Sunday night chit-chat

Haven't done one of these for a while and nearly forgot about it this evening but it's still Sunday at least.  Here's a poem which I found posted on a blog not long after I first found blogland and have had printed out and on my fridge door ever since (one day, I'll make a fancy embroidered version or something but for now it's plain white paper and black ink and the beauty of the words has to speak for itself).

To Live Simply ~ William Henry Channing {1810-1884}

To live content with small means, to seek elegance rather than luxury, 
and refinement rather than fashion; 
to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich;
to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; 
to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; 
to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never;
to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.

And now for some chit-chat.

What are you:
Reading
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov - what a wonderful book.  It has taken me a while to read it but I was no sooner a couple of chapters into it than I was longing for the end of it just so that I could go back to the beginning and start reading it again.  Such a wonderful use of language and imagination, it seems like I could read this book a dozen times and find different things in it each time.

Watching
The Carrie Diaries - someone mentioned this series on a discussion forum today and it seemed like exactly the kind of mindless program I'm in the mood for at the moment.  Just watched the first episode and while it might not be the best series for authentic 80s (any other Freaks and Geeks fans out there?), it had enough of the music of my youth in it to make it very enjoyable.

Listening to
Some rowdiness outside - sounds like there might have been a football match or something on today but that'll be the last of them going home, hopefully.

Baking/cooking
I made some rice pudding earlier and had that for my dinner.  Another thing I haven't made for years and years and it didn't turn out perfectly but was more than good enough.  Especially with a large dollop of homemade strawberry jam mixed in.

Happy you accomplished this week
Made it to choir practice and was mostly able to sing.  Went to an Irish Business Network event that was very interesting.  And went to see Four Victorian Farces - very amusing and a lovely way to spend a Friday evening.  That was three days in a row that I got out of work more or less on time and made it to events on time.

Looking forward to next week
No choir practice but a group of us are organising to go out for Schnitzel on Wednesday instead of that.  Also, a short week at work because of easter - woohoo.

Thankful for today
Fresh bedclothes on the bed, waiting for me to go and have a good night's sleep.

Bonus question: what is your absolute favourite dessert?
Tough one this.  If I'm really pushed I'd have to say apple tart with cream.  Warm but not too hot tart (made with apples, shortcrust pastry, small amount of sugar and NO cinnamon), cool cream nicely whipped.  Hmmm, guess what I'll be making next weekend.

If you want to join in with Sunday night chit-chat, head over to Half-Dozen Daily to post your link.