On the eve of Halloween....

Happy Halloween!!

I have no Halloween plans this year and avoided the bars in town like the plague this weekend due to the fact that I am still getting over my virus. I still wanted to be festive so yesterday I carved my first ever Halloween pumpkin. I also helped my sister make some Jack-O-Lantern biscuits today for the school.

I have always been fascinated by Halloween, the holiday associated with all things spooky and scary. It is such a fun time for children and adults alike and I love dressing up and making autumn goodies to eat. I found a few bits of trivia to mark the occasion.

 All Hallows Eve or Samhain is an old Celtic festival that once marked the end of summer and the end of the harvests. It would also mark the passing of the year and the start of a new one, a time when the earth began to 'die'.


It was, and still is, believed that the veil between this world and the next is thinnest at this time of year and so spirits could wander between worlds. It was a time to honour and remember those who had passed. All Saints Day, on the 1st November, remains a Christian day of remembrance.

The general association of this holiday with death is not all macabre and gloomy. It is a time of new beginnings and change. Pagans use this as a time to take stock of their lives and move on to new things, make changes and learn new things.

I am not a Pagan but I do find myself drawn to the old religions. I think this is more to do with the fact that much of my country's history, myth, and legend comes from the old Celtic religions. Also there is such a connection with nature and the seasons and I love that the old festivals are still celebrated in some form at different times of the year.

Whatever you are doing this Halloween, have fun and be safe. xo

To Wear a Poppy with Pride....

The Royal British Legion poppy appeal launched yesterday. I found this article by Hannah Wallis on the Huffington Post website today. Hannah talks about being moved by a school trip to the battlefields in Northern France and the emotions stirred up by the sight of endless headstones in the cemeteries.

As a child, my family and I often went on holidays to France. I remember once we visited the village of Oradour-sur-Glane in the Limousin region. The original village was destroyed in World War II and has been kept as a memorial. Men, women and children were massacred in the village by German soldiers on the 10th June 1944. The women and children were locked in the church while the men were shot and burned alive in barns around the village. The soldiers then blew up the church, shooting anyone who tried to escape. 190 men, 247 women and 207 children died.

I remember being so moved by the stories I read as I walked through the ruins of the village, past burned out cars and the rubble of former homes and businesses, left just as it was after the massacre took place. It is such a haunting place and a reminder of the horror of war. I remember almost being able to feel the people around me and feeling such sadness.

These pictures are from Wikipedia, taken by Dennis Nilsson.

I remember my Granddad telling me brief stories of his time during the war, about watching his friends and comrades being killed and injured. He is no longer with us and with him died the last living survivor of the war in my family. One day, World War II, like the First World War, will pass out of living memory but it is so important that we continue to remember those who fought and died for our country. My children will never know either of my Grandfathers or hear their stories but I will make sure they know who they were and what they fought for.

Wear your poppy with pride! xo

It's nearly Friday....

It's nearly the end of a long week. It's Friday tomorrow! Ready for a weekend of cooking, cleaning, studying, exercising and maybe a craft fair. Oh and pumpkin carving! I got this one from Able and Cole today. I'm going to carve it on Saturday.

I found some pumpkin carving tips on the Good Food website.

Getting back to the gym...

It's been a few days since I posted, mostly because I have been trying to get back into work and the daily grind. It is now officially dark when I go to work and will soon be dark when I get home. Bummer! But on the plus side, I am no longer infected! I do still have a hacking cough that doesn't seem to want to go away but, all in all, I am well again! Get in!

Getting back to the gym has helped give me more energy. I managed a half hour of weights today working my chest and triceps. Pretty good. Back and Biceps tomorrow maybe with a 30 minute swimming session, legs on Thursday, shoulders and a swim on Saturday. Week done.

I am having a slight dilemma with my gym programme. I found a fab one on BodyBuilding.com and got to week 5 before I got sick but the final few weeks are a 6-day split, something I just can't do with my schedule. So I have decided to adapt it slightly, stick to a muscle-building 5-day split starting next week and change to a cutting routine after around 8 weeks. I can do that for a few months and see how I get on.

I really need to focus on lifting heavier to build muscle right now. I really like lifting but tend to get complacent and I end up not feeling the effects. Also it can be off putting when the gym is busy and the blokes are gathered around the mirrors and free weights. I have been putting off taking protein powder as I have heard it does horrible things to your bowls movements and it's not cheap. I may have to give in soon though as there is no way I take in enough protein in my diet alone.

I don't want the body-builders physique but I have to admit the bikini models look pretty good.

More

Less (just slightly wrong!)

The second one is not something I aspire to! Weird if you ask me! I just don't see this as being feminine. To be honest the bikini models don't look much better in competition. They train hard for weeks before hand to pump up the muscles and then smother themselves with what I can only describe as wood varnish! No thanks, I'd be happy with the first picture minus the fake tan.

A few programme idea for later once I have done my current plan for 2 months:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jen-rankin-fitness-360.html - specifically the cutting programme for when I have built up some muscle.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kathleen-tesori-fitness-360.html - really like the cutting programme for this one.

Most programmes seems to suggest the muscle-building/cutting workouts, changing every few months. Yes, the above workouts are spokes model competitive body-building workouts but I might as well give them a go, work hard and see what I can do. My issue is with the food and supplements. I eat fairly healthy so have a good basis but I am not strict enough with myself to eat 6 meals a day and pre-pack all my meal. I need a plan to change one thing at a time....goal one, eat a good breakfast every day. I will re-visit this next Tuesday and see how I get on this week. Tuesday on my blog is now officially Gym Day! Wish me luck! xo

This weekend, part two....

In between trying to get started on my first essay, I have finally managed to visit the family allotment. Mum and Dad have been supplying me with veggies over the last few weeks and months and I am ashamed to say I have played no part in helping to grow them. This has a lot to do with the fact that I have no car and can't get there but still I feel bad and want to help out more.

Here are a few pictures of the allotment so far. It did get hit by the first frosts this week and the beans are coming to the end of their season so looka little wilted.

Chard and Leeks

Dad at the beans

Pak Choi, Broccoli, Cauliflower

I have been inspired to grow some things in my little garden at home and I want to start off by planting some garlic and some tulip bulbs. Hopefully I can get that going in the next few weeks.

In other news, my essay has finally gotten off the ground. I was hoping to get most of it done today but will have to carry it over to tomorrow. No big deal, as long as it's finished by Monday and ready to post on Tuesday! It's half-term week so no school on Thursday. I will probably end up going into work instead for a few hours and then plod home to do some Christmas cooking. That's my week planned pretty much before the weekend is even over! Back to the present I think...xo

This weekend....

This weekend.... by jesslaura featuring zipper jeans

My Mitts....

My first attempt at knitting with double-pointed needles. It's a little stretched where I had a few issues with keeping the needles together but not too bad.  Hopefully the second one will be done by next week.

Please excuse the pizza boxes!