January Round-up

Its been a busy first month of the year, but as it has flown by we must have been having fun! I said at the start of my blog that I wanted to have many new experiences this year, at least one a month. This is a quick round-up for January.

* Started and continued posting on this blog! Its been a struggle sometime to fit in time to post but I'm please I've been able to post fairly frequently.
* Joined a book club and participated in discussing the first book. It was an interesting book, not my usual read & I've already started my February read.
* Started the ABC challenge. Definitely a fun way to get my creative mojo back.
* Eaten sushi. Its something I kept meaning to try but never got round to so I was pleased when some friends made it for a dinner party and it was delicious!

Can't wait to see what February brings!

Bought to you by the Letter B

Its week two of the ABC photo challenge and I have a shiny new camera to play with. Its a lot more advanced then my previous camera so the settings are going to take a while to work out.

I love Mojitos with the girls, which has inspire a Bottle of Barcadi as the first B subject!

As a hoarder I have lots of potentially useful items. My tin of buttons inspired me to get creative and resulted in displaying my love of collecting in a heart made from buttons.

Mozart

Earlier this week I mentioned that there are several Robert Burns apps, as Wolfgang Mozart was born 255 years ago today, I thought it was only apt that I searched for him too. There are numerous Mozart apps including ones to "give your unborn child a head start with Mozart's music" studies apparently show "a strong relationship between listening to Mozart's music and the development of spatial intelligence and certain cognitive skills." There is also a channel dedicated to Mozart videos (not sure how thats suppose to work!) and tutorial apps teaching you how to play Mozart on the piano. I've seen the virtual piano apps on the iPad and I have to say they are brilliant. I am currently resisting the urge to add to my gadget collection.

I love technology!

Burns Night

Happy Burns Night everyone!

Burns Night celebrates the life of Scottish poet Robert Burns. The night normally comprises of the recital of Robert Burns poems, the eating of Haggis and of course the consumption of Scottish whiskey. Robert Burns was well known for his romantic poems and was regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement but I would wager that many people know of his works without even realising it, for he is the author of Auld Lang Syne (the song nobody can remember all the words to on New Year's eve).

On a final, geeky note, there are even several apps showcasing his work, and even a guide to how to have the perfect Burns Night!

The Letter A

As promise, here is my Letter A Photo. The sculpture of Alice Through the Looking Glass by Jeanne Argent. Its based on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures Through the Looking Glass. Lewis Caroll was a frequent visitor to Guildford, which is said to have inspired some of his books.

Its not a great photo, time was short, but I was determine not to fail at the first hurdle. I'm already thinking of potential subjects ready for my Letter B Photo next week. Although naturally all my ideas so far have been for other letters.

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is one of the most recognisable and beautiful structures in the world. It is has made the list as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It was created out of love & grief by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died exactly 345 years ago today. It took over two decades to complete and stand today as a symbol for eternal love.

I've been thinking about India a lot recently, having just finished the second section of Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love (which I am currently reading as part of the book club I recently joined). The second section is based on the spent four months she spent in India, finding her spirituality ("Pray").

ABC Photo Challenge

One of my new years resolutions is to take more photos. I love taking photos, I have boxes of them from the days of 35mm film. Seven or eight years ago I went digital resulting in a collection of photos that is well into the thousands. However in recent years I seem to have lost my photo mojo. I still take photos but they tend to be parties or holidays but there was a time when I would take photos every day.

To kick start my photo mojo I am taking part in the ABC Challenge! The challenge is to work through the Alphabet, starting each week with a new letter. Its a means of encouraging me to take more creative photos. I will post photos here each week to keep myself motivated.

Blue Monday

Today is suppose to be Blue Monday, here I would say that its more grey & wet then blue. It was raining when I left for work this morning and it was raining when I got home, and guess what, yup its raining.

So according to psychologists, a combination of horrid weather, financial strains and shattered new year's resolutions makes today the most depressing day of the year. An interesting theory but is it true? I love the promise of January, a new start to the year and the evenings are staying light for longer. I will miss seeing the sunrise as I walk into work though.

Speaking of new year's resolutions, I've been a bit slack on the posting front this past week. So what have we missed. The Makar Sankranti was celebrated on the 15th January 2011. This is a festival in India marking the start of the Harvest. The day preceding Makara Sankranti is called Bhogi, when people discard the old & concentrate on the new, a very fitting new start.

Today is Martin Luther King Day. In the States, Martin Luther King Day is always observed on the third Monday of January. This is to be close to his birthday. A civil rights activist, in 1964, Martin Luther King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work. His "I Have a Dream" Speech on August 28, 1963, was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement. We talk of the new year as being a chance for change, Martin Luther King changed America.

Heroes & Heroines

Thomas Hardy died on this day in 1928, he was an English novelist and poet. He is also an author I admire. His book, Far from the Madding Crowd is one of my favourite books of all time, and I have read a lot of books.

Far from the Madding Crowd is a love story, centered around two main characters, Gabriel Oak, a shepherd and farm owner and Bathsheba Everdene, a vain but independent and educated beauty, eight years his junior, who comes to village to live with her Aunt, Mrs Hurst. As with all good love stories, the path of true love does not run smoothly. Our hero & heroine face numerous challenges and changes in circumstances. There are marriages, fires, duels, imprisonment and death, but will there be a happy ending? If you read one book this year read this one, or at least watch the film!

Girl Power was around long before the Spice Girls. On January 11, 1935, Amelia Earhart became the first person to fly solo from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California. As the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, she achieved another first as she became the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross. She was a member of the National Woman's Party, and an early supporter of the Equal Rights Act. Her involvement was key to the formation of The Ninety-Nines, an organisation for female pilots.

In 1937, Amelia Earhart, and her navigator, Fred Noonan attempted to fly around the world's equator. Although an around the world flight had been accomplished before, at 29,000 it was to be the world's longest flight. This would be their second attempt after technical problem thwarted the first. It was the during last leg of a daring attempt that they disappeared, and today, their fate is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of all time. There have been many theories, books and films about what happened but nothing has been proven and neither them, nor the plane, have ever been found.

Famous quotes from Amelia include:

"One of my favorite phobias is that girls, especially those whose tastes aren't routine, often don't get a fair break... It has come down through the generations, an inheritance of age-old customs which produced the corollary that women are bred to timidity."

"Women must pay for everything.... They do get more glory than men for comparable feats. But, also, women get more notoriety when they crash."

"The woman who can create her own job is the woman who will win fame and fortune." "It is far easier to start something than it is to finish it."

Plough Monday

Here in England, the first Monday after the Epiphany is traditionally known as Plough Monday, the start of the agricultural year. It medieval times ploughmen were suppose to return to work on Plough Monday. The tradition has been more renowned in the East of England where celebrations are still seen today. Ploughmen would decorate their ploughs and blacken their faces. They would then form a procession down the street collecting money. Not only did this provide funds at a difficult time of the year, the ritual was thought to bless the harvest and it would flourish during the coming year.

Epiphany

Yesterday was the Epiphany, the twelfth and final day of Christmas.

Now I know in my previous post I said that the evening of the 5th was the Twelfth night so the above statement seems a tad odd. If the twelfth day is 6th surely the twelfth night is also the 6th. However it is only in modern time that our understanding of astronomy that has led us to start a new day at midnight. The end of the day was originally thought to be when the sun went down. The evening and night was actually the start of the next day. Therefore the Twelfth night after Christmas would have been the evening starting January 5th, preceding Epiphany, the twelfth and final day of the Christmas season on 6th January.

So Christmas is over but on the bright side, Valentines day is just around the corner and the shops are already stocking Easter supplies!

Tis the twelfth night

Tonight is the Twelfth night after Christmas, the last day of Christmas merriment and the night all Christmas decorations are to be banished to the loft once more.

William Shakespeare is believed to have been written his comedy, Twelfth Night, around 1601-02, to mark the end of the Christmas season. The play is centered around twin brother and sister, Sebastian and Viola who are separated in a shipwreck, each believing the other did not survive, Orsino, the Duke of lllyria, who is in love with his neighbour, the Countess Olivia, who is mourning the loss of her brother.

Viola masqurades as a boy called Cesario and enters service as a page to Duke Orsino, who she promptly falls in love with. Despite his rejection Orsino sends Cesario to woo Olivia on his behalf. Olivia falls for Cesario and she sends her pompous steward, Malvolio, after 'him' with a ring.

Meanwhile, Sebastian comes to Illyria with sea-captain Antonio, who is a wanted man for piracy against Orsino. In true Shakespearen spirit there are some mistaken identifies and a dual.

A few short scenes later, Sebastian is betrothed to Olivia and Antonio realises his attraction to Cesario, who is relieved to find out is Viola. Much merriment ensues as the characters and the audience celebrate the happy ending.

Book Club

The first rule of Book Club is, you do not talk about Book Club. Okay, maybe not, that would be a pretty dull post!

Today's topic is books. As an avid reader I have hundreds of books. I have thought about getting a Kindle, my dad has pointed out on several occasions that my collection is a fire hazard (there are dozens of boxes in my loft) and I like the idea of instant access to thousands of books. However I love the feel of books and I just can't give them up. Having bored my family and friends with my talk of books, it seems like a natural progression to join a book club, its something I have thought about but never have had time to commit to. Under the guidance of A Year in High Heels I joined an online book club, which means I have the flexibility to join in discussions when time permits. Our book for January is Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I confess its not a book I have heard of but I did say that 2011 is a year of new experiences.

The second topic is Jane Austen, there is the CliffNotes version of Jane's life as well as a summary of her books. It has inspired me to reread Pride & Prejudice, one of my favourite books, and also to add 'Becoming Jane' to my Lovefilm list. I could talk all night but as it is getting late, so I'll leave you with my favourite Jane Austen quote.

For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors and laugh at them in our turn?
Jane Austen

2011 in High Heels - The Project

I received the book "A Year in High Heels" by Camilla Morton for Christmas. Its a guide to everything with tips and facts divided up throughout the year by month. Beginning on the 1st of January, Camilla talks the start of the new year being an opportunity for new beginnings with the line "New Year, New Resolutions, New Diary, New You." Well, I don't want a new me but am opened to an improved me. The second part of talks about keeping a diary, either as a traditional paper based diary or as a blog. I've decided to keep a record in the form of this blog as I work my way through "A Year in High Heels" hopefully learning lots along the way. There is also a section about fad diets, I just glossed over that one!