Charlie's Bird
living the dream with Charlie and Thandi and chirping all the way back to the nest.Archive for January, 2024
week 4.3
…apologies. my Friday was insane! I got swept up at work, and never had a chance to0 sit down and blog. So, forthwith, my weekly round up of the week.
- Work – was steady and quite busy, which is a good thing. The hospital called a meeting with us OBGYNs, and there is an interesting pilot project coming later this year – call it a sign of the times, and I will share more, when I can.
- Running – 2 good runs, 1 not so good one. The heat and humidity is a real factor at the moment, but plodding along. There is a possibility I may do Wild Women hit Europe (Portugal) this year, busy looking at dates and finances.
- Thandi – is as usual, is a busy bee, but she is thriving! Swimming is going well, we seem to be managing her programme okay, Monday is her completely manic day! Today she has swimming trials, a ballet lesson and a polo match, she is missing polo training and a marimba lesson!
- Charlie – is starting to train for a multi day trail event he is doing with a mate. they intend to shuffle along, and we will see how that all goes.
- Meetings – are full steam ahead – Grade 7 meeting, lifesaving AGM, hospital meeting all last week, this week, SGB. Phew!
Week 3
Time for a wrap up of the week
- School – the highlight of the week was back to school. Thandi is happy with her class teacher, and she has some lovely girls in her class. Hopefully she settles down well. I am meeting the principal today, just to get a feeling for what is planned for the year ahead, and put some of my own goals for the school in.
- Swimming – the gala went went last weekend! She swam herself to 3 new big PB’s! She was very happy, as is her coach. Her new carbon skins came from America in time, and I reckon they made all the (mental) difference!
- Running – today I had a slightly better run, flip, it is hard trying to find fitness. My weight is definitely a factor at the moment, and its making it hard. I am on an eating plan and hoping to see some changes in the scale’s pronouncements soon, which will make things a bit easier.
- Work – it’s nice to be a bit busier at the moment, and again, that’s all that needs to be said about that.
- Garden – its looking lovely, I am so happy! We have had so much rain, it really helps. But it also encourages the bugs…
Running review
So, I finally totalled up all my runs for the year and was amazed to see that I had my highest mileage year since 2020!
- 2020 – 2099.9km
- 2021 – 1140km
- 2022 – 850km (the less said about the year of the ankle, the better)
- 2023 – 1480km.
I am actually astounded! I really haven’t felt like I have had a fit and healthy year, but, there we go! Here’s to more mileage in 2024, the year of more!
Week 2
Lets do a wrap on week 2 of the year…
- Running – I managed to get 3 runs in – I am running extremely slowly at the moment, but I’m out there, hopefully making some progress. I also went back to CrossFit this week, so, I am going to try to take back some control of my fitness!
- Work – ticking over.
- Home – all is quiet, I am going to do a little gardening this weekend, my rose bed is looking really good at the moment, but needs a few tweaks, as they always do. I planted a lemon tree in November and that has taken off dramatically too, but you always need to watch the damn aphids on a lemon.
- Thandi – has been swimming and swimming and swimming. Her Coach has had them in ‘swim camp’ effectively, so 5 hours of training a day, and then throw in an hour of waterpolo too! She is exhausted. Anyway, rest day today, and tomorrow she is swimming in the Interdistrict gala. Here’s to some more PB’s.
- The Land Rover – is still tab the repairer. The supplier of the part they require only opens on the 15th! And they will only get it on the 19th! So will only start working on the vehicle on the 22nd! 3 weeks without a car! Beyond frustrating. How do they do business in this day and age?
- Joy – finding joy has been challenging, but, I am trying to find moments in my days – I’m crocheting quite a bit , and I am finding joy in learning new stitches and seeing my blanket grow. I’ve been reading and have really enjoyed some light books from a new (to me) write, Jenny Colgan. Some lovely stories about a remote Scottish island and all the goings on there.
Here’s to the weekend – let us run, craft, read, garden and relax!
Joyful
…I’m going to try to set a word for every month this year, and be intentional about it. So, Joyful January! So far, it hasn’t been particularly joyful, but, I am trying to embrace the moments and find joy in them.
Christmas and New year – what a time of the year, so much pressure, such a show of forced conviviality and family, mixed with aggrieving work. I think that says all you probably need to know about the time. On the surface it was nice, and I love my little family (as they say in Afrikaans – gesin), the weather did not play along, but, the food was plentiful and good. New Year at the farmstead was lovely as always., Many of our usual friends were not there, but we connected with some new families and thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, my family enjoyed it so much, that I extended their stay, and I returned to work, and went back later to fetch them. Which was not without its own drama… cue a broken down Land Rover on the side of the road…
January is being very January. Work is busy. Thandi is swimming already, and playing polo.
Lets the joy be sought!
Charlie's Bird 