Imbolc!

Imbolc bunting on the family Altar

Just as we hit February, with Imbolc and spring, the mild winter turns frosty and the temperature has dropped below freezing = Brrrr!  Lots of the UK has had snow, Reading had loads, even Portsmouth, but none here mores the pity.




Cardiff last weekend was good. It was great to see Claire and Allan, the children thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Paul and I did got a cycle and a run in, although the cycle was harder than anticipated because of all of the welsh hills! 

Paul x

I have not done a a hillier or more difficult route and Paul struggled to drag me round it!
Since then, we did a 26 mile route at the weekend just gone, when
my parents visited and had the children for us.  I would love to say it was a romantic amble through the hampshire countryside.  But it was hard, cold and frankly brutal!!  I was very weary on Sunday.  But whatever my body was doing, I was feeling good mentally.  I have achieved half my goal distance on track, with 8 weeks to go.  Need to keep it up now.

An added bonus to all this exercise appears to be weight loss.  Slow and steady, but definitely there!

Lucy and I have stepped up our joint training too and have now settled on the triathlon we want to enter.  Its slightly earlier than first thought and is in June, at my old secondary school in Henley no-less.  We are challenging ourselves with opting for the Sprint: 400 metre Swim - 25 km Cycle - 5 km Run - which I have only just noticed is actually the maximum option!  We are currently swimming twice a week, averaging 40 lengths, running 3 times a week and are now on run 5mins, walk 1min, and then the cycling as I have mentioned.  We are joining the gym with a joint membership this week, so we can start practising swimming and running one after the other.

Niamh turns one next week, and we are having a little tea party.  She has just started sleeping properly on her own, in her own bed and I hadn't actually realised just how the lack of sleep was affecting us until it stopped!  I can't believe she will be one.  My last baby is turning into a toddler, and whilst I feel sad as the baby chapter of my life comes to an end, I am truly excited about the future and seeing them all grow - and getting some sleep!





Pop art skull mug



We are all geared up for a week in Selsey for my mothers 60th and I'm particularly looking forward to spending some time with my sister, rather than brief glimpses here and there between jet-setting.


Bunting bunting bunting!



I managed to paint a bizarre mug at a pottery party last week and have been sewing sewing sewing as ever, and can't wait to make a start on Feb birthdays and share what I've been beavering over.  Bunting, as always, features heavily.



 

deep in the belly

life stirs

not yet formed

but quickening.

slight movement waking,

promising of life to come,

in the dark

as yet unborn.

manifesting, yet waiting,

the warming Earth

stirs.

Poem by Deanne Quarrie - Art by her daughter, Wendy Knox