Thursday, February 24, 2011

Visiting






This weekend my folks are coming. Yipee! I don't see them often as they live soooo far away. Apart from looking forward to a great weekend, I am looking forward to continuing with this started project. My lovely knitting teacher (you know who you are... :-)) took me to one of her favourite haunts and where she teaches. After dithering for about ten hours at the very least, I treated myself to this box of the softest most beautiful wool. She helped me choose a pattern and off I started. Well one ball half knitted and I realised I'd made a mistake. Having so far only knitted scarves and hats (lots of pictures to come), I wasn't used to paying much attention to what I was doing. Knitting in the train home with one eye on a dog, or whilst chatting or watching TV is not the way to go as a beginner if it involves more than just knitting around and around. A small amount of concentration would have done me good. Anyway the wool is so precious (no I won't tell you what the shopkeeper was happy to take out of my hand for this softness) that I daredent rip it out by myself. My mum is going to oversee this ripping and Mrs. T (haha... it works for both of these knitting ladies) will be most surprised to see what I show you next time I see you.


Tuesday, February 22, 2011

A Perfectly Quiet Day


This is what I did today. I sat down and started to read for my thesis. Started, I hear you ask. Well for the first time properly. Flow for the first time. I was beginning to worry it would never happen. There is no way tthat I'll get a thesis done, if I never get to the flow point. I have stopped worrying. So thank you to the train drivers who striked today so that actually going into work would have been such a hassle. I stayed home instead and had a wonderfully productive and really very quiet day. All that looking into a sunny park.
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Monday, February 21, 2011

The Town Where Everyone Drives Hire Cars

A couple of weekends ago, we went to visit friends in the town where everyone drives hire cars. What? I hear you ask. Well that is what it feels as you drive into the city. For everyone ouside Germany, you have to know that most hire cars here are registered in Hamburg (HH) and then always have a great big "D" sticker on the back. So as you drive in you wonder for a couple of minutes about the amount of hire cars in the place. Hire  cars are registered in Hamburg and many company lease car schemes are registered in Munich. I personally believe it might have something to do with these two cities trying to convince the rest of the republic that they are actually bigger than they are.

Well enough about cars, we had a lovely weekend. Thanks, guys! And despite the rain we did get out. If it is throwing it down outside, what do you do? Of course, you go to an aquarium. Hamburg is home to Hagenbeck Aquarium. It is great and despite the fact the place was packed we weren't pushed and shoved like you can be sometimes. The animals and fish looked like they had as realistically natural setting as you could achieve in such a place. We saw the biggest snakes ever and they were actually moving so you could see just how long they really were.



The big tank with the rays and sharks is always the best though and we did sit there on the floor and watch the sea life glide past for about half an hour. So relaxing. 

Just around the corner from the friends we were visiting is this shop window. Sadly they weren't open when I walked past the first time or the second time when I specifically went there (hrmph... opening times on the website aren't the same as the ones in real life. But then again it really was throwing it down with rain, the whole area was deserted and all the other shops had shut too). I suppose I shall just be glad about the non-consumer moment I had (that is for you, Yramesmor!). But still look at all those beautiful spools..........Hopefully they'll be open next time.


Thursday, February 17, 2011

FOR TODAY

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... the sun is shining
I am thinking...about how to rectify an installationn problem on my computer and how to balance the upcoming move in terms of ease, cost and environmental impact
I am thankful for...the sunshine and the promise of a garden this summer
From the learning rooms...(if this applies).....logistics clusters, ArcGIS 10
From the kitchen...fresh bread and a wonderful cheese and ham collection waiting to be devoured this evening
I am wearing...too little for the temperature in my office
I am creating...a very pink cowl (the wool came from here)
I am going...to look at kitchens over the weekend
I am reading...The End of Mr Y.
I am hoping...I am
I am hearing...the builders in the neighbouring street giving a house a new rood
Around the house...filled boxes, empty boxes, piles
One of my favorite things....good coffee in the morning, made by my great husband
A few plans for the rest of the week: work, work, work, measuring up and making plans (and brunch with our favourite neighbours)

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...



Inspired by http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Moving!


Little did I know when I shot this a few weeks ago that I'd be able to use it to announce our move into a place with a garden. Yep, a garden and a live-in kitchen. Oh my, am I excited! I am thinking through furniture arrangement, curtains and picture hanging as well as what we can plant in the garden. The timing is perfect, my parents are coming soon and my mum has very kindly offered to help me on that score. We'll now be reducing the size of those monster green and yellow ones and digging some old but beautiful curtains out too. As to the garden, Y has already suggested peas and beans and flowers. Pretty good going I reckon. Just have to keep that dog under control otherwise all we'll have are worms!

The first thing that we need is a new kitchen. Anyone reading this from outside Germany probably won't be familiar with the crazy system they have here. Many people rent places but own their own kitchen. You move and take your fitted kitchen with you. Mad! Anyway, our kitchen is now in it's last flat. I really like it and it looks good where it is right now, but it will not take another move. So now we are looking to leave our kitchen in this flat and get a new one. Or even a new to us one. The choice is now red or white?  What do you reckon? The room itself is narrow but theoretically could have up to over 4 meters of tops once you have made allowance for the hob, sink and fridge. That is a lot of kitchen!

There'll be more pictures coming up soon. And to those have asked, of the house too. 

Thursday, February 3, 2011

A Year of Change

The other one of the two blogs I regularly follow has created "A Year of Change". If you read her post for today and you know why I blog, you'll get the fact that this is right up my street. Can you feel my virtual smile?  Why wallow when you can enjoy, when although life isn't going as you would like or had planned, you could be worse off? And anyway wallowing only helps for the shortest amount of time ever. And then you have to deal with what life threw at you and get on with it. Okay, there are a few situations where wallowing is the right therapy for a good long while, but those are exceptions and I don't even want to go down that street. This challenge fits  so well with the developments in my life that have come about over the past week. Developments that include some trees, a room of my own and a patio door. Exciting times....

Oh and the release from finishing these curtains!