Haiku My Heart

I found out today

That the pavement is slightly

Closer than you think

This little paper torso that I saw within minutes of leaving the house should have been a warning. Two minutes later I joined him on the ground! I tripped over nothing-and in front of two builders to make it even more embarassing! And it hurt! They did ask me if I was ok, but there was no gallant rushing to help me up! I fell over in the carpark in Rye yesterday too. When I was speaking to my Mum today, I was telling her about it and superstitiously wondering when the third fall would be. She told me to break a match-which was my Nan's advice. I must do it!

I got the bus to Woolwich to photograph the New Wine Church. The building is great-a former Odeon cinema, built in 1937 in art deco style. It had neon tubing on originally-can you imagine?! The church took it over in 2001-it had finally closed as a cinema in 1999. It has a huge nativity scene at Christmas which I will take a picture of this year. Usually I am driving past here so cannot take any photos. It is one of my favourite buildings in the area. I then walked home-40 minutes!

I have just been reading about the new wine church. One of their main beliefs is that everyone has a pre-ordained destiny, and finds fulfillment when they begin to walk in it. I quite like that idea-even if I don't believe that. I am pleased that this lovely building has got a worthwhile use.

Please visit Rebecca for more haikus. I must be off to tend to something quite strange which I will tell you about tomorrow! I am going to do a tutorial in fact, something I hardly ever feel qualified to do!

Promises to myself

Promises that I make to myself are the hardest to keep I find. It is so easy to just give up and not do the thing I have been meaning to do for so long. I gave up smoking at least six times before the final time three years ago. Now it is time to sort out the other things that are bugging me-namely eating badly a lot of the time, and not exercising, with the inevitable result of feeling fat and tired. I have put on about three stone in the last four years I think-the combination of stopping smoking and starting to drive are what did it I think. Hence the promise to go for a walk daily and eat more healthily. I have been reading 'You Are What You Eat' tonight, and I have bought a blender so I can have smoothies. I have eaten muesli, apples, bananas, salad , raspberries and blackberries over the last two days. I am writing it all down here so I can look back and be inspired to carry on. I am going to get my hair cut tomorrow-long overdue-I lost touch with the lovely Bianca, so am going to try a salon with such a great name that I can't resist. The Curious Comb. I hope they can make my hair magically much better than it is today! Here is Snowball-at least I think that is the name of this cat. I met it on this road a few years back, and that is what a helpful passer by told me. Snowball looked a bit perturbed when I stroked him, then moved round the bins for a photo, then back again for more stroking. He was just peacefully sleeping before that!

I was trying to think of some kind of theme to my walks as I can't always go to the shops. I thought of walking to and photographing the various churches in the area. This is one of my favourite ones, St George's in Kirkside road. It is my favourite as it has regular, and always interesting, jumble sales. The kind with home made cakes and jams, knitted goods for pennies, and lots and lots of great old books. I missed the last one-kind of on purpose as I did not want to buy more suff, and once I get in there I can't resist. This church was built in 1890-92, I found out tonight here. It had its roof lifted and dropped four inches out of place by a bomb in the second world war. I didn't know any of these things till tonight, so I shall be learning about the local area on my walks!

This is a recently constructed Methodist church which I have posted about before-as they had the cross lying around wrapped in plastic for ages before it finally went up. I love the bird detail on this window, which I have not noticed before.

Incidental cat photos. I like the multiple occupancy demonstrated here.

Cassie has been very helpful in my work today.