Fly Me To The Moon

Posted on by August 3, 2019

Little Treasure came to see us this weekend (without hubby who had to work). Food, drink and chillin was the order of the weekend, oh and her surprise birthday prezzie of a trial flight in a glider

Getting ready for the flight, Kevin had to wear a parachute and receive tuition from the instructor on what not to pull “don’t pull the rip cord, for God’s sake” as she is trying to fasten the chute and tugging at the handle labelled “only pull in an emergency”. He also advised that in the event of an emergency, if he shouted “jump, jump, jump” it means he has already left the plane and she was on her own!

We think she had fun.

Zumba!

Posted on by July 31, 2019

Today was beginners Zumba class! Whoah! If that was the beginner version I’ll be needing A LOT more classes before I even contemplate the main classes.

Let’s just say I’ve two left feet and clubs for arms. The speed of the class and moves is considerable so not only was I struggling to keep up fitness wise, I seriously struggled to follow the moves.

However the teacher was right….it makes you laugh and smile…in my case out of sheer exasperation at not being able to follow the moves and I ended up waving arms, legs and bum wildly around in the vein attempt to follow the routine. Thank goodness there were no video cameras. Mr Fogg would have been crying with laughter on the side if he had watched!

A bit of Salsa, Cossack dancing, tango, jumping jacks, country line dancing – it was all wedged into the 45 minute class. I came out literally dripping and shattered!

Go again you ask?? Hell yes, if only to try to learn the routine and to keep grinning at myself. You simply cannot take yourself seriously when you are clumping around trying not to bash into the people next to you because you forgot to turn, jump or skip to the left, back, right or front.

Fitness Update – week 4

Posted on by July 28, 2019

Ok so it’s about to be week number four of trying to get fitter and seeing Sporty Spice, my personal trainer. It’s been hard going and I confess there have been a few times when “fit” hasn’t been on the agenda. Such as:

6 course champagne dinner – yummy

Full weekend in Carcassonne with a few glasses of champagne and another 6 course meal accompanied with wines of the region.

Gym free days spent pottering/reading etc

But still, I’ve been trying hard to work out regularly, visiting Sporty every week. I’m busy doing squats, triceps dips, press ups, slinging dumbbells up and down, and it’s starting to make a teeny difference.

But nothing really visible yet other than if I look really closely my bum has lifted perhaps by a centimetre (woo). So, a long way to go but I’m having fun!

Sporty Spice is full of encouragement and bounces as she gainfully says things like “now let’s do 20 more squats, but this time pulse when you are in the squat”. Oh boy! It does help but it’s bloomin hard going and I come away from a session looking like I’ve just ran a marathon – which I might add I have ZERO intention of ever doing.

Next I’ve signed up to have a go at Zumba at the gym. It’s a beginners class and I can only imagine it will be hilarious – I’m not the most coordinated of people and following dance patterns is, well, impossible. Thank goodness no-one will be videoing it then. I’m also signed up for Yoga too. I can get used to this not working lark!

8 weeks left before I return to work, time to up the ante and get fitter before the hours get long again!

Veg anyone?

Posted on by July 28, 2019

Huge beetroot and a good batch of peas. How cool is that?

Only a small portion of peas and a few picked slightly too soon but they are yummy and sweet!

It’s a mystery

Posted on by July 24, 2019

What’s trying to scratch its way into our garden storage box?

This is the second hole now. Darn thing it making the box no longer waterproof.

Mr Fogg filled the other hole.

Cat? Fox? Rat? Rabbit? They look like scratch marks not teeth I reckon.

Unwanted guest

Posted on by July 24, 2019

We have a resident rabbit moved in to the top field. Thank goodness he cannot get to the veg patch…..yet

And our cat is oblivious. The thing ran past her today, she was busy looking down at the grass. Doh!

Wildflower garden

Posted on by July 23, 2019

And here is my wildflower garden created from chucking a bunch of seeds down. Full of bees and butterflies.

Happy days! Do I really have to go back to work??

The Good Life

Posted on by July 23, 2019

So what do you do while on garden leave? Garden of course….

In April I had a go at my very first veg patch. Ably assisted (well instructed really) by The Folks who have been doing “The Good Life” since I was a babe. I can still remember stealing peas off their pods in the late 1970’s and digging radishes and scoffing them before they even got to the house.

So, my turn to try. I planted beetroot, carrots, peas, potatoes, garlic and runner beans.

Success All growing nicely thanks, even if Mr Fogg kept referring to the potatoes being chitted as “dead” or “need watering” for most of the winter and spring.

Now they look pretty with lovely purple flowers on them. Not bad for B&Q seed potatoes.

Last night we tasted our first peas straight out of the pod. Yummy!

Next I think we will try a carrot as my expert gardeners advise some are ready. What would we do without them? This weekend they weeded and tidied our garden, making it look even more beautiful. And I’m the one with the supposed free time!

The Folks weeded the veg patch and it simply looks superb! Certainly better than my efforts.

I think I’ll garden this afternoon although it is supposed to hit 30 degrees today!

Grand plans for next year….asparagus, cauliflowers and brussels I reckon.