Project 365 2017 #8

Week 8 of Project 365 2017 and it was back to school, work and routine.

Day 50
I spent a good few hours in the garden today clearing back overgrown trees, digging over vegetable plots and general weeding. Hiding beneath one of the many shrubs I found these beautiful croci - or is it crocuses?
Day 51
No school or yoga class to run today and I managed to head out for a 5k run whilst everyone else was still in bed. My knee felt a bit niggly so when I got back I focused on some bridge work and vowed to do more of them to strengthen my glutes again.
Day 52
The children were back to school today and I was back in my routine of my Tuesday morning run with my running buddy. The knee held up for a fantastic 10 miles in the drizzle.
Day 53
Back to work so the photos return to bedtime snaps; tonight the last issue of my subscription to the Simple Things magazine.
Day 54
More reading tonight after a long day at work and some lovely yoga tonight - another book from Jane Green.
Day 55
A foodie photo for Friday and I loved Linda McCartney's shredded 'duck' which I added to a hoisin rice noodle stir fry.
Day 56
Back to teaching yoga classes this morning, which was lovely, then it was a lazy day before I booted my backside out the front door for 4 miles in yet more drizzle. On the way I passed a small gaggle of geese - if 4 geese are enough for a gaggle?

x x x

Moving on

It is almost 2.30 in the afternoon and I am sat at the table regularly glancing up at the clock. It is getting to the time of day when I clock watch in preparation for heading out of the door to re-trace the thousands of steps that have trodden their way to our local primary school and back; nearly seven years and counting. But today there is a pause in that journey. Today we are moving on. Today my babies are walking themselves home and I have been instructed to stay in and lock the door so my girl can use her new key to let them in. Today, as I ran part of my route along the pavement they'll be walking back home along later, I starting worrying. Worrying about the traffic, worrying about strangers, worrying about their safety, worrying about them growing up too fast. But they are moving on and as hard as I try I can't stop that.
On the theme of 'Moving on' I am thinking of how those words play currently in my life. I am focusing hard on moving my career in a different direction with a new challenge but some brave steps will need to be taken and I'm not always feeling brave. We are hopefully moving on with our house; making more space as the children get bigger, creating more space for quiet times and busy family times. I have spent some constructive time in the garden moving it on from a too long forgotten space towards making it a place we want to spend our time in as Spring approaches. Time is ticking by again and as we move on towards Spring there are little signs of it hidden beneath the overgrown shrubs and rickety fences. I look ahead to Summer then scowl at myself for wishing my life away.
But isn't that something we are all guilty off? Moving on too fast. Wishing it was next week, next month, next season, next year for one reason or another. Maybe we need to hold onto the day we are currently living in; appreciate it regardless of how dull the weather may be or how nothing really went to plan and see it as a day that we are alive in. Grasp onto the gratitude that I mused about last year.

Life is precious.

Plans can be made then with a snap of a finger, a few words from a doctor and those plans are gone; the excitement in Grandma's eyes replaced by tears, the plans for a garden in Cornwall for Granddad swept away as he is told that the cancer that has cleared in one area has decided, in it's shitty wisdom, to travel somewhere else up his body and take root there. 

My babies are unaware.

This part of moving on can be put on hold for as long as possible.

I don't want to end feeling too sad but moving on is inevitable and James sing about it beautifully.

I've just looked up at the clock; it's 3.30 and I can hear the key in the front door!

x x x

Project 365 2017 #7

Week 7 of Project 365 2017 and the half-term break was here with time to catch up with friends and have a few well deserved lie ins.

Day 43
Sundays continue to be our lazy cosy up at home day. Today I baked then snuggled up with the boy to watch Star Wars.
Day 44
I got my dates muddled up so still had a yoga session to teach this morning - my two came along and joined in. Back home I headed down the garden to carry on the big Spring clear up operation - these snowdrops have survived the collapsing fence again this year.
Day 45
Valentine's Day and the husband did good with an amazing Vegan cookbook - I'm not sure who the least favourite wife is though!
Day 46
A bit of a soggy day was on the cards today so before the rain came I headed out for a 10k run and paused to say hello to the cows. We headed to a local town in the afternoon then it was back home for the girl to have a sleepover - this gave me an opportunity to catch up with my friend over a couple of cups of tea.
Day 47
A bit tired out following last night's sleepover we all headed out in the afternoon for a family walk along the White Horse Trail before popping in to see the in laws for a cuppa.
Day 48
It was my friend's birthday today so we popped round to drop off her present before heading up to Cirencester to catch up with another friend. Plenty of tea was drunk and it was great to catch up.
Day 49
I got up early and left the house dozing while I did another 10k round the villages. Then we had a rare event; a child free mooch around Bath with the husband which included a morning Chai Latte and a wander down to Pulteney Bridge.

x x x

Project 365 2017 #6

Week 6 of project 365 2017 turned cold but I was full of warmth!

Day 36
A lazy Sunday to begin with but then I dragged the kiddos out for a walk around the local fields - I just couldn't stay indoors with a sky like this outside.
Day 37
Another lovely day of family and preschool yoga - I would just love for this to be my full-time job.
Day 38
Tuesday is run day with my running buddy and today we headed from my house out to the local villages for an 8 miler only pausing to take a snap of the lovely houses in one of the villages.
Day 39
Back to the day job for my usual Wednesday but when I got home I noticed the daffodils had started to open up.
Day 40
I didn't stay at work long today as the boy was poorly so back home I went. Whilst he cosied up under the duvet chugging on liquid paracetamol I prepped some hearts for my Valentine's yoga classes.
Day 41
Another day where I popped into work to set up then came home to be with the poorly one. A package arrived with a couple of yoga books. I have also borrowed some more from my yoga teacher so my Friday evening consisted of a short yoga practice on the mat then off to bed with my books.
Day 42
A lovely morning of Valentine's yoga followed by a five mile run. Then the afternoon was made up of a trip to town where this vegan cake book jumped off the library shelf at me.

x x x

Project 365 2017 #5

Week 5 of Project 365 2017 and February is finally here. January seemed to have gone on forever but, as I wrote in this post, that wasn't necessarily a negative thing.

Day 29
Sunday is becoming a kitchen day and today I made some cacao and hazelnut energy balls. They were delicious and I think they will become a firm favourite - hopefully replacing some of the junk in my diet.
Day 30
Monday is yoga teaching day and the Yoga Shed that I hire for my home ed class is such a wonderful space to be in. The day was full with two further sessions in different preschools - it's nice to be busy.
Day 31
The last day of the month and I saw it out with a 7 mile run around Lacock with my Tuesday running buddy. It was rather dull and wet but it was good to be out pounding the pavements.
Day 32
Tonight the husband got out his drill set and upcycled a split piece of olive into a handy incense holder for me. You can never have enough incense burning.
Day 33
Work day Thursday so limited photo opportunities so it is my dinner tonight; jacket potato, leftover tofu coconut curry, avacado and vegan cheese.
Day 34
I finally got around to trying out a recipe I had seen online a while from Bosh. This crispy chilli tofu was absolutely amazing and reminded me of shredded chilli beef that I used to eat in my meat eating days. So good!
Day 35
An absolutely blissful morning of yoga teaching today then this afternoon we had a wander around Lacock where I spotted my first clump of decent looking snowdrops. I'm always happy to see this flower and cannot wait for Spring.

x x x