New Things

Last year, I challenged myself to do 50 New Things. The 2007 list contained mostly recipes and travel. Let’s see where the 2008 list takes us

30. Made basil and lavender ice-cream. Odd, but good.

29. Booked a band for my 40th birthday party.

28. Managed an unsupported headstand in yoga.

27. Hit 52,000 words with the novel.

26. Went on holiday for six days ALONE.

25. Ran eight kilometres.

24. Saw The Police live in concert.

23. Went to the Berlin Zoo. Very taken with the nocturnal animals, and with Knut, of course.

22. Used satellite navigation for the first time. Traveller’s bliss. Very good for marriages.

21. Visited Lübeck - a jewel of a town, with the best marzipan and great rhubarb cake.

20. Got past the 30,000-word hump with my novel. I could almost be described as being halfway.

19. Ran six kilometres - a personal best. Aiming for ten by October.

18. Went to a hairdresser and, for the first time in 21 years, did NOT have highlights or any kind of colour.

17. Saw Monty Roberts, the horse whisperer, live in Mannheim. Very moving. I cried.

16. Been called a “doormat” by a commenter. See here. There’s got to be a first for everything.

15. Made Thai Green Curry. Yum.

14. Learnt to use a cross-trainer. Watch me go.

13. Did a flexi-bar workout. Ouch.

12. Did a spinning class. It hurt in many, many places.

11. Teaching a child to cook. Together we have made muffins, pizza, pasta sauce and sweetcorn fritters.

10. Visited Geneva. Fell in love. I liked Verbier too, actually. I think want to move to Switzerland. I’d go for the supermarkets alone.

9. Had a full-body massage and my eyebrows plucked.

8. Drank six shots of Jaegermeister and sang “Mustang Sally” to an appreciative audience of 12.

7. Entered the first page of my novel in an online competition and was shortlisted (one of five finalists out of 675 entries).

6. Had successful skiing holiday that did not end in injury or walking down the mountain from fear.

5. Joined a gym on 25 January and still going regularly by 1 March 11 April 2 July. Clothes: significantly looser. Weight: indifferent.

4. Made a lamb and chestnut tagine from my birthday present book, Claudia Roden’s Arabesque. V yummy.

3. Made my own pizza, with thanks to Ash in Amsterdam for her easy recipe. Topped it with chicken, parmesan and rosemary. I cooked it with wholewheat flour, which is what I had. Next time, I might try white flour, just to compare.

2. Introduced a black protagonist into my novel. Progress.

1. Made a fruit salad of pineapple, orange and pomegranate, accompanied by lime and coconut ice-cream, for a girlfriend’s birthday party. The ladies of the Burg were impressed!