Happy Monday everyone!!!
I hope you've all had a great weekend enjoying the spring sunshine....cold...but sunny times.
I've quite a bit to update you on with things I've been up to since my last post...btw...I hope you enjoyed the guest post from Leigh...who would have thought it... I've actually become friends with someone thousands of miles away with the same name as me! Leigh will be posting again in a few weeks to tell us more about South Africa...it's a place I've wanted to visit for a while now.
OK, so...what have I been doing? How can I spark some positivity into your week....well... here goes....big deep breath...
Volunteering
My volunteering is going really well. I have become a volunteer visitor to 3 elderly ladies through 'The Independant Age' charity and visit them regularly to check they are ok or need anything doing...even take them out for coffee. It's very very rewarding to see the smile you receive back when you arrive.
Spending time with people that have built this country is so fascinating...the stories they have to tell, family, careers, wars, food...and in my case...gardening...I've been encouraged to start growing tomatoes in my garden in a little greenhouse. I hate gardening, but it's an interest of one of my ladies and so I've taken an interest.
Mostly, they just relish the company of someone. Someone to talk to, someone to share their day with, someone to just sit and put the world to rights with. Most people know I'm pretty opinionated so that's a perfect fit for me :-)
Meals on wheels - Remember towards the end of last year I mentioned that I had seen the Hairy Bikers show talking about meals on wheels from The Molesey Centre in Surrey...well... true to my word...I contacted them to apply to help. They wrote me back and I arranged to go in an do an induction...which I did on Easter Bank Holiday Monday. I cannot describe to you how amazing this service is. It provides a hot lunchtime meal and a supper service to those that need it, every day...7 days a week.
I was unsure what to expect to be honest...clearly I knew that the people I'd be seeing would almost certainly be elderly and incapable of cooking for themselves, but it doesn't prepare you for reality.
We delivered 16 meals that day to wonderful, intelligent, respectful and very very grateful members of our community. They were so appreciative...I wanted to stop and talk to each and every one of them to learn about their stories, but the harsh reality of it is...you cannot stop...you have to be in and out as quick as possible...why I hear you say? Simple...you have 16 hot meals that need to be delivered...and they need to arrive hot...you have to jump in your car, drive to each place, park, jump out...grab the food, let yourself in to their house or they let you in...place their food where ever they request it, perhaps assisting with unwrapping and proving cutlery...and a quick...'Everything ok?"...and then you're gone. A terrible shame, but you have such limited time...you start at 11.30am and need to get round as quick as possible. Arriving at 3pm with a cold lunch is not going to go down well with anyone...let alone someont that is reliant on the service.
With that said, you still ensure they are ok and if you notice anything that might need reporting, then you take the time to stop and make a note of it or make a phone call where appropriate.
All in all though, I'm so glad I've signed up for it...albeit it part-time as a stand in when they need me. I highly recommend to any of you that have thought about it to give it a go. Any time at all you can give is very much appreciated by all involved.
Fitness
I must be mad, but I've signed up to do the London-2-Brighton bike ride....60 miles...AT NIGHT!!!! Mad...mad...mad... but it's for a great charity...The British Heart Foundation. I, along with my fellow team members from my Company and Computerlinks would greatly appreciate any sponsorship you could offer...small or large...it all helps. https://www.justgiving.com/account/your-pages/Lee-Nightingale
So...to get fit for this, I have started going to spinning classes 2-3 times a week...a real struggle but they are great...I'm also trying to cycle to work and back once a week...20 mile round trip. It certainly highlights the bad motorists out there that simply do not look and see bicycles...I've nearly been wiped out a few times already.
Running is something I actually don't mind doing...I've done 4 half marathons in the last 5 years...so I'm trying to get out as often as I can...3,4,5 or 6 miles....it's tough on the legs after cycling but great cardio and running along the river Thames is very pleasant.
Golf
To help with overall fitness I've also taken up something I've wanted to do for a while...Caddying. So at weekends I can now be found either playing golf or caddying for some the UK's richest people at THE most exclusive golf club in Britain...Queenwood. I can't give you details about the place as it's secrecy is sacred...but if you want to know a bit more, just google it...you won't find much! So walking 4 miles a round whilst carrying a golf bag is great for fitness, leg strength and gets me out in the fresh air.
I've also started a course of 6 golf lessons to help my game...I managed to reduce my handicap last year from 19 to 15 which is great...but I'm thirsty for more...I want to be playing off a single figure handicap by the end of the year. It is achievable!!! With lessons...and practice, practice, practice.
Singing
Those that have been unfortunate enough to witness me singing either in a pub, the car or playing Singstar, know that in my mind, I'm like th 6 member of 'Take That'. But in reality...I'm probably more like 'Stop That'. That doesn't curb my enthusiasm though so to try and reduce the suffering of others, I recently started to have some singing lessons. It's amazing how just breathing differently can have a positive effect on your voice.
This is most definitely a work in progress so if you are unlucky enough to hear me sing over the coming months, do bare with me...I'll either give it up as a bad job or I might actually stop shattering glasses and ear drumbs lol.
There we have it...quite an active life at the moment...no complaints from me...it keeps me out the pub and off the scrap heap.
So I urge you... if you are considering helping others....or considering getting fit...one thing you can bure sure of is that both are equally as rewarding, for different reasons and in different ways...but please remember...YOU CAN make a change, YOU CAN make a difference...to others AND yourself!
