Autumn DAM BUSTING & Wonder Walks!

Autumn is a glorious season. I am really enjoying my new walking regime (as instructed by my PT!). The leafy lanes are easy to walk, the trees are putting on their best show and I'm listening to one of my audio books, what could be better?! The leaves have changed colour within the last couple of weeks from summer apple green to a stunning display of amber and gold.

Here's my walk two weeks ago...

I love this moss covered wall and it certainly must have a wonderful and unique story to tell. Just imagine, years of passers by, snatches of conversation, people on horseback, bikes, cars, woodland animals, insects in the undergrowth, fairies.. !! Layer upon layer of amazing little stories to fill chapters in the book of this wonderwall..

And here it is now..  I think it's the best time of the year to walk because the air is crisp and my ears are  warm and toasty :)

Today I talked myself to walk into Minch and back, which took me just under an hour. I've wanted to walk this route for such a long time but never got up the enthusiasm to actually do it. I thought of all my inspirational friends who are walkers and I listened to 'Sins of the Father', an eagerly awaited sequel to 'Only Time Will Tell' by Jeffrey Archer. I felt such a great sense of achievement when I stepped back through my front door. A feeling which was much needed, having spent most of the weekend doing very little, apart from tiding and feeling out of sorts with the world and his wife.

It's a rare thing for me not to have plans but with shoulder and neck aches, lack of sleep and a general feeling of, what would I call it, novemberness.. I wasn't great company for me this weekend. The blocks of my life just weren't falling into place, I was overwhelmed by decision making which drives me bonkers at times, and being cranky has never really suited me. Don't you find that it's so much harder to be distracted from the negative things when there's just you in your head? Let's face it, we all have days when we just can't make up our minds what to do and mope about like a wet weekend. Those are few and far between for me but when they happen (I can even see them coming!) there's only me to give me a good talking to.

Fortunes can turn on a sixpence and that dam of 'Pollyanna gladness', built over years of positive thinking, can threaten to burst on a day when there are one too many cracks creeping in. Thankfully, there are ways to turn the sixpence and in the absence of family, friends make the best glue and one phone call can make me feel better. I guess I'm used to making others smile and when I need someone to do that for me, I'm not going to admit it. Feeling what people call 'under the weather' is such a distraction for me and has thrown me off course this weekend. I have been so focussed on being fitter, being smarter about my choices, slimming and doing well which has been brilliant roller coaster to be on. But when I'm out of sorts, not even the things I enjoy can put a smile on my face. It's like trying too hard, I know it won't really work so I have to wait.. wait for the 10% flip. The only thing I know for certain is that the feeling will pass and everything will easily, as if this never happened, get back to normal again.

I've never really got much joy out of tidying, sorting and hoovering, (it's a family trait!) so being out walking, even though it was a tad murky and very quiet, was quite thought provoking and least of all, enabled me to work up an appetite for my lovely home cooking - yet again!

And I'm fine now :) just like an ill wind that turns direction, today the sun is shining and all is good in my world again.. HU-blooming-RAH! X