Challenge Steph

Hello.

I’m surprised I’ve lasted this long without doing the Blog thing to be honest. Considering the amount of time spent during my degree looking at the things, writing about the things, occasionally making them for other people, I’m more surprised that I haven’t done one before. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve thought about it, but I reasoned that I had nothing of interest to talk about. Not that I’m expecting this to be wildly exciting, but this time I have more of a purpose. Before I thought “Man, I should TOTALLY write a blog” but that was really all I had.

So what’s the amazing idea I’m imagining I hear you cry? Well there are a couple, really.

The first is that I want to document my plan to take the 365 Photo Challenge, taking a photo a day for the year. My flatmate, the lovely Samantha (doesn’t that just conjure up the image of a lady in a sparkly dress and teeth so bright you need eclipse glasses?) (Have just realised this is because in I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue there is a lovely Samantha) said to me on our trip back to London after Christmas that she was planning to undertake the challenge this year, that she had done so a couple of years previously and that whilst it was hard, it was worth it. I suggested I did it as well, then we’d have each other to spur the other on. Plan.

It being the 2nd January, I started yesterday. I posted my first picture online, and found straight away that I wanted to talk about the picture. Today, I posted my second picture and felt the same. This is where the plan to document each picture and its story in a so called “blog” started. A couple of friends have their own blogs which I enjoy reading, perhaps they would take a cursory glance at mine so they could claim to have read it when I ask. I also thought there was a possibility that people could suggest places for me to go and take photos, which might help me find some interesting spots in and around London that I didn’t know about previously!

The second part is something of a New Year’s Resolution I’d also like to…keep tabs on I suppose. Thanks to my wonderful Mama, I have always loved music. I’ve grown up hearing her sing and play the guitar and piano and all sorts of other instruments and I’ve loved every second of it. As I’ve matured (HA! I josh, I josh) I’ve discovered that I am basically turning into my mum. Like her, I play the guitar, like her, I have gone into a music shop for guitar strings and come out with a new instrument. Fortunately for me, I only came out with a new ukulele, she came out with a piano. She was a teacher and ran the choir, I am planning to start a career in teaching soon, and am working with the choir at the school I currently work in.

I love music and I love being able to make music. I love teaching myself how to make that music, and the feeling of making a recognisable tune out of something I’ve just picked up is unmatched for me. At Christmas I played and sang Mele Kalikimaka on the ukulele for my littlest niece, who is just a month old. Judging by her stares, I feel confident that she will be yet another music lover in our family. It was a beautiful, wonderful feeling.

Over the years I have played the guitar, ukulele, piano, xylophone, steel drum, saxophone…and probably some others that I forget. Sadly, the only ones I still play are the guitar and ukulele. Enter New Year’s Resolution. I have decided that this year I am going to make an effort with music. I own a saxophone, I still have some memory of learning it, so I’m going to start again and hopefully end the year being able to play something other than Groovy Kind of Love. Part of this resolution is to not buy any more instruments until I can master the ones I own.

This half of the purpose of the blog is a little more self centred. I’m hoping that by telling the world that this is my plan that I’ll actually do it. I can’t possibly let down the world.

So, that’s it. I hope that it’s not too self indulgent, and maybe a bit interesting. The name is because I really am quite like Anneka, except I'm not at all. It's uncanny.

Much love,
Stephie