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Well, where to start! So much good news in our Move It world to compensate for all the dreadful world events which can’t be ignored. Isn’t it wonderful to have that extra daylight at the end of the day? Whether or not you have a garden or even like gardening, it’s lovely to be drawing the curtains that bit later each evening. As you can imagine, with the first week in April obliging with hot sunny weather, a gardening frenzy occurred here culminating with a long established plan to dig part of the front lawn up – what fun!! I’m sure the work with the resistance bands helped with muscle strength – I did feel a bit like Popeye at the end of it which must have added to my already attractive appearance in working clothes covered in water, mud and earth; very satisfying!!.

On the subject of exercise, I see the latest ‘news’ is that exercise may be beneficial than medication for back and arthritic problems. Of course, this is just general information and each case has different needs and guidance but how this particular newspaper can make it headline news beats me. It’s common knowledge surely along with all the other ridiculous headlines this daily produces. Come on Julie, why don’t you go into the newspaper business and show ‘em how it’s done!!!! Also, it appears that sitting at work is bad and is being called ‘the new smoking’. The article discussed calories used while seated at a desk and more being used if working at one of the new standing desks. It fails to talk about the benefits of keeping moving and mobile as much as possible.

Having done my pontificating about calories and keeping fit, as a left over from March, we celebrated my son Simon’s fiftieth birthday at a local hostelry in the next village. We were eleven and one baby in number and it was a real banquet set at a table suitably festooned with balloons and banner. Good food excellently cooked meant we were absolutely full to bursting. The surprise birthday cake (with Chelsea Football club as its theme) was brought in and following the traditional ceremonies, was cut and we each left with an enormous piece. It was an additional calorific intake along with the Easter egg festivities. No wonder I only managed tea and toast the next day but what fun it was!! It was also my grandson Ed’s birthday on the 30^th March and I am shown in the traditional photo standing next to him and just managing to come up to his shoulder; looks like we are going to have a giant in the family.

Spring is the time to think about refreshing and renewing – even washing some paintwork is useful – not only in exercising but also revitalising. If that’s not a possibility, perhaps a new brightly covered bedspread or duvet cover will help. I am fortunate in that my son-in-law is decorating my spare room which is very exciting in that I am going to change the colour scheme for something quite different for me. It should be relatively cheap because it’s a small room. I don’t take holidays so this is my treat to myself instead.

Had a bit of a rare experience during one of the lovely warm days. Went to a local children’s animal farm. We were four in number encompassing four generations: my daughter Sarah, son-in-law Steve and step-great-granddaughter Charley. The step grand-daughters were on an entirely different mission! We all had a thoroughly good time and it enabled all of us to do the things that we haven’t had an excuse to do for some time – such as playing in the sandpit and making a great deal of hands-on fuss of the animals. Charley is sixteen months old so it’s all new to her as well.

As for step-grandaughters Hayley and Jo, they were in York where Jo was booked to do a sky-dive to celebrate her 30^th birthday. I have watched the film made during the dive on You Tube and it made me scream just watching it!

I have chosen the whole of May for Awareness. I see that National Walking Month is marked in the calendar. I suppose it’s an attempt to get people started or thinking about taking some simple exercise – a bit like the Stop Smoking Campaigns etc. If it makes any impact at all, that has to be good, doesn’t it?

On 18^th, Julie invited Trish (my oppo and friend from the early days of the DVDs) and I to be participants in the final day of assessments for prospective teachers of the Move It or Lose It organisation. We were to act as class participants for the morning session and it was such an interesting experience. I met some lovely people. Fourteen students had come from Somerset, N. Yorkshire, Norfolk, Dorset, Birmingham, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire and Shropshire. Phew!! They had never met before and yet over the four days had built a good relationship – not surprising. Julie seems to have that effect on people. Having wished them good fortune, Trish and I left at lunchtime to focus on other important things like making arrangements to meet for lunch.

I’m never quite sure how this ‘natter’ puts itself together but I hope you’ve found something of interest. I’m off now to do some serious birthday shopping for May – six cards for starters. I expect there will be a story to tell on that next time.

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