Saturday, July 26, 2008

Challenge Anneka...

I spend a lot of my life trying to get things done. Whether they be little, regular tasks like cleaning and food shopping or more major tasks like moving house (oh yes, it is that time again in the Adventuring household), I have more than a slight tendency to sing a little song to myself. A little song that goes like this.
I have a feeling I've even blogged about this theme song before, probably about a year ago when I was noticing all the little cultural references we made that no one in NZ understood and all the little references they made that left us completely lost. However, as I'm back at one of those slightly manic times of moving house Challenge Anneka rarely leaves me.
For those who don't know the glories of this 80s/90s UK TV treat, I'll sum up very briefly...
Each week Anneka had a challenge (no kidding) and had to rush about trying to...build a bridge, a new playground, a stage for a school play, a village hall... She spent a lot of time on the phone twisting suppliers arms to give her things for free as the budget was always too small. There was always a time limit...and Anneka "never" missed it! The quality of the projects was sometimes called into question but that's not the point is it?
We (being me, the lovely Ruth, her sis and...a few others???) used to rush about whenever we had something to do in a short time frame singing the theme song and giggling. The habit hasn't left me.
At the moment, I should probably be rushing about the house, singing that tune, trying to get my life packed up again for moving out of the house next Friday. Fortunately, we (almost certainly) have somewhere to move to in the next city of choice which is a big relief. I haven't even started working out how the stuff gets from here to there but I know we can survive off a car load for the first week at least.
So I should be rushing about but here I am writing a blog post for the first time in about three weeks...
You see, Husbink has gone jetting off to far flung places with Le Tart (he who is marrying Le Welsh in a few weeks) for the stag do. I did have a couple of plans for today but they have all come to naught. So today was never assigned as a packing day and thus any packing that is done is a bonus, thus I can fully justify a few hours of not packing, which is such a relief!
I have also just joined an online knitting community...I must resist spending ALL DAY looking at it...I must finish my tester socks before starting any new projects...I must not photograph all my projects to date and put pictures of them on the site...I must save myself something to do when I'm unemployed and friendless in a new city! (Oh, yeah, the best thing about our new house? There's a wool and sewing shop at the end of the street...Husbink is very, very scared. There is also a bakery opposite. Husbink is less scared!)

Friday, July 04, 2008

Blogging Without Agenda

Normally when I sit down to blog, I have a plan or something similar...
Today, no plan. I do have another lake to tell you about but the camera is downstairs and my legs are very tired so I'm not going to do that now.
I do have very things on my mind but at this point none of them are bloggable. So I shall ramble and you shall feel like you've just survived a small flood. You have been warned.
I failed last week to blog about our anniversary and about how wonderful Husbink is. Truly. He is. The traditional fourth anniversary gift is fruit or flowers. Not the easiest thing (ok, so flowers is pretty easy, what I'm meaning is, not the easiest thing to spoil a Husbink with. I managed a bottle of wine and a bottle of posh fizzy fruit juice (so we could drink it before work you see) and a card with a bottle of wine on it...a theme?) Husbink laid white roses around the house, leading to a big bouquet of flowers. Then he presented me with wine (so we think quite similarly) and (perhaps best of all) a chocolate orange - cos it's fruit, right?
In the evening we went out for a lovely meal. Which was lovely.
The next day Husbink started nights which was not so lovely. However, the next day, the Saturday was an event I'd been looking forward to for months and months and months. Woolfest. It was amazing. If a little overwhelming. So. Much. Wool. And associated gubbins.
I spent quite a lot of money (but not as much as I had budgeted so that is ok surely?) and now have many exciting projects from bags to slippers to cushions to socks...awaiting me. Hurrah! I have also learnt (yes, the hard way) some lessons about different types of yarn this being my first real foray (sp?!) away from "whatever I can get from the market" (which is normally acrylic or nylon or easy knit wool). The only upsetting bit of this learning (snapping my new needles the day I bought them) has been solved by the every marvellous Husbink and so I need not cry.
The rest of the week has been...odd. There have been some lovely times of course (meals with friends, the big walk to be posted soon, some decent weather...) but everything is just a little...odd. The unsettling nature of our lives at the moment it taking its toll. I can tell because I'm going slightly mad. Things that should not bother me are bothering me. My tummy is also telling me it is a problem because I keep looking about 7 months pregnant. Which I'm not. Clearly. I keep reminding myself it is a challenge. I am yet to really believe myself or to find it much of a comfort.
Still, just now, my tummy is telling me it is lunch time and today lunch time means one of my absolute all time comfort meals - the three Ps...pesto, pasta and peas. I am a lucky girl!