Starting right now. Again!

Well here I am nearly 18 months on from where this blog began and I have not achieved half of what i set out to do. How ever I am not sad. I have made the greatest achievement of my life to date.
On 18th July 2011 Tabitha Alice Susan Armstrong made her entrance in to the world.
It was not easy by any stretch of the imagination but it was wonderful. She is wonderful. I am gushing I realise.
I decided to rewrite my list of things to do. Some remain, some are changed. Many will now be all the more enjoyable with the addition of Tabi and others will be harder and have to wait longer for me to be away from her. I'm not setting a timescale for these like I did before, things get in the way, but I am going to work towards them non the less and update here as and when appropriate.

So the new list is

1) Revisit Cornwall (now I can show Tabitha all the places I loved as a child)
2) Get waxed
3) Take up Zumba
4) Visit Paris (this I'd like to do without Tabi so could be a while before I achieve this one)
5) Cook through a cook book start to finish
6) Drop at least one dress size!
7) Get my kayak 2 star (Hopefully I'll be able to get back out in the summer for a bit)
8) Get back drawing through mandalas and art journalling

So some things dropped, others changed. No doubt I will add to the list as time goes on, but once again it is time to start over. I want to be the best mummy I can be, but I don't want to lose me in the process.

Martyn Joseph Again

So I went to see Martyn Joseph play at The Brook last night. He was once again totally amazing. He is so expressive on stage and as much as I love his songs I don't think anyone could do them justice the way he does. He is funny and sensitive and somehow reaches out to the crowd. At one point he threw a plectrum into the crowd, I was gutted that it didn't fall near me and he only threw the one :(

He got to me even more than usual as he talked about the new project he has been working on with children from schools in Wales. The way he spoke about children with so much passion and hope was moving for anyone but especially for Susie and I in our profession.

Of course I bought the album of the new project but haven't listened to it properly yet.

So much loving live music and excited about the next few gigs.

Tattoo is doing really well so far, seems to be very healthy and healing well - hope it lasts. Bepanthan is fab! :)

New Tattoo

So I went and did it.

Kayaking was not on - and looks like won;t be any more until the new year now that the winter is upon us. So knowing that I will not be plunging into rivers (or swimming pools) for a few weeks, I went to book in for a new tattoo.

On arriving at Asgard -and showing them the design I had chosen, which they raved over, - I asked to book in to be told there was a cancellation slot available right then, so I went for it! I now have a very pretty musical design on my shoulder which i'm really pleased with. It wasn't my original plan - but I really like it. It was also not where I was originally planning on having it somewhere it would be so visible but i'm glad I did - if i'd had more time to think about it I might have changed my mind but - I am pleased i didn't.

I have a design prepared to have on my leg too which i'm gonna hope to have done in the new year once this one has fully healed.

It really didn't hurt as much as I remember - or maybe I just deal with pain better these days. Either way i'm definitely up for having another.



The image is a bit manky at the moment as it is totally fresh - I will post more pictures as it heals and is all cleaned up but it gives you the idea.

I'm a happy girly! :) One more thing off the list.

Half term

SO today is back to work after a week off and I'm feeling quite positive about it.

Last night I saw Salsa Celtica ( http://www.salsaceltica.com/ ) who I first saw this summer at Wickham festival. They were superb again last night. Sadly the Anvil thought it would be a good idea to only have seating for the gig and I spent the first half penned in in the middle of a row. However, we hardly sat down for the second half and danced to the latin beats and folk tunes for the rest of the evening. More like that will definitely help with the weight loss!! (Also back on the crazy diet now it is term time again. Determined to look amazing for Christmas this year!)

It made me remember just how much I love live music generally and realise that I need more of it in my life. With that in mind the next few weeks should be fabulous - I'm seeing Martyn Joseph again next Sunday - so looking forward to that! Then Steve Hackett a week later and Bellowhead the following week. I'm made up - just means I'll need to find even more gigs to keep me going after that or i'll be in withdrawal! 1 a month is probably pretty good to aim for and relatively affordable I guess.

So, any recommendations of who I should go see then?

Cooking...

So I've just acquired fab new cook books and wondered what peoples thoughts are?

I'm really looking forward to the cooking through an entire cookery book but am having a dilemma over which one.

I think the one I want to do is Baking magic which is predominantly cakes and cookies - does that seem cool to do?

Not sure why I'm really asking as it's my list after all - so I'll probably do what ever I want anyway! But do we think it's cool to do a baking book rather than a 'cook book'?

xx

Exciting exercise

Last weekend and the start of the week were mad fun.

Went out with Kate to a club on Saturday night. Been far too long since I dressed up in corsets and had such fun.

Monday however was just awesome fun. Kate and I decided to walk from Woodmill in Southampton to St Catherine's Hill in Winchester. Was really nice just to ramble and chatter. The walk follows along the river Itchen and the weather for the most part of the day was passable. Around Otterbourne area we decided that the river looked particularly inviting and decided to go in! Obviously we hadn't planned for this opportunity and had no swim wear with us. Luckily we had both worn pretty matching underwear that day and so stripped to bra and pants and jumped on in. It was sooo cold but such amazing fun. We swam against the current for quite a while then got out, dressed and carried on. I really have never felt so free and had so much fun as doing that!

On Tuesday I headed off for a days Kayaking with Pete, Laura, and Hattie. Sadly Jen was not able to come and Nicci had a migraine. It was really very windy. We headed out to Lymington with the plan being that we would paddle down the coast from there back to Buckler's hard. It was really hard going. The wind was gusting up to and above 30mph which made it really challenging, I got stuck on the mud and reeds a couple of times. It really wasn't the best conditions for beginners though and as such we ended up calling it off early. Hopefully we can organise getting back out on the water soon. Did learn a new skill of using the skeg which helps with paddling in the wind. Was a bit of a disappointment but looking forward to getting out again.

Been a summer of experiences and can't believe that it is nearly time for term to restart. Still lots that I want to do, and lots to look forward to. But i'm more on the way to being the me I want to be.

Musicness

This weekend has been fabulous. A real change and break from reality. I spent the weekend with great friends at the Wickham folk festival. The music was excellent for the most part and the weather could have been much worse.
I had forgotten how much I enjoy the freedom of camping and just chilling out at a festival. It was not a cheap weekend but awesome non-the-less.

However my highlight had to be seeing Martyn Joseph live. I've waited nearly 15 years for that and he did not disappoint. His performance is so intense and honest. Planning already to go and see him again in November and so excited.

All in all a wonderful weekend. But on the back of having been away to Italy , I'm looking forward to a night in my own bed.