'OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING'!

As the song says, today was a beautiful morning for a walk!  I was on my own and wrapped up warm, as it it was the coldest morning, so far this season.  However, there was no wind and all the mud of last week had frozen to a crunch, and then there was a fantastic sunrise...

I was soon away from the main roads and into countryside that has the Charlton Viaduct as a photogenic backdrop!  The sun made everything glow, especially the last few leaves left on the trees. I could smell the cider apples being processed even though I must have been half a mile from the actual factory! That must be why as soon as I got home it was straight to my juicer to make a juice based on apples!  It is the season for English apples so I mixed apples from my parent's garden, with celery, mint and parsley - not a combination I had tried before, but it made a delicious refreshing drink...

I was on public footpaths, but one path led, with a stile, to a field full of cattle with horns (see above), who did not look friendly, so I had to double back!  And I thought farmer's were meant to keep public rights of way clear of obstacles...

The walk home took me past the local allotments which look interesting whatever time of year...

RUBBISH AT DECLUTTERING!

As Jenny hadn't come back from her weekend in time there was no walk today! Over the weekend I have discovered that when it comes to clothes, (or anything else, come to that),  I am rubbish at decluttering!  Jenny is very good at it and lent me a book.  It is 'the life-changing magic of tidying up' by Marie Kondo.  It was a good read and fired me up to clear my closets!  However, when it actually came to it, I just couldn't decide what to get rid of and ended up with a tidier wardrobe in my bedroom, but more clothes in the guest room one!

My only excuse is that I do have more space to store stuff than Jenny, and being a mixed media artist I tend not to throw anything away...  I am a 'just in case' sort of person!  I think I am going to need serious help...

There was one tip from the book that I have adopted - that is her advice on folding clothes, and the way they are presented in a drawer.  Think spines of books and store them standing side by side, rather than laid flat on top of each other.  This way you can see the edge of each item when you open the drawer - genius!


With no walk this morning, I had extra time to make a juice. Lately, I have read some comments, mostly from doctors, about the dubious merits of juicing.  They say it is better to eat the whole vegetable or fruit, roughage and all...

All I can say, is that my juices are in addition to all the fibrous vegetables I eat in the day.  Also, I could never eat the amount of raw ones that I can juice and drink.  This means more vitamins and minerals, which can be easily absorbed.  There have been many studies which say that the vegetables we buy today do not contain the amount of nutrition that seasonal fresh veg used to years ago, so you do need to eat a whole lot more!  Besides, it tastes fantastic and makes me feel good...

The juice that I made this morning is shown above.  I used what was lurking in the fridge.  In this case it was raw beetroot, carrots, celery, mint, parsley, red pepper and lemon.  Delicious!

SPRINGLIKE MORNING!

It was the most amazing Spring morning!  We walked to West Shepton and both enjoyed what felt like the real thing - flowers, warm sun and the prospects of a perfect day...  But an hour later, after we got back, what appeared to be a harmless hazy mist turned into freezing fog!  What a turn around, so clearly we were out at the best time of the day!

Helen was looking forward to a day in the One Craft Gallery doing their Easter window and I was all geared up for another busy day in the salon...

I've had a whole three weeks now on a juice first thing in the morning, and I am really feeling the benefits.  Here is the combination I have been using:-

2 organic apples

2 inches ginger

4 large organic carrots 

1/2 Lemon

And every other morning I have been adding 2 handfuls of organic Spinach.

A juice I can strongly recommend...

NEWYEAR, NEW START!

I must admit that getting up early this morning for a walk was difficult - not only has it been the Christmas break but my walking buddy is catching some Winter sun in the Canaries!
  

It was ok walking weather - not too cold and the sliver of a moon kept disappearing behind heavy cloud but it did come on to rain as I was nearly home...  I was pleased to be wearing my sturdy waterproof boots as, all the rain we have had recently, made it really squelchy underfoot and my boots became heavier and heavier as they gathered mud along the way!  The Winter trees give such fabulous silhouettes against dramatic skies that I couldn't resist a few photos.  The only bit of bright colour was a fellow member of the One Craft Gallery walking his dog in his yellow jacket which wouldn't look out of place on a lifeboat!

I didn't overdo the eating and drinking over the break, as I have done in the past, as I know that it will make me feel so awful it simply isn't worth it!  It was helpful that some members of my family have caught the juicing bug so they made me juices instead of mince pies and cake!

I do eat a healthy diet but I am always looking to find out new things to add.  I have now discovered juice shots - and no, there is no alcohol involved!!  I watched a really interesting documentary on YouTube - Super Juice Me by Jason Vale, known as the juice master!  He put a variety of people on a fruit juice fast for 28 days and shares their stories and results.  Each day started with a juice shot - one inch peeled fresh ginger with a small apple or half a big one or a quarter of a cucumber and a stick of celery (about an once of juice in each case).

I have tried both - the ginger one certainly has a kick, wakes you up and is very warming!  The other one is refreshing and is called a Natural Electrolyte Sodium Shot - good before or after exercise.  There some other shots in another book that I have yet to try - all weapons in the fight to stay well and vibrant!! 

WILD AND WINDY!

Damp and windy today - the weather type I least like!  Although it's over a year that we have been up and out at the crack of dawn, it doesn't get any easier...  Now I've turned it into a moaning Monday morning!

We actually spoke about this again this morning and agreed that the getting up and out is tough but the pay back is so worth it!  I feel trim and fit, and my energy levels are much improved ...

A fly on the wall would see a lot of bumbling around in my bedroom first thing, and then I go into this robotic routine.  I flick on the kettle, lemon sliced in the fridge ready for my drink.  Then a quick splash of my face, teeth are cleaned and then I gear up for whatever the weather looks like and get out the door.   Helen seems to always fit in half of her breakfast, having the rest when she returns, which seems more sense as I get major tummy grumbles most mornings!

On my return I try to get the juicing in - I find if I don't do it on my return it just doesn't happen.  I always use half a lemon again in my juice, with whatever fruit and veg I have, as it adds an amazing zing and floods your body with alkaline fluid.  This is helpful as the gut becomes more acidic overnight through digesting and detoxifying.  It also does further great things by dissolving mucus and flushing the liver - I could go on!!  So all in all a good habit to form...  An incredible book to enlighten a juicing and smoothie virgin is The Juice Generation  by Eric Helms. This is currently on loan from Helen - I believe she has mentioned it before as it came free with her new juicer.  Think I might have to get my own copy!!

QUEST TO GLOW!

This morning at 6.30am it was one of those days when you hear the rain lashing on the window and think,  na .. noway am I going out pounding around the countryside!!  But then getting up the nerve to cancel Helen, might be worse,  so it was up and out!!

The market was still setting up - vehicles everywhere!  Above was the stall where we bought the veggies. 

Turns out, our walk was very refreshing - light rain and still mild.  It was also fruitful as Helen picked up some great fresh produce at Shepton market - kale, beetroot, and spinach.  All new veggies for me to juice!  She kindly shared them with me, to encourage me to move on to the next stage to make my juices greener!  Really getting into my juicing, and feeling the benefit already.  Not quite sure how, but I just feel different, cleaner and somehow healthier...  I have noticed that everyone in the media is really waking up to 'clean eating', and I'm really embracing the new wave of wellness...

Pics include the ever picturesque Collett Park!

KALE is a type of cabbage that is heaving with beauty benefits, like keratin-stimulating vitamin A.

BEETROOT has been found to lower blood pressure, purify the blood and increase the production of glutathione, helping the body to eliminate environment toxins.

SPINACH is full to bursting with iron -  it is the classic green nutritional powerhouse along with kale.

For the skin, particularly for the 'baby boomers', the best veggies are the ones made up of water such as cucumber, lettuce, celery etc.  In a short space of time you will be rewarded with a real glow...

Another superfood for health and beauty is the avocado. Few of us escaped the 90s without trying the avocado d.i.y. face pack!  And it is so great for sun-damaged skin as avocado oil is one of the best sources of vitamin A and E.

All amazing stuff  - wish me luck as I go into week two of my quest to GLOW !!

Helen poses outside the One Craft Gallery!

SUPER SUNRISE

Today conditions were ideal for walking - shame we didn't have more time!  Saw a beautiful sunrise and came home with dry feet!  Although we didn't stray too far, we saw sheep and cows and tramped over fields.  On our way back we noticed a lot of building work going on - I expect they are working like mad before the Winter weather sets in.

On our way round we were passed twice by the same jogger accompanied by his two dogs - all getting plenty of exercise! You can see him in action in the pics - above, bottom right and below middle left.

We came back a different way around our estate and noticed a small children's playground that we didn't know existed (top right) and other parking areas, tucked away.  There is an extremely large tree, see below, which overlooks the back of Jenny's garden causing problems with shade, intrusive roots and tons and tons of fallen leaves.  What I had never realised, before photographing it, is the fact that it is actually two trees which have become so intertwined that they look like one!

I love my new machine, the Omega VSJ843 slow juicer - it is more efficient and easier to clean than my last one.  It also came with a free book - The Juice Generation by Eric Helms, which I have found inspiring;  so I am now juicing more than ever and am trying a greater variety of fruit and vegetables.  This morning I tried melon with a bit of pineapple, apples, mint, parsley and spinach.  Delicious !! The book which I have used for years is Superjuice by Michael van Straten.  I don't often follow the recipes exactly but it gives me ideas of interesting flavour combinations.  The book is clear and beautifully set out.  He also gives his juices great names, such as, wrinkle zapper, power pack, tropical revitaliser, prune-light express, waterfall, femme fatale and wake-up whammy!!

IN A FOG!

Deep in conversation, after getting the weekends events out of the way, we headed up to the derelict Mendip Vale railway station.  I've said it before and I will probably say it again before this season is over, the trees loaded with their golden leaves looked stunning - amazingly beautiful colours, especially when the sun broke through the fog.  We have been here before in the spring when there was a carpet of bluebells, very different from the magical misty atmosphere of today.  From where we were we could look up to the East Somerset Railway line through the hedgerow and saw three large carriages, falling apart... It seems a little sad, but I suppose lack of finance must stop them being restored, even though refurbished steam trains do trips from Cranmore, just up the line. 

Today we were guilty of peering through hedges and over walls at the most beautiful properties and gardens in Frog Lane!  Talk about 'through the keyhole' - who does live in a house like that!!?

On my return, I couldn't wait to get my boots off !  Both of us suffered sodden feet - it was a very heavy dew!  I was keen to get juicing!  I'm back on it, big time.  Helen, is a juice pro, and it's second nature to her - she was also looking forward to having a go with her new juicer.  As I am a beginner to regular juicing, I have to start with a small juice each morning.  I am quite determined to stick at it this time -  I will leave my juicer out as a constant reminder!  I am sure that in no time at all, the live, vibrant juices will help me feel energised, invigorated and clear headed plus the all important glowing skin!!

GENTLE JUICE ! (For beginners)

1/2 Lemon (peeled)

3 organic Carrots

1 Apple

1 Pear

1 inch Ginger                          Juice and Enjoy!!

BRIGHT AND BREEZY

It was a lovely morning for a walk - light because the clocks had gone back, bright and breezy, but not too cold, and, as it was half term, many households were having a lie-in!  Unfortunately, as we both didn't have a lot of time, it was a stroll, mainly around our estate - Tadley Acres.  Jenny had a lot on and I was waiting on a delivery - a brand new juicer!

Leafy Tadley Acres - the tall block of flats seen in the middle is a landmark we often see from afar on our walks!

I have had a masticating juicer for a number of years now and love it. Unfortunately, because of its age and usage it has developed a few problems.  It is a big heavy machine that takes up a lot of space on my worktop.  Now, I have discovered that I can get even better performance from a vertical slow juicer which is more compact and has the added advantage that you can rinse it through with water so that if you are using it several times during one day, you can wait until you have finished all your juicing before cleaning it out properly!  Juicing is a wonderful and delicious way of incorporating vitamins, minerals and natural food chemicals to your diet. Will report back if the new juicer lives up to expectations... 

On our walks we come across a lot of dog walkers.  Many of them act responsibly and pick up the poo their dogs leave behind, but we come across a lot of mess that we have to step over to avoid!  We have noticed that, as well as official signs about the place,  people have started producing their own!  This morning we saw this one on a back gateway on our estate.  It is a subject that has people writing to the local paper and a couple of week ago there was even a humorous poem!  It was written by Carol Vincent and started, "If your dog should do a poo, Kindly take it home with you..." and ends "The next time you walk your pup,  Do your duty - pick it up,  If you're still a lazy twit,  May the good Lord make you step in it"!!