Personal Blogs

Suddenly here I am Christmas is a thing of the past and its nearly the end of January. I made my new year resolution and so far have stuck to it. It involves eating less and getting more exercise. It appears to be working too as i'm 3 weeks into it My husband and I have been invited to our nieces wedding in October and I really want to be able to wear something that doesn't resemble a tent. At 13st 4lbs at my weigh in at the doctors and with vital statistics of 44, 41 42 and a 1/2 I realised that I was no longer a pear shape, more like a wine glass or a lollipop. I remembered at the age of 28 I had been a 34 26 34 shape so I've managed to gain about 3/4 an inch a year over the last 25 years. Don't do the math I'm no good at math. Anyway the goal is 10 stone, and I'm a firm believer in will power, so basically I've decided that in order to lose the offending poundage which my husband informs me is the same weight as a sack of dog food I have put myself on a diet that is around 1000 calories a day, but is extremely healthy, and I am eating breakfast, lunch and evening meal, allowing three fruit snacks a day. I also user a smaller plate I have reduced my carb intake, use skimmed milk and have one day off a week..I have chosen Sunday as I love a Sunday roast with all the trimmings. I have stopped eating after six o'clock, so gone are the biscuits,chocolate, nuts and crisps that were my regular evening treats in front of the tv Since I started my measurements are now 43, 40, 41 so in three weeks I've reduced my measurements by 3 and a half inches. I decided to only weigh in once every six weeks as it stops the constant worry, and I measure myself once a week.I am now able to walk the dogs an average of three miles a day, though I love the longer walks, it usually takes about an hour. I've spent today almost hypothermic sat here doing the essay for my assignment as the fire went out and I was stressing that I wouldn't get it finished. Twice I scrapped it and started again, the last week has been miserable in so many ways, not just the weather. But its in now and I can only commiserate if I get low marks for it. I always find the harder i try the more stressed I get and the worse the essay gets. Back to the reading now for the next one, I must try harder is my new affirmation. Update soon

Don't forget the real reason for the Christmas Festival. To let others know that you appreciate them, and even if you don't always have time to be there, that they are important to you, that you love them, Show them that you value them and that they mean a lot to you, that they are a sacred part of your life, and that their existence and the fact they have been born is as important as the birth of the only son of God, that every living person is sacred too, and that those we share our immediate lives with are a blessing to us and that we should never forget that. The giving of gifts is a way of saying you are loved, and if I don't always let you know, i am letting you know at this special time of year that has been put aside that I might remember that we are all here together, and I really do want you to know how much you mean to me....and that you ARE LOVED. xx 'of course the giving of gifts is optional', but do let people know they are loved

Sometimes just when things seem to be getting worse with ever increasing momentum there suddenly appears light at the end of the tunnel, and by light I mean literally. Living off grid and relying on the sun and the wind can be hit and miss at this time of year. There are not many hours of daylight and it has been so flat calm that the wind turbine has failed to charge the batteries for some time. We had checked the voltage and it was dire, we had to resort to head torches to read, and candle light for just general background light, and charging the laptop has meant making trips to very patient friends houses to plug in and recharge. Its amazing how resourceful living off grid can make a person, and early nights are a blessing because hot water bottles and a decent duvet can do for a person what any amount of stoking the burner can't do if there is no wind to draw through. A very good friend has offered to supply us with a generator for the purpose of recharging the battery bank and for that we are very grateful. Isn't it amazing though that as soon as we were about to succumb the wind returned and for now our battery bank is charging nicely till the next time. At the end of the day a caravan is only a tin rectangular box, and was designed for summer living, not all year round. But with thoughtful placing of furniture we have managed to increase the thermal mass around the exterior walls and now it is much warmer than in some of the previous years. I have to admit though that the winter with all the snow did take us down to -8 inside in the bedroom, but that was after a weekend away and the fire hadn't been lit. We keep the burner in constantly at this time of year, feeding it before retiring to bed so that there is some heat in the morning. We double up on curtains as the windows are the single glazed variety, and as it gets colder, they are often left closed in the rooms we aren't spending much time in. Last year we used the silver insulator/reflector for behind radiators as insulation between the glass and the curtains, it worked remarkably well. What makes me laugh is that we can be really cold inside and then we go out and it actually feels warmer outside, I guess this is the refrigerator effect. On those days we open the doors and let the warmer fresh air in for a while. But its not so bad at the moment and its nearly Christmas. The little Christmas tree is up and lit with an Array of battery operated led lights, which is good as my battery running low and I'm going to have to log off, good evening folks, love and light. Emma

It was glorious this morning and so we proceeded to start the day with a toast and tea breakfast, sat in the sunny morning room. I realise that sounds rather posh, but in our caravan home there is one room that catches all the sun in the morning and warms up quite quickly at this time of year. Caravan living is extreme in the winter and it takes a fair amount of organisation to live off grid in one over the winter months in the British Isles. Anyway it was so nice we decided to go to Ynys y Fydlyn which is a small bay with an Island just off the coast after a lovely walk across the headland. From there we can see the Skerries Lighthouse, automated and unmanned now, but at one time two or three men would sail out and stay for long periods of time on the lonely barren rock with only the seals and seabirds for company. It is a most wonderful place with the remains of some historical industrial building and an inland lake. The three dogs had a long run and swim in the water which pools among the rocky shoreline as the tide recedes. It is one of those places where you can imagine pirates and smugglers unloading their booty in secret. We stayed about an hour then as the sky started to cloud over decided it was time to return home before the rain arrived. It was a lovely walk and feeling the better for it made the return home more welcoming.

This is one of my favourite times of the year, you can call me a kid, but I just can't help myself. I love the Halloween atmosphere. I relish in the fancy dress and the making up the children to be little monsters, not that they aren't already. I just go all excited at the thought of dressing myself up too and becoming all glamorously ghoulish and scary. This year the grand kids are a chainsaw massacre character, an executioner, a zip face with gore, and a Halloween rainbow dash pony. I'm not quite sure how the Halloween rainbow dash pony will work out, but we're an artistic bunch. My Daughter will go as a sister of mercy. Description? well its the usual nuns outfit with big stomping boots, a gun in a leg holster, possibly a machine gun strapped to her back and lots of make up. Moi... I will do the witch thing. This year its spidery tights, with stripey socks over them, a black ra ra type skirt with black top. The top will be decorated with uv spider webs. Black ankle boots with glitter spray and some eyeballs on them. Hair in pigtails sprayed orange and green. White face make up with green around eyes and big, and I mean big false eyelashes. An orange red bastardised jacket will finish the effect, along with some lovely lacey lace up gloves and orange fingernails. Oh and I forgot to mention the hat. Not your usual witches hat, this year I'm going for a blues brothers look, so its one of those type hats with need I say it, a spiders web and some creepy crawlies. So that's my pre Halloween Blog, I'll update you after the event to let you know how it went