Some Observations On Sleeping

Queen beds are wonderful to sleep in, particularly when one has a husband to snuggle with. Over the couple of months we have been married, Graham and I have experienced how nice it is to fall asleep in the others' arms.

Of course, it is summer now, and here in Perth it is very hot. 40 degrees or more during the day, and not very much less at night, combined with no air-conditioning in our little bedroom, makes sleep difficult. I go to bed at a reasonable time and attempt to sleep, but often after Graham has drowsed off, I am forced to get up and wait until the temperature has descended to an acceptable level.

The problem is, when I return, Graham has usually rolled into the middle of the bed. And his default position to sleep in is usually "The Starfish".

Like this:

And I have to push hard to get him to roll over.

Graham tells me, however, that I am not blameless in my sleeping habits. Apparently I am greedy when it comes to the blankets and pillows, and Graham has often woken in the middle of night to find me wrapped in all the blankets, and using all the pillows. I wrap myself so tight, it is near impossible for him to get anything back, and thus he has often been forced to sleep in the cold.

But once we have both fallen asleep, Graham has one more trick that has startled me several times.

I lie, asleep, or very drowsy, when Graham rolls over, grabs my shoulder and whispers urgently:

"It's ok! I have enough gold for the two of us!" 

- before he promptly rolls back over and starts to snore. I try to wake him and ask what he was talking about, but even when he wakes, he has no idea what he said. Eventually I work out that we had been playing a computer game together, one which involved earning money in order to buy soldiers, and Graham had been careful to share his good fortune so that I could have as strong an army as he. Obviously he had been so focused, he was still playing in his sleep!

I have never experienced sleep-talking before (although I think one of my brothers tried to sleep-walk out of his upper-bunk-bed once!), and now I find it very funny. I only wish I was awake to hear what Graham says more often.

I might go to sleep now, as I think the temperature is dropping. Time to wrestle some space off my husband!

The Sharing of a First Kiss

Can you remember your first romantic kiss? Who was it? Are you still in contact with that person, or have they drifted away on the tides of life?

When I was 21, I wasn't sure I was ever going to have a first kiss. At an age when many people have had a romance of some kind, I had never had a boyfriend. Maybe the two years I had spent in a convent had had something to do with it. In any case, I had managed to crush most expectations of a relationship in my mind. They happened to other people. I was just glad if I could make friends. I was living in a single room in Perth, Western Australia, with my family living all the way on the other side of the country. I decided friends were essential, and I was glad for all they did for me, but I tried not to expect any more.

And so, when Graham asked for my number after giving me ride home from youth group one night, I told myself it was just so we could organise future lifts. Graham was a nice young man, quiet, with an unexpected sense of humour. I liked him, but I thought he was just being nice to the chubby girl who needed a lift home.

I entered his number in my mobile, and promptly forgot about it.

A few days later, I walked home from work. I'd arranged to go to the movies with a workmate, and I was keen to shower and change before she came to pick me up. I walked into my room, threw my bag and phone onto my bed and jumped in the shower. After I'd finished, I walked back to the bed and realised I had a message. My heart sank. I was sure Katie was cancelling on me.

I read the message. "Hi, it's Graham. I was wondering if you'd like to see a movie with me tonight?"

I'd been asked out. I was stunned, and I had to re-read the message several times for it to really sink in. Eventually, I replied, enthusiastically accepting. Then I wrote another message, to cancel my evening with my workmate.

"Katie, I'm really sorry, but I am not going to be able to go out with you tonight. I have a date! YAY! I'm so excited!!! Wish me luck!"

I hit send, and then realised. I hadn't sent the text message to Katie. I'd hit "reply".

I'd sent the message to Graham.

In an instant, my dream of impressing Graham with my poise and charm crumbled, and I was hit by a wave of embarrassment. He probably thought I was silly now, some relationship-obsessed girl who took a simple evening at the movies as a sign of something much more significant than it was.

It didn't take long for my phone to beep again. I had another message. I checked it. It was very simple.

"I think you sent your last message to the wrong number. I'm glad you're excited. What time shall I pick you up?"

And, even though tone is hard to express through text, I felt better. I realised Graham didn't mind my silly text message, and my forthcoming evening started to shine with excitement again.

Our evening went really well, and on the way home our conversation turned to when we would see each other again. We decided that the next evening was fine for both of us. Graham pulled into my driveway, and parked the car. I started to say goodbye, when we kissed.

My first kiss.

And then we said goodbye, and I went inside, only to lie awake all night in astonishment at how fast life could change.

When I look back on it now, I realise this story is probably very typical. The interest comes from what stemmed from our first date. The man who asked me out on my first date and shared my first kiss, also became my first boyfriend. Eventually, he asked me to marry him, and in October of 2011, I did. I love Graham so much.

Most of the time, life is not like a fairytale. People usually fumble their way through their relationships, learning through experience and heartbreak. I don't know why Graham and I were so lucky, or why we never made a major mistake. I can only believe that we were meant for each other, and that we are being guided through our relationship. I don't know where we will end up, but I am grateful, right now, that we are so happy, and have shared nearly three years of joy together. I pray all my friends find where they are meant to be and find themselves as happy as I am now.

Thank you for reading my rather soppy post. I leave you now with a picture of Graham and I, taken right after we totalled up the cost of a wedding:

Hello readers!

I have spent half an hour considering how to introduce myself. How best to let you know who you are dealing with?

Perhaps I should tell a funny story? Of course, once I think about it, I can't come up with anything that could be considered at all witty or entertaining. Humour is hard to do on command.

Perhaps I should throw labels at the screen, in the hope that if I describe myself in enough stereotypes, one might resonate with a reader? I can think of many labels that could describe me superficially. But none that are compelling or insightful enough to make a proper introduction. Besides, that would be boring.

Perhaps I could simply launch into an anecdote about me? But even this doesn't sit right with me. Call me old-fashioned, but I like to introduce myself and make friends before I share.

And who am I to portray myself as anyway? I could focus on my best points, carefully

constructing a perfect image of a woman.

I could simply begin with a picture. If I was to glamorise myself, I could pick a photo like this:

Or this:

...and thus, lead you to believe that I am always beautiful and fashionable. Of course, this is not true. These are rare photos, from when I was thinner and more vain. And, as such, I feel they are misleading and not representative of who I really am.

I want to be honest with you all. So, in addition to my beautiful photos, I am also going to show you what I look like when I wake up in the morning. This, I believe, is important. Because when you imagine me in the stories I will tell in my later posts, I would like you to imagine me as I really am. Also, I think it will make you laugh, and that will help break the ice between us.

Are you ready? If you faint of heart, you may want to tab out for a moment and take a deep breath. I'll understand.

Ok.

In all my bespectacled glory! In all honesty, though, normally I look somewhere between the two extremes I have posted. Feel free to picture me how you wish.

I hope to post many stories on this blog, and I hope you will find my style of sharing interesting. In the meantime, maybe we can be friends?