The last major clutter clearance I had was back at the end of March however with a busy and active summer schedule and gorgeous sunny weather, this hasn’t been a priority for a while.
I’m still keen to further reduce my stuff and with my daughter Zoe moving back last weekend it was time to get back on the de-cluttering case! For the last 5 years, my husband Chris and I had used her room as a spare room meaning we had to find a new home for items we had kept in there.
Feeling motivated I had a full day yesterday as follows:
I got rid of more clothes (I definitely can’t put on weight now as the last of my size 12’s have all gone and everything is now a size 8 or 10).
I cleared my bedside cabinet of all receipts and bits of paper and shredded anything containing personal data (some receipts dated back to over 12 months ago…)
This was followed by a trip to the tidy tip and the charity shop to drop off unwanted items accordingly… most of them had belonged to Zoe…
So a successful day although still more to do between now and the end of December!
Challenge number 19 now complete! I was inspired to do this when my friend Jas first mentioned it over a year ago. I was lucky to have experienced perfect weather conditions, unlike the torrential rain from last weekend’s camping trip in the Peak District!
The Seven Sisters are the 7 chalk cliffs you can see in the picture below. The total distance was 13 miles and despite hiking up and down the 7 peaks it wasn’t too difficult. I’ll shortly produce a blog post on my travel blog where full details can be found!
One of the most powerful and emotional books I’ve ever read was ‘One Child’ by Torey Haden which I read sometime around 2004. The contents of that book were horrifying and humbling and caused me to take a different approach to life and really appreciate my own upbringing.
This short book was also sickening and also described the abuse of a 6 year old girl. The girl had been removed from her own evil parents and was taken in to spend Christmas with a foster family. While only a short story I feel full of admiration and respect for families such as Casey’s who consistently give generosity and kindness in such tragic circumstances.
Wow… another superb book which I read quickly as I found it difficult to put down! Having travelled pretty much the length of South America in 2016 I could closely relate to many of the places Alastair visited on his epic adventure from the tip of South America or ‘El Fin Del Mundo’ (the end of the World) to the top of Alaska.
OK… so Alastair cycled and I took the soft luxury option travelling by plane, bus and cruise liner however I was able to visualise many South American places as well as LA, Seattle and Alaska.
The book continued with Alastair’s incredible cycle journey through Siberia… in the winter and then through Asia and back into Europe inspiring me to do something more adventurous and push a few more boundaries… I’m not yet sure what…
Alastair had some awesome quotes in his book too, particularly towards the end as he reflected on his fantastic journey:
Page 341: “How mad we are to neglect our body, the very machine that carries all our thoughts, emotions, ambitions, dreams, fears and our life itself. And yet we still expect to live smoothly, healthily and happily to a ripe old age.” So very true and something I am very conscious of… especially now that I am 50…
Page 339: “I decided to see some of the world and to escape from England and the conveyor belt of my life” most people probably do live on a conveyor belt of a life and conform to a similar pattern without even questioning they could be doing something different…
So, I heard about the job application today with an email to inform me that “My application wasn’t successful and I must be disappointed…” (job rejection letters are always a bit patronising…)
Oh well… never mind…
I’ve learned from 13 years in the Civil Service that applying for a job is more about how you word the application form than whether you are actually any good and suitable for the job or not! I think a lot of people must have applied as they only considered the first ‘competency’ (another civil service thing…) out of 5 or 6 competencies that I gave examples on…
At least I now have an up-to-date application form of examples, albeit they probably need a bit of work to shape them into ‘civil service style’…
I’ve actually applied for another job! As ‘Head of Digital and TechEd’ but for another Government department it seems similar to the job I currently do and I spent a fair amount of time trying to get the application as good as possible… this is the first job that has really jumped out at me all year so far…
As mentioned 6 months ago, I love the flexibility of my current job so I’m hoping this opportunity would also enable me to work from home a couple of days a week and with a similar flexible working pattern…
This is already a ‘win win’ as even if I don’t get an interview at least my application is up-to-date meaning future job apps will be easier! But lets see how things go… will provide an update in due course…
During past weekends, Chris and I had walked most of the 62.5 miles of the Norfolk Coast Path and had only 7 miles (between Mundesley and Cromer) left to do… well this has now been achieved and full details of the entire 62.5 mile route can be found on our travel blog.
Another book about cycling around the world… and I loved it! Another incredible adventure which was well written and so interesting to read. Alastair was only 24 when he decided to leave his home and family in England and cycle through Europe and the Middle East and all the way down the length of Africa to Cape Town. Brilliant!
These are a couple of quotes which really demonstrate Alastair’s ability not only to write beautifully but to fully capture his humble sense of engagement and absorption from his surroundings:
Alastair supports ‘Hope and Homes for Children‘ an organisation set up by a British couple who find homes for children who have been abandoned or orphaned. When Alastair met some of these children in Sudan he said “as I shook their small hands and looked into their shy eyes it was with a feeling of ‘you are amazing’… A beginning with no schooling, home or parents is out of my comprehension and I drew so much strength and resolve from them.”
A few pages later… “Despite their poverty, the Sudanese people I met were happy. They had dignity and self-respect and were content with what little they had. And they had an abundance of friends, family and faith. They were the kindest, most cheerful, hospitable and welcoming people that I had ever met. I pedalled through the village towards Ethiopia with a smile on my face.
Paragraphs such as these are so inspiring and heart warming that I can’t wait to read about the next leg of Alastair’s journey which stretches the full length of the Americas. I love the sense of adventure mixed with dose of motivation each time I read a section.
Following this first book Alastair became an adventurer who writes about his travels, gives lectures and pioneered the concept of microadventures. Alastair’s idea of microadventures are about fitting in a little inexpensive adventure at the weekend to escape your life perhaps by camping under the stars or wild swimming in rivers.
My version of a microadventure has been many mini trips to Europe where, when I’ve been short of time and money, I’ve still travelled and seen the highlights of Paris, Amsterdam, Florence, Berlin and several more cities in a day or short weekend. In fact, I see and appreciate my life as being packed with microadventures… a beautiful 5 mile walk which ends in a country pub during a warm sunny evening after work; a weekend of camping with lovely friends; an afternoon bike ride across bumpy tracks and fields to see my parents… or end in another pub… a trip to the coast or Peak District to do a long walk…
In preparation for my relaxing Cuba beach holiday I purchased a good old paperback which I felt would be far easier to read than reading books from the Kindle app on my iPad! You can leave a book lying around on the sun bed, it doesn’t matter if you get your smeary sun cream fingers on it and the odd splash of pina colada doesn’t hurt…
I managed to read this book within the week I was in Cuba and while I found it quite good and I enjoyed reading it, I could take it or leave it… it wasn’t one of those books that keep you gripped from start to finish…
I did enjoy some of the themes and values which came out strongly from the book… the warmth of the traditional Irish family, the complications of relationships and the idea that following your true feelings is best!
However I’m starting to realise that ‘chick lit’ isn’t really my thing… I’m really keen to read the next instalment from Alastair Humphreys where he cycles from Patagonia at the tip of South America, right up to Alaska in the very north of the Americas land mass. Tales from real life adventures are much more exciting!
Book read: High and Low: How I hiked away from depression by Keith Foskett
I really like the way Keith writes… descriptive enough to make the book interesting and conjure up a suitable image in your mind but without being too over the top…
This is the second of Keith’s books that I’ve read and I was interested to learn more about the links between hiking and depression… since I’ve been doing so much exercise for the last 6 months I feel I’ve been on a permanent high… However I can see that even if you do a lot of exercise, this can surely help to lift your mood but it isn’t a cure for depression. Reading the book through the eyes of someone suffering helped me to understand the condition.
I picked up this, the first paperback book I’ve read in years, at Heathrow Airport to take on my recent Seattle and Alaska trip. This is also the first ‘story’ or fiction book I’ve read all year… or for several years in fact… I wanted to look further than travel adventure books this time!
This book is, in many ways, a heart-breaking love story about a couple called Robbie and Emily… the book begins with the couple in their 80’s and is a wrenching account of Robbie dealing with Alzheimers. The story jumps back to different times in their lives and the struggles they’ve faced together over the years. I enjoyed reading it but it has a weird and somewhat uncomfortable twist at the end…
This book was the second of the ‘Buy One Get One Half Price’ Smiths airport deal… and another about relationships… it took some perseverance for me to get into, but once I did, I quite enjoyed it. The book is set in Cornwall and follows the life journeys of its main characters, Nell and Van. There are a few twists and turns and several thought provoking sections… and much of the book is actually quite sad…
I did enjoy reading these two fictions books… but I’m back onto another travel book again… about another cyclist attempting to cycle around the world…
These tracks are in no particular order and I’ve tried to list each artist only once… but found it difficult to narrow it down to one track in many cases… never mind…
Kissing a fool or maybe Spinning the Wheel or perhaps Cowboys and Angels… all classics by George Michael… I love the intro to Cowboys and Angels about 45 seconds in and also the smooth mellow saxophone instrumental at the end… Oh, and Fast Love and December Song, Georges ‘other’ Christmas song…
Space Oddity or maybe Fame or maybe Aladdin Sane by David Bowie: legend…
Corner of the Earth by Jamiroquai: awesome track which reminds me of trekking in remote places
Sunny Afternoon by The Kinks: love this… chillin’ summery F*** it kind of song… also like ‘Tired of Waiting for You’… how cool were the 60’s?
Tainted Love by Soft Cell: brilliant and classic 80’s track
Gloria; Sunday Bloody Sunday; New Years Day… I’m a big fan of early 80’s U2 tracks. Oh yes… and Party Girl… silly but fab song!
Could You Be Loved? One of Bob Marley’s brilliant tracks…
Light my fire by The Doors: always been a fave; together with People are Strange…
Club Tropicana by Wham! You can feel the holiday vibe with this
Pass out by Tinie Tempah: love the instrumental bits in this
California Dreaming by Mamas and Papas: bunch of hippies singing about one of my favourite places… love it!
Bohemian Like You by Dandy Warhols
Spaceman by Babylon Zoo… slightly weird
Blue Monday by New Order: reminds me of the 80’s
Valerie by Amy Winehouse: brilliant track… or Back to Black? Maybe Back to Black pips the post of my Amy faves… a bit depressing but Amy at her best…
Happy by Pharrell Williams: a real uplifting song… in fact probably the most uplifting song I can think of
Hawaii 5-0 theme tune: one of my favourite instrumentals; reminds me of Hawaii
Green Onions by Booker T and the MGs: classic… ‘nuff said…
Paint it Black by Rolling Stones: a classic Stones track… closely followed by ‘The Last Time’… love this too…
Echo Beach by Martha And The Muffins: gotta have a beach track or two in here somewhere!
Don’t stop the Music by Rhianna: I like a few Ri Ri songs but this is probably my fave…
Livin La Vida Loca by Ricky Martin: maybe a bit cheesy but I still love this track from old swivel hips!
Smile by Lily Allen… bit of attitude from Lily… Love it…
The Real Slim Shady by Eminem: one of many excellent Eminem tracks
Feel by Robbie Williams: by far the best Robbie track… spine tingly brilliant…
Aint No Sunshine by Bill Withers
Wonderwall by Oasis… classic
Smells like Teen Spirit by Nirvana; one of my favourite bands
Mambo Italiano by Sophia Loren: love a bit of latino Italiano…
Mucho Mambo (sway) by Shaft… more latino… makes me want to get up and dance about… sorry, one more… also Lambada by Kaoma… want to find a beach bar and do the lambada all afternoon with easy access to a jug of caipirinha… sigh…
Thriller by Michael Jackson: have heard this hundreds of times but never get tired of it… well its either Thriller or Off the Wall… I love Off the Wall too, real boppy stuff…
Black Velvet by Alannah Myles: sultry…
Gypsies Tramps And Thieves by Cher: best Cher track… so original… actually not usually keen on her songs but this is an awesome track…
Age of Aquarius by The 5th Dimension: my birth sign and another hippy track!
Mrs Robinson – Simon & Garfunkel… fantastic classic film! Scarborough Fair and Sound of Silence are more awesome tracks…
She’s not there by The Zombies
The Pirates of the Caribbean theme tune… love this and could listen to it over and over again… fabulous piece of music
Hips Don’t Lie by Shakira: Sassy… wish I could shake and swivel my hips in the manner of Shakira…
Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses… awesome track especially towards the end where it goes… ‘Where do we go… where do we go now…’
Dreadlock Holiday by 10cc: an absolute must have in my list!
Love and Pride by King: not the best vocals but a brilliant tune… another classic 80’s track and really uplifting
Lady Gaga – Telephone ft Beyonce… love this song!
Call Me – Blondie… brilliant 70’s track…
Hung Up – Madonna… what is it with telephone songs??? Am I weird??? No… while I like this Madonna song I think Secret is probably my favourite Madge track…
Ticket to ride; Twist and Shout; Love Me Do… a few classics from the Beatles
Message in a bottle by Police…another real classic
Baggy Trousers; House of Fun; Night Boat to Cairo… love a bit of early Madness…
Down Under by Men at Work… a guilty pleasure
Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya, Pink – Lady Marmalade… Hey sister go sister…
Hotel California by The Eagles… another brilliant track which I could listen to over and over again…
This is the first book by a famous travel writer that I’ve read this year. This book documents Bryson’s trip from the very top of Europe starting in Hammerfest in Norway as he travels across the continent and right through to Istanbul where the east of Europe meets Asia.
This was Bryson’s first travel book which was written in 1991 and I must say that I did read the original paperback version when it was published then, so over 25 years ago.
It felt weird reading this book again as it is nothing like I remembered it! This shows how time can distort the way you remember things… I have since been to many of the places he visited which is great as I can now relate to them. Maybe this is another reason I remembered the book so differently?
This isn’t the best book of my 50@50 challenge year by any means… Bryson does complain a great deal and does paint himself as a stereotypical moany tourist… I found the book funny in places but after a while the jokes become a bit tedious…
Elspeth was the first female to circumnavigate the world by motorbike and documents this fantastic journey in the form of her book. She is incredibly inspiring as she shares every detail including accounts of her being treated badly, being ill and having to deal with nightmare bureaucratic border crossings.
She did this between 1982 and 1984 so long before the days of smart phones and sat navs… and while in her early 20’s…
I was in the middle of reading of her immense courage and the hardships she overcame on her own while on my recent solo trip to Montenegro. This really put my trip into perspective… the short flight, comfy hotel, things to do, people being super friendly so not even a little toe dipped out of my comfort zone… Elspeth inspired me to do something more adventurous another time…
Elspeth noticed that people in developing countries seemed far happier as she reflected on her journey towards the end of the book:
“It was clear to me how easy it is to take things for granted and forget to be grateful for the basics in life: family, food and shelter.”
This is something I also noticed while travelling around the world in 2016… travelling in developing countries is a humbling experience…
Fifty at Fifty 