Water rail

Kayaking yesterday saw a small brown wading bird with a long beak with some moorhens - this on the Lea Navigation between Hackney and Waltham Forest.  Checked when I got home and it was a water rail.  Impressed with myself that I had remembered the name as this only the second time I've seen one.

silver birch kindling

The rain yesterday brought down some of the "branches" (finger thick at the ends) of the birch trees along my road.  So I've rescued them and they are in the front garden waiting for me to cut them into 6 inch lengths for kindling.

Rescuing a jumper

I had a thick jumper from a charity shop that on about its second wearing developed some holes.  I washed it at 60o so I would be able to cut it easily.  I then cut it up the middle of the front and then across, just above the highest holes to make a short. long-sleeved bolero.

For choice I would have had it a couple of inches longer but it is just long enough and looks good with a long, shaped, black tunic I have. 

2011 plans

Instead of resolutions I do plans.  My plans for 2011 that relate to living green (and country) in the city are:

1. Start a recycle craft group for Transition Leytonstone
2. Carefully go through every bit of the "studio" (large, walk-in junk cupboard!) throwing and recycling what I can and tidying the rest.  Investigate getting a clutter consultant to come in and see if I can improve on that.
3. Try to get rid of other stuff I am not using in the rest of the house.
4. Try to find thermal linings for my curtains
5. Get new boiler
6. Investigate replacing spare bedroom window where the seal of the double glazing has gone.  Triple glazed?  (Mainly as hopefully a more specialist firm will be better than Anglian and Everest, etc)
7. Get more things for my "countryman's hedge"

elderflower champagne bottles

I found in Waitrose just before Christmas some Sicilian fizzy lemonade with a cap with a rubber seal closed with metal (is there a proper name for this?).  I don't think carbonated drinkgs are very good for you*, but this is very nice, so an occasional treat will help me build up my stock of bottles for elderflower champagne making.

*I used not drink very much - if I waited till I was thirsty most of the year my first drink of the day would not be until 10am-11am in the morning.  I used fizzy water to train myself to drink more and changed to still water once I had succeeded.  Any beneficial effects to uping my water intake (improved skin and lighter periods) didn't happen until I was drinking plenty of plain water.   I like fizzy water so occasionally have it as a treat when I am out.

Snow in the city

Living in the city I am used to getting about when it snows.  Today I gave up half way to Chingford for my history group tet-together, mainly as I didn't want to be stranded there.  At first I was reading, vaguely aware of it snowing through the steamed-up windows, and that the bus moving slowly.  Then I realised how deep it had got.  I rang  ahead to find all the others had given up, so got off the bus, crossed over the road and luckily got a bus going to Walthamstow bus station within minutes.  The bus went carefully, and longer than usual to get over junctions but otherwise made reasonable time.  I was at the front on the top deck, and it seemed an old fashioned picture seeing the snowy landscape, and not at all like the London I am used to -  even though it snows in London most years, though you wouldn't believe this the way people (particularly the media) go on.

Walthamstow Central station is only 2 miles from home, so as long as I reached there felt I would be able to get home even if they stopped the buses).  But the buses were still running, so I waited - with a really pretty, snowy view!  The bus I got was terminating at the bus garage - just over half way, so when I got out I started walking.

There was a wagtail flittering about, its tail going up and down.  Strange to see it flitting across the High Road, especially in the snow!

Transition Leytonstone and Craft Group

Yesterday evening I went to the Christmas meet-up of the Transition Leytonstone Group at Ros's house.  As well as food and talk we spent a while discussing what Transition Leystonstone had achieved during the year and what we could do next year. The Steering Group has put on an average of one event a month but wants more people to be actively interested and participating in groups etc not just signing up to receive emails and occasionally attending an event.

I have volunteered to hold a recycle craft group at my house.  I am thinking of late March, so the house needs to be tidy and ready emough for me to get Ros to put the invite out to the email list late February.  One way of getting myself to do more housework!

But I do like the idea of my home being used a bit more, especially as it (theoretically!) large for one person