that's old news.

Something I couldn't help but notice is...

I passed my driving test! I passed it (on the first attempt) ...in November. Quite old news now, I suppose, but it's still exciting. I get little moments while rumbling along the road where I suddenly realise: ‘Huh! I’m actually driving a car.’ (Both wonderful, and slightly terrifying at the same time).

When I was little(r) I'd always just assumed that I’d learn to drive when I 'grew up'. I remember making plans with my sister about all the things we’d do when we could drive (important things like: ‘go to the cinema pretty much all the time’ and ‘go to the swimming pool whenever we feel like it’*). The closer I got to seventeen, though, the harder it was to picture myself actually driving a car. I’ve wrestled with quite debilitating anxiety since I was about eleven – something that I’ve only very recently learned how to manage – and, up until this past year, I just couldn’t visualise myself feeling well enough to drive.

So this is a major achievement in more ways than one! Something which seemed near-impossible even just a year ago has now become a reality. Encouraging to realise that change is possible, that wellness is possible (and that nipping along to Morrisons to get a loaf of bread is also now possible).

Hooray!

(Oh, also. While on the subject of ‘that which once seemed impossible’: I completed and submitted my dissertation last month (my dissertation on that most unfathomable of subjects: the humble sandwich). Now comes the long wait till June for the results.)  

*alas, we’ve not yet done either of these (cinema trips or swimming). I’ve mostly just been driving to work and to pick my brother up from school and whatnot. Being a full-time nurse (her) and in your honours year of university (me) doesn’t really leave much time for doing much else. Plus, I don’t think we factored in the whole ‘we’ll need to pay for the cinema tickets ourselves’ thing! One day soon though!

cat's eyes.

We are looking after my grandparents' cats just now, and this one was sitting up on my window-ledge yesterday morning, watching snow falling outside.

The noise of the camera annoyed her, I think, so she turned round to tell me to 'be quiet!' - and I managed to catch this picture (with my new DSLR camera, don't'cha know, which my parents very kindly bought me for Christmas).

On another note, you might've noticed that I've changed the design of the blog a little. University work-load permitting, I'm hoping to post more photographs in the months to come ...once I figure out how to work the camera (lots of buttons and numbers and letters. Don't quite know what they mean yet), so I wanted to make the blog a bit wider. And I've been wanting to change it for a while, anyway. I'm no html-genius, so it's still pretty simple. But I think it looks a bit nicer. Hopefully you like it! 

(The wallpaper is from: The Darling Tree. This lady has a beautiful blog which I just stumbled upon a few months ago).

Anyway! I'm off to have dinner now. On the menu tonight: Moroccan chickpea stew with couscous, and grilled halloumi cheese and toasted almonds scattered on top. (My Mum bought some very delicious vegetarian cookbooks over New Year - the recipes are delicious, I mean, not necessarily the books - so many a tasty meal has been had recently!)

falling light

I’ve recently fallen in love with this painting (‘The Accolade’ by Edmund Blair Leighton). The light, the solemnity, his down-looking eyes, her hair: beautiful.

 

I noticed it in my friend's house a few weeks ago. She had a copy of it hanging right as I walked in the front door.

I was pretty pleased with myself I have to admit because, without knowing anything about it, I was able to guess that it was a picture of Guinevere and Lancelot and that it looked vaguely pre-Raphaelite. Useful to know that – as well as being able to work out the metre of old poems, the difference between finite and non-finite verbs, and other such useful life skills – my English degree has equipped me with painting-recognition talents. Huzzah! Someone employ me, quick!

♥

the moon's never seen me before.

(A sneaky little post written in whispering letters just to say: hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that next year is full of many delightful things.   

The promise in my last post of writing ‘soon’ fell to the wayside when the dissertation took over – nine days till it’s due in, and counting.

 

 

I’ll not leave you with empty promises, though. Instead, here are some pictures of light I've been noticing while going about my days - most especially the twinkle lights in my room.

 

 

 

 

I’ve recently fallen in love – all over again – with the lovely, wistful light they cast, with the way their reflections dance over every surface they touch.

  

  

And now, of course, you must listen to this: by Sam Philips. Goodnight.)