Trying to save electricity ! 💡🌎
Personal Blogs
Saving Electricity- Living by Candle light
Who said Veggie food was boring?
Todays meal is a delicious vegetarian meal. Bubble n squeak (mash potatoes, cabbage, onion, carrots) 2veggie sausages, gravy and 3 fried eggs. Oh and I couldn't resist a little cranberry sauce on the side!
Maigret
I have recently being watching the detective 'Maigret' series on the TV. adapted from the books written by George Simenon. This series is in the french language and has been incredibly useful for learning french. It is the language of everyday french conversations so it is extremeIy useful for learning french. I do hope it continues in the future as well as other french language films as I am hoping to keep up my french speaking skills.
🕵️♀️🕵️♂️🔎🎞
La journée est courte en hiver!!
Les jours deviennent sombres. Je dois me réveiller tôt a six heures pour faire entrer les chats. je leur donne leur petit déjeuner puis ils dorment, l'un sur le fauteuil l'autre sur le canapé.
Je parle en français à mes chats chaque matin, mais ils ferment les yeux et s'endorment!
Je prépare mon petit déjeuner. Un café avec un croissant, quelque fois je prendre un Muesli avec une petite banane hachée. Aujourd'hui c'est un croissant.
Le premier chose que Je fais, J'allume le chauffage, J'éteindrai le chauffage plus tard, quand il se réchauffera, J'essaie de limiter ma consommation d'énergie au minimum ! Puis Je ouvre mon ordinateur portable pour un certain temps, pour lire quelques e-mails.
Ensuite, je m'assure que mon fils prend son petit-déjeuner. Il lira alors généralement ou joue sur ses jeux pendant un certain temps. Cela l'occupera pendant la matinée.
Maintenant je peux commencer mes études. Je regarde d'abord ' Student forum' je visite les forums, puis je vois quels exercices je dois faire. Je fais quelques exercices pendant une courte période, puis je travaille sur les notes pour le TMA dans mon cahier.
Je travaille toute la matinée. Je vérifie ensuite si mon fils va bien, je lui parle et je bois un café.
Nous parlons ensemble pour environ trente minits.
Je fais les courses a Sainsbury's qui prennent environ une heure Quelque fois je prend le longue chemin si le temps est bon. Une ou deux fois par semaine Je vais a la marchand de legumes pour acheter mes provisions. Cette apres-midi il y a un brouillard et les gens ressemblaient à des fantômes flottant le long les trottoires!
Après cela, Mon chat fait une sieste et je faire un peu de ménage. Je peux étudier un peu plus, puis Je prépare le dînner
vers cinq heures. Ce soir Je fais buble squeak avec des saucisses et des sauce à l'oignon.
La nuit arrive trop vite! J'allume les bougies et regarde un peu la télé. Mais si la télé
n'est pas intéressante, je lire mon livre, ou Je tricote,ou je regarde quelque chose sur l'Internet.
Avant de dormir, j'aime me détendre en écoutant de la musique classique sur la radio. Je dors à minuit. J'ai du mal à dormir. Je me sens anxieux. Je n'aime pas l' hiver J'attends le printemps !
Ma journée est terminée. Bonne nuit.
🌙❄🌧
🛌
The fundamental question.
The fundamental question is : "what are we?"
Is it to live in the absurdity of existence, or to believe in the existence of a divine creator, revealed by biblical sciptures, or spiritual reason beyond scientific conventions, which prove nothing about the creation of the universe humans and animals?
La question fondamentale.
La question fondamentale est : "Qu'est ce que nous sommes?"
Est-ce vivre dans l'absurdité de l'existence, ou de croire à l"existence d'un créateur divin révèlé par les écritures bibliques, ou la raison spirituelle dépasse les conventions scientifiques qui ne prouve rien sur la création de l' univers humain et animals?
New year, New Hope!
I find this time of year a time for reflection on what has happened over the past year.
The pandemic happened which was a big event but seems to have passed(hopefully?) The death of Her Majesty the Queen also has been a very sad happening for the country. I also lost my younger sister this year.
It seems to have been all doom and gloom this year, especially when combined with the economic crisis many of us are experiencing! and of course the Russia/ Ukraine war just nearby!
However, when losses come, so often comes new changes and new opportunities. This is what we should look out for, to see the good in new possibilities, new outlooks, new prospects, new positionings and new hope.
Personally, I hope to pass my degree this year. I hope my children will flourish, I hope our health will improve. I hope the economy improves but I know all these things will be a big long struggle and will not come very easily.
We must not give up, but carry on keeping on, keeping a steady pace with hope and confidence that the future can get brighter, that some good can surely come out eventually.
Sometimes we just have to wait but it is not an inactive waiting, no! but it is proactive, and is a full participation in that which we hope for!
God bless you! Peace and Love!
Happy New Year 2023 everyone!
My favourite christmas card this year 'Nativity '
Artist Jon Clayton (mouth painter)
Why do I like this christmas card?
First of all I like the beautiful bright gold colours used in the painting.
Secondly the artist was painting this picture using his mouth and paint brush as he had a disability.
Thirdly it showing the poverty into which Jesus was born in a humble stable. No luxurious palace, even though he was of royal blood. It made me think of many families who would also be having a frugal christmas this year!
La Littérature Française
J'attends avec impatience le prochain devoir, TMA 3, celui-ci portera sur la littérature française.
Je découvre les nombreux exemples d'auteurs et leurs oeuvres. Des auteurs comme Voltaire, Rouseau, Emile Zola, Balzac, Flaubert, Rimbaud, Victor Hugo, George sands, Eugène Ionesco et Aimé Césaire en autres.
J'apprends également les différents styles et périodes de temps dans lesquels ils ont été écrits. Pour exemple;
les Lumières,, le romantisme,
le réalisme,le naturalisme, le symbolisme,le surréalisme, l’absurde, l’existentialisme et la négritude.
La littérature française est un sujet très interessante à étudier. J'aimerais avoir plus de temps pour étudier tous ces incroyables écrivains français. Peut-être trouverai-je le temps plus tard de les lire à loisir!
📚📚 🏡
Christmas in the bleak mid-winter!
❄🌲🌲🌳🌳🏠
The trees in my garden are covered in white sparkling frost, they look just like a row of christmas trees !
I am looking out of my kitchen window, drinking a glass of ginger wine and eating a very traditional mince pie.
This past week just seems like a crazy dream, in which I was struggling with my TMA assignment. Now that it is all over I can finally relax. Well just for a while!
In the kitchen the oven is on, I am baking mince pies and some traditional Christmas cake and pies (Saves spending money in supermarket!) I had most of yhe ingrediants in the cupboard.
Tonights meal is cooking, garlic and herb chicken quorn pieces with Dauphinoise potatoes, carrots, peas, spinach with a little gravy on it is very french!
The house smells very christmassy, with incense burning in the hall and scented candles in the lounge. The baking smells nice and spicy coming from the kitchen oven.
Keeping heating on for a bit longer now, but on a lower setting. Then after the meal we will watch a film good on DVD
Outside it is freezing cold but indoors at home, it is warm at last, as we settle down to watch a good film. I sigh with relief because I am so glad that I can (hopefully) still afford to pay my energy bill- for this time!!!
🔥
Translation of last blog
Tout n'était pas perdu au final avec le powerpoint !
J'ai envoyé un e-mail à mon tuteur, il était très compréhensif, et J'ai du re-organiser, et finalement pu envoyer mon devoir.Heureux d'avoir terminé mon TMA 02 et de l'avoir soumis. Je suis content que ce soit fini et je peux maintenant attendre Noël avec impatience !
TMA 02 sent off!
All was not lost in the end with Powerpoint ! I emailed my tutor, who was very helpful, I re-organized myself and I was eventually able to send in my assignment. Pleased to have finished my TMA 02 and got it submitted. Glad it is over and I can now look forward to Christmas!
C'est glacial ! ❄
Ce n'est pas très propice pour étudier quand on doit étudier avec son chauffage éteint !
J'ai eu mon chauffage allumé pendant environ une heure, un coup de pouce rapide le matin, c'est généralement correct, mais j'étudie beaucoup plus ces derniers temps car j'ai un peu de retard avec mon devoir.
Mon fils est dans sa chambre avec le chauffage allumé donc il est bien au chaud, mais je suis en bas et il fait très froid. Au cours de l'après-midi, la température a chuté assez drastiquement.
J'ai dû mettre des gants pour garder mes mains au chaud pour taper. Je porte des chaussettes thermiques, un gilet, une écharpe et des leggings mais je commence à avoir très froid maintenant, (au moment où j'écris, il est 15 heures.) Je dois bientôt pratiquer une narration sur l'enregistreur, pour l'instant je ne fais que corriger l'orthographe et le montage général. Mais pour le moment Je peux à peine parler pour enregistrer ma voix car il fait trop froid!
Je vais cuisiner un repas familial, mais dans la cuisine est froide maintenant, jusqu'à ce que le four soit allumé pendant environ 15 à 20 minutes, puis il réchauffera la pièce et Je préparera le repas ( je dois faire un curry) C'est terrible et tellement contre nature de devoir travailler dans ces conditions de froid glacial!
Comment les gens sont-ils censés travailler à la maison et étudier tout en essayant d'économiser de l'électricité ? J'essaie de faire ma part pour l'environnement mais c'est de la folie!
Comment puis -je rester au chaud?
Le chauffage est trop chèr!
Je ne peux pas le payer!
🌬❄🏡🔥
J'espère que je peux le faire !
Je travaille toujours sur powerpoint. J'ai réussi à remplir toutes les diapositives avec des textes et quelques images.
Je travaille maintenant sur les détails et je vérifie toutes les orthographes.
Maintenant la narration est trop longue ! ah non!
Donc je vais devoir modifier le récit à environ 5 minutes.
Ce week-end, j'espère pouvoir le mettre dans un fichier mp4 et le soumettre à l'OU. Je prie pour que ça marche 🤞
Etudier sous la pluie !
Durant cette saison d'automne de cette année,, il fait humide et froid, j'ai donc décidé d'installer mon ordinateur portable sur la petite table de la cuisine. Il fait plus chaud dans la cuisine car je fais de la pâtisserie et j'utilise le sèche-linge pour qu'il fasse beau et chaud.
Je vois aussi le jardin, car la table est positionnée juste à côté de la fenêtre. Malheureusement, le temps est si horrible en ce moment, que tout dégouline de pluie et a l'air si triste.
Dans ma cuisine, j'utilise des lumières LED pour économiser de l'électricité, car il fait si sombre pendant la journée, c'est pourquoi nous avons besoin de la lumière mais tous les arbres bloquent la lumière dans la cuisine, mais je ne peux pas supporter d'avoir les arbres abattus !
C'est comme être dans une cabane dans les bois ! Cependant, la cuisine est très chaleureuse pour s'asseoir, c'est donc l'endroit où j'étudierai à partir de maintenant ! 👩💻
🏡🌲🌳🏠🌧
Studying and trying to keep warm!
This morning I did all my housework, put the washing on, and took out all the recycling. All this exercise was good and kept me warm! I am now snuggled up with a duvet around me, in my lounge with a hot water bottle underneath my clothes to keep warm.
We have no central heating on in the house (trying to save energy and electricity!) but I am not too cold at the moment, as the sunshine is streaming through the window.
I am working on my powerpoint presentation, I keep adapting the narration slightly to keep to the 'theme' of "La place des femmes dans le monde du travail" using the power point. Before long, the sun will be going in, it will be getting dark and colder later.
I don't want to have to put the lights on too soon. I will be cooking the meal in the kitchen, with the low lights on and the oven on, this will keep me warm! Last winter we had a hefty electricity bill so I must be careful this time. I even have a flask of hot tea beside me to sustain me.
The day light is fading fast now, so I will pack up for the day, there's the meal to make and my son to attend to. Husband will be returning home with the shopping I sent him out for earlier. I hope he has remembered everything!
Such is the busy life of the student housewife!
👩💻🤷♀️👨👩👦
Je vais faire un powerpoint!
Je joue sur powerpoint. J'essaie de trouver où en sont les choses et comment cela fonctionne. J'espere que je peux le faire!
J'ai placé quelques images dans les boites sur les diapositives!
Maintenant, je vais placé des texts dans les boites.
Jusqu'ici, tout va bien !
👩💻🙏💻 👍
Storyboard
Aujourd'hui, j'ai fini le storyboard de ma présentation powerpoint, avec des puces et des images pour chaque diapositive. Je travaille toujours sur l'écriture de mon récit (en français) tout en essayant de l'emboîter avec le texte et les images.
Il y a trois choses à faire simultanément, je dois encore travailler ma prononciation en français dans mon récit. C'est très difficile pour moi, puis finalement je dois tout mettre sur un powerpoint.
Pour le moment, cela ressemble un peu à un patchwork. Espérons que tous les fils se rejoindront à la fin!🤞
A Short Pause !
Tuesday, we had an outing(unplanned) but for our usual annual visit to the city, that turned out quite well!
Husband had found time to take us for a shopping trip. Main reason for trip was essential winter shopping, warm trousers for him, and winter night clothes for me.We brought our own sandwiches and drinks with us.
The city looked well lit up and pretty, with lots of bright sparkly christmas decorations, trees and a nativity scene , a much better display than what we had in our little village, which is going to be more low key this year, with a much smaller christmas tree.
The usual shops were visited Primark, Next, peacocks, M&S, Wilkos and the wool shop.
We soon found warm corded trousers for him, at a reasonable price. I found a warm cosy dressing gown, thermal slipper socks, warm PJs.
We bought some family presents, got some bargains and a warm Scottish scarf which I was not expecting! At least we will be warm in the body even if we do have to turn down heating in the house this year!!!
We ate our sandwiches in the small quiet park, then we went for a drink near the cathedral. Next our traditional visit to the "little choclate shop". There we bought Box of Belgium choclates and couple of chocolate gifts for family.
The exercise of walking was good and I felt invigorated after weeks of indoor studying. The walk back to the bus station felt bracing in the cold fresh breeze.
The stress just lifted off my shoulders at least for one day. Retail therapy - It felt really good!
💡🎄🛷🕯💡
Homeless in Britain!
Yesterday I found the time at last, between studying and making the meal, for a quick walk through the village to shop for some basic essentials, at the late night store. It was the early evening, it was cold and damp, most shops were closed for the night and I was walking along the market place with my husband.
We had just finished a quick shop and were walking back, passing the closed shops which were only semi- lit. I suddenly noticed some bulky items in a doorway. I mentioned to my husband "look at that, that's funny, they must have left some thing outside the shop after closing" I was thinking perhaps it was part of a display or promotion.
Puzzled we stopped and went back to see what it was. I shone my torch in the doorway and there was a man asleep with a blanket over him! I gasped.
I then qickly said "Very sorry to disturb you, but are you alright?" but he was completely asleep snoring and he didn't hear me or move at all.
I think this may be our very first ever case of homelessness in my village. I have never before seen this happen, I felt so sad to see this sorry sight.
We went back home and I couldn't help wondering who the man was and what awful circumstances may had led him there. Maybe he was drunk ? or on drugs? Or just missed the last bus home? or in dire povery with nowhere else to go?
Why are there so many homeless people in this country I wonder?
Then I suppose it is not surprising with this financial crisis we are having and with the country being in a deep recession!
It's not my fault I didn't vote Brexit!
Storyboard for presentation
Today I made the storyboard for my powerpoint presentation, with bullet points and images for each frame. I am still working on writing my narrative (en francais) while trying to fit it ioosely together with the text and the images. There are 3 things that are happening at one time here, but I still have to work on my french pronounciation in my narrative as well, which is very challenging for me, then eventually to get it all onto a powerpoint.
At the moment it looks like a bit of a patchwork. Hopefully all the threads will come together in the end! 🤞
👩💻🎙📖
Busy, busy, busy!
I am so busy these days with my assignments for TMAs that I hardly have time for my usual walks anymore. I really miss my long leisurely summer walks. I still have my 30 minute walk up to the vegetable seller once a week. Of course the weather has been awful recently, it has rained just about every day now!
Then there's the bags of recycling to take up to the nearby car park, which is a bit of a walk of 15 minutes.
Most of my time is now taken up with studying, reading, and taking notes. I am making a slidecast with narration too and I am teaching my friend basic french and she is doing well, so we are helping each other.
I am also trying to keep the house in reasonable order. Cooking and cleaning a bit. Looking after the husband, the kids, and the two cats!
It will all be worth it in the end !
🙂🗞 🎓
Slideshow presentation
For my next TMA02 I have to present a slideshow with narration in french. However, this is not something I am very familiar with at all!
In the ALE in level 2, I was involved in a team effort in making a slideshow, but I only had to contribute my 1 frame and send it (inWord) as a doccument. There was no narration as the group speaker would narrate in front of the tutorial group on our behalf. Getting a bit worried now!
Poverty in the world
I have just been reading different articles, in the course of my international research, and I came across this piece from UN which makes quite grim reading!
Eradicating extreme poverty for all people everywhere by 2030 is a pivotal goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Between 2015 and 2018, global poverty continued its historical decline, with the poverty rate falling from 10.1 per cent in 2015 to 8.6 per cent in 2018. Nowcasts suggest that owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global poverty rate increased sharply from 8.3 per cent in 2019 to 9.2 per cent in 2020, representing the first increase in extreme poverty since 1998 and the largest increase since 1990 and setting back poverty reduction by about three years.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reversed the steady progress of poverty reduction over the past 25 years. This unprecedented reversal is being further exacerbated by rising inflation and the impacts of the war in Ukraine. It is estimated that these combined crises will lead to an additional 75 million–95 million people living in extreme poverty in 2022, compared with pre-pandemic projections.
(United nations web site)
TMA01 Result Received!
I have received my TMA01 result this week for L332. It was not a high score unfortunately, but I am very happy to be still keeping up at this high level !
At level three there is bound to be an expected lowering in the score, due to the increased difficulty level, at this advanced stage. I will try not to be phased out by this, but will just continue plodding on, and will try to improve where I can. I will listen, learn and take note of all of my tutor's feedback.
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