Things that are good.

Things which are good?  A case of poor sentence construction either way? Who knows, I just work in publishing correcting other people's grammar, oh dear God.  This sort of attitude may account for the decline in literary standards that's regularly declaimed in broadsheets - well mostly in the Mail, which I don't read.  Or I could blame educational systems that allows many people to leave school without knowing enough to correct me either way, and with even less inclination to care. Mea non culpa.  I didn't actually study Latin so I don't know if that makes sense but I'd nearly bet that you didn't either, unless you're one of those very clever bods who went on to study medicine or other sciences.  Apparently in the UK there was a period in the early 80s when it was deemed that grammar wasn't really terribly important after all, and so it was dropped from the school curriculum.  This lasted about a decade.  Um, I wish that was my excuse, but I wasn't educated here...

That all sounds very grouchy.  I am learning to walk a [metaphorical - allegorical?  philosophical?] tightrope.  There is the fairly distant prospect of some balance coming into my life, because I keep telling myself that it has to, logically speaking.  I'm hugely heartened (after first crying, normally) by lovely comments I've received from people recently which made me think I should come back to blogging which I've been avoiding.  I think I hide away sometimes - in person as well on online -  if I feel I can't be cheery, and right now I am either positive, optimistic and cheerful, or a bawling wreck of a woman. There's no middle ground.  A bit like when you're on a tightrope - you're on it, or well... you're not.  You're just not. 

Perhaps if I learn to crochet, one of my ambitions for this year, my first project could be a net.

Good things.

- A package for the lovely Denise, finally entrusted to the Royal Mail, embarrassingly late, now winging its way to the US.  I wish I'd managed to see her over Christmas when we were both in the same country, but it wasn't to be. I had to return to mind the mogs, before the neighbours took off for New Year, otherwise the cats would have had to go to XMIL's house and would still be there.  A girl needs her feline companions.

- New credit cards and bank cards in my name, as I'm using my maiden name again.  In Liberty just before Christmas, my Switch card was declined, or rather they said they'd need to phone for authorisation.  After it happened again that afternoon I realised I'd need to call the bank - and it turned out my card had been cloned, or at least the details had been stolen.  So when I was in the branch arranging new cards, I admitted, albeit with a heavy heart when actually confronted with it, that it made scarce sense to have "Mrs..." cards for 2007.   It's a new year, it's time to start to get on with things even if it's scary.  God, if only I felt more like a maiden and less like a crone.  And if the cards were in credit rather than in debit, then they would be perfect things. Um, and magical...

- New bedrooms.  Finally we got the heating sorted out on the 23rd of December, just before we left to see our families, and all the bedroom bits that were previously stuffed into other rooms around the house so that the bedroom carpet could come up, could be returned to correct places. After much schlepping of furniture over the past couple of days - I am strong woman - there are two separate rooms, one for each of us while we try to agree everything. Yes, Helen, I get the bigger one with the nicer linen.  Also I realised last night that I no longer need to sleep on 'my' side.  So I starfished across a 6ft bed, like I was creating linen angels.  Today I did more reorganisation, and it's looking much better now.  I have a feeling it's going to get thorougly girlyfied by the time I'm finished, and I'm not just talking Cath Kidston duvet covers.  I'm thinking pink...

- Fabric Swap.  Apparently this sort of fabric swap - long strips - is called a 'noodle' swap.  I've set up a Flickr group for pics of things you send, you receive and anything you make.  I'm looking forward to it, I want to make myself a bedsized quilt this year, and perhaps  some of the swap fabrics will be part of it.  The office now has a sizeable craft stash too, as you can see, as well as the craft press* in the kitchen.

-  Nearly knitted socks.  They fit me rather well, but they're for him.  If they fit.  Ewww, look at those milk-bottle legs!  The sock stripes don't match, which is deliberate.  There's a couple of dropped stitches on each - you might have spotted the orange stitch marker that's holding one until I can darn it in.  God knows how they ever got this far, but I'm quite pleased with them!  Buying a second set of dpns was actually a good idea - I've taken it turns on either sock, working them to the same stage.  I think I'll do this for my pair of socks (next project!) too, to lessen the chances of OSS - Orphaned Sock Syndrome. 

 

House-keeping

Ages ago Mandy tagged me for a meme, but now I can't find her blog to tell her I've done it! 
The meme is to reveal six things about my weird self.  Gee, only six?

1.  I have always mixed up left and right.  When I was little the only way I could remember it was 'when Mum is driving us to school, we turn right at the castle'.  The fact that I 'write' with my 'right' hand didn't seem to help.

2.  My childhood nickname was Miss Mouse.  Since finding that out when we started seeing each other, XH has always called me Mouse, I guess I feel a little strange about it now.  In other moniker oddities, my given name (the one I use daily) is my middle name - my parents' idea.

3.  The first 'proper' book I read was Little Women by Louisa May Alcott when I was seven.  I borrowed it from the school library, having initially borrowed then rejected Gulliver's Travels because it was written in the first person.  To this day I haven't read the latter.

4.  I ran the London Marathon in 2000, in a faster time than Frank Bruno.  Passed him on the Embankment... (about 25.8 miles in)

5.  Cream - bleugh.  Ice cream - mmmmmm.  Which reminds me -I saw an [innocent] reference to a new ice cream flavour and had to Google it.  Found this and peed myself laughing at the other "flavours" suggested in the comments, and was intrigued by this follow on.

6.  Two years ago I got horrible bloody orthotics for my all my shoes, as I have wonky schleppy feet.  Only now am I almost ready to part with all the now-impractical but gorgeous shoes (slingbacks, mules, anything Camper with their heavy soles) that I can no longer wear.

6B. Despite normally being quite good at spelling, I still remember being kept in during breaktime at primary school to learn how to spell gorgeous properly.  I used to put a 'd' in it - gordgeous. 

I'm supposed to 'tag' six other people to do it, but I'm a little nervous about imposing.  So please feel free to do a post on your blog with your six strange things, if you feel like it, and leave me a comment here to let me know!

* the Irish word for cupboard...

Comments

[GiGi]

I created the Pendulum Theory of Divorce (and any breakup of any sort). An example? When you start dating again, you will inevitably date someone very different from XH (severe pendulum swing in the opposite direction). This will inevitably not work out (rebound!), but will probably be very fun at first. Then the pendulum will start settling instead of swinging wildly (like the moodswings of late) and you will remember the nice things that drew you to each man and you will find balance.

I promise.

Of course, you could call it the Sock stripe Theory of Divorce, where one sock is XH and the other is Mr. Rebound...eventually the sock stripes match and you find balance!

[Ali]

Embracing your inner pink sounds like a very good plan indeed.

The marathon? I am SO impressed.

[claire]

Fact!
I too have wonky feet, but stupidly put up with the pain instead of wearing the orthotics.

Fact!
When my parents marriage finally clattered to a halt, and my mother got a new home, every single room was peach or pink - just because there was nobody to tell her she couldn't do it.

Fact!
I am a bad sock knitter. There's a completed one on my coffee table, but it's mate is in a bag and has been for at least 5 months. It's stupid really, I've only got the foot to do.

[JeanieB]

My feet are straight but very wide - I did a Swimathon a couple of years back, flippers for feet you see..

Your post felt so upbeat, enjoy those duvet/linen angel moments ;-)

[Julie]

Great post - I really enjoyed your meme! I too have a mental blockage about left and right. I actually failed my driving test for turning the wrong way several times - have frequently thought of tattooing L and R on backs of my hands! I am totally with you on the starfish sleeping - H & I have separate double beds as Toby always comes in at night and we've adapted so at least one of us gets a good nights sleep every other night. I love my nights off when I sleep diagonally across the bed and don't have to share the duvet. Keep your feet on that tightrope and don't hide away too long at a time - we miss you!

[Denise]

Hello all
I am the lucky person mentioned above who got to open those three pretty packages! In addition to a crochet hook roll which Miss Flib mentioned, and which will come in most handy and save me from buying multiple duplicate hook sizes (now that they will all have a home instead of being orphaned post-project), I also received a pinny (most excellently stitched and very pretty may I add) and a lovely and delicate pair of dangly earrings. This is a very talented girl readers!
I'm sorry we didn't get to meet up over xmas but you did mention a trip stateside...? I'll be waiting - we can hit the craft stores with a vengeance!