Following on the theme of bringing light to this mid-Winter, #MyTime with 18 weeks to go, is candle-making. It needs to be warm when dealing with wax, otherwise it sets far too quickly, so I retreated to the warmth of the kitchen yesterday to make candles. Don’t you just love the smell of beeswax!
Author Archives: Sally Beeson
Lighting a candle against the darkness
Pure beeswax candle
Nothing better than a pure beeswax candle to bring some light into the dark days. The picture is of our Christmas Day candle with its wonderful aroma and constant flame.
A good reminder that we’re past the half-way point in the year and the light will get stronger and longer. But whilst the days remain short, I can light a candle against the darkness …
This is the last one of my stock of candles and so there needs to be some serious candle-making in the very near future. Today, I am rendering yet more wax as part of my clear-up so I will have plenty of wax and no excuses.
#My Time Week 22 – Catch the daylight in the open air
At the turning point of the year, #MyTime has now passed its half-way point too, with just 19 weeks to go before I enter my 60s. So, as with the solstice where we’re looking forward to the days lengthening and the naturally-lit hours increasing, I’m casting forward to making more of my time in that precious daylight. The day almost disappeared before I’d had chance to leave the house yesterday but a late walk into Bridport meant I did catch some of the daytime before it faded on my return. So, my intent for week 22 is the catch to daylight when I can and to get out in the open air as often as possible.
#MyTime Week 21 – Not forgetting!
Well I’m half-way through my countdown to 60 with just 20 weeks to go and the weekend came and went and I didn’t post my intention! I’m having a long weekend so am still “sort of” in my weekend break from work but really feel that my intention will need to be “not to forget”.
I have been busily doing some of my already noted #MyTime activities – spending time with family, baking (although biscuits not a cake this time), a refreshing walk by the sea this morning and lots of reading during this rainy weekend (just finished a great novel by Christine Bell – #Grievance) but when I do get #MyTime to myself, I will need to make the most of it and remembering not to forget is actually quite an important thing. And actually, there is a lot more to it than remembering a commitment or not forgetting a job that’s needed to be done. Not forgetting is also about recognising the journey, remembering companions along the way and allowing myself to be at the centre of my consideration if and when that’s what I need.
#MyTime Week 20 – Baking a #cake
Straight out of the oven
Well there has to be cake for #MyTime and of course It needs to taste good. I know I can turn out a pretty good sponge so there will definitely be cake in my retiring years. I’m not really into fancy decoration and competing flavours so plain and simple is good for me and I often try to incorporate honey into recipes to replace some or all sugar – well you would, wouldn’t you, if you had a regular supply!
Not sure that I make enough time these days for baking though, evidenced by the fact that ingredients were pretty low today when I looked in the cupboard but that is easily remedied, I’m sure.
Tasty!
Victoria Sponge is the cake I used to make as a child for Sunday teatime – a recipe straight out of the Diary Book of Home Cooking – I’ve still got my copy, albeit a little stained by ingredients, and well thumbed. This regular Sunday afternoon activity probably kept me quiet and occupied for a while with the added bonus of something edible (hopefully) for the family at the end of it.
So, yes, #MyTime has #cake!
#MyTime Week 19 – Birmingham visits
22 weeks to go before I reach my next milestone – 60 – and although I will have worked for almost 44 years, I won’t retire as I had hoped and expected when I entered the UK workforce. Sadly, not enough personal funds to do so of my own volition. Now I don’t want anger and bitterness to be uppermost in my mind as I reach the date I thought I would be able to slow down; I need to take control and bring some of my retirement actions forward. So, my 40 week countdown to 60 is about my picking up on some of those things I might want to pursue in retirement but bring them forward and get an early taster.
This week’s #MyTime is about keeping in touch with my geographical roots. Birmingham is my home town and the place I will always go for my “city fix”. So, #MyTime this week is a resolve to keep up those visits to Brum at least for as long as I am able, and, if ever I’m not, I will go there in my heart and mind.
#MyTime Week 18 – Preparing Wax for future use
Another welcome walk by the sea this morning and then back to the pig barn where I have been rendering wax.
After the beekeeping season, there’s lots of old comb and wax cappings around, as well as blocks of wax direct from the solar wax extractor, and so it’s good to clear some of it out. And it’s valuable stuff! The bees put in a lot of effort towards its manufacture and I enjoy making and using candles and other wax items. (Indeed, such activities will no doubt be included as part of #MyTime over the coming weeks.) So much is reliant on good preparation though (‘think that might be becoming a bit of theme here) and so #MyTime will definitely include preparation of wax which I can then use for making things, wax shapes from moulds maybe, candles or foundation starter strips for the bees.
And of course a by-product is the waxy debris and slum gum which make great fire-lighters – most useful at this time of year.
#MyTime Week 17 – Walks by the Sea
What a beautiful day in Dorset!
A beautiful sunny November day in West Bay
Time for a walk by the sea and with West Bay less than three miles down the road then that was indeed a perfect choice for a Sunday late morning stroll. It’s surprising how few visits I make to the coast when it really is on my doorstep. For #MyTime intention, I think I need to address that imbalance.
November is now becoming a more typical cool month, and today there was a clear blue sky and vigorous, rippling waves – quite beautiful.
#MyTime will most definitely include walks by the sea.
Reflection
Who now remembers you, your look, your smile, your face
Who can recall your voice, your accent, turn of phrase
Who knew the young man, grown old by time
… who, in their turn took their leave – no more remembering
– their son, their older brother, their friend.
for George 1894-1917
#MyTime Week 16 – Composition
Lots of snippets of tune and lyric swimming around my head this week so yes, composition will be a thread through #MyTime. Of course we’ll see if I have the courage to post anything when and if it all comes together but as this is about spending precious time with things I love and want to do, then sharing it is pretty-well secondary.
Today I’ve been playing around with a new song that has been forming in the last few days inspired by a news item on the radio but I have lots of unfinished pieces so if I can get some dedicated time then that’s what I’ll do – piece together those arrangements I’ve already started, play with a few harmonies and create some new songs.
Yes, that will be a nice thing to do …