Saturday, 19 April 2014

EASTER 2014


Ciao Tutti

Quick-flick easter blog to say Happy Easter round the globe. Hope you all having a great time, wherever you are.  Don't eat too much chocolate. Weather got cold again, so my easter "working in the garden" plan is currently put on hold. Instead central heating is on and I hope there will be a decent film or two on tv...

I have finally signed up to the local gym in Forest Hill. Need to build my stamina and muscle tone (plus need to loose some weight!). Nothing too strenuous to start with, twenty minutes on the cross trainer and bicycle-pedal-thingy. Brings on a small sweat. Will try for 25 minutes next week... I feel very out of place there, as it is heaving with young fit mostly males, rippling torsos and muscles. Lots of loud music and sweat. I wander in looking like an old bag lady (it seems) - and climb gingerly onto these huge machines (terrified of falling off the cross trainer) and start to slowly push push push with my hopelessly soft calf muscles.  You have to dial in a "resistance factor".  I notice the tight-t-shirted guy next to me is working with a resistance factor of 19.  Mine is 4.  Blimey, I have some work to do! There is a middle aged man on the running machine. He is really going for it. Thump thump thump - his feet hit the speeding running belt. He is boiled lobster colour - and soaking wet. I wonder if he will have a heart attack.  My time is up, I swig some cold water, and walk out clutching my sainsburys shopping bag. Off to buy coffee. And then home for a hot-cross bun in the garden.  Possibly defeats the object. But hey - at least I am going to the gym!

All good blood wise. I am now going monthly to the HOP (!) which is a big step forward. Next visit in the beginning of May. They gave me some blood pressure tablets which have made my head itch to distraction. So stopped taking them yesterday. Tired of endless medications and rotten side effects. Steroids down to 2mg, so face almost back to normal! Now I am being weaned off my immuno suppressants too. Once I am finished with all those, I will then be revaccinated with all my childhood vaccinations, which is quite a bizarre thought.

Sad news to report is that my resident robins where the victims of a cat attack.  One morning the garden was full of mad tweeting. First the robins, then the tits joined in and finally a magpie too.  A cacophony of bird chatter.  It was clear something was amiss and I went out and banged the fence and made lots of shooing noises. Then I saw him, a handsome ginger-ale-tom stalk boldly out of my next door neighbours garden.  He glared at me and then wandered off nonchalantly into the spring sunshine.  Meantime Robins were in a terribly twittering state. They had lost their nest (not sure if it had eggs or chicks inside). They flew away that day. I haven't seen them since. They have been hanging round the garden for years.  I hope they return.  I miss my garden companions.

Ok. Short and sweet this entry. Hope everyone good, healthy and happy.  Thanks for all messages from everywhere. Love to everyone, family, friends and unknown blog readers - and for no reason at all, other than I have just thought of it, a special hallo to all the Somerset posse. I hope later this year to take a trip down the A303. Lots of you to visit... BUON PASQUA TUTTI!  Back soon tch xx

ps London spring is fantastic. Clean-green trees against blue-blue sky. Everything bursting into colour.  What a buzz. Brilliant and beautiful.


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just starting to get back to the exercise thing myself. Had a trip to Kings College Hospital with Easter eggs and thank you cards and a review. All is well. I brought up the issue of exercise. They seem to be a lot cooler than anyone else. The surgeon seeing me just said give it a go, if it hurts, stop. Unfortunately using the crutches pulled the hamstring in my left leg. So I feel I can jog but am hampered by a non accident related injury. I build in some jogging spurts into a walk and I call this jalking. Cycling is fine. Anything that gets you a bit out of breathe is probably going to be good. Am walking as usual and might build in some after college walks along the Thames as part of the fight for fitness regime. I went back to the scene of the crime and took a pic of the pedestrian crossing. I then walked across it and completed the journey to Tescos I started 4 months ago. And you know it didn't feel funny at all. The surgeon finished by saying you will have a full recovery, you will forget this and you will be happy. Pretty hippy dippy but very positive. And that's the best thing. Spring is in the air and that is a period of regrowth. Am off to Whitstable Harbour to have my morning coffee.

kerry_holmes48 said...

Had the most wonderful Easter weather. Usually rains in Sydney but it was beautiful. Looking forward to missing out on six weeks of Sydney winter. Keep that good weather happening in the northern climes.

See you in July. Keep exercising!

xx

Kerry

Unknown said...

Tessa, love the pics with your last blog you're looking great:)
Your description of the gym is brilliant I can picture the scene perfectly, bring on the sunshine so you can get lots of walks in!
All crazy hear with Jimmy at Nottingham Forest and all change at Man Utd too!!!
Keep strengthening the muscles.
Love and hugs xxx