on the nature of challenges....

So today is the 100th day of the 100 day Happy Moment challenge. Completed successfully, including photos. Looking forward to that free photo book (will not hold breath). As challenges go, this one wasn’t particularly strenuous. Just some thought and the discpline of a daily task. A talent for stage management helps, and that I have in spades. What I enjoyed most was the mix of moments, from the excitng to the mundane. It has certainly been a great 100 days and brings up the age old conundrum, did the act of observation enhance them, or was this a true representation of my life? A pointless debate really, as what is done is done, but a lovely excuse to capture a particular time in my life. Curious if I were to repeat this exercise in say, two years, would the images and text be at all similar. Would 100 days at a different time of year yield a different life? No major holidays or birthdays in this one, but certainly the busiest time of year socially for both adults and children. A challenge I would happily take up again, but don’t worry dear reader, not anytime soon.

Have been watching the Commonwealth Games. Now those are serious challenges. Couldn’t help but notice that the medal winning athletes answered the question “how do you celebrate,” in the same way. “Ice Bath.” Yikes. That alone would keep me from elite level competition (ha ha, as if that were the only thing). The dedication these young men and women have for their sport is incredible. And inspiring. Not just the training part, but the sacrifice part. I would imagine their 100 happy days would look nothing like mine…a lot more pain and “don’t”s as opposed to endless pleasure and “done.” But of course that is why they are standing atop a podium in Glascow and I am admiring them from a couch in Wandsworth. 

And maybe that is why so many of us get involved in charity work. Because it is something set apart from the rest of our lives. For most of us, myself included, my day to day living would not change if I chose not to build a library or raise money for WWTW. But my mindset might. I need that act of accomplishment. I need that sense of “I’ve done that,” to feel whole. I am certainly never going to be interviewed on television about running. I probably won’t be mentioned for my charity work either. But I know. And that is enough. 

Thank you for all your help and support.

Photos of a finished library....and some super adorable children!

Here it is. The Craig J Abouchar library in all its glory. Isn't it beautiful!!

It officially opened in late June, and is being used by the larger community over the summer. In total, this library will serve 1,000 children in Chihuahua City, Mexico. Children who otherwise may have NO access to books. 80% of juvenlie deliquents worldwide are illiterate. Too often, they simply do not have the tools to break out of the grim and grinding cycle of poverty, gang violence and drug warfare. Thank you for helping us try to break this cycle.


The children in these photos are the children who attend the primary charter school, Colegio Riberas School, opened earlier this year by local women, the school attached to our library. They are all so adorable; I want to give each and every one of them a big hug!!!

We still have a bit more to raise: http://annelibrarymexico.squarespace.com
Follow all the work WIJABA does: http://wijaba.org
Or follow them on Facebook: TheWorldisJustaBookAway (no spaces)

Thanks again!!!!!

Musings from York....and some over-due thanks yous!!!!

Sometimes we need to get away from the familar before we can really think and understand. I am in York today. Officially for the York Mystery Plays, tomorrow (theatre, medieval, wagons...like a siren call). But also to escape the heat of London and a house in the half-way-through-clearing-out stage of utter chaos. And Lizzie went to stay with her friend Alice for the weekend, a trip to Sussex (lucky girl) included. So on that train I got. And here I sit in my hotel room, alone, rain outside, thinking and writing and writing and thinking....

How grateful am I that I have family and friends who are willing to come along on all these crazy schemes in which I get involved. Running a marathon and climbing Kilimanjaro for a UK charity all of SW London adores is one thing, helping me to build a library in a country very far away, a country whose problems are very much NOT that of the British, a country becoming increasingly less-visitable due to violence, and in a community with which, on the surface, we have little in common, is nothing short of incredible. 

When I got the phone call from James, in August 2013, asking if I would take on this project for his charity The World is Just a Book Away (http://wijaba.org), I said "yes, of course," because I have a very difficult time saying, "no." The word just rarely occurs to me. And I had total faith I would be able to pull it off. Faith that faltered dramatically when 5 months later I realized I had no idea how I was going to pull it off. I have written many times on the catalogue of mishaps that led to that point, and I won't bore you with it again, but fair to say I was a bit stressed, and certainly rather annoying. Then enter-stage left: the great and the glorious of my London life. In particular, Lucinda, Sarah, Milly and Lucy, who said, collectively "we are so tired of listening to you moan 'how am I going to do this...' let's just get it done." And with their tremendous help, I did. Well almost. At time of writing, less than £300 to go....I know we will get there.

What started out as "Anne's Library" quickly turned into "Our Library," as this has been a true community effort. So so many people have become involved, donating money, organizing events, buying art, offering kind words...simply amazing what support and determination can do. 

I know I have so many thank you letters to write and send. Thank you all for your patience in this. I am waiting on photos and details, but my fingers are ready to type away. 

In the meantime, if any of you doubt the impact we are making in Mexico, I attach this video. This isn't my library, but this is the area in which we have built. Sad but inspiring. http://wijaba.org/video/.

Never too late to close that £300 gap: http://annelibrarymexico.squarespace.com

THANK YOU EVERYONE.

The library....as it was

Before I astound you with photos of what the finished library looks like, I want you to see how it started out...not only for purposes of tension, but because I am a technical nitwit and have gone and lost all the photos and videos sent to me....so waiting for replacements.....

In the meantime, this is what the space looked like before we started putting the library together. Dark and rather unappealing, I think you would agree.

Challenge #13, selling art...in monster heels...

Anne and Zena admiring Jackie in Cadmium Orange by Z. Mair

Lucky challenge 13...selling art. Well...wandering round in very high heels with big teeth painted on the toes and bloodshot eyes drawn inside....my monster heels I call them. And I love them. They are pieces of art unto themselves. And did I actually sell anything? Or did I just blab and blab and blab away about Milly's collection, a collection I know from personal experience to be irresistible? Regardless, people came, people bought and the event was a roaring success for the library. Maybe I should start from the beginning....

work by Paul Lemmon

On an unusually warm Bank Holiday in May, Craig and I went along to the International Art Fair at the Royal College of Art, next to the Royal Albert Hall. Of course we saw Milly Girardot (Longin) and her fabulous Art Movement stand. As anyone who has been to our house knows, we have fallen in love with much of The Art Movement art over the years. Art shows are about admiring art. They are also about chatting. And chatting we did. Lots. And suddenly, a crazy idea. Milly's summer show,  she wanted something more exciting. A fundraiser, perhaps. A fundraiser for the library? A share in the commissions if I would help? "Why yes," I answered, and knowing her inability to say "no," I immediately rang Lucinda. Could we have an art show in her gorgeous brand new house in Clapham?  Make it the "event" of the summer term season. Milly would hang Lucinda's collection after the show, as part of the deal. We would have it over 2 days and an evening, with wine and nibbles, and get the whole Broomwood, Northcote, SW London crowd in. The plan came together. Invites out.

The show included sculpture, works on paper and painting

Milly with Sarah and her art

On the day, Lucinda's house looked beautiful, Milly hung the show spectacularly and we hoped at least one person would show up....and before we had even finished arranging the flowers the first knock came at the door. The fabulous Sarah Aird, fresh from collecting her parents from the airport, stopped in. Kisses all round, bit of gossip, she admired, BOUGHT 5 PIECES and was gone. Wow!

"And so it begins....." we said to each other. And for the remainder of the day in they came. The curious, the supportive, the nosy, the eager buyers....those red dots started to appear on work after work after work....and then it was wine time and people really showed up. And bought. And drank. And chatted. And bought more. It was incredible.

I talked about the libary, people asked questions, wanted to know more, wanted to get involved...the sense of community was incredible. I felt extremely blessed.

The next morning, rather bleary-eyed, we flung open the doors again and much to our surprise people kept coming and kept buying. When Milly finally finished all the accounts she gave me an astounding     £3,070. I was overwhelmed and very, very happy. Milly was happy because not only had she sold a lot of art, but she now had a whole new client list. And Lucinda was happy because the event was a fantastic success!! I am sure there is some cliche that sums up this situation, but I can't think of it.

Instead I must say how grateful and honoured and pleased I am.  I know everyone will enjoy their gorgeous art, and the library is almost completely funded. Amazing. Thank you all.

Cumbria Challenge, #12

Once again, life has been so busy that I now find myself in catch-up mode. But that has been part of the challenge of these challenges, keeping all those plates in the air, that house of cards standing, the ducks in a row.....can't think of any more cliches....and more often than not the plates crash, the cards fall and the ducks scatter.

Gorgeous!

Same goes with a challenge in which 8 people of varied athleticsm try to complete the same event, at the same time. Short answer, it doesn't happen. The longer answer, a fun, rewarding weekend takes place in the beautiful, stunning, Cumbrian hills.

Clouds as dramatic as the landscape

map reading

I took a wrong step!!!

Andrew

Always Laughing

Some of the original Kili climing group, plus 2 newcomers tackled the WWTW Cumbrian Challenge, on June 14.  20km in the hills. Armed with only a map and a few packed lunches. Fortunately the weather was beautiful, the views stunning and the bar at the end was free. Special mention to Richard Petty; so lovely to see you without the crippling altitude sickness!!!

We finished in a respectable position, not too sore and Alice and I took to the dance floor with enthusiasm. Happily, there are no photos of that!

We Love a Medal!!

Challenge #12 complete.  Feel free to donate: http://annelibrarymexico.squarespace.com/

The Kili Group!!!

on healthy, little girls and cancer, challenge 11....

In order to catch myself up, I am moving backwards and forwards simultaneously, in hopes of arriving at my current position...the way my life works sometimes. Straight lines are boring anyway.

happy girls with well-deserved medals

 So I mentioned in a piece a few posts ago that sometimes it is the logistics of the challenge rather than the challenge itself that proves to be the test on the day. This was never more true than for the Battersea Park Race for Life, last week. Running 5K is not difficult for me. Running 5K with two 8-year-olds still isn't difficult. Getting to Battersea Park on time was nearly impossible.

Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. Forgotten trainers, lost Oyster cards, ill-timed cricket match with wildly inconvenient pick-up time, forgotten race number, missed train, unusually warm weather....we rushed across the park to the start line. Barely made the start. But start we did. And what a pace those little girls set.

I was concered at first that given the weather, they wouldn't be able to maintain the gallop at which they were running. I should not have worried one bit. They did beautifully. Triumphantly. Chattering the whole way and giving high-fives to spectators and marshals alike. No surprise that they got lots of attention. I looked like wonder-Mum with these two tiny gazelles running just to my left, passing the majority of other women easily.

But as this is a female-only race for Cancer Research UK many of the women had names of loved ones pinned to their backs. "For Mum," and "I will always love you Dad," and "Emily, forever in our hearts." Katherine and Lexi couldn't help but read them all outloud. I admit to wiping more than one tear away as I heard these angelic voices catalogue heartbreak. And then I thought, "wouldn't it be wonderful if by the time Kat and Lexi are my age, there won't have to be things like Race for Life and Cancer Research UK, that cancer will just be one of those olden time diseases." Hey, I can dream can't I.

Dream and run. Run and dream. A perfect combination. And with two beautiful, healthy little girls by my side, we had a dream, sprint finish. Medals, water and smiling, red faces. Challenge #11 was very special. Very special indeed.