A sorta fairytale

First Kew Gardens trip of 2012

2012-01-16T22:09:00.003Z

This weekend brought the first proper frost I can recall seeing this winter. Amazing, considering that it's January already. Strange weather indeed!

It was the perfect day to explore Kew Gardens - crisp and cold, with beautiful blue skies. What a contrast to the last time we visited (picnicking amongst the tumbling leaves of the October mini-heatwave)! There were definite signs of Spring, however, with lots of sprouting crocuses and daffodils. I was over the moon to see some beautiful snowdrops, although I felt there wasn't as many as I remember from previous years. Maybe more will have come through when I go back for the Tropical Extravaganza in few weeks!

Back on the blogwagon (for now)...

2012-01-03T22:26:00.005Z

This blog has died a death in recent times. I suppose I could never decide which direction to take it in. It could have become focused on bellydance or tea & cakes or science - all great loves of mine. However, I don't think I have the dedication (or time) to keep thinking of things to post on a single subject. Maybe, the blog just has to be a little of everything, depending on what takes my fancy in the moment. I have a tendency to make posting on the blog a chore as well. I need to get away from feeling that I need to write an essay, instead being content to just post a photo or a few sentences.

I had a lovely, relaxed Christmas and Hogmanay despite it being a bit of a damp squib in some respects. G was ill and is probably one of a few individuals who lost weight over the festive period. Thankfully, he got better in time to enjoy some of the holidays. Hogmanay was probably quieter than we've ever had, but I feel it was what we both needed.

So, 2012. The wedding now seems iminent (and it is). I could pretend it was ages away when it was 2011! Lots to do and think about, but we seem to be fairly organised on the whole.

I can't write a post without mentioning our new obsession - Skyrim. G bought me the game for Christmas and we both love it. It's just a gorgeous looking game, right down to the last detail. *sad confession time* We takes turns at playing - I do magic and he hacks at things with a big sword!

P.S. The photo is of Panpepato ("peppered bread"), an Italian delight I made to share at Christmas. It's so rich and lovely that you only need a tiny piece!

Dance musings - dance geometry and fluidity in dance

2011-08-17T20:13:00.007+01:00

At the beginning of the month, I was lucky enough to attend another fabulous pair of workshops taught by Hilde Cannoodt. Hilde is fast becoming one of my favourite teachers of tribal fusion and I'm grateful that she's willing to make the trek from Brighton to London to teach workshops regularly.

The first workshop "Dance Geometry" was a complete geekfest! It's a unique dance workshop where the teacher is talking about concepts like the golden section in the first 1o minutes, but then it's a unique teacher who has a degree in maths. Hilde's idea is to take the mathematical patterns found in nature and use them in our dance - so curves, parallel lines, interesting angles etc. We spent the rest of the workshop working on a fun choreography using these concepts. One strong message I got from the workshop was that every element of the body should be considered when trying to make a performance that is pleasing to the eye. Even something as subtle as where your gaze is can make a big difference.

The second workshop "Fluidity in Dance" began with an epic electro-swing warm-up. Once the sweat was dripping off us, it was time to get work on some concepts to get our movements more fluid. We started by practising walking in a fluid manner - an absolute fundamental of dance! It was quite amazing how slight changes in technique made layering much easier too. Next was slowing moves down - all the way to an epic 32 counts. I wasn't convinced I was still moving anything by that stage! I actually found this part of the workshop pretty difficult and I think I need to play with this a little at home. Next up was a choreography using all sorts of little tricks like using moves that overlap, layering fluid movements over sharp ones and the use of negative space. I definitely feel that even if I wasn't a more fluid dancer at the end of the workshop, then I now know what to work on to improve that aspect of my dance. Job done, really!

So, two excellent workshops on the whole. Lots of food for thought and inspiration to integrate into my practice. I really would urge anyone with an interest in tribal fusion to take a workshop with Hilde if they get the chance. For a start, she does the best warm-ups you will ever get at a dance class!

Dance musings: No longer a Gothla virgin...

2011-07-17T22:57:00.006+01:00

This weekend was my first trip to Gothla, the UK’s largest gothic bellydance festival. The deciding factor for me was the opportunity to take some workshops with Sera Solstice, a truly excellent dancer and the founder of East Coast Tribal in New York. The workshops certainly didn’t disappoint.

Sera has divided her dance into two distinctive styles – Solar and Lunar - and she taught a workshop on each. Solar is energetic, powerful and reaches outward, whereas Lunar is more fluid and isolated, focusing on internal energies. The first workshop “Solar” was challenging to say the least – lots of strong combos involving lunges, travelling moves and strong arm movements. I think everyone must have had a fantastic workout, aided by the heat in the studio! Sera also guided us through a meditation, which I had never really connected with on her DVDs, but it made much more sense in a group. It was a nice way to share space with fellow dancers and build energy for the class ahead. One of my favourite parts of the workshop focused on travelling moves and how changes in speed can really alter the feel of really quite simple movements.

Yesterday’s “Lunar” workshop focused much more on isolations, undulations and fluid arm movements. For the most part, I found this much more manageable than the solar moves, although it was still a challenge. There was a whole section where I felt a bit lost as I couldn’t see much of what was going on at the front of the class, but I did manage to pick up some bits up from watching people in front of me. I also realised that I need to work on my sidewinder/torso figures of eights as they aren’t strong at all. They’re movements I don’t really use in ATS and I never seem to practise them. However, I love the way they look, especially with nice arm undulations.

As well as the two workshops, I also attended the Friday night showcase, which included performances by the invited teachers as well as some guest performers. The wonderful Jesse (my ATS teacher) and equally lovely Marisa (from our student troupe, Apsara) were dancing the only pure ATS piece, which I was really pleased to see. Personal highlights from the rest of the show were finally seeing the UK’s Bex Priest dance (she’s a truly excellent Gothic fusion dancer), discovering the bellydance version of Bjork (Elin Kaavin – the arctic fairy), as well as getting to see performances by Sera Solstice and Sashi (another excellent US teacher). It didn’t end there though, the last piece was a fantastic performance by Morgana and the Excalibur Dance Company, which was inspired by The Matrix. This had to be seen to be believed as words can’t do it justice! I’m praying for the video to appear on YouTube soon!

January review

2011-01-30T20:37:00.013Z

A month into 2011 already. How time flies! It's been a busy month too, with loads of interesting things going on. I think we surpassed ourselves in terms of exhibitions and museum visits!

Highlights:

Canaletto at the National Gallery. A thoroughly enjoyable exhibition focusing on Canaletto and his rivals. Canaletto truly was the rich man's picture postcard painter - his paintings of Venice are exquisite and the composition is always excellent (even if it meant bending the truth slightly). It was interesting to note that he wasn't the first to fill that role, as painters such as Luca Carlevarijs had been painting vedute of Venice for years before him. The rival who really stood out to me was Francesco Guardi, one of the last painters of the classical Venetian School. His work really captured the fading grandeur of Venice and seemed to portray Venice as she is now (he was painting around the 1760s). I especially adored how he turned the emphasis from Venice out towards the lagoon itself (becoming almost Turner-esque).
Gauguin at Tate Modern. This was a mammoth exhibition - 11 rooms in total - looking at the themes and mythology in Gauguin's work. It was very hard work - far too many people allowed in at any one time and rather poorly curated. Much of the information seemed to be stuffed into corners, or (in the case of sculptures & carvings) hidden in a random location on the wall. As I found out from a friend later, the audio guide had excellent information but I don't really expect to pay out more cash after paying £13 for entry in the first place. Westminster Abbey and the Queen's Gallery include your audio guide as part of the ticket price, which makes much more sense! Anyway, depite that rant, the exhibition was well-worth attending. I had seen some of Gauguin's work before ("Vision of the Sermon" in particular) and the bold, vivid colours had stuck in my mind. However, I did find some of the paintings a bit menacing with their strange characters lurking in the background! One of my favourite things was the two rooms with photographs, books and other paraphernalia, which served to put Gauguin's work into context with the time in which he was painting. I left the exhibition wanting to know more about him, regardless of how arrogant and morally dubious as he seemed!
High Society at the Wellcome Collection. This must be the most popular exhibition I've been to at the Wellcome Collection - it was heaving! Something to do with the subject matter no doubt - mind-altering drugs in history and culture. Starting with the discovery of these drugs and their effects (loads of written accounts of self-experimentation), the exhibition progressed right through the 19th century drug trade to the changing attitudes of today. I was fascinated to discover how much the British were involved in the opium trade - the East India Company had opium plantations and sold to Chinese smugglers, despite opium being illegal in China at the time!
Our first members evening at The British Museum and an opportunity to view galleries after-hours. Bliss! This evening was focused around the current Book of the Dead exhibition, which we went to see before Christmas (excellent but really needs two visits). We spent some time in the Egyptian sculpture court and listened to a curator talking about how they can date stelae by identifying features unique to the artisan who carved the hieroglyphs - so clever! To round off the evening, there was a lecture by the curator of the Book of the Dead exhibition, which I wish I had seen before we went, as it was such a good introduction to the subject matter. I felt the member evenings really do make the cost of membership worthwhile, and I can't wait until the next one!
A members only visit to the Herbarium at Kew Gardens. This was a really fascinating insight into some of the behind-the-scenes work at Kew. The Herbarium was founded in 1853 to store dried plant specimens that were collected to be used to assist in identification and research. It still receives thousands of specimens every year and has staff dedicated to preserving and cataloguing them. One of the highlights was seeing specimens collected by Charles Darwin (in the photo above) and David Livingstone - it's amazing to think how different the world was when they were collected!

The Real Van Gogh at the RA

2010-03-29T21:37:00.004+01:00

On Saturday we finally got around to visiting “The Real Van Gogh: the artist and his letters” exhibition at the Royal Academy. As the title suggests, the exhibition focused on Van Gogh’s many letters displayed alongside artworks tracing his progression as an artist.

One of the first things I noticed was his early works were so different to what we envisage when we think of Van Gogh. They were pen and ink works, which he used to practise perspective and, in some cases, I felt that the sketches in his letters were better realised than the actual artworks. He progressed to working on figures, especially country people, with limited success. It was when the artist began, at the suggestion of his brother, to work with colour and a more impressionist style that his work began to come into its own. The vibrant colours and textures of his still-lifes made me want to reach out and run my hand over the canvas, especially his “Still life with basket and six oranges”. (above) It was at this stage that he began to pair blue and orange so effectively as he did in his paintings of sunflowers.

The final few rooms centred on the artist’s landscapes painted in the last years of his life, when his mental state was deteriorating. It was so obvious that Van Gogh had a great love of the countryside and I couldn’t help but feel that he really did find peace in the pastoral. The cool blues and greens of his “Olive Trees” and the swirling leaves of “Cypresses” were two of my favourites in the whole exhibition. The last room, which included his last, unsent letter to his brother (carried on him the day he shot himself), showed an artist at the peak of his creative genius. At this time, he was painting more than a canvas a day including the beautiful “Ears of Wheat” and “Hospital at Saint-Remy”.

The pairing of Van Gogh’s letters with the associated artworks really did give an opportunity to understand the artist as a person. Even with my rusty knowledge of french, I could get an idea of the concerns in his life – even down to him finding a restaurant where he could eat for 1 franc. I genuinely felt that he was concerned about being a burden to his brother (who was his patron) and it was this that lead to his suicide. I felt he was an incredibly intelligent person fighting with inner demons at a time in which there was nobody qualified to help him.

I think this exhibition has to be one of my favourites of all the art exhibitions I have visited while living in London. I left with a new found respect for an artist who I previously associated with sunflowers and madness. Seeing the actual paintings allowed me to appreciate the vibrant colours and textures more than I ever could looking at pictures in a book. It is almost unbelieveable that Van Gogh produced so much art (over 900 paintings) in less than 10 years. In many ways, it was only to be expected that he burned out and was reaped when he was ripe (a symbolism inherent in many of his paintings).

Dance musings: the year ahead

2010-02-18T20:36:00.003Z

This post is a little belated given that it's two months into 2010, but nevermind! 2009 was a good year for me dance-wise. I was lucky enough to dance with some amazing teachers (Sharon Kihara, Yasmina of Cairo, Lorna Gow and Paulette Rees-Denis spring to mind), try some new stuff (veil fans and fire props - not at the same time, I hasten to add) and just generally start to build some confidence in my dancing ability.

This year, I really want to work towards performing more. Not solo stuff but small group choreographies and ATS style improv. This means making much more effort to practise. It also means getting some serious costuming together. I've decided to allow myself one bellydance treat a month (possibly more in March when I'm at Majma!) and so far, I have bought myself some lovely new zils and a red 25 yard skirt. I'm concentrating on ATS costuming at the moment, as I think a trip to Cairo is needed to get a proper egyptian costume!

On that note, I've started Egyptian classes again after a year break, which I am thoroughly enjoying. We're working on a latin-bellydance fusion choreography that's great fun. My teacher, Krystina, is such an excellent choreographer! She really knows how to add extra dimension to large group dances.

So, my dance goals for 2010 are:

to sharpen technique and develop more muscle strength through stretching etc
to get some lovely costuming together
to attend as many events as I can
to invest in a lovely balanced sword (this is the one I am most excited about!)
to have loads of fun!

A few photos to share

2010-01-18T20:43:00.004Z

Some photos from over Christmas and New Year, including a very frozen lake at Stowe Gardens and afternoon tea at The Dorchester. Ceviche was the dish that we made for starters on Christmas Day. It's a Peruvian recipe which involves marinating fish or other seafood in citrus juices instead of cooking. Very easy to make and very tasty!

Welcome 2010!

2010-01-10T21:29:00.005Z

Ten days into 2010 already! I had a lovely Christmas and New Year with plenty of eating, drinking and merriment.

On a personal level, 2009 was one of the nicest, most-contented years I've had in a long time. I found a job that I am really enjoying, which has made a huge difference to my life. I had a fabulous holiday which surpassed every expectation. I also started ATS dancing again and discovered a wonderful and friendly community of very lovely ladies.

So, what would I like from 2010? I'm not sure really. I'd like to get my driving licence, but I still have doubts about my ability to keep my nerves in check. I plan on doing loads more dancing! I'd like to do more walking/trekking too. I'm not sure we'll get as far as Peru this year, but there are plenty of lovely places in the UK to keep us amused. I'm also aiming to get a lot more of the flat decorated. It would be nice for it to be completed at least few months before we decide to move elsewhere! Hmmmm, I think that's enough to keep me busy!

Counting down to Christmas

2009-12-15T23:04:00.005Z

I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself this evening as, for once, we seem to be pretty organised for Christmas. I even managed to make some of my cards this year (some sneak peeks in the photo). I think the reindeer stamp on the right card has to be one of my favourites! They are all written and ready to go in the post tomorrow. Let's hope that's enough time to get them where they are going!

I'm really looking forward to Christmas now. There truly is something magical about this time of year! I'm also looking forward to the Winter Solstice/Yule on the 21st, and the new light that it brings. I find these last few weeks where the day grows ever shorter so difficult, as I rely on my bodyclock to wake me in the morning (I have never been able to do alarm clocks). I tend to waken at the right time - it's just a real fight to get my brain going when it's still dark. It's so much easier in the summer!

52 books in 48 weeks

2009-12-09T21:38:00.003Z

In January I set myself the target of reading 52 fiction books in 52 weeks. I was counting up the list in my diary a few nights ago and realised I reached my target around the end of November - hoorah!

My favourites from the 52:

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - Anne Bronte
The Colour Purple - Alice Walker
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
The Horse Whisperer - Nicholas Evans

Disappointments:

Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay (yes, a TV series can be better than a book)
The "Twilight" series of novels - Stephanie Meyer ("Twilight" itself is good but by the time I got to "Breaking Dawn" I didn't really like any of the characters anymore. I still don't get how a relationship based on so much manipulation can be viewed as healthy, let alone a positive example for young adults)

My favourite non-fiction (not counted in the 52):

Bonk: the curious coupling of sex and science - Mary Roach
The Covent Garden Ladies - Hallie Rubenhold
Courtesans - Katie Hickman

So, on with the next 52!

Dance musings: Helm workshop

2009-11-16T20:56:00.012Z

On Saturday I was lucky enough to attend a workshop with the wonderful Helm. Helm are a US based group who perform middle eastern/folkloric music tailored for belly dancers (especially ATS). The workshop was split into two groups -dancers and drummers - who worked seperately for a few hours before coming together during the last hour to work together.

In the dancers group, we worked with Ling Shien to learn different zil patterns and put them together with foot patterns to dance to their song "Hosanni Oo". At first, it was really difficult to remember the zil and foot patterns together but as the workshop progressed I really began to see how everything fitted together. The zil patterns complemented the footwork which also complemented the music. By the end of it all, things had finally managed to make sense! It was a thoroughly challenging but enjoyable workshop, and Ling Shien is a wonderfully patient and supportive teacher.

After some lovely thai food with Tracy and Andrew, we headed off to the Firewater show with Helm and Dajjah. It was amazing to be able to hear Helm live, as we dance to their music all the time in class. I was blown away by how beautiful Ling Shien's voice is - so haunting! Moirai Tribal were dancing too and at one point, Tracy and I were coaxed up to dance. It was really nerve-wracking but good fun - we even managed some level three moves!

We didn't know what to expect from Dajjah but they were really good as well. It was middle eastern music but with a truly modern slant. Hannah (whose classes I go to on a Wednesday) was dancing to their set and she was amazing. She has such a fluid style and an otherworldly look when she dances. Let's hope some of that rubs off on me!

Escaping the city

2009-11-16T20:24:00.005Z

The weekend before last, Graeme and I, along with a group of friends, headed off for a weekend in Norfolk. We were so lucky with the weather - beautiful blue skies during the day followed by crisp chilly nights.

It was so nice to escape from the hustle and bustle of London to beaches and autumn tinted woodland. When we arrived home on Sunday night everything seemed so noisy after the peace of the countryside.

It was a wonderful weekend - the combination of good company, yummy food and beautiful surroundings made it perfect!

Dance Musings - Tribal Vibe, 16-18 October, Aylesbury

2009-10-19T20:03:00.002+01:00

On Saturday I attended Tribal Vibe - my first time at a bellydance event that was devoted to ATS/ITS.

My day was kick-started with “Shimmy Queen” - a workshop with the wonderful Paulette Rees-Denis of Gypsy Caravan. I’d been to one of her workshops before in Edinburgh and she was as excellent a teacher as I remembered. We took a whistle stop tour through basic shimmies and then on to combos. It was an energetic workshop and my shimmies definitely felt the benefit.

After lunch, it was time for some “Dynamic Duos” with Philippa and Jesse of Moirai Tribal. The workshop focused on a core group of moves and using them in passes, turns and lead changes with a partner. It was great fun and taught me how to add an extra dimension to dancing in duets.

My final workshop was “Spins and Formations” with Sarah from Tribe of Kismet. We started off discussing elements that help when performing fast turns before trying to encompass them into a basic spin. Once we were well and truly dizzy, we moved on to formations and how to maintain them while changing lead. Finally, we combined practising formations and throwing in some fast spins for good measure. I did feel more confident spinning by the end of the class – I still can’t get the hang of spotting though!

I was unable to stay for the whole evening show but I did manage to see the first half. It was amazing to see all the different styles of ATS/ITS in the one place. I wasn’t convinced by the performances with large chorus lines, but I think in a larger space they would have worked better. I was, however, very impressed with Kalash who danced with such amazing energy I swear I could feel it emanating into the audience. Moirai Tribal, and their student troupe Apsara, were as fantastic as ever, although I am terribly biased!

Overall, I had an amazing day and learned so much from truly excellent teachers. I do hope Barefoot Bellydance decide to go ahead with next year’s event, as I will certainly be there!

Ten days in...

2009-10-16T22:41:00.003+01:00

... and it's all good. I started my training as a clinical scientist two weeks ago and I am really enjoying being back at the bench. For the first time since I finished my PhD, I feel like I am going in the right direction. I know it's early days yet but I really do hope I feel the same in a years time. Admittedly, I do have a lot of work to do getting my professional qualification and I may have to do an MSc (which I'm not thrilled about), but I am convinced that after the thesis trauma anything is manageable.

Off to Tribal Vibe tomorrow for a whole day of ATS workshops followed by a show in the evening. Got to get up early to get to Aylesbury for 10am. Thankfully, I have all day Sunday to lounge around and recover!

(the photo is a beautiful Peruvian butterfly. Too fast to catch open but just as beautiful closed!)

We made it!

2009-10-04T22:42:00.004+01:00

G and I make it to Machu Picchu after four days of trekking - 26th September 2009.

Currently sorting out all our photos and then I can share more about our amazing holiday!

Suddenly I have a social life ;o)

2009-07-23T16:49:00.007+01:00

It's been such a busy week here. Even last weekend was busy! I'm looking forward to things being a bit more restful this weekend and next week.

The weekend turned out to be themed around Oscar Wilde. It was totally by luck, not intended at all. On Saturday, G and I met up with my wonderful colleagues, Anna and Philippa, and their wonderful partners to go to see "The Importance of Being Earnest" at Regent's Park Open-Air Theatre. We were so lucky with the weather. After it being rubbish all week, Saturday afternoon was lovely. The performance was great - very well acted and wonderfully funny. We had a lovely picnic afterwards, which involved loads of Bubbly, canapes, cupcakes and so many different salads that I lost count. It was wonderful day and we were all well fed and watered.

On Sunday, I inflicted Matthew Bourne's Dorian Gray on G. I say inflicted, as it's not really his kind of thing (he prefers plays to dance performances). I certainly think he was still impressed. I really do love Matthew Bourne - he has a way of making things his own without losing the message. Dorian Gray was no exception - it was funky and modern, while retaining the disturbing elements of the novel. The skull mirrorball was an excellent touch!

The rest of the week has been completely mental. G's family seem to have descended on from all over the world. On Monday, we met up with his aunt and cousin from the US for yummy tapas. Wednesday was meze with his cousin from Australia (who's currently living in Mexico). Combined with Tuesday's ATS class and yesterday's trip to the hairdresser, I feel like I have never stopped!

Tribal Fusion workshop tomorrow with the wonderful Darkstar. We're focusing on arms and upper body technique. I'm really excited about it, as my arms need a lot of work.

June catch-up

2009-07-16T12:39:00.006+01:00

June was a busy month for both of us. Here's what happened:

My Parents visited for a weekend. We went to Greenwich, as Admiral Nelson is one of Dad's heroes and he wanted to see Nelson's jacket in the Maritime Museum. On the Sunday, we visited the Wetlands Centre, which is just amazing. It was a glorious day and the ducks etc were out in full force.
We got involved in the Story of London festival by taking full advantage of their Living History weekend. On the Saturday, we celebrated the marriage of Henry VIII and Katherine Parr at Hampton Court with a picnic and fireworks. On the Sunday, we celebrated Britain's victory at the Battle of Waterloo at Apsley House. The highlight was a re-enactment of the Battle using vegetables - very funny indeed!
I started my new job at work. It all seems good. Much busier than the old one and a lot more challenging too. Should be a good way to spend my last few months there.

The elephant in the room...

2009-07-13T16:34:00.004+01:00

Well, it was a month before I could pluck up the courage to post that last post. I've been debating whether or not to mention my Mum's cancer, as I know that she sometimes reads my blog. However, I'm not sure I can write things and pretend everything is fine, while something which is utterly not fine is happening. Thankfully, everything seems to have gone well. Mum's surgery was a success and she is now on the mend. She goes to see her Consultant this week, and we're all hopeful that it's good news. I'm going to Scotland to visit my Parents in a few weeks and am very much looking forward to seeing them. Being here in London while all this has been happening has been incredibly difficult.

The rollercoaster that is 2009 continues!

2009-06-15T16:57:00.006+01:00

2009 has been one heck of a year so far. Just when I think I'm getting the hang of things, there's another curve-ball coming right at me.

On a personal level, 2009 is shaping up to be a pretty good year. I've had my promotion at work and on top of that, I've just been accepted into the NHS Clinical Scientist training programme. It's come as a bit of a surprise as I didn't expect that they would take someone who had been out of the lab for so long. However, it seems that it may have actually helped me to show that I had really thought about what I wanted to be doing. So, in October I will beginning to train as a Clinical Scientist in Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics. I am so excited about being in the lab again and actually doing something that matters! I can't wait to get stuck into the science too.

I'm also really happy in myself and my life at the moment. I honestly think beginning ATS again was a major factor, as I now have something fresh to learn and goals to focus on. My class and teachers are wonderful and because you have to dance together, it's easier to get to know people. I'm also managing to attend a lot of workshops and try loads of new things. I'm even beginning to see the benefit of living in London (shock, horror).

In addition to this, G has just passed his "part 3" examination, meaning that he is finally an architect. I'm so proud of him. It's a fantastic achievement and he deserves it after all his hard work. It's a huge weight off both our minds that he doesn't have to go through it all again.

However, it's not all perfect. There's some family stuff going on that's worrying, mainly in terms of my Mum's health. She was diagnosed with lung cancer a little while back, and there's been a long period of "not knowing". Thankfully, she has been very lucky and the tumour has been caught at an early stage. This weekend she goes in for surgery to remove the tumour and part of her lung, so we're keeping everything crossed for a good outcome.

Dance musings: fun with fire

2009-06-02T16:02:00.004+01:00

I had an absolutely fantastic time on Sunday at the Fire in the Belly workshops. I was a bit nervous the evening before as I wasn't sure I'd have the stamina for 5 hours of dance. However, the pace was really nice and I was pleasantly tired at the end of it, but not exhausted.

After an introductory talk on fire safety and considerations when using fire props, we started the first workshop playing with matches. I think a lot of us felt a little naughty after many years of being told not to do any such thing! It was actually a really good way to learn how even a small flame can enhance a performance. We then moved onto tapers and finally, dinner candles. It gave me loads of ideas about how fire can be used in a subtle way, without resorting to fire poi or fans quite yet!

The second workshop was more focused on ATS and dancing with small candle holders. The teacher had taken a number of ATS moves and adapted them for dancing with fire. We worked on learning the moves and practising them in duets. After that, we learned some combos and did some more improvisation. It was fantastic fun and I thoroughly enjoyed dancing with one of the ladies from my ATS class, as I think we tuned into each other quite nicely!

The final workshop was nothing to do with fire at all. Instead, it was centred on using a fan veil. As much as they look amazing, they are actually more difficult than you'd expect to work with. We explored lots of Chinese/Japanese inspired moves and worked up to a small choreography. The teacher, Mihramah, was amazing and so filled with passion and energy. Much more practise required with this though!

The Fire in the Belly show in the evening was fantastic. It was great to see our teachers in action, and I also got to see my ATS teachers and their troupe dance. There were some real novel acts including an amazing juggling/tap-dance/drumming fusion and a trapeze artist. I would find it really difficult to pick a favourite though, as they were all excellent in their own way.

I can't wait until the next event!

Kew to Twickenham, and cream teas in Windsor

2009-05-26T16:50:00.011+01:00

What a packed Bank Holiday weekend we had! It was great fun and we could not have asked for better weather.

Saturday saw us walk from Kew Bridge to Twickenham along the Thames towpath. It is such a gorgeous walk, which passes by Kew Palace, Syon House and Ham House. Amazingly, we managed to pop into Kew Gardens for lemon drizzle cake. What luck! There were boat races going on too, so that provided some welcome entertainment. On the way to get the train home, we found some gardens with a gorgeous fountain. We had no idea it was there until we saw the statues through the fence as we walked by. Talk about hidden treasures!

On Sunday, we decided to take the train out to Windsor in the morning. Not the best timing really, as it was packed with rugby supporters heading to Twickenham. However, we eventually got there in one piece. We wandered down to Eton first and investigated the College (from the outside as it was closed for maintenance), which is really quite something. Then it was time for some lunch beside the river. It was bliss sitting in the sun watching the boats going along the river. Afterwards, we walked round to the Long Walk leading down from Windsor Castle and lay on the grass for a little while. I'd have liked to go into the Castle but St George's Chapel is closed on Sundays (except for worship), so we're going to go back on a Saturday. Perhaps we'll go when my parents are here in a few weeks.

Back to work now. Funny how four day weeks at work feel twice as long as usual weeks!

Dance musings: fire and fusion

2009-05-12T14:57:00.003+01:00

I'm a busy bellydancing bee at the moment. Admittedly, I did have a lazy week last week but the next few weeks will more than make up for it.

I've got a Tribal Fusion workshop on Saturday with the wonderful Darkstar. It's going to focus on pops and locks before putting them together in a short choreography. I'm really looking forward to learning more about muscle isolations and drills to strengthen them.

At the end of May, I've signed up to do a full day of workshops as part of Fire in the Belly. I'm not 100% sure I have the stamina for it, but I could not miss the chance of learning to work with fire props. It's something I've toyed with learning for a number of years. However, the opportunity never arose to indulge my pyromaniac side. Now that it has, I could not turn it down. As well as the workshops on dancing with fire props, there is a fan veil workshop that I am doing too. Loads of new toys to work with!

As well as workshops, I have my ATS class that I am getting so much out of. I really wish I could get a little practice group together to work on leading/formations etc. I might have to speak to some of my classmates and post on some forums to find some SW London ATS addicts. I'm still working on my Egyptian/Cabaret style at home and I'm trying to focus on layering drills to tighten up my technique. I'd also like to really try doing some little choreographies but I never know where to start!

Oh, I got my first proper choli for ATS too :o)

Kew Gardens should be charging me rent...

2009-05-11T17:00:00.007+01:00

There has been lots of stuff happening here over the last few weeks. I've spent a lot of time at Kew Gardens. Last weekend I went by myself while G was studying. I really needed to get some space to myself and time to work through some of the things happening in my life right now. I discovered the rhododendron dell in full bloom and loads of beautiful bluebells. This weekend, I insisted on taking G and we discovered the lilac garden. The smell was truly divine!

We've also been to the cinema a few times. We went to see Coraline 3D last weekend. 3D has come such a long way from the silly paper red/green specs. It looked amazing and was suitably creepy. On Sunday, we went to see Star Trek on the IMAX screen. It was my first time seeing anything in IMAX - all I can say is WOW! I actually really enjoyed the film. I thought it was nice that they threw the timeline out of the window and did something a bit fresh.

On a boring work related note, I have managed to get a new job. It's still at my current place of work but it's more responsibility and more pennies. I think it's going to be a lot more challenging and a lot less boring than my current job. It's working on a hugely high-profile project too. As per usual, it's not perfect but it's closer to perfect than the current job.

I'm also having a huge dilemma about starting an MSc course in the Autumn. After months of soul-searching (and I mean months), I came to the conclusion that I want to be working in Public Health. It has the research angle and the human angle - perfect. I was looking at doing the distance learning MSc at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine but it is TWICE as expensive as doing it part-time over two years. The downside of part-time is I can't afford to take a cut in salary and if I do compressed hours I'll be working 8am-6pm with no lunchbreaks. I really need to win the lottery! Hmmmm, best start buying a ticket then...

Picnics and 'poles

2009-04-27T16:01:00.006+01:00

What a glorious weekend we had. Blue skies and sunshine! We managed to take full advantage of it too.

Saturday was off to Kew Gardens for a picnic. I really don't think I can ever tire of being there. We met up with G's parents and family friends, so there were loads of laughs and good conversation. As an added bonus, there was also plenty of wine and champagne on the go. We even had a rather handsome male peacock keeping us company for a little while. He gave a fantastic display of his tail feathers at several points (mainly when idiots started sticking cameras in his face), which was amazing to see.

Yesterday, I managed to entice G into leaving the flat and taking a walk to Putney Heath and Wimbledon Common. We walked down to the Queensmere Lake and were delighted to see it completely teeming with tadpoles! I had forgotten just how cute they are. It brought back memories of when Mum and I would go to a pond near our house to collect frogspawn. We would bring them home and then hatch them in a fish tank. We'd return them to the pond once they got bigger and more likely to hop off!

Green beginnings

2009-04-20T16:36:00.007+01:00

These new little beings are bringing me much joy at the moment. I planted tomato, sweet pepper, basil and coriander seeds and only the sweet peppers have failed to materialise so far. I can't escape the happiness I feel when I see the first little shoots peeping through the soil, and I always forget just how fast they grow! I tidied out last year's (very dead) tomato plants from the balcony yesterday, as I am sure it will time to put them outside before I know it.

Good weekend on the whole. Visited the Darwin's Big Idea exhibition at the Natural History Museum on Saturday. We really must remember to go to these things before the final few days - it was heaving! It was well worth the slow trawl round though. Loads of good, interesting exhibits and I finally got to see Darwin's finches!

Yesterday, as well as balcony tidying, I started learning Spanish. I'm trying to get a good handle on the basics before we go to Peru. I also wanted to brush up on my language skills and give me something to work at over the next few months. It's really good fun! I'm using this and LiveMocha, which seem to work well together. It would be nice to have someone to learn with, but I'll have to be content chattering away to myself for now!

Easter with the Rothschilds... again!

2009-04-15T20:37:00.006+01:00

We had a lovely Easter weekend at G's parents. Easter Sunday was spent exploring Waddesdon Manor, another of the Rothschild's numerous homes. It has a fantastic collection of art and period furniture, as well as the most amazing wine cellar. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't all that great, so we didn't spend much time exploring the grounds. Last Easter we visited Ascott, so Easter at the Rothschild's is becoming a bit of a habit!

Have only been back to work two days and I am absolutely exhausted! Roll on the weekend!

Playing the tourist and enjoying dessert

2009-04-09T15:24:00.003+01:00

Having a nice relaxing day at home after playing the tourist since last Friday. I had a friend from Edinburgh visiting and she had last been to London a good few years ago. We had four packed days and managed to see most of the touristy things. I took her on a boat trip along the Thames on Saturday, as that's such a good way to see a lot of things and get some lovely photos. The weather has been fantastic too, which is always a bonus.

The highlight for me was doing a tour of The Globe Theatre. I've been to see a performance there, but it was nice to get the guided tour and just spend some time just looking at the Theatre, without concentrating on a performance. It really is an amazing place and I find it unbelieveable how unsupportive Southwark Council were to the whole idea.

Yesterday was G's birthday, so we went out for a nice meal last night. We decided on a Viennese restaurant in Sheen called Cafe Strudel. The food was excellent and I had no idea that Austrian wine was so good! For dessert, I had a layered pina colada (a layer of pineapple jam under a coconut mousse topped with caramel and crumble) , which is probably one of the loveliest things I've eaten in a while. We'll certainly go back there again.

Hats and hooping

2009-04-02T16:03:00.007+01:00

I always seems to be about three days behind in getting these entries written. I need to learn to write shorter posts I think!

G's parents came to visit this weekend and a good time was had by all. His Mum arrived on Saturday with a bottle of wine and a beautiful bunch of spring flowers from their garden, which got things off to a good start. They went off to an exhibition at Excel, leaving G and I to build one of our new CD/DVD towers. We were meant to be meeting at the V&A to go to the Hats exhibition, but in the end G's Mum and I decided to go on Sunday. On Saturday evening, we went out for a lovely meal at the Telegraph pub. It meant I was out of the house for Earth Hour, which felt like a slight cop-out!

On Sunday, G's Mum and I went to see "Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones" at the V&A. I adore hats and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I learned that there is a difference between millinery and hat-making. Millinery is more conceptual and one-off, whereas hat-making is your bog-standard factory produced top hat or baseball cap. There were some fantastic items on display including hats worn by Dita von Teese, Margot Fonteyne and the Queen.

This week has been a bit odd. I had a real low on Monday but I'm feeling ok at the moment. As retail therapy, I ordered a hula-hoop and hoopdance DVD as treat. One of my goals for this year is to learn hoopdance, so this is a good start. In typical London style, most of the classes seem to be in parts of London that aren't easy for me to get to, or clash with my ATS class. I'm honestly not sure if I have enough room at home to hoop properly but I can give it a try. Hopefully, I don't damage too much!

Goodbye to winter skin

2009-03-25T15:13:00.005Z

A few weeks ago I discovered that South Thames College has a beauty salon staffed by students that does treatments for fantastic prices. As my skin looks absolutely awful after the winter/surgery/lurgy combo of the last few months, I booked myself in for a £7 facial.

I had to go for the "special facial" which involves all sorts of gadgets, so I was quite nervous about leaving with my face intact. However, I had nothing to worry about. The treatment was really nice and much more relaxing than I thought it would be. The worst bit was the comedone (AKA blackhead) extraction which really hurt. The pores on my nose look much better though and my skin as a whole looks much smoother!

For £7 I don't think you can go wrong. Admittedly, the salon is a bit like a hospital ward, and a lot of the students stand around chatting while you're being treated. If these things don't bother you and you like a bargain, I would definitely recommend giving your local college beauty salon a try. I'm considering booking a massage for my week off in April!

Dance musings

2009-03-24T11:48:00.007Z

I'm having a bit of a dilemma at the moment about how best to carry on with my dancing. I'm obviously going to keep going to my ATS class, but I'm not sure about going back to Egyptian/Cabaret for now. I'd like to do two ATS classes next term (basics and beyond basics), so a third class would probably be too much (both time-wise and financially). The plan I am tending towards at the moment is doing my two ATS classes and practising my Egyptian style at home with DVDs. Once I feel I don't need to attend the ATS basics class every week then I can consider starting egyptian classes again. I also think using DVDs will allow me to focus my learning on areas that I know I need to improve on. The weird thing is I feel kind of angsty at the thought of neglecting egyptian style in case I get worse at it! I suppose as long as I keep doing technique drills, I can only get better. I just have to be disciplined, which means getting over the desire to flop down on the sofa as soon as I get home from work.

Last night was the final class in my ATS basics course. I think I am getting a good handle on the basic moves but another term (or two) should help consolidate them. The highlight has been discovering that I can actually play zils while dancing! I always hated doing zils in egyptian class but as it's such an integral part of ATS I couldn't really escape them. I've found the less I think about playing them, the better I seem to get on! We also did a bit of leading and following last night, which was fun (and scary at the same time). I felt like my head was going to burst when I was leading, as I was thinking about hips, arms, hands, zils and leading all at once - eek! I really need to practise transitioning between moves at home, so I can get more of a feel to what works and what doesn't.

The clouds have passed for now...

2009-03-23T16:34:00.008Z

I haven't really felt like blogging over the last few weeks. I had a bit of a low patch, so I did my usual hiding away from the world until the sun came out again. Some weeks I just let work, London and all sorts of other things get on top of me. Thankfully the beautiful blossom and blue skies of Spring have helped cheer me up over the last few days.

There have been lots of goings-ons though. The highlight being Graeme and I booking our trip for my 30th birthday. We decided on Peru in the end, and we've picked a really exciting itinerary! We're going to trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, which is a dream come true. I visited an exhibition when I was young called "Oro del Peru". It was at the City Arts Centre in Edinburgh and the cover of the exhibition catalogue was a photo of Machu Picchu. It really captured my imagination then and I've always wanted to go. In some ways, I find it weird to think I'll be going as it's turned into some semi-mythical location in my mind! I'm not sure I can believe that I am going, to be honest. I'd better get a grip soon as I need to get myself walking boots etc and arrange for us to get vaccinations!

I've also been doing a lot of ATS workshops as well as my weekly class. I'm totally in love with it! I adore the moves, the costumes and the connection with the group. It really is a breath of fresh air after stalling at intermediate level egyptian bellydance. That's not to say that I'm going to give up egyptian style, but I feel that ATS is feeding what I need right now. I think ATS is much more "me". The thought of being able to dance with anyone who knows the FCBD cues and moves is just so exciting. Also, the costumes are more my style - black and rich jewel colours with loads of jewellery. Perfect.

I'm probably going to write a lot more about my dancing on this blog, so consider yourself warned!

Metal-lurgy

2009-03-02T14:32:00.003Z

I have a cold for the first time in ages :o( Started on Friday with a really sore throat and now my nose is running like a burn! Decided to come into work as I didn't feel to horrendous when I got up this morning. Now, I feel dreadful and wish I'd kept me and my germs at home. Trouble is, we're off to see Metallica tonight and I'm not sure I could have justified going after taking a sick day.

If I still feel rotten tomorrow, maybe then I can justify a sick day...

Kew Tropical Extravaganza

2009-02-22T11:08:00.009Z

Yesterday was a proper Spring day here. There were blue skies, and the sunshine was more than welcome. During the week, we decided to go to Kew Gardens to see the Tropical Extravaganza, so the gorgeous weather was an added bonus!

The Gardens were carpeted with beautiful crocuses and gorgeous Galanthus, which were a sight for a sore eyes. I adore Galanthus (Snowdrops) as they herald the coming of the Spring. I also adore their resilience as they fight through icy, cold soil to be the first flower in bloom after the winter. Yesterday I found the snowdrop beds amongst the alpine flower beds, which was a real treat as I had never seen them before.

Then it was off to the Princess of Wales Conservatory to explore the Tropical Extravaganza. Kew Gardens seems to do this every year and it's such a lovely thing to go and enjoy the orchids, pitcher plants and other tropical beauties during the winter months. This was the first time we had been and it was truly amazing! There was just a sea of gorgeousness and colour everywhere. As 2009 is Kew's 250th birthday they had sculpted birthday presents from tropical flowers - lovely!

I always find myself getting overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. Although I'm not particularly religious in any way, I almost feel I can see the divine spark when I look at something like an orchid. I'm not sure why many religions look to the sky when there is such beauty here at our feet.

The Waterlily House had been transformed into a display of orchids also. Some looked almost good enough to eat! There were some real oddities there - some with frilly leaves and some that looked tie-dyed. If they weren't so expensive (and if I wasn't likely to kill them), I would have bought some to bring home.

Despite all my misgivings about London, Kew Gardens continues to be a real delight. I know I am guaranteed a lovely day when we plan to go there. There's also the added bonus of cake and Curiosity Cola at The Orangery! We are really lucky to live near so many green places and it's something I really treasure!

Flat-pack Valentines

2009-02-15T15:12:00.003Z

G and I went for a bit of a different approach to Valentine's Day this year. We exchanged cards as usual - mine was silly, G's was arty and subtle. G gave me two tickets to see Eddie Izzard in December (SQUEE!), and I'm taking us for a slap-up lunch and wine tasting in the near future.

We had a lovely brunch of smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, toast and orange juice in the morning. Then our new bedroom furniture arrived... in the usual flat-packed format. We've been waiting ages for these to be delivered, and I was so astounded they even offered Saturday delivery that we agreed to accept delivery on Valentine's Day. Most of our afternoon was spent building our wardrobe, which looks fantastic now it's completed but needed way longer to build than we expected (isn't it always the same?).

Once it was done, it was time for a three course meal courtesy of Waitrose. We decided against going out for a meal, as you just pay a fortune for a set menu in a restaurant full of couples. There's something a little "factory farm dining" about it all! So, we had salmon, horseradish and lemon terrine, followed by sirloin steak, pommes dauphinoise and roasted vegetables, and finished off with chocolate souffle. Absolutely yummy and cost us about £15 to put together!

A slightly odd (but romantic in it's own way) Valentine's Day methinks!

The dreaded trip... wasn't so bad!

2009-02-13T15:15:00.005Z

For months, I have been dreading our workshop at a place off junction 28 of the M1, which is apparently near Mansfield (it's not). Mainly because a) it was in the sticks and we needed two trains and a taxi to get there and b) I generally hate workshops now. However, I had a rather nice time yesterday despite the long day.

My boss had kindly booked first-class tickets as there wasn't much difference in price. First-class on East Midland trains is much nicer than first on GNER/National Express. It's lovely and comfy and they continually offer you tea/juice/biscuits. We even got a glass of wine on the way home! My boss missed our morning train, so I made the journey to Nottingham myself. I find that I really enjoy the quiet introspection of train journies. The carriage was so quiet as it was 7am and only 4 other people were sitting in it. I sat watching the sunrise over the snowy countryside and blissed out for a little while.

Once I got to Nottingham, I enjoyed the luxury of the first class lounge while waiting for my boss to arrive. Although I've travelled first class before, I've never had the need to use the first class lounge. Yesterday it was snuggly bastion of comfort (and further free tea and snacks) where I could escape from the freezing platforms.

Then it was on to the workshop, which was surprisingly good. The group were excellent and good fun. Admittedly, working with scabies, lice and other pleasant conditions probably calls for a sense of humour. I learned that pubic lice prefer single hairs, whereas head lice like many, which I not sure that I really needed to know!

So, I am pleased to say that yesterday was not the trauma I thought it would be. That often seems to be the case actually. I am wondering whether it is worth dreading everyday to ensure they are better than I expect!

Back from the 'burgh

2009-02-11T11:40:00.007Z

We had a lovely few days in Edinburgh and at my Parents catching up with people. Thankfully, my Dad is much better after being in hospital, which is an immense relief. I think he'll have to take it easy for the next month or so but at least he's on the mend. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to see my Gran who has been very ill also. I had some stomach bugness going on over the weekend and I couldn't risk infecting my Gran with it.

As always, going away made me realise how much I miss my family and friends. G and I had a chat on the train about the possibility of moving back or closer, at least. It's odd but I just get all confused whenever we discuss it. I don't want either of us committing career suicide by moving back to Scotland, as I can't see how that helps anything. I'm also worried that my general inability to settle here has been due to a lack of direction in the career department. I don't want to spend my life running away from problems instead of solving them. What I do know is that I don't have the social network here that I need. I also know that I don't feel any sort of deep connection to London and I'm unsure that I will ever manage to make one.

*confused*

Possibly one of the most frustrating days ever

2009-02-04T12:39:00.004Z

After the joy of Monday, yesterday was probably the most frustrating day I've had in a long time. All in all, I spent 5 hours yesterday getting to and from work. The district line surpassed itself in failing to provide anything resembling any sort of service at all. As far as I could see most of the problems weren't weather related but due to mechanical failures. The only respite was courtesy of buses that, although slow, were actually heated. By the time I got home, I really, really wanted to break something!

On top of this, the councils of London seem unaware that there is a concept called "gritting the pavements", so most pavements in Putney are now best negotiated with ice-skates! Makes getting to and from the tube station a very slow trek. It's still awful this morning.

Nevermind though, it's off to Edinburgh for a few days tomorrow! Hooray for going home!

Snow day!

2009-02-03T16:50:00.005Z

I peeked out the bedroom blinds yesterday morning to be greeted by a gorgeous winter wonderland. It's been a long time since I've seen snow that deep (even in Scotland) and I certainly never expected to encounter it in London. As I trudged around to the tube station I was aware that the streets were eerily empty. There was hardly another person around! All was explained when I reached East Putney tube station to find it closed and a sign outside stating that all buses and trains were cancelled too. As heartbreaking as it was, I had to acknowledge that getting to work was a futile endeavor and that the only thing to do was head home for a nice cup of Lady Grey.

It was truly lovely to watch all the kids (and adults) playing in the snow. Loads of snowmen began springing up all over the place and things just felt magical. It was like everyone's mood had lifted and adults could let their inner child run free for a little while! G and I ventured out for a walk to Fulham Palace, which just looked like something off an old fashioned postcard. We enjoyed the sound of snow crunching under our feet, threw some snowballs and generally acted silly. On the way home we warmed up with a Caffe Nero hot chocolate. Bliss.

Any suggestions?

2009-01-28T16:34:00.004Z

Missed my ATS class last night due to a defective train on the central line. By the time I got to Liverpool Street, it was past 6:30 and it would have taken me another 15min to get to the studio. So, it was time to turn around and head home again. Grrrr, I hate that when it happens!

Over the last few weeks I've been working on a list of things I would like to do in the last year of my 20s. I was inspired by a friend who's doing exactly the same thing. So far the list consists of:

learn to ski
go on a jack the ripper tour
have afternoon tea in London (hopefully at the Lanesborough)
try poi spinning and hoopdancing
eat pie and mash in the east end (I draw the line at jellied eels)
go to a burlesque class

I'm not sure that I am very good at this game, so I'm open to suggestions! Nothing that involves jumping off buildings or crazy nonsense like that. I'm a "both feet on the ground" kind of gal ;o)

Tribal weekend

2009-01-26T16:47:00.006Z

This weekend had a bit of a tribal bellydance theme as it was Tribalondon. It was my first time at the event and I am already looking forward to next year when I can do more workshops!

Friday evening's treat was a workshop with the wonderful Sharon Kihara. It was two hours of stretching, conditioning and beginning to work on core isolations, which built on the material in her DVD. She is even more gorgeous in real-life and her teaching style is fun and friendly. I loved that she uses terms like "cat-barf" and "gooey" to describe moves, as they just fit perfectly.

On Saturday, Graeme and I planned to visit the Rothko enhibition at Tate Modern. However, when we got there tickets had sold out until 5.30 in the afternoon. It wasn't a wasted day though, as we went for a wander along past the Globe and encountered some parts of southbank that we hadn't seen before. We discovered the Clink Street Prison Museum - on the site of London's oldest prison. Hence the term "in the clink"! We also found the Golden Hinde tucked away next to a Cafe Nero (how convenient). It's rather nice when interesting things happen out of disappointment!

Then, it was off for a Vietnamese meal on Kingsland Road. I observed that there are many vietnamese restaurants on the way to and from my ATS class. It turns out Kingsland Road is the best area for vietnamese food in London, so Graeme and I took advantage of being in the area to try some out. It was very good and wonderfully cheap too. We had two courses and two drinks all for under £30!

The day finished with the Tribalondon show, which was excellent. The first half was slightly hit and miss with some performances much better than others. However, I think that was a lot more to do with personal taste than lack of talent as all the dancers were fantastic. The second half was soooo good though. The tribal section of the Bellydance Superstars put on such a good show and there was a good level of variety between the different dances. I came home determined to get practising more (as usual)!

Sunday was a bit of an odd day. Graeme went off to his study group as usual, so I pootled about at home in the morning. We had booked tickets to go to the Babylon exhibition at the British Museum for later in the afternoon. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived at the Museum I had an awful migraine and my vision was coming and going. The Museum were lovely about it and changed the tickets to next weekend, so there was nothing for it except home to bed. I was fine after some nurofen and a nap thankfully. I even managed to watch "Ratatouille" in the evening, which cheered us both up!

The last few weekends have been really good actually. I think there's a lot to be said about doing loads of things and feeling like you've achieved something!

Obama-nia

2009-01-20T22:15:00.001Z

Today I have been totally caught up in the sea of emotion surrounding the inauguration of Barack Obama as US President. I have to admit that I was sceptical when he first appeared in the race for the White House all those months ago. I had no idea who he was and what he stood for. Now, I think I am a total convert and that realisation comes as a surprise. I think he embodies what America and the western world need right now - hope and unity.

A group of us gathered around a PC in our office at work at 4pm to watch the ceremony together. I don't think any of us were disappointed. Obama's inauguration speech hit all the right notes and as a scientist my heart soared when he said "we will restore science to its rightful place". I sincerely hope that he can keep his promises, as so many people whole-heartedly placed their faith in him today.

"...know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy"
- Barack Obama

Off and running (or should it be "snapping"?)

2009-01-12T21:34:00.002Z

My 2009 photo diary on Flickr

Kat's already found it! Thanks for the comments, hun!

52 books in 52 weeks

2009-01-10T19:21:00.004Z

I received an email from Penguin Books this week about their "52 Books in 52 Weeks" challenge. Now, I'm not really interested in many of the books on their list but it's something I'd like to do as I am a total bookworm! I read every day on the Tube to keep me sane as I am sneezed on, squished into peoples armpits and generally violated on the way to work. So, it was off to the library today to stock up on books for the weeks ahead. I'm going to make a hitlist of books for 2009 and see how many I manage to get ticked off!

Photo a day?

2009-01-08T17:03:00.005Z

Every new year there is a deluge of photo a day challenges on scrapbooking forums and I usually ignore them. However, after reading posts on Kat's and Shimelle's blog, I've decided to play along... a little. Over the last few years I have grown to be strict about getting involved with anything that entails any sort of daily/weekly/monthly committment (with the exception of classes etc) as I get upset when life gets in the way making it more of a stress than a pleasure.

However, in saying that, I would like to take more photos in a way that documents the little things as well as big events. So, I am going to attempt to do a daily(ish) photo on Flickr with a little bit of blurb. More like an online photo diary really containing little snippets of my life. I've got some photos ready to go and will be popping them on flickr this weekend. I'll post a link when they are done.

I also think it's a good opportunity for me to play with camera more. I know I need to learn more about my camera and this is a good chance to experiment. The photo in this post was the result of me playing about with a vase of white roses and a spotlight! I really enjoyed looking at the different results as I moved the light around!

First week back at work

2009-01-08T16:21:00.006Z

Not had much time to post this week, as I've been busy most evenings. I'm glad tomorrow is Friday as this week at work has just dragged. Really, really bored with the job now but plans are afoot. Hmmmm, I think it was the same story this time last year!

I started a new ATS (American Tribal Style) bellydance class on Tuesday evening, which has made me very happy. I used to do Tribal in Edinburgh but never managed to find a class near enough to home in London. Not that the new class is near to home - it's in Hackney - but it is easy to get to from work. The teacher seems very good and the class were really friendly (one of them accosted me at the bus-stop and chatted all the way to Liverpool Street). I arrived home feeling all warm inside despite the freezing temperatures outside!

Graeme's parents stayed with us last night as they need to get to Heathrow super early this morning to fly to St Petersburg. It's Graeme's Mum's 60th birthday today and this is her birthday treat. Not that she looks anything like 60 years old!

No plans for the weekend as yet. We might end up glued to the TV watching season 3 of Battlestar Galactica. We've a lot of catching up to do!

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

2009-01-02T20:34:00.005Z

Happy New Year all! We had a bit of an odd Hogmanay this year. Graeme's friends are staying as usual and we all decided we didn't want to stress of struggling into the centre of London again. Instead we went up the road to the roundabout at the top of the hill where you can see the London Eye! Unfortunately, it was a bit hazy so we didn't see much but there were loads of fireworks going on over Putney, which was nice. Admittedly, it was so chilly we didn't spend too long outside before heading back to the flat to enjoy some champagne!

2008 gave me:

a new job. So much better than the old one but still not 100% what I need. Nicer workplace + nicer management = much less stress!
a new flat and a mortgage to go with it (eek!)
a trip to Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro
Chai Lattes and the best Yule Log ever (Waitrose patisserie)
four less teeth than I started the year with!

Aims for 2009:

to do some soul searching and come up with a proper career plan

to learn to ski

to go somewhere really special for my 30th birthday

to improve my bellydancing significantly

to write a diary again - started this one already!

Plenty of Christmas cheer!

2008-12-28T22:14:00.006Z

Back in London today after a lovely time at Graeme's parents in Bedfordshire. The flat is freezing and I'm sure it's colder here than it was in Bromham!

I'm glad I decided to take Christmas Eve off work, as it was enough of a struggle getting everything ready in time to meet Graeme after he finished work at lunchtime. We were up so late getting all the cooking done the night before, that I would never have managed to do all my packing as well before going to bed! It was nice to arrive in time for Graeme's Mum's "open house" without being all flustered.

I got loads of nice presents on Christmas Day - the highlight being an astrolabe from Graeme. I adore old scientific instruments and had commented during a visit to Greenwich that I would love an astrolabe. The clever soul obviously started looking there and then! It really is beautiful and is functional. I just have to decipher the little booklet that came with it now!

The rest of Christmas and the following days seemed to involve a lot of eating. Our culinary efforts with the starters were appreciated by all. They were uber tasty if I do say so myself! In between all those meals (just as well I lost weight during the wisdom teeth thing) we managed to fit in some lovely walks to Stowe Gardens and Ampthill. Stowe Gardens is amazing and I'd love to go back in the summer.

So, all in all, I had a wonderful time over Christmas. Graeme's family were as lovely and accommodating as ever. I am sad that I didn't manage to spend time with my family over the festive period but hopefully we can find a solution in 2009!

Christmas is so close I can taste it!

2008-12-23T11:19:00.005Z

Or at least I will be able to once I finish work this evening! Then it's off home to do a whole load of cooking to take with me when we go to Graeme's parents tomorrow. Graeme's Mum has learned how to delegate this year, so Graeme and I are doing starters for both Christmas Day and Boxing Day. We are planning on making little potato pancakes with smoked salmon and creme fraiche for Christmas Day, and Chantenay carrot and honey soup for Boxing Day. So tonight I am making the soup and the potato pancakes as they can easily be reheated on the day. I'm also hoping to make some gingerbread cookies to take with me as well.

On a different note entirely, Graeme and I went to see "Twilight" at the weekend. I read the book while I was recovering from my operation and thoroughly enjoyed it (it and season one of "Dexter" helped distract me from the pain). The film is good if you keep in mind it's aimed at teenage girls. Admittedly, some of the special effects are really lame and Robert Pattinson takes a bit of time to settle in to the role of Edward Cullen. I'm not entirely sure it was the kind of book that would ever make a good film but it was a decent effort.

Feels a lot more like Christmas!

2008-12-17T20:30:00.003Z

Look at this chap! This is the Christmas Cactus that Graeme's Mum gave us two years ago. It refused to grow/flower/anything while we were in the old flat. Since we moved here it's gone crazy. We don't water it any more than we did previously, so it must just like this flat better (which is fine, because we do too). All those beautiful flowers!

It does feel more like Christmas now. The tree is decorated and the living room looks nice and sparkly. I've got all my presents bought and tonight I'm writing my Christmas cards. I've also found the best chocolate yule log ever! I adore yule log and I spotted a ganache one in Waitrose at the weekend. So yummy. I might have to get another one this weekend - it's disappearing fast!

I also signed up to start American Tribal Style bellydance classes after Christmas. I've really missed not dancing tribal since I moved here. The class is totally the wrong side of London for me but I think it's worth it. I'm excited about starting something fresh and that's got to be a good thing. I'm really keen to get a lot better at bellydance next year, so this is a good start. I've also booked a class with Sharon Kihara (my tribal fusion hero) during Tribal London in January. I've got slight angst about dancing with her but I've heard such good reviews of her workshops. Must remember to breathe!

When will it feel like Christmas?

2008-12-15T20:55:00.002Z

I'm feeling hugely better now. The swelling is pretty much gone and my jaw is only slightly stiff. All in all, it wasn't as painful as I expected but it has taken longer for me to start feeling better. Last week disappeared in a haze of medication induced snoozling and I still cannot believe how much I slept. Thankfully, it all seems to be fine now, so it's back to work tomorrow!

As a result of all this hospital malarky, Christmas seems to be passing me by. We don't even have any decorations up yet! It also looks like I won't be sending out any handmade cards, as Royal Mail lost the package that was bringing my card blanks. I've not been able to get out to buy some more, so it's shop bought this year it seems.

Graeme will be home from his study group soon. Maybe we can get out the Christmas box and put up some tinsel tonight at least!

All gone

2008-12-10T16:23:00.002Z

My wisdom teeth are all gone. At home now recovering with the aid of many painkillers. Still feel a bit dopey after the anaesthetic, so it's back to bed now.

Advent Sunday Mark 2

2008-12-07T20:39:00.003Z

Graeme and I have a little tradition of marking each Sunday in Advent with some festive tea and cake (any excuse really). After missing last Sunday due to our whistle-stop trip to Edinburgh, we made up for it this weekend!

Last night was my bellydance class student hafla, which was good fun. I only danced in my classes group dance but that was nerve-wracking enough! Our music jumped twice during our performance giving us all a shock but like true professionals we got to the end (eventually).

Today I've made a start on my Christmas cards. I'm still waiting on my card blanks but hopefully they will arrive soon. I'm off work from Tuesday as I'm having all my wisdom teeth removed, so I need something to do while I recover!

OK, time to rescue the roast from the oven!

Full circle

2008-12-03T16:42:00.002Z

Back to good ol' (and most importantly, FREE) Blogger! Working on the template and some Flickr galleries at the moment. Time to share my life again :o)

Come join me...

2007-06-20T18:31:00.000+01:00

... at my new blog http://sharonfruit.typepad.com

Changes are afoot...

2007-05-20T09:03:00.000+01:00

Wonderful, heavenly, bliss. These and so many more similar words fail to really describe the two weeks I have had. Crete is amazing - everything from the land to the people are stunning.

I may write more and soon I suppose you will all be bored by my Cretan adventures. However, until that happens a lot of work will be going on behind the scenes. I am yet again moving blog (this will be my fourth move) as the scope of what I need has now expanded beyond blogger.

Watch this space and I will keep you updated.

My visual DNA

2007-05-03T21:51:00.000+01:00

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Thanks Kat ;o)

More creations!

2007-04-29T22:03:00.000+01:00

It's been a lovely, busy weekend. I really feel I've got a lot done.

Yesterday, I had another lovely afternoon with Jaihn. After soaking up some of the Sun's rays over a cup of tea and some crispie cakes, we had a good few hours craftiness. I made these earrings and made a start on a few other pairs. It feels good to be creating again. I think working with something other than paper is what I need at the moment.

Today, Graeme and I went shopping in the morning. I got some nice new flip-flops and saw a lovely hat that I may have to buy as well! Then we came home, had lunch and played badminton outside in the garden.

This weekend has been the first time I have actually been in our garden. I've only ever peered at it out of our bedroom window before. It's quite a lovely space. There's a huge willow tree at the back of the garden, which has created it's own little world under it's branches. That end of the garden is really wild - there's loads of ground ivy and bluebells. Then in front of it, there's a nice flat area that is perfect for badminton/picnics/barbeques. It's a space that I think I want to get to know better over the summer!

This evening has been a flurry of cleaning, cooking and holiday preparations. I really will sleep tonight!

Symptoms of being a Sharon growing-up:

2007-04-29T21:47:00.000+01:00

Nothing seems nicer than having a garden and growing veg/fruit/flowers/weeds (using skills learned from Sims2: Seasons).
Watching Battlestar Galactica results in serious philosophical discussion.
You want a shed complete with potter’s wheel and kiln to be your craft space.
Knitting in a rocking chair seems like a fab way to de-stress.
You’re concerned about the day that you can no longer isolate your muscles for belly rolls.
The thought of being an elderly prim is actually worrying.
You can hardly move in your kitchen for appliances.
You worry about never reading all the books that you’ve bought (and keep buying).
Sharing cake with friends is the nicest gesture in the world.
You're thinking about buying your boyfriend a trip on Virgin Galactic for his 40th.

I made this!

2007-04-23T18:03:00.000+01:00

Yesterday morning I was seized by a serious bout of creativity. I had seen this pendant in Bead magazine and I fell completely in love with it. I loved that the knot is a prosperity knot as that’s something I’d like to draw into my life at the moment (not really money prosperity, but real life prosperity). Putting the knot together was a really amazing experience. My first attempt was terrible as I approached it with a “this looks easy” mentality. Que: one very big, messy knot. The second attempt was a real willing into existence. It was slow, careful process that lead to a lot of energy going into the piece. Perfect.

I had a lovely weekend on the whole. Yesterday afternoon, Jaihn and I took a little trip to Regents Park. We saw the giraffes at London Zoo (through the fence, admittedly)! They are such beauties. Then we sat until the sun went down at the little cafe beside the boating lake. It was really divine.

Saturday was domestic day. Graeme and I had a little trip to Homebase and we got some bits & bobs. I've got all sorts of plans for the garden when I come back from my holidays. I want to make up another two windowboxes and plant some veggies. Might be a tad ambitious but I need a project for the summer months!

Current things of joy!

2007-04-20T19:25:00.000+01:00

Spring! It’s sprung, the grass is ris and heck,I know where all those birdies is. Outside my living room window singing away when I get home in the evening :o) It really is wonderful. I seem to have blocked out the aircraft noise now, so all I hear is little birdies singing away!
Lunch in the park. This is mainly a product of 1. That hour of escape with a good book to the park is heaven to me at the moment. It’s my ray of light in the grey, dullness of work.
The Northern Lights. No, not the phenomenon, the book by Philip Pullman! I have intended to read His Dark Materials for a while now. A friend kept at me, until I caved and bought the first book yesterday. Soooo good. I just had to buy the other two yesterday!
Melon (cantaloupe). Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a bit weird about fruit. I am really limited with the fruits that I can actually eat. It’s a texture thing, nothing to do with the taste. Also, oranges upset my tummy. So, apples, papaya, cherries and melon are my limit really. It makes me so happy to see sunny Melons in the shops again :o)
Holibags! The tickets arrived yesterday and it feels so close now I can smell it. YAY for impending Cretan sunshine!

Two weeks later...

2007-04-12T21:18:00.000+01:00

And so much has happened. I feel like my feet have hardly touched the ground over the last few weeks.

First was my Dad’s retirement. All in all it was a lovely day. There was a presentation at his workplace, which Mum, Graeme and I attended. It was a lovely experience and I think Dad was over-whelmed at the outpouring of gratitude that he received. I’ve realised that our family has a trait of being terribly self-effacing (or self-defacing as Graeme puts it), which in some ways sweet, is not very healthy. I’m really pleased for Dad though, as I think this will mark the start of better things in his life. He’ll be safer too (I hope), which makes me very happy.

I had to leave Edinburgh on Sunday evening to travel to Sheffield for a conference. Nothing really much to say about that one, except I am glad it is over!

After a few busy days at home, it was off to Bedford for Easter and Graeme’s birthday (both the same day, how convenient). I really had an amazing, relaxing weekend. On Saturday, we had a Barbeque and played croquet at Graeme’s friend Jamie’s house. I had never played croquet before and after one game, I decided to leave it to the boys! It’s a bit of a nasty game but good fun all the same.

Easter Sunday saw a visit to the Rothschild’s house (lol). They donated Ascott House to the National Trust and boy, is it a beauty. Within minutes of walking in the door, we discovered a Hogarth and a Gainsborough! The gardens were something else too. They looked out over the Vale of Aylesbury giving a truly fantastic view of the countryside.

In the evening, we had a slap-up meal courtesy of Graeme’s Mum. Plenty of chocolate eggs were also eaten!

So, it’s kinda back to semi-normality now. Although, there is so much wonderful energy about at the moment that I feel like I am about to burst sometimes! I love Spring and all the moving-forwardness associated with it. It’s all good and I’m sure it’s going to get better.

Too much clutter!

2007-03-28T19:00:00.000+01:00

EEK! This is just a snapshot of what arrived with Dad and David on Saturday morning. 8am on Saturday morning, I have to add. Being up and about at that time on a weekend, should be illegal!

24 boxes arrived. Most of them contain books. I think I may have to acknowledge the fact that I have "book issues".

In some ways it has been lovely being reunited with all my stuff again. It feels like some sort of reunification of self. On the otherhand, the clutter is driving me crazy! I've emptied all the boxes and tried to get things into some sort of order. However, we just don't have enough space for everything. I think I'll have to work out what can be stored in the plastic boxes and keep them in the spare room cupboard for now.

It's just been a crazy few weeks on the whole. I feel like I have had no time to sit still. The only respite I can see arrives on Tuesday when the Sheffield trauma is over with. At least, I have Friday off and I'm going to visit my parents and friends at the weekend. That's something to look forward to at least!

Another traybake adventure!

2007-03-18T20:16:00.000Z

This is my famous Rocky Road. It really is great stuff and takes no prisoners when it comes to being terribly bad for you ;o)

It's easy to make too. 30 minutes and you're pretty much done. Here's how:

2 x 200g bar of dark chocolate (yes, this traybake really does mean business!)

100g mini marshmallows

100g digestives broken into small pieces

100g rice crispies

50g glace cherries halved

200g unsalted butter/margarine.

Start by lining a baking tray with cling-film. Grab a large mixing bowl and pop all the dry ingredients into it. Give them a good mix. Then, break up the chocolate and melt with the butter/margarine in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering (not boiling) water. Once the chocolate has melted, pour it into the mixing bowl and give it a mix. This bit is good for building muscles in your arms I find! Once mixed well, tip the mixture into the baking tray and flatten out using a wooden spoon. Pop in the fridge and leave to harden. In the meantime, you can lick the spoon for a taste of the delights to come :o)

Inchies and holibags!

2007-03-14T18:19:00.000Z

I made my first set of "inchies" yesterday and here they are! I was inspired by one of my deepest loves - chocolate. I get catalogues through from Hotel Chocolat all the time and their choccies really are works of art in their own right.

I was a little surprised by how easy it was to work on such small pieces. They really do look stunning once finished. I feel I may have to experiment some more with these!

My other really fabby piece of news is that Graeme and I have booked our flights to go to Crete! YAY! This will be my first proper holiday in almost 5 years. I am so looking forward to having proper relaxation time with Graeme and seeing some more of the world. Thankfully, work have consented to give me time off, which is awfully nice of them I think. I just know they won't be able to cope without me - lol!

So, yeah, Crete. Now all we have to do is figure out where we want to stay. We've found a nice hotel in Chania on the west of the island. Trouble is, all the archaeological sites are on the east of the island. However, the east of the island is also hideously touristy. Decisions, decisions...

Weekend of wonders!

2007-03-11T21:31:00.000Z

Went to Kew Gardens today and we had such a good time. The weather was beautiful and all the spring bulbs were out in force! As soon as we entered the gardens, we were greeted with a beautiful carpet of white and purple crocuses. We were snapping some lovely close-up piccies when a huge bumble bee landed on the flower we were photographing. It was so close to us and we got some lovely photos of a happy pollen-covered bumble bee sitting in the crocus. That was the start to what became a day filled with nature's blessings.

Graeme and I love leaving the garden paths behind and rambling through the trees. It seems to be where the real magic happens. As we were wandering through some Beech trees, we were aware of some rather large birds foraging through the undergrowth. They were Guinea Fowl! I managed to get pretty close to them and there was a lovely moment where it was just me and these four birds feeding. It felt really nice that they didn't seem to view me as a threat.

Our next wonderful encounter with wildlife was this gorgeously coloured beast here! There were several of these ornamental pheasants foraging through the trees too. They were so placid as well and came quite close to us as we stood still.

Our final encounter was with a Red Admiral Butterfly that landed close to us to bask in the sunlight on the pavement. It just sat there and posed for the camera :o)

It really was a fantastic day. I had never seen so many daffodils in the one place before. Down both sides of one of the main walkways was a sea of yellow happiness. I just love spring and the feeling of the earth starting to come alive again after the cold of winter.

Yesterday was a packed day as well. I had a craft class in the morning. It was focusing on soldered charms, which I had wanted to try for ages. I really enjoyed the class - the teacher was fab. The only problem was there was only one soldering iron for the whole class, so it took ages to get through everyone's work. The class over-ran by about 40 minutes! Soldering is really quite therapeutic in a way though. I think I might have to invest in a soldering iron of my own.

After that, Graeme and I went shopping. I say Graeme and I, but really I shopped and Graeme carried the bags. Perfect arrangement I think ;o) I managed to get a lovely dress for Dad's retirement and a Momiji Doll. For the first time in ages, I actually seemed to be spoiled for choice when it came to clothes. I went into the changing rooms and thought everything looked fab. Usually, I don't like anything when I try it on!

So that was the weekend of wonders! I feel that I got a lot done this weekend, which makes a change. Doesn't stop me wishing tomorrow wasn't Monday though ;o)

Busy times!

2007-03-09T18:12:00.000Z

Lots of stuff to tell you :o)

The Tuesday before last, I went to see Madam Butterfly at the Albert Hall. The Albert Hall really is an amazing venue and I spent ages just looking around. The performance itself was very good. The set was fantastic – a Japanese water garden which becomes a Zen garden in the second half. I did thoroughly enjoy it but my attention began to wander towards the end. I’ve been so tired recently and trying to concentrate on opera definitely wasn’t helping.

Wednesday before last, I started a new bellydance class. I’m now back to intermediate level, which is where I was when I moved down here. The teacher is really friendly and the class is quite small and seem friendly too. We’re doing stick dancing for the rest of this term, so it should be good fun too. It’s taken me ages to find a class I really feel at ease with and I think this might be it!

On Friday, I bought the new Sims 2 expansion pack, only to find it still had the security lock on it when I got it home. Graeme suggested he could take a hacksaw to it but I declined that offer. Instead, I sent him to the HMV in Putney to get it removed while I was waiting in the Post Office on the Saturday morning.

Saturday saw the departure of my latest CJ on its travels around the UK. It’s one with my team from UKS and I am really looking forward to working on everyone’s CJs. I feel I have a real bond with my team and it will be lovely to have something of their work to keep!

On Sunday, I met up with the wonderful Jaihn for the first time. We chatted for ages and the time just disappeared. I left there feeling more postive about things than I had for a long time. It was just wonderful to chat to someone who's been there and understands :o) We're going to meet again soon for some crafty fun - yay!

This week has just disappeared really. I would say nothing of note has happened but I'm not sure if that's true. I've rediscovered and started to acknowledge parts of my life that I have been denying since moving here. I have embraced my spirituality again and it has never felt so right. I'm trying to dedicate time everyday for me and the things I need to help me in life. I meditated on Wednesday for the first time in ages. I didn't think I would be able to do it anymore. However, I amazed myself at how quickly I was gone. Apart from one interuption where I became super aware of my hands (most odd), I managed 30 minutes solid. I think I must have needed it!

I'm also really enjoying the spring days. It has been sunny most days when I was walking to work, which has been most welcome. I walk through Victoria Embankment Gardens and just drink in the green, the flowers and the sun. We've also got the most beautiful mini daffodils in our window-box along with some feathered friends looking for food (I can't take credit for the photo. It was Graeme who got it. Goodness knows how!).

So, this post has turned into a bit of a ramble really. Nevermind. To sum it all up - good things are happening :o)

Tori-tastic!

2007-02-27T18:27:00.000Z

The wonderful Tori Amos announced last week that her next album will be released in May this year – yay! I’m not sure how keen I am on the title “American Doll Posse” and the promotional picture to go with it, but I am sure I will love it regardless. To coincide with the release of her album, she’s going on tour and I have tickets in my possession already :oD Obsessed me? Never.

As a bonus, Within Temptation have a new album out next month too. If it’s anything like “The Silent Force” it will be divine. Cue: much tribal dancing in living room!

Crafty Weekends

2007-02-26T20:33:00.000Z

This weekend was a bit craft-centric on the whole.

On Saturday, Rhian and I went to the Stitch and Craft Show at Excel. Getting there turned out to be an adventure in itself. We got on the wrong DLR train and ended up at “West Silvertown”, along with many other confused looking crafters. I’m sure it is somewhere but it looked like an industrial wasteland to us. It was easily remedied though and we got to Excel eventually. It was my first time on the DLR and I’m still a bit dubious about the whole driverless train thing. It felt like being on a model railway!

Anyway, the show was a bit disappointing in terms of papercrafting goodies. Not a bit of Basic Grey in sight :o( I did, however, invest in a new corner rounder (I’ve worn the other one out – ahem) and some double sided sticky tape. I still enjoyed myself and it was lovely to see Rhian. She kept trying to get a picture of me with Dawn Bibby in it. I have to say though, as much as I am not a fan of Dawn’s work, she is gorgeous. The TV does her no favours.

As I got back to the flat reasonably early in the afternoon, Graeme and I then went to an architecture exhibition at the V&A. It was called “Over the threshold” and was looking at housing design, particularly the exterior and how the building promoted interaction with the community and environment. It was quite interesting actually and it was nice and short, so my attention didn’t wane.

Saturday night was a Battlestar Galactica fest. It was a struggle to pull ourselves away and go to bed (which really is saying something).

Sunday was dedicated to working on my team CJ for UKS. I’m really pleased with how it’s all turned out. Now, all I have to do is work on my own entry and it’s ready for posting!

We have blooms!

2007-02-23T18:22:00.000Z

Our little gardening adventure is paying off. We've now got three lovely irises blooming outside our flat window :o) They are truly gorgeous with little yellow/black stripes on their purple petals. I think the mini daffodils will be in bloom in a few days too.

Now, we're trying to think of what to put in some more window-boxes for the summer months :o)

Weekend update!

2007-02-21T22:29:00.000Z

Finally, some time to post! I had a lovely weekend last weekend. Graeme and I did our first spot of "gardening" together. We've got our own little patch of grass (or more accurately, weeds) out the front of the flat and we wanted to brighten it up. So, we put together a nice window-box. The box itself was lying in the garden with a brick in it. Hmmm, I don't know what that says about previous tennants! We had a little trip to Homebase and I bought some herbs and bulbs. So there's some lavender and thyme in there, along with some mini daffodils and irises. The lavender will be lovely in the summer when we have the window open. The smell will just waft through the flat :o) It's a small start but I'm hoping we can put together a few more boxes and pots over the coming month.

On Sunday, we went to the Chinese New Year celebrations in Trafalgar Square. I was really looking forward to it but I felt quite disappointed in the end, as it was just so busy. Trafalgar Square was obviously too small a venue to hold such a popular event. It was a lovely atmosphere though, and it was nice to see so many people from different cultures getting together to celebrate with the Chinese community. One of the big highlights for me was getting to see a Dragon dance. They are just so amazing - the performers must have so much energy. Graeme managed to get some piccies too :o)

Especially for Kat!

2007-02-15T21:24:00.000Z

An ATC made with Stewart Gill paints! It was made for a challenge on an altered arts forum. The challenge was to use only paints on white card to make an ATC. I used paints mixed with loo roll to give the textured effect. I also used the two colours I hadn't used before to see how they looked out of the pot. I think they look fab, however I expect the orange/red will look much better on dark card. Might have to go another ATC to compare :o)

We were allowed one word on the ATC too. I picked "soar". Why? Well, it's all I long to do at the moment. That and the backgound, although simple, evokes a number of feelings in me. It makes me think of sunsets/sunrises, new beginnings and all sorts of other things.

I am in love...

2007-02-13T18:34:00.000Z

…with Stewart Gill paints. I went to my first class at Blade Rubber Stamps on Saturday and I really enjoyed it. We were playing around with the lovely Alchemy and Byzantia ranges. Strangely enough, I thought I’d like the Byzantia more but actually, the Alchemy are just utterly divine. I bought three of them to have a play with at home. I love that they are fabric paints as well. If I ever get the sewing machine up and running, I’ll be able to decorate what I make!

It was really lovely to be back at craft classes. I've booked another one for the start of March called "Soldered Charms". It's all about making jewellery and embellishments from microscope slides and various other things. I can't wait! I've been wanting to try it out for ages but I don't have a soldering iron. The lady teaching the class is going to demonstrate using things other than solder to hold the pieces together. I can see me getting hooked on these things :o)

The past from the air.

2007-02-11T22:48:00.000Z

Graeme and I went to see “The Past from the Air” exhibition at the British Museum today. Typically, we had left it to the last minute as it finishes today, so it was really busy. It's an exhibition of Georg Gerster's work (http://www.georggerster.com), which concentrates on his photos of ancient sites. I love his work in general and I would love to be able to take photographs like his. Taking photos of these places from above just gives you the ability to appreciate the site as a whole and see them in context of their surroundings.

One thing that struck me was the impact that both humanity and the environment were having on the sites. Some of them were being farmed on, while others were disappearing under the sand dunes. It's odd that it seems ok for nature to reclaim the land, but if humanity is destroying the site then that's wrong.

Successes and struggles.

2007-02-09T20:22:00.000Z

This week has been a bit of a mixed-bag really. We had cause for celebration tonight when Graeme came home. He’s been awarded a £2K a year payrise and a £500 bonus. I am so pleased for him – it’s obvious that his work values him and appreciates all the hard work he puts in. We celebrated with some lovely pink champagne and chocolates!

Unfortunately, it has amplified my already unhappy feelings about my current job. I spend everyday completely and utterly bored. It’s not that I don’t have work to do, I have plenty. I just have no interest in the job. I thought when I decided to take this job, that it would actually challenge me as a postgraduate scientist. Instead, I’ve found it to be little more than an experienced admin position. Everyday I sit there working through the excel spreadsheet mountain, I feel like I am wasting valuable hours of my life while my brain rots in my head.

I just feel up and down like a yo-yo all the time. Some days I can cope (mostly by shutting off inside) but most days I am screaming inside. I’m just fed up with the constant bombardment with boring tasks and the way I am made to feel like a little cog in a machine. Graeme wants me to go to the doctor about my depression because things are bad again – constant sore heads, tight chest, panic attacks. However, I’m a bit scared as I am not familiar with my doctor here. My Edinburgh doctor was a wonder – she was a great support and I knew that she understood I wasn’t trying to waste anyone’s time. I know I need help as my whole world view has become so terribly distorted by the last few years. I just don’t know that I believe anyone can help me find the answers.

Hmmm, I really do need to keep my diary again. All this personal venting and angst used to go in there and never bother anyone else.

Crafty afternoons and quiet houses...

2007-02-03T21:59:00.000Z

Hmmm, am writing this post for the second time after Blogger decided to log me out and lose my first post. Grrrrr! Did I mention I was thinking of moving to Typepad - lol!

Anyhoo, I've had a rather productive day today. I finally managed to set aside some time for crafty pursuits. Firstly, I made some ATCs for the AlterNative monthly swap. The first set are to celebrate Imbolc, which was yesterday. The snowdrops are embossed in Blonde Moments embossing powder, which has a lovely green-yellow sheen to it. They are then coloured in using Twinkling H2Os. Unfortunately, the lovely shimmer from them never seems to come out well in a photo. The second set were just me playing about with some stamps and an Indian theme. I'll get them posted out to their new homes next week.

My second project was playing with my new See-D morsels. I now have four sets as they are just so cute and great value for money. I made some cards with them and I'm really pleased with how they turned out. It's amazing how effective they are once they are layered up.

I'm at a bit of a loose end now. Graeme is off to see his family in Bedfordshire and I decided to stay here. It's £50 return for us to get there, which is far too expensive to make it a regular thing. I really enjoyed having the time to craft earlier on but now the flat just seems too quiet.

What I really want to do is watch more Battlestar Galactica. I bought Graeme the DVDs for Chrimbo and we started watching them again last night. Sooooo good! I suppose I'll have to wait until Graeme comes back really.

Maybe I'll play some Sims instead. I've just seen the video for the new expansion pack and it looks fab :o)

Terrific traybake!

2007-02-01T19:04:00.000Z

Recently, there has been a spate of traybaking occuring in our kitchen. I can't say it's a bad thing really. It's simple, it's quick and it's scrumptious! I used to do traybake all the time - Rocky Road was my speciality - but since moving here I've not done any. I think it's because I used to bake for the crops and other things I participated in. Now, that I don't have that here, it's just stopped.

Not any more though! I intend to hunt out all those old traybake recipes and get back to it. The first foray back into the world of traybake was the old classic - Mars Bar Cake.
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Mars Bar Cake

3 Mars Bars
2 tablespoons Golden Syrup
50g butter
A box of Rice Crispies
150g Milk Chocolate

This makes about 12 pieces. I have to say this is a very rough recipe. I just tend to make things up as I go along regarding quantities.

Anyhoo, line a baking tray with cling film. Pop the mars bars, syrup and butter in a bain-marie (or a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water, if like me, you are not posh) and melt together. Once melted, fire in as many of the rice crispies as the mixture will coat. Mix well and spoon out into the baking tray. Squish mixture down to fill baking tray. Melt milk chocolate as before. Spoon melted chocolate over mixture and spread until surface is coated. Pop whole thing in fridge overnight (or until nice and solid) and then tuck in.

Easy as that really :o)

My current obsessions...

2007-01-25T20:05:00.000Z

These are a few of my favourite things at the moment!

I'm currently reading Derren Brown's book and it makes fascinating reading. I'm a huge fan of his shows and he constantly amazes. His book is just as interesting - he goes through the concepts of magic, memory, hypnosis and various other bits and bobs. I was completely delighted last night when, in the space of a few pages, he managed to help my ability to memorise things improve incredibly using the simplest of techniques.

On Tuesday, Graeme and I went to a lecture at the Dana Centre called "The Power of Hypnosis" where I had the chance to see some of the ideas in the book in action. It was really interesting to hear of current research into hypnosis as well. Interestingly, hypnosis is now finally being recognised as a distinct change in consciousness, which was something often disputed by scientists in past years.

Moving swiftly on to obsession number 2 - Momiji dolls. I got the little Japanese doll in John Lewis after Christmas. I had seen them before but I had never treated myself. I couldn't resist this little one who was in the sale. Of course, she'll need some friends now ;o)

Last but not least, obsession 3 - Hummus Bros! The badge was picked up today in the new branch of Hummus Bros that has just opened near work. I had never heard of them before but now I am a convert. I love hummus and a place that serves bowls filled with the stuff is fine by me! As an added bonus, they are dead cheap, which is a pleasant change for London :o)

SNOW!

2007-01-25T19:55:00.000Z

Yes, Snow in London! It was a surprise yesterday morning when Graeme pulled back the curtain and this was what greeted us. It was gorgeous outside :o) I had resigned myself to the thought of a winter without ice and snow, but Mother Nature proved me wrong yet again!

Unfortunately, the one inch of snow resulted in London's transport grinding to a halt. So, I spent 35min on the tube trying to get to Earls Court. By the time I got to work, the novelty of snow had completely worn off!

It's snowdrop time again!

2007-01-21T21:17:00.000Z

Spring is on it's way! I saw my first snowdrops of 2007 in Graeme's parents' garden this morning. Loads of them as well :o) I can't help but think they are a little early this year, but with the mild winter we've had, I am not surprised. Graeme's mum gave me some in a little pot to put outside our flat, which means we really will have to sort the garden now!

We had a lovely weekend out in Bedfordshire. Graeme's parents and his brother all have their birthday in January, so we were going out for dinner last night to celebrate. We went to a lovely restaurant called the "Knife and Cleaver" in Houghton Conquest (why do Bedfordshire towns have the most amazing names?!). The food was fantastic and we all had a lovely evening.

Today we went for a walk to Ampthill Park. It was a beautiful, sunny day with blue skies but the most terrible chilling wind. I thought my ears were going to fall off at one point! It was just as well I remembered my hat :o) The park is really beautiful with little copses of trees and a lake. We even saw a little deer bounding through the undergrowth!

The park was the site of a castle during the reign of Henry VIII. It was the place where Katherine of Aragon was effectively imprisoned until her marriage was annulled. From there, she was sent to Kimbolton Castle, where she died some years later. Now, on the spot where Ampthill Castle stood, there is a cross to commemorate the memory of the poor woman.

I can see stars again :o)

2007-01-14T21:26:00.000Z

I'm back home in Scotland for a few days. So far, it has been really nice. I came up on Friday after work and have been spending a few days at my parents' house. It's been great spending time with them and catching up with my friends as well.

We were out shopping today and I got a nice new coat. It was a bargain! I also got some of the new See-D "morsals" stamps, which I cannot wait to get home to play with.

Tomorrow, I am off to Edinburgh to visit Kat. I can't wait to see her, as it's been too long since the last time we met. Then on Tuesday, I've got a meeting and then it's back home to Boy.

I think going back will be easier this time as I know Graeme will be in London waiting for me. I find it very hard to think of London as home. Maybe once I get a new job and feel much happier about myself, then I'll begin to settle more.

This year I will...

2007-01-14T21:08:00.000Z

* find a new job. Yes, I am fed up being in a job where my talents are wasted. I also want something which I can fit around my life, because I am fed up fitting my life around this job. I also want a salary which reflects what I am worth.

* finish off all those unfinished craft projects (I will, honest).

* improve my bellydancing skills and take a yoga class

* reach Ovate grade (probably around Spring/Summer time).

* learn to relax and not get so damn wound up about things which are not my fault.

* appreciate what I have (wonderful friends, parents and Boy).

OK, so now it's in the public domain, you all have to help me out with these ;o)

Happy meetings

2007-01-09T23:06:00.000Z

Today I managed to meet up with the lovely Anam and just as lovely Paula during my lunchbreak. It was only for about 45 minutes but it was way better than nothing.

I'm so grateful to Kat that she helped smooth over that silly misunderstanding from months ago :o)

Welcome to 2007!

2007-01-01T16:43:00.000Z

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2007 is a year where dreams come true :o)

Graeme, the three Bedfordteers, Silvia and I saw in New Year on a very crowded Waterloo Bridge in London. We stood for two hours watching the London Eye change colour before Big Ben struck midnight. The New Year fireworks were incredible and once the crowd dispersed we shared some champagne.

I asked Graeme (who is pretty unbiased being an Australian/Scottish/English hybrid) to rank the best new year experiences. Edinburgh came first (weather permitting it seems) then Sydney and then London.

As a Scot, I am most definitely biased but I'm afraid I found the London experience rather flat. The atmosphere during the countdown was lovely but up until then we had to endure idiots pushing and being a general nuisance. It just reinforced my opinion that manners are an alien concept to a significant number of people in the city. Afterwards, we were two hours getting home and most of that was finding a tube station that we could get into. I think next year, we may have to invest in a bigger TV and stay at home ;o)

I've been Christmas tagged!

2006-12-17T12:41:00.000Z

Eggnog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate please! I'm gutted that Starbucks aren't doing their peppermint hot choccy anymore :o(

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa brings them all lovely and wrapped (I wish!)

Coloured lights on tree/house or white?
White lights definitely.

Do you hang mistletoe?
Only plastic stuff. It's quite difficult and expensive to get the real stuff now. I'd also rather it was left alone as (British mistletoe especially) it's starting to become rarer.

When do you put up your decorations?
12 days before Christmas and take them down 12 days after. It's a family tradition.

What is your favorite holiday dish?
Probably stuffing (any kind). I could eat it on it's own ;o)

Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
Waiting for Dad to get out of bed, so we could check to see if Santa had been.

When and how did you learn that Santa isn't real?
What do you mean he's not real?! To be honest, I can't remember.

Can you ice skate?
Nope. The first time I went ice-skating, I nearly broke my fingers. Never again ;o)

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
No.

How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
This year it's red and gold. Last year it was silver and purple on a black tree (goth-tastic).

Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it. It makes the world truly magical.

What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Spending time with the people I love.

Do you remember your favorite gift?
I don't think I've had a favourite. I've had loads that I loved but none that jumps out.

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Yule log.

What tops your tree?
A star.

What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Peace on Earth and goodwill to all. Well, I can hope, can't I?

Which do you prefer giving or receiving gifts?
Probably giving. It's nice to make people happy and show your appreciation for their love/support over the year.

What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Eek, too many to mention. I love "Santa Baby", "Fairytale of New York" and "A Spaceman came travelling". My odd favourite at the moment is "Hannukah Blessings" by the Barenaked Ladies.

Candy Canes on the tree?
Nope. They'd last two minutes with Graeme around.

Truly Wicked!

2006-12-11T21:50:00.000Z

Graeme and I went to see "Wicked" on Thursday night with some people from work. I've been longing to see it for ages and it was one of the main plus points to moving to London! Thankfully, it didn't disappoint!

It was absolutely amazing, fantabulous and every other thing I wanted it to be! The set was excellent, right down to the dragon hovering over the stage. The costumes were gorgeous and the story struck a chord.

Idina Menzel, who is playing Elphaba until the end of December, was truly amazing. There are really not enough words to describe the talent of this woman. She had an absolute powerhouse of a voice and fantastic stage presence. She also looks strangely good in green. When she sung "Defying Gravity" the shivers run up and down my spine. I don't think I've ever been to a musical with such a "wow" factor.

Needless to say, I want/need to go back and see it again. I'd love to see how the new Elphaba compares to the old. I only hope she realises what she's up against!

Go see it NOW!

Christmas Journal: Day 4

2006-12-04T22:09:00.000Z

It's a bit of a surreal entry this! I was severely limited by which Christmas associated photos I actually had available. However, I couldn't miss the chance to feature one of our quirky family traditions :o)

The journalling is hidden behind the photo and reads:

The thing I love about Christmas is getting time to spend with my parents and friends. Everyone is relaxed and there’s none of the everyday stresses. My perfect Christmas would be all of us together enjoying each other’s company. Everyone would get presents they liked and the one thing that they really wanted. We’d have a great big dinner in the afternoon, which I’d quite happily cook. After it all, we’d gather round a big roaring fire for some mulled wine and make merry until very, very late.

Of course, one final thing we could not be without is the annual monkey treasure hunt! Every year, Dad creates a treasure hunt around the house ending in a monkey friend for Mum. Crazy? Possibly, but I wouldn’t be without it!

Christmas Journal: Day 3

2006-12-03T19:18:00.000Z

Day three done! I hope I can keep up the momentum this week and get entries done after work. I'm really pleased with this entry. The card inside the envelope is a design I wasn't happy with and the papers are one's I've used on other cards.

The journalling is inside the card and reads:

This weekend I have been working away on making my Christmas cards. I try to make my cards every year but sometimes I leave it a little too late. I always say I’ll get them started in November but it never seems to happen! This year I’ve actually been pretty organised in getting them done this early. Now, that we live in London the Postal Service is a big factor in things. I used to be able to hand people their cards a few days before Christmas Day but not this year!

In previous years, I made all my Christmas cards but now I find myself being stricter. Unless I know someone will appreciate a handmade card, I will send them a shop-bought one. It’s certainly made things less stressful, as I only have to make half the amount of cards I used to.

This year I will be making around 25 cards. The furthest travelled card is going to Lindsay in Perth, Australia.

This weekend I have mostly been...

2006-12-03T15:44:00.000Z

.... making Christmas cards!

Twelve cards down, so about half way there I think. I'm being quite strict this year - only people I know will appreciate a handmade card will be getting one. This all ties in quite nicely with today's Christmas journal prompt, so I am off to work on that now.

No, I haven't forgotten day 2. It's missing something. Something which I hope will arrive tomorrow :o)

Christmas Journal: Day 2

2006-12-02T20:24:00.000Z

Ok, so I'm a bit late with this one but I thought I'd sneak it in here anyway. I was waiting for my Heidi Swapp mask to arrive. I love it! Just made the entry perfect - perfectly simple :o)

Christmas Journal - First entry done!

2006-12-01T20:50:00.001Z

Nice and simple really. Just how I like it ;o) This entry was made a bit easier for me as I'd done all the paper weaving when I started Shimelle's class last year. Trouble was, it was almost all I managed to get done!

The neep enygma

2006-12-01T19:56:00.000Z

Last night, I discovered that what we in Scotland call a turnip is very different to what Engerlanders consider a turnip. Graeme bought a "turnip" for our St Andrew's night dinner. I commented on it being a little small for a turnip but didn't think much more of it. It was only once Graeme had put it in the steamer that I noticed it was white. Not the usual yellow loveliness I associated with turnip.

Anyhoo, it was vile. Utterly minging. Being a bit perturbed by the whole affair, I turned to the source of all knowledge - wikipedia. Turns out what we Scots call a "neep" and is marketed in Scotland as a turnip is, in fact, a swede. Here, a turnip is what we in Scotland would call a swede. It's completely absurd!

I know it's not the most interesting post ever, but I feel people have a right to know. I was looking forward to that damn turnip!

Christmas Journal: take 2

2006-11-30T18:59:00.000Z

Manifesto: Noun. A declaration of one's intentions.

Starting December first, I will keep a Christmas journal. In it, I will write something every day to reflect on the holidays of my past, enjoy the holidays of the present and dream about the holidays of my future. To some, this will be a stack of papers and trivial scribbles, but not to me. I am taking back my Christmas, I am letting it be something I relish and, most importantly, I am giving at least fifteen minutes every day to myself no matter how crazy this season becomes. I hope you will share, encourage and understand as I make something with my own hands, my own words and my own memories.

I may post some or all of my entries in this blog. Other artists are doing this with me, and you can see their work here!. Or you may join us here!.

Above all: enjoy the season. I will.

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So there it is, my declaration that I will be attempting to journal my Christmas for the second year running. Last year, no entries got done so let's hope this year is better :o)

So, Kat was well and truly right.....

2006-11-30T18:40:00.000Z

"The Prestige" is a great film. It's one of the most inventive and engaging films I have seen in a long time. A tale of two rival magicians, it twists and turns before reaching the end. I have to admit that I had it figured out about half way through but there were still little surprises.

This is a definite buy when it comes out on DVD!

Embru Adventure

2006-11-28T18:47:00.000Z

It seems like ages since I've updated my blog. I've had plenty of things to say but hardly any time to write it down.

I started back work today after a lovely long weekend in Edinburgh. On Friday, we caught up with Heather and Faith. Both seem to be doing ok. Heather is much happier now that she has things settled at work. After that, it was off to indulge in the ritual of Jimmy Chungs with Kat and Doug. It was great to see both of them and we ate our fill of lovely Chinese food. Then, it was off home to Whitburn in the pouring rain.

We spent the Saturday and Sunday at Mum and Dads. I really enjoyed myself. We went shopping during the day on Saturday. I bought loads of cheap goodies for the house from Matalan (our nearest in London is Brent Cross) and Graeme got some new shoes. On Saturday night, my friends visited and we had a "few" drinks. It was a great laugh and fantastic to catch up with them.

On Sunday, we went to New Lanark and the Falls of Clyde. Graeme had never been before and I wanted to share one of my favourite places with him. It was cold but still sunny and the place was as beautiful as ever. We got some lovely pictures including the one of the Robin above. We met him walking alongside the river where he was perched on a tree. He was such a little show-off and I am convinced he was posing!

Yesterday was difficult. I found it sad leaving Dad at the station knowing I won't see my parents over Christmas. By the time I met Kat at Chocolate Soup, I was thoroughly miffed with everything. However, after a chat and some choccy I felt a bit better, and we all plodded down to the train station. The journey back was uneventful, although I did shed a few tears from time to time. I really find it difficult being so far from home and I miss the connection that I had with Edinburgh. It's hard to make the same connection with London.

Spoke too soon.

2006-11-14T19:31:00.000Z

At 4am, this morning I was woken up by pains in my stomach. I felt like I was being stabbed. However, it did soon pass and I got a little more sleep. Typically, my stomach has been yucky and gurgling away unhappily all day. So, it’s no bellydancing for me tonight. I might think about making some Christmas cards instead.

Christmas is coming!

2006-11-13T19:30:00.000Z

Recently, I’ve been feeling a bit apprehensive about not spending Christmas with my parents. That’s not to say I don’t want to spend it with Graeme. However, I do worry that it will be crap, as I’ve never done Christmas myself before. I suppose I just want everything I had at home but with my own slant on it.

To get the ball rolling, I bought some lovely Christmas themed plates on Saturday. They’ll look great with mince pies and a mug of mulled wine! I also bought some gorgeous material to make some Christmas place-mats – it’s all silvery with little Christmas trees in white and red on it. It’s going to be my project to help me learn how to use my sewing machine. Once I get the place-mats done, I might go and buy some lovely red material to make a tablecloth as well.

I really can’t believe all the beautiful materials that the Oxford Street John Lewis has. There were chiffons, silks, satins and velvets galore. One of the mannequins was dressed in a gorgeous leaf green satin dress. It will be years before I manage to make anything like that!

So, now I’ve gone from being worried to being excited. I’m glad that I’ve spoken to Graeme and that he knows my concerns. I think now we can both work together to make our first Christmas together fantastic :o)

Skipping along nicely....

2006-11-11T18:27:00.000Z

I mentioned in a previous post that I’ve been a little down and that I’m trying to tackle it through dietary changes and exercise. Well, what a difference one week has made!

I bought myself some multi-vitamins and Cod Liver Oil to help combat my vitamin B12 deficiency and up my Omega 3 levels. I’ve also been eating much more healthily adding in more fish and veg, while making my portion sizes smaller. There’s no reason I should be eating the same size of meals as Graeme! After one week of this, I feel so much better. I don’t have the big slumps in energy as I am eating more slow-release foods. I also don’t seem to get tired after eating dinner anymore. Finally, I am sleeping a lot better.

To supplement this, I’ve added in some fun exercise. I went out last week and bought a skipping rope, as I can skip quite easily in our living room without breaking anything. It really is good fun but it is so tiring. I lasted about 2 minutes on the first day. Now, I can last for about 5-10 minutes with little breaks every time I stumble instead of jump ;o) I find it very therapeutic as well. Once you get into a rhythm, your mind just seems to focus on that and it’s quite calming. I’ve been trying to add in some different jumps, twists etc too, so that is interesting.

It really is amazing how these little changes can make such a big change to your well-being.

A victory for common sense?

2006-11-08T21:35:00.000Z

I am very, very happy to see the American people beginning to fight against their current administration. I hope now we can have sensible debate on issues like abortion, creationism and gay rights without the intolerant attitudes that have been prevalent over the last few years.

Sloe weekends...

2006-11-06T19:33:00.000Z

Graeme and I had a lovely weekend out in Bedfordshire. It was so nice to escape the city and spend some time in greener surroundings. On Saturday, we took a quick trip to Holland & Barratts where I stocked up on cod liver oil and various herbal teas. I’ve been feeling a bit down recently (probably related to the lovely dark UK winter), so I am trying to tackle it through diet and exercise. After that, we jumped on the train out to Bedford where Graeme’s Mum picked us up. Then, we had afternoon tea (I’ve noticed we do a lot of eating at Graeme’s parents) and a good chat. Graeme’s parents are off to Sri Lanka at the weekend – lucky people. I am so jealous, especially as they are visiting an elephant orphanage! More eating then followed with some lovely Chinese food and a little glass of Port :o)

On Sunday, we went for a walk around a gorgeous lake in some country park whose name I cannot remember. We saw loads of beautiful sloe berries and rosehips. Some of the bushes were heavy with them. There were also some lovely apple trees and oaks. We ended our walk with hot chocolate and cake to replenish our energy. I had the most gorgeous piece of treacle tart. My mouth is watering just thinking of it :o) Then it was off back to Graeme’s parents for a relaxing afternoon and a lovely Sunday dinner.

All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.