Frump to Fab 2021

Wednesday2000

You always seem to have lots of social activities going on Sugarbaby.

The meetup was fun. I don't know why it has taken me so long to make an effort to meet local people and then it coincides just when I am moving house out of the area! I am hopefully meeting them again next week for a meal.

It is so hot and muggy again today. I got my electric fan out. I just went to the shops and bought a sandwich from Boots and then bought a cushion and a pretty blue and white jug from a chazzer.

My feet have been killing me. I think it is from all the steps I did walking around the coast the past few weeks. I am going to book a chiropodist appointment for next week and I am about to use my foot spa. I think I will use cool water, not hot, because of the weather.

maman

Glad to hear you're picking up a bit pixie and still cutting back on the cooking. It's useful to have a few easy meals in the freezer even in 'normal' times so it's no bad thing that you've found that Iceland have some things you enjoy.

That's interesting about the contrast between the two creative writing groups sugarbaby. I wouldn't know where to start writing an allegory. It's an interesting concept though. I suppose you have to start from the well known concept and then put a current twist on it. Do let us know how you get on. Out of interest, what sort of music is played at your appreciation classes? 

I think going to the chiropodist is money well spent Wednesday. It tends to be a little more expensive round here than a pedicure (about an extra £10)  but I have had good advice from mine. Usually I have pedicures in the summer and podiatry in the winter but as we're not going on a sunshine holiday this year I've been painting my nails myself.

I've been dancing again this afternoon. We had such a good time. The usual teachers are on holiday and the stand ins had a different approach and different music so that made it interesting. It's also a good reason to get fabbed up . I'm still delighted with my hair and, unlike last summer, I've been wearing lots of my summer skirts and dresses that hardly saw the light of day last year. It's like having a new wardrobe. 

It's been a glorious day today, far better than was forecast. Good weather really cheers me up. 😊

thepurplepixie

The dancing sounds fun Maman.  Wednesday I think meetups are a great idea.  My DD met her husband at one.  She had moved after uni and wanted to make some friends, one of the other young women brought along a flatmate and the rest, as they say, is history.

Fabbing was worth it, I got taken out to lunch.  It was a small local restaurant, we booked a table and explained the problems and DH dropped me at the door and GS took me in.  DH parked in his usual disabled space and we had a nice lunch.  It was lovely to be out and our favourite waitress had a chat.  Did me good and the food was nice as well.  I might have walked a bit much as foot is a bit achey so I will have to be careful.

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

Wednesday I am going to events that are free or very inexpensive, but also really well organised and social distancing, hand sanitising, mask wearing is rigorously enforced, that way I feel really comfortable.   

I was chatted up on the way to my Open Mic event this evening in Brixton. He was so persistent he followed me into the Black Cultural Archives building, but he could go no further than the reception area as he did not have a ticket for the Open Mic poetry event, so I then got rid of him. He looked really young, so I scathingly told him that I was old enough to be his Mother. He then felt the need to prove to me that he was in fact 45 years old but just had a young face by showing me his driver's licence! Sadly for him, it made no difference, as he was still too young for me. He had a nice looking face and a pleasant voice, no fat on him, but he was not tall enough or old enough for me. I definitely prefer my men tall, lean and no more than 5 years either side of my current age. I was extremely flattered and admired his brazen confidence.   

Maman, in the Music Appreciation session we have a mixture of music chosen by the participants of the group. It has been lovely to hear music in other languages (French and Yoruba) or from different culture. My choices have been in the vein of Adele's Make You Feel My Love, Lean On Me by Bill Withers and James Brown's I Feel Good.  I am going to struggle to write the allegorical poem, but at least it will stretch my skills as a writer.

I had a fantastic evening at the Open Mic event, there were a great mix of poets and style of poetry being performed.  I performed 3 of my poems and each of them were very well received. One woman even wanted to follow me on Instagram but I am not on Instagram, so she was disappointed. 

Wednesday2000

I booked the chiropodist for next week. I only went in March but my feet really need some tlc.

The estate agent called and said the person buying our house wants a second viewing next week. I have the social meetup meal out next week too so a few things to do.

I just went out to the local shop and got rained on. My hair needs washing tonight anyway.

I was thinking my fingernails look quite good. They have got quite long and stronger. I think it is the protein drink I bought. It is a vegan protein water that tastes like fruit squash and I have have it everyday for about 6 weeks I think. Oh no, I just remembered I wrote on the calendar. I've been having it for 8 weeks. It tastes really lovely too.

I'm going to start using my trampoline everyday as the walking I did tired me out and I need to improve my fitness level. The area I'm moving to is much more hilly than London and I really felt it in my legs just walking around.

thepurplepixie

I live in a hilly area, it does do wonders for your fitness levels.  I am better with local hills now than I was when I moved her over 20 years ago.  Not that I can actually do hills just now but generally without broken feet.  

maman

Glad to hear your meet up went well Wednesday. Perhaps there will be similar groups when you move areas. 

We haven't made any definite plans yet but one of my girlfriends has suggested a day in London. I've really missed museums and galleries in the past year or so and I know she'd love to go to a theatre. I notice that the Geoffrye (sp?) museum has been refurbished and renamed as the Museum of the Home. I've been there before but I'd like to see the changes. 

While it's not particularly hilly where I live, dancing has strengthened my calf muscles. I noticed how much they ached when I went back to classes after the lockdowns but I'm getting there after a few weeks.

I think we'll gradually get back to 'normal' even though we could stop all Covid precautions next week. We don't have to wear masks anyway for exercise but I think we'll gradually get closer over the next few weeks.

I'm planning to stick to my masks indoors in shops for a while. What's pleasing is that we haven't had any ordinary colds or flu (not that I've ever had flu) and I'm sure that's a bonus of Covid precautions. Even before Covid, the Chinese students, around where I live, wore masks. I think that's partly because of their concerns about air pollution but also their past experience with SARS.

It started damp here today but brightened up and I got my washing dry! 😁

leftatthetrafficlights

I haven't been on this thread since February and it definitely shows!! 🙈 I've totally let myself go recently- far too much alcohol, poor diet, no excercise and no self-care has led to feeling constantly drained and tired as well as having dull skin, bad hair and nails and sleep issues 😔 I decided on Friday that it has to stop!! 
With that in mind, I started a detox yesterday 🙌 healthy clean food, plenty of water, daily yoga and daily self-care 😊 I'm hoping that being back on this thread will help keep my motivation up!! 😉

helensbiggestfan

Hello. LATTL.  Your post caught my eye so thought I'd just drop in to cheer you on.  

Good to see you back on the wagon.   Well done, for realising where you have gone wrong and for stopping the rot right now.  😉.  

good Mornjng lovely ladies. 

I don't think I have mentioned this but about 2 months ago I came upon something called "The Miracle Mornings".  But basically it's about a few simple steps you take each Morning before you start your day, the message behind it being it's how you start your morning which determines the outcome of your day. 

The six steps include meditation, journalling, goal setting, reading something "worthy" 😉🤣.    One of the steps is exercise.  The author reckons this is critical.  

 I don't think you have to follow each and every step slavishly but rather adapt them to suit your own needs, tastes, preferences. I'm not one for meditation as such but I have definitely taken the exercise bit  to heart.   😱😂🤣

Now let me be honest.......I am the least sporty person you can imagine, but I was prepared to give it a go and I have to say I have finally seen the light and am now a convert. !!!  

At the start I was in terrible pain due to fibromyalgia and arthritis and just generally not moving enough. The third lockdown really finished me off, I completely lost my mojo and for weeks I just moped around doing very little and achieving nothing, all the while getting stiffer and pain levels increasing.  My poor body was in such a state that I had  to take painkillers before I could contemplate even the most simple basic yoga stretches and even then I could only manage around 10 minutes. 

But, slowly and gradually I have built up to a good 40 minute workout, mainly yoga/pilates/tai chi and then some resistance training with small hand weights.  The result has been nothing short of miraculous and life changing.  Miracle Mornings indeed!!!!   Very little pain now, more energy, more flexibility more stamina, sleeping well.  And that's just in two months!!!  I intend to build on this now, aiming to get progressively stronger and fitter, building more strenuous exercise into my routine.  

I can definitely recommend "The Miracle Mornings".  You don't actually need to buy the book, there's plenty of free online articles, websites, podcasts etc.  Just Google.  

Heres one for you.......

Mohamed Ali was once asked how many sit ups he did each day.  His answer was "I don't know, I don't start counting until it burns".   I now start burning at around 25.  When I began I could barely manage 2. In fact it took me a month of yoga and Pilates before I could even attempt sit ups, so I think from 2 to 25 in a month isn't too shabby.  

Get you SUgarbaby and your would be suitor, even if you don't feel attracted to him, it's always nice to be admired.  Good for you. 😉

Wednesday2000

Maman - Yes, I noticed that too with Chinese people on the tube, that quite a few of them wore masks even before Covid was here.

Sugarbaby - I got a guy coming up to me the other night too. Italian guy. I was talking to him about the football. I hope we win tonight although I'm not amazingly confident about it. 


I'm hoping that my fitness levels will improve soon. I just did 10 mins on the trampoline and used my arm weights and I couldn't wait for the 10 minutes to be up!

I am definitely going to have to join meetup groups when I move house as I won't know anyone there.

I have the person buying our house having the second house viewing, I have to take my cat to the vet for her injections, I have the chiropodist tomorrow and I have the meal meetup one night. It seems like quite a busy week after doing nothing for months!

I am going to make a vegetable and mushroom curry for lunch today. I think I will use my foot spa again as my feet still ache quite a bit.