It's Good 2 Give!

I didn't expect to enjoy yesterday - I was having first session with a fashion stylist Karen Finlayson who is Renideo (www.renideo.co.uk ) - she has been a great support during 2009's fundraising and continuing that in 2010. our first event together is coming up in February - a champagne afternoon tea at the Caledonian Hotel in Princes St, Edinburgh. Karen will do a before and after with a couple of mums and daughters and give some spring fashion advice.
Anyway she asked me if I would consider undertaking some styling (she has seen me often and knows how hmm scruffy I look - my words definitely not hers!) - well as 2010 is also the year of Lynne getting fitter and leaner why not better dressed too?
First session yesterday. Karen brought a camera for the before photo - oh boy is it a beauty!
We went to a full length mirror for shape advice and honestly just a few bits of advice made a huge difference even now - it was a revelation. I am really looking forward to the next session - its all about colour!
Bring it on............

So far so good. in all ways!
I have been eating better (as in less) and exercising more (as in at all) and I feel better!
LSH is really happy because I have been cooking for past month - home cooked food every night - you might remember that he had to do the cooking and cleaning up for most of 2009 - it was ridiculous!
I haven't got too adventurous yet with the cooking but it has been good food and it has been fun.
the charity is going well too - I have four events planned already and two more to discuss. I will be doing another Raise a £ xxx in one month challenge again so am working on that.
Setting up the charity is more complex than I expected but its got to be right so worth taking time over.
I have even started to write my book!! well, I have written down some notes so far. It's been cathartic in many ways so I will continue with it.
I was so positive about the weather in the beginning -
at least we are having a proper winter,
it will get rid of all the bugs
maybe it will mean we get a good summer
and now?
ENOUGH ALREADY
its turned to ice and is unwalkable on - our street has still got A LOT of snow on it - there's a wee track up the middle where all cars drive. I just want it all to go now. I want to get out walking and getting fitter and stronger and this is frustrating.
Yesterday we had another wee flurry of snow. I can't get my christmas lights in yet because the cables are embedded in ice.
I will end on a high today though because it is so nice to get a few more minutes each day of light - I am noticing it almost daily - heading to spring!

I didnt think I had time to do a post today but a bit of a blonde moment has changed all that.
I thought the steak pie was in the oven cooking and had the root mash all ready and broccoli ready to go on and LSH says to me why is the pie sitting on TOP of the oven, dear? ah says I, I thought it was IN the oven - I didn't see it there.......oops.
well, its been a long physical day - is my excuse
I got up at 6am as usual, had a shower, made brekkie and walked with LSH to slateford road - he got bus to work from there and I continued walking to town - I had a meeting at 9am but thought I would go early and write up notes. We had left the house at 645am and I got to Centotre at 8am so that was pretty good going considering the state of the pavements (and no I am not blaming anyone for the state of the pavements, just stating the facts - I have no issues with the powers that be about the roads/pavements/snow/ice/grit whatever. its nature and we can't be expected to cover all eventualities. Plus whatever happened to us taking a bit of responsibility ourselves ?)
anyway had the first meeting and very nice it was too - two cappuccinos and good chat. walked up to the meadows after that to the Sick Kids for second meeting, also good then walked to tollcross for a bus home.
I am WELL CHUFFED with myself getting so much exercise in - goodness I feel it now though. my legs are aching.
I even cooked pancakes for Dawn and Elsie coming - and only ate one. was mighty good though.
Elsie is a wee treasure - she was a preemie and three months early and is doing so well. when she warmed up to me she was a right wee chatterbox.
lt will be nice to be back working with Dawn again properly. There is a lot our two charities can do to help local young people fighting cancer.
well, i had better go see how the pie is doing! a wonderful well hung and tender steak pie. honestly whoever came up with the name for that butcher is a genius. so she is!

at 4pm yesterday it was minus 8 degrees outside in our drive! I am not sure what it was this morning at 730am when LSH and I walked to bus stop but I reckon it was colder still. I wished I had put thermals on - my legs were so so cold.
Mind you, once I had climbed the hill to the bus stop (and forgive me if I have made it sound like Mount Everest, it isn't it's a very average slope) I was pretty hot. Got on the packed bus and within a few minutes I was roasting so much so I felt sick and had to get off! I was fine and decided it would be good exercise to walk the rest of the way into town. How wrong can a girl be? The pavements were like icerinks and I had on hiking boots not iceskates. I slipped and slithered and held onto railings like a granny (no one dare mention that I am one, ok?). By the time I got to my destination, The Scottish Cafe I was boiling hot and tired. And now, five hours later my thighs ache! That's probably a good thing - the most exercise they have had in over a year.
Goodness me, I do not know how folk get around in the town though. I guess we just have to get on with it now though - looks like the freezing weather is here to stay for a bit longer. Let's see - on the positive side it must be getting rid of a few bugs eh?
what else is positive? errr, its a proper winter so maybe we will be more grateful when spring arrives.
There must be more positive angles to this. A bit more community spirit is coming out? Folk looking out for elderly neighbours perhaps?
I will have to have a longer think about this one......
Meantime It's Good 2 Give is coming on well.
Four events in planning for the first six months of the year - meetings set up with people who want to help me get the charity going, professionals offering services - including an accountant, an artist, a poet
the website went live yesterday - its looking good - a lot more work to be done on it yet but we are getting there!
want to see it?

www.itsgood2give.co.uk

its minus 8 now and its only 4pm!
brrrrrr

minus 7 this morning at 7am! coldest I have felt it in a while. I walked through Craiglockhart Dell to an appt at the bank and wished I had worn thermals. It was bitterly cold and very icy. I walked over a bridge that overlooks a weir (one of our favourite places in the world) and to my astonishment the weir with running water - water flowing from the Pentland hills to the sea - was at least one third frozen. a waterfall frozen. I could see that still water might freeze but RUNNING water?
Anyway thats another stage started - open a bank account for It's Good 2 Give! I chose the local branch because er well because it's local but I wasn't filled with confidence. Time will tell I suppose.
I set up facebook last night to have an It's Good 2 Give group and there are loads of members already - first plan is to encourage people to give a pint of blood in january. well, it doesnt cost anything to do - you can break your diet and eat the biscuit you are given cos you can justify it on health grounds and you can know you are helping in a big way!
doesnt get much better.
well better get back to working on a marketing email to let you all know about upcoming events.

Had to brave the elements today and venture out from cocoon we have built at craiglockhart! Was collecting a cheque at a school so headed off real early to take LSH to work - so I could get some tuition in driving on the seriously slippy roads.
After dropping LSH off I took easier options and stuck to main routes. Parked 15mins away from school and walked - snow started so I arrived at the school resembling a hiker. Ah well.
Indeed later walking along George Street where the pavements are so so slushy (and therfore much harder to walk on than the snow) I felt I resembled Hercule Poirot and his weird gait.
I am not clearing the paths any more - you feel like you just do it and down comes more snow - plus my shoulder aches dreadfully.
on the plus side today I feel that we are getting more daylight in the afternoon. It's now 4pm and still light. Heading to spring so we are!
I was thinking today about It's Good 2 Give! What if we did something different each month - It's Good 2 Give........Blood - for january
It's Good 2 Give ........Thanks for december and so on
it's an idea in progress
I'll let you know!!

brrr!
took LSH to work today and car said it was -5 degrees outside! I came home and cleared away last nights snow from the paths LSH has been making daily (least i can do as I havent moved a flake of snow prior to today) - it was a good gym workout I can tell you. Moon was glowing brightly above me (remember it was only 7am) and I was sweating. Was mean with the rocksalt as it looks likely that this cold spell is here to stay and there isnt much spare in the UK!
Still got this wretched cold and cough but going to try to get back to proper work today. I have a very long to do list.
Made my office just the way I like it - candles burning with a gorgeous scent, underfloor heating is on so its nice and cosy but not too warm. most of my household chores are done and dad is coming to vac - ours decided to give up the ghost on xmas day - not too convenient.
no more excuses no more prevaricating.
work here I come

Happy New Year!
indeed Happy New Decade!
I am looking forward to achieving amazing goals with you in the 'teenies'.
LSH and I have made a big decision and because of new projects we want to work on (as well as continuing to work alongside TCT for the Unit at the Western General Hospital) we are now seeking to be co-founders of our own charity. Called It's Good 2 Give!
Because I think it is.
Not just good to give money (I have said it before and I will say it again and again - I will always accept donations of any size)
also good to give time
good to give ideas
good to give skills
if we invest wisely with time, skills and ideas we will reap the rewards financially.
I want to encourage people to give in any of the categories in 2010 - we are already making a real difference to the lives of young people fighitng cancer and their families. There's a lot more we can do and I need you to help me do it.
If you have any skills, time or ideas you can give me get in touch and lets get started!
We will have a new website very soon - might have been today but december got a bit muddled with one thing and another so bear with me and it will be live very soon.
On a more domestic level I must leave you now as I have snow to clear from our path!
Here's to a very happy and healthy 2010

still snowing here - this has to be a record - its now two weeks since we had clear streets. today's snow is gorgeous and powdery but its lying on top of the icy stuff so is probably lethal.
we have been home for days now - i have had a cold since christmas day and I haven't enjoyed it!
upside is I have rediscovered home cooking - been baking bread, pancakes, coq au vin, steak and kidney (ugh to me but yum to LSH), and so much more. sorted all recipes into recipe book, cleaned the oven (I didnt even know it was self clean - a doddle - turn dial to clean and two hours later an oven that looked like new), cleaned whole kitchen to the extent you can eat off the floor its so clean. about to tackle the fridges. It feels like a holiday! no work for days.
Tomorrow is a big one for us but I will save my news till then.
meantime enjoy this photo of the edinburgh snow.
have a good one tonight but stay warm
x