Keep On Movin'

I can't quite get my head around the fact that I'll be 60 by the end of next year! I've not got a problem with getting older but I do want to be as fit as I possibly can be so that I can continue living my life to the full.

I've used my Wii Fit every week since Jon bought it for my birthday 18 years ago. The original disc was starting to play up but we managed to find a replacement in a charity shop (where else?) My routine has always started with a 10 minute warm-up step session followed by 20 minutes of yoga and muscle-building exercises but the replacement disc is an up-dated version and the step option is no longer available so I decided to warm-up with an interactive run instead. I started by running a quarter of a mile but it turned out that I was pretty good at it & the Wii Fit suggested I increase the distance to half a mile but, after smashing the highest possible score, it told me to try the longest run available, the Island Lap, the equivalent of a mile. 

Wow...Rocket Fire! 

Jogging around the streets has never interested me but running indoors? I can't believe the buzz I get from it and I'm now running 5 miles a week. The best thing is that I don't need special gear, don't get wet or have put up with kerb-crawlers (because it doesn't matter how old you are, you're never free from predatory men).

This was a selfie I took in the changing rooms at the pool last year, I've upgraded my swim cap since then. I've increased the amount I swim to three-quarters of a mile per session (a total of 1.5 miles a week).  I'd love to do a mile each time but Jon starts getting restless and yearning for breakfast and I do talk to the regulars rather a lot. 

 At the start of this month we pledged to walk 50 miles for Cats Protection and each got a rather snazzy hat when we signed up. We've had to install an app to record the amount we're walking each day, I can see why people get obsessed with these things but they don't half encourage us to keep moving. We're doing okay and should hit our target before the deadline which will be whilst we're away. 

Our walking helps beasts like our little house panther aka William, the cat who came in from the cold and decided to adopt us after life on the streets. 

 

Here's a couple of the outfits I've worn this week. A vintage Papillion Indian block printed wraparound midi skirt (eBay, 2021) worn with a 1960s Ayesha Davar shirred cheesecloth blouse (eBay, 2020) and one of my many 1970s Indian screen printed silk scarves, for which I never pay more than £1.

Here's the skirt I made from a piece of Anokhi block printed cotton bought from eBay during lockdown, a charity shopped 1970s belt and the Athena blouse by high end label m.a.b.e. which bought unworn from Vinted for £12 last Summer whilst it was still for sale on their website for £95.

The Afghan earrings were an eBay find in 2017.

Other than a quick look after swimming on Tuesday, we've not been charity shopping this week but here's last week's vintage finds....

1970s silver lame cocktail jacket, a traditional Greek cotton embroidered blouse & a 1960s shift dress.

A rayon 1970s pussy bow blouse, a groovy 1970s jumpsuit and a 1950s lace blouse.

A 1960s St Michael mini dress, a 1980s suedette two piece from Ibiza, the iconic Birmingham boutique in the Bull Ring (if you know, you know!) and a 1970s polka dot maxi skirt.

A 1980s tie-dye rayon rara dress, a 1970s trippy maxi skirt and a contemporary Monsoon velvet jacket.

A 1950s shirtwaister, a 1970s fringed suede jerkin (handmade in Larnaca, Cyprus) and vintage Indian velvet waistcoat.

A vintage German military issue jacket and a 1980s novelty print suede waistcoat with tags still attached

And, of course, some vintage vinyl including a rare US import of Actually by The Pet Shop Boys (1987), worth a heck of a lot more than the £2 Jon paid for it (not that it'll be going anywhere!)

Despite the frost this morning, we're walking to the baths in the daylight now, the crocus are pushing up through the lawn and Jacob's out of his box and wandering around the kitchen, albeit in a very sleepy fashion. Spring isn't too far away!

I'm off on an adventure in Birmingham with Nikki tomorrow and shall report back very soon.

Thanks for reading!