Playing 'Catch-Up'.........

As usual, the year has already run away from me. It is almost the end of January and, although I have done a lot and achieved a lot since January 1st, the time itself has flown by so quickly that it would be easy to forget everything. I have to make myself slow down for a moment and review the month, so that I don't get to the end of it feeling like I haven't achieved anything.

One of the most important things to me personally, was the return to the gym and my fitness regime. I haven't been able to go as often as I would have liked, with sick children at home (I do have a home programme, but am less inclined to do it!), as well as travelling down to England for a good friend's mother's memorial service last week which took 4 days out with the preparation, the travel and the actual attendance. (I am so glad I went though.) I made up a little for missed sessions by attending a new exercise class last Sunday (only on for 4 weeks) and will go again tomorrow. We were doing Pilates-based exercises, as well as Callenetics and half an hour of 'funky street dance'. (A real giggle!) I was aching on Monday, but by Tuesday didn't disgrace myself too much with Eric. I had even lost the pound in weight I'd put on over Christmas! This is the first week that I have tried out the exercise known as 'The Plank', and I was quite pleased that once I'd got the technique, I could hold it up for quite a while and do the one-legged version too.

My daughter has been off school almost for the whole week, and although I managed my session with Eric on Tuesday, it has not been possible to get much more done. I did attempt to go to a Thursday lunchtime Body Conditioning class, but half-way through I could see that my wee girl was feeling pretty rotten (she was sitting, then lying at the sidelines), so I took her home. Oh well, there's always next week! The trouble is, the busier I am with work and meetings etc, the less time there is to go to the gym. I don't like to go in the evening, firstly because I don't like leaving the children, but also because I'm pretty tired by then, so I know I won't get such a good work out. I think I'll have to get my gym ball inflated and do what I can at home, intead of bleating about it!

I had my first encounter with a computer virus last week. Some very kind person sent me an e-mail that looked like it came from a friend of mine and when I opened the attachment (not unusual from that particular friend) I had a very bad feeling, especially when I ran the spyware programme I have and found for the first time ever that I had been infected. I kept removing it but the little ****** kept coming back! I tried to run my security programme, but it was doing something to that as well! In the end I just shut everything down and waited till my husband came home at the weekend and could fix it for me (He is in IT, thank goodness). It took him a while and a brand new security programme, but it is sorted. It did cross my mind that if these people who develop these programmes could put their obviously clever minds to some good, rather than trying to create havoc, then the world of websites and e-mails etc would probably be a much better place.

I sometimes put items up for sale on ebay, as I try and practice what I preach by clearing out all the "stuff" cluttering up our house. My plan for this year is to go through each room and have a good clear out. Anything I can I 'ebay', but the rest can go either to someone else who can use it or to the local charity shop. It is really good to see space on shelves that have been full for years as well as to empty boxes full of things that 'might come in useful' or have been kept to read. Another benefit is the correspondence that sometimes starts between me and the people I sell to. Last year it was with some lovely people in the USA, Canada and Italy, as well as here in the UK. I am thrilled to chat to people on-line in this way, as the items I sell are usually ones I've been carrying around over countless house moves because I love them so much. However, the time has come to pass them on to others who will not only love them, but USE them! I also try to get them out in the post as soon as I've received the payment, and packaged up properly so that they arrive in good condition. I thought this was the norm, but my contacts tell me that this is not always the case. What a shame. I would expect, or at least hope, that others would do this for me, but then I have come to realize that not everyone is like me. I always ask myself, even if it subconciously, "How would I like to be treated?" and that guides how I treat others.

It has got a bit colder here over the last few days, but the snow still hasn't materialized. I can see it on the Cairngorm Mountains from my window, but here in the Spey Valley, it remains clear. There was a wee sprinkle yesterday, but it was over in a trice. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the end of February will see a good dump, as my 10 year old son is due to have 4 snowboarding lessons with his class from then on. I do love the snow. But then again, I am a fan of Spring too! In fact, I love every season, for very different reasons. Fortunately it means I can enjoy each one as I live through it, rather than hankering after an different one. Whatever the weather - Bring it on!

Sad Sunday followed by a miserable Monday....

We were having a really nice weekend, with Rob and the boys off Mountain Biking on Saturday morning, while I managed to finally get the Christmas decorations boxed up for Rob to put away on his return. All was well until Sunday afternoon when my eldest son went out to clean out his rabbit's hutch. The rabbit was dead.

This is the second rabbit he's lost in 5 years, which is really unfair for someone of 13. Especially as the rabbits were both well cared for. The first one became ill and died of myxomatosis, mainly due to our ignorance of how the disease was spread (not just by contact with infected rabbits, but also by fleas and other such bugs). This latest death was completely out-of-the-blue and a horrible shock for all of us. He was regularly innoculated against the myxomatosis, so we are pretty sure it was not that. He also didn't have a mark on him and had been fine on Saturday, so we'll probably never know what happened, as he has already been laid to rest beside the other rabbit under the cherry tree we had planted to mark the spot.

Of course the rest of the day was very sad, although we all tried to keep cheerful. I didn't sleep well and have had a day feeling very low. Oh, how I wish I could take the pain of losing another beloved pet away from my son! He is being very brave, but I know that he is hurting inside. To lighten our mood, we keep talking about the holiday we have booked in October, when all 5 of us will be flying to Orlando for 3 weeks. We very rarely get to go on holiday together, so this is something we are all looking forward to. It might seem a long time away, but I know from experience that time flashes by and it will soon be upon us.

There are all sorts of things planned for the next few weeks and months to distract us, so hopefully the grief for my son will lessen and fade. It's a hard lesson for anyone to learn - the one about death. What we all need to do is to make the most of life, while we can.

New Year. New Me. New You?

I went back into the gym today. I haven't been since before Christmas, although I did manage 2 walks with my Dad last week. I wasn't the only one. The local schools went back today, so it was the first chance we had to get back onto the treadmills, X-trainers and rowing machines. It wasn't full, but it was too full for me. I am used to having the gym either to myself or with only one or two others in there. Selfish of me, I know, but I really can't wait for things to get back to normal and to quieten down again.

It was good to get back. I have not looked after myself as well as I should have over the last few weeks, with too little sleep and too much of everything else. Now it is time to put that behind me and treat myself well again. I have managed to stick to a good eating plan today and have drunk loads of water and Redbush tea (caffeine and tannin free). My intention, is to get to bed very soon and get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow I am walking with a friend as soon as the children go off to school. I have planned more gym sessions in my diary and am meeting with my trainer Eric next Tuesday. It's good to have something to work towards. The effort I put in last year is not wasted and I shall build on it during this one. I have this clear picture in my mind of how I want to be, not just this year, but for many years to come, and I am very aware that if I don't put the work in, that vision will not come true.

And how about you? What is your vision of your future self? Have you started putting the effort in? Isn't it time you did? You owe it to yourself.