Last Sunday I woke up with a slight hangover and could already hear big fat raindrops drumming against my window. The scene after I drew my curtains didn’t make anything better. Down on the grey street people hastened through the rain, umbrellas serving as shields and I could even see two folks run into each other in their frenzy of avoiding to get wet.What an inviting sight, especially with the howling wind in the background… I still managed to have a good and purposeful day. How? I will tell you now.
The first thing to do is to slip into your most comfortable outfit and make yourself a good, strong coffee. Tip: grab a bag of Bellarom from Lidl; it’s delicious and with a daily spoonful it’ll last you months. To brew it I use a stovetop Macchinetta. It’s been my second best friend for the past two years. Seriously, there’s no better coffee than Macchinetta coffee and with that foggy weather outside you’ll want that dose of caffeine. Next, really spoil yourself on what your fridge has to offer! Some leftover bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms? Well cook up a feast, you have a whole day before you; or at least half a day, considering you got up at 12pm, as I usually do on Sundays.
Then you’re good to go – to do something useful! Sick of hearing your mum say: ‘Come on, write granny a letter! She would love that’? Well, today’s your (and granny’s) day! No procrastination, you don’t need more than a sheet of paper and a pen, since you can buy your envelope & stamp at the post office. That’s how easy it is to make someone happy! So once you’re at it, why not send one to a far-away friend you haven’t seen in a while?
Now with your spirits lifted because you’ve done something actually purposeful that has nothing to do with essay writing, go on and work on ideas for Christmas presents. Last year, I made my own delicious jams for everyone. With a bazillion recipes online it’s super easy and fun and I even decorated the jars so that everyone got a unique tag. An old-fashioned album with actual photos, yes they still exist outside of Facebook, for your mates and the family is something beautiful, too. Start by collecting all of the pictures you want in it. Use sites like Photobox or Snapfish online and they’ll deliver them by the next day. Plus you can buy an album there too.
On the note of being creative – hating that feeling of slipping into a jacket you haven’t worn in a while only to realize it’s because essential buttons are missing, or a sleeve’s ripped? Although we’re called a generation that rather throws away than fixes, needlework is my niche talent. Primark’s indirect promotion of buying to throw out should not become our attitude. So go ahead and stitch those clothes!
If you follow my advice you’ll end up like me with at least: 1 happy granny, 5 jars of jam, 3 sweet picture albums, and fixed clothes! Any takers?
