In 2013 I'll
- move.
- publish two books.
- travel more.
- hopefully sell a house.
- finish reading Agatha Christie.
- hopefully get a bit of my old self back.
I'm also prepared to
- be broke as hell.
- work long nights.
- travel on a shoestring.
- rent the house.
- be too tired to read.
- stay miserable and tired, lack energy and motivation, and drown in self pity.
I'll let you know in a year's time.
Monday, 31 December 2012
Tuesday, 25 December 2012
Home-made soap
Inspired by my best friend, spurred by my financial situation, encouraged by the experimentalist inside me ... I decided to make some soap. Not only to use it but also because bars of natural home-made soap make a perfect Christmas present for all the women in my family. Although men would probably need it more :-)
I was quite busy while mixing the ingredients so I don't have any photos of the process. Which turns to be very simple. This is the recipe I used:
450 g olive oil
50 g coconut oil
63 g NaOH
95 g deionised water
four leaves of aloe vera
0. Prepare aloe vera. Just take the leaves and squeeze out the gel. It should look something like this:
1. Carefully dissolve NaOH in water. If you're have any idea about chemistry, you know how to do it. If you don't, google for safety instructions! Basically I took care that the kids were asleep, wore gloves, and put smaller amounts of NaOH into water under constant mixing. The reaction is so exotermic that the water can start to boil if too much sodium hydroxide is added at a time. Go slow, mix and let the solution cool to about 40 deg C. I mixed it in a plastic jar with a Teflon spoon.
2. Heat olive and coconut oil in a (stainless steel) pot to about 40 deg C.
3. Add the NaOH solution to the oils and mix. And mix. And mix. And mix... I used a hand blender and took care that the blender did not overheat (repeatedly switching it on/off) and of course took care that the mixture did not splash around. Mix until the famous "trace" appears: when you lift a spoon, the liquid leaves a trace on the surface. You'll know it once you see it, trust me. It took me about half an hour.
4. Add aloe vera. Now, maybe it was just me, maybe it was just the plant but as soon as I added that gel, the mixture thickened and changed colour from olive green to yellow.
5. Pour into a mould, cover it with blankets and let it dry for 24 hours.
6. Take the soap out, cut it into pieces and let it dry in a dry place for three to four weeks. Now - the friend of mine who was making it without aloe vera said that at this stage the soap is still soft, spongy and that indeed it took it a couple of weeks to harden. Well, mine was hard after the first 24 hours. I still let it dry for four weeks, just to be sure. After I cut it I also impressed the letter M :-)
7. After a month, I checked the pH of the soap. A test with pH indicator shows that pH was between 9 and 10, which is just perfect. The commercial soaps I had at home had exactly the same values.
8. And of course a present isn't a real present unless it is neatly wrapped.
I was quite busy while mixing the ingredients so I don't have any photos of the process. Which turns to be very simple. This is the recipe I used:
450 g olive oil
50 g coconut oil
63 g NaOH
95 g deionised water
four leaves of aloe vera
0. Prepare aloe vera. Just take the leaves and squeeze out the gel. It should look something like this:
1. Carefully dissolve NaOH in water. If you're have any idea about chemistry, you know how to do it. If you don't, google for safety instructions! Basically I took care that the kids were asleep, wore gloves, and put smaller amounts of NaOH into water under constant mixing. The reaction is so exotermic that the water can start to boil if too much sodium hydroxide is added at a time. Go slow, mix and let the solution cool to about 40 deg C. I mixed it in a plastic jar with a Teflon spoon.
2. Heat olive and coconut oil in a (stainless steel) pot to about 40 deg C.
3. Add the NaOH solution to the oils and mix. And mix. And mix. And mix... I used a hand blender and took care that the blender did not overheat (repeatedly switching it on/off) and of course took care that the mixture did not splash around. Mix until the famous "trace" appears: when you lift a spoon, the liquid leaves a trace on the surface. You'll know it once you see it, trust me. It took me about half an hour.
4. Add aloe vera. Now, maybe it was just me, maybe it was just the plant but as soon as I added that gel, the mixture thickened and changed colour from olive green to yellow.
5. Pour into a mould, cover it with blankets and let it dry for 24 hours.
6. Take the soap out, cut it into pieces and let it dry in a dry place for three to four weeks. Now - the friend of mine who was making it without aloe vera said that at this stage the soap is still soft, spongy and that indeed it took it a couple of weeks to harden. Well, mine was hard after the first 24 hours. I still let it dry for four weeks, just to be sure. After I cut it I also impressed the letter M :-)
7. After a month, I checked the pH of the soap. A test with pH indicator shows that pH was between 9 and 10, which is just perfect. The commercial soaps I had at home had exactly the same values.
8. And of course a present isn't a real present unless it is neatly wrapped.
Saturday, 22 December 2012
Christmas cards
Now that the cards are already on their way I can finally publish this year's creations. Each year, I just have to make something new and so far I've been running out of Christmases, not of ideas :-)
So this year, the recipients are involved in card making! I started with decorated green and white paper and cut in a ... well ... certain shape.
You see where this is going, right?
To make things easier, I pre-folded the paper.
Some cards were white and some were dark green.
All the recipient had to do was to fold it again and glue the back sides together...
... and they have a special 3D Christmas-tree card. Merry Christmas!
Other ideas for Christmas cards.
So this year, the recipients are involved in card making! I started with decorated green and white paper and cut in a ... well ... certain shape.
You see where this is going, right?
To make things easier, I pre-folded the paper.
Some cards were white and some were dark green.
All the recipient had to do was to fold it again and glue the back sides together...
... and they have a special 3D Christmas-tree card. Merry Christmas!
Other ideas for Christmas cards.
Sunday, 9 December 2012
At home
If you have the impression that I only read Agatha Christie's books, well, you're wrong.
It was brilliant reading At home by Bill Bryson just as I was watching Downton Abbey... it almost felt as the book was written to accompany the series!
Otherwise it's a typical Bryson book: lots of interesting stuff if you find it interesting. Not everything is 100% correct but that doesn't even matter because it is entertaining. Although in principle the book is about our homes and things that go on in specific parts of the house, you know how Bryson's mind works... From Crystal Palace to probability distributions in just a few pages. I learned that Norwegians renamed a lake to export more ice, that Black Adder's episode "Ink and Incapability" is based on a true story, that only aspidistra was immune to ill effects of the gas, who Jethro Tull and Palladio really were, what a ha-ha is etc.
In a book with almost 500 pages, of course plenty of interesting quotes can be found, here are a few:
- "... that's really what history mostly is: masses of people doing ordinary things."
- "We have no idea - or actually, we have lots of ideas, but we don't know if any of them are right."
- "Households had servants the way modern people have appliances."
- "... items of clothing made of different types of fabric - of velvet and lace, say - often had to be carefully taken apart, washed separately, then sewn back together again."
- "The invention of the light bulb was a wondrous thing but of not much practical use when no one had a socket to plug it into."
- "Columbus's real achievement was managing to cross the ocean successfully in both directions."
-"... university courses in the history of marketing really ought to begin with British opium sales ..."
- "The Eiffel Tower wasn't just the largest thing that anyone had ever proposed to build, it was the largest completely useless thing."
- "... If you wash lousy clothing at low temperatures, all you get is cleaner lice."
- "... that among these new people [Cro-Magnons] was some ingenious soul who came up with one of the greatest, most underrated inventions in history: string."
And since we're talking about home, here's a quick update on our future home :-)
It was brilliant reading At home by Bill Bryson just as I was watching Downton Abbey... it almost felt as the book was written to accompany the series!
Otherwise it's a typical Bryson book: lots of interesting stuff if you find it interesting. Not everything is 100% correct but that doesn't even matter because it is entertaining. Although in principle the book is about our homes and things that go on in specific parts of the house, you know how Bryson's mind works... From Crystal Palace to probability distributions in just a few pages. I learned that Norwegians renamed a lake to export more ice, that Black Adder's episode "Ink and Incapability" is based on a true story, that only aspidistra was immune to ill effects of the gas, who Jethro Tull and Palladio really were, what a ha-ha is etc.
In a book with almost 500 pages, of course plenty of interesting quotes can be found, here are a few:
- "... that's really what history mostly is: masses of people doing ordinary things."
- "We have no idea - or actually, we have lots of ideas, but we don't know if any of them are right."
- "Households had servants the way modern people have appliances."
- "... items of clothing made of different types of fabric - of velvet and lace, say - often had to be carefully taken apart, washed separately, then sewn back together again."
- "The invention of the light bulb was a wondrous thing but of not much practical use when no one had a socket to plug it into."
- "Columbus's real achievement was managing to cross the ocean successfully in both directions."
-"... university courses in the history of marketing really ought to begin with British opium sales ..."
- "The Eiffel Tower wasn't just the largest thing that anyone had ever proposed to build, it was the largest completely useless thing."
- "... If you wash lousy clothing at low temperatures, all you get is cleaner lice."
- "... that among these new people [Cro-Magnons] was some ingenious soul who came up with one of the greatest, most underrated inventions in history: string."
And since we're talking about home, here's a quick update on our future home :-)
Friday, 30 November 2012
Finally another reading post
69. MISS MARPLE'S FINAL CASES (Marple)
A very enjoyable collection of short stories that includes solving the mysteries of a man dying in a church, a buried treasure, a riding accident ... but also two additional non-Marple poltergeist stories!
Memorable quotes:
-"If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again."
-"There's such a thing as a secret inside a secret."
-"The worst of ill health is ... that one knows what a burden one is to everyone around one."
-"Her love had died and it was I who had killed it..."
Favourite Guest Character: Charmian and Edward from Strange Jest
Favourite Story: Strange Jest
Mystery: ****
Final Solution: ***
Entertainment: ****
11/15
68. THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE TRAIN (Poirot)
Mimosas! A rich American is travelling on the Blue Train from London to Nice with half-a-million worth of rubies. But before she reaches the Riviera, she is murdered. Surprisingly (or not), her estranged husband and his mistress are also on this train, as is Katherine who unexpectedly inherited a lot of money, and Hercule Poirot. In this story, Poirot is a cat, a dog, a squirrel and a devil. And at the end, he's only Hercule Poirot!
Memorable quotes:
-"Any letters that a lady might write to me I should hold sacred."
-"A woman should be calm and sympathetic, and a good cook."
-"You see, unless you are good at guessing, it is not much use being a detective."
-"... being tied physically gives you lots of scope mentally."
Favourite Guest Character: Katherine, but also Comte de la Roche
Mystery: ****
Final Solution: *****
Entertainment: ***
12/15
67. BLACK COFFEE (Poirot)
A physicist discovers a powerful (nuclear) explosive and just after he realises that the formula has been stolen, his coffee tastes a bit bitter... Poirot arrives too late but can still solve the mystery in which everyone seems to have something to hide. A family drama with way too much description of static action.
Memorable quotes:
-"... the truth is never horrible, only interesting."
-"Science should be of interest to all of us."
-"One should see the world one lives in."
Favourite Guest Character: probably Sir Claud Amory
Mystery: **
Final Solution: ***
Entertainment: **
7/15
A very enjoyable collection of short stories that includes solving the mysteries of a man dying in a church, a buried treasure, a riding accident ... but also two additional non-Marple poltergeist stories!
Memorable quotes:
-"If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again."
-"There's such a thing as a secret inside a secret."
-"The worst of ill health is ... that one knows what a burden one is to everyone around one."
-"Her love had died and it was I who had killed it..."
Favourite Guest Character: Charmian and Edward from Strange Jest
Favourite Story: Strange Jest
Mystery: ****
Final Solution: ***
Entertainment: ****
11/15
68. THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE TRAIN (Poirot)
Mimosas! A rich American is travelling on the Blue Train from London to Nice with half-a-million worth of rubies. But before she reaches the Riviera, she is murdered. Surprisingly (or not), her estranged husband and his mistress are also on this train, as is Katherine who unexpectedly inherited a lot of money, and Hercule Poirot. In this story, Poirot is a cat, a dog, a squirrel and a devil. And at the end, he's only Hercule Poirot!
Memorable quotes:
-"Any letters that a lady might write to me I should hold sacred."
-"A woman should be calm and sympathetic, and a good cook."
-"You see, unless you are good at guessing, it is not much use being a detective."
-"... being tied physically gives you lots of scope mentally."
Favourite Guest Character: Katherine, but also Comte de la Roche
Mystery: ****
Final Solution: *****
Entertainment: ***
12/15
67. BLACK COFFEE (Poirot)
A physicist discovers a powerful (nuclear) explosive and just after he realises that the formula has been stolen, his coffee tastes a bit bitter... Poirot arrives too late but can still solve the mystery in which everyone seems to have something to hide. A family drama with way too much description of static action.
Memorable quotes:
-"... the truth is never horrible, only interesting."
-"Science should be of interest to all of us."
-"One should see the world one lives in."
Favourite Guest Character: probably Sir Claud Amory
Mystery: **
Final Solution: ***
Entertainment: **
7/15
Sunday, 25 November 2012
Christmas mystery
With Christmas rapidly approaching, it's time to start thinking about this year's gifts and cards. The packages that have a looong way ahead of them have already been wrapped and mailed:
Of course I will not spoil the surprise, just post some pictures to keep you intrigued :-)
But even for the rest of you it's time I started thinking about it. Especially when I found out that some of the things I'm going to use take four weeks to dry!
Of course I will not spoil the surprise, just post some pictures to keep you intrigued :-)
Sunday, 18 November 2012
Autumn cleaning
Ever since my trip to the deserts of Jordan my camera had dust particles on the sensor. Plenty of them. But somehow I never came around to cleaning it, mostly because I was scared of doing it.
Now the camera is mostly used for documenting the renovation of our new house, which means more dust. I finally reached the point when I could no longer tolerate the spots on every single photo.
OK, some of the spots are on the wall, but the majority is actually on the low-pass filter in front of the sensor. A plain white wall looks like a teenager's skin.
OK, some of the spots are on the wall, but the majority is actually on the low-pass filter in front of the sensor. A plain white wall looks like a teenager's skin.
Before:
After:
You know what? Cleaning a sensor is very simple. It took me less time to clean it than to write this post.
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
Green Ninjago T-shirt
Just in time for MiniMojcek Nr.1's sixth birthday I finally managed to finish the green Ninjago T-shirt!
Starting with two identical white long-sleeved T-shirts, I dyed one green. I just couldn't find a suiting plain green T-shirt in the shops.
Then I cut a "bib" out of the white T-shirt and sewed it on the inside of the front of the green one, creating the V neckline.
Carefully cut the front...
And stitched it again.
But one should not forget the golden snake on the back!
Now he has a Kai sweater, a Zane T-shirt and the new Lloyd T-shirt.
He's happy.
For now.
Starting with two identical white long-sleeved T-shirts, I dyed one green. I just couldn't find a suiting plain green T-shirt in the shops.
And stitched it again.
Then it was time to start painting: first the additionall collar, then the silver pattern with black crosses, finally the belt.
But one should not forget the golden snake on the back!
Now he has a Kai sweater, a Zane T-shirt and the new Lloyd T-shirt.
He's happy.
For now.
Saturday, 27 October 2012
Work in progress...
I've been terribly neglecting this blog lately but currently my priorities are someplace else. But at least after almost three months of work, there is some progress visible.
Sunday, 9 September 2012
Proud mum!
Life is extremely hectic at the moment - we are renovating the house, I'm writing two (not one, two!) books at a time, MiniMojcek Nr.2 started kindergarden way worse than we expected and MiniMojcek Nr.1 started school. The proper school. While the first two hours were terrible, the rest of the week was superb! He's got the most wonderful teacher and this is what he made on his second day at school: a self-portrait.
The inscription says "That's me" and you can surely recognise the Union Jack on the T-shirt he wore that day. That's my boy!
The inscription says "That's me" and you can surely recognise the Union Jack on the T-shirt he wore that day. That's my boy!
Sunday, 19 August 2012
Seeing blue
You know how it is - when you have LOTS of VERY important things to do, you do something completely different. My excuse it that I had pretty high fever over the weekend and wasn't able to do any intelligent work (like plan electricity for the house or write a textbook), so I opted for sewing.
When buying a laser distance metre last week, I made a small detour to a fabric shop and immediately fell in love with this Smurf fleece. I made a hoody for MiniMojcek Nr.2's daycare friend. While I was at it, I made another one for MiniMojcek Nr. 2. Sure thing. I may make something similar for MiniMojcek Nr. 1.
When buying a laser distance metre last week, I made a small detour to a fabric shop and immediately fell in love with this Smurf fleece. I made a hoody for MiniMojcek Nr.2's daycare friend. While I was at it, I made another one for MiniMojcek Nr. 2. Sure thing. I may make something similar for MiniMojcek Nr. 1.
Monday, 6 August 2012
Work in progress...
I feel like I should post something... but I have absolutely nothing to write about. My mind is completely occupied with the renovation of the house. You'll know why if I show you the picture of my living room. It currently looks like this:
There is, however, something pretty growing in the garden :-)
Sunday, 29 July 2012
One down... hundred to go.
As you may remember, we recently bought a house and started renovating it. So all our money and most of our time is now invested into the house.
I'm happy to say that one thing is already finished - the garage doors. Not that I had much work to do but to order and pay for them... Much more time consuming, however, is this:
painting about 160 pickets for the picket fence.
I'm happy to say that one thing is already finished - the garage doors. Not that I had much work to do but to order and pay for them... Much more time consuming, however, is this:
painting about 160 pickets for the picket fence.
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
Bordeaux purple
I needed a black T-shirt and for some reason H&M sell only black and
white T-shirts combined. I liked the black one, but white just isn't my
colour. So I decided to dye it!
I bought some DEKA dyes in Bordeaux Red. The instructions are fairly simple: wash, cook, rinse, fix, dry, wear :-)
Although I've dyed fabrics several times before, cooking a T-shirt still seems wrong.
I'm quite happy with the result - although the colour is much more purple than Bordeaux red. On the other hand - the colour is exactly the same as on the bag.
Monday, 25 June 2012
Brown wrap skirt
Last year I posted about several brown fabrics that were on my to-do pile. I used the brown linen to make a wrap skirt. Without a pattern, I just cut the fabric, sew the three pieces together, made the darts and added the belt. But the skirt was rather... dull...so I went and bought a ribbon to liven it up a bit.
I'm happy to say - it works!
Later I added the buttons. And the skirt still needs to be ironed, obviously.
Sunday, 24 June 2012
Reading Agatha Christie
66. POIROT INVESTIGATES (Poirot)
A collection of short stories that show Poirot's "day at the office": he finds a missing husband, a kidnapped prime minister, missing jewellry, a map, naval plans and bonds. But he also helps a thief and describes the only time he failed identifying the murderer.
Memorable quotes:
-"You must not underrate the force of superstition."
-"One must seek the truth within - not without."
-"To work against the law, it would be pleasing, for a change."
-"There are many things not called poison which can kill a man."
Favourite Guest Character: Violet Marsh from the Missing Will
Favourite Stories: The Case of the Missing Will, The Chocolate Box
Mystery: ***
Final Solution: ****
Entertainment: ****
11/15
65. THIRD GIRL (Poirot)
A girl - a third girl - thinks she might have committed a murder. Now Poirot has to solve it - time, place and victim unknown ... A story full of rather unrealistic coincidences, in which Ariadne is knocked unconscious and Poirot learns that he is too old.
Memorable quotes:
-"... people are never like what you remember them. You make them, as the years go by, more and more the way you wish them to be, and as you think you remember them."
-"Mind you, boys can cause you trouble, too. But girls is more worrying, I think."
-"I might go up in the Whispering Gallery and whisper."
Favourite Guest Character: Dr. Stillingfleet
Mystery: ***
Final Solution: **
Entertainment: **
7/15
64. SPARKLING CYANIDE
Exactly one year after Rosemary dies during a dinner in hotel Luxembourg, the same group gathers at the same table. And again, one of them dies. But did the killer get the right person? The solution can be predicted by anyone who understands group theory and symmetry breaking :-)
Memorable quotes:
-"Frightening, really, how little you might know of a person after living in the same house with them!"
-"She couldn't even listen intelligently."
-"He'd never been able to suffer fools gladly - not even fools with pretty faces."
-"These women who have children when they're over forty never seem to learn any sense."
Favourite Guest Character: Anthony Browne
Mystery: ***
Final Solution: ****
Entertainment: ****
11/15
A collection of short stories that show Poirot's "day at the office": he finds a missing husband, a kidnapped prime minister, missing jewellry, a map, naval plans and bonds. But he also helps a thief and describes the only time he failed identifying the murderer.
Memorable quotes:
-"You must not underrate the force of superstition."
-"One must seek the truth within - not without."
-"To work against the law, it would be pleasing, for a change."
-"There are many things not called poison which can kill a man."
Favourite Guest Character: Violet Marsh from the Missing Will
Favourite Stories: The Case of the Missing Will, The Chocolate Box
Mystery: ***
Final Solution: ****
Entertainment: ****
11/15
65. THIRD GIRL (Poirot)
A girl - a third girl - thinks she might have committed a murder. Now Poirot has to solve it - time, place and victim unknown ... A story full of rather unrealistic coincidences, in which Ariadne is knocked unconscious and Poirot learns that he is too old.
Memorable quotes:
-"... people are never like what you remember them. You make them, as the years go by, more and more the way you wish them to be, and as you think you remember them."
-"Mind you, boys can cause you trouble, too. But girls is more worrying, I think."
-"I might go up in the Whispering Gallery and whisper."
Favourite Guest Character: Dr. Stillingfleet
Mystery: ***
Final Solution: **
Entertainment: **
7/15
64. SPARKLING CYANIDE
Exactly one year after Rosemary dies during a dinner in hotel Luxembourg, the same group gathers at the same table. And again, one of them dies. But did the killer get the right person? The solution can be predicted by anyone who understands group theory and symmetry breaking :-)
Memorable quotes:
-"Frightening, really, how little you might know of a person after living in the same house with them!"
-"She couldn't even listen intelligently."
-"He'd never been able to suffer fools gladly - not even fools with pretty faces."
-"These women who have children when they're over forty never seem to learn any sense."
Favourite Guest Character: Anthony Browne
Mystery: ***
Final Solution: ****
Entertainment: ****
11/15
Sunday, 17 June 2012
Ninjago Zane T-shirt
With Ninjago-mania of course came the request to make Ninjago T-shirt. MiniMojcek Nr.1's favourite ninja is Kai and he already has a Kai sweatshirt. So this time the request came to make a Zane costume. The white one. And what can a mother do than fulfill the request.
Zane's emblem is a golden lion. This is a just a rough sketch I made to check the size of lion's head.
And the finished lion:
But perhaps I can correct this the next time: I already have a request for the green ninja.
Zane's emblem is a golden lion. This is a just a rough sketch I made to check the size of lion's head.
And the finished lion:
The T-shirt has a fake belt (stitched on the T-shirt, but not all the way so that one can still tie a knot) and a stitched-on thingy at the neck.
I'm not quite happy with how the ropes turned out ... hmpf ... Let's just hope that MiniMojcek Nr. 1 likes the shirt.
But perhaps I can correct this the next time: I already have a request for the green ninja.
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