Week 33 - Not a christmas card christmas card!

Well this is a bit of a funny one I know! Most of the 50 things have been about new experiences and challenges and this seems to fly in the face of that ideal.
However, after remembering the amount of money spent on stamps last year I decided that I could use that cash more wisely this Christmas. It's not that I'm against card giving, and I love to send news at this time of year, stay in touch with friends and communicate best wishes for the festive season. 
The truth is though, that these days there is more than one way to skin a cat; in other words, there are other ways to do this.

So, here it is! This is my Christmas card/newsletter to you. What's so great for you is that you have access now to a whole year's worth of news, photos and witty banter!!?If you've been following my blog all year you'll already know what I've been up to (if you haven't,.... read all the entries and then you'll be up to speed! Make sure you go back to week 1 which explains everything.)

The main family news in 2014 is that we lost John's dad, Keith, in June, after an eight months illness with pancreatic cancer. It was obviously a difficult and sad time and yet John was able to spend a day every week with his parents which was precious and a privilege. His mum is remarkable and is coping amazingly.
The summer in fact was full of mixed emotions for the wider family as we celebrated one niece's wedding and another's first baby, both of these events coming only a few weeks after the funeral.
As for our children; Rachel and Alan continue to thrive in Loughborough with their puppy, Griff. Rachel is in her second year of maths teaching and Alan has just started a Phd. Alan has also written a book about his incredible £1 challenge (www.myonepoundchallenge.co.uk)
Megan has now lived in Bath for over a year and is thoroughly enjoying her work as an OT, volunteering in her church and working among young people and homeless people in her area.She lives in a fabulous house  which she shares with 2 other young women and she says it's definitely not a student pad and she feels very 'adult' now!
Luc, incredibly is in his final year at Loughborough and juggling his degree, church and student team work, creating wonderful meals with his housemates and generally living life to the full. He has established himself as arguably the best centre back in La Liga (Loughboroughs indoor football league). Follow @HIMYMata on Twitter.
Nathan is now in his GCSE year,over 6ft tall, still playing rugby and tennis and extremely pleased to have just had his brace removed which he reckons makes him now the most handsome guy in his year!!! It's great that we still have him at home with us but he definitely misses the others and he's very patient and tolerant of his not so young parents!
John and I both work 4 days in teaching and have Fridays off. We have had a sabbatical from Church leadership this year and have spent  time supporting our parents, taking up 'spinning' classes, visiting our children, still tandemming and of course completing '50' challenges. Next year it's John's 50th birthday so we'll see what exciting things he gets up to..

Now for the photos:

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas with those you love and all the best for 2015

Lots of love, Karen, John, Rachel,Alan,Megan,Luc and Nathan xx

(not forgetting Harvey and Griff)

Week 32 - Make a new recipe

This really is a bit lame I feel because there's nothing very unique about trying a new recipe!

However, this was a recipe I'd been avoiding for a while as I thought it was extremely difficult to get right. I tend to bake something new and then it becomes the one thing that I produce on every occasion. Actually I don't think I'm unusual in that?

It has to be said that until I've become something of an emptying nester I didn't really bake very much at all; in fact it was just the 5 annual birthday cakes and the obligatory mince pies at Christmas! Now John is often referring to me as a domestic goddess or Mary Berry (not true, but very sweet!) He does also maintain that I only bake when the kids are coming home or we're entertaining visitors. (This is also not true, but I can't seem to convince him!) 

I began to wonder about this transformation and came to the conclusion that it was about creativity. When you're busy child rearing all your nurturing and creative energy is used up in them (actually, scrub that and make it, 'all your energy is up. Period.') When you're no longer pouring yourself out in that way, you need another outlet. Of course, people like my mother in law always managed to do both, but this is my experience so I'm sticking to it - and good luck to you genuine 'domestic goddesses'!!

At the risk of contradicting everything I said in the previous paragraph, it cannot be denied that of course time is another overwhelming factor. I simply have more free time now. Additionally, I have been quite inspired by programmes like 'the bake off' and the recent trend towards home-produced goods.

Anyway, back to what I actually made for the first time this autumn. Millionaire shortbread according to Mary Berry. It was a brilliant recipe which if you follow exactly you get results just like hers. I was pretty impressed and rather pleased with myself. 

And can I just say, they were enjoyed by just Nathan, John and myself..... not a single visitor in sight!

Week 31- Llandudno tram

 Incredible as it seems after having lived in this area for 23 years I had never been on the Llandudno tram on the Great Orme. It was therefore put on my list at the beginning of the year.
I am very lucky to have a very good friend who is a regular traveller on and great fan of the tram. She also has a brilliant young son who is equally enthusiastic and knowledgeable about this popular means of transport. They kindly volunteered to take me on my maiden journey!
They advised me on the best weather condition, the best time and the best route. The tourists of course simply turn up at the tram station at the bottom of the Orme and have to wait their turn to climb aboard. We drove to the summit and came down on the second tram of the day and then ascended again.
My friend, Caroline and her son were on first name terms with the tram staff and they also had a season ticket which meant I got to ride for free, - so ideal!
Needless to say it was a fantastic morning and once again lovely views were enjoyed. However, I think I appreciated the by product of this experience just as much! What do I mean by that?Well, it was so lovely going out with Caroline and Levi and joining in their world for a few hours. It has been such a long time since my children were little and I had forgotten that people will so often strike up a conversation when you have a child with you. Also, children's wide-eyed enthusiasm and zest for life is contagious.
It was great to appreciate those simple things in life: riding on a tram, spotting numbers on cable cars and witnessing Levi's first descent down the long slide! Well done Levi and thank you both for a lovely morning.

Week 30 - Cycle to...........

I live in a household of very keen cyclists; I challenge any home to have as much Lycra as we do in ours. John and Luc have done some extremely impressive rides including Colwyn Bay to Cardiff in 36 hours! and now the guys are planning a trip to Paris on two wheels.
As for me, I enjoy my cycling too and not wanting to be outdone by the men I decided I had to set myself a challenge too. I felt I wanted to do a major ride from home, something noteworthy, somewhere at a reasonable distance. I chose Llangaffo, Anglesey which is approximately 33 miles away,( but with our little unintended diversion around Bangor must have been nearer 35!)
Okay, so I know it's not Land's End to John o Groat's, but it is a route which I've travelled many, many times before. However, only in a car. So one fine, dry day John and I got prepared and set off on the tandem. (We absolutely love tandem cycling and are constantly amazed by people's sceptical attitude towards it.)
I particularly enjoy the opportunity to appreciate the countryside and see the sights that you simply miss when you zip along the dual carriageways at 70mph. It's wonderful to experience the contours of the land, to take a slower pace and to chat as you go along (John also maintains I use the mobile going along instead of pedalling ,- what can I say? I can multi-task!!)
Anyway, we discovered some lovely little places which are really just on our doorstep and yet previously unknown. We found a beautiful valley near Bangor, so close to the expressway and yet magically hidden. We picnicked in a park, drank coffee overlooking the Menai Bridge and took time to pause and take photos. It looks like I learnt my lesson after my poor judgement in Cheddar (you need to have read the last blog!)
Additionally, it did feel like an achievement, especially since we cycled not only onto the island but down to Llangaffo where we met Luc and Nathan -
-  Oh and yes, that was with the car; the bike went on the roof and we drove home, enjoying a well- earned fish and chip supper - yum!

Week 29 - Visit a new place in the UK

I really should have been more prompt writing these blogs. You would have thought that being a teacher and having a long summer holiday I would have had plenty of time to keep writing regularly. Obviously, the lack of routine scuppered me and if I'm perfectly honest the problem was that the weather was simply too nice and I just couldn't stay inside and write on the tablet when the sun was shining! (Can't see the screen outside - have tried, didn't work)
Having said all that, when I visited the Cheddar gorge in Somerset for the very first time in mid-August the weather was actually not brilliant at all. Then again, we didn't go for the weather. It was thanks to great friends of ours who invited John and I to join them in a mobile home on a small caravan site that we had the opportunity to go there.
Cheddar of course is home to cheese, cider, caves and a road weaving its way up through the middle of the rock. I had never visited before, in fact I'm not sure whether I'd previously stayed in Somerset at all.
Anyway, I think it'd be true to say that I made a bit of a rookie error. The whole point of visiting a massive gorge is to experience it; to see its expanse, its magnitude, to look down and get the 3000 ft perspective. I didn't do that! I can't for the life of me think why now  (umm I think there was a charge to do the cliff walk-:-\ ) it was certainly my own 'not doing'.
To be honest, it's not like me. I'm usually very keen to get the bird's eye view - even some of my earlier  blogs testify to that and I've spoken about this in church before now for goodness sake!
I guess there's some lessons to myself here:

• Don't Stop looking for the bigger picture, 
• Don't start losing that child-like wonder in the little things,
• Don't let cynicism rob you of joy

I feel suitably reproached now!

Here's what I should have seen:

Weeks 27 and 28 Coffee with...... and Sailing!?

Well summer was astonishingly but undeniably with us for much longer than we all expected but I still didn't manage to do one challenge that I really needed to do in the warmth!
.... Ah you thought I was going to mention what it was? - no, no better to keep you guessing (and if I don't end up doing it, you'll never know!!!)
Anyway, back to those things that I have done :- another coffee with.... This needs no explanation since I've written about this previously. However, that in no way lessens nor underestimates the special and significant time I spent with my coffee date.I just love spending time getting to know people, properly.
Someone whom I had the privilege to spend more time with this summer was the amazing Peter Caldwell who offered to take me out on his boat and teach me to sail. I had never as far as I could remember been on a sailing boat and I had certainly never held the helm and navigated across the open seas!!
From the outset, I realised that this was not only a whole new world, but also a whole new language. I learnt nautical vocabulary which included a ketch and a genoa; I discovered that there was great skill in reading the tide and weather charts, the water depth, the wind strength and speed and the importance of timings. I found out that maintaining a straight course required great concentration and may I say even considerable skill! (I do not presume to have mastered it)
Peter and his sailing buddy, John, showed incredible patience and tolerance in allowing me to take the captain's position at the helm. They subtly and graciously moved between giving me the freedom to learn and then taking the helm when potential danger threatened or they sensed I was getting out of my depth!!
Moreover, they wanted me to experience a full day of sailing and took me from Conwy to Puffin island, out to Colwyn Bay and then returning into the marina round the Great Orme and coming close to West shore and Deganwy beaches.
The things that surprised me were just how far the boat tipped over under the force and strength of the wind, the way my feet ached from standing still on deck at that sloped angle and how difficult it was to go to the toilet in such a small space and with a vacuum operating system!!
 It was a brilliant day though and I couldn't have asked for better teachers. I could definitely do this again; there is simply so much to learn and I could absolutely appreciate why people get hooked on sailing and the level of skill which is needed.
 Thank-you Peter and 'Island Girl' for helping me achieve challenge no.28.

Week 25 and 26- The Zip-Wire and getting a story in the press!

It all seems such a long time ago now - back when the summer holidays were looming enticingly close and the promise of long, lazy sun-filled days were excitingly anticipated.
Well they came those days, and even the sun, and as I remember back to July 12th, they are already feeling like a distant memory even though the holidays are not quite finished.
Which is why doing something memorable, something shared, something charged with emotion is a really important and significant thing to do. You don't want every day to run into the next seamlessly and unremarkably.
Of course not everyone wants to ride a zip-wire and to be honest that's not really what I'm advocating. I'm simply talking about making great memories with those that we love. Holidays are perfect for this. Think back to your own childhood memories, I'll bet a lot of them were on family holidays, I know mine were.
I guess the whole point of these 50 things was to create lasting memories of a landmark year, however,I did want one challenge to be not only quite dramatic but also to raise money for charity. I love the idea of doing something fun but at the same time knowing that it's also going to benefit others.
By now most people have seen the pictures of the zip-wire and local people may have seen the story in the North Wales Weekly News. I was pretty chuffed to make the front page via a teaser picture and then a full article inside with another photo. Lara did a brilliant job with the story.I hope it helped to raise a little more awareness for the charities. At the moment the total raised is around £500 which I'm pretty pleased with.

As for the experience it was totally brilliant! John came with me on the ride and we had quite a few supporters too. (Thanks folks, you were encouraging and helpful).The guys at Zip World were very professional and told us we'd find the mini zipper the most scary! Half the distance and speed, - how can that be??
Well it was true. The ground fell away quickly and we flew alarmingly close to the tops of trees. Plus of course, it was the first time up on the wire. Next by the time we'd ascended the mountainside of the former quarry in a bone shaking truck and admired the spectacular views the adrenaline was pumping and we knew there was only one way down!
All our fellow zippers had the foresight (and canniness) to bring their cameras, which meant they all sloped off to take photos at the summit, leaving John and I to edge rather nervously onto the platform completely alone and without that reassuring but absolutely necessary feeling of safety in numbers.
From them on, there was definitely no turning back. We were securely harnessed up, the go-pro was switched on and we awaited the final countdown. I hesitantly called out to John to say something encouraging (he didn't!- to be fair I'm not sure he heard) After what inevitably seemed like an eternity, the go- ahead was given and we were released.

Almost immediately I realised I wasn't terrified, not even scared. We soared through the air like birds, passing over the mounds of abandoned slate and then the gleaming lake - and it really did feel like flying. Not once did we feel the pull of g-force, nor the fear of falling or crashing. It was pure exhilaration, yes even enjoyment. The only negative for me was that I only remembered to look around towards the end and so I didn't appreciate the view as much as I should have.Which, needless to say, means only one thing!......... Exactly, I'll just have to do it again someday!

Here's a link to the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch
v=ZGtus16ciZE&feature=youtu.be

Week 24 - New hair

I have to confess to going out of chronological order here, but it made sense. I mean you can't write a blog in another month about your new look hair when nearly everyone's seen it already and it's no longer new, or even noteworthy!
Of course you could argue that it's not that noteworthy anyway, but, it was on my list to do something quite radical with my look and for me, that was definitely a challenge. So it's here and staying.
Some people are always changing their hairstyles and even their colour but that's never been true for me. In fact, I think had my sister not been a hairdresser and a lot more into hair and make-up than me back when we were young, then I would have had considerably less experience of new styles etc. I remember, one time, when I was about 15, shocking my teachers, my friends and most of all myself by getting a sort of plum colour on my hair. I'm sure my sister must have coaxed me into it at a time when she was a trainee and I seem to think I didn't expect it to be such a bold colour. Maybe I'm looking back at my teenage self with filtered perception, perception borne out of years of safe and non-risky behaviour and maybe I was really an eccentric character in those days - mmm -no, I don't think so. Well whatever it was that caused this unabashed flamboyancy, it didn't reappear for another 25 years when at the age of 40 I had highlights for the first time!
So it seems landmark birthdays inspire me to make these changes. I think it's a pity that I need to wait for them in order to be bold, or is it because I'm generally content with how things are? Probably both are true; but to be honest there's another reason behind the new, short hair but sadly it's less to do with significant birthdays and meaningful gestures, and more to do with symptoms synonymous with 'women of a certain age'.!!
Anyway, I'm very happy with the look and thank-you to Sue at 'Scissorz',Colwyn Bay for releasing me of my locks and believing me when I said they had to go! (By the way, hairdressers love to cut off a lot of hair and don't often get much opportunity it seems, so, you know what to do,........ get down there!)
I guess it's watch this space in ten years time ........!!

Week 23- Go skiing

Early on in the process of deciding what to put on my 50 things list, I knew skiing had to be up there. Not only had I never skied before but there happens to be a dry ski slope on my doorstep in Llandudno (where there's also a tram that I've never ridden) and so really it was an obvious choice.
I didn't imagine that funds would allow a real skiing holiday or anything so exotic so I only had my thoughts set on the slope in town. However, a friend strongly recommended that I visited the snow dome in Manchester instead because she said it hurt when you fell on the dry slope. Naturally, I assumed that falling was an inevitability and so I took her advice and booked in at the Chill Factore.
Happily, the whole idea snowballed (pun intended) and both my brother and sister decided to join me on this mini adventure!
In the end, there were 6 of us booked onto the taster session in June. I have to say that it was a really strange feeling going into a building wearing shorts, vests and sandals on one of the hottest days of the year whilst carrying winter woolies in your bag to change into! It sort of messed with your head! I mean, who wants to go into a freezing, wintry environment in the middle of a proper summer's day?
Well, it seems we did! We enjoyed 40 minutes being shown how to move, balance, glide etc. Of course we didn't reach the dizzy heights of the big slope but we did get a great introduction and a true taste of what skiing was all about and amazingly, not a single member of the 12 strong group fell over even once!
I thoroughly enjoyed it and I would definitely go onto having some lessons at some point although I don't think I was a natural.
Thanks to Nathan, Linda, Steve, Hannah and Jackie for holding my hands and not showing me up too much and of course to Ben, the pro, who showed us all the skiing prowess to which we could all aspire!

Week 22- sleep out under the stars

Incredibly, we've had an excellent summer so far and that's been very conducive to quite a few of my challenges. This particular one was to sleep out under the stars and I chose a warm June evening when the light lasted until nearly 10pm.
John and I returned from a walk on the Bryn and lay on the trampoline to enjoy the last of the day's sun. Impulsively I suggested we sleep outside that night as it was so beautiful and John happily agreed. There are 2 things to note here; firstly that I am not impulsive so this was already a bit 'out there' for me, secondly, it was a really good job that John was compliant because I would have been too scared to do it on my own!
The trampoline seemed like a good idea at the time as a bed, but you tended to squash a little into the centre!
Anyway, unaware of this, we armed ourselves with bedding, a torch and of course an obligatory bottle of wine! It was lovely watching the light gradually fade and the stars eventually becoming visible. The bats began to dart between the trees and one or two came very close to our heads!
I fully expected to be awakened or startled by the sounds of the fox or other nocturnal creatures during the night, but I wasn't at all. Having said that, it doesn't mean that I enjoyed a great night's sleep unfortunately. At first I felt cold and then I was too hot and I just kept waking up at regular intervals sliding towards the middle of the trampoline!
Simply put, I missed my bed indoors! Am I getting old? Maybe, in hindsight the air-bed on the ground, or just the ground would have been preferable. At least I've slept on those surfaces before....
But hey, hold on a minute, that's the point isn't it? I'm doing things that I haven't done before. So what if it wasn't my best night's sleep ever? It was an experience, a first, an impulsive (if not spontaneous because it was on my list) adventurous act. Surely all of this will keep me, if not young in years, young in outlook??

The photos aren't very good, but they are proof that it really happened!

Week 20 and 21 More local walks

Many, many apologies for the delay in writing this next blog.
In reality we are in about the 30th week of the year and I'm only writing about week 20 and 21!
I suppose I forgot that sometimes life gets very frenetic and the things you can usually fit in your weekly schedule just simply get overwhelmed and usurped by other pressing necessities.
Also, life's difficulties happen. Sadness, stress, pain- to name a few. Bereavement is another.
You may recall from previous blogs that my father- in- law had terminal cancer and my last blog was partly written in the hospice the weekend that 3 of the men died. Well, the next Saturday, so, too did Keith. You can see why I've been preoccupied.
However, back in May (it seems so very long ago now) I did walk up 2 more local hills and enjoy yet more beautiful views.
The first was bryniau Llandudno, the ridge which separates Llanrhos from the town. I didn't have guided instructions this time and there was only one tricky moment when I got rather scared in a field of cows and thought one was going to chase me and Harvey towards the stile. Happily, it didn't. The following week we walked around Bryn Maelgwn starting from Llanrhos cemetery. This was my first disappointing walk. I imagined I could get to the top and enjoy the view, but there didn't seem to be a path to the summit.
Maybe it was a reminder that the journey  is sometimes more important than the destination!- (sermon in there I think)
Anyway, if you know of a path, please let me know.

Week 18 and 19 - More acts of random kindness

I'm sitting by the window, it's a pleasant enough day and I can hear the calming sound of the water fountain and see the bees buzzing intentionally on the flowers just outside.
Sound idyllic? It's not what it seems.
The views and sounds inside the room portray a very different picture. There's a man opposite who is making a painful, unsettling rattling noise, his wife is periodically stroking his hand and showing him compassion. Another lady is talking about her husband having gone downhill and life being like a roller-coaster. In fact, so fast-moving is this ride, that after a break in writing the first man has now gone; moved to his own room. The third lady embraces her husband and gets cheek to cheek; I don't know if he can hear her. As for my father in law, I hold his hand, there are no sounds from him, he is asleep and for a few moments at least he seems to have found some comfort from his long journey towards death.
I am in the hospice. I feel very emotional today and I am overwhelmed by the sadness in the room and the kindness that these women and my mother in law show to their husbands who are unable to give anything back in return.
Kindness is so precious a gift, don't you think? To give something of yourself simply to give joy or comfort to another sounds quite easy and doesn't cost a lot. In the hospice it's so utterly compelling because you know there's not a single selfish motive.
I wanted to have a few acts of random kindness on my list this year because I believe kindness can be practised, this sort of kindness which is spontaneous, generous and selfless. We don't know what sadnesses may lurk behind someone's cool façade, we don't know how many opportunities we'll have to do something for any given person. So I'm recommending we show kindness whenever we can not just when it's obviously needed.
What I did is really not the point of this blog, but for the sake of ideas and sharing inspiration I'll tell you that one was sending flowers to a person chosen randomly from my contacts list and the other was making cakes for my elderly neighbour.
I'm glad I did them both and the supermarket one. I'm going to keep practising kindness, because you just never know........

.....(I didn't say earlier but I finished this blog the day after the hospice visit. All three of my father in law's fellow journeyers died last night.)

Week 17 - The Department store one!

If you're thinking this is similar to the supermarket one and that I went into Debenhams and paid for someone's bridal outfit, I'm sorry to say you'll be disappointed - but please do still read on...
In fact, this was all about me! I'll explain. Whilst browsing around Debenhams one day at the end of last year I noticed someone having their eyebrows treated at one of those beauty salon bars. Of course I'd seen this kind of thing before and I'd always wondered what kind of crazy person would actively seek out such a public arena for what I deemed to be a very personal matter? Thinking of my '50 things' I decided there and then that I needed to be one of those people.
I realise these beauty bars are just another example of convenience and impulse retailing and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, nor the people who frequent them!
My problem with them was just that, my problem. You probably know by now that I'm an easily embarrassed person and not given to being reckless or spontaneous. So you see this was indeed a challenge for me and exactly why I needed to overcome my fears and bias.
So, after circling the store at least a couple of times I took the plunge and asked to have an eyebrow shape (it was the cheapest treatment,... well it was mainly to achieve a goal after all!) The beautician asked me if I wanted them waxing or threading and since incredibly I've already had my eyebrows waxed (yes it's true) I chose the latter. At this point I felt very smug and clever that I even knew what threading was, as less than two years ago I had no clue and I'm still too embarrassed now to tell you what I thought it meant!
The whole experience was over with very quickly with the young girl working swiftly and creating a shape where previously there'd been none. However, I must confess that I found it quite painful and a lot of money for a few minutes work. I'm one of these people that if I spend money I like to see the benefits - I'm not convinced it was really noticeable, but my daughters said it was.
Anyway, I did it, that's the main thing, on show in the middle of a store on a Friday afternoon. If I go for threading again, and I probably will, I'll go somewhere cheaper and who knows you might just see me through the window and wonder who on earth would do that??

Week - 15 and 16 Nant y Gamar and Portmeirion

These two weeks came in the Easter holidays and I was very fortunate to have both opportunity and company to explore these local landmarks.
I have often looked up at the hill just behind Craig y Don which overlooks Llandudno and wanted to walk up, but simply never done it! Portmeirion, similarly, I always fancied visiting but had never done so properly apart from attending a wedding there.
The great thing with having a list is that it actually does force you to make certain things happen!
The walk around Nant y Gamar was quite literally perfect. A gorgeous, warm, sunny, spring day accompanied by all the family plus Harvey the dog. The conversation was amiable, there was plenty of banter of course and I don't mind saying the picnic was rather tasty too! However, my one question has to be, why on earth has it taken me so long to go up there?? The views on that day were absolutely to die for; we do live in such a beautiful place.

We visited Portmeirion on not such a gorgeous day which in my opinion was a shame as the scenery across the estuary should be breathtaking but visibility was poor on this occasion. The Italianate village is pretty nevertheless and the rhododendrons in the woods were stunning. It would have been great on a hot day when you could have taken advantage of the beach and made a full day of it, for me, the village was all too soon explored.

Good news! - I now have an online sponsor page at JustGiving for my fundraising zipwire challenge in July. I'd be really grateful if you could give something to my charity, 'Care for the family'.

<a href='http://www.justgiving.com/Karen-Sadler4' title='JustGiving - Sponsor me now!' target='_blank'><img src='http://www.justgiving.com/App_Themes/JustGiving/images/badges/badge10.gif' width='270' height='50' alt='JustGiving - Sponsor me now!' /></a>

Week 14- fly-fishing

On my first Friday of no work (My extra teaching hours came to an end) John asked me if I fancied going fly-fishing!
Of course I said yes, but I have to confess that it had more to do with completing a challenge and spending time with my husband than netting a large fish!
Anyway, I had never fished before and so in the spirit of my 50 things I went with an open mind. I wish I'd also gone with a few more layers of clothing!! We went in a boat on Llyn Brenig, not too far from Denbigh. It was an overcast sort of day and didn't seem too cold at first, but then the wind seemed to get up and after a few hours I thought I'd lost all feeling in my feet!
John got quite frustrated that neither of us had caught anything after a few hours but I wasn't bothered. I think maybe it was the male'hunter/gatherer' thing and the competitiveness against the other fishermen (yes, men, I didn't see any other women) It just didn't effect me like that at all. I could have had a nice leisurely ride in the boat and that would have been me happy.
I know there's keen fishermen and probably all Alpha males screaming incredulity at me right now! I'm sorry, just not wired that way!
However, just before we returned to dry land, guess who had a bite on their line?? Yes me. John was very excited and very encouraging; I on the other hand was a little bit alarmed.I asked him to take the line, but he graciously wanted me to have the achievement. Apparently I did a great job and was congratulated thoroughly, but I still didn't get it! - I mean what had I done apart from hold the line? Just that it seems, and held it well, taut and upright! John netted the 'enormous'  trout for me (nearly 3lbs) and then I started to squeal like a girl when he picked up the hammer and did the deed. I know, pathetic wasn't I? Why had it not occurred to me already that that would need to happen??
A natural angler I am not!! Let's just say I didn't take to fly fishing like a 'trout to water '
Fantastic experience though and a good-looking fish - not to mention the very attractive tutor!!

ps- on Good Friday we found out !the trout tasted good too!

Week 12 and 13 - Tears and laughter

Numbers 12 and 13 of my 50 things took place in the same week.
Attend a comedy night and visit a hospice! I had done neither of these things ever before and the fact that they collided into the same seven day period was quite interesting and fairly poignant.
I think it's remarkable that we can be crying desperately sad tears one moment and then be laughing uncontrollably the next! - it's the joy and celebration of being human.
I can hardly believe that I'd never been into a hospice before, after all I've had quite a few close family and friends die, but often they've been sudden deaths. A hospice is of course a place for the dying, the terminally ill and their carers. Those that know they are in a process; sudden is replaced with an expectation of only one outcome. And no-one can tell you when that outcome will happen.
As you may remember me mentioning before, my father in law is terminally ill with pancreatic cancer and it was towards the end of March that we took him into St.Luke's Hospice in Cheshire. As I write this today, he has in fact just returned home and my praise for the staff in there can't be high enough. There was an atmosphere in there which is extremely difficult to describe. For a place dedicated to the care of the dying, there was a feeling of warmth, of peace, of love and even uncannily of calm.
When I received my tickets to go and see Miranda Hart (comedienne, for the uninitiated!) I had no idea that it would end up being the day before we took Keith up to the hospice. The show was absolutely brilliant, I totally loved it and for someone who doesn't laugh out loud a lot, I did, I laughed out loud! For that 2 hours Miranda transported us out of our own lives, worries and fears and took us on a journey together of shared fun and laughter. Moreover, she inspired us to be free, to be ourselves,to take ourselves a little less seriously and be a bit more child-like.
Humour and hospices can both do an extraordinary thing it seems; they can help you look beyond your own self-interest or self-importance. Now that's no bad thing - I am grateful to both.

Week 11 - Encouragement

First of all, thanks for all the encouraging feedback on'the supermarket one'. It was great to hear your comments.
I don't know about you, but I love to hear positive things either about me or about something I'm doing. Doesn't everybody? Let's be honest, no-one enjoys being told negative stuff or criticism!
So my 11th challenge was to send an encouraging text everyday for a week to someone different. This of course didn't really take up a lot of time or energy but I think what was interesting this week was considering the motivation and the outcomes.
Words can be so powerful, they can bring life or death to a person, (not literally usually!) and be bearers of hope rather than despair. I think some people are natural encouragers; they are warm, compassionate people who regularly think about the needs and feelings of others and find this easy to do. Others can learn to act like this.
 I think if you want to be positive and encouraging in order to get something back for yourself, then your motivation is surely wrong. To cheer someone on, in whatever way, must be just that, - a desire to see them succeed, perform well, get better, achieve a goal, keep going, believe there's hope etc.
This of course means your responses won't be always as you expect and your encouragement won't necessarily precede immediate success or life changing circumstances for people. But then again that's not the point - encourage anyway!

Week 10 - ' The supermarket one!'

The 10th challenge already, which means a fifth of the way there! I think I have found this weeks' the most difficult to do to date. I haven't gone out of my comfort zone much so far and this one was definitely going to do this!
For those of you who have been following my blog you may remember the week that I was going to 'pay for someone's shopping at the supermarket'. When people heard about this they said things like,'ooh, let me know when you're going and I'll get in line' or 'make sure you go to Lidl and find someone with a basket' or even,'ooh, you're so good'. Let me say to these people that Lidl was always going to be the only option as it's practically the only place where I shop and I'm really not that good judging by how nervous I was! - I mean, how good can you be if you're nervous about doing a kindness for someone?
I have to admit, therefore, to having chickened out on my first intentioned visit. I thought I needed to search for a 'worthy' recipient, so I sort of stalked people around the store and then tried to race them to the checkout. In the end the very nice woman didn't seem to fit the bill. I was laughable and a bit pathetic.
Following this farcical charade, I realised the challenge was to simply perform an act of random kindness; I wasn't conducting a sociological survey for goodness sake! Random act, random choice. I determined to pay for the shopping of whoever came next to me in the queue. That's exactly what happened on my next visit.
The utterly amazed, elderly lady who generously and graciously accepted my offer asking the obvious question why, was completely overwhelmed. I say generous by the way because I believe it's sometimes more difficult to receive than to give especially in these days of cynicism and suspicion. Fortunately, Anna was trusting and required no persuading that I was neither a con-artist nor a wierdo and we enjoyed a lovely conversation over the groceries! She said lots of lovely things (not least that I didn't look 50!) - no seriously and much more importantly she said it was the nicest thing that had ever happened to her and that her friend Connie outside in the car-park would be equally amazed. They kept shaking their heads in wonder and incredulity and were encouraged 'that there were still nice people in the world'.
All in all, this random act of kindness cost me very little financially, just a certain amount of courage to overcome my fear of looking a fool, but for a lonely older lady, I like to think an extraordinary encounter gave her a little joy and warmed her heart on an otherwise very ordinary day.

Week 9 - The Vardre.

For those of you who don't live in the Llandudno/Colwyn Bay areas, you will now be asking yourselves, what is the Vardre? And those of you who are local and are also wondering what I'm talking about ...... shame on you!!!!
Seriously though, the point is actually shame on me, because the Vardre is a local hill just between Deganwy and Llanrhos and overlooking llandudno,Conwy and towards Anglesey - and it was put on my list as until a few weeks ago I'd never climbed to its summit! (or been anywhere near it for that matter!) So, my 50 things list includes a few local walks and beauty spots which after this year will no longer be undiscovered to me!
On this particular afternoon I couldn't persuade the men in my family to accompany me (I'm doing them a disservice, I'm sure they were meaningfully engaged in some other activity) However, our black lab, Harvey, never takes any persuading and so, with him, his lead, my back-pack, my route printed out, my camera and my glasses I was ready!
It was a perfect winter's day; the sun was shining, the sky was blue, it was a welcome change after all the rain and heavy storms. The only complications were the stiles and my failing eyesight!
The first, I had anticipated and I was just hoping that somehow, miraculously, Harvey might have learnt how to climb those 2-stepped type stiles since last we trekked the countryside.
He hadn't!! Can I just say, Harvey is a big labrador and I congratulate myself on man-handling (carrying would be nowhere near the right word!!) him over at least 2 of these nasty structures! Fortunately, the other fields and paths were connected with either those step-ladder type stiles or those altogether better and much preferred by both me and Harvey, kissing gates.
The second complication was again not entirely down to my lack of preparation (ex-girlguide, I like to be prepared!)I did have my glasses with which to read my route, but I hadn't really fathomed out how I was going to keep them accessible for when I needed to check my directions. The tried and tested, and now only too familiar habit of mine, to stick them on my head, proved to be grossly inefficient and incongruous with climbing, hauling dogs and trudging through mud. A lot of mud!! Suffice to say, I think I'll invest in one of those older ladies',string round your neck devices for keeping my readers handy next time!(yes sorry kids, it has to be done)
Yes, indeed, there will be a next time because despite the two minor complications the walk was glorious, the weather outstanding and the views breathtaking and well worth the climb.
If you've never been up, do it, I'll even join you and go up again.
In the meantime, here are some photos to whet your appetite!

Week 8- Roman Baths

Although I'm fortunate to have visited the thermal pools in New Zealand, I'd never experienced any of these natural spa baths in this country! Crazy that isn't it, how you sometimes have to go to the other side of the world before you do something that is possible much closer to home??
Anyway, I put this on my list as soon as my second daughter Megan got a job in Bath.We went to visit at half term and decided to take the plunge! (ha,ha,do you like what I did there?)
The thermal Roman baths were brilliant, really very relaxing and so warm and luxurious. We had 2 hours and could enjoy the basement pool, the steam rooms and the amazing, open-air rooftop pool overlooking the city. It was a beautifully sunny day and one of those occasions when you're simply glad to be alive.
I had a friend who used to be very fond of saying 'we're so lucky' whenever we were having a particularly great day, holiday or experience. Another favourite was, ' we should live while we're alive'. She was right!
I definitely believe in making the most of and appreciating the simple pleasures in life. Although it's a cliché, it's true that none of us know how many of these special days we'll have so it's important to savour them, enjoy them and be thankful.
Therefore,to my amazing friend, Karen, who unexpectedly and shockingly died at the age of 47, yes, I am lucky, and I'll always remember your wise and  inspirational words.

As an after thought,I must say to any of you who are wondering how I get from Roman baths to ' inspirational words' - I've absolutely no idea either, it just seems to happen!!!

Some pictures then!