Project 365+1: Days 211 - 217

I've been a bit under the weather this week and kind of busy to boot, so unfortunately no real blog posts recently. Going to get all caught up during my long weekend (and Lord of the Rings marathon) next week though, so look out for something a bit more constructive then.

Day 211: Shift Change

This week we've had the start of a new shift pattern at work and it's been a bit of an adjustment but I'm looking forward to having more Fridays off which is what I'm now going to be getting. It does also mean more Saturdays on, the first of which was just yesterday. I don't mind it too much, as I said it gives me more long weekends, it's just going to take a bit of getting used to - I'm paranoid I'm going to show up at work at the wrong time, or try to leave too early!

Day 212: Watched

At some point in the last week or so Tara has managed to set the alam on my watch. I needed a watch so that it was easier for me to tell when I was due back at my desk during my breaks and this one has fulfilled that purpose perfectly. Since getting it I've put the instructions for its various functions away in a drawer somewhere and now I can't find them to unset the alarm.

You might well ask how Tara managed to do this considering she's a dog and is somewhat lacking in the opposable thumbs department. Well, when she's on the lead I slip it over my wrist and sometimes she pulls and presses on the buttons. Now I've pressed every conceivable combination of buttons and so far have only succeeded in changing the number of minutes past 8pm that the beepy little alarm goes off. I suspect that I will be unable to solve this problem until I've found the instructions, but after that I'll keep if somewhere safe because no doubt she'll do it again in the future!

Day 213: Correspondence

I got an unexpected, but lovely letter from my friend Iona earlier in the week (on the same day that HMRC sent me three virtually identical letters, economical). I love writing letters and so delighted in picking a nice card out, as you can see, my writing is kind of teeny tiny, though not quite teeny tiny enough to fit it all in to the card. I had to break out the colourful writing paper to finish it off.

It's so nice to get post that isn't junk mail or bills or bank statements (which you shouldn't be getting anyway since you keep asking the bank to go paperless). The only problem is, I always think of things I'd like to say minutes after sealing the envelope. Oh well, more excuse for writing another one. ;-)

Day 214: Past Halfway

Back at the beginning of the year I included a snap of this scarf which I had been working on since just after Christmas (I think). I cut my knitting teeth on scarf-knitting; it was what inspired me to learn to knit (a friend at University showed up with a scarf she'd knitted herself and I thought 'if she can do that then so can I' but I'm yet to actually get around to making the one I intended to when I first decided to learn), my brother and husband both benefitted from my beginners attempts at scarf-making, but I've been promising one for myself for years.

But I find scarves can get a bit boring. This one has a lacey sort of bit in it which means that you can't really sit and mindlessly knit, you have to keep concentrating on it. I've been thinking about knitting a little elephant for ages (well, years to be precise) but I've made a deal with myself to finish everything I start so I keep on putting it off. But when I realised that I was actually around the halfway mark of this scarf I decided to pull it out and get it done.

I'm almost there right now. If I don't spend too long online today then I might actually get it finished tonight. And I'm really looking forward to cracking out the elephant pattern, I've already christened him Englebert and he will be all blue and squishy. ^_^

Day 215: Out The Window

This is the view out of one of our bedroom windows looking over into the paddock area out the back of the holiday home next door. It's always nice when there are people staying there with kids or dogs (or both) so this patch of grass gets used, otherwise it's just the birds out there, or other wildlife (as you can see below).

Day 216: Hodgeheg

When Tara and I got back from our walk on Friday morning I spotted a little dark patch in the paddock bit of the holiday home next door. At first I thought it was just a toy or something that had been left out overnight, then it moved and I realised that it was something alive.

I guessed that it was a hedgehog so dashed in with Tara, took her lead off and abandoned her in the living room (telling her not to eat any of my socks while she was there), grabbed my camera, switched to the longer lens so I could get a better picture and rushed back outside. I was totally paranoid that it would disappear out of sight but it was still there and I got a couple of good shots of it ambling around the grass before I decided I should probably check back inside and make sure that Tara wasn't getting up to any mischief.

Day 217: Brave

And yesterday we went to see Brave in our local cinema. Our local cinema only has 90 seats and there wasn't a single empty one left. There were easily more adults there than children and everyone was having a whale of a time. If you get the chance, see this film with a Scottish audience, I loved the atmosphere you could practically feel everyone agreeing with bits and finding things funny that I'm not sure everyone else would have found quite as funny.

I'm also a little bit in love with Merida. I'm trying not to say too much because I want to do a proper review post for it but let's just say, I think I might have a new favourite Disney Pixar princess. Belle's always been my favourite because she's got that fantastic library and loves to read, but Merida has a bow and arrow!

I'll shut up about it now, but for one thing. The scenery was incredible. The bits in the woods looked a lot like the estate where I live. It was so real and beautiful and funny too. Can't wait to see it again.