Tuesday 17 November 2009

Random thoughts from a train

Just wanted to start off this post with a wonderful November photo - taken today. I am learning to love November (contrary to popular thought) and find pictures like this spectacular. There is a lot of beauty around us this month - you just have to look for it.



I know that Libby, in particular, dislikes the overuse of the word "random" that seems to be rather popular at the moment. But here I am with time to reflect and you know how your brain starts to wander in situations like this - random right?

1. Thinking about the new "one little word" for next year. I have a need to move into a more stuctured, organised way of living and am trying to find the right word that is short yet description and which sums up everything I mean with that. Suggestions welcome.

Just some of the reasons why:

a) I remember birthdays but don't seem to get even a card into the post (sorry to all of those missed birthdays this year - Geraldine, Wendy, Lisa etc etc - you all know who you are).
b) I have lists of things to do in my mind but never get to write them down and often forget half of them.
c) I am full of inspiration but find it hard to know where to start.
d) I only work part-time, but never seem to have *time* to do the things that I want or even need to get done.
e) I am bored by my own cooking.
f) I never seem to be on top of the housework or especially, the ironing.
g) I am constantly tired. This can't be normal. (mothers? how do you manage?)
h) I start projects and find them months (or sometimes years) later, abandoned and unfinished.

2. I want to update the blog. Trying to think how. Trying to think of a new name. It needs a face lift.

3. Travelling through really beautiful countryside right now along the banks of the Rhine travelling south. This is Schloss (castle) country and it's fantastic to see these castles and ruins sitting high on the hills either site of the river. Must have been perfect fortress positioning in the days. There are some pretty impressive sights but it's a grey, misty, wet, dreary day with limited visibility. Worth taking a photo? Not really but it really adds great atmosphere to the view from the train window.

4. I have a rather odd man sitting next to me here who keeps looking over at what I am typing. I understand that when you have paid for your reserved seat on the train, you want to use it and feel like you have got your money's worth but the carriage is practically empty. And he's sitting here. Next to me. Invading my space. Why?

5. About 90 mins ago, a building caught my eye next to the rails. Just a normal building with an advert painted on the side but it just grabbed my attention. I was a little puzzled for a moment until I realised I was travelling past the Daimler Sprinter factory where I used to teach - memories flooded back. I still miss those lessons!
    6. 2009 is almost over. 2010 is at the door. What happened to the first decade of this new century?

    7. There are only 5 shopping weekends left until Christmas (insert silent scream here).

    8. I haven't done any scrapping at all for a month, yet I have lots and lots of new products. This is very, very wrong...

    9. Remember this from the January Bellaboo kit (featured here)?

    Can you see how cleverly I have disguised the fact that this is a project that never got finished off (please refer back to point 1 in this list!) and have updated it? Sneaky, aren't I??


    What is going through your head today?

    Monday 9 November 2009

    The sights...


    Just a few of the hundred or so photos we have taken this weekend. Again, all SOTC so not brilliant and some could do with a bit of straightening or cropping but overall, I think they are quite nice.

    Mmm, now what could this one be?



    And another rather unknown little Parisian gem...



    We had dinner again at this restaurant, Bofinger, last night. A wonderful art deco place specialising in seafood and just around the corner from La Bastille. Very romantic!



    I worked out that this is pobably the 10th time I have been to this wonderful city and yet, this was the first time I found the time and energy to visit Le Louvre. You really need several days to see everything there is to see, but we managed to get around the highlights according to my guidebook.



    I know this is a really geeky thing to say, but when we stood under the glass pyramid and then walked along to the inverted pyramid, it made me think of the Da Vinci Code and what hidden secrets this place is hiding - see, told you it was geeky!



    Our lovely retro boutique style hotel just around the corner from the Champs Elysee, L'Hotel De Sers. Very chic...



    Not much sign of Christmas yet. But these lights on the outside of Galeries Lafayette were really spectacular!



    And this was one of the super motives in the windows - only in Paris I think!



    We were too lazy and stuffed full of food to go all the way across town to take night shots of all the best sights, but the Opera caught my eye as something pretty spectacular.



    A city with so much to see and so much to discover...


    Saturday 7 November 2009

    Time away to recharge

    It's official. The Hausmann household has officially entered "crazy season". It begins with Halloween and goes through to the New Year.

    Without any extra activities, we can total 8 birthdays, 2 wedding anniversaries, Halloween, Advent, St Nicholas, Christmas and New Year before we even think about any other events, arrangements or pre-Christmas get togethers or activities. We celebrate both our birthdays within 5 days of each other and each consists of at least one event celebrating with one or other part of the family. Even on a quiet year, it can become a bit overwhelming!

    This year, we can throw in three concerts within 3 weeks of each other, a 40th birthday celebration with more than 20 guests travelling over from the UK, a long weekend away, a boys evening, a business trip and then we are trying to fit in all four families in two countries over Christmas! Phew - makes me tired to think about it!

    However, did I tell you that I am married to the most wonderful man IN THE WORLD? Realising how upset I was that I had missed Tom Jones in concert in Germany, he booked us a long weekend away to romantic Paris to see him live and to spend a few quiet days together before the busiest time kicks in! Boy, am I a lucky girl.


    And let me tell you, Tom Jones last night was one of the best concerts I have EVER seen! This was one of my favourites of the evening but I tell you, Delilah and It's Not Unusual brought the whole of the concert hall to their feet - totally brilliant. He certainly knows how to rock. Fantastic.

    The weather forecast was bad so we have been really lucky to have two days with blue skies and a bright, shining sun.


    Today, we wandered around Galeries Lafayette with its incredible stained glass domed ceiling and an enormous Christmas tree covered in pink -my favourite! I was obviously ahead of my time with my pink decorated tree last year! I mean, if it's the colour in Paris, I can't be far off can I?

    I don't have any photo editing software on my netbook so these photos are SOTC and I hope to be able to put some more photos up when i get home but just to finish off this post, we also found time to visit the Musée de l'Orangerie to gaze longingly at the Monet water lily paintings, Nymphéas. Just wonderful.

    I am one happy bunny!

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