Spring!

We just saw 18 nests in a single blackthorn hedge.

Mistlethrush, blackbirds, robins, a chaffinch and a bluebird were watching us walk by; guarding the half-built nests.

Buds on the bushes will hide them soon, so I took a picture from afar and tried not to upset the birds.

Tea Party

Tomorrow night we are holding a tea party at Brownies.

We are selling Red Nose cookies.

We are singing La Cucaracha.

We are doing the Mexican Hat Dance...

(We are demonstrating what we learnt at Thinking Day!)

I am getting a chance to chat to the parents for a bit.

Wish us luck!

Running Round (quite happy!)

This weekend I was away having fun in Birmingham (and doing my OU Welsh!).  We went to the Black Country Museum.  Fantastic!  There are shops to go in where you can buy things made as they would have been made during the Industrial Revolution.  There's a mine to go down, a boat to go on (costs extra - didn't do it), houses to see, demonstrations of people working doing things in the original ways - we saw someone making a chain link by link.

If you are ever in the Birmingham area - go to the Black Country Museum.  Give yourself the whole day.  Make sure you go to the houses at the top near the entrance - my best bit.

This week has gone something like this:

Monday:  Up at 5.30am. 
Climbed Ben Lomond (967m) from 10m above sea level.  Hurt on the way down.  Did it as fast as we could.  It was icy/snowy at the top - and very cold in the thick cloud.  You can't see the top in my photo.
Worked in the evening.

 

 

 

 

Tuesday: Up at 6.30am
Worked in Edinburgh - 7.15 departure from home... 6.30pm return.
Brownies - made shortbread red nose biscuits
Finished the baking at home (using left-over dough).

Wednesday: Up later (7.30ish but for no good reason).
Worked in Edinburgh: 9.00am departure.
Worked in Dundee at night - home 11.30pm

Thursday: Normal job - 9-5
NOTHING TO DO AT NIGHT (except practice... should also have done Welsh but didn't).

Friday: Normal job.
Working in Dundee tonight (home 12.00 as on the train)

Saturday: Working

Sunday: Working

Monday: DAY OFF! (til 3.30).. might find a slightly smaller hill...

Blue Peter Giant Bunting Challenge

Here is one of our two entries. The other was just a big bit of fabric with our unit number on it.

Other news; I am in Birmingham  (more accurately Halesowen) this weekend having travelled down for a Welsh lesson!

Writing that down it seems a bit mad: travelling from Scotland to ENGLAND for a Welsh lesson.

It was good, but I wrecked it a bit by being hungover (unfairly.... Had some wine on arrival with friend and family but not loads and not that late!).  It is not an easy language to learn despite my many Welsh-speaking family members.  I really like it though.

There is a cockerel somewhere nearby! I am in a really built up part of Britain. Birmingham is huge and sprawling - there are houses as far as you can see in every direction. Halesowen is a separate town, but it joins up with Birmingham - or it appears to me that it does.

So it seems strange to hear a cockerel (at 5am).

I presume it is in someone's garden.

Absence

My computer broke..... it's still broken.

A whole shelf of DVDs fell on it.  All of these DVDs... and the other stuff.

I hope to get my new (insurance) computer TODAY!  Lots to tell you when it arrives.

Yoga. And 120 miles...

Totally going to do it.

January is traditionally my quiet month where I avoid my tax return yet worry about it constantly, submitting it as late as possible after a full month of grumpiness.

You may be able to spot that I could do this a better way.

In order to distract myself I also do as many other things as possible in spare time.

I have done some Brownie planning, booking pack holiday and signing up for Helen Skelton's Red Nose Day Challenge.

I have been to help prepare Thinking Day crafts for Glasgow County.

I have signed up for a trip to Sangem in India (it's a Girlguiding trip) and have been to the first workshop.

I have tried a new spin class that had an abs workout at the end. I couldn't laugh comfortably for 3 days!

Most recently I tried a beginner yoga class. I do not think yoga is for me. The hands together or raised towards an imaginary sun felt odd - reverent but without an understanding of why, or what for. The movements were good - hard for me to do, but repetitive so I could learn them at my very slow pace.  The bit I found hardest were the meditations... I'm not very keen on sitting quietly, so lying quietly with my eyes shut folllowing instructions was hard. I didn't like it.

However I don't think it would be right to make a decision on a single session so am going again next week.

We won a pub quiz.

I went to watch Glasgow Warriors in the Heineken Cup against Northampton Saints. Loved it.

I have visited friends, and was given Herman the German friendship cake which I have been looking after for 3/4 days. This morning I fed him.

Fyi the tax is done... But not actually submitted. It is due 31 Jan.

Feeling more positive

It IS achievable... I think.

63 miles walked.

Walk 500 miles - 2013 Challenge

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!

I have another 6 stone to lose to get to 'healthy weight'.  The fact that 'healthy weight' is lighter than I was at 14/15ish when we had to weigh ourselves at school (sure I was about 10stone) is immaterial.

In an attempt to reach this goal, I have set a short-term goal of walking 500 miles by my birthday (June).

I realised that it actually needs to be done by 26 June as I'm off to India, so have decided to count miles walked from Christmas day to the 25 June.

I have walked 54 miles since Christmas.

It had sounded feasible when I made up the challenge... I walk about 6 miles a week to and from work.  It's 3 miles to the gym and back and I do that at least once a week.

It isn't feeling good.  I have 2.7miles a day to do, despite the 54 miles done in less than a month...

This leaves 83.33 miles per month, which is 21 miles a week.

I usually walk 9 miles a week and I thought that more than doubling that would be EASY?

My legs hurt.  I don't know if I can do it!

Hit target 1!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 stone lost.

Beautiful Loch Lomond (pictures in the order they were taken)

Christmas cooking

Brownies, Trumpet, Walking, Weightloss

Brownies:  We made these last week.  I LOVED them.  This is my one - the kids had a lot more glitter on theirs!  It's a pine cone painted green (some of the girls painted them gold), then glitter or sequins and a star on top.

Trumpet is fun - it is busy season (phew! I had begun to wonder if the gigs would come in, but they did).  This weekend was Messiah and Gloria-packed.  The rest of the run to Christmas will be a fiesta of Bach.  I love all these things.

Walking:  The gig on Saturday left time for a walk and it was BEAUTIFUL.  It is snowy and icy here - thawing now - so walking was difficult and we didn't go very far.  We took a short loop up towards a disused quarry, past an old well, around and onto a thoroughly frozen pond, then back to the car along the side of the river.

I have photos.  Scotland is so pretty!

Weightloss - another 5lb according to our very dodgy scales.  I think I might buy some new ones today.... we mostly estimate how wrong we think the scales could be and deduct what we suspect is an appropriate amount.  The doctors scales and the gym scales confirmed they are approx 1 stone out!

Stuff

OK... I have been busy as is usual in the pre-Christmas season.  I am delighted about this, but am also getting the typical coughs and sneezes that you pick up when you're tired.

At Brownies last week they did an animal themed Promise ceremony.  I was working so missed it :( but believe it all went smoothly.  They wanted to do animal fancy dress, we have animal mask kits and I bought lolly sticks and printed giraffe heads for them to cut out of funky foam with goggly eyes to make giraffe bookmarks.

This week we are meant to be doing street theatre, but I have NO idea how to start.  Any tips?

Diet-wise it's going good.  I am still measuring everything and counting stuff.  I am spinning on Mondays and Fridays and am walking to work wherever possible.

And I have lost over 60lb!  That's a lot - and it's quite a nice boost actually - good motivation to continue.  I have dropped 4 dress sizes and am just at the point where I would like some new clothes, but funds are a bit tight, and I'm still dieting so hopefully will drop a few more sizes yet.  It's the perpetual weight-loss conundrum.

I have started an Open University course too, but I'm not ready to share more details quite yet.  It takes 6hrs a week though, which is hard to find at the moment.

Dona Nobis Pacem

Today I will be thoughtful.  I will co-operate and will not cause friction.  I will be peaceful.  

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Dieting

I just decided to update my ticker at the top of this blog. I last updated it in June.

I had to put it UP by a pound.

At first that dismayed me, but on the positive side I have climbed a mountain this weekend, been to spin classes twice last week, walked to work twice and am therefore much much healthier than prior to changing my lifestyle.

The hill we climbed was Ben Donich.  The photos are from the walk which was icy and frosty at the start and snowy as we made the descent.  It was fun.  Two days later my legs are still hurting!

And that is a normal week.  With the exception of climbing the big hill, there's nothing there I don't do on a weekly basis.  OK I can't always do two spin classes, but I have been doing running training and have signed up for the free work gym which I hate and for the council public gym which I like.

I have also FINALLY got some drugs to help with horrible PCOS.

The overall picture is much more positive than negative.

Michelin Star food

Our food today at "Martin Wishart at Loch Lomond" was outstanding. I don't want to forget any of it:

We arrived early. I went upstairs to look around the hotel and inadvertently entered a suite. I think the occupier had checked out & left the room wide open.  It was beautiful! Lovely lounge, stand-alone bath, views of Loch Lomond.

Having spotted the bath (and realised I was not in a communal lounge) I retreated, rejoined birthday boy and we went to the restaurant.

They seated us in leather armchairs in a light room with views of the lawn and loch. We were brought a tray of entrees after taking our drinks (water) order.

We were given a rectangular platter on which they placed 2 haggis fritters (little balls), 2 parmesan puffs and 2 beetroot and horseradish macaroons. We were told to eat them in that order. Quite honestly I would rather I had eaten them in the opposite order (my order of preference) but PJ loved the beetroot thing.

A waiter arrived with bread next. Rye bread, honey bread, white bread.

We received amuse bouches next: a mackerel ceviche - mine had bones, and a tiny scallop with chestnut mousse and mushroom sauce which was absolutely indescribably tasty. This juicy morsel of scallop followed with a blast of saliva-inducing sheer savouriness.

Then came the food we had actually ordered:
Scallop in Jerusalem artichoke veloute with hazelnuts.
Game pithivier with celeriac.

The winner for me: scallop and soup. The veloute was unexpectedly delicious. From its appearance we could not have anticipated the punchy flavour. The crunch of hazelnut added the final touch. The game smelt a bit like hot pate.

Mains: sea bream wrapped in potato on pea mousse with shrimps in the sauce.
Calves liver with pancetta and posh mash.

Winner for me: fish but only JUST, because the calves liver was remarkably succulent.

Desert: mango and coconut on lime pannacotta. Sounds odd but PJ loved it. Chocolate & pistachio with creme fraiche.

I don't like mango or coconut so that wasn't for me!  The winner: chocolate.

What a bargain: £25 a head.

Brownies AND Guides

Today I am braving the next agegroup up in Girlguiding and have invited the Guides (without one of their own leaders) to join the Brownies to go to watch CBBC's Incredible Edibles being filmed.

Wish me luck!

On another note - I signed up for the free gym at work.  Why have I never done this before?  Because I am a scaredy cat and because I couldn't see the appeal of locking myself in the basement running on the spot.

To be quite honest, when I write it like that I still can't really see the appeal of locking myself in the basement running on the spot.  However I feel the benefit of it today, and have had a full English breakfast as a reward to myself (no oil, grilled of course!).

Tonight we are going to the rugby!  Glasgow Warriors v Ulster.  BIG match - standing (waterproofs may be required).

Otherwise: I have to do some trumpet practise this weekend.  Quite a lot actually.  I have been a lazybones this week as far as trumpet is concerned.

Sunday is my OH's birthday - we are going to a Michelin Starred restaurant, which will be a first.  I wonder whether it will be stuffy/formal so we hate it, or relaxed and high quality.  I will let you know!

I have a few birthday pressies to buy on Saturday - and a card to make.  I hope he doesn't read my blog - pretty sure he is as bored of it as the rest of my family!!

Still running...

I am still on schedule with the couch to 5k.  It seems it really does work!

Today I should have been doing my first 20minute run.  I should (on Saturday) have done an 8 minute run, 5 minute walk repetition but I forgot to take a sports bra away and when I tried it it was really quite uncomfortable - sore shoulders!

So.. I considered today whether I could skip the 8min day and head straight for the 20min run (that I really didn't want to do!).

After starting running and managing to get to 8 minutes (which felt a long time), I then thought... well I can TRY it.  I can always stop and walk if I need to.

But I didn't need to!  I didn't find it fun... it is not fun.  Perhaps when I know how it works, feel confident that I have the strength for it, then I'll be able to let my mind wander and occupy myself with musings as I do on a walk.

For now I think of things like "only 1 more song to go.... it must be about 3 minutes a song!" or "I wonder if it still counts as running if I go as slow as I would walk..."

About 10-15 mins into the running I saw some girls on bikes who looked familiar.  I ignored them (since I was red, sweaty and trying my first ever 20 minute run!) but they cycled up to the running track and started riding round to meet me.  Sure enough, it was an old Brownie of mine and her friend.  

Whilst I love my Brownies and I think Girlguiding is an amazing organisation there are times at which I would be happiER to see a familiar face.

I had a very brief chat with them - then carried on training.  It was actually quite nice to see some smiley faces towards the middle of the run.

When I got home, my other half told me he had never seen my face so red.  Nice!

(p.s. - look at this beauty - found him on the road by the house.)

Bad weather & Short days

We need to get better orgnised with some more healthy food in our house!  Today was a good diet (sorry - conscious healthy eating) day.  I had toast for breaky, vegetable omelette for lunch and some mince and carrots for tea.  They sound dull, but with herbs & spices I loved the meals.  It all totals up to a low points value and I have felt satisfied.

This has been the only good day.  I have been craving stodge for the last week or so and have eaten the following junk food: McDonald's Big Mac, Fish & Chips, Chinese (though that was ok - picked chicken chow mein).

Don't get me wrong - I'm not beating myself up about it.  I actually feel ok - it seems the exercise is balancing the eating out, but I haven't been LOSING any weight.  I think it's just because it's cold and wintery.  Time to start slow cooker stews and other such dinners.

Exercise-wise I tried to run today as I had a day mostly off, but had been to the fish shop to buy sea bass and they sell eggs so I bought some of them too.  I had planned to run home (this week it's 3 minute run/walk, 5 minute run/walk - repeat) but when I tried running with the eggs they made ominous clacking sounds as they hit each other in the box!

I managed one 5 minute run... and just walked fast all the way home (20mins) apart from that.  The eggs made it home intact.

We have lots on the go at the moment - some learning and some other plans I'm not quite ready to share.  It's giving me little room for boredom!!