Thing 1: I’m supposed to be studying right now. I’m not though, clearly, but I’m not beating myself up about it. Instead, once this is done, I will make myself a cup of tea and sit down to read some more of my book.

Thing 2: I’m currently reading The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood, and for the life of me I can’t work out why I haven’t read it before. It’s hard to tear myself away from it to do the other things that have to be done, like housework and washing clothes.

Thing 3: Even though the sun has gone in I have clothes outside on the patio on the airer. Technically this is against the rules, and it’s probably not much use anyway as it’s a bit chilly today, but I do like my clothes to get some fresh air every now and then, and if the sun would come out for just a little bit too it would be super. So much nicer than clothes dried in front of a radiator.

Thing 4: I should really also be sewing the many ends in on my Six Nations cardigan, which I finished yesterday. It started out as my Knitting Olympics project, but I didn’t finish in time, and worked on it in front of most of the rugby matches instead. I should be taking advantage of the long weekend to get it washed and dried while I’m home and can leave things outside to dry. I’m not sure I like it though. Which is often how I feel about the bigger things I have knit. I will get it finished and washed and dried and I will take pictures.

Thing 5: I got engaged. Or rather, we did. That was a little while ago now, but it’s been more than a little while since I blogged. I have a beautiful ring that’s from my paternal grandfather’s family, but right now it’s with the jeweller waiting for the goldsmith to have a look at it and see if it can be re-sized down enough to fit me.

Thing 6: I’ve spent some time finding out about family recently, and have some lovely photographs and interesting histories, and I might put some here, for me to remember.

Thing 7: This is me. I’m quite fond of this photo.

Hi there.

It’s, erm, been a while.

I’ve found that in the last few months I’ve been more of a consumer of the internet, and less of a participant. I think Twitter may have broken me, and any input requiring more than 140 characters is too much.

Sorry about that.

I’m working on it…

The Gurrier has nicknamed pilates German Torture Exercise and I have to say that’s a pretty good description. Sure, it looks like it won’t be that bad, just waving your legs in the air a bit, but it’s not. It’s hard. It involves crunches, and an exercise called ‘the 100′. 100! That’s a lot.

Now, if you go along with the multiple intelligences view of, well, intelligence, spatial-awareness and bodily-kinaesthetic would not be my strong points. Put more simply – I’m crap at gym. It takes me a few goes to ‘get’ a movement. I need it described, slowly, and I need to see it done at the same time, and then to practice it. Also, I still need to hold my hands out in front of me to work out my left and right, so it takes a few seconds longer for me to work out what everyone is doing. If you’re ever in a class with me, don’t look at me to see what you should be doing, because there’s a strong chance I’ll be doing it backwards. Or not at all.

All of this has made pilates a bit of a challenge, but it’s one that I’m enjoying immensely. OK, after a couple of classes it hurt to sneeze, but apparently there are fledgling muscles under my belly! I can’t see them yet, but I can feel them, so I know they’re there. I feel like I’m getting something out of the classes, and I can see signs of improvement, so it’s quite satisfying.

Then, about a month ago I started doing yoga classes too. They’re a couple of nights after pilates, which is great to work out the kinks and stretch me nicely. It’s a very gentle hatha yoga, with lots of guided relaxation thrown into the mix, and is a nice contrast to the pilates. Some of the movements are very similar, but instead of being told to clench my stomach and pelvic floor muscles, I’m told to relax. The two complement each other.

Naturally I have the exact same issues in yoga as I do in pilates, but I’m doing ok. Then last week something very exciting happened.

We learned the half shoulder stand (eventually we’ll be doing headstands, but this is the start).

I can do shoulder stands. It’s the one thing I was able to do as a kid in gym, and I really mean the one thing. Because I could do it I did it a lot. Mum’s a PE teacher, and my cousin used to be into gym (and is a PE teacher too now so probably still is), so when we’d be out in the garden in the summer my cousin would be doing handstands and handsprings and cartwheels all over the place, and I’d be doing my shoulder stand. It’s been a while, as it’s not something I’ve been called upon to do much in my adult life, but muscle memory turns out to be a wonderful thing, and I was able to execute a pretty good attempt at a full shoulder stand on my first try.

At the end of the class my teacher came up and praised me on it, and after the class The Gurrier was congratulating me quite effusively. I tried to explain that really it was no big deal, it’s something I used to do a lot, when I was interrupted: “But Is”, he said. “It’s the first time I’ve seen you try a new movement without falling over.”

Not for books, or yarn, or chocolate, or stationery, or the things I enjoy shopping for.

For clothes.

I don’t enjoy clothes shopping. As mentioned before, I’m most comfortable in jeans, a black t-shirt and runners. I don’t really like shopping for them, but I can deal with it.

Today I went shopping for other clothes. I think that was my first mistake. My second was to go out without a morning cup of tea.

Anyway. I was fairly successful. I managed to buy a new pair of jeans and some plain black trousers, and this made me cocky and over-confident. So, when I saw a little black top on sale for a fiver, that wouldn’t be something I’d usually wear, I figured it couldn’t hurt just to try it on. It was sort of corset-like – sleeveless, tight fitting and structured. Note the tight fitting bit. It unzipped most of the way down the side, and then slipped on over my head. It was ok. Not hideous. I considered buying it.

Then I tried to take it off.

I couldn’t.

I was stuck in it. Completely stuck. The top would not come off. I tried wedging my arms down into it and wriggling it up over my head. I tried turning it inside out and crossing over my arms over my head while reaching back down to pull it up. In a particularly delusional move I took off my shoes and trousers to try to wriggle it over my hips. I considered claiming to love the very much evening wear top so much that I wanted to wear it immediately, despite it being mid-morning. I almost considered shoplifting. I cursed the fact that I took up yoga two weeks ago rather than two years ago. I thought about tearing the top off (it was only €5), but couldn’t. (I then cursed coming out without my sewing kit).

Eventually and after much wriggling and clothes wrangling I managed to remove the top and put my own t-shirt back on. I’d pulled muscles in both my arms but I was free.

I didn’t buy the top.

Anyway. There are 2 things I will not tolerate: reference to “St. Patty’s Day” (Patty? Really? I don’t know anyone called Patrick who would be happy with that as a nickname. Paddy or Pat, but not Patty), and green beer. Green beer is wrong.

I don’t dislike the idea of having a day off work, or object to the festival at all, but the fake leprechauns, and stupid giant green hats, and, well, pick anything you can find in Carroll’s gift shops as a starting point – they annoy me.

So, instead, I stay at home. Much nicer.

Today was a lovely sunny day that felt like the beginning of spring. I’m feeling spring like at the moment – I’m getting on top of my to-do lists slowly and I’m getting my hair chopped short again on Friday. Anyway, a nice sunny day in Dublin means it’s a nice day for a walk in the Phoenix Park.

I love the park. It has so many different faces. We started our walk on a small slightly overgrown path that neither of us had been down before in the Furry Glen, and quickly realised why neither of us had been down there before, and made a mental note not to again, especially at night. Ewww.

Anyway, the rest of the walk was bright and fresh and lovely.

Nice wooded sections

Cute park ranger’s cottages

The pope’s cross and American ambassador’s residence across the 40 acres. The fallow deer are off to the right but out of the picture.

And finally, a cliche but not that unusual a sight the in park:

Then home for a nice spot of lunch and a big mug of tea. Perfect.

There are some friends and family who I really need to email, but I’m also going to make a bit of an effort to blog a bit more too.

We’ll see how that goes.

Gin, cointreau, oj and honey, with toast on the side.

—- ?Sent using a Sony Ericsson mobile phone

Nom nom nom

—- ?Sent using a Sony Ericsson mobile phone

I don’t know if my mojo has returned or not, but my desire to knit certainly has. Baby things. There are too many I want to make.
I made mittens last night, and those are drying at the moment.
I’d planned on calling into This is Knit before knitting group, but the bus took forever and I didn’t have a chance. Despite my stash I don’t have the right yarn for the hat I absolutely have to make right now.
So, I had to make do with the projects I had with me: baby socks and a burp cloth. Burp cloths seem useful, and I have plenty of cotton and chenille to use, so I hope to churn out a few of them.
Anyway, I had plenty to keep of occupied while chatting with friends old and new at the knitting group- a fine way to spend a Saturday.

—- ?Sent using a Sony Ericsson mobile phone

Victoria Sponge and a cappucino in The Cake Cafe.
I’ve just spent a lovely afternoon with Diane, knitting and chatting and eating cake. Can’t beat it. The Cake Cafe is a really lovely venue. It’s quite small but there’s a lovely outside courtyard and they operate a waiting list for the inside tables, which is a very fair and sensible way of doing things.
My cake was pretty good. Tasty, but nothing to write home about, which was a shame, as the cafe supplies cakes to where my knitting group meets, and I know they’re first class usually.
Anyway. A nice venue, great company, and tasty treats: a lovely way to while away a few hours on a bright winters day.

—- ?Sent using a Sony Ericsson mobile phone