Reporting from the mountains

I am just popping in to say hi and to let those of you who have asked that I am having a great time up in the Dolomites in Italy.  The skiing is wonderful and despite 25 years of not skiing I am enjoying myself and finding myself in a higher group than at times I would like!

The hotel is nice ' basic but good and with plenty of good food, my companions are great c ompany and in short I am having a blast.

I have taken a while to pick up the blogging schedule because I have been ill with a chest infections, have had a car accident which resulted in Chloe Clio being taken off to the body repair shop.  Thanks to the careless driving of a transit van driver, his insurance company has had to cough up £4,000+ to put her back on the road.  The bathroom is almost ready but wasn't quite done when I left so with any luck and a following wind, it will be completed when I return.

Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me for Race for Life, I'm hoping to make the £500 barrier and you have given me a great start.

Apologies for no photos.  My new Nikon camera has failed me.  I have a lense error showing itself whenever I try to use it so will be taking it back when I get back from holiday but sadly no photos of my surroundings to liven up my blog.

Speak soon!

Getting cold and keeping warm.

Well we were getting cold at the indoor ski slope at Milton Keynes yesterday.  Nikky and I spent a great couple of hours skiing on snow there and I can truly say I feel happy and confident now to return to the snow.  It is amazing how it has all come back to me after all this time.  Of course I am older, creekier and not as fit but it is still there.  Not as pretty or as precise but nevertheless, I reckon I can give it a go.

Here is a little something which my quilting group have made to donate to the Macmillan Centre at Southampton.  Dick used to use the centre and often felt cold as he was waiting for his chemotherapy so now we hope to offer a little warmth to others.  It's come out well don't you think?  We used scraps of our own fabrics and I think it is lovely - even though I was part of making it!!

Thank you also to everyone who has sponsored me for my Race for Life again this year.  It is truly very touching that you are still thinking of Dick and supporting me.  I am very very grateful.

I dot a dold............

My nose has been streaming, my chest is sore and I am feeling full of germs.  Welcome back to the world of teaching!  Ive nursed it and me as best I can - stayed in, missed stuff and generally tried to avoid giving it to anyone but it still lingers and doesn't even have the decency to leave me with a rather sexy undertone to my voice. Instead I sound as if I am in an area of poor reception with the signal cutting out at various moments!

It was a busy week but a less busy weekend.  The album was finished on time and much appreciated.  I forgot to take photos so will need to arrange to borrow it back to do that.  Sharon was such a great  pal and helped me plough my way through 22 pages of LOs.  So good to know that it was done and we enjoyed the making of it.

I've got no bathroom at the moment.  After yet more leaks - leading to damp and smelly carpet in Tom's room - I have arranged for a complete renovation.  I've ordere a large shower to replace the bath (No one ever baths in this house just stood in it to shower!), picked tiles, chosen washbasin etc and now we are back into the world of skips and dust sheets.  At least it isn't like having the kitchen done and I can escape from it all down stairs. 

I'm hoping to go up to the Snowdome place at Milton Keynes on Wednesday with Nikky. (I think it is called Xcape really) The snow gear will get a try out and the ski legs will get more practice at finding those muscles which will ache for a couple of days afterwards. 

I heard this week that my job will be finishing in March!  The lady I am covering for is returning from Maternity leave in April so I will be back into the old routine again unless something else turns up.  At present there aren't any part-time posts advertised in the area but it is still early days yet.

The MOD has decided that Dick's death was not attributable to military service and this affects my pension somewhat.  I am appealing against the decision and need to formulate my case.  I just wish it would all be finished and dealt with.  This particular decision only relates to his pension and has nothing to do with the main legal case for liability.  Whenever someone dies of an asbestos-related disease, there is usually a claim for compensation because of negligence and we are working through that at the moment.  I have to say it is tough and I would just like it to be over and done with.  I think that in some way, they drag it out in the hope that we will just give up and forget it.  I have felt like that several times in the last few weeks but I can hear Dick's voice getting cross with me - he was such a fighter - so I am plodding on.

I'd just like to get on with my life and not keep dwelling on that dreadful disease.

Which reminds me...........................registrations for the Race for Life have just started.  I shall be running/jogging/walking again this year and hope that I might be sponsored.  I was proud to hear that last year, with everyone's help I was one of the biggest fund-raisers in the Southampton area.  Let's see what we can do this year.  I shall be putting a widget on the site shortly where sponsorship can be made.

How about you walking/running and joining me?

So there I was at the top of the hill....

Yes, Tuesday I braved the dry ski slope for a lesson.  Approximately 25 years since the last time I skiied.  I had spent most of the previous night in wakeful tension worrying that I had booked a skiing holiday for intermediates and that in fact I would be appalling and it would all go wrong. 

I arrived at the ski slope which is miles from the carpark and after stepping out briskly to get there on time was aware of how fit I felt doing that rather than being puffed and breathless!  So I was rather pleased with myself when I arrived and was fitted out with boots and minute skis.  Yes - tiny skis! Well hey seemed like that to me as mine were over 6' long when I skiied last!!  My instructor, Jenny was lovely and after a few gentle skirmishes with the slope in the form of snow plough turns, she decided we should get on the lift and make our way down the slope.  As you can see from this tiny thumbnail it is not huge but feels steep enough when you are skiing.

   tTo cut a long story short, it took me about half and hour to get my ski-legs back.  Yes I don't have the flair and style I once had and it will take me a while to be able to approach things with the fearlessness I did years ago but I can honestly say I was shocked at how easily it all came back.  I am SO looking forward to my ski trip.  Jenny reckons I will be smack-bang in the middle of the group ability-wise so that is a huge reassurance.  I loved every minute of it and can't wait to be back there next week, trying again.  In fact next Tuesday I am going up to see friends and then on Wednesday having a morning at the snow-dome in Milton Keynes.  I am really looking forward to it all.

To finish off my week of activity, I did two hours of tennis this morning.  I loved that too!  All this activity is taking me back to my youth.  The only difference is that I get stiffer than I used to and my knee, although holding up well, given the pounding it is getting. is very very stiff and needs a hot shower to loosen it up occasionally.                     

I have got the gear for the ski holiday too.  I'd like to think this would be me on the slopes but don't hold your breath.  But it is nice to dream!  All I can say is that the jacket and trousers will be there, maybe not the skill!

My scrapping has been full-on this week.  The album we started is just about finished and will be handed over at the end of the week.  I will try and take some photos of some of the LOs so that you can see it is not all hot air!!

 So I have had a lovely couple of days.  The house is in turmoil and needs a good sorting out.  Won't happen this weekend as I am tied up on both Saturday and Sunday but never mind.  I have learnt that it isn' those things that define a person.  Besides, the bathroom is going on Saturday and we shall be in chaos anyway.  Might as well go the whole hog!

Funnily enough.............

It has been a good week in many ways for the family.  Apart from Tom's visit to the Officer Selection briefing, Ben has been offered an interview at Brighton University which has thrilled him no end.  We are keeping everything crossed that it will go well for him.  It is on 3rd Feb so not too long to wait!

I found this week very difficult doing 4 days per week and was quite exhausted at the end of it all.  I am Ok with the classroom stuff but keeping on top of the marking and planning so that my job-share collegue has a fighting chance of being able to teach sequentially from what I have done requires a lot of time and communication.  I am getting there but still waking up in the middle of the night and worrying that I might not be doing something well enough for the children.  I am sure I shall get there.

Believe it or not I managed to get some scrapping done this weekend!  Sharon and I had a mini-crop of our own and did 11 LOs between us. It was a lovely afternoon and I had quite forgotten how therapeutic it can be!  I sense I shall be doing some more.  This project is easy.  It is for someone else with their photos.  I'm not sure how ready I am to do some of our own!

Back dieting and it is going well.  The weight is falling off again and I am enjoying the mixture of doing Lighter Life and having a good square meal every evening.  It's weigh-in time again tomorrow so let's hope for a good loss

I have a lesson booked on Tuesday at the dry-ski slopes so I am hoping that I can still walk on Wednesday.  I have a feeling I shall be like an old crock!  I have tennis booked for that morning so heaven help me!  There is no fool  like an old fool and I think I am rapidly becoming one or those!!

The bathroom re-fit is due to start next Saturday.  The leaks which has plagued us for several months have finally led to a damp carpet in Tom's  bedroom, so I am hoping that this will be the cure.  I hope so as it is going to be a costly fix but very much needed. Heyho! I am getting used to the presence of builders in the house!

Just off to read the book for this month's book club - The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett.  I think it will be nice and relaxing!