Excuse, Excuse

When I went for my guitar lesson last week, I had to admit that I probably hadn't picked the guitar up since my last lesson, about a month ago.

I did, however, take a list of other things I'd done, not by way of an excuse, but more to let my teacher know that I wasn't a lazy old dollop who just watched television all day. 

I was quite impressed with my list myself -

Watched lots of Olympics/Paralympics (ok, so that does count as couch potato stuff)

Visited the Olympic Stadium for athletics and been on the Emirates Airline Cable Car

Had a week in Norfolk

Had a weekend in Yorkshire, with a day at Leeds festival

Walked many miles practising for charity walk

Had two visits to Chiropractor to sort out my back before the long walk (and a reflexology session afterwards)

Walked the ten mile Starlight Walk and raised over £300 (thanks to all my lovely sponsors!)

Knitted a pair of socks, made a cushion and decorated tea towels with Pompoms. Obviously, this wasn't all essential work.

Read several books, including Death Message by Mark Billingham and Even The Dogs by Jon McGregor

Attempted to give blood, which they politely declined - enough iron for my purposes, but not theirs apparently.  Suppose I should eat more spinach and liver - ooh, unless there's iron in dark chocolate?

Been to weekly Yoga and/or Pilates classes

Had a big declutter with subsequent trips to the charity shop

Taken the sofa covers to the launderette.  Doesn't sound too time consuming does it?  But by the time they've dried, and you've managed to force them back onto the sofa, it turned out to be an all day job. It  was a bit like trying to fit yourself back into the jeans you had when you were 18.

Joined the RHS and visited Wisley

Been to work twice a week

Done lots of gardening

Tidied my studio.

Also, in addition to the above, and the usual boring stuff, I did a day's workshop run by Jean Power at my beading group, making beaded flowers.  Really pleased with the result and will make try and find time to make some more.

Finally, I went with my cousin Jean to do a one day glass fusing workshop with Karen Davies who runs

Hearts Of Glass

We went to her studio in Barnet, and had a lovely day learning various techniques, like cutting glass, and layering the pieces, which were later to be fired.  This is Jean pretending she's busy, but really just avoiding having her photo taken

She's making a glass panel for a door she hasn't got yet.

I made two pieces which when fired in a shaped ceramic mould will be dishes, the first one is on my usual theme

and the second was using very thin sticks of glass, which looked like coloured spaghetti

We had to leave them to be fired in Karen's kiln, but I went back and picked them up a few days ago, and I'm really please with how they turned out

Plus a little asymmetric glass pendant (yes, it WAS meant to be asymmetric) and a pair of cufflinks.  It was a really  lovely day, doing something a bit different to my usual textiles, and now we know the possibilities, I'm sure Jean and I will go back and have another go at glass fusing. 

I've got another guitar lesson tomorrow, and although I really have practised every day, I don't seem to make much progress.  I had initially seen myself as a kind of 'Erica Clapton' or maybe 'Marcia Knopfler'

At my current rate, I'll be lucky if I achieve 'Valerie Doonican'

Excuse, Excuse - The Seeds

Proud and Humble

There was only one place to be today - and it seemed that everyone in Britain was there ...

to wave, and cheer and clap

and to see the Olympians and Paralympians together

proudly showing off their medals ...

And when the athletes had gone by, there was still the fly past

Today, we can all truly be proud.

Proud and Humble - Imelda May

Walkin' At Night

Well, it might not be an Olympic Gold, - but I'm still quite proud!

Gina and I finished our ten mile Starlight Walk last night in the not-too-shabby time of two and three quarter hours.  Although we'd put ourselves down as 'medium speed walkers' we sneaked in behind the fast walkers and we still managed to overtake quite a few of them. Consequently, we weren't too far back from the front when we finished, and as we neared the end of the walk, we were already talking about taking part again next year.

Not bad for two old birds, eh?

I'd like to say thanks very much to Gina for her company, to all the men who kindly volunteered to marshall the route, and especially to all those generous people who sponsored me, it's very much appreciated.  If you didn't get around to donating, you can still do so here -

http://www.justgiving.com/gill-leary

And, as a bonus - over 22,000 steps.  Which presumably means I can eat my body weight in sweets today with a clear conscience.

Walkin' At Night - Boston

Heroes

Yesterday I went to the Paralympics, to watch Athletics in the Olympic Stadium.  I can't begin to tell you what a brilliant day it was.  It was like being in a parallel Universe, where everyone is happy and friendly and just generally nice to one another.

The organisation was great, the layout of the Park was really well designed, the volunteers were cheerful, friendly and helpful to a man (and a woman), and if the toilets at music festivals were anywhere near as clean and queue-free as those at the Olympic Park, I'd book tickets for Glastonbury every year!  Even the sun shone all day.

We had fantastic seats, just 16 rows back from the track

and the atmosphere and the crowd were amazing - and we got to sing the National Anthem when David Weir won his second gold medal

After the morning session, we left the stadium and walked around the park

and admired the planting in the gardens

 

We went to Docklands and took the Emirates Airline cable car to Greenwich 

the views were breathtaking

and looked even more stunning after dark

The day was fabulous, and I am so SO pleased that I went

I was asked to complete an online survey about the event.  One of the questions asked me to sum up in three words how the whole Paralympic Experience had made me feel.  

My three words are not only a reflection on the whole day, but also summed up how I have felt every day that I've watched those incredible, amazing athletes - 

Proud, Humble and Inspired.

If I can't manage to walk ten miles on Saturday night - AND with a smile on my face - then I will be ashamed of myself.

HEROES - David Bowie

These Days

Another blogging gap.  What have I been doing?  Well, I'm obviously persevering with my punishing training schedule in preparation for the Starlight Walk around Letchworth with Gina next Saturday night in aid of the Garden Hospice.  If you have recently come into money. ie, you've won the Euromillions, or have just found a few coins down the side of the sofa, and would like to contribute to a very good cause it would be lovely if you wanted to sponsor me ...

http://www.justgiving.com/gill-leary

I have been out today and walked 7 miles without any problems, so ten miles next weekend should be fine.  Gina can always push me in a wheelbarrow for the last three miles if there's a problem.  

We discussed doing the walk in our pyjamas, but have dismissed the idea just in case people think we have escaped from somewhere.  Will let you know how it goes!

What else have I done?  Well, I had a few days with a friend in Berkshire, and we visited the RHS gardens at Wisley.  I've never been before and it was fantastic - so much so that I am now a fully paid up member of the Royal Horticultural Society.  How very grown up.

To redress the balance, last weekend I did something a little less middle aged, and went to Leeds Festival to see the Foo Fighters.  

I didn't go and camp for the entire weekend - that would have been a step too far.  Fortunately I have a friend Betty, who lives a couple of miles away from the festival site, so I stayed with her the night before and went with her two lovely daughters, Laura and Fiona.  I thought they would find it a bit of a pain dragging an old bird around with them, but they didn't seem to mind.

Me and Fiona

I didn't feel the need to dress up, although plenty did (no photos, but why do SO many people want to go as a banana?)

(the one in the middle who ISN'T in costume is Laura)

When I got there and saw the other 39,999 festival goers, I did feel I was very much at the upper end of the age range.  I found I did quite a lot of walking - if I sat on the grass it's difficult to get up again; and if I stand still for too long my back aches - but walking, I'm fine, so in between bands, I must have done 5 or 6 complete laps of the site.  But there's always plenty to look at - I watched this for a while but didn't feel inclined to have a go myself ...

Why would you????

There's also plenty of places to get a drink, but I managed all day on a solitary cup of coffee - and therefore I only had to visit the portaloos once - not an experience you want too many times in the day.  My companions didn't restrict themselves to a cup of coffee - but then neither would I a few years ago.

I did think that perhaps it's time I acted my age and stopped going to gigs.  But then the music starts and I realise that I just love it - the live music and the terrific atmosphere.  

All the bands I saw, especially The Mark Lanegan Band, The Black Keys, and MOST particularly, the Foos, were brilliant and I had a really great time, so maybe I've still got a few gigs left in me yet.

These Days - Foo Fighters

Walk

If you read Gina's blog here, you'll know that she's signed up to take part in a sponsored Starlight Walk - ten miles starting at 11.30pm on 8th September, in aid of the Garden Hospice.  I was just about to sponsor her online, when I thought - I wish I was doing the walk!   Anyway, to cut a long story short, I spoke to Gina, who didn't mind me 'muscling in' so I've signed up to do it too.

In preparation, this morning I decided I'd better go for a walk.  Not just my usual, wander down into town, a lap of the charity shops and Waitrose, before staggering back up the hill with too much shopping, but a proper brisk, concentrated-effort type walk.  So I put on my trainers (which I ONLY ever wear for exercise purposes, I'm not generally a trainer-wearer) and black exercise leggings and tee shirt.  A glance in the full length mirror confirmed more 'over stuffed black pudding' than 'finely honed athlete' but never mind.  

I'll admit I did waiver a bit when I heard Noel Gallagher being interviewed on XFM - he can be quite funny - but I thought to myself "What would Jessica Ennis do?" and turned the radio off and set out, making sure that I had my phone  (you never know when you might need to call on the services of the air ambulance) and £5 in case I passed anywhere selling cake.  

I walked briskly for an hour, mostly along the towpath towards Ware, then over the bridge and back towards Hertford.  I did have to walk through a field of cows, and was a bit concerned in case I caused some kind of stampede, but they didn't even look up.  To be honest, I think by that time, I had worked up such a pace that I'd have just been a blur.  

I'm beginning to think I must be fitter than some of those Olympians - I certainly didn't throw up when I'd completed my exercise - although it was touch and go when I had to scrape something rather unsavoury from the treads of my trainers. That'll teach me to walk through a field of cows.  Actually, what gave me most cause for concern was the Police helicopter that appeared to be circling over my garden whilst I was scraping the nasty into my garden bin.  I thought, "Blimey, they're taking the whole 'No Animal Waste in the Brown Bin' thing a bit seriously"

Anyway, enough of my gruelling training schedule.  I forgot to show you this

Ages ago I promised my knitting friend Lucy that I'd make her a machine embroidered picture for her kitchen (which is to be redecorated with a teacup theme) as an exchange for a partially knitted denim jacket which she'd started ages ago and lost interest in.  Actually, when I say partly knitted, the only things it needed was one cuff, two pocket flaps and stitching up so I think I got a really good deal.  

For one reason or another, Lucy's picture has been on the back burner, but I did feel bad every time I wore the jacket, so I finally did a few practice pieces, and then I made it.  

In case you're interested in such things, I used a heavy calico as the base fabric, which I gesso'd for a bit of texture, then free machined the cups and saucers with black thread and the colour comes from some little scraps of Liberty fabric left over from Sarah's quilt.  Finished with a bit of vintage lace. 

Lucy seemed pleased with it, and at least I can wear the jacket now without feeling guilty.

Oh, in case you feel inclined to make a little donation to the Garden Hospice, you can sponsor me here

http://www.justgiving.com/gill-leary

- but not if you've already sponsored Gina - you can think of us as a team.  Oooh! Team GG!

Walk - Foo Fighters

RIO

Haven't the Olympics been absolutely brilliant?  I'm not usually one for watching sport, but I haven't had anything else on the television since the Olympics started - I've watched sports I'd never heard of!  Everything about it has been fabulous, and all those doubters who thought we couldn't do it - you were SO  wrong.  And to the people who moaned about it costing too much money, I think it's been worth every penny.  The whole event has far exceeded most people's expectations, and it truly HAS been inclusive - even those of us that didn't get tickets and have watched it on the box have chatted about it and talked about our favourite bits.  (I have to say, a suprising number of the people (women) I've surveyed, seem to include Tom Daley in their Top Ten. Including my elderly neighbour Nora. Whilst watching the finals of the men's diving last night, Nora mentioned that she was "quite keen" on Tom, and her daughter pointed out that she IS now 97, to which Nora replied "I'm old, not dead!"  If that's not 'inclusive' - what is?

The politicians and sporting legends are now talking about the 2012 legacy, and the hope that Team GB's success will inspire others to participate more in sporting activities, which that would certainly be a good thing, given our ever expanding waistlines and couch potato lifestyles.

Anyway, David Cameron and Seb Coe, it's worked - we ARE inspired!  I was chatting to my parents on the phone about what activities they fancied taking up, with a view to competing at Rio in 2016.  My Mum (81) says she definitely fancies a go at dressage.  Not sure if she's ever ridden a horse before, but you don't know until you try, do you?

My Dad (84) is definitely going for cycling.  I was a bit concerned that he was going to go out and get himself a BMX, but he said he would prefer to keep his tyres on the ground, so it's the Velodrome for him.  Hopefully, with his sense of humour, he may be able to bring a smile to the face of the miserable bloke who rides at the front on a moped.

I wasn't immediately sure what to go for.  I considered swimming, because I can do at least 20 lengths of the pool.  But then I really don't like getting my face wet, and I'm a bit concerned that all that chlorine would take the colour out of my hair.

Definitely not boxing - I really don't think I'm up for punching someone repeatedly in the face.  Although on second thoughts, on occasions I have been sorely tempted .......

Then I realised EXACTLY the sport for me.  I've already got a huge supply of sequins, and more ribbon than you could shake a stick at.  It's the rhythmic gymnastics for me.

I've been practising, and I think I've already mastered walking into the lounge on tippy-toes with a haughty expression on my face. 

Rio - bring it on!

Rio - Duran Duran