Bollywood Dancing Summer at its best

Looky, look, look. These are the dancers in the advanced class at out dance class. they were brill and had the  audience clapping and dancing.

Put on your red shoes and dance

Off to Chichester, the one down here on the South coast or at least I hope its that one, this morning to collect a lovely mirror which i bought on eBay for a bargain price of £17. I would value it at more like £200. Its 140cm x 120cm. We moved our wardrobes out of our bedroom and into the smallest bedroom so a big mirror will be lovely on that wall and reflect the window and garden when we are in bed.

And this after is the local Mela. Asian dancing and food, and apparently martial arts and falconry, going on all day in the park in the town. I am going as our dance class have a 1/2 hour slot. The beginners class don't, luckily, but our advanced class do a few of these locally each year.  Shailly, our dance teacher, says next year we will be! EEK

Saturday again

No commitments today. Just a lovely to-do list which I constructed with Saturday in mind. Some maintenance, like a hair cut. A little low level shopping, cat treats and something for lunch. Then back home to carry on moving my office, or maybe my study, downstairs. And finish turning my old office into a big old closet.

Did I mention I wrote a book? Well pulled it together by quizzing my friend actually. She has a restaurant in Crete and is trying to raise extra funds to renovate some buildings that she has there. As customers are always asking for recipes, so I did this to see if I can help, and also because I very much fancied seeing name on a printed book cover! Another tick off on the bucket list, if I had one.

and so to plan

So food. Nutrition v entertainment. For the moment its only nutrition. I have stopped watching any cookery programmes, even Hugh and his chickens. And i have ditched all my food blogs from feedly. Stop torturing myself I thought. I am not even hungry so no excuses.

And my natural inclination to organise things got an outing today. Sorted out my sons flights to visit us out at the Crete house. A lift up to London with people who are already going that way, Easyjet out, Ryan-air back to Bristol and train back to Southampton.  He is very happy. He wishes that the people who organise his flights home from the ships were so interested in his welfare. Last time he was 7 hours in Paris Charles de Gaul waiting for a connection to Heathrow, so I think I see his point. They forget its actually people travelling.

So new PM is Theresa May. Seems like a proper scary old bird so far. That;s democracy for you, Or so I keep being told

Second weigh in

Just short of 1 stone this week. In total I mean, not just this week. 13lb which is around 5kg. I think I am happy. I am certainly not hungry. She also measures inches and there seem a lot more gone than i would expect. And someone at work said today I had lost weight, which is always gratifying. And they never mention when I put it on, which is kind,

Yesterday, in what must surely be one of the hottest days of the year so far, I helped Fahed to move 4 ton of top soil. So i think that I am getting enough aerobic exercise. I was pretty much done in by the end of it but now the skip is ready for collection. So yay!

With our little bit of remaining energy we also moved my desk from the office upstairs to my newly designated office downstairs. And then the wardrobe from our bedroom into  the office which is now pretty much just clothing storage. Its not a nice room. small and has a small window. Out house is old and cottagy so the ceiling slants in to about half way down the walls so also a hard room to make good use off. Anyway now it has been relegated to a cupboard and suddenly I like it a lot more.

In my desire to 'organise things', well events really, I like people to have a good time I did wonder about a Ukulele Jam at the local football club,  I am not sure what a Ukulele Jam is but my friend is always going to them so I imagine lots of Ukulele players in a confined space, with beer. Today a Ukulele Jam and beer festival at the football club came up on my facebook news feed. I was too slow with my idea. Too slow Bozo as the kids would say. Never mind, I guess it saved me form a day of Ukuleleing anyway

Late birthday gifts

My birthdays was weeks ago but I chose my birthday gifts from Etsy, specially made for me. Today my lovely ring arrived from Turkey. Its so lovely. Turquoise stone from Turkey.

Posting, posting everyday

Trying to get my habits back.  Blogging is so therapeutic.

My husbands poor dear friend Sai went into a coma on Monday and died on Wednesday. So sad. She was younger than us, I think maybe early forties. Gone in less than 12 months from her diagnosis for brain tumours. I don't know the details but so so sad. I remember when she first moved close by my parents. Because they are elderly she offered to pop in and check on them from time to time especially if we were away. She was maybe 30 then and because she was a slim framed and quite short, fairly typical Thai woman, then she looked really young, almost like a school girl. Amd so full of life and smiles and kindness. Now she is gone and they, almost 90's now, are still with us.

Live life to the full and don't moan about stuff that doesn't matter. That's my 'note to self'.

Happy days indeed

The black hair is growing on me (well, you know). When I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror then I no longer double take. I think I need some sort of makeover but not too conventional.

Plus I have a sudden, or at least growing, desire to organise something. Is that too vague? I am starting with Bollywood dance lessons at work. Maybe a little music event. Anyway I am finding the beginnings of an idea and some formats and stuff.

Also am avoiding all cookery programmes to help stop thinking about food and concentrate on my diet. So effectively avoiding TV as there is nothing else on in summer. And also minimising laptop time. So what to do. I need a hobby. I have the dancing sessions but otherwise I am getting through books voraciously. Also enjoying the garden in the few days when it stops raining. Roll on Saturday and some time at home to do garden and housy things.

Happy days indeed

Hey

I haven't been here in ages.  Busy bunny, like everyone. But suddenly I missed it. And some how I still get page views every day so I should maybe make the effort. I very much like the way that blogging makes me get my ducks in a row. It makes me feel accountable, less likely to forget what I am doing half way through the event. Also it really helps me clear my mind. Like having to write something like an online diary makes me summarise and organise everything that my funny little brain.

I missed you (even if you are not actually there :) )

Whats been going on you say?

Family. Just us oldies and the animals at home full time now. Though the place fills up a bit at weekends or when Jamal is back from University/Sea. Its okay actually. Better than expected. More money to go around, that's for sure but also a sense of freedom.

Work. Same job but we lost some business so I am losing most people from two teams. Sad times. More interesting for me as I will have some other responsibilities but very sad for them.

Crete house. I have decided I am never going to rent out the Crete house. Its our house. A waste of income potential it may be but its my house and that's that. I don't mind lending it to friends obviously, But we will renovate the old house as a rental property. One day. We will be going there for a month again this year.  Might as well use it, I feel.

Allbrook house. We have so much more space. Still rearranging a few rooms but its getting there. Oh and re landscaping the  garden. As we do everything ourselves it all takes a while but basically its lovely.

Travel. My bets friend and I used to travel a lot back before kids and stuff. As all kids have now left home we think its time we started again.  We are going to try to go somewhere new each year, as well as a short break at the house.  We have a trip to Iceland planned and about to be booked. Next on the list is railtrip in USA. I might wait for the £ to improve a bit before that.

Lifestyle. Trying a new eating plan and have lost 9lb. Also hair. Cut a bit shorter but I thought it was time to go lighter to avoid the grow through. So I went blonde, then light brown, hated both. Then purple as deep down I am just an old hippy. That faded so quickly that i went for a conventional dark brown, which has actually come out pretty much black. I quite like it even though I have a hint of ageing Goth.  Fahed gets nervous everytime I text him a photo of the lastest hair dye pack.  I also a hard a make up masterclass. Which was quite fun but you know. I probably looked my best but it was very bland and conventional so not perhaps for me.

Oh and Brexit. I was bereft. Now I have adapted even though I still still its stupid to go. No problem I can cope.

I cant quite remember how to do photos yet so text only for a first post