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Snow, cinnamon, and chocolate
Mar. 18th, 2018 02:47 pmThis has been a week of lovely things, capped off with a wonderful, restful Sunday of cooking, housework, and reading.
After years of asking, I finally got a standing desk at work, and the effect has been miraculous. The difference between how I feel after a day's work at the standing desk and a day's work sitting down is palpable and welcome: for the first time in my working life, I finished the day without back pain, without sore wrists and hands and shoulders, without headaches, and without feeling exhausted. I know the evidence is inconclusive about the benefits of standing desks, but for me, at least, they seem to work.
Matthias' parents left yesterday after nine days visiting us in Cambridge. We don't have room for them to stay with us (while I'm happy to offer up the uncomfortable sofabed in the living room to friends, I would feel terrible offering it to my sixtysomething parents-in-law), so they normally rent a holiday house and hang out with us during evenings and weekends. We had time on Saturday to go out for a bit, and elected to go to Kettle's Yard, a historic house previously owned by an art collector, with a gallery attached. The house has been kept in its former state, with the collector's art on the walls and lots of interesting little nooks and crannies. Entry is completely free to both the house and the gallery. You're allowed to sit on any of the chairs, and stay as long as the house is open, so it's common to see students, writers and artists just hanging out there and working - there's wifi, warmth, and comfy spaces to sit, so as long as you don't mind visitors wandering around, it's a nice space. For some reason I'd never been before, despite having lived in Cambridge for over nine years. I took a few photos, which you can see here and here, and will definitely visit again.
Today I had to brave the cold not once but twice, in order to go to both the food market, and the library after it had opened. On top of these errands, I spent most of the morning cooking (leek, tomato and potato soup to take to work for lunch), cleaning various bits of the house, and doing laundry, but I'm looking forward to a more relaxing afternoon, sitting in my wing chair, drinking tea, nibbling chocolate, reading my book (the sixth and final book of the Lymond Chronicles, about which I have very mixed feelings), and watching the snow melt.
After years of asking, I finally got a standing desk at work, and the effect has been miraculous. The difference between how I feel after a day's work at the standing desk and a day's work sitting down is palpable and welcome: for the first time in my working life, I finished the day without back pain, without sore wrists and hands and shoulders, without headaches, and without feeling exhausted. I know the evidence is inconclusive about the benefits of standing desks, but for me, at least, they seem to work.
Matthias' parents left yesterday after nine days visiting us in Cambridge. We don't have room for them to stay with us (while I'm happy to offer up the uncomfortable sofabed in the living room to friends, I would feel terrible offering it to my sixtysomething parents-in-law), so they normally rent a holiday house and hang out with us during evenings and weekends. We had time on Saturday to go out for a bit, and elected to go to Kettle's Yard, a historic house previously owned by an art collector, with a gallery attached. The house has been kept in its former state, with the collector's art on the walls and lots of interesting little nooks and crannies. Entry is completely free to both the house and the gallery. You're allowed to sit on any of the chairs, and stay as long as the house is open, so it's common to see students, writers and artists just hanging out there and working - there's wifi, warmth, and comfy spaces to sit, so as long as you don't mind visitors wandering around, it's a nice space. For some reason I'd never been before, despite having lived in Cambridge for over nine years. I took a few photos, which you can see here and here, and will definitely visit again.
Today I had to brave the cold not once but twice, in order to go to both the food market, and the library after it had opened. On top of these errands, I spent most of the morning cooking (leek, tomato and potato soup to take to work for lunch), cleaning various bits of the house, and doing laundry, but I'm looking forward to a more relaxing afternoon, sitting in my wing chair, drinking tea, nibbling chocolate, reading my book (the sixth and final book of the Lymond Chronicles, about which I have very mixed feelings), and watching the snow melt.