Yoga/Pilates

In my attempt to finish this year noticeably lighter than when it started, I am doing all sorts of new things.  One of these is yoga/pilates.  I had seen posters around Padiham for a new class starting on 17th April just across the road at Katy's school.  I decided that this was something I ought to try as I am already doing more aerobic exercise and felt I ought to balance this out with some controlled strengthening exercise.  Yesterday was the first class.

I had mentioned this in conversation to my sister in law Liz, and she thought she'd give it a try too. So last night we trotted off, not quite knowing what to expect.  We got to the school and there were a few ladies waiting already.  The previous Zumba class hadn't quite finished which left us with a few minutes to sit and chat.  The receptionist took us up to the room when it was ready.

At this point I would like you to close your eyes and just imagine what you think a yoga/pilates teacher looks like.  Have you got it in your mind's eye?  Well, we were greeted by a very red face, sweaty lady who looked to be in her early thirties with scrapped back brown hair and wobbly belly bits, in very typical chav exercise gear and saying in a strong Lancashire accent "welcome ladies, I'm very sweaty, I've got to go and change my top" (she had taken the previously mentioned Zumba class).  The room itself was very warm from the sweaty bodies that had been in there before it.  Liz suggested that we were starting off with a sauna.

When we were ready to start the class she explained what it was going to be, as it wasn't just yoga or pilates it was going to be a new fusion of the two as she had wanted to teach something more up to date and different so had taken a course to learn how to do this.  She advised us to work in bare feet and kept saying that she liked to be in bare feet to feel the wood against her skin as it was a natural element and made her feel more connected and grounded (remember, this is all in a Lancashire accent).

The class started and it was very soon apparent that this was going to be quite strenuous. It wasn't long before I was "glowing" like a lady had never "glowed" before. Our trainers favourite word was "ladies".  She must have said it over a hundred times in the hour we were there.  "Now ladies, what we're going to do next ladies is....", for every movement we did for a whole hour!

We did one movement that involved having our arms pressed together from palms to elbows in front of us and then raising them up and lifting our chests.  I think our arms might have been intertwined in some way also.  Now, I'm a very short person and the distance between my neck and my ample chest is very short, and well, to be honest I almost strangled myself with this move.

I did actually surprise myself a little too.  We had to balance on one leg, lift our other leg and hold onto our ankle, then we had to stretch our raised leg straight out behind us to 90 degrees and hold, and then stretch our arms straight out in front of us so that our whole body was out flat, and hold the position.  Our teacher suggested that we use the wall for balance if we wanted to, but I decided to try and be hardcore and do it properly, and the surprise was that I did it with very little wobble and didn't lose my balance at all.  Not bad eh?

So are we going back next week?  I think I'll give it another go.

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday was a little different this year.  My newest great niece Amelia Rose Hathaway was being blessed in Lincoln.  "A great niece?" I hear you say?  "But you don't look old enough to have a great niece". Why thank you, but it's true, and not only that but I have been a great aunt for 21 years.  All that aside, we decided that this would be a great opportunity for a family trip to meet up with everyone else who was going to be there, and thanks to Rebekah who works part time for Holiday Inn, we were able to get hotel rooms at ridiculously good prices for everyone, so we were able to travel down the night before.

As there were too many of us for one car, Robert drove down with mum, dad, Jim and Katy.  I set off later with Kirsty and Rebekah, and Kim came by train from London.  Robert's party arrived late afternoon so went over to Mark and Kate's house and spent a few hours with everyone there.  Everyone being Len, Mary, Rachel, Phil, Ben, Dan, Jake, Amy and of course Mark, Kate, Oscar and Amelia. I think the last time we were together was when Oscar was blessed three years ago.  It's amazing how quickly time goes by without you realising it.  We got there about 9:30 and a hungry Kim arrived just after 10:30 so we all had a little share of the pizza she tucked into at the hotel.

Kirsty was concerned that as the next day was Easter Sunday, and our normal family tradition was to have an Easter Egg hunt, what would happen in the morning.  She was also concerned that the Easter Bunny wouldn't know that she was in Lincoln and wouldn't know where to deliver her eggs.  We did discuss the possibility of having an egg hunt in the hotel but decided that this wouldn't go down well with the other guests on a Sunday morning, and as Rebekah worked for the company it wouldn't look good for her.  As it turned out, the Easter Bunny knows all and knew exactly which rooms to deliver eggs to in the morning.

It wasn't a great night's sleep in the hotel as the mattress was very bouncy and the pillows were all wrong. One wasn't enough and two was too many, so it was a bit difficult to get comfortable.  I don't think it's right that you wake up more tired than you were when you went to sleep, especially when you have to drive back home later in the afternoon.

Breakfast in the hotel was ok. I'd gone down before putting on my makeup so had to go back to my room to complete the finishing touches.  I was sitting with Robert, Jim and Katy and told them I was going back upstairs to make myself more beautiful.  Perfect response from my dear husband who said "is that even possible?" and from my brother "you've only got 40 minutes", thanks Jim.

We had been warned by Mark that we would have to get to church early to get a seat so we all piled into the chapel and between all the visitors that were there for the blessing, we took up three pews. We knew at some point that the people who normally sat in those seats would come in and have to find somewhere else to sit, and it was obvious from the look on their faces who they were. It wasn't a problem, but you know what it's like at church, people are creatures of habit and tend to sit in the same places every week, and sometimes there are visitors and you can't sit in your usual place and then you have a moment when you're not quite sure what to do next.

Oscar sat on Robert's lap during Sacrament meeting and had great fun playing on his iPad.  Finally all those silly little games he downloads came in useful as they kept a 3 year old amused quite nicely.  The girls and I didn't fancy going into the rest of the classes so we spent the next two hours hanging out in the corridor, but as this was also with Phil and the boys this was a very good part of the day.  Phil and my girls are so funny when they are together.  Kim put her bar skills to use by cutting up lemons and limes for the punch that was being made ready for the buffet and Rebekah helped by grating cheese (some for the bowl and some for Bekah).  The smells in the kitchen were making us all hungry.

The buffet was totally yummy as always, and it was nice to finally all be together and do some catching up.  I love all my family and it's such a shame that distance and time make it difficult to be together more often.  They make me laugh, and they make my girls laugh and that's not always easy, so when it happens and we're all together it's a very special time.  Kirsty and Rebekah admitted to being broody when they were holding Amelia, which was news to me but as I get older I am starting to accept that maybe it would be ok to be a grandma, but only maybe.

Amelia who we all came to see

Oscar the big brother

Kim had to catch her train back to London at 3 so left a little earlier than the rest of us.  We knew we had to get on our way home but were reluctant to leave.  It seems we were pretty much the last ones there.  No one had any family events coming up to create another time for us to be together so we've pretty much decided that it's down to Kirsty to get married so that we can see each other again as she's the next oldest, and let's face it, it's about time.

Kirsty, Phil and Amy and a little of grandma's hands (mum)

Mum with ear problems, Kirsty, Rebekah, Kim and someone making a point

Kirsty holding Amelia with my dad

Rebekah being a little broody with Amelia

Despite being tired, the journey home was uneventful and safe, and we made good time.  We all had a great day that meant a lot to us.