this blog has moved

I am trying out blogging through iWeb on my Mac, so this blog has moved to here

Uploaded - 26\06\2009

I've been thinking about growing chilies for a while so earlier this summer I bought a seed kit and in April planted some chili seeds. now they've grown into quite tall plants and there are some fruits hanging on the branches. I couldn't believe it. now we need to be courageous enough to use them in our cooking as well - and I hope they won't be too hot.

I just noticed this

emailing feature on my blog account, so I might actually be able to
update the blog via email. some how to me that seems much easier than
having to sit down and actually sign into the blogger application on
the web. I am massively behind on updating my blog. I kept meaning to
put pictures up from our holiday in Cornwall in March, but now that
seems much too far away to still be talking about it. We still had a
good time there though. I am still working on my PhD even though it is
slowly driving me mad. all the little things you need to worry about
in the end and now all the big things. The bigger picture of the whole
thing, and the contribution to Psychology as a science. I am not sure
i am making much of a contribution to psychology as a science, but
more to marketing and the consumer research scene... I'll see. One of
the people at the university here keep telling me how keen he is to
give me a mock viva, and I am not even done writing yet. But i guess I
have to be thinking about it. it is one of the scariest things I think
I will do in my life, the viva, not the writing... the writing is the
most painful thing. I really sometimes wonder what got into me to sign
up for this... it can't all be about the letters in front of my name,
although Dr. Ivonne Hoeger does sound quite nice... or maybe Dr.
Ivo... I like that too... Ivonne Hoeger, PhD doesn't have the same
ring to it, but it is still not bad...

anyway, that's all I am doing at the moment, suffering through the
final stages of the PhD, and hoping it will be over soon...

PS: ok so this emailing thing only creates a draft and then I still have to go into blogger and publish it... might need to investigate more about this

gosh it's really been a while since I have updated this blog. I have so much to write about really, but then often feel like I have nothing to say... I will update with pictures from Cornwall over the Easter weekend though. It will be nice not to have to do any work. And then just a few days later I will be off to Germany to see my family who I haven't seen at all this year... so stay tuned for an update in the next few days.

Christmas in Germany

I really can't believe how long it's been since i have posted something here. I think the stress of writing up now has actually hit me and I don't have anything interesting to say anymore, even though lots has happened in the past month or so. Well actually Neil has been much better at updating things, so you can have a look there as well. But just to round things off. In December we went to Germany so Neil could finally meet my family, which I thought was very nice. We had a good time for that week he was there going to the Christmas Market in Bremen, which is one of the nicer ones near where my parents live, visiting my grandmother, wandering around the town where my parents live and then it was already time to take Neil back to the airport on the Friday. I stayed in Germany until after Christmas and I had a good time as well. Christmas day is always a big family affair at home as we meet with my mom's side of the family (so 3 of her 4 brothers and sisters with families) for a meal at lunch time in a nice restaurant and then have coffee and cake at one of their houses afterward. This year was slightly different as we went to grandma's house instead and it was also slightly more crowded than usual as one of my aunts had relatives from Canada visiting who were there as well. It was nice to have someone to speak English to, and I think they were a bit relieved to have someone there who understood English more than the rest of my family. The next day we went to see my other grandparents without all the family there. A visit there on Christmas day is always overwhelming for me; my dad has 9 brothers and sisters who all have at least one child and some of them already have children now as well. Very big family. And the next day it was already time for me to come back to Exeter.