Well, it's been a while, but here I am again updating my blog. It's taken a time mainly because I couldn't remember how to access my blog to update it. So, here we are with summer just around the corner and sunshine on the horizon. I'm feeling motivated, all is well with my world and I'm heading into my future with a positive attitude and a spring in my step!
As I'm heading to my 60th birthday this year I've been taking stock of and working on what's important to me. Obviously my health is the most important thing and I've been working on improving my general health and wellbeing. I'm paying much more attention to my diet and am working on increasing my fitness and activity levels. I've got a card that allows me half price entry to the local gym, and have a training schedule that I can start working on. If I find that I'm going along fairly often, when I'm 60 I'll be able to get a cheap membership which will allow me full access for only £18 per month. And, of course, I'll get my bus pass!
Earlier this year I went along to a course about finding my inner goddess. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have stayed in touch with a couple of other ladies who were on the course. It was run by a young lady called Jennifer Falconer. Jennifer is a generative life coach and is passionate about what she does. She has an office in Edinburgh but also runs some sessions out here in Livingston. The course was an amazing experience and it helped me to work out what's important to me, where I want my life to go and what I want to achieve. I'm planning on keeping my blog going and I'm also going to get my journal out and start updating it again, probably not on a daily basis, but most likely weekly or thereabouts. I'm also planning on updating my "Moon Over Water" facebook page and getting it restarted. I've already restarted my meditation practice and have signed up for a psychic gym course run by the amazing and talented Helen Leathers. I have several of Helen's books and workbooks and I've found them to be very useful and informative.
The Inner Goddess course has also got me motivated to get back into doing what I enjoy. I've been making a little jewellery, I've been planning some sewing projects and I'm doing some card readings. I've offered to do readings for a charity as well to help them to raise vital funds. More on that at a future date. I'm still going along to our West Lothian Crafters Network meetings and for the first time in quite a while I had some jewellery to take along for our "show and tell". I have to say the ladies who go along the the meetings are all amazingly talented artisans.
There's a local history group starting up on the 25th of this month and I'm planning on going along. I don't know very much about the history of the Livingston area so this will be an ideal opportunity to learn a bit about the area.
For my birthday last year, Mike got me an overlocker and for my birthday this year he's giving me a tailor's dummy (which I've already got because there was a sale on!). I'm planning on making some clothes and would like to try my hand at making my own creations. I'm also planning on making my dress for Graeme's 40th birthday celebration in December, when we're invited to a private premiere screening of the new Star Wars film. Of course, I'll be making myself some sparkly jewellery to go with the dress.
In late May / early June, we headed off for a few weeks in the motorvan and visited Mike's cousins (Annie and Russ) and his Auntie Joan in Plymouth. It's been lovely getting to know them and also Annie's granddaughter, Demi-Leigh. I was very fortunate whilst I was there as Demi very kindly spruced up my nails with a very pretty pink nail polish and added a little sparkly star. I have a note of the pretty shade Demi used and I'm hoping to pop out to buy myself a bottle of it.
We had a fabulous time in Plymouth and were made very welcome by all of the extended family. One day we visited the war memorial where a member of Mike's extended family (think it was a cousin of his Auntie Joan) is listed on the memorial. We found his name and I have a few photos of Mike, Annie and Russ pointing to the name on the memorial.
Annie and Russ also showed us round the Barbican and Plymouth Hoe. Annie and I had great fun visiting a few shops, trying on hats, oohing and aahing at some amazing vintage clothing and just generally having a good time. We sat outside in the sun eating fish & chips for lunch with Mickey sitting very well beside us trying not to look like he was wanting some of our lunch.
The weather whilst we were away was fabulous. We did have some hailstones (sounding like rocks landing on the roof of the van) and also one night it was quite stormy with pretty strong winds, but apart from that the weather was beautifully warm and sunny. We did manage to get a quick visit to Exmouth however, we didn't manage to get to see extended family in Ilfracombe but hopefully we'll manage to do so when we're down later in the year.
We had no real problems with the motorvan (other than busting the pipe for the grey waste) which was good. We didn't manage to get away for a couple of nights prior to our trip down south, although we did take the van out for an afternoon at Yellowcraig to check that everything was running properly. We're hoping to get a trip down Ayrshire way sometime and possibly up north somewhere as well.
Mickey is beginning to feel his age we think, and we've had to get his ramp out again to help him into and out of the car. For quite a while he was managing fine without it, but lately we felt that he was not too happy about having to take a running jump to get into the car, so his ramp is back in use. He does pretty good for an old boy of 11+ years of age.
We've had some more work done in the garden this year. There's a particular bit in the side garden that's always a fairly damp and the water doesn't drain very well, despite the fact that we put in some drainage (at least I think we did). It's also pretty difficult to get the lawn mower in to get the grass cut at that bit. So, we've now got an additional deck covering the damp area. Last week when we had a few really nice sunny and warm days, we sat out on our new deck for morning coffee and afternoon tea. Ordinarily sitting out in our garden isn't always fun because we tend to get a west wind through the garden which makes it a bit chilly and uncomfortable for sitting out in (which is why we got our wee summerhouse a few years ago) but fortunately last week there was only a very light breeze so it was rather pleasant sitting out on our new deck. It was so nice last week that I went out and bought myself some cotton shorts, the longish ones to below the knee, on Friday. Of course by the time we got back home it had turned overcast, breezy and chilly. But I'm pretty sure that we'll have a few more warm sunny days this year, so I'll get some use out of my new shorts. I'm sure I will!
There's lots of work to be done around the house and garden. We really need to get the wee office room cleared out and sorted and I'm hopeful then that I can use it as a little craft room. Outside we need to get the driveway power-washed and tidied up. We've already got that task started, but need to get around to finishing it off. The flower beds need to be weeded but once it turns a bit warmer again then we'll get that task completed as well.
Well, I reckon this is enough of my abstract rambling for the time being. Apologies if it's all a bit garbled, but as many of you know, I tend to write just whatever comes into my mind. So if you find it all just a bit disjointed, then that's the reason why.
I'll be spending the next few weeks or so thinking about how my blog will develop over the next few months. My plan is to have less rambling on and more of a structure with regard to topics covered. My grand plan is that it will be a record of my journey through what I call "My Purple Years".
I hope you all enjoy my ramblings and if so, please do follow my blog. If you'd like to say "hi" and leave a comment then please do so. If you have any ideas or suggestions for future topics for my blog then please do let me know.
Many thanks for reading!
Isobel
