Making a start...

... on a few different things.

Yesterday I started making my corset with my friend K.  We'd previously sorted out the pattern pieces, but this was the day that scissors met fabric for the first time.  I've discovered the usefulness of making a calico mock up, as the dimensions were not quite right, so I've got a bit of sewing to do at home now, to make sure that the new pieces are OK.

I'll keep up to date with this project now and again, as it's likely to be quite a long-term thing.  I'll try to take photos of it at each major stage, so hopefully there will be a pic of the calico mock-up soon.

I've finished one of my Classic Classics in the book-reading list: Frankenstein.  I'm glad I've read it at last (I really felt that it was a book I should have read, as a good little Goth ;)  ) but I don't know that I would want to re-read it, as it is so sad in places.


I've got some flower bulbs to try to add some colour to the garden, so when the weather warms up a bit, I'll put them into some pots, and hope that they grow!

Hmmmm, I'm sure there was something else... Oh yes!  I tried Samphire a couple of days ago.  I remember reading a poem with a reference to samphire in it when I was at school, and wondering what it tasted like, and it was on offer in Tesco, so I decided to try it.  Very salty, even too salty for Himself, who likes salt.  Possibly it would have been nicer steamed, and in a smaller amount, but so far, not one I'd want to try again.  Ah well, can't win 'em all - I liked figs, adored Bilberries and quite liked the Turkish sweets I had, so on balance this part of the Challenge is doing well :D The 5-new-foods project is nearly done, I think... only one more thing to try now.

I'm planning a bit of a re-think of the list, as some of the things are outside my budget at the moment.  As I've said before, even if some things on the original list don't get done, as long as there are 40 things by the end of the year, I'll be happy; the list is more of a set of suggestions / an aide-memoire as it were.  One of the new things on the list will be 'Make a Dragon'.  I decided that, since it's the Chinese Year of the Dragon, I would make a point of getting this project onto my list, and therefore hopefully done this year!

I've been collecting various bits of interesting junk, that I now want to recycle into a sculpture.  The idea has grown from 'a something' to 'a dragon' and it may well morph into something else in the doing, but notionally, it's going to be a dragon. 

Since the dragon will be quite a big sculpture, it will probably have to wait until the weather warms up a bit, as I imagine that some/all of the making of it will have to be done in the garden, as I'm envisaging this critter is going to be fairly large, and be a garden 'ornament', rather than anything else.    

Wish me luck!

Bellydancing, bells and books

I've done a few random things since my last post... one is a 'reserve' item, in case I don't manage to do one of the other things on my list, one is from my list, and another is part of the ongoing book reading!

Shortly before Christmas, my German class met up for an evening of merriment, which included (after enough drink had been drunk!) a try on handbells!

This was the bell that I rang!  Many thanks to Andreas for letting us loose on his precious bells!

I'm still reading through some of the books on my list - I'm currently halfway through Frankenstein, which I'm thoroughly enjoying.

Also, on the 8th of January, Her lovely Royal Hellness Lucretia gave me a bellydancing taster lesson, in return for which I taught her a couple of Poi moves.

I had a whale of a time doing the belly dancing, it was great fun and some of the moves are really beautiful, although I'm not sure I've got the muscle strength & co-ordination to be able to move bits of me separately from the rest of me!

For all that this part of my challenge was not related to the photo shoot at http://www.faridadance.com/ Farida Dance, there are some photos of me there and here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.94704550985.98360.58988740985&type=3 in the lovely bellydancing outfits!

Books so far

I've read two books on my list so far; Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and Brave New World, so that's my 'modern-classics' section done!

Zen... was very interesting, and I learned a lot from it, especially about the way Himself (Andy) thinks; in particular his attitude to 'quality' is very similar to that espoused in the book.

Brave New World - we're closer to it than we'd probably like to think.  Scary.  I reckon we're somewhere between there & 1984... doubleplusungood.

I'm having a break from Challenge Books after each one, so that it doesn't become a chore (it's supposed to be fun, after all!) and I'll probably read Beowulf or Frankenstein next, but for now I'm reading Neal Asher - Gabble, a collection of short sci-fi stories, which is a nice change from BNW!   

The Thackray Museum, Leeds

I visited the Thackray medical museum in Leeds this weekend, and it was well worth it.  A fascinating and well put-together exhibition of medicine & health through the ages, with a particularly good section on a street in Leeds in 1842 (http://www.thackraymuseum.org/leeds-1842.html) including a very smelly section around the slaughterhouse!  You can choose a character and follow them around to find out what their life was like, what health risks they faced and what illnesses they may have had, and whether they survived them!

There would be enough to interest youngsters in this section, without too much dumbing down for grown ups; and the other exhibitions were very good too, more aimed at grown ups, but still with interactive bits & pieces for little ones.

The collections of Victorian medical equipment were wonderful, and it makes me want to collect that sort of thing all the more!

I have to admit that the 'Pain pus & blood' exhibition did make me a little squeamish, especially the video of the leg amputation, done with anaesthetic but otherwise in the same way (& speed) that it would have been done pre-anaesthetics.  Nyargh!  

One piece that made me laugh was in the section on 'taking the waters' from a visitor to Harrogate Spa in 1997: "It tastes horrible, like very salty egg sandwiches.  Anyone who can swallow it deserves to get better."  !


Onward & upward, or something like that!

No posts for ages, and then two come along at once!

Today I ache everywhere!

The reason for this is I did a 1:1 Barre (http://www.the-barre.com/) class yesterday!  This was 90 minutes of an already tough form of exercise, but with the instructor making sure that every position and every move was perfect; no slacking off allowed!

It was very good fun, and reminded me why I love the Barre classes so much - the endorphin rush!  I've had a couple of months away from it, due to various injuries and so on, but I'll be getting back to it on a regular basis from now on!  This will hopefully also help with another of my challenges - return to my ideal weight!

However, for now, I'm going to have a fairly quiet day, and go for a gentle walk to stretch out all of my protesting muscles!

Update on my Challenge!

Well, I've already done something spontaneous!
I visited my mum in Brighton (well, Hove, actually) last week, and a couple of spontaneous things happened.
Firstly, I had my shoes shined by a real shoe-shine-guy! Not something I've ever had done before, and not something I'd normally do, but I decided 'Why not!' It was rather fun - the sensation of the brush and cloth through the boots was quite different, and the chap was interesting to talk to. It was a real 'spit & polish' too!
The other spontaneous thing I did was ride the Brighton Wheel.


I've never been on the London Eye, or a Ferris Wheel or anything like that, as I'm a bit nervous about heights, but I decided to give it a whirl. The views across Sussex were lovely, but I was more taken with the view over the English Channel.

While I was in Brighton, I also got a couple of the books for my Challenge, and my friend Leah suggested a couple more (Frankenstein & Phantom of the Opera) so I've added those to my list; although as long as I read at least one from each of Ancient, Classic & Modern I will feel that I've satisfied the Challenge!

Olga's 40 by 40 list

(In no particular order)

Places to Visit
1 Edinburgh: Spend a night in the Library room at the Witchery, take a tour of St Mary's Close (Edinburgh under-city) and visit Jekyll & Hyde pub!
2 Thames river cruise
3 Visit Stonehenge
4 See the Northern Lights (2nd March 2012)

5 Visit Thackray museum in Leeds (12th November 2011)


6 Tour the Victoria Tunnels (Newcastle)
7 Visit Lindisfarne (when Mum comes to visit me)

Skills to try
8 Try Carriage Driving
9 Side-saddle riding
10 Horse-ride along a beach, in the surf :)
11 Do a day of Falconry

12 Try Hang-gliding or similar
13 Ride in a hot air balloon
14 Try Rock climbing (indoor!)

15 Take a course in Bookbinding & bind a book.
16 Try Upholstery or Stained Glass making
17 Take a Millinery course & make a hat
18 Learn to use a Spinning Wheel (K.)

19 Have a Belly dancing lesson (8th January 2012)

20 Have a Capoeira lesson
21 Take a Fan Dancing class

Things to Make/Do
22 Make a corset (K.)
23 Make a leather masquerade mask (Jo)
24 Perform at a Burlesque show!

Indulgences
25 Have a 4-hand massage
26 1:1 Barre class 3/11/11


Personal Improvement / Challenges!
27 Hold a tarantula(!) (25/02/12)

28 Wear more colours, at least half the time! (Steampunk colours, admittedly!) (Ongoing)
29 Money-diet for a month
30 Grow some colourful plants in the garden (Ongoing - planted bulbs, rose bush & raspberry bush in March)
31 Try at least 5 new foods (Bilberries & Figs, Turkish sweets & Samphire, Kiwi Berries) (Finished March 2012)
32 Read at least 3 classics (Old - Beowulf; Classic - Little Women, Frankenstein, Phantom of the Opera?; Modern - Brave New World (I've also added Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to this list!)
33 Watch at least 5 'must-see' classic films
34 Try at least 3 new (possibly SteamPunk) bands - Vernian Process, Abney Park, TMWWNBBFN etc.
35 Return to my idea weight (8st7lbs ish)
36 Break myself of the habit of picking at my skin
37 Mystery item – because halfway through the year I’ll think of something I want on this list!
38 See a film that I wouldn't usually watch (I might change this as it's probably covered by the 'Classic films' item - my list, my rules ;)  )
39 Do something completely spontaneous (26th October 2011)
40 Make a (consistent!) profit with Charis Victoria Designs (Removed 27/02/12)



'Spare' items:
Make a Dragon!
Handbell ringing
Box Brownie photography (J)
Make Ginger Beer
Visit Bletchly Park?