*Caution, this blog went slightly out of control in length and thus requires coffee and cake to be consumed while reading.
Okay, so the whole blog thing was meant to encourage me to write more but true to form it got swept aside by all the other things competing for my attention. So quick update, what have I been doing with myself?
1. Sailing
2. Copious amounts of baking
3. Travelling - Wales and Manchester
4. Life planning - is there anything more pointless
So firstly the sailing thing. This is a perfect example of never knowing what is around the corner. One minute I am nattering to a stranger at the swimming pool, next it's an invite round for a drink, then scroll on a couple of months and I am being taught to sail and yachting about the Norfolk broads every week. You can't really get much better luck than that! I love it!
Setting off first thing in the morning, with a dusky haze hovering on the water, the reeds are alive with the sound of birds, but try as you might you very rarely glimpse them. It is just blissful and in a gentle wind you can just sit back and let your mind wander. Then comes the adrenaline kick. The wind picks up and its full alert as your head flicks back and forth to the birgie (a little flag on the top of the mast that indicates the wind direction), so you can maximise the wind, feel that tug on the sheets (ropes) and capture the beautiful sound of water on the bow (front of the boat). You really are harnessing nature. From a greenie point of few, its free transport, and breathtaking nature all rolled into one = perfection. I could quite happily chatter on about sailing for quite a while, as my long suffering husband can vouch for. But maybe more another time, least to say it's brilliant and if you are ever given the opportunity to try it, do so!
So next topic, the baking, another joy of mine. If I am ever feeling down or feel a desperate pang for chocolate (the latter happens far more often than the former) it's straight to the kitchen. This is a hobby of mine my husband fully supports, and bless him, he eats my failures and successes without any complaint. This week has been a bit of a bumper baking session. It started with fruit scones - which were divine, if I do say so myself. Although quite a bit smaller than the ones my mum makes but then the Price family are known for their huge portions. Next came my first attempt at a gooseberry fool, following a phone call out of the blue from a friend with a huge bag of free gooseberries. Always a bonus when the ingredients are free. Poor Mark (my husband), not only does he dislike gooseberries (well he couldn't really remember, so was presuming that was the case), but he certainly doesn't like custard. So you can take a pretty sure guess that this wasn't his favourite pudding. Note to myself - never serve a fool at a dinner party. Having not made one before I wasn't sure what it was meant to look like, but congealed slop will never be a crowd pleasure, regardless of actual taste - which was OK considering.
Currently wafting from the oven is supposedly 'The greatest cake in the world'. With a title like that you just have to give it a go. I then realised the recipe was evidently written by someone who didn't bake much and was a little lax on the old measurements. Never mind though, it tested the creativity as I flung what I thought looked right in a bowl and gave it a good stir. The bowl licking tasted good, so that's a good sign. I should say at this moment, reading the recipe it said to put the cake in a 9 by 13 pan. My husband, who clearly doesn't bake thought that meant a saucepan! Anyone own a rectangular saucepan? :) Having explained basic geometry to him, I dug out a suitable oven dish. And it has beeped, it's ready!! Yum, it looks great, but better let it cool a little before I munch it all.
The third part of what is becoming a rather mammoth blog, is the travelling. Friends have a habit of coming and going, especially when you are young, but there is a handful you keep a hold on. For me, one of these is Ruth and I have known her since high school, and love her to bits. Well, when her very conscientious husband messaged me, asking me to secretly visit her in Manchester for her birthday, of course I said yes. So then I had the fun of deciding how to get there. Expensive train with loads of time to read, or drive up on my own for the first time, but granted with free reign over which music could be played. Having secured a friends sat nav for the weekend I went by car, and am now a sat nav convert - brilliant wonderful things that they are!
Her face was a picture. She opened up the door, said hello and then actually looked at who it was. She was so shocked she burst into tears. Huge brownie points for her husband, she was one very happy bunny. Well the surprises kept coming and she was taken on her first ice skating adventure. The bruises on her bum and elbows are testament to how brave she was. She gave it full welly and I have no doubt she will be going again soon. Then it was off to the snooker/pool club, where women go free. Great to know if you want a cheap afternoon out; and blokes do like women who are good at pool (as long as they don't beat them). The evening was rounded off with a good old natter, loads of Chinese food, and rather randomly a cup of tea. In bed by 11pm my my we are getting old :)
From there it was off to Wales to visit the family. In the space of 12 hours I saw, 2 great nans, 2 grandad, 2 nans, 1 aunt (her turtle, 3 guinea pigs, 2 dogs, 3 rats, and 2 other small rodents that have chewed the walls) and a dad. So a busy day filled with enough gossip to make any script writer for Eastenders jealous. My friends at home sometimes wonder how I turned out so normal (or boring as Mark sometimes jokes).
News just in: Mark has tried the cake and the first word is....Strange....It's not the best cake in the world, but its edible in that it tastes quite nice, is very moist, and has plenty of chocolate in it. But there is certainly something odd about it. I will be very surprised if he doesn't ask for an old favourite, Mocha muffins, to be baked as well.
Well on to the final chapter. Life planning. I have always had a plan, and I think it is fair to say like most life plans it has veered slightly. Don't get me wrong. I am educated - tick ; have a lovely partner - tick ; nice house - tick ; limited money woes - tick ; pets - tick. And these have come in a bumper supply, I certainly didn't expect to be married at my age. I don't doubt for a minute I am very lucky. There is however a gap that I never thought would appear. Work. I have always been career driven and a bit of a workaholic, but since being married I have been a housewife/lady of leisure, and that is rather odd for me. So what to do about it. The obvious thing is to get a job. This is increasingly easier said than done now that we are in a recession, but something else struck me. Not a single one of my friends likes their job. They spend the majority of their lives doing something that really doesn't fulfill them. Given this, I really can't complain that I don't have to go bang my head against a brick wall while lining some unknowns silk pockets every single day.
But I do want to be productive, so a bit of structure to my day is important. I currently lead a very busy life, sailing, swimming, doodling, drinking coffee, cleaning, baking, and nattering. You get the picture. As a random chap I met in the graveyard said, 'when you're young you dig many shallow holes and achieve little, when your older you will learn to dig a few deep holes and find what you want'. As random nattering with strangers goes this was up there, but it does make sense. I have lost direction and am not really sure what I want to do or achieve. I have always been prone to jumping on others passions, in a rather hit and miss fashion. Some I love, some I don't. I don't think there is necessarily anything wrong with that, but it would be nice to look in the mirror and say 'I'm Maria and I love.....' and the answer be something slightly more productive than coffee and a good chinwag with a friend. That's another thing, I love to share the things that I love doing; I really need a social outlet. My poor husband in the space of one morning, has looked at my cake before and after cooking, read the draft of my blog (all of which he has heard me say in one form or another prior to writing), and listened to me whitter on about my family. You gotta love him, he puts up with a lot.
Anyway I am not really answering my question of what I want to be or do, I suppose I will just keep myself open to what ever is around the corner. But I will certainly keep up the writing. That is something I am sure I love doing for myself.
Crikey this is one long blog entry! I think I may go add an advisory note at the top.
Bye for now, Love
Maria xxx
