My 2020 Story

Best Coffee Ever

I opened an email today which offered advice on making the best cup of coffee of your life – right in your own kitchen. Well who wouldn’t want to know this – perhaps I’ve been doing it wrong all this time and my lovely morning coffee could be even better? I read on.

The blog suggests that this take might be a little intimidating but surely worth the effort. Hmm maybe it’s more difficult than I thought!

First it suggests the various options regarding the device you might choose with an overview of the commonly used brew methods. There is no suggestion of which is ‘best’ – the considerations being ease of use, cost and level of grind required for the beans. All being additionally subject to personal taste, cost and time of course.

Then the choice of beans – to buy ready ground or requiring the additional use of a grinder – and which of these is best – or indeed subject to the same considerations of personal taste, time and cost.

The conclusion is, indeed, just that – how you make your morning brew comes down to personal taste, time and cost.

AGOQ

Today I received my invite to partake in the Age Group Online Qualifiers (AGOQ) – the second stage of the Crossfit Open where eligibility is as a result of finishing in the top 10% worldwide in your age group.

When I came to this age group (55- 59 years) I intended that I would qualify for this stage every year. This is the third year.

I can look forward to 3 days of 5 gruesome workouts. No time for redo’s. Just enough time to feel the pain. At least now the gyms are open so I have a degree of fitness back in the bank. The competition start on Friday 10th (with the workouts released 8pm on Thursday 9th – guess I could do one then – in theory..) so I have just over a week to get psyched.

Ideas come in waves

Have you ever had a great idea – one of those ideas that could change the world – inspired, different, fun, creative..? Only to be in conversation with someone and have them come up with that exact same idea..?

My theory is that it’s all energy – and if you don’t take up those ideas then they move on to find someone who will.

Ideas are like waves – they hover in the space around us waiting to be taken up by someone and actioned. ~The idea has come your way – hovered around you and made its presence felt: it takes shape in your thoughts. If you don’t take on the idea it will move into someone else’s consciousness and wait awhile with them to see if they take it up. And so on until that idea finds a willing recipient to make it real.

Ideas, like the very air we breathe, flow all around us.

An Early Start

One of those days when the birds start singing as dark turns into not-quite-so-dark. So you start reading and when you next look out of the window you see the blue sky littered with glorious pink clouds.

Sunrise is spectacular. Every time. That ball of fire appearing over the horizon lighting up the sky. The colours, the silence, the steady rhythm that marks our time.

So I jumped into the clothes that fell into my hands first and into the car – down to the beach. Realising I’d missed that beautiful few minutes as the golden globe passes the horizon I pottered down to the beach just to enjoy the silence anyway.

That early start is always a fabulous start to the day. Going to have to time it a bit earlier next time though..

Stress

Stress comes in many different formats.
Pressure of work, environmental (too much sun, poor air quality, radiation from many sources), relationships, the food we eat, injury, high intensity sport, smoking alcohol, drugs – the list is almost endless.
Yet the impact on the body is the same – stress has a physiological impact on the body requiring the body to have to deal with an increase in free radicles. No matter the source, stress will impact the body.

Left unchecked the damage caused by stress can manifest is any number of ways – from rapid ageing through any number of diseases: stress is the number one risk factor. The source of the stress may not be directly linked to the outcome – after all the body is very complex and all manifestations are multifactorial.

As I often say – prevention is better than sure: so how to prevent the build-up of stress would be a key life skill for those wishing to live a long life in the best health possible. And that study and use of those skills to improve healthspan is the field of biohacking. Is biohacking something that interests you?

Vera’s on my beach!

Well – not exactly my beach, to be fair – but if you follow my social media you’ll definitely recognise the rock I often sit on!

The popular detective program ‘Vera’ is often filmed in and around the coastal town of Whitley Bay. Fabulous beaches often lend their picturesque beauty to the storylines – as well as local pubs, streets and countryside.

The presence of the film crew isn’t hard to spot – several big trucks roll up on the seafront carpark for a few days. As I drove past them this afternoon on my way to ‘my’ beach I had a feeling I might have to change my plans: and indeed I was right. The car park was a ‘no-go’ area.

Just to check – I parked nearby and walked along the clifftop path – and they they all were – bathed in North East sunshine and filming a scene on the beach. At least they have good taste when it comes to locations!

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Selfcare is Essential

Selfcare isn’t all yoga, ohm and massage. Self care is listening to yourself and making sure that inner part of you is satisfied.

Carving out some me-time for your weekly yoga class, a walk on the beach or a daily run: all these are great. Booking a regular massage, retreat or beauty treatment: all these are lovely. But selfcare needn’t be a solitary activity.

Life – and selfcare – is about balance. After months of closed public spaces this is the first weekend in the UK in what seems like forever when outdoor pubs are open. Many layers of clothing may be required and if you haven’t booked a slot at one of the tables you might be out of luck – but if bliss for you this weekends is a few pints with your friends in the local beer garden, then for sure – that counts as self care.

Fill you soul with laughter and fun. Breathe, relax. Self care is essential.

End of an era

I bought this car a couple of months after I had child number 4. He’s 15 now.

It’s been fun. I’d drive it on nights out when I knew I’d otherwise have trouble parking. I’d drive it on summer days with the roof down just for fun. Whenever I drove it there’s be small children point at it ‘look mummy, that car is really tiny!’

It’s been fun but now it was time to move on. 28 years old and in need of someone who has time to give it more tlc than I’m able to.

The new owner had it picked up this morning by a specialist classic car removals company and it’s on it’s way to the ferry terminal at Immingham, then onwards to Norway. He’s been on the lookout for one for a while and I hope will give it a good home.

Eitherway – the end of an era for me. And with all good endings, there’s room for new beginnings. Life is a journey

Teens – ugh

Parenting teens is not for the fainthearted. Those new parents stressing over how difficult it is to change your lifestyle to accommodate a baby – those parents of toddlers screaming in the supermarket – those parents who insist their child is ‘8 going on 18’: seriously – give me one of those any day. Being a parent of a teen is a whole different league.

The hormones, the need for constant eating, the difficult in getting up phase – and their inability to verbalise more than the odd grunt. And who knows what they get up to when they’re out of the house?!

Last night the teenager sauntered in at 11:30pm. To be fair he had answered his phone when I rang (several times) – and trust me, if your child is not yet a teenager, having them answer their phone when you ring is a big parenting achievement. I knew he was OK and I knew he’d be home when he said.

Trust is a big deal. ‘I’m OK mum – just out walking my friend’s dogs’; honestly, you don’t know what most of kids my age are getting up to – lines of cocaine, all sorts of drugs; I’m only walking the dog. Give me strength – when will this be over?

Quieter Beaches

As the shops, salons, gyms and beer gardens reopened yesterday I took a drive around to assess how the crowds were handling the change..

Firstly as I passed the nearby store (the one that attracts lots of retired folk) I noticed the carpark already filling up just after the 9am opening time – and on the way back from the gym the car park was busier than Christmastime.

I drove along the seafront passing numerous coffee shops with newly refurbished outdoor spaces and several pubs with newly installed beer gardens (I’m thinking wooden bench-makers must have had a boom in business!) – all rammed.

The paths which were recently full of walkers – clear. The clifftop paths – clear (despite the nearby caravan park filling up). And my lovely beach – peaceful.