What are you proud of this week?

This week I am proud of how much my downhill running skills have improved.  Exactly a year ago on the Lake Farm Charity Trail run a friend , feeling very sorry for me, gave me a quick 101 beginner course in downhill running. (Thank you Sheena :-))

Downhill running, especially on trails, has been a real weakness for me but over the past year I have been practising a lot.  I have been making a concerted effort to run the downhill’s, not to be overly cautious, not to slide down on my bum (although I still do that in parts) and it seem to have paid off.

This weekend, again on the Lake Farm Charity Trail Run I passed quite a few people on the downhill’s and not only did I pass them somebody called me “Speedy Gonzales” as I went by.  (I am not entirely sure she meant that as a compliment but I am taking it)

I am super proud of myself.  I still need to work on the technical down hills as I am still pretty useless on those, but I think that is more a strength issue (I see squats and lunges in my future)

What are you proud of this week?

I just love these medals, I now have 3 and they are gorgeous. They are handmade by the residents of the Lake Farm Centre.  For more info about the centre visit their website HERE

Awesome Lake Farm Trail Run Medal, hand-made by the residents of the Lake Farm Centre

All in all it was a great day – an awesome 15km trail run where we saw loads of buck including giraffe. Being called Speedy Gonzales on a downhill and a second-hand book sale at the end (I got a bit carried away as the books were only R3.00)  What more could you ask for on a Saturday morning and all before 9:00am!

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FBC – Favourite Childhood Book

I read a lot!  I always had my nose buried in a book.  So much so that when I was younger my parents used to say that the house could burn down around me and I would not notice – they were probably right.  I can’t however say that I had a favourite book I just used to read anything and everything I could get my hands on.  However, when I was about 10/11 my favourite series was The Famous Five.  I loved those books – I think I had them all!  Truth be told I had a bit of a secret crush on one of the characters – Julian…

Picture from HERE

 

I have kept all my Famous Five books and they are now in Little OL’s cupboard waiting patiently until she is old enough to read them.  Although after watching the movie about Enid Blyton I have gone off her quite a bit.  Weird how it has tarnished my image of all her books.  Has anyone else seen the movie?

A support group!

Ah, the relief – I am not the only one.  In fact I think I have found a site that makes me look like a bit of a slacker in the “I love notebooks” department.  Look at this blog – http://www.notebookstories.com

How amazing are some of these books.  I want, I want, I want!!!!

And in totally related news I am not allowed to visit Cape Town or Jo’burg in the near future as I might blow my upcoming Christmas bonus (if I get one)at Typo!  Can you please all STOP blogging about this shop.  It is making me sick with jealousy.

Another fun project – a bookshelf

I posted a while back (HERE) that I had bought a spice rack that I intended to use as a bookshelf.

It is finally up and being used.  I actually spray painted it a while back, but it only made it onto the wall this weekend. Here are some before and after photos.

As you can see it was in a bit of a state when I bought it.

Before – needing a bit of work.

I had been looking for one for ages after seeing something similar on Pinterest.  I eventually found this one at a charity shop.

I sanded it and spray painted it. And am very happy with the result.  It is very narrow and fits perfectly below the window in Little OL’s bedroom.  When the curtains are closed you would not even know it was there.

cleaned, sanded and spray painted

 

Spice rack turned bookshelf!

 

Little OL doing an inspection. I think it passed.

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I don’t know what to write at the moment.  I usually feel like this when there is stuff going on that I can’t or don’t want to write about.  It detracts from all the stuff I am doing that I could actually write about.

What I can say however is that Little OL and I have been having fun!  Lots of it!  When Mr OL left I decided that I would say yes to more social engagements than I normally do.  I have been feeling like a rotten friend lately and thought I had better get my butt into gear so not only have I said yes to stuff, I have actually initiated stuff too.  Very proud of myself.  Normally I only see my friend that train or race – I need to make time for the others too.

Little OL and I have been to braais, dinner, breakfast, lunch and play dates.  On Heritage day I invited a friend and her two little boys around and we lit a fire – yes, girls doing it for themselves.  I of course sent Mr OL a photo of the fire  to make him jealous just to let him know we were doing ok …

I have also been to gym a couple of times and this weekend Little OL and I went swimming.  I really want to teach her to swim so thought there was no time like the present.  At first she would not even put her toes in the water but in the end she was jumping off the side into my arms and even going under.  I battled to get her out – definitely my child. We then went home and washed my car – and both ended up soaked through.

I have also made a start to the quilt that I am going to make from Little OL’s baby clothes.  I have cut all the squares – and boy was it hard to cut the first few.  All I kept thinking was “somebody could wear these”.  It got easier after I did a few.  I could not cut them all up though and gave quite a lot to our gardener whose wife has just had a baby girl.

Baby clothes cut for quilt

I am going running tonight and my mom is watching Little OL – so that should be fun.  It is our club time trail – 5kms.  I don’t think I will do as well as I did at the last one, but it will be fun to run.

In terms of a confession – I have to say that I finished 50 Shades of Grey…  My thoughts – it’s an easy read and I can see why some people are enjoying  it.  I must say though that it is not my normal style of book, it is not written particularly well, the story is predictable and the girl is annoying.  Let’s just see if it gets any better in book 2……. J.  In the books defence I am all for anything that gets people reading!  And this book is getting people that don’t normally read that much reading.  I have spoken to friends that have not read anything in a couple of years and they have finished all three books.  So well done to the author.  She has definitely done something right!

 

How do you read?

Book Club Blog asked the question “How do you read”.  I thought it was an interesting question and as my comment was getting a bit long I decided to post it instead.

Here are my answers.

How do you organise your books?

I don’t organise my books.  I have all kitchen and gardening related books in a kitchen cupboard and all my other books in a cupboard in the bedroom.  We don’t have book shelves as I like stand-alone ones and Mr OL likes built in ones so until we agree the books are still in a cupboard.  I also generally only keep books that I have really enjoyed and all my non-fiction or reference books.  The rest I give away or resell.  books I am busy reading are next to my bed.  The books on my Kindle are filed under unread or read.
Do you prefer series books or stand–alone books?

I like both, but prefer only starting a series when all the books have been release.  I hate having to wait for the next in the series – like I am having to do with the latest Ken Follett series. Fall of Giants (book 2 has only just been released and I cant wait to start it.)
Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?

I can read whenever, but since Little OL has been born I need to follow her schedule and I usually read at night once she has gone down to sleep. This is a problem because I can get very wrapped up in a book and it has been know that I look up and the sun is already coming up.  Not good when you need to get up for a toddler and work.  I also read at the hairdressers, in queues, in the car while Mr OL is driving or anywhere else I can get a few moments.
Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can
you read more than one at a time?

I can read more than one, but if I am doing that then it is generally books that I am not that into.  If I find one I really like I will read it till it is finished.
What is the last book you bought?

Ken Follett – Winter of the World (Book 2 in the “Fall of Giants” trilogy)
What are you currently reading?

One of my friends has just given me Fifty Shades of Grey and insisted that I read it.  I have humoured her and am now on Chapter 6.  I don’t think I will be going any further.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?

It depends, in a “normal” book I don’t, but if I am reading on my Kindle I do as it is instant.  You just take the cursor to the word and it gives you the meaning.  It is one of the (many) functions I love.

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?

Generally I don’t.  Normally I am lying in bed thinking “just one more page”

Write something!

EDIT:  07/09/2012  I have finally written in it.  I started doing this Journal project with Ashley from Lil BlueBoo

 

My notebook from Humanwrit.es arrived a couple of days ago.  Yay! I love it, which is a problem.  It has been sitting on the edge of my desk for a couple of days now.  I take it home with me and then back to work every morning.  Every now and then I open it, have a look and close it again.  But don’t write or doodle in it. Why? Because I don’t’ want to “muck up” the pages!  I am scared that whatever I write is going to be rubbish and I will ruin my new beautiful book.  STUPID!

Humanwrit.es notebook

I suppose the fact that I already have a notebook that I use every day is part of the problem.  It is not that I really needed it.  In my handbag already I have a small Moleskin notebook that I use for everyday stuff, a diary for work stuff and a sketch pad.  Not to mention the other numerous other notebooks and sketch pads scattered all over the house and in cupboards.  I might have mentioned in the past that I have weakness for paper products…..

So Humanwrit.es if you feel like sending me another, so I have one to actually write in and one to stare at it would be greatly appreciated…..

I received a parcel in the post

Yay! 

I ordered a couple of books from Amazon.com at the beginning of the month and they arrived today…  Even better than Kalahari’s promised delivery time of the same books and cost nearly R200 less even including the shipping.

 

 

The packaging they arrived in seemed a bit of an overkill though….

 

 

Yes, that does say United States Postal Services…  LOL.  

I am determined to teach myself how to bake decent cakes by the end of the year!

My latest reads

The two books I have just recently finished reading are:

Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova and The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon.

A friend recommended Swan Thieves, saying it was the best book she read last year.  I would not get that excited about it although I did enjoy it and can understand why she loved it. However I have read such good books this year – most notably The Book Thief – which is high on my list of top books ever.  Swan Thieves is interesting in the way it swops between two time periods.  I would also say that if you are an artist or interested in psychology (or both – which my friend is) it would appeal more.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is a very interesting and inspiring book. It is a true story about a young woman and her family and how she ensured that they all survived during the Taliban reign in Afghanistan.  It is well written and an easy read.  It has made me what to find out more about Afghanistan and its people, the troubles that they went through and are still going through and how individuals survived.  I am not sure how I would cope if I were suddenly told that I could not leave the house. 

If you could only read one of the two I would recommend The Dressmaker of Khair Khana. 

Did I mention before that I have also recently read Water for Elephants??? If not then I should – it was great and I would RECOMMEND that book.  Loved it!

The book I have just started is The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks.  I have not read enough to comment though.

And yes, all the above books are available on Kindle in South African – and Water for Elephants is on special for only $4.17.  Yes, that is less than R30.  LOVE MY KINDLE!

These books are to blame for my lack of exercise (I have to blame something as I am not going to take full responsibility for my laziness).  I love reading and once I get stuck into a book I can’t put it down. This means that often I will read past midnight – and then there is NO way I am getting up early to run.  Maybe it is time to put down the books and run a bit – at least for the next 3 weeks.

Killing Kebble

This is a public service announcement.

I noticed that one of the terms used on Google that is sending people my way is “when is Killing Kebble  coming out on Kindle” – so here is the answer:  There is no Kindle version yet but has been released on ePub on Kalahari. It is also available in paperback.

How do I know this?  I asked Mandy Wiener the question on twitter last week – @MandyWiener if you are interested in following her.  I am guessing that the reason people are being directed to my blog is because I have linked my twitter feed to it.

Has anyone read the book yet, and if so what do you think?