Hi Sherie

No I didn't go for a walk today. To tired, I just wanted to reassure you I am OK. I know you care about me, for I have indeed felt it. Sleep well Sherie, here is a massive hug now, dear friend. Thinking of you.

Shell xx

Hey Shell :-)

No worries....I might have to get in the Cafe....just had a difficult post....omg my brain hurts.....

I dont know the couple...I have seen them about 3 times in 5 years. This is what you may call a 2nd home buyers area....underground power....some big homes...The older couple actually dress in the 1900's clothing as well....When I saw them last the guy holding the reigns said to me "I am glad you are feeding him, not me" He was talking about Prince...my Burmese Mountain Dog/Shepard Cross 65kilo...

Prince was scared....just bewildered by the size of this Clydesdale Horse.....he was frightened of this horse that he probably saw as a huge dog lol....Prince has never seen a horse before....lol

I do have him relaxed now Shell....He is alike a massive cat.....big sook.....:-)

My mind goes blank very often..you are not on your own

WOOF!

Hi Paul. Sounds like some interesting people living near you with their horse & carriage & vintage dress. Where we used to live we had a wizard. He carried a twisted walking stick & wore long robes, long hair & beard & bare feet even in winter.  It adds colour to the community.

I managed a short walk this morning. I take my daughter to the airport @ lunch time for her trel pasr Everest Base Camp. I am so jealous. I wish I was going & fit enough to do the trek. I love snow covered mountains. I remember waking up on a train to Switzerland and seeing the Alps for the first time. I cried. I felt like I had come home to where I belonged. It was a very powerful emotional experience.

It rained all yesterday & today the sun was shining so everything looked really fresh and vibrant colours.

Oh Elizabeth...... you sound like that little girl "Heidi", from that old childrens story. I think it was Switzerland that she felt at home. With the snow converted alps/ mountains. With the love of her Grandfather. Enjoying the fresh clear air as she walked the hills with her friend Peter and the goats.

Shell xx

Heidi was one of my favourite stories & I always wanted to get there.

My trip to Phillipo Island has just been postponed by my friend. Sigh. i was looking forward to it

Morning Elizabeth

Everest Base camp??? I am so envious...your daughter is a legend....and Im still very jealous

Re Switzerland, I love the way you remember and describe your memories...sounds beautiful

Sorry to hear about your trip :-(

Hugs Elizabeth & Shellybelly .....

Paul

Hi to all the walkers

Paul I smiled when I saw the name you wrote, Shellybelly. I like it.

I have managed to walk today......yah. I chose to walk around the large recreation area, that is not to far from my place. I don't recommend wearing sandle type slip on footwear, as I got flicked a few times with fresh mowed grass clippings. Ha Ha.... I ended up walking with nothing on my feet for a while, all is well. The grass was sort of soft anyway. I heard one coal train rattle on by. I even followed with my eyes, the newly painted black line on one of the playing fields. As they play cricket, footy and other sports at the "rec". Walking past the pond here, you do sometimes see a few ducks, but I didn't see any today. Walking further around, you come across a set of swings.... The little girl awakens in me somehow, so I have a go on the swings. Swinging up......and swinging down.....When you think about it, you are using your legs to make yourself go higher and higher. Thus exercise. Way cool.......

Much love to all this afternoon.

Shell xxx    

Hi Shell.  Or perhaps I should say 'ShellyBelly"?   Nice one Paul.  ( - :

I enjoyed your walk today.  And I'm like you when I see swings.  I sometimes walk Holly on a rec ground area where there are swings too.  And if there is nobody around, I also go over and have a little swing!  Cant resist it.

Good thing I enjoyed your walk, because I didnt actually go on one today as I had hoped.  By the time I got back from taking hubby to his 8.45am eye surgeon appointment, it was already 10am.  So I went straight from dropping him home to going back into town for work.  So he had a 2 hours sleep while I was away.  And this afternoon I've been at his beck and call coz he cant do too much with only one eye apparently.  It does look really sore though.  Meant to keep his patch on, but he insisted on taking it off.

I did wander around the shops while I was waiting for him at the eye doctors though.  I was waiting for over an hour, so had to do something.  The shops werent open for a while, so I just wandered around looking in some windows.  Then it started to get busy.  So I found an old antiques shop which was nice and quiet.  So I wasted a bit of time wandering around in there.  There were so many old bits and pieces, it was really interesting.  Sad to say, I remember using most of the things they now consider to be antique.  Does that make me antique too?

Anyway tomorrow I have to take hubby back to the eye doctor at 8.15am.  Just to check that the stitches he put in are all still okay.  He cut a large chunk out of his bottom eyelid.  He had previously cut out a small cancerous growth, but it grew back.  This time he took a larger amount.  Hopefully he has got it all this time.

But after I get back from town tomorrow, it is my intention to take Holly out for a walk before lunch.  I think the weather should be okay, not too hot, and not wet.  

Walk tall and with pride .............

Sherie xx

Glad you enjoyed your walk Shell & shows how resourceful we are going barefoot when footwear turns out to be inappropriate. I won't join you on the swing. Adulthood means my stomach no longer enjoys the rocking /swinging motion. 

Sherie I presume you walked around the shops & you amused yourself browsing in the antique shop so that counts as a walk even if short in distance. Hope your husband recovers quickly. 

I made it to the lake 3rd Thursday in a row. It was cloudy so I coped better this time. Enjoyed the shower when I got home. I was tempted not to go as I had a big day driving my daughter to the airport then met my married daughter & husband at their clinic so we could see the changes they have made. They bought the clinic last August. Had lunch with my daughter before coming home so I will give myself a pat on the back for resisting temptation & not swimming!!!! Hopefully tomorrow afternoon I can relax as I feel like I've been on the go non stop for weeks & very tired

Hi Sherie

I am glad you enjoyed going on my walk. But also Elizabeth is right, I think. You actually did walk, for you wandered around while waiting for your hubby this morning. And you would have used lots of your senses, especially in an antique store. Sometimes they even have an old sort of smell about them? In regards to you being antique..no I don't think so.

I hope you hubby is OK with his eye, it sounds pretty painful.

Have a good walk tomorrow, if you end up going. 

With many hugs

Shell or Shellybelly xx

Ah...... your beautiful lake Elizabeth, you are now inspiring me to go for a swim in the ocean baths. I still could go now, I guess. I may just do that.

What is this clinic your daughter and her hubby have? Sorry hope I am not be too nosey, just interested in you is all.......

Take care Elizabeth

Shell xx

My daughter is an osteopath so she bought the clinic off he employer who has a terminal illness. Her husband just graduated as a podiatrist so they have set up space for him to work . They also have exercise physiologist & massage therapist. Hope you got to the lake.

I should be walking now but feel too tired. Had to get up early to drop my husband off.

Hi Elizabeth (and Sherie and her sister Shelleybelly) ;-)

i am with you on how difficult it can be to walk when 'tired' or mentally exhausted....Walking should be even a little enjoyable....sometimes when my thoughts are going too fast...I wont walk either

I hope you feel better soon Elizabeth....and Congratulations on your daughters' clinic....You must be so proud

Kind Thoughts

Paul

Hi Paul, Elizabeth and Shelley.

Elizabeth, hubby's check up with the eye specialist went well.  He is happy with it so far, the stitches all good. Next apt in 10 days to remove stitches.  Still very sore hubby assures me, but slowly improving.  They really did cut quite a large wedge out.  

Anyway when we got back from the specialists apt it was nearly 9am.  So I dropped hubby home, collected Holly and took her out for a walk.  We drove to a large area of about 8 sports grounds all together in the one area.  There are 2 cricket grounds, a soccer ground, hockey grounds, football fields, netball courts, aquatic centre, and just general parklands.  So its a really big area where I just park the car, let Holly out, and go walking.  Its also good because there are a lot of trees that you can follow and thus maintain some shade.  Which was fortunate, because today got quite hot.  Hot and humid.  The sweat is running off me now as I sit in the study at the computer.  So I'm glad I went early, and didnt wait until this afternoon.

So we went walking along, checking out everything.  Little Holly running off ahead to explore every post, tree, tap, bin, etc.  Then charging back to me to make sure I am still with her, if dragging the chain a little!  She had a lovely time.  And I had an enjoyable time too, because she was so happy and joyful to be out walking.  

There is an area where there is access down to the River.  So we went down there where Holly had a little dip in the river.  But we didnt stay there long because, being shady and damp, the mozzies were terrible.  I was swatting the damn things the whole time I was there.  A real shame, because its a beautiful spot otherwise.

So in the end, we were walking for 45 minutes, and driving for 15 mins.  An hour long outing, and I was happy with that.  Worth the effort.  And then I had an hour long nap after a nice refreshing fruit lunch.  ( - :

Hey Shelley, did you end up going to the ocean baths last night?  If not, then perhaps today?

Elizabeth, your daughter's clinic sounds fantastic.  A one stop shop.  I see an osteopath here for my sciatica, but he is also a chiro. He is very good and really hard to get in to see.  Never been to a podiatrist, but hubby has.  

When you are really tired, its hard to motivate yourself to walk, I know. Hopefully if you force yourself to do it for a while, then you will eventually regain the enjoyment of it. Then it wont require quite as much effort.

Catch you later,

Sherie 

 I know you are struggling at the moment. And I am sorry that you are. And I wish you could enjoy the walk too, Elizabeth.

But I guess, when you think about it, you are still reaping some benefits from you choosing to do it though. So that is pretty good......

So osteo means bones, doesn't it? I have studied a little bit of medical terminology. So was your daughter and son-in-law advising you in regards to your ankle then?

Yes I did end up going for a swim, it was really refreshing. It feels nice to have a shower too after swimming. Way good.

Take care Elizabeth

Shelley xx

Glad you enjoyed your swim. Osteo does mean bones. Osteopathy involves manipulating the body like chiro but I find it more gentle & more effective. My daughter lives 1 1/2 hrs from us & for 6 weeks I couldn't drive & she had a baby while I was recovering so she was limited in what she could do. She did lend me a machine which was supposed to promote healing.

Yes ther reason I am forcing myself to keep walking is to ensure I improve physical fitness & hopefully the other side will return eventually

Hugs to all

I ventured on an early morning walk today. Yah...I got up early from my bed this morning. This walk was in a reserve that had been converted from an old water pumping station site. It has a huge beautiful water reservoir... well I think that is what you call it.?  The reservoir is enclosed in very old sandstone type blocks. I think the blocks are all cut out by hand. It is very beautiful and has an old feel about it. There is also much wildlife especially birds. We even saw some bird watching people with there binoculars peering out to see if they could spot birds. There is walking trails, but I am unsure of how many there actually are.

 I think next week, I am going to try hard to discipline myself to get up earlier in the morning and walk on the beach. I aim to walk before the sun rises every day. OK I shall see how that goes.....

How is everyone else going?

Much love

Shell xx

A friend of mine that I have known for years has just been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in her mid 40's......All she wants to do is walk.....She was fit and healthy...Now the depression has kicked in....as well as the RA symptoms issues....Oh crap....

I am going to help her as much as I can....

Kind Thoughts

Paul

Oh Paul, I'm sorry to hear that.  It is a nasty disease.

My Mum has it too, as did her father.  So it runs in my family.  I figure I'm a fair chance of getting it too.

Mum is getting by with medications to help prevent it from destroying any more of the joints.  But certainly her hands and knees are badly gnarled and very painful, and has resulted in a number of falls.

If they have diagnosed it fairly early then hopefully they can prevent a lot of the joint damaging processes of the disease.  But I feel for her.  There is no cure of course, it is just a matter of preventing as much damage as possible and controlling the pain.  They are getting better at that all the time.  I know my grandfather was in a wheelchair with it, as they really didnt have much they could do back then.  Now its rare that it comes to that.

Your friend will still be able to go for her walks, but I guess she will need to take particular care now and not overdo it.  Exercise remains a very important aspect of maintaining mobility for people with RA.  Does she like swimming at all?  That of course is the gentlest on the joints, and perhaps you could encourage her to take up swimming if she doesnt already.

I'm sure you will be a big help and support to your friend.  Because it is in your nature to be helpful and kind.

Sherie xx

Thankyou for your support on the RA Sherie...I really need help on that one....

I am just watching her fade...its dreadful. Keep doing what you are doing Sherie...dont change a thing :-)

WOOF!

Hugs to all

Well I need to venture outside to go for a walk, thank you to all of you. You are helping me stay committed to this.....somehow. OK off I go now, it's 8:50pm....

Shell xx

Sorry Paul about your friend & the RA. Please encourage her to seek as much advice & support as possible not just from medical point of view but re equipment, exercise etc which may help her manage her daily activities as well as possible. 

I made it for a short walk this afternoon. Went a different way than normal. The sun was quite pleasant as it wasn't very warm when I went. Saw some nice flowers & gardens

Hi Shell, enjoy your walk.  We ended up getting our storm here, about 20mms rain in total I think.  But I suspect you didnt get any rain at all, or very little, where you are?

Sorry I missed you, its now 9.10pm.  I left a message for you in The Cafe.

Elizabeth - Hi there.  Glad you managed a short walk.  We had an overcast day here all day today as well.  Nice.

Nite to you both.

Sherie xx

Hi again

I just walked in the front door, from my walk around the block. It is now 9:40pm.

I walked to the end of my street, which is really a quiet street. Turn the corner, the new house that is being built is on my right. Yes.....still reminds me of my dear dad, who works as a builder. It is the scent of the timber. I must of set the dog off on the corner, maybe it was the torch.  That doggie had a bark, that wasn't to friendly. I walked along a long straight narrow road, sometimes hearing televisions, that floated through people's opened front doors. You could definitely hear the crickets making that noise that they make. I actually said hello to three girls, that walked past me. They said hi back to me, all at the same time, it sounded pretty, because they had foreign accents. I walked around the road at the back of us, past the school and the local community hall. This hall is quite a nice looking one, pretty old with beautiful timber floors. I know this, because we had to vote there one year. I looked down and noticed the huge patch of painted yellow, with the 40 km speed limit. Almost home now, gosh....another dog barking at me, most properly from behind their back fence. On my left is the church. A bit further on is my driveway. I walk a bit up that, across the front lawn, which looks like it needs a mow pretty soon. Up the front steps, to the little verandah. I try to find my front door key on my bunch off keys in my hand. It has some letters on it. Ok.... I am now inside, which brings me to this chair. That I am now sitting on typing to you all.

OK folks, thank you so very much for being you.

Many hugs and just keep walking, just keep walking.........

Shell xx

.

Hi Paul

I am sorry about your dear friend. 

Many hugs

Shelleybelly xx

Hey Elizabeth

Good on you for choosing to walk. I want to give you a high 5 or three cheers in hope you would feel encouraged. Do you like that sort of thing?

Many hugs to you

Shell xx

Hey Sherie

No we did not get any rain here at all. It was nice and breezy though, it comes of the ocean.

I have read you message in the cafe that you left for me. 

And yes I did enjoy the walk, I think I am walking faster or something. Way good.....

Take care my friend.

Hugs to you

Shell xx

Morning Shell,

Glad you enjoyed your walk last night.  Walking faster - thats fantastic if you can notice a difference!  Must make all the effort seem worthwhile.  Do you think its because your aerobic (breathing) capacity has improved or your muscles are adjusting and strengthening with this new walking regime of yours?  Even better - both?

I didnt walk yesterday.  But I did enjoy my last long walk on Friday morning with Holly.

Today there is still some drizzly rain around.  Possibly coastal rain just reaching inland enough to reach us!

I hope everyone has a good Sunday.  I dont know what I will do today, but I will try to do something active.

Sherie xx

The weather warmed up today. My son visited on his way home from a camping trip & wanted to dry his tent out here as it is easier than at his home. At his kids insistence went for a walk to the park where they played in the sandpit while I stood in the shade & did my ankle exercises using the play equip for support.  

tomorrow we are going for a bit of adventure. My husband suggested it so I have looked up all the timetables to plan it. We are catching public transport to Queenscliff from home which will involve 2 trains & a bus. Then after exploring the town we will catch the ferry across the bay to Sorrento which is on the Mornington Peninsula then 3 long bus rides home. Unsure how it will go. Trying to get motivated to prepare everything for the trip.