Thursday 22 May 2014

Election Day!!



Well today is the day when all the speculation comes to an end. I spent 7-10 this morning "telling" at one of our polling stations.  It was very slow and we probably only had about 6 people through the door in the first hour.  I have been told that the turnout has started to gather some momentum.

It is a curious gathering of people at these events - activists with very different political views meet up and chat good naturedly about this and that. You see many of the same faces at each election and we compare notes about what has been happening locally and then we go away and don't see each other again until the next time!  Really weird!

It is surprising how time passes very quickly - even so I was relieved when my husband came to take over for the next couple of hours.

Now it is the wait for the end of day and the count. We probably won't have the results until the early hours and so won't be attending the overseeing of the count.

All the political activists and candidates have worked extremely hard but there will inevitably be winners and losers.It would be interesting to know how many miles have been walked, how many leaflets have been delivered, how many houses visited, how many phone calls have been made, how many hours of data input............

We asked ourselves why do we do it.....and the answer is that we all feel a commitment, a passion and a duty. Its not everyone's cup of tea but it certainly is a hobby and interest which occupies a great deal of time and energy. When you get into your sixties politics provides a sense of belonging, stimulation and exercise.

There was a report last week which said that a high proportion of women in their sixties are quite sedentary. This is alarming and you can see the medical problems stacking up.  So if politics isn't what turns you on there may be something else you could pursue??

Anyway will try and stay awake a bit longer tonight and hear at least some of the results :)

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some stats recorded on my pedometer on my iPhone from last Monday delivering last minute leaflets...

1.5 hours, 7403 steps, 5.06 miles .......and .........584 calories - win win!!!

Sunday 18 May 2014

Great Weekend!!!

It only takes an increase in the temperature to change your mood.  So today is supposed to be 25 degrees .....yep I think so but not consistent!

Everything looks so much better, we are all optimistic and talking about how we cope with the heat!! TrueBrits!!
We have spent most of today and yesterday in the garden - so much pleasure at this time of year so much hope and promise of the year to come.
so highs and lows ....

We dug up our prized viburnum opulus "sterile" totally infected with vine weevil of biblical proportions!!  So upset but you have to be realistic!

The plus side our standard Wisteria which is short-lived but worth it!






Thursday 15 May 2014

Bring Up The Bodies

Still absolutely shattered after a wonderful night at the theatre last night.You realise that you are getting older when you fail to bounce back as easily as you once did.

My husband and I have both really enjoyed Man Booker prize winner Hilary Mantel and her novels - "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies".  These books are very demanding in terms of concentration and detail - we were very curious as to how anyone could condense these heavy volumes into a 2 x 3 hour plays.  So with some trepidation we booked to see both of these titles - as demand was so high we couldn't get into Stratford but did get tickets for the transfer to London's Aldwych. Even so we had to compromise in terms of the order and saw "Bring Up The Bodies" last night and will see "Wolf Hall" in June.





Great performance by all - amazing how the actors could remember their lines, such a challenging and lengthy roles. Thomas Cromwell, adviser to Henry VIII  in the guise of Ben Miles was superb - so credible and understated. Henry was played by Nathaniel parker who is not one of my favourites but played the King very well. A very enjoyable night and look forward to seeing Wolf Hall!

Maybe if we want to encourage the love of our history in the youth of today we should encourage interest in the Arts and this form of portrayal!


Wednesday 14 May 2014

Ask the Doctor!

Well having monitored my blood pressure over the past week I am disappointed that my systolic level is high and reasonably happy that the diastolic is 84 - not brilliant but better.  As my cholesterol level and BP are higher than they should be I have to see the doctor in a fortnights time and have a chat!!

When you are doing all the right things it is very frustrating when these readings do not reflect the effort!

However I did find this article helpful as it gives a sense of perspective and helps in demystifying!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2626608/ASK-THE-DOCTOR-Im-healthy-whys-blood-pressure-high.html
Anyway I  am still determined to maintain fitness levels as my thoughts are that if I didn't do it just think how much worse my health indicators might be.........

So if you are not already aware....the European and Local Council elections are underway and as usual my husband and I are delivering leaflets.  Not only do we fulfil our political obligations but we also maintain our daily exercise quota.
I have installed a Pedometer App on my iPhone and can now record steps - yesterday we did 5000 steps in an hour....
If you are interested in using one on your phone there are many to choose from - many are free! Hers one to consider...........

http://ri.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9mSs2_qVHNTOEIAFLhLBQx.;_ylu=X3oDMTE0NmFrYXBuBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDNQRjb2xvA2lyMgR2dGlkA1VLQzAwMl83Mg--/RV=2/RE=1400096107/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fitunes.apple.com%2fgb%2fapp%2ffootsteps-pedometer%2fid329766980/RK=0/RS=xSkujmC5hq3t7O6qkFehd8D05bQ-

Wednesday 7 May 2014

Health Check Update

Well a week on from blood test and return for results and for a general check.  As someone who feels fit and healthy and who follows a reasonable diet and exercise plan I expected feedback which maybe might not be exceptional but at least good.  I maybe being a little too hard on findings as it is disappointing when any negative is inferred.

Liver and kidney functions fine, "good" cholesterol is 2.6 which is really good however overall my cholesterol is a on the high side I think it was 5.3 or 5.6.  Anyway it prompted the conversation about my diet - did I eat oily fish, pulses.......did I have a lows fat diet?  I dutifully took the booklet on diet advice which was offered knowing full well that I fulfilled the requirements.  Its not fair I thought!

My reviewer was an affable lady who was of ample proportions! She followed a computer  questionnaire which proved to be a blunt instrument as it didn't allow for supplementary information.
She measured my height which thankfully is the same as in my twenties so spine not collapsing I thought .....and then she weighed me.  She indicated that my BMI was within the normal range but did I detect a little negative in the tone which made me think that she thought it could down a little?  Maybe I am becoming a little too sensitive!

Then the blood pressure.....I knew as soon as the machine started pumping my BP would be up and true to form it again was on the high side.....so now I have to take a daily reading for a week and return with log and my BP machine :(   Ah well......

I returned home having lost the skip in my step I started out with.......I switched on the kettle.....phone rang and a pleasant voice asked for me and said she represented "mobility in the home" and could she ask me 2 simple questions...."did I find it harder to get in the bath or to get out of the bath?"....I protested and said I was fit and healthy maybe with a little too much gusto!!  The lady said that from my voice I was too young (haha) for this and maybe she should call back in twenty years......we both laughed at this.

I recounted the conversation to my husband expecting soothing noises instead he said " but you use a shower not a bath."............grrrr!

Saturday 3 May 2014

Bank Holiday

Bad start to Bank Holiday weekend woke up with an eye infection and could hardly open my eyes. I thought I might be able to get an appt with my doctor if I was prepared to wait only to find they are closed. I hardly ever go to the GP and assumed they opened Saturday morning. So went to the pharmacy and the pharmacist was wonderful and gave me drops which she said would help ....at least until I can see a doctor.  I asked her what are people supposed to do on a Saturday morning when they have something which is minor but quite distressing and which potentially can get worse - she said that you would have to go to A & E!  I thought this was supposed to be discouraged!. Anyway I am taking it easy closing my eyes as much as possible as lids feel like lead weights.....

Remarkably quiet out ....does everyone go away at BH?

Thursday 1 May 2014

Blithe Spirit







Yesterday proved to be an exhausting but highly pleasurable day!  We had theatre tickets so had to go into London despite the tube strike.  Always a worry as to whether you can get there and ..........whether you can get back!

We took the fast train to St Pancras which only takes about 20 mins....and then we walked ....yes walked to Shaftesbury Ave.  The distance  would you believe, is only just over a mile depending on which streets you navigate. It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed the walk.  It was quite busy with many more cyclists than usual and taxis in abundance.  Judging from the volume of people it seemed that people had not been put off coming into town.

We had a buffet lunch in China Town which was very good and very reasonable at £8.95 per head.  I indulged my prawn craving and had plenty of veg.

We then went to the matinee performance of Blithe Spirit at the Gielgud Theatre. Angela Lansbury is top of the bill.  She is one of those people you feel you know having had a diet of "Murder She Wrote" for so many years.  She must have solved more murders than Chief Inspector Barnaby in "Midsomer Murders" - quite remarkable!!

We were not disappointed - Angela Lansbury and the rest of the cast were excellent.  Quite a long play with challenging roles - more so if you are 88 years old!!  No sign of fatigue or of lack of vibrancy from this remarkable woman.
What a wonderful lady who received a well deserved standing ovation. To think she was going to do all this again in the evening !!

http://www.blithespiritlondon.com

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2584170/Angela-Lansbury-leaves-small-screen-returns-Londons-West-End-40-years.html

Afterwards we had our evening meal at one of our favourite little Italian restaurants in the West End before making our way back to St Pancras and the train journey home.
A day with a bit of everything ........ something for the memory bank!!