Strictly Latin

I am Sooooo…. excited! We kind of reluctantly went to the Gym tonight, both of us were tired. I had spent the day running a training course, which was a full on, non-stop 9.30 to 5pm job. I felt a bit hyper by the time I got home, talking all day being on my toes to answer strange questions and generally being Mrs Nice to all and sundry.

We were very good and went anyway on the proviso that we would only spend an hour up there. I was aware that the dance/fitness studio was being used for some kind of filming; Barry thought they were filming a dance video. Curious I set myself up on a machine with a good view. I suddenly realised I was watching Lillia Koppolova, the British/European Latin dance Champion rehearsing with Dominic Littlewood for this weeks ‘Strictly Ballroom’ programme. What a treat, it was unbelievable, I am still buzzing with excitement! I struggled at first to see what they were dancing as I could not hear the music, at one time I thought it was the Cha cha as they did the ‘Turkish Towel’ move which we incorporate in our routine but as they moved on I realised it was the Pasa Dobla. Wow it’s a good routine. Lillia appeared taller than I imagined until I looked at her feet, I swear she was wearing SIX-inch heels! Dom looked at slim and lean and as fit as a butcher’s dog. Go go guys, you get my vote.1

Bit of this and that

I have discovered the pleasures of face book! Oh what a time waster it’s going to be, but what fun! I am keeping in touch with people that I don’t see for months on end, including youngest son.

I did actually see both son’s last night, they very generously took us out for dinner last night to say thanks for getting them out of a tight last minute finance difficulty in the house buying stakes last week. We were treated to a meal at Le Petite Blanc in Birmingham, it was a real treat. Yummy food in beautiful surroundings. Rob is a bit of a foodie and knows all the best restaurants in the city and the best deals to go for. Petite Blanc does a really good value fixed price deal to catch the early theatre audiences so you get great food for a great price, just need to eat early, which suits us. Although looking at the al a Carte menu we must indeed go back and eat from that, once we have saved a few pennies!

I am embarking on an Open University Course next week, which is very scary. I have received all the information now and am poised to be contacted by my tutor and get going. It is an ‘openings’ course to help me get back into study as to be honest it’s been a long time! I am looking forward to the challenge but nervous that I may fail, although I tend not to do failure, if I decide to do something I usually carry it through but it’s usually physical stuff like jumping from the top of tall buildings clinging bravely to a bit of rope, or galloping around on mad horses. For instance I was told by some one in the Gym that I would be pushing it to row 1800 metres in 10 minutes at my age, at my age? How old does he think I am? I know I don’t look great in the gym, no make-up, frizzy hair, sweaty, not a pretty sight I agree but…. I did 1811 today! I aim to get to 2000 in 10 minutes by Christmas. Watch this space Rob! (Gym Rob, not Son Rob)

Confirmed, I am not naturally violent, but I am clumsy!

This week in the office we took delivery of some new sample balls to use in classes. They are really great, very tactile and can be inflated to different levels making them suitable for the very young children with small grasp and also for the Gymbob’s who are the 5-7 year old age group and can certainly give a ball some punishment.

We had to test that they soft enough not to hurt if they hit you in the face. My boss handed me one and asked me to throw it directly at her face…. What an invitation! Throw a ball to score a direct hit on the company’s technical director face.
I could not do it! I tried, with much encouragement but I just could not purposely throw something to actually try and hurt some one. In the end she had to throw it at me. She had no problem. Probably why she is a director and I am her assistant.

I fell off my office chair this week, confirming the view that I am a clumsy ass! I had gone to work in my smart skirt and low heels, but needed to load my gym equipment in my car. I changed into trainers for the job in hand but had sat to far forward on my chair, I felt myself slipping and tried to hoist myself back onto the chair. The chair had other ideas and shot backwards depositing me firmly on the floor in an undignified position. I did the jump up quick thing hoping no one had noticed, but of course every-one did. Still it was at least the third unlucky thing out the way. I had managed to break a windscreen (or at least a speeding police car did) on the company car with a stone that was flung up. I then was taking the same car to the windscreen mending man and managed to back it into a parked car. My only defence was trauma and tiredness, tired as I had been out on the road for days. Trauma, Simon was having last minute hassles trying to complete on buying his first house, dodgy solicitor! If one of your children hurt then you hurt even if they are men and run departments and boss lots of people around at work.

Pictures of Mum

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Here are just a few of the 120 pictures included in our Birthday celebration of Mums life. One of her with her own Mother my grandma, see how they both have the same way of inclining their heads. My dad at a very young age in his Navy uniforn, you will see by his hat band he has not yet been assigned to a ship. He was actually sank twice during the war, he thankfully lived to tell us the tales of his exploits.
I was trying to teach Mum to Cha Cha Cha not so many years ago. ...And of course Mum riding my lovely Alfie who was a nice safe ride for young and old, all her grandkids have ridden him safely. I have recently discovered that Alfie has gone to horsey heaven after many years working at a riding school for the disabled.

Party Planner

My Mum is soon to celebrate her 80th birthday, a birthday that earlier this year she seemed unlikely to make. ……However because she is such a tough cookie, stubborn, independent, hmmm who do I take after? And by the miracle of modern medicine and a little bit of fairy dust thrown in for good measure. We are about to give her a birthday to remember.

I have booked a birthday lunch in a beautiful Georgian Hotel in the town of her birth and childhood, Harpenden. The call has gone out to all the family who have all rallied to the call and are attending the big day. Aunty Joan has ordered the birthday cake, some of us girls have brought new dresses and boys have had to re-arrange work schedules, but we are on course. We have about 20 people attending, Mum exclaimed that she did not know that many people, but once I pointed out she had three children and eight Grandchildren just for starters not to mention partners, husbands, bothers etc.

I decided it would be a good idea to do a power point presentation of her life so show on the day. This is a bigger undertaking than I realised. I have employed Simon’s incredible talents and we had our first production meeting today. Mind you in the past weeks, attics have been raided, cupboards searched, relatives hounded and downright deceit employed in order to obtain relevant photos. The finished item is going to be fabulous. The next problem was what music to use on the production, some one suggested ‘little ‘ol wine drinker me’ by Dean Martin. I decided that was a no no, of course! I have gone for ‘You Make Me Feel So Young’ for the first part ‘Little Things’ for when the Grandchildren appear and ‘Do you Wanna dance’ for pictures of various wild family gatherings.

It has been an emotional roller coaster for me cataloguing in order, the memories of her life. She was such a pretty young woman, it is so easy to forget that the elderly lady who now needs lots of help to get safely through her day now was once a vibrant beautiful young woman who lived and loved life to the full. …And boy what a lot of fun and laughter we all had. I am choked to near tears every time I work on it as I see my beautiful late Dad, my pretty Mum proudly showing off babies, my gentle grand father and sweet grandma, not to mention all the children of myself and my sisters. I will have to have a box of tissues at the ready on the day, as I am sure I will not be the only one!

A bit of a Grilling

Wednesdays is a day when I don't need to leave quite so early to get to work as I go to Nursery and I don't need to be their until 9.30. So do I linger over a nice cup of coffe and watch a bit of morning TV?, or do I have a long leisurely bath and read a book? Do I heck... I turn into whirlwind woman, as do most of the sisterhood who work full time and every spare minute counts.

This wednesday, I showered and dressed, cleaned the sinks and loos (of which we have three, why, when their is only two of us I don't know) made the beds, changed the towels in the bathrooms, put the towels in the machine to wash. Kitchen floor is decididly grubby so vac lounge, kitchen and conservatory. Wash kitchen floor, find some stale fruit bread when taking some bread out to make a sandwich for lubch, so switch grill on to toast stale fruit bread. Make lunch, get out meat from freezer for dinner tonight. Take dog for walk.

Enjoying a walk in the autumn sunshine when suddenly realise I had put the grill on!! Oh my God! will their be just a pile of ashes left instead of house and two peices of fruit toast. Bemused dog is them jogged home as fast as a woman not wearing a sports bra can jog.

Phew! House still standing, throw open all doors and windows to get rid of burning smell, wave a cushion at smoke alarm to stop it alarming the cats and dogs of all the street. Eat cereal for breakfast. Go to Nursery and Chloe asks 'why is your hair shaggy today, Sharon' Why indeed!

Menopausal and Doggy Dancing

OK, so I’ve given up facebook! Does not work for me, back to blogging instead.
It is eons since I blogged but the girl is back…. Older and wiser, not!

Since I last wos ‘ere, I have been to Cornwall, got wet, been to Liverpool, had a great time, been to Herne Bay, had a great time in between medical emergencies with Mum. Who, I hasten to add is now in good health and enjoying life again, albeit with a dodgy ticker. Laughed, cried had some joyful times and sadly some black times. I think the dreaded menopause has caused me to have intermittent deathly sad moods when I could cry over a broken safety pin! Mad isn’t it!

Barry has changed jobs, absolutely hated the new one, so went back to his old one and now loves the new role he has in the old company. I am still in my old job and loving it most of the time and hating it in equal measure when I get stuck in terrible traffic.

Tashi is great, still doing mad dog things and being taught to doggy dance by me. We have lots of elements that he can do, like go round in circles, walk on his back legs, almost got the figure of eight but tries to take a short cut to get the titbit. He can jump and put his feet on my forearms and walk behind me with front paws on my backside. We just need to try and put it together.

My ballroom dancing days are on hold as I have a very painful foot with multiple bursars on the toe joints and a neuroma as well. So Doc say’s no dancing until it’s sorted. (Doggy dancing is Ok as I can do it in my ugly but supremely comfy crocs!)