Summer Update

Well, it's been a while! I have had a busy couple of months with work so haven't had much chance to blog. Saying that, lots of Rebel shenanigans has been occurring so I will bring you up to date. I have finished off 9 badges that I have been working on slowly, so managed quite a haul of points for Team Nelson in the Rebel Cup!

Mindfulness was finally finished by trying a third type of yoga; an aerial silks yoga class began round the corner from me, so I was convinced to go with a friend. I rather enjoyed it; aerial yoga is somewhat different to other types of yoga I have tried and involves being supported by silks suspended from the ceiling. My highlight was managing to do an inverted star after several attempts. For what seemed a relatively gentle class, I didn't half ache later in the week. Highly recommended!

I have been foraging for years, mostly for blackberries, elderberries, sloes and wild garlic leaves so was interested to learn more. The part that surprised me most was compiling a foraging calendar; I found that of all the many plants to look out for in May, at least 16 of them grew in my small urban back garden. I shall have to make better use of them. 

Farmer badge was fun, and again quite a lot of it was stuff I do already. I decided against keeping chickens or bees as the neighbours would complain, and their cats would get the chickens, but had fun baking bread and making butter from scratch - very easy with electric beaters - and making pumpkin chutney. I grow some vegetables but fight a constant battle with voracious slugs, but managed rhubarb (technically a vegetable) and some chard, and grow raspberries, Japanese wineberries, strawberries and blackberries, as well as many herbs. I have grown a fine crop of garlic this year using the cloves of local varieties. I didn't brew beer as I rarely drink alcohol.

My Style was a struggle! I kept forgetting to take a photo of my outfit, but eventually compiled a months worth. Outside work I live in jeans, slacks, blouses and t-shirts, and wear slightly smarter versions for worker or skirts and dresses. I assessed my wardrobe and got rid of a few things, and created a board on Pinterest of outfits that I like. I find clothes shopping painful; online shopping rarely works as I can't assess the feel of the material (I'm very picky!), and I hate clothes shopping in shops! I wear the majority of clothes I own on a regular basis as I tend to go shopping when essentials wear out and are beyond repair.

Chef was completed gradually; some of the skills clauses were things I have been doing for many years. I enjoyed improving my knife skills and experimenting with different cuisines, finding that I particularly like Persian food. Cooking for a dinner party was a big one - I cooked a three course meal for 15 Scout leaders on a training weekend, and all were delighted with it. Full roast dinner with starter and pudding.

For Advanced Crafter I decided to make a Macrame wreath for a Christmas decoration. This was frustrating, and I had to restart it several times. However, I was pleased with the end result. I then learned to knit on the round, and made three cowls two of which were given away as presents and well received for their warmth and cosiness. Finally I used a pattern to make a knitting needle case on a sewing machine, which I had not done since my teens. Very pleased with the result. 

Environmentalist was an eye-opener; I tracked my rubbish for a month and discovered that I still use a lot of plastic packaging despite trying not to. Not always avoidable unfortunately. I am continuing to try reducing my rubbish. Planting a tree was easy - my small garden has  Gingko biloba which was there when I moved in, and I have since planted two Japanese Maples, an elderberry, and am encouraging a hawthorn seedling. I save rainwater in a water butt and don't use tap water on the garden unless it's a prolonged draught and crops need water. Water use in the house is not profligate. I joined in a community litter pick in the park behind my house, and occasionally do an independent litter pick. I visited Longleat Safari Park last summer and learned how they help endangered animals, and also enjoyed watching the lions and tigers. With the 'repair' clause, I rarely throw anything away unless it is utterly beyond repair so that was easy, and repair things myself if it is within my capabilities! Minismising spending was interesting, and I spent mostly on essentials in September.

Scientist was the most fun! I turned the house into a lab and had fun with lots of experiments including making salt crystals, inflating balloons with carbon dioxide from yeast, homemade volcanoes, extracting DNA from kiwi fruit and several more. Great fun!

Rebel Cup is ongoing and I am currently on 150 points. Gotta love a competitiion! Bonus points in May were taking a selfie while hugging a shed (not easy!) and decorating a straw hat with buttons, and in June I sent a letter to a fellow rebel and drew a lovely picture of a bicycle race with a mermaid and giraffe. My colleagues thought I had finally lost the plot.  There are plans afoot for July points. I am helping on a camping trip with a fellow rebel and we have packed water pistols, a kite and bubbles. Other 'Big Kid Summer' clauses will undoubtedly be attempted.