Radio times

Friends, it's taking me a while to get back into the swing of things after my trip to Cheltenham. I don't want to be sitting here working when there are books to be read, new contacts to follow up and ideas to expand on. Nevertheless, I have ploughed my way through my backlog of emails and tried to get things back to normal.

I had some fun on Sunday evening, though, when I did an internet radio interview for the Paul Edwards Show. Paul is a friend, so it was a bit odd trying to sound 'proper', but I think we did OK. (You may or may not be aware that I record 'Julia's Thoughts' for him to play in during the show, in which I pontificate for a couple of minutes on whatever has happened to me.)

Anyway, the idea of this interview was that I would go and talk about my volunteering experience, but in the event we chatted about all sorts of things: golf, comedy, logistics(!), arts venues, music and, yes, LitFest. There is a podcast available, should you fancy it, either via iTunes or podbean here.

Bits and pieces

I have had a lot of work on this last week, a fact I was going to list under my Celebrate the Small Things post on Friday - but I was too busy to do it. I've had some lovely proofreading jobs on a range of subjects. In one of them, I read the astonishing fact that pure honey will always spin clockwise when it's poured. Well, now, there's a thing.

What else? Ah yes.

Beehive yourself!

My recording for The Paul Edwards Show this evening was inspired by a packet of cheese. On the wrapper was a QR code with the enticing message: 'Scan me and download a free sandwich app.' What on earth is a sandwich app? Does it provide instructions on how to fill two slices of bread? Might it perhaps regale me with amusing granary-related incidents? I'm intrigued, but my mobile phone has no internet wotsit, so I shall never know.

My husband spent over an hour one morning this week looking for something he'd ordered from eBay and that he knew - absolutely knew - he had received. He could remember opening the Jiffy Bag. He just couldn't remember where he'd put the contents. He tried all the obvious places and some not-so-obvious, including the recycling boxes and the bread bin. (Don't ask!) The mystery was solved when the postman rang the bell to deliver said parcel. I didn't comment; I didn't need to.

Went to see Steeleye Span on Friday, where singer Maddy Prior was giving out leaflets for an event she is hosting in Cumbria: Stepping Stones Festival. There were also details of some of her courses, including an 'Extreme vocal workshop with Rose Kemp'. At first glance, I read this as Ross Kemp, which would be an entirely different prospect.

New Year's Resolution? Not likely!

This is the script of my broadcast on tonight's Paul Edwards Radio Show.

So here we are on the brink of another year. I have a good feeling about 2012: I like a year that is an even number, and a Leap Year is better still. Don’t know why. 

Of course, the papers today are full of tips on how we can achieve our New Year Resolutions. Boring! My resolution is not to make any resolutions. Instead, here is a list of things I'm not going to do this year.

Happiness is having warm toes!

• Take any notice of what's hot and what's not. Who cares what's trendy in the world of fashion? I have enough trouble finding something that fits – and, at this time of year I'm more concerned about keeping my feet from solidifying from cold than whether or not my boots are a la mode.
• Start a new fitness regime. Why put myself through it? I already do yoga every day, walk and cycle because I can't afford petrol, and have registered for the Sport Relief Mile. That should be sufficient incentive to keep moving.
• Count calories. Commonsense and a tight waistband tell me when I've had too much. My grandmother used to say that enough's as good as a feast, and I'm not going to worry about the energy stored in a garibaldi.
• Learn a new language. I think my schoolgirl French and random other foreign phrases will suffice. Besides, my passport has expired, so the chances of me needing to speak anything more exotic than English are pretty slim – unless we get invaded, of course.
• Grumble about the money being spent on the Olympics. It's happening, folks. Accept it and move on.
• Try something new. My life is already littered with stuff I have taken up with enthusiasm and then put down again. I should revisit these before attempting basket weaving or country dancing, or whatever.
• Kid myself that anti-ageing creams work. Wake up, sister: it's just marketing. And given that people with smooth, nipped and tucked faces that don't move are subject to more ridicule than those of us with our history writ large on our countenance, I'm settling for a few wrinkles.
• Read more. I don't have to try to do this: it'll just happen.
• Get stressed that my crockery doesn't match. There's food on the plates, isn't there?
• Worry about the end of the world. Isn't it possible that the last date on the Mayan calendar is 21st December 2012 simply because they got fed up of writing it? And if I'm wrong and they're right, there's nothing I can do about it.

Happy New Year, everyone.