Week 40 - Put a request in on a radio show

So, here's the challenge that I did back in January to mark the end of my 50th year. (It didn't turn out to be'the very last one')

Curiously, I found this among one of the more difficult things to do off the list. It's non-sensical really as it was merely a matter of writing an e-mail and sending it- perhaps it was connected to feeling vulnerable and being embarrassed or humiliated, (you know, like putting your hand up in class when no-one else is, and there's a horror that the room will go quiet as they listen to you and you utter the most ridiculous and wrong answer, and tumbleweed passes through the room !!.....No? ah, that's just my insecurities then??)

Anyway, once I'd determined to do it and researched how to, of course it was very simple. What wasn't simple was actually being successful and having the request aired! Being a novice at this, and just a teeny bit naive it only occurred to me on the Sunday morning, that obviously 'Steve Wright's Sunday Love Songs' would be waaaaay over-subscribed!

So, I guess I'll try again sometime, maybe a local radio station?
The good thing for me, though is that I didn't renege on the challenge and the people for whom I sent the dedication still got to hear the sentiments thanks to email.
The good news for you is that you do too!!..........

As the saying goes,'here's what you could have heard!??'

Hi Steve and the team,

This is an unusual request! But I would love you to dedicate a song to my wonderful family on 25th January, MY birthday, which marks the end of my '50 things in my 50th year'.
I have done various challenges which I've never done before and sending in this email is the very last one and I want it to be all about my family.
So to my fabulous husband, John and children Rachel, Alan, Megan, Luc and Nathan I want you all to know how special and loved you are and to thank you for being in my life and being 'amazing' people.
This is also the day the youngest member of our family, baby Erin, is being dedicated, so it seems fitting to wish her a life full of love too!

Thanks Steve, it'll be wonderful to hear this request on your programme,
With love
Karen Sadler in Colwyn Bay,North Wales

Week 39- Host a fundraiser meal

The weeks have rolled into months and incredibly it is fast  approaching the end of May and therefore the first half of this 'new year'. Which means my 50th year was well and truly over ages ago and now I'm catching myself saying things like: 'wow, do you realise it's a whole 12 months since ......'
Fortunately it's not quite so long since John and I hosted a dinner party in order to raise money for Macmillan nurses. This idea had been on my to do list for over a year and even before my father in law was diagnosed with cancer. When we watched an advert on TV during the time of his illness, encouraging people to get their mates round for drinks and put a box out for donations to Macmillan's, we both knew in an instant that we should do it.
Our version was to host a 4 course meal and 6 very good friends, plus a friend's  friend were able to come. We had a brilliant evening; I think the food was palatable and certainly the company, conversation and camaraderie was outstanding. However, what made it even more special of course was the enormous generosity of our friends and the opportunity, therefore, to send a sizeable cheque off to the Macmillan nurses in Winsford, Cheshire.
I'm touched to think that by sharing friendship we support and encourage not only those we know well but their wider families and from there a wider community again. This happens repeatedly I realise all over the world, especially thanks to online giving etc, but when it's tangible and close to home- indeed, in your home, then it's personal and special and sort of heartwarming.
Friends, you know who  you are, thank you once again.

Week 38 - Take up a new activity.... Spinning.

If you're confused as to what 'spinning' is, you wouldn't be on your own. If you have visions of me going to the leisure centre to set up a wheel and begin making thread of course you'd be as completely misguided and confused as I was a few months ago.
Spinning or indoor cycling as it's also called, is a fitness class.
I think it's still a relatively new type of exercising, but it's become very popular and it's an absolute killer!!
John started going in the autumn and kept telling me about all these young women and him, the token male, at which point I thought I'd better go along too! Actually, there's quite a mix of ages and shapes and male and females at the class we go to now and because you have your own bike, to some extent you can control your own pace. Having said that, the instructor puts you through a rigorous routine and constantly urges you to step up the resistance on the bike; you can't really avoid the pressure of trying to pedal as furiously as the keenies around you!
So it is a gruelling workout, spinning hard in the saddle, pushing out of the saddle and also in the hover position and to help and motivate you it is all accompanied by music and shouted instruction.
Incredibly, despite the fact that it's knackering, that I emerge looking like a sweating lobster and that it's early on a Saturday morning, I do actually enjoy it!

Well, not a picture of me I know, but do you realise how unattractive a sweating lobster looks?
These people have definitely not just done a class!

Week 37 - Sunrise

You may be thinking that my 50th year is lasting more than 12 months. Well actually yes it came to an end on the 25th.
I'm nearly there, the challenges are almost all completed, but there are a couple that are on going and will need a little more time.I decided as a final challenge I should follow my son in law's example and fulfill a long held ambition, i.e - write a book!
So, I've actually done 44 of the 50 to date and the other 4 are scheduled, but couldn't happen for various reasons until February.
Do I feel disappointed that I didn't successfully achieve the 50 in a year? Emphatically no! It was always about the challenge of doing different things, about having fun, about writing these blogs -and having a target. I will finish; it'll just be a little delayed. That's alright with me, I'm not so personally competitive that I'm beating myself up! Journeys are as good as destinations in my opinion.
All of which means you get to read my blog for longer, yay!! By the way, thanks to those of you who have made really positive and complimentary comments about the blog -very much appreciated, I love receiving feedback.

Back to week 37 then and early November when I realised you didn't have to get up quite so early in the morning to watch the sunrise. What I wasn't so smart to realise was that going on a cloudy day was never going to be a good idea. For that reason I actually hiked up Bryn Euryn at 7am on 2 separate occasions. Harvey, of course didn't mind at all, as he never refuses more than one walk in a day. From the summit of Bryn Euryn there's a wonderful 360 degrees panorama and on the clear morning it was stunning to see Colwyn Bay waking up to another new day.
There's something very cathartic about witnessing the light dawning effortlessly and night turning to day. No striving, no confusion, no rush- just God's creation doing what it always does. Very reassuring.
The peace and solitude was equally calming. It was a beautiful start to the day.

Week 36 - Live on £1a day for a week.

I wondered how this one was going to work to be honest when I live with two other people. However, those two other people, John and Nathan, were generously up for this challenge too and that made it a whole lot more interesting and exciting 

We decided on menus for the week and planned out what we could afford on just £21 (£3 each x 7 days).Actually,it's surprisingly more than you may imagine. 

Here's what we bought: 

• potatoes
• Onions 
• Pasta
• rice
• eggs
• sardines
• oats
• milk
• tinned tomatoes 
• baked beans
• fish fingers
• frozen peas
• cooking bacon
• small wedge of cheese 
• bread flour
• butter 

 This, amazingly came to less than £21 from Lidl! I thought we may need to replenish milk supply as the week progressed, so it was comforting to know we had another £2.50 to spend.
Breakfasts consisted of porridge every day, and made entirely with water by the end of the week even after having bought more milk!!
Lunches at work were a cheese sandwich. Evening meals included the ingredients you see above.
Were we hungry? - absolutely not. We had plenty of carbs and some to spare at the end of 7 days.
Could we snack or have luxuries? - absolutely not. In fact the biggest negative was that you got bored of the same food.
Could you have lovely fruit and veg? - No! and I for one really missed my fruit at breakfast and the great variety we usually enjoy.
Did we cheat? - well no, but we did allow ourselves tea and coffee and spices from the store cupboard.
The best bit? - getting unexpectedly invited out for dinner at the end of the week and being fed delicious, tasty, varied food including dessert, ....thanks Su and Richard.
The really important bit?- giving the money we would normally have spent away to 'Christians against Poverty'

This was a sobering challenge. We are so extremely lucky and rich to be able to enjoy the vast variety and quantity of great food that we normally consume.

We realised afresh just how difficult and heart-breaking it must be not to be able to provide basic food necessities, never mind anything else.

This is something we should definitely do again.

Week 34 and 35 - Night swim/skinny Dip!!

Both of the above were on my list and I have to confess right now before I go any further, that both got slightly modified.
Okay, let's be totally honest, I didn't actually do either of these things, but life sometimes throws you unexpected circumstances and then you just have to go with them.
So the night swim became a night bathe and the skinny dip was an unforeseen boxing day 'wade'. Both were unchartered territory for me and therefore I deem them acceptable to include on my list.
In my defence regarding the night swim (not that I have to defend myself, but somehow I feel compelled to), one evening in late August I was all set to run out into the waves on Conwy Morfa beach........... when I realised those waves were about a mile away at least! After that, I kept watching the tide tables and the shortening days and my well-meaning husband reminded me that I wouldn't be able to see the jellyfish in the dark. I'm afraid that did it for me (I did freak out rather pathetically in the summer when I got stung by one!)
Happily, in half term I booked a wonderful cottage near Chepstow which included a hot tub. Suddenly, a night time bathe in lovely hot water, relaxing with a glass of wine and under the gaze of the stars seemed a much more pleasant (and easier) proposition. In reality, there were no stars to see, just cloud and rain, but hey, you can't have everything!
Now for the boxing day wade. At one point I thought maybe the boxing day dip in the sea should be one of my challenges and then I remembered that we had something very special already planned for the day. It was the day we were going as a family to Llandwyn Island on Anglesey to commemorate my father in law. It was a significant place for him and as there were 10 of us together at Christmas it was the best time for us to go.
If you know the island, you'll know that it's generally never an island, rather a piece of land connected by a causeway to the rest of the beach. Although we had checked the weather, made arrangements for the transport of 81 year old mum and duly set off very early, no- one it seems had bothered to consult the tides. As we reached the causeway there was already water covering the sand. John managed to give his mum a fireman's lift across, others took their shoes off and walked across and those with wellies on gave piggy backs! I was gallantly carried by one of my nephews.
We must surely all have realised that the return was not going to be any easier, but probably we all hoped that the tide wouldn't rise too quickly. So a little later when we saw a despondent family sheltering at the end of the causeway we knew our hope was in vain. The water was rising, the wind was blowing, the rain was pouring down and there was absolutely no way we could stay freezing, marooned on the island for hours. Unexpectedly, the boxing day dip was back on the cards!
Without hardly any hesitation, we decided our only choice was to enter that icy water,....We all removed our shoes, socks and trousers and across the deepening waters we waded. I should add that Nana was sensibly exempt from this madness and was carried 'Sidan chair' style by her 4 grandsons.
In conclusion here, I return to my point at the start about unexpected circumstances. Sometimes they really do turn out to be the most significant moments. What would have been a pleasant yet poignant family walk on the beach has now become a family story, an adventure, a landmark occasion which will be often recounted and passed down through the generations. The unforeseen drama didn't dampen or destroy our resolve to say our final goodbyes; instead it added to our experience. My father in law would have approved and being the raconteur that he was, it was right, exactly right.

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'.

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