Adventure

In January of 2002 I followed V to this country, him already a student here and me a new bride. I arrived on a wet and dark evening, the drizzle and wind just the first of many winters worth. The delight of seeing my newly minted husband meant that dragging my one samsonite with it's prescribed 23 kgs on the tube to our tiny studio an hour away went unnoticed.

After a decade which has seen us live as tenants, change multiple jobs, buy a n apartment, make it our home, have a child and build a circle of acquaintances, friends and friends who are family, we are off on a new and much sought after adventure.

We move to the sunnier climes of Singapore in a month. The many material things that constitute our home are being packed as I write this.

I have a lot more to write about our move. Watch this space.

All the wives

While V had a day of Olympic tennis the kid and I stayed home to clean and polish and play and cook. We had a very busy Saturday.

Still trying to get through my resolution of de-cluttering (get over it already 30in2005, I hear you say), we decided to tackle the books once the polishing was done!

Children's books first - managed to separate about 20 books that he has outgrown. Mine were a bit harder to deal with because I already gave away 120 books over December and January.

At first glance it seemed like I had pruned enough. But as I went through my bookshelves with a stricter eye I have myself a new rule. I would only keep a book that I had re-read or had every intention to do so. If only to find one line or page that meant something to me. A quick read of the book jackets would have to be enough to stir my memory of the story and tell me if I wanted to keep it. So that is what I did. With so many books to go through it took it's time and I have only managed to get through about half. And so far about 20 books have made their way to our hallway, sitting bravely in a pile waiting for new homes, new readers.

Interestingly I found a pile of books with each title including the word wife or wives. Took a picture (I'm getting better at this documenting of my mundane life) - here it is. Any guesses as to which ones I'm keeping and which I'm giving away? (a: top one, b c d e below it).

Haberdashery 2

I am so technologically challenged that I couldn't edit to add some pictures and text to my last post. Hence the new post.

I wish I had more nimble fingers and a creative mind. I have to resort to just browsing this twee little shop and enjoying the colours and simple order and higgledy piggledy ness of things in it - wierd how it manages to be both.

I've discovered how much I love independent shops. And even when I don't need anything I find myself buying something small just to support that effort.

Today my friend and I bought some large wooden letters to be painted by our kids on the next day in. The £1.50 for each will in fact buy us at least 20 minutes of activity, sticking, painting and talking about the alphabet with small whiny children while we lament the wind and rain. Some things are priceless.