This blog post comes to your screen courtesy of the Dark Playground of procrastination. A term my uni student sister introduced me to, and having now embarked upon my own studies, a place I’m becoming quite at home in.
Ignoring the siren call of the Dark Playground is one of my new everyday challenges, added to plant culture language & skillsets directly Horticulture related such as memorising for assessment sixty Latin plant names -Stenocarpus sinuatus, Buckinghamia celsissima, Stepanotis floribunda, Canna x generalis, Prumnopitys Ladei, Plectranthus argentatus, Banksia integrifolia, Leucanthemum x superbum, Pelargonium peltatum, Caesalpinia ferrea… just for starters, shooting levels with a dumpy for site set out, plant propagation, and wielding a mattock & wheelbarrow to re-establish a garden.
Home work is a legitimate distraction from homework. Familiar domestic diversions of hanging washing on the clothesline thereby somehow losing an hour in the garden, and kitchen witchery are viable immediate activities which I conveniently convince myself are more pressing than preparing for assignments due in weeks 9 and 14.
The Dark Playground manifests in many forms. I embrace them all. Sometimes simultaneously. Blog posts, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Pandora, Podcasts…
“Life always begins with one step outside of your comfort zone.” Shannon L. Alder
![Always good for productive distraction... more pesto. My favourite [top] coriander, cashew, peanut oil, garlic, chilli & lime zest, and [bottom] basil, macadamia oil & nut, garlic & parmesan](https://elladeewords.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/06-pesto.jpg)
daleleelife101.blog 
First of all, I love your word, Laundraphoria and I may use it myself when hanging out the washing to soak up all that sunshine and fresh smell. (spellchecker going nuts with that one, though…) All those latin names would boggle my mind, but good on your for learning them. I also have a number of the same podcasts as you, I see. I’m really loving podcasts. Am reading a book called ‘The War of Art’ by Stephen Pressfield and he says that procrastination is a form of ‘Resistance’, which is the natural enemy of creativity. Interesting to ponder. Very best wishes, thank you for taking us along with you.
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I’m definitely resisting… but procrastination is an old friend. I get an amazing amount of sundries lingering on my to do list done when I have a deadline or other commitment. And do my best work at the last gasp. But now as time passes, by the seat of my pants isn’t the go-to option it once was.
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Podcasts, Facebook and Instagram are all the natural enemy of study 🙂 I’m forced to defend blogging and Pinterest, because they’re the only one on your list that I do, and heaven knows I waste quite enough time with just those two to play with. Luckily I was raised with enough guilt that I can force myself to stop and do the other stuff, and you’re right, there’s beauty and joy to be found in clean benchtops, fresh laundry and a meal cooked from scratch. I leave you with the Latin names of my two favourite trees: Delonix regia and Catalpa bignonioides. Latin names are one of the few things I don’t find hard to remember. Go figure….
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In my long ago studying days the options were cleaning, going for a walk and to the pub. My brain is retraining, and enlisting mnemonics. If Royal Poinciana & Catalpa come up on the list I’ll be ahead of the game…
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Mmmmm….that coriander pesto is very procrastinable. Would you serve that with the glass noodles or ordinary egg noodles? Oh and do get back to your studies…as soon as you answer this comment. :D:D
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It’s past dinner time for tonight but a couple of weeks ago for dinner I stirred the coriander into some Singapore noodles which we ate with bbq Spanish mackerel one night & stir fried prawns the next, salad on the side. But any noodle would be nice.
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Oh the Singapore noodles and stir friend prawns is making my mouth water. I’ve never been very fond of basil pesto but this coriander one I really must try. 🙂
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I’m not a fan of supermarket basil pesto so if you haven’t tried homemade it might be worth considering it and/or subbing ingredients like walnuts, cashews, pine nuts, olive oil, lemon zest and omitting the parmesan to your taste.
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I have had homemade basil pesto but I’m not terribly fond of either the parmesan or the pinenuts. Love cashews though and the clean, crisp flavour of coriander. 🙂
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Oh no, the dumpy – I hate those things! I always end up being the one holding the stick and wondering what is sneaking up on me through the dry grass while I stand still. No, not in Britain obvs! But if ever you feel tempted by Zambia you could come in useful…
Seriously, admire your dedication. I think you deserve a bit of dark playgrounding 😉
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Imagining myself shooting levels in the wilds of Zambia rather than the humdrum CHEC campus may just get me through the semester 🐯
Fortunately multitasking aids my cause, I can indulge in the Dark Playground simultaneously memorising the damn list of Latin names and mentally planning the garden design I have to submit for assessment, which also gives me the perfect excuse to wander around taking photos of plants for research purposes…
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In Spain a dumpy is a dumper truck: el dumpy. I wondered why it was your responsibility and not GO’s!
Admire your studious skills. After I’d finished formal work orientated education, I did consider a degree in botany. I figure I know enough to chance growing this and that but the actual knowledge would have been good about all plants. I’s only do an organic horti course. Is yours?
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The course I’m doing covers the rudiments of domestic-commercial Horticulture, we get to do stone work, W H &S, weeds etc next semester. There are other streams like organic, production but not on offer currently -they are in transition, whatever that means- at a campus convenient to me.
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There are so many more ‘dark playground’ opportunities these days, mostly stemming from that big box in the office or the smaller portable one, the mobile phone. Procrastination is my middle name. I would love to be a student again- I think, despite those rote learnt Latin names- that you are loving it all. Your podcast playlist is fabulous and I might raid it.
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You’re right. I am loving being a student, and enjoying stretching myself around the various challenges. I’m even benefiting from the procrastination, clearing the remnants off my to do list.
Many of the podcasts come recommended by other bloggers inc. Ardys, and if you like quirky ABC humour I found The Tokyo Hotel oddly engaging.
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When I taught my house never looked so clean as at report writing time, so I know what you are saying! Currently my volunteer job at the Herbarium is to enter the names of species into a spreadsheet. As you would imagine I have to check and recheck my typing to make sure I am not missing any letters. On the upside, my touch typing skills are improving no end! My favourite from the other day was the species Silybum marinaum, which was quite a prickly looking plant 😀
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Plant names incorporating ‘bum’ are easier to remember 😊
I really need to turn my attention to assignments but I shouldn’t complain, one involves designing an garden, the other visiting nurseries-garden centres… a tough job but someone’s gotta do it!
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So now I’ve added ABC’s Philosophy podcast to my already impossibly long list. Thanks. 🙂
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My list is only going to get longer but I enjoy having a variety to choose from, and dipping in, out & around depending on my mood.
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I am procrastinate more now than ever . I am horrible with words but I love your word Laundraphobia. Hanging out laundry is so therapeutic. Your coriander pesto looks great.
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Hi nice reading your postt
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Thanks for reading and commenting.
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