In search of...

Today's been a day of history and journeys, friendly faces, beautiful places and roads newly travelled. Today was the start of one of my bigger tasks, and one I set myself.

As I think I said on an earlier post (feel free to check!), HV Morton is one of my fairly newly discovered and favourite authors. He wrote a number of travel books, mainly UK but some overseas as well, and was quite well known in his day. His day was early and mid 20th century and you can read all about him here.

I fell in love with his books a couple of years ago, along with other writing from the 1920s/30s that was about people going out and exploring their country, now they had the means to do so. It makes for fascinating reading! And while I was in Wales having some down time I read I Saw Two Englands, a tale of two journeys in 1939 around England, one before war broke out and one after. He felt he wanted a last look at the England he knew and loved, before everything changed. And it occurred to me at the time that it would be interesting to retrace his steps and see what is still there, and learn a little at the same time. [HV Morton's biography is called In Search of HV Morton, and a number of his books are titled In Search of..., hence the name of my blog!]

Today was the first day of that first journey. It took me to Westerham and Quebec House, and to Hever and the beautiful Hever Castle. I learnt about the legendary General James Wolfe and about Anne Boleyn. I heard stories about tactical warfare and the power of the monarch. I wandered around gardens and churchyards, and I loved every minute of it!

I'll be writing a more detailed journal as I go along this journey, and taking many more photographs than are in Morton's book (and will try to replicate the ones he did take - the one above is the first). Quite what I'll do with it all when I'm done I'm not sure, but I will have seen much more of beautiful, rural England along the way...

Progress report

So, I hear you cry, what about the other 21 things on your list then?? Or maybe you're not saying that, but I'm going to tell you anyway, as I'm presuming if you're reading this you're at least vaguely interested. Or you could just be lost...

Well, there are some very happy people in the southern hemisphere, as I have flights booked for a visit in September/October. One week in New Zealand and two in Melbourne, which will include some time for me to have a drive around the Great Ocean Road! I can't wait - can't wait to see old friends, can't wait to visit family, can't wait to have a mini adventure all of my own! Put your envy away, as this has been a long time coming... Canada will be next year hopefully, and the other trip-type-activities - the train journey up to Scotland and the horse riding across Dartmoor - are in the planning stages.

The scrapbook idea is morphing and growing and taking on a life all of its own. This could either end up being a bit of a damp squib if I can't find the techie skills to make it work, or end up making me £millions! To be fair, it'll be somewhere in the middle, but I'm loving the creative conversations I'm having with people in my life - thanks for the ideas folks.

I STILL have to finish the knitting - seriously, how ridiculous is it to be knitting a big woolly jumper in this weather?! But finish it I will. I despair on the juggling front - as the most success I've had to date was after a significant number of glasses of champagne, maybe I should adopt alcohol as a strategy?

And as for the book...progress is slow, and I've got a bit sidetracked into thinking about my 'Grandad and the Gameboy' dream, which might make it into a screenplay. Thanks Stuart!

I'm also looking forward to watching the sun come up sometime very soon - have decided that rather than get up early I'm not going to go to bed. Much better approach! Everything else is just going to have to wait...although the planning committee for the birthday celebrations is already in place!

A long time coming...

Sorry folks, while life hasn't exactly been quiet lately I have been a bit slack on the 'list' front - until today that is!

Courtesy of my lovely brother-in-law, and the loan of a helmet, I can now say I have ridden on the back of a motorbike (and apparently it's a cool one too!). I can't remember whose suggestion this was, but thank you kind friend, for it was fantastic!

I had the opportunity to do this when I was a young (but not entirely stupid) 18 year old, when I was dating a chap called Lee. He had a bike, but my common sense kicked in and I chose to forgo the opportunity to become a statistic. So I've waited a long time for this, never too sure whether I really wanted to do it but feeling like it was something that should be experience....just once.

Phil is an excellent rider (is that the right term??!), the man is a marine, so felt pretty safe putting my life in his hands! Still, I was pretty nervous. All that evaporated though after a couple of minutes, and I am happy to admit a squeal of excitement as we overtook the first car!

Photos are on Facebook , should you want to see more.

Next on the list? Not sure yet - there's the book started, the knitting to finish, the juggling to finesse, the sun to watch come up, the horses to ride, the party to organise...it's going to be a fun summer!

Domestic goddess?

Well, although it's been a while, I'm happy to announce I can cross another task off my list! Yesterday I hosted afternoon tea for three of my best girlfriends, to show off my baking skills - and according to them, I passed the test! It's been fun feeding people - I've always loved hosting but there's something so homely about baking cakes and treats and trying new recipes out on willing volunteers (thanks guys!). I've no intention of stopping now I've ticked this one off (there's a rhubarb and ginger cake in the oven as I type...), but I have learnt quite a bit. My natural style is a bit haphazard, hence me wanting to tackle something that requires properly measuring things out and following a recipe to the letter. While I wouldn't say I've had 'disasters' as such, there have been times when they haven't turned out as I would have wanted, and knowing that the only reason that is the case is because I did something wrong has made me focus a lot harder on the process. Yesterday's menu was:

smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches
parma ham and fig sandwiches
stilton and pear sandwiches
baby cheese scones with chive butter
pear and rhubarb tarts
carrot cupcakes with maple syrup frosting
pistachio macaroons

and of course, champagne! I will confess to burning the first lot of cheese scones, but the second batch were a hit. (sorry folks, at the moment I can't seem to upload a photo, but I do have the evidence, honestly!)

This week also saw me taking the photographs at a friend's wedding. A nerve-wracking experience, but also an enjoyable one, and as long as the results turn out to be up to scratch I'll be happy. Not that I'm going to charge the bride and groom for the shots, but I'm a bit closer to getting someone to buy an image from me...

Other progress has been slow - lots of things going on in life, but no excuse really. I have signed up to a Race for Life 5k and 10k, but sadly didn't get a place in the Royal Parks half marathon, so will have to find another one to do. I've done a bit of writing but not enough, so am going to go along to the Urban Writers Retreat to make sure I put aside time without distractions to focus on that (it looks great, would recommend any budding writers out there to check it out). And the knitting has stalled entirely, as my lovely instructor has had a holiday and illness over the last few weeks. I knew it would be spring before I finished the jumper!

Next up: sunrise from London Bridge, before the sun starts rising at ridiculous-o'clock!

At least she never walked...

...ok, a bit of a lie in my case, but an oft-repeated theme Haruki Murakami's lovely book 'What I talk about when I talk about running'. Partly philosophical, partly instructive and largely entertaining, I really enjoyed reading about someone elses' experience of running. I think it's fair to say I'm not a natural, and Murakami definitely is, so it's interesting to peer into another world, particularly one that is full of solid, dogged, determination - those of you that know me know I do walk.

This week has seen real progress on the running though, and I've certainly kept some of his thoughts in my head as I've been jogging round the park (or, on Thursday, to the garage to collect my car - imagine their delight when a bright red, gasping for breath and dripping with sweat person turns up at 8am!). I'm up to 30 minutes now, and I worked out that if I add 5 minutes a week to that I'll be up to 2 hours 30 mins by September, with the half marathon I want to do being in October. Sounds like a plan to me!

The baking is going well - note the photo of a raspberry cheesecake, which I made yesterday for a few friends who came round for dinner. Fabulously simple recipe, which followed an Asian pork & aubergine hotpot. I also made some almond cookies for a bake sale at work, but sadly forgot to take a photo...bit rubbish for someone who is supposed to be improving their photography!

On that subject, went along to the photographic portrait prize exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery on Friday night, with a friend whose skills far surpass mine (hi Peter!). Lovely to chat about things that inspire us, and I'm definitely building more time into my diary for practice - starting Tuesday with a day trip to Brighton. Keep an eye on Flickr for evidence.

2010: Bring it on!

So having ended 2009 on a high by completing my first task, I had every intention of dialling up a gear at the start of this new decade. After all, time is a-ticking and I'm not getting any younger. But the snow hampered the things I had planned. Excuses, excuses, I know! But it's hard to run when it's icy, cup cakes don't really seem the thing to have and while a big woolly jumper would have been ideal (still would!), various days off working from home meant factoring in a meeting with the knitting guru was just too hard.

But, I'm happy to report that three weeks on things are starting to happen. You will see by the pic that the knitting has started. I'm now on row 21. At this rate it will be well into spring before I wear it, but wear it I will! (for anyone interested this is what I'll be modelling at some point) I'm enjoying my evenings in front of some educational documentary with the needles clicking away, feeling all is well with the world (actually, in reality, the tv has to go off or I can't concentrate, and the clicking is...somewhat stilted! Still practice makes perfect - my current mantra!).

And I have now also been for my first run of the year. How depressing is it when you know you got to a stage that could actually be described as 'fit', only to take a few weeks (OK, months) off and be back at square one? However, the road to the half marathon will be a long and painful one, but it must start with a first step. Today I managed 21 minutes of running. And I reminded myself how much I can enjoy it. The weather was perfect (freezing and sunny) so I got to see Crystal Palace Park in all its glory. Lots of folks were going about their Sunday stroll (or jog, or skate, or cycle), and it's a nice way to feel part of a community. I like the smug feeling I get when I get home, and it's nice to feel like I've 'used' my body after so much lolling around. I did though remind myself of all the things that will get in the way of me achieving this task, or prevent me from enjoying it. And in no particular order they are:

- I will only enjoy going out at the weekends, which isn't enough for decent progression
- I will sign up for races before the big event, and then get so excited when I do them I will relax into a false sense of security
- I will spend a long time asking people with much more experience for tips, and then promptly ignore them because of course I know best
- I will 'let myself off' for good behaviour before reaching the target, as I have no discipline at all!

But hopefully recognising all that will at least go some way towards me finding ways to avoid it all. And if I'm going to be eating cupcakes all year the only motivation I should need is to avoid ending up like the side of a house!

Busking? Check!

Goodness me, time flies! December, as usual, was a whirl of social fun and wrapping paper, with possibly not enough time spent on 'the list'. However, I can finally say I have completed something! Yes, December 23rd saw me, a santa hat, my recorder and a merry band of ACCA carol singers standing in front of the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, playing to an audience of....well, none really. Apart from two commissioned photographers (thanks to Stuart and Sara). Who so far have failed to deliver photographs (but will do in January, so watch this space for evidence!). Stuart did throw me some spare change, so I can officially say I collected some money for charity, which went to a Big Issue seller on my way back to the office.

I have to say it was great fun - reminded me of years gone by when playing carols in shopping centres was a regular festive fixture. The playing wasn't quite as slick - a 30 year old plastic recorder is not the finest of instruments - but the carol singers did me proud (thanks to Sam, Maureen, Amrit and Shivani!). And the 8.5 minutes went very quickly. Pride was slightly dented by the overly-concerned mother dragging away her intrigued daughter, but overall a very enjoyable experience. So final thanks goes to Richard, whose idea this was in the first place - first mission accomplished!

Something that nearly made the list (suggested by Tori I believe) was volunteering for a charity. I didn't include it, as it's something I've been meaning to do for a long time, and was slightly ashamed I'd never found the time. But I signed up for a couple of shifts with Crisis Christmas this year, and having found it a great experience hope to make it an annual event at least. So another tick for me.

January will definitely see the jumper being knitted, juggling being practiced, headstand being progressed and cakes being baked (Father Christmas was very kind to me with cookbooks, cake tins and other paraphanalia, all of which will come in handy). Then I'll need to plan what will be next...2010 is going to be fun - happy new year everyone!