I love... train travel

Yesterday I travelled from London by train. It was a long 4.5 hour journey, which gave me the perfect opportunity for some "thinking time", where I realised just how much I love travelling by train.

I realised that train travel has many advantages over other public transport, and to me, the main advantage is certainly the convenience. Being able to travel from the centre of one city directly to the centre of another city saves the hassle of extra travel from, say, airports into the centre. These extra costs can add up quite quickly without you realising.

Another thing I realised I appreciate about trains is their warmth. Unlike some buses I have travelled on, trains tend to be perfectly heated; not too hot, not too cold.

Trains are also efficient. They travel at high speeds and get you from one city to the next in, what feels like, no time at all. And although they may cost a little bit more than buses, I believe the extra cost is worth it for the time you save. Time is precious to most people and no one what to spend more time travelling than is necessary.

During my thinking time, I realised what I like most about train travel (well, maybe second after the convenience factor) is the observation opportunities. Being lucky enough to sit by the window, in a fairly busy train, I got to see parts of the country I would not normally see. I mean, where else am I going to see a house made from an unused train carriage? Probably nowhere. I also love to see the countryside; the unknown parts of the country. I love to be able to view whole cities and towns in one glance, the sheep roaming the fields and the secret rivers that wave through the land.

Other than the unusual things you see and the beautiful nature that many people are oblivious to, I love to see people being reconnected. Sitting in a train station, waiting on the train to start moving again, I saw two people running towards each other, arms out wide. The feeling that ran through me is hard to describe, but it was simply lovely. It looked like something from a movie.

Let me know what you like about travelling by train. Is it the scenery? The convenience? Or simply the thinking time you have while on long journeys?

I love... Frank Turner

Today is an exciting day. Frank Turner has announced his new tour dates.

I hear you all asking "who is Frank Turner?" So let me introduce him. Frank Turner, to me, is one of the hardest working musicians I know of. He is a lyrical genius and what I find extraordinary is his passion for music. He is a punk/folk/rock artist who seems to spend every second of his life either on the road touring, writing music or recording albums. I'm not sure he ever has a proper day off.

I fell in love with Frank Turner in August 2009 when I went to one of his gigs during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This was a very intimate gig, which made me appreciate (even more than I think I would have, had it been a big open gig) his talent and passion for his music. Attending this gig with one of the most organised people to walk this planet, we were one of the first people through the doors, giving us prime position right in front of the stage. Not knowing much about Frank Turner at this point, I felt quite out of place at the front, I felt as though I was hogging someone's space, but now I'm glad I did.

Since that night, I have seen Frank Turner live on two more occasions; once again in Edinburgh and, much to my surprise, also in London at Wembley Stadium, where he supported Green Day. And every day I look forward to my next Frank Turner gig (which will hopefully be this year at some point!)

I have loved listening to Frank Turner's music ever since I was introduced to it. I listen to it whenever I can. He is a lyrical genius and, in some songs, I find it hard to get my head around how he fits all the words in, in one breath.

I will leave you today with a video of my favourite Frank Turner song, "Long Live The Queen". This song is written as a tribute to one of his friends, Lexi, who died of cancer. The song is, however, not a sad one, but an upbeat one about how Lexi lived her life to the full, right to the very last moment.

Actually, after listening to it, yet again, I'm going to go as far to say that it is one of my all time favourite songs.

I love... homemade soup

Homemade soup is one of my favourite lunches. I always look forward to lunchtime if I know a bowl of homemade soup is waiting on me. So, today I decided to venture into the depths of my kitchen cupboard to find my soup pot and make a big pot of homemade lentil soup - my favourite!

Like most daughters, it was my mum who taught me to cook. She taught me many weird & wonderful dishes, but her soup recipe is the easiest by far. I obviously can't make soup like she can (mum's soup is always the best!), but I give it a good go.

Some of you may think making homemade soup is difficult, I used to think so. But, in fact, I think it's one of the easiest lunches you can make (after a simple sandwich obviously), and one of the most delicious. My mum uses a simple method of chop - mix - boil. It really is that simple. You're unlikely to find it that easy in a recipe books but it works, and it is delicious, so here it is...

Ingredients:

Lentils

1 or 2 stock cube(s) - any flavour

Carrots

Parsnips

Turnip

Leeks

Onions

Potatoes

*all vegetables are optional but I would recommend using at least 3 different vegetables.

Method:

1. Add lentils, stock cube(s) & water to a pot

2. Turn on the heat

3. While lentil are beginning to boil, chop or grate all vegetables

4. Add vegetables to the pot

5. Mix & bring to the boil

6. Turn down the heat, cover, & cook for 20-30 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.

7. And finally sit down and enjoy a bowl of soup with a nice warm crusty roll!

Although this is the recipe for my favourite soup, I love (almost equally) vegetable soup, spicy parsnip soup, leek & potato soup, chicken noodle soup, tomato soup, mushroom soup, butter nut squash soup, tomato & spaghetti soup... the list goes on.

What are your favourite soups? Feel free to comment and share your favourite flavours or recipes as I would love to try some new flavours.

Happy soup making :)

I love... blogs (...Love Maegan)

My love for ...love Maegan

As you know, the reason I started this blog was to share with you the things I love, the things that make me smile and the simple things in life that cheer me up when I am feeling blue. However, the idea of sharing these things with you came from my love of reading blogs (yet another simple thing that makes me smile).

One of my favourite blogs is ...love Maegan. I found this blog while searching for DIY projects, which Maegan blogs about regularly. However, the DIY projects, which are always very detailed with pictures and step-by-step guides, are not all that I love about this blog. I love the fashion posts, the photos, the videos, the passion, the look, the layout, the colours, the feeling that she is talking to every single reader independently... the list goes on. Basically I just love everything about it.

I am not a huge fashion lover, but it inspires me the way Maegan always manages to put an outfit together so perfectly. I love how she tells her readers where to find the garments just in case they too wish to buy them too. So, although I am not a person to spend hundreds of pounds on designer garments, I always find myself looking forward to her "what I'm wearing" posts, simply for the inspiration.

Other the other hand, what I am a huger lover of is photos. I love how Maegan uses a photo in nearly every single post. Actually I think it is every single post. I can't remember reading a post without a picture. The pictures are always so well taken and just seem to make the post much more appealing (something I should probably start doing). I also have a strong belief that you can NEVER take too many photos.

So, if anyone is interested in fashion, DIY, or would just like a nice read about a person, who to me has a perfect life in the sun, head over to ...love Maegan.

What blogs do you like? I find reading blogs very interesting so please feel free to comment with some links and I will happily check them out.

  

My new "Things I'd Love To Do" page

Have you ever had a great idea about something you would like to do one day but then a few days later you have forgotten all about it? This happens to me all the time and it is extremely annoying. The most annoying part is that I have done the hard part (coming up with the idea) but don’t ever get the chance to complete the fun part (the “putting it into action” part) because it slips my mind. Thankfully, I have now come up with a solution – make a To Do List.

Yesterday, I shared with you my love for everyday To Do Lists. Today, I thought, why not make a long term To Do List? A list to remind me of all the things I would like to do/try/achieve at some point in the future so that I don’t forget about them (again). So I did, and have now published my list on my new blog page "Things I'd Love To Do". This list will continue to grow, as get new ideas, and shrink, as I take great pleasure from marking off the things I manage to achieve.

It is important to note that my “Things I’d Love To Do” list is not the same as an everyday To Do List. It is not a list of things that need to be done written in order of priority, it is simply a reminder of the things I would like to do, the things I would like to try, and the things I would like to achieve at some point during my life.

So why not give it a go? Write down a list of all the things that, one day, you would like to do and keep it somewhere so that you can add to it any time an idea suddenly emerges from your thoughts. And remember, it doesn’t matter how crazy your ideas are because a long term To Do List is not a list of things that necessarily need to be done; not everything has to be achievable at this very point in time, and it doesn't need to be written in any particular order. It is simply a reminder of the things that once made you say “I would like to do that one day”!

To visit my new "Things I'd Love To Do" page simple click here or click on the tab at the top of my blog.
  

I love... To Do Lists

During my 4 years at university there was many times when I felt so snowed under with revision, writing reports, writing essays, and preparing for presentations, that I thought I would never get things finished. But somehow, I always managed to get it done.

What helped me through this was... my To Do Lists. Once I discovered the brilliance of these, there was not a day went by without me checking (and sticking to) these trusty lists, usually written on brightly coloured post-it notes bought especially for this purpose. Making a list of all the things I needed to do, and more importantly when I needed things to be done by, helped me to organise the priority of things.

Now that I have finished university, I still have lots of things to do and still continue to use my trusty colourful post-it notes to make daily or weekly To Do Lists. The most important rule I learnt for making To Do Lists, after ordering things in date order, is to NEVER make lists that you know are unachievable. This will only make things worse. Make achievable list for each day and make sure you stick to them. What I love most about a To Do List is that when the tasks are complete you can relax. It's a little incentive to get things done knowing that you can relax afterwards.

Making a To Do List

1. Make a list of all the “things” that you need to do
2. Order these “things” in order of when they have to be done by
3. Make a To Do List for each day, until everything is complete
4. And remember – make sure each list is achievable!

Happy To Do List making!

  

I love... the rain

Today the rain made me smile.

Today, while making lunch, I was alerted by the sound of rain battering against the livingroom window. I looked outside and the grit on the pavements, from the previous week of frost and ice, was smudged into a giant wet brown puddle, making the street look rather awful. However, the sight and sound of rain today made me smile because I had already done my morning shift at work and so I was now home, with no reason to go back outside. Actually, it was the rain that gave me the perfect excuse to stay indoors for the remainder of the day.

A rainy day makes it a perfect day to stay in your pyjamas (and as you already know pyjamas make me smile). No need to squeeze into those tight, and very uncomfortable, jeans or make myself look presentable by applying a thick layer of makeup and spending an hour drying my hair. It gives me the perfect opportunity to tidy the house (which I usually run out of time to do), drink lots of cups of tea, cook something really nice for dinner (again something I always run out of time to do), and most of all, to stay indoors where the rain can’t soak me, while listening to it trying.

Of course, it’s not always my afternoon off when it rains. However, if I do need to venture out into the rain it gives me the opportunity to put on my pair of brightly coloured wellies, I get to use my umbrella, and one day, when I get around to it, I will buy a bright colourful raincoat, which will make me smile with just the bright colours.

So, although the rain can be a pest, add a little stress to any outside journey that has to be made, think positively. When else do you have the excuse to stay indoors in your pyjamas all day? When else do you get to fashion your brightly coloured wellies, which you bought purposely for this weather? And when else do you get to blame something else for your bad hair day?