January 12th
I have been a poor blogger indeed but have promised myself to be better this year. Once again I am anticipating a trip to Green Mountain and look forward to sharing the details with those who read this.I also hope to use this blog as a way to make sure that nobody could possibly think that retirement is the end of everything but rather the beginning of a very exciting time of your life. I think I have said before that there is so much to do out there that it is never necessary to be lonely or bored.
After my visit to GM last year I made my health a priority and have managed to go from not walking at all to managing nearly 3 miles. Better still, I believe in myself and although I know that my arthritis will finally dictate just how far I can go, I no longer let it stop me even trying. In fact my goal for 2014 is to try to get up to 4 miles. Also, as I tend to walk rather slowly at the moment, I would like to get up to at least a 20 minute mile.
I plan to have a little go at knitting this year, hoping to hold the arthritis in my fingers at bay a bit. I have some lovely patterns for knitted nursery rhyme characters, the Clangers and Nativity figures and I think one of these will go with me to Green Mountain where weekend time can hang a bit heavily on your hands if you haven't got something to do. (I like to have a break from exercising on the weekend there and do not make guest appearances on treadmills or other machines!!
Sunday, 12 January 2014
Monday, 4 February 2013
First Impressions of Green Mountain at Fox Run
Today is the first day of what I hope will be a really life - enhancing experience. I was up at 6 and watched a beautiful sunrise over the mountain - not completely snow covered at the moment due, apparently, to unseasonably warm weather. Today is not warm, although it is very cosy inside. The building is wooden and looks like a much - extended ski lodge.
Everyone is extremely friendly and the staff are completely none - judgemental and willing to make alterations to the exercise programmes so that even arthritic grandmothers, like me, can join in everything and make real adjustments to their lives.
I guess to the English psyche the motivational talks might be a little strange but I have resolved to completely buy into the whole thing and am finding that much of what I hear resounds with me. I even jotted down the pithy little motivational saying for the day and have thought about it! Today I have heard talks about how diet is managed here (it's a diets don't work approach, although healthy eating is the mainstay of the system). No food is banned but you are not supposed to eat anywhere except the dining room, to encourage thoughtful eating and an awareness and enjoyment of the food. I also went to a class where we learned the importance of pre - exercise stretches and practised doing them. Several people had issues with joints or other injuries and we were given loads of ideas for successful modifications to the exercises. I have not exercised for years so am a bit stiff tonight but the lady who did my health check this morning came to find me tonight with a laminated sheet of exercises to do in the shower tomorrow to loosen me up. My daylight hours wound up with a meditation session and seated stretch and relax. I am expecting to eat well tonight!!
Everyone is extremely friendly and the staff are completely none - judgemental and willing to make alterations to the exercise programmes so that even arthritic grandmothers, like me, can join in everything and make real adjustments to their lives.
I guess to the English psyche the motivational talks might be a little strange but I have resolved to completely buy into the whole thing and am finding that much of what I hear resounds with me. I even jotted down the pithy little motivational saying for the day and have thought about it! Today I have heard talks about how diet is managed here (it's a diets don't work approach, although healthy eating is the mainstay of the system). No food is banned but you are not supposed to eat anywhere except the dining room, to encourage thoughtful eating and an awareness and enjoyment of the food. I also went to a class where we learned the importance of pre - exercise stretches and practised doing them. Several people had issues with joints or other injuries and we were given loads of ideas for successful modifications to the exercises. I have not exercised for years so am a bit stiff tonight but the lady who did my health check this morning came to find me tonight with a laminated sheet of exercises to do in the shower tomorrow to loosen me up. My daylight hours wound up with a meditation session and seated stretch and relax. I am expecting to eat well tonight!!
Sunday, 13 January 2013
I am a little late blogging about another trip to the cinema to see The Impossible, a film based on the true story of a Spanish family's experiences in the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004.It was beautifully filmed and acted and I thought it excellent avoided the temptation of wallowing in the horror but just got on and told the story honestly.
On Friday I went with my daughter- in- law and little granddaughters to the Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield. I would highly recommended this outing. As it was lunchtime we went to the very pleasant cafe which, while being child friendly, was also great for those without children. After this we wandered the gallery, enjoying the sculptures which showed to great advantage in the light and airy exhibition spaces. It is free to go to the gallery and I took great delight in watching the interest my 3 year old granddaughter took in talking about the exhibits. We only stayed about an hour in the galleries so as not to put her off wanting to go again but, for an adult, it deserves a much longer viewing!
I had a bit of fun yesterday planning and cutting a new quilt to celebrate the year 2012. I found some marvellous fabrics depicting London scenes and also some I sent off for from the USA with pictures of athletes and gymnasts. I've chosen a very simple patchwork style as the fabric is very busy and I have deliberately avoided making it highly tasteful and muted with plain fabrics. I want the vibrancy of the Olympics to come through my work.
Will post a photo when it is done.
On Friday I went with my daughter- in- law and little granddaughters to the Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield. I would highly recommended this outing. As it was lunchtime we went to the very pleasant cafe which, while being child friendly, was also great for those without children. After this we wandered the gallery, enjoying the sculptures which showed to great advantage in the light and airy exhibition spaces. It is free to go to the gallery and I took great delight in watching the interest my 3 year old granddaughter took in talking about the exhibits. We only stayed about an hour in the galleries so as not to put her off wanting to go again but, for an adult, it deserves a much longer viewing!
Hepworth Wakefield
www.hepworthwakefield.org/
I had a bit of fun yesterday planning and cutting a new quilt to celebrate the year 2012. I found some marvellous fabrics depicting London scenes and also some I sent off for from the USA with pictures of athletes and gymnasts. I've chosen a very simple patchwork style as the fabric is very busy and I have deliberately avoided making it highly tasteful and muted with plain fabrics. I want the vibrancy of the Olympics to come through my work.
Will post a photo when it is done.
Monday, 12 November 2012
Have been busy this morning making my new little granddaughter Martha a Christmas stocking. One of the things I have discovered since my retirement is an absolute joy in sewing. Although I make the occasional useful object (christmas stocking, cushion cover, bag), my real pleasure lies in patchwork and quilting. I also absolutely love choosing and buying fabric..........and therein lies the problem - I now have the fabric for 13 different projects!! I'm not completely out of control, however, several of these projects use fabric given to me as presents by thoughtful friends and relatives.
Back to more sewing later.
Back to more sewing later.
At the Cinema again
We seem to go through patches of going to the cinema and we went again on Saturday to see Argo , which was a marvellous film based on the true story which surrounded the Americans kept as hostages in Iran between 1979 and '81 - only not all of them were. Six had escaped and taken shelter with the Canadian ambassador and a whole plan was put together to get them out of Iran. Cannot recommend this film highly enough. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/argo_2012/
I was delighted to receive an email from the Tate Modern following up on my application to be part of an installation called Grey Haired Action. I heard about it on Woman's Hour and sent in an email so I could participate. I have copied the part of the email that explains the project a bit - lots of jargon but basically interesting I think.
Grey Hair Action is a temporary installation/performance that re-imagines the past in terms of contemporary political movements as hundreds of older women converge on the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern.
In this project, older UK women are positioned within the context of local and national histories of key activist movements of the 1950’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Actions such as the Greenham Common encampment, the Ford Machinists Strike, the formation of the Housewives Register, and the Grunwick Dispute attempted to transform the contemporary landscape and the relationship between government, corporations, and people. The issues confronted during the last half of the 20th century are with us today, but we face the future with new knowledge nurtured by those who brought important issues forward and shaped public opinion with their words, actions, and bodies.
Grey Hair Action brings together current themes in social and political discourse: aging, activism, social media and the role of personal commitment in the public agenda. As this project articulates activist histories of British women, many of whom are now in, or entering, the territory of old age and facing a new set of challenges, it offers a hopeful metaphor of inclusion and social relevance.
During a strand of workshops produced by the Tate Learning Department, a diverse group of 1000 older women will contemplate the role of women in past, current and future activisms and the role of art is public life. The women will ask each other: What do you believe in? What are you willing to take action on? What are women’s words worth? What is a woman’s role in public life? How could you make the world a better place?
On Saturday, February 2, 2013 the project will culminate in a temporary installation/performance, as participants rally to consider differences, strategize, and advocate. In doing so they symbolise new ways of seeing the aging experience and the role of women in social transformation.
I was delighted to receive an email from the Tate Modern following up on my application to be part of an installation called Grey Haired Action. I heard about it on Woman's Hour and sent in an email so I could participate. I have copied the part of the email that explains the project a bit - lots of jargon but basically interesting I think.
In this project, older UK women are positioned within the context of local and national histories of key activist movements of the 1950’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Actions such as the Greenham Common encampment, the Ford Machinists Strike, the formation of the Housewives Register, and the Grunwick Dispute attempted to transform the contemporary landscape and the relationship between government, corporations, and people. The issues confronted during the last half of the 20th century are with us today, but we face the future with new knowledge nurtured by those who brought important issues forward and shaped public opinion with their words, actions, and bodies.
Grey Hair Action brings together current themes in social and political discourse: aging, activism, social media and the role of personal commitment in the public agenda. As this project articulates activist histories of British women, many of whom are now in, or entering, the territory of old age and facing a new set of challenges, it offers a hopeful metaphor of inclusion and social relevance.
During a strand of workshops produced by the Tate Learning Department, a diverse group of 1000 older women will contemplate the role of women in past, current and future activisms and the role of art is public life. The women will ask each other: What do you believe in? What are you willing to take action on? What are women’s words worth? What is a woman’s role in public life? How could you make the world a better place?
On Saturday, February 2, 2013 the project will culminate in a temporary installation/performance, as participants rally to consider differences, strategize, and advocate. In doing so they symbolise new ways of seeing the aging experience and the role of women in social transformation.
Thursday, 8 November 2012
An unexpectedly good evening out
We went to a James Bond film for the first time since Goldfinger. After years of avoiding Bond like the plague we went to Skyfall last week and absolutely loved it. Check out the link - http://www.skyfall-movie.com/site/. What we enjoyed was that it made a bit of fun of itself, relied very little on high tech gismos, though with great chase scenes and an engaging story. Also, I think Daniel Craig is the best ever Bond.
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