Thanks everyone who’s donated to the Walkathon appeal so far. We’ve raised £452.50 so far!! The £500 is just a whisper away. Please, please can I have your donations in by the end of the week if you’ve not sent it yet. Only another £47.50 to go. It’s tantalisingly close. I’ve never done anything this big before. It’s for a brilliant cause. Thanks again.
I DID IT! Walked 26 miles in 6.5 hours wearing a bellydance outfit and carrying rather too much on my back. The forcasted rain did not happen so didn’t need the rain coat and I carried way too much food. The leaflets for the BAMBA (Birmingham and Midlands Bellydance Association) festival on Saturday 23 July were duly given out so I can hold my head high in class on Wednesday. Hope you heard my mention on the radio for the class when I was interviewed in Summerfield Park.
It was a very character building experience. Lead all the way from Brookvale Park to Yardley. Then was overtaken when I stopped to take pictures of my ‘left to go’ series’ Caught up again and stayed with the leaders until a couple who barely apperared to be moving glided past us and carried on as though walking was no effort. It was hard to maintain the 5 miles per hour I’d hoped but managed it to Kings Heath Park when I lost my walking mates as they were finishing there. Despite the well signed route I still managed to take a worng turn by the hospital!!! (Lost 10 mins)
Thanks to the man who walked with me on the last lap. If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have made such good time – would certainly have slowed down, at least to eat that last banana. Thanks too to the man who mistook me for his friend but gave me a lift home anyway. You have no idea how grateful I am.
Got some great pictures which I’ll put up soon. Body holding up well today, must still be anestesized from the full bottle of champagne I drank last night.
Collected £198.50 so far. Thank you all. Would be great to get the rest in as soon as possible. Hoping to raise £500.
Only two days to go to the Walkathon. I’ve just seen the weather forcast – rain. Of all the good weather we’ve been having it has to rain on Sunday. It will play havoc with me walking in a bellydance outfit. Hopefully there’ll be a few dry sunny spells. Sponsorship money still trickling in, hope there’ll be a flood over the next few days.
Had my second pole dancing lesson last night. Beginning to get the hang of the fireman spin. Tried a new move. Gripped the pole with my thighs, crossed one leg and let go with both hands. Think its called ‘queen’ – don’t know why. Am knackered. Should have given it a miss this close to the walk but hey – sure I’ll be fine.
Only four days to go to the Walkathon. Thanks to everyone who have sponsored me so far. I’ve raised £63.60 so far, with £50 more pledged. But there’s loads of you who haven’t replied yet. Please, its for a good cause.
Went to bellydance tonight. Suggestion I should do the walk in bellydance gear. I’ve been given a bundle of flyers for the Birmingham Bellydance Festival in July to hand out. Should be an interesting sight, coin belt and New Balance trainers!
Some of you know I’m doing the BRMB Walkathon next Sunday (8th May) and have been trying to build up my distance. Walkathon = 26 miles around the number 11 circular bus route in Birmingham. I read somewhere (or someone told me) that if you can do 18 miles before the day your adrenaline will carry you the rest of the way. Choise yesterday – stay home and watch the Royal Wedding or go for the 18 miles while the roads are quiet. The latter won.
Armed with a bottle of water, a banana, apple and energy bar I set of headphones in ear at 7.39 a.m. I’d hoped to start a 6 o’clock but the bed was too warm. I went the 11C route starting in Erdington going on the Stechford, Yardley, Acocks Green, a bit of Moseley, Kings Heath, Cotteridge, Stirchley, Harborne and was just thinking about the stretch of Lordswood Rd that would take me into Bearwood when my legs said ‘No More.’
I could have probably gone a bit further if I hadn’t taken a 2 mile detour down Fox Hollies Road and all past St Peter’s Church before realizing my mistake. I had to retrace my steps to get back to School Lane. I was a little miffed but the scenery was worth it. Other scenery well worth it was Swanshurst Park and Bournville Village. How amazing that some children go to school in that amazing building covered with wisteria.
Spring’s such a great time to be walking. All those blossoms, and in the stillness of the morning, before the world woke up (about 10 o’clock) the birds song mingled with Alicia Keys and John Legend to create a new genre of music; twitterock.
I bussed it back to Erdington (about another eight and a half miles) and wondered how my legs would cope today. (5 hours and 40 mins by the time I stopped) It may have been the green tea, it may have been the long rest, or it may well have been the half bottle of Chablis and a good night’s rest but they were rearing to go this morning.
I rested them today – other things booked. May have a go at that final stretch tomorrow. I’ll be emailing out sponsor forms this week. Please support Birmingham Children’s Hospital in whose aid we are walking.
I now have a new website. Well two actually. You can still find me on www.predencia.co.uk and I also have a publishing website www.cymbalspublishing.co.uk where you can purchase my first ever poetry books (more accurate to describe them as booklets really). RAW (vols 1&2) are only £3.50 each and are full of all the stuff you’ve heard me perform – and some that’s never seen the light of day before – mainly because they’re not performance pieces. I’ve had some great feedback and some very surprised people have rung me to say ‘I never knew your life was like that.’ Of course not all the poems are my experiences – some are observed, but they’ve all left there mark on my soul.
I’m working on two CDs to go with the books. Really excited by the way they’re shaping up -some nice tunes to accompany some of the poems. Keep checking the site to see when they become available. You will love them. Trust me.
This is my year for writing. First draft of novel nearly complete. Need to have that done by end of this month. May need to be a bit anti-social to make that happen. Me, my laptop, a lot of Tindersticks and some Theta music to stimulate the creative juices.
It’s been a long time since I visited these pages but I’m moved to share the experience of my first pole dancing lesson. Yep, I said pole dancing! In a mad moment while I was in Barbados in January I was browsing Groupon and saw an offer ‘Buy 4 pole dancing lessons for £15 instead of £45. It seemed a bargain. I put it out of my mind till recently when I was clearing out and found the coupon – nearing its expiry date. Emma said come along on Sunday and see what you think.
I went straight from the Mind Body Spirit fair at Derby University where I’d been listening to the wonders of creating your own meditation to making love to a long, thick, shiny pole in a large room in a snooker club. Me and four other girls (all young enough to be my granddaughters – or at best daughters) stripped down to vests and shorts (all the better for our legs to grip the pole) and awaited instructions from the teacher. I was introduced to the straight leg twist, the fireman’s spin, graceful wheel (which looked anything but when I performed it) and a whole host of others. All of them involved me holding the pole as high up as I could with my right hand and pulling my full body weight up while swinging around the pole. (Apart from the one where I had to leap onto the pole and hold it firmly with my crotch – Ouch)
Don’t get me wrong. I knew I’d need a bit of upper body strength and had been doing pull ups at the gym. What I was unprepared for was the expectation that I would throw myself gracefully around a slippery pole toes pointed, lips pouting, trying to look sexy. Wasn’t this dance developed for acrobats?
I’d been sliding down the pole for about forty minutes before the teacher suggested using some of that cream on my hands that helps with grip. It helped enormously. I could swing round without hitting the mats like a sack of potatoes every time. Encouraged by my progress she gave me a few more moves to try; one involved swinging my legs out behind me while sticking my hips forward. I saw her do it so I know it’s possible – just not possible for me – yet!
The classes are an hour and a half but after an hour and twenty minutes the teacher took pity on me and gave me the option of carrying on practicing for another ten minutes or stretching my arm and going home. As my arms could no longer hold me up I went for the latter.
Two days later my shoulders still feel dislocated and I’m having difficulty changing gears – despite taking the precaution of going for a steam, sauna and spa first thing yesterday. I’ve noticed a few muscles have popped up on my upper arms and my ribs hurt.
It feels a bit like sex – the thing we are simulating. Not much fun the first time, but hopefully it will get better. Three more lessons to go.
I’m watching The Secret again, about the third time this year. Thinking I could benefit from watching it once a week. We (me and another friend) set up a small group in September to help us focus on the principles of The Secret. We’ve called it The Secret Society. We’ve met to help each other create vision boards, to share our goals and to keep us firmly believing our goals are acheivable. I’m living the Secret. I’ve had an incredible year. Not everything’s gone according to my plans but the outcomes have been better than expected. I’ve lost three dear friends, and while I will miss them on this plane I know their energies are still with me.
I’ve claimed being a writer performer. I mean deep down ‘this is who I am’. I’ve finally felt brave enough to publish my poems and I’ve even recorded my voice in a CD of a selection of poems. A few big things happened this year. I started a novel. Writers Without Borders was 10 years old. I took on a big chunk of organising our anniversary celebrations in October as part of Birmingham Book festival, which was a huge success. First time ever we sold out the Library Theatre. I co-wrote a play about Mary Seacole with Mahogany Tree which we performed in November. I performed a solo dance at the Bellydance Hafla at the end of Nov, and was the lead dancer in one of our two class dances. I published the books and CD in December. I’ve got a restaurant review in a food magazine which came out last week. ‘Taste the Caribbean’ is a high quality glossy on Caribbean food, what to buy, how to cook, and where to eat it. My piece was on a restaurant in Barbados. I’m doing a writing course at Boldmere centre and in the process building up a selection of short stories which I’ll publish next year. I’m very excited about writing and performing.
Eleven days to the end of the year. Been an amazing one. Really looking forward to 2011.
Getting into a higher holiday gear. Went on an Island Safari today in a 4×4 which took us to places you wouldn’t normally get to in an ordinary car. I was expecting to be taken into the forests and up on the hills (such that they are in Barbados) and all my expectations were more than met on that score. What I wasn’t expecting was to be supplied with gallons of rum punch on the trip. My other 8 travel companions began drinking at 9 a.m. and continued almost non-stop till our lunch stop at 2 p.m. Not happy with the strength of the punch supplied they asked the driver to stop and buy a bottle of Mount Gay to top it up. They were pretty sozzled by lunchtime and one became particlarly abnoxious. Trust me to be sitting beside him.
Lest you be put off taking such a tour if you come to Barbados – let me say that there were lots of other jeeps whose passengers drank responsibly. Some of them felt sorry for me. It felt like being the driver on a drinking night out, the sober one who. I have every admiration for the driver and tour guide who navigated his way around them with professional aplomb. Just the right amount of humour and gentle steering (especially one of them back to his seat after each stop).
Lunch at the splendid Sunbury Plantation House was a dream Caribbean buffet which three people from our party felt the need to complain about. I felt duty bound to put a different point of view to the manager who offered me a free visit for my trouble. Not sure if I’ll have time to get back up there. The journey back was a pretty straight drive for which I was really grateful. I asked to be dropped of at the beach. I don’t think I could get complacent about the beauty of the waves as they gather and then release their power over the sand; the way the sun sets slowly into the sea and the translucent air as day slowly turns to night. Everything is perfect then.
I asked my friend “What am I supposed to have learned from today?”
“Tolerance” she answered.
predencia 