom tree had ended up in the back garden and getting it into the front and into the car would have been too much of a faff. Needles everywhere. I have never been in Trader Joes. It didn’t exist when I lived in the US and we never made it there during visits (I think my father shopped there sometimes). Everything everyone says about it makes it sound incredibly enticing.
That all sounds very reasonable! I’ve been borrowing a lot of books from the library, which is free while also not adding to the household collection… this is my least favorite time of year but I’m keeping busy and have an eye on my own budget, tax season juuust around the corner. And I get it (I think) about your little tree. When we inherited a nice fake tree long ago, it saved me some guilt over having a live tree that was going to be tossed, although where we lived they were picked up and mulched for the parks dept. Pretty sure here they wind up in the landfill.
Yes library. I used to use the local one a lot but it’s small and ordering books in sometimes meant waiting several months to get something. So, stopped using it. There’s a big one in town but that means going to town (these sound like lame excuses, I know). The nearest little town has loads (and I do mean like about eight) charity shops with a pretty wealthy population so I’m going to get myself to trawl those for books in the expectation the pickins’ should be good.
January is usual a time of celebrations. New Year & 3 family birthdays means we have never done dry January or Veganuary.
Obviously not this year. Latest CT on DH, done on his birthday got him an urgent call to go back as the CT showed a blood clot on his right lung. He’s now going to have to give himself blood thinning injections for 6 months.
He gets the cancer results tomorrow.
Still our eldest & his girlfriend came for the weekend. It’s her birthday on Tuesday. We’ve had a lovely time swapping Christmas & birthday gifts & giving them their housewarming gift.
We shared a lovely takeaway last night & a really fabulous three course Sunday lunch including a Tonka rice pudding which was stunning.
It’s my birthday towards the end of the month. Nothing planned yet, it depends on DH’s treatment. I am planning to finally get that bottle of Hera though.
HUGGING you across the internet Alityke.
Portia xx
This has been such a difficult period for you. I’m so sorry. Keeping you and your family in my thoughts.
alityke,
Hang in there! Know that we’re all pulling for you and your DH, sending you warm hugs and warmest best wishes.
xoxoxo
Sounds like a beautiful celebration together. Thinking of your family, prayers lifted for your husband.
alityke,
I hold you in my heart.
My family has been in a similar situation relatively recently, so I know some of what you’re going through.
Hugs.