I have decided to try and get fitter and a bit leaner! I did the first outing before I downloaded the podcast from the NHS website called couch to 5K and thought this is not too bad. Downloaded the podcast and turns out it is 90secs between 1 minute runs in the first week - not 5 minutes as I had thought when I speed read the website.... after the second run I thought just possibly the program has a misnomer - more like ouch to 5K! I have kept it up for a week and should theoretically now be ready to start on the next week program which will be 90 seconds of running with 2 mins of walking in between... so we'll see how that goes. I have been trying to walk every day also, and always on the rest days between the run/walks and had a couple of good long walks this week. I do feel better for it - just doubting my stickability!
Have been reading with a book club, and read The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom for that - I struggled with it at first, the style more than the substance, but enjoyed it in the end. Am also reading the Book of Mormon, and have decided to study using the Preach My Gospel manual.
Seem to be developing into the LDS social services for the elderly in the ward - getting Kathy Wright moved to Northampton to be closer to her family, trying to help Pam Nash research and buy\hire a mobility scooter, walking with Alice Yanni and Joan Denny - which is also helping me - though Alice is pretty slow, but Joan will get a pace going if we are out without Alice.
I am also anxious to get the house painted and decorated, but Tim is so busy with work he is not enthused at all. It is important for me as it is my place of work as well as our home, and clients don't want to walk into a grubby looking environment. This morning I will go and get paint charts and make a start on planning what to do with the hall, stairs and landing.
Busy - and happy!
Friday 8 March 2013
Tuesday 26 February 2013
Granchildren came to stay with flu....
A couple of weeks ago our good friend Bill Boome passed away and we spent all day Monday going to his funeral in Kent. We also had 5 members of his family, staying with us from the Friday before to Wednesday which was lovely - we don't see enough of the Boomes!
On Tuesday I picked up Hayley and Ethan from Northampton where Cait met me - that's two hours away and halfway between us and Yorkshire were they live. The came to stay on their own for the first time, and unfortunately Hayley came down with flu the first night. That reminded me pretty promptly what it was like when the girls were little and sick! We weren't able to do much because Hayley felt so poorly, but did manage 10 mins in the park one day, 15 mins feeding the ducks the next, and Tim baked brownies with Ethan while I took Hayley to the doctor - and they had fun doing that. I had a couple of sweet moments too. Tucking Hayley up one evening, she asked if I could sleep in Ethan's bed to be near her, and when I said yes she asked 'And if I need help can I call you?' Melted my heart. Ethan was such a good boy too, I was spending a lot of time sponging Hayley down to get her temperature down the first day, Calpol wasn't doing it, and one time Hayley asked for something, and I said 'You need to say please to Ethan, Hayley' Ethan's reponse? 'It doesn't matter Grandma' said with such love and kindness for his sick cousin. On the first evening Hayley was ill, she asked to go home, and I said I didn't think she was well enough to travel four hours since I would be driving and unable to help her. On Thursday evening when she realised she was going home the next day and was having an hour or so on not feeling too bad she said to me 'Grandma I don't think I am well enough to go home tomorrow' Touched my heart to know she wanted to stay.
I took these two little cousins back to Northampton to go home with Amy on Friday, then spent all day Saturday cleaning.
Les and Janet Hale came up from Bristol come up for dinner on Saturday evening, and we had a lovely quiet evening together. I had a cracking headache on Sunday and slot for two and a half hours in the afternoon!
Yesterday one of my friends asked me to help try and trace her birth father, so spent a couple of hours on the computer with her trying to see what we could find. I have also started attending an Eat for Health ten week program, the class is on Monday so went there in the morning, 45 minutes of nutrition information followed by 45 mins really brisk walking, in the middle of which was a 12 step stairway she made us go up and down ten times. I was glowing bright red by the end of the session!
Today I had to attend a speed awareness course. They recently changed the peed limit on the road we take to church from 40mph to 30 and I got caught doing 36 because I forgot. Cost me £95 so not happy....
We are fine otherwise, trundling along. Sorry to hear from my sister Susan that her husband, Merv's business is not doing well and they have debtors not paying up - that happened to us, when someone went bust owing us £10k in the late 80s, we nearly folded too. Had to remortgage the house, and I went back to work, and Jess was only three - I hated leaving the children, and think that it was actually Cait who felt it the most, though I think all the girls suffered because of it. Mom's place is with the kids in my mind but needs must when the devil drives and we did eventually come right and get out of trouble.
Facetimed with Becky and Adam in New Zealand on Sunday and had a lovely chat with Kathy Nielson in Texas today - Thanks to Viber - hooray for technology.
Tim and I are talking seriously now about serving a mission together, and looking into how best to prepare for that. Tim is working too hard and getting very tired too, and I need to get some more massage clients - so I can take the pressure off him a bit. That's all for now .
On Tuesday I picked up Hayley and Ethan from Northampton where Cait met me - that's two hours away and halfway between us and Yorkshire were they live. The came to stay on their own for the first time, and unfortunately Hayley came down with flu the first night. That reminded me pretty promptly what it was like when the girls were little and sick! We weren't able to do much because Hayley felt so poorly, but did manage 10 mins in the park one day, 15 mins feeding the ducks the next, and Tim baked brownies with Ethan while I took Hayley to the doctor - and they had fun doing that. I had a couple of sweet moments too. Tucking Hayley up one evening, she asked if I could sleep in Ethan's bed to be near her, and when I said yes she asked 'And if I need help can I call you?' Melted my heart. Ethan was such a good boy too, I was spending a lot of time sponging Hayley down to get her temperature down the first day, Calpol wasn't doing it, and one time Hayley asked for something, and I said 'You need to say please to Ethan, Hayley' Ethan's reponse? 'It doesn't matter Grandma' said with such love and kindness for his sick cousin. On the first evening Hayley was ill, she asked to go home, and I said I didn't think she was well enough to travel four hours since I would be driving and unable to help her. On Thursday evening when she realised she was going home the next day and was having an hour or so on not feeling too bad she said to me 'Grandma I don't think I am well enough to go home tomorrow' Touched my heart to know she wanted to stay.
I took these two little cousins back to Northampton to go home with Amy on Friday, then spent all day Saturday cleaning.
Les and Janet Hale came up from Bristol come up for dinner on Saturday evening, and we had a lovely quiet evening together. I had a cracking headache on Sunday and slot for two and a half hours in the afternoon!
Yesterday one of my friends asked me to help try and trace her birth father, so spent a couple of hours on the computer with her trying to see what we could find. I have also started attending an Eat for Health ten week program, the class is on Monday so went there in the morning, 45 minutes of nutrition information followed by 45 mins really brisk walking, in the middle of which was a 12 step stairway she made us go up and down ten times. I was glowing bright red by the end of the session!
Today I had to attend a speed awareness course. They recently changed the peed limit on the road we take to church from 40mph to 30 and I got caught doing 36 because I forgot. Cost me £95 so not happy....
We are fine otherwise, trundling along. Sorry to hear from my sister Susan that her husband, Merv's business is not doing well and they have debtors not paying up - that happened to us, when someone went bust owing us £10k in the late 80s, we nearly folded too. Had to remortgage the house, and I went back to work, and Jess was only three - I hated leaving the children, and think that it was actually Cait who felt it the most, though I think all the girls suffered because of it. Mom's place is with the kids in my mind but needs must when the devil drives and we did eventually come right and get out of trouble.
Facetimed with Becky and Adam in New Zealand on Sunday and had a lovely chat with Kathy Nielson in Texas today - Thanks to Viber - hooray for technology.
Tim and I are talking seriously now about serving a mission together, and looking into how best to prepare for that. Tim is working too hard and getting very tired too, and I need to get some more massage clients - so I can take the pressure off him a bit. That's all for now .
Saturday 16 February 2013
Procrastination
Thought I should add something to this blog..... then realised it was last updated in October - so no not tonight I'm not going to!
Thursday 1 November 2012
I could never live in Lancashire & the spider in the night..
On Sunday evening I drove up to Yorkshire, and spent Monday with Amy & Cait and the four grandchildren. We had a good time together, they were all getting ready for Halloween and I remembered I still had a pumpkin to carve on Wednesday. Amy and Cait are super costume makers! We had two dragons and Thor and Loki all ready for Wednesday.
On Tuesday morning I set off from Ossett to go to the temple in Preston to witness the sealing of Andrea and Sean Palmer, and their daughter Nicole. The endowment session was at 11, it should take about 1 hour 15 to 1and a half hours, so leaving at 9 I had plenty of time..... Driving rain and thick fog as I drove along the highest motorway in England, and a sat nav that wanted me to take the country route put paid to that. Having decided to ignore Gill (the sat nav) and turning back to the motorway, I made it by the skin of my teeth. The sealing was at 1 pm and as I came out of the temple the freezing wind cut through you like a knife. The spirit present however was warm and provided confirmation to Sean and Andrea, and solace to me.
I hurried to the MTC to leave a package for Elder Henry only to find the missionaries had been sent out into the field a couple of days early due to a mission presidents conference. Dashed back to the temple to catch Andrew Gardner from Wolverhampton who had also been at the sealing, and he kindly took the package to Henry for me - Phew!
Photos taken, I set off about 3pm to drive back to Yorkshire, where it was drier and warmer - never thought those words would come out of my mouth but it's all relative.... Picked up Amy, Hayley and Austin, and met Cait, Ethan and Sam for an early supper at Silkwood Farm - good food, and the kids loved the play area. Sam decided to play the 'can I dodge my grandma and get past her to run out?' game. He tried creeping past, running at full pelt, sneaking fairly close and then making a dash for it and various other tactics. He made it past me several times, only to be caught a bit further down the walkway, and then he said 'Stop it Grandma I wuv ooo' in a bid to be put down so he could really escape. When I am tickling the grandchildren that is what they have to say to make me stop - he obviously thought it was worth a try!
Visited Alison Boome in the evning - it was lovely to see her, and Sam and Eleanor are so kind and welcoming to me. We chatted for an hour or so all about the trip to Texas and Louisiana, and had a laugh together. Stayed over at Cait's and was sleeping in the bottom bunk of the boys room, with Ethan above me.
At just after 4am I woke up and as I opened my eyes I saw a huge house spider crawling across the bed just below my chin! I leapt out of the bed, thinking 'can't scream Ethan's in here' and hyperventilating. Opening the ipad for light I searched for that monster to no avail. I did find two dummies and several soft toys down the side of the bed. Eventually, heart still thumping, I forced myself back into the bed (too cold not to!) and tried to go back to sleep. Shortly after that Sam asleep in Rich and Cait's room started making little noises, like a dog who is dreaming, and at 5am Ethan got up and went downstairs. Thinking he was alone I shot out of bed and went after him, only to find poor Richard was already down there with Sam. I went back upstairs, gave up all thought of sleep and read for an hour, getting up at six. The heating had gone off during the night and we couldn't get it started again. Cait called the engineer and hoped he would come before they went to their halloween party.
On Tuesday morning I set off from Ossett to go to the temple in Preston to witness the sealing of Andrea and Sean Palmer, and their daughter Nicole. The endowment session was at 11, it should take about 1 hour 15 to 1and a half hours, so leaving at 9 I had plenty of time..... Driving rain and thick fog as I drove along the highest motorway in England, and a sat nav that wanted me to take the country route put paid to that. Having decided to ignore Gill (the sat nav) and turning back to the motorway, I made it by the skin of my teeth. The sealing was at 1 pm and as I came out of the temple the freezing wind cut through you like a knife. The spirit present however was warm and provided confirmation to Sean and Andrea, and solace to me.
I hurried to the MTC to leave a package for Elder Henry only to find the missionaries had been sent out into the field a couple of days early due to a mission presidents conference. Dashed back to the temple to catch Andrew Gardner from Wolverhampton who had also been at the sealing, and he kindly took the package to Henry for me - Phew!
Photos taken, I set off about 3pm to drive back to Yorkshire, where it was drier and warmer - never thought those words would come out of my mouth but it's all relative.... Picked up Amy, Hayley and Austin, and met Cait, Ethan and Sam for an early supper at Silkwood Farm - good food, and the kids loved the play area. Sam decided to play the 'can I dodge my grandma and get past her to run out?' game. He tried creeping past, running at full pelt, sneaking fairly close and then making a dash for it and various other tactics. He made it past me several times, only to be caught a bit further down the walkway, and then he said 'Stop it Grandma I wuv ooo' in a bid to be put down so he could really escape. When I am tickling the grandchildren that is what they have to say to make me stop - he obviously thought it was worth a try!
Visited Alison Boome in the evning - it was lovely to see her, and Sam and Eleanor are so kind and welcoming to me. We chatted for an hour or so all about the trip to Texas and Louisiana, and had a laugh together. Stayed over at Cait's and was sleeping in the bottom bunk of the boys room, with Ethan above me.
At just after 4am I woke up and as I opened my eyes I saw a huge house spider crawling across the bed just below my chin! I leapt out of the bed, thinking 'can't scream Ethan's in here' and hyperventilating. Opening the ipad for light I searched for that monster to no avail. I did find two dummies and several soft toys down the side of the bed. Eventually, heart still thumping, I forced myself back into the bed (too cold not to!) and tried to go back to sleep. Shortly after that Sam asleep in Rich and Cait's room started making little noises, like a dog who is dreaming, and at 5am Ethan got up and went downstairs. Thinking he was alone I shot out of bed and went after him, only to find poor Richard was already down there with Sam. I went back upstairs, gave up all thought of sleep and read for an hour, getting up at six. The heating had gone off during the night and we couldn't get it started again. Cait called the engineer and hoped he would come before they went to their halloween party.
I left mid-morning, and drove home, stopping in Oxford to visit Nanny Witts. She was in good form, happy chatty and looking forward to their Halloween party in the nursing home. As usual she insisted on introducing me to everyone. I was so glad I went as Pam wasn't well, and hadn't been able to pop in to see her.
Came home, carved a pumpkin, did a good job if I say so myself, made a ghost, put both on the front doorstep, got the goodies ready and Tim bless him, called to say you must be shattered, I'll bring home take away - I love him to bits.
Thursday 25 October 2012
Wednesday 24 October 2012
Sumer to Autumn
Well it has been a very eventful few months. We actually had all six daughters in England for Jessica's wedding to Jonny Pearce on 7th July. The run up was less stressful than anticipated, though the last week or so with a houseful of family all on top of each other did get a bit much.... and Amy and Jon and their two little ones, Hayley and Austin, decamped to the Peter and Honor Mason for a couple of nights. Great to have good friends like Peter and Honor! The wedding day was wonderful - it rained, but only when we were inside, and Jess and Jonny were able to have the photographs taken outside both at the chapel and at the temple. It was a truly lovely day, with lots of laughter, surrounded by dear friends. Jonny and Jess are now living in Reading - the only daughter to be living close to us, and that is a joy.
In August Leilani turned 8 and was baptised by her daddy, Adam, in Auckland New Zealand. We were unable to be there but participated via Skype getting up at 3am to be a part of it. It was lovely to feel the spirit of another happy family day.
In September, Tim and I set off on our first ever holiday without family, and not going to visit family. Tim turned 60 in October, and this was an early birthday trip to visit NASA in Houston, Texas. He has always been interested in the space program, and for two days we toured NASA and had a fabulous, interesting and fun time. Tim was able to ask as many questions as he wanted and was like a small boy - very excited. He was able to sit in the Appollo mission controller's seat - that was a highlight.
We stayed with our dear friends Kurt and Kathi Nielson in Houston, and went to the beach at Galveston, also to a little town called Spring, which was so nice - real old time stores! We visited the boardwalk at Kemah, and also had dinner there the night before we came home. We also went to visit the San Jocinta Monument and had a tour - leanred much about the history of Texas - again very interesting. And I discovered there that everything is bigger in Texas includng the mosquitos.... Kurt and Kathi took a side trip with us to Louisiana which was a blast. It was beautiful, we visited New Orleans, visited Rosedown plantation and went on a swamp tour which was the highlight of the trip for me. Amazing wildlife and so beautiful! We saw alligators, big and little, anhinga, blue-winged teal, kingfisher, coot, grebe, herons and more, wonderful lotus flowers and water primroses, tiny frogs called cricket frogs. The swamp tour guide was extrememly knowledgeable and very interesting to listen to. We passed on his invitation to stop off for a gruffalo wee break .... he stepped out and went to pee, as he came back to the boat and pushed off he said 'this is just the kind of area the female alligators chose to nest!' I was so pleased I didn't need the loo!
Later while having luchng in the nearby small town of Henderson, an alligator swam past the the restaurant - amazing! We also ate lots of wonderful food - including alligator, crab, oysters, catfish, and when we returned to Texas - Texas barbecue and a wonderful steak on our last night. The whole trip and most especially the Louisiana part felt like one long progressive dinner! In Louisiana we stayed with John and Nayda, wonderfully hospitable friends of Kurt and Kathi and now ours too. On the way home we visited Tim's auntie Vi, sister of his mum, in New Iberia. She was an absolute hoot - really funny. Aunty Vi talked non-stop, and at one point she said ' enough about me tell me about yourselfves' and then withoug so much as drawing breath carried on talking. When we were leaving and taking photos on the first shot she said 'Cheese', on the second shot she said 'Cheese - I could have said sex but I didn't!'. We spent a wonderful couple of hours with her.
We also went to both the Houston and Baton Rouge temples, and watched general conference.
We came home the week before Tim's birthday, and Amy, Jon, and family and Caitlin came down from Yorkshire to spend the weekend of his birthday with us. We had a winter picnic with hotdogs at the Rainforest Centre near Newbury - I think! It seemed a very twisty turny drive to the middle of nowhere.
It was wonderful for Tim and I to be alone together, to spend time doing things selfishly for just the two of us, and we had a great time - we will holiday alone together again.
And now we are home... life goes on - sometimes very happy as this summer has been, and sometimes sad, and difficult, all of it for our good and too many blessings to count, not the least of which are wonderful memories of this summer.
In August Leilani turned 8 and was baptised by her daddy, Adam, in Auckland New Zealand. We were unable to be there but participated via Skype getting up at 3am to be a part of it. It was lovely to feel the spirit of another happy family day.
In September, Tim and I set off on our first ever holiday without family, and not going to visit family. Tim turned 60 in October, and this was an early birthday trip to visit NASA in Houston, Texas. He has always been interested in the space program, and for two days we toured NASA and had a fabulous, interesting and fun time. Tim was able to ask as many questions as he wanted and was like a small boy - very excited. He was able to sit in the Appollo mission controller's seat - that was a highlight.
We stayed with our dear friends Kurt and Kathi Nielson in Houston, and went to the beach at Galveston, also to a little town called Spring, which was so nice - real old time stores! We visited the boardwalk at Kemah, and also had dinner there the night before we came home. We also went to visit the San Jocinta Monument and had a tour - leanred much about the history of Texas - again very interesting. And I discovered there that everything is bigger in Texas includng the mosquitos.... Kurt and Kathi took a side trip with us to Louisiana which was a blast. It was beautiful, we visited New Orleans, visited Rosedown plantation and went on a swamp tour which was the highlight of the trip for me. Amazing wildlife and so beautiful! We saw alligators, big and little, anhinga, blue-winged teal, kingfisher, coot, grebe, herons and more, wonderful lotus flowers and water primroses, tiny frogs called cricket frogs. The swamp tour guide was extrememly knowledgeable and very interesting to listen to. We passed on his invitation to stop off for a gruffalo wee break .... he stepped out and went to pee, as he came back to the boat and pushed off he said 'this is just the kind of area the female alligators chose to nest!' I was so pleased I didn't need the loo!
Later while having luchng in the nearby small town of Henderson, an alligator swam past the the restaurant - amazing! We also ate lots of wonderful food - including alligator, crab, oysters, catfish, and when we returned to Texas - Texas barbecue and a wonderful steak on our last night. The whole trip and most especially the Louisiana part felt like one long progressive dinner! In Louisiana we stayed with John and Nayda, wonderfully hospitable friends of Kurt and Kathi and now ours too. On the way home we visited Tim's auntie Vi, sister of his mum, in New Iberia. She was an absolute hoot - really funny. Aunty Vi talked non-stop, and at one point she said ' enough about me tell me about yourselfves' and then withoug so much as drawing breath carried on talking. When we were leaving and taking photos on the first shot she said 'Cheese', on the second shot she said 'Cheese - I could have said sex but I didn't!'. We spent a wonderful couple of hours with her.
We also went to both the Houston and Baton Rouge temples, and watched general conference.
We came home the week before Tim's birthday, and Amy, Jon, and family and Caitlin came down from Yorkshire to spend the weekend of his birthday with us. We had a winter picnic with hotdogs at the Rainforest Centre near Newbury - I think! It seemed a very twisty turny drive to the middle of nowhere.
It was wonderful for Tim and I to be alone together, to spend time doing things selfishly for just the two of us, and we had a great time - we will holiday alone together again.
And now we are home... life goes on - sometimes very happy as this summer has been, and sometimes sad, and difficult, all of it for our good and too many blessings to count, not the least of which are wonderful memories of this summer.
Wednesday 22 August 2012
The reality of retiring...
Well this week is the first week that doesn't feel like I am just still on holiday - very odd.... I seem to be doing a lot of running around, and will need to be more disciplined I think to make good use of my time. That said my ironing basket is empty for the first time in ages. I did learn to cook paella at YW camp and made that for supper last night, and Tim is enjoying coming home to dinner almost ready - ha ha a very uncommon occurence when I was working.
I have been trying to do good deeds for others, following the example of Richard Auger's http://doingtengoodthings.blogspot.co.uk example, but haven't made it to 10 in a day yet. Visiting Nanny Henry took four and half hours on Monday so quite hard to fit in anythng more than being a considerate driver. Some of the things I do are so enjoyable it hardly seems fair to think of them as doing good deeds too. I won't be keeping count but Richard has made me think about it.
Today I was able to visit Martin and Alison Boome because they were in Reading to help take care of Martin's elderly parents, and that was lovely. I also met a former work colleague for lunch, Maureen Sable - and that was also great, nice to catch up. This evening I went to visit Pam Skeete with Margaret Goddard, and I think that was good for both Pam and Margaret - it was certainly good for me : ) I do love visiting teaching - I always come home feeling good.
Last week I was up in Yorkshire and was able to spend time with the four grandchildren up there, and help Amy out by looking after Hayley and Austin so she could sleep after her two night shifts - that was fun, and it was lovely to spend time with Caitlin and her two little boys too. I did enjoy have unpressured time to chat with all the family. Heather and George were in York on Friday from South Africa, on their way home from a cruise to Alaska and we had a lovely fish and chip lunch with them at The Wetherby Whaler just on the north of York - a short but pleasant visit.
I haven't walked for just over a week now so need to get back to that - but I have seen the dentist and had a bone density scan - my family will be pleased to know they won't be nursing me back to health after broken bones anytime soon. Off to the temple tomorrow with Cheryl Carvill and Kathy Wright and then to finish preparing my RS lesson for Sunday, and try and figure out why I can't text Sheri in NZ or Jess here in Reading!
I have been trying to do good deeds for others, following the example of Richard Auger's http://doingtengoodthings.blogspot.co.uk example, but haven't made it to 10 in a day yet. Visiting Nanny Henry took four and half hours on Monday so quite hard to fit in anythng more than being a considerate driver. Some of the things I do are so enjoyable it hardly seems fair to think of them as doing good deeds too. I won't be keeping count but Richard has made me think about it.
Today I was able to visit Martin and Alison Boome because they were in Reading to help take care of Martin's elderly parents, and that was lovely. I also met a former work colleague for lunch, Maureen Sable - and that was also great, nice to catch up. This evening I went to visit Pam Skeete with Margaret Goddard, and I think that was good for both Pam and Margaret - it was certainly good for me : ) I do love visiting teaching - I always come home feeling good.
Last week I was up in Yorkshire and was able to spend time with the four grandchildren up there, and help Amy out by looking after Hayley and Austin so she could sleep after her two night shifts - that was fun, and it was lovely to spend time with Caitlin and her two little boys too. I did enjoy have unpressured time to chat with all the family. Heather and George were in York on Friday from South Africa, on their way home from a cruise to Alaska and we had a lovely fish and chip lunch with them at The Wetherby Whaler just on the north of York - a short but pleasant visit.
I haven't walked for just over a week now so need to get back to that - but I have seen the dentist and had a bone density scan - my family will be pleased to know they won't be nursing me back to health after broken bones anytime soon. Off to the temple tomorrow with Cheryl Carvill and Kathy Wright and then to finish preparing my RS lesson for Sunday, and try and figure out why I can't text Sheri in NZ or Jess here in Reading!
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