Ho ho ho... He he he!

I've never dressed as a Santa before, but after Sunday's fun run in Downham, I'm intend to make it a tradition I partake in every Christmas - fun run or not!

The day started with a few last minute updates to the downhamweb website and Facebook page, (annoyed at myself not to have done it sooner, oh well) trainers on and quickly off to Morisons with Dan to collect the donated items for the Fairyland Trust hot drinks stall - including Baileys, hot chocolate and squirty cream. Store manager Jason Savage has been brilliant in supporting downhamweb and Fairyland, so it was a shame he wasn't in...bit of confusion on the customer service desk, (was I just a random lady blagging free drink) but thanks to ace staff it was sorted quickly. Despite wondering if we could just run off with the booze and disappear for the day, we dropped the goods off to Ian, Abbie, Caroline and Jim in the town square where the already had the stall set up for the day- and were looking in fine form!
Quickly we headed back to Lingo and met up with Jenn, (our lingo office lovely) who, despite being told by the doctor that her trachea infection meant she shouldn't participate, was still determined to at least walk the circuit...then we all headed at pace to the centre of town to pick up our running numbers and Santa suits!!

The run/walk was only 2 laps of the town's one way system, a total of 1.2 miles, enough to still be fun, but enough to also still feel like a significant challenge in personal terms, having never entered anything even vaguely sporty, and not being in the greatest of shapes, fitness wise. But there's nothing like a challenge to motivate you, is there, and I am pleased to say my recent dalliance with the Downham Dollies running group gave me the firm footing I needed to set off on. (more on that very shortly).

It was a great turnout, and it was thanks in no small part to the shouts of encouragement along the route that I actually managed to make it all the way around at my new found pace of a slow, plodding jog! And, without any sign of the infamous shin splints that have stopped me in the past.

We stopped to wave at the downhamweb webcam on each lap, Jenn and Dan armed with their camcorder and phone, filming the whole event, and we later found out we were watched by many, far and wide. Crossing the red and white tape finish line, at the town clock held taught by Pete and Cath Duhig and then getting a medal for finishing was a genuine thrill!! As a finishing touch, Abbie even held out a space blanket for me to run into!

The event was organised by Winning Ways along with the Downham Rotary, Downham Lions and was in aid of the Robert Foot Leukemia charity.
 
Thanks for reading :)

Lights

 One week to go... not only to the Christmas lights turning on, but also, dressing up as a Santa and running twice around the town. Yes, I did just say that.

I, for once, am just taking a moment to be really proud of myself. I just went out running/walking/jogging. Ok, it wasn't a marathon, it wasn't even particularly fast, but it was just me, myself and the open road. I got of the sofa, got my trainers on and actually did it. This may not seem like a lot, especially if you're a fitness fanatic. But it's easily been 9 years since I last tried this sort of exercise and ended up with very painful (couldn't walk) shin splints so for me it seems pretty big.

I have avoided it ever since, in fact, every time I run, even a little, my shins start to sting with the similar feeling to the dreaded full-blown shin splints and so I signed myself off this particular exercise even though I used love it; thinking I just wasn't meant to run. The thing is, it's one of the best, and cheapest, most easily available ways to burn a few calories, and I really need to start doing that. After a chat to a 'proper runner' who has 'got through/over shin splints and some advice on how to deal with it, I realised it wasn't impossible and tonight I bit the bullet.

So, there. That is all. I am not going to 'do a Robbie' (hello Robbie) and post all my times and become totally obsessive with it all (it's just not in my nature -I admire that nature, but it's not me!). I do plan to do the same again tomorrow. I will not be so proud if I don't manage it. Please feel free to chase me up. Not literally though, I'm not fast enough... yet!

Excuses, excuses

I often arrive at someone's blog to find that the last post was an apology for not having updated their blog. So, in an attempt to *not* do that, I will list the reasons for not having blogged, and hopefully, that will magically formulate some sort of actual post about what I've been up to, and therefore still be, in most ways, the post (or posts) that I had been intending to write since my last one. :-S

I'm sure too, that I'm not alone in using my blog as a diary for myself more than anything that I expect anyone to read avidly and therefore miss when it's 'overdue'.

Plus, there's the 'other blogs' to consider now too. Lingo has it's own news http://www.lingodesign.co.uk/news/ and there's facebook (for both personal and business, and the businesses I admin for) and twitter, plus a few other neglected beasts such as Google+ and LinkedIn. Whoever has the time for all that *and* actually living?! No wonder I've had to get up early to get this done!

So. Going backwards from most recent, last weekend saw the now-annual pilgrimage to Holt Hall for the Fairyland Fair, and the 'Real Halloween Event' where I act out my role as Tea and Cakes Witch - serving up brews and buns for the visitors to the charity's themed experience for children to get back to nature, whilst in fancy dress of course. It's just such a great thing to be involved in. This year I made my own witches hat (must find time to take a pic) and the highlight of the event was staying overnight, not in our usual teeny tent, but in the beautiful canvas structure which is used as the 'Pixie Post Office' for the kids to send off letters to loved ones delivered by pixies. We woke under the toadstool coloured roof as if in a magical world; which of course, we practically were - Holt Hall and it's surrounding woodland is simply stunning.


Sadly I'd managed to leave my phone charger lead at home and so photos were limited, but I did manage to get these few - the double rainbow on Sunday morning and an experiment with a new image app to create a 'world' - a wrap around panoramic (above) I highly recommend the app - 'Pano Camera' it's fab. :)




Before that, the parents came to visit, luckily in the warm week we had. In fact, I don't think we'll ever forget the temperature was warm enough to allow Dan a (reasonably comfortable) swim in the river at the Jenyns arms.

It made a pleasant change to be able to have them visit in comfort, rather than in a building site, they stayed in the main bedroom, in the house, carpeted, with heating, and with many improvements made since they last came, particularly the garden, and we feasted on the many runner beans grown over the summer.

Work at Lingo has been extraordinarily demanding and diverse. With new customers and old coming through the doors in droves. The amount of photography in the last month has reached an all time high, in fact, I've lost count of how many pictures I've taken, but the subject matter has ranged from flowers through tap dancing, peanuts, popcorn and parsnips, blood bikes, buses, Christmas decorations, signwriting, and lastly and Italian themed night in a local pub! Again, I'm just going to say I MUST get some more pictures up, will probably use Google's picasa, though I have to say I like the new improved look and feel of blogger interface and hopefully the display might help inspire me to do more here and less on my tumblr.

I think that's going to have to do, for now. I have loads more I want to blog about, our beautiful kitten Dotty who is growing up to be just like her beautiful mum Pidge, plus progress with downhamweb and little things that make me smile that I'd love to have time to share. All in good time, hey, I'll be sure to post again before too long... even if only to 'download'. It's pretty therapeutic y'know. :)