A Christening and a Run

Healthy...

A christening today, which meant a cooked breakfast with the in-laws followed by a buffet lunch afterwards. No matter - I don't like to turn my nose up and I stayed in control with the buffet - two sandwiches, a sausage and a small handful of crisps.

I won't eat anything else today, and I doubt I have exceeded my calorie goal. I shall just slip straight back into healthy choices tomorrow.

However, I did run. It was horrid today, blustery and rainy. The last thing I felt like was going out in the rain, and I nearly didn't, but all that bread (toast with breakfast and the buffet) had left me lethargic and sluggish. So, I followed the amazing Michelle's advice and let my body take over where my mind was letting me down.

There are good runs and there are bad runs. Today was the latter, but even though my stomach hurt and I was soaked, I was glad I went, enjoying the feeling of running through the wet long grass, the rainbow and shafts of sunlight that made it through the clouds. Even better, the circulation pumping satisfaction afterwards. It was only about 3 miles and only 24 minutes, but the point is - I went.

I reminded myself that I run because I want a strong, healthy body which sees me through my life being able to do the things I want to do.

Wealth...

Today was a no-spend day.

Happiness...

Feeling the love at a christening full of happy couples and gurgling babies | singing 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' in the church - takes me straight back to my primary school days | waking up next to my beautiful little puppydog and hearing her gentle morning snuffles.

Happy Day at Home

Healthy...

Healthy, yummy, wheat free day. Spinach and cheddar breakfast omelette; quinoa, black bean, grapefruit and avocado salad; fish skewers with asparagus and salad with tahini dressing and a little treat - one square of 89% coco dark chocolate.

Wealthy...

 

 

One day anyway...getting stuck into my MBA. I like to spend my time productively.

 

Happy...

Dog walk in the late evening sunshine in the corn fields near my house. It may not be the most exciting landscape, but I loved listening to the rustling of the drying wheat, enjoying the biscuit smell and the coolness of the shady hollows.

 

 

 

 

A beautiful scarf in my favourite shade, palest grey, a gift knitted by my beautiful mum..

 

 

Flowers from my parent's garden, collected by the armful and dried for winter.

 

 

 

I didn't even leave the village, but what a wonderful day it was just having time on my own to potter.

Healthy Mexican Dinner

Today's dinner was a yummy, healthy Mexican bowl - rice, black beans for fibre, home made tomato and red onion salsa, avocado, herbs, natural Greek yoghurt and cool avocado. Mmmmm!

Finished up with a square of dark chocolate and a raspberry yoghurt.

 

 

 

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Frosty Beauty

The car thermometer recorded an extremely chilly -4 this morning and as I warmed it up, I took a moment to enjoy the garden with it's sparkly glaze.

Winter really does have its own unique beauty. Enjoy:

Oh Christmas Tree

We went for a gold and white Christmas Tree theme this year - I am lucky enough to have built up a collection of decorations that allows me to vary the colours each year.

 

Much of the last couple of weeks has involved sipping Baileys while snuggled in front of this:

 

I was so keen to find somewhere with a log burner - rare in rental properties but worth holding out for as it is a total human pleasure to listen to the logs crackling and watch the flickering flames.

Hope you are warm and comfortable in front of your tree, wherever you are.

Christmas Wreath

So much has happened since my last post, not least moving to Wiltshire Cottage - more on that coming soon.

We moved to this perfect little place just before Christmas - and one of the first things I did was to  make the wreath for the front door. Priorities!

I always make mine - I much prefer a real one and shop-bought ones are very expensive and a bit limited, usually to holly alone.

Part of the joy is the walk in the woods to gather the material, very midwinter - still and atmospheric...

 

I like a mixture of holly, broad glossy evergreen leaves and interesting firs.

 

 

I have been trained in Floristry and am very aware that this is not the 'proper' way to wire up a wreath - but works just as well.

 

First, take a wire wreath ring (£1 or so on Ebay) and make a padded base by binding generous bunches of straw to it, using twine:

 

 

Next, take even sized sprigs of your base fir (these were Christmas tree trimmings) and bind using twine or fine green wire:

 

 

Then, add your contrasting foliage by sticking the stem firmly into the straw base, and using a length of green wire to tie the tip of the sprig in place:

 

Until you are happy it is an even spread. Then, simply keep layering up contrasting foliage in this way until you are happy with it.

 

I prefer a lot of simple greenery, although you could hot glue on some pine cones or baubles if that is your thing. As a finishing touch I cheated and glued some red beads for 'berries' onto the holly.

 

 

The photo above was taken after a frost, so it looks a little sad!

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

Celebrating Autumn

This weekend has been a glorious celebration of Autumn, my favourite time of the year by far. I have been revelling in the gloriousness of:

My lovely tweed jacket;



Glorious autumn colours at the park - no photoshopping required!



 

Chutney bubbling away as I sit with my laptop - this time Fig and Apple Chutney...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ...and Pumpkin and Apple Chutney to start using up this lot which we picked from the allotment;

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And as I walked past the local florist which was full of autumnal colours, I treated myself to this lovely lot:

 

 

Happy Autumn!