Running Streaks & Mountain Hiking

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Two weeks ago I started my running streak. Or my Monday to Friday running streak.

I get up every morning at 5:45am, usually accompanied by my husband who runs with me. By 6:15am latest we are out of the cottage and hit the trails.

At the current moment we take a rather easy route, considering we live in Scotland. It is a flat-ish 5 mile run and more for pace.

Twice per week right after my run I do weighted squats and push-ups. And I stretch during the day since I have nothing better to do.

At the weekends we go mountain hiking at least the once which are here in our 5 mile range. In one week I was up Ben Ledi twice and husband and me also made it to the top of Beinn Each, overlooking Stuc a ‘Chroin and the lochs in the distance.

As long I am still at home, not working, I want to make the most of it and get properly back into running (just now I supported Sportsshoes and Pete Bland Sports with orders each)!

When I was still living in Holland, the Dragons Back race popped up somehow on my laptop…and I knew, I want that, too! And guess what? Yesterday the very same race popped up again.

I see this as a sign! It is like it is calling to me (despite the hefty but probably justified entry fee). This is my goal for 2022! Since there are no races this year, my aim is to complete some tough mountain marathons, some ultras, lots of back to back running and mountain hiking next year in order to see where I stand ability wise.

I am so excited, I can’t think about anything else!

The only thing putting me down a bit is knowing I have to return to work eventually and therefor can’t run as much as I like…

But where’s a will is a way, right?! And even if I never run the Dragons Back ultra, it feels so good to get up and go for a run every day! I feel so much more productive and actually looking forward in going to bed early with a book (I read 15 since lock-down)!

But for now I keep on day dreaming about races and keep busy printing route descriptions for mountain routes for when we are finally aloud out again…

Franky

When You Are Not The Favourite

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I just watched a tv show and the mother of that show was accused to not love their children equally. She was accused of having a favourite child.

I always felt like that! I always felt different from my sister. My brother was most definitely not my mother’s favourite child as he grew up with my grandma. And when we had a conversation together with my grandma my mother even admitted that my sister is my parents favourite, as well as my grandma admitted that I was hers and you know what? That was okay for me!

However in the tv show the mother said, that this one child was easier (in his behaviour) than the others.

And there is the point:

I love all my children the same. But every now and then one of my 4 is so difficult that I wish I could just turn my back and walk away. As in walk out of them. Of course I don’t do it! But in these situations it feels like I love the others more purely because they are easier to handle, easier to love.

Of course I always try to make it up to the least favourite one at the time because I don’t want them to feel less loved and maybe one day when they are all grown up and fled the nest they look back at their childhood, thinking they felt loved and supported no matter what.

Franky

Dreams Are Ten A Penny

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Dreams are ten a penny….

If that was really true, humankind would be total chaos. At least that’s what I think.

I like to dream! All the time!

I daydream on my way to work, I daydream queuing somewhere and I daydream when I hear a great song. I dream just before I fall asleep and often I remember what I dreamt while actual being asleep.

It is a way of taking my mind off the daily struggle and trouble.

To hold onto your dreams is like holding on to hope, because you want that dream to eventually come true!

You just have to believe in it. And that is the key point! If you don’t believe in your dreams, you don’t ‘t believe in yourself and in your ability to make whatever you desire come true!

So let’s keep on dreaming as without dreams and the hope that comes with it, the world would be a very sad place…

I wrote this while listening to the great Aretha Franklin

Franky

Mothers & Daughters

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While I was eating my breakfast, contemplating whether I should go for a run with my stiff calf or not, I was watching my little daughter sitting opposite me.

She was playing all content with her little dolls. She does things like that for hours. Playing with her little toy dolls, drawing and creating things.

I was not like that when I was little. Yes, I would always ask for things like Barbies and pencils and so on and when I received them I also used the things. For a bit! No matter the item I pretty much lost interest very soon. As in hours! Which annoyed my parents as they didn’t want to waste money on me.

My children have no problem to play with each other all day long or play separately on their own. I on the other hand had a 6 years younger sister which had no use to me and playing on my own? It felt like a slow painful death!

I find it amazing when you think about your children and see how different they are to yourself or exactly like you: My older daughter is exactly like me! The attitude, the look, the mind. THE MIND! That is the only thing which keeps me from strangling her as she is the daily reminder of what I was like when I was her age. Ommmmmmmm.

When I think about my mother and me…. I still wonder to this day if I am really her biological child! Where I always wanted to live with my grandma and couldn’t wait until I was able to move out my children actually love it at home. They even tell me they love me, so all in all I am not doing too bad.

Franky

When People Around You Are Sensitive…

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… what do you do?

There were various occasions where people would act very sensitive to things I said. Friends and family of mine were upset and offended by me and I wonder:

If you can’t speak your mind, doesn’t it deprive you of who you are? As for me, I don’t like to walk on eggshells only because others can’t handle my opinion or the way I talk!

Here are some examples:

  • Once or twice I commented on my sisters facebook pictures. I commented on a very ugly granny blouse. And I wasn’t even nasty about it! I said something along the lines “that’s a nice hippy granny look”. The other thing I can’t even remember but what I can remember is that my mother had a go at me for my comments! My dear sister (I love you- in case you read this) didn’t even have the guts to tell me herself! Sometimes I think it might be better to not tell her my piece of mind just to not upset her… On rare occasions I manage to wrap it in candy cotton and start with “I believe…” “how would you feel…” “if I was in your shoes…” which works just fine with her. But the key words here are “rare” and “occasions”…
  • I was with one of my dear friends. We had a conversation. I don’t know what it was about. It was a long time ago. However she said that I am so direct and straight forward it upsets her sometimes. Now, I did appreciate her telling me as I believe it is not easy to confront me as I can be very harsh. Eventually she grew a thick skin!
  • When I was for a walk with my friend who lives in the street opposite, we talked what has happened in the past few weeks and she asked how a certain person is doing (I can’t expose this friend in detail as I don’t know if I am aloud to talk about the topic). I said that he has casual sex dates since he split up from his partner and that he really enjoys the ‘no strings attached thing’. She got very quiet and slightly changed the topic. Maybe I shouldn’t mention something like that to an extremely  christian person. My bad. But that shows me what to avoid with her. And though she is a very nice, beautiful and kind person, I am glad that I have my also very nice, beautiful, kind but bad ass ‘lets go for a hellbender’ friends overseas!

The thing is, I just can’t help myself! I speak my mind before my brain can react. Thanks to the Gods that my few but true friends are mostly like minded and love me for me!

Franky

Assassin

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Like many of us, I love the rather new series “Killing Eve”! And (like Eve) I wonder:

How does the mind of an assassin work? What does it take to kill someone? How do you become an assassin?

Do you have to have a twisted mind, a bad childhood, lots of rage boiling inside of you in order to be a contract killer? Do they have multiple personalities?

Do assassins think about their job as just a job like every other? Is it financial motivation or just the joy to kill? Or is it the joy of planning, being focused and strategic?

Do they want to know things about their target or do they just follow instructions and orders without any emotions whatsoever?

And when they executed the mission, do they think about it afterwards? I wonder if an assassin regrets and feels remorse or if they really truly just see it as a job done?

And if an assassin has family- how do they conceal what he/she is doing? Does the family know?

Guess I will never know as I don’t know any assassins or at least I don’t think I do!

As for me, I don’t think I would be able to do it. I probably would make it private and would want to know things about my target. Considering if it is worth the kill, the money and whether my target deserves to die. Than again, who am I to decide whether someone lives or not?

Though on the other hand I would like to believe that I would see it as “just a job” and that I would be able to differentiate or shut down my personal feelings since I am a pragmatic person…

But we will never know all the real answers to my questions and musings…

Franky

Kitty Is Pregnant

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Finally, finally my sweet kitty Belle is pregnant! For month her mate tried. And nothing. Every two weeks she was in heat. Do you know how loud Siamese cats can be when they are in heat? Normal cats are pretty loud already, but she?! It’s deafening!!!

I think for at least 5 month Blue got his leg over- he was a very lucky furry guy! Now all he is is frustrated as now Belle is growling at him whenever he tries to mount her. Poor boy, but he will survive!

By the end of May or early June we should have sweet cute little Siamese. We already decided we will keep one of them, depending of how many there are.

But I can’t decide what colour. They will be either blue point which really looks like a mix of white and grey and seal point which is a mix of cream and dark brown. The older Siamese get the darker they turn and when they are born they are all white. Belle is a slim elegant seal point girl and Blue is a blue point chubby boy but his eyes… oh so big and deep blue! Both very affectionate, though Belle only likes to get stroked on her back when she comes to sit on your lap. Blue? He loves a full body massage 24/7!

As you can see, I can’t stop gushing and since I am such a nice person and have nothing better to do right now, I thought I let you all know!

If I wouldn’t find it cruel to breed cats non stop, I would supply all of north Scotland with Siamese. Firstly to keep the breed alive and strong and secondly to have a drop in the price as in average a Siamese costs around +£300,-. I always wonder why? Why do pedigree cats have to be more expansive than domestic house cats? Food, toys, vet- it’s all the same price! Insurance may vary but even that is not much higher. And if the purchase costs of pedigree cats would be lower or the same as domestic house cats, I believe the crime rate in regards to abductions would go down- why abduct a kitty when you can (finally) afford one yourself? You see: It would be a win-win situation!

 And here are my sweet kitties Blue and Belle aka Bluebell

 

Franky

Why Do You Use A Shopping List?!

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When I do a bigger shopping I usually drive over to Stirling or Alloa as our little town, or “village” as I call it, has only a Co-op and Tesco Express. And since corona, stock is low and prices high as usual (both shops). So to make sure I get everything my belly craves, the bigger town(s) it is.

Yesterday I found myself in Aldi. Of course I keep my distance, my hands and trolley are sanitised. I am prepared, my shopping list in hand. I know what I need and so I queue near the meat isle. A lady is right at the front. I wait….and wait….and others start to wait as well as she also blocked the isle by standing right in the middle, staring at the meat-

WITH A BIG FAT SHOPPING LIST IN HER HAND!!!

Woman?!? You have the list in your hand! What possesses you to stand there, staring a hole in she shelve? I don’t understand! Did someone else write the list and you can’t read the handwriting? Have you forgotten to read all together? At least have the courtesy to let others pass!

I wonder: When you have a shopping list, what takes you so long?

All I wanted was to get my shopping done as swift as possible. In and out! But nooooo, there I stood, giving her the death stare, silently talking to myself, trying to convince myself that it is not and I repeat NOT, a good idea to run her over with my trolley, telling the judge later that is was an accident while actually thinking to myself that she had it coming and that it was karma!

Some people… no words.

But you will be happy to hear that I got my shopping done eventually and nobody, deserved or not, got hurt!

Stay save and happy wherever you are

Franky

What Is Earth Telling Us?

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Most recently I read that some people believe, that we got/get hit by Covid-19 as result of overpopulation and all the damage we cause our nature. Many were outraged by the idea.

But come to think of it I must say, I somehow believe it too!

I believe the world wants us to know, that we have gone too far.

It starts with overpopulation in many parts of the world and ends with us polluting nature!

I read reports and have seen videos of nature recovering. I have seen pictures of mountains which usually are not visible due to smock, rivers getting so clear that you are able to see what is going on under water and even the sky looks brighter since there are so little flights at the moment.

I believe it was just a matter of time, until everything comes crushing down on us.

Bringing death to so many people, as harsh as it sounds, is earth’s way to fight overpopulation and restore itself.

We all want to survive and live a happy healthy life, but so does earth. And if earth is not healthy, how can we be healthy?

We shouldn’t and can’t go back to the life we used to know and smart people must see this.

I just hope that health minister and whoever else has power will make drastic changes happen.

Like no more plastic! There are alternatives out there! Or no cars once per month in cities like it was done back in the day. The list for changes is long and I know these things can’t happen all at once. But we have to start now and not when it gets even worse!

Just a thought.

Franky

 

 

I Love The Lock Down

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Yes, I really, really do love the UK lock down!

I get to do all the things I am not able to do under normal circumstances.

I don’t have to rush to the shops for groceries after work, running on my last fumes.

I still wake up at 5:45am, sometimes I get up straight away, sometimes I stay in bed, check my emails, the weather and snoop around facebook.

I don’t need to time when I exercise as I have all morning.

I tidy up and even cook more than usual and I do the homework with my children.

I repainted my kitchen table as it was really chipped and didn’t look nice anymore. Now it is like new again.

I get to lay in my garden, soaking up the sun.

I get to watch Netflix and movies which I wanted to watch forever. Never mind my tv eyes!

I get to spend time with my children despite the fact that at some point they try to hide from me.

I get to go out for my runs. Though at the current moment I can’t as I pulled a muscle in my lower back doing weights. Instead I go for walks with the babies. One likes it, the other says it is/was his worst day ever!

I even did gardening with the help of my children! Yes, they complaint, but they did it anyway.

I already finished 4 books, almost 5!

There are so much things I can do now and I love it! I wished I don’t have to go back to work once the hotels are back open!

I don’t understand why some people complain! I use this time to recharge! Yes, it is really tempting to drive to, for example, to the beach. But hey ho, not allowed! And you know what? I couldn’t care less because it is for the greater good!

So instead of complaining, I just make the best of it.

Franky