Never blogged before, but I talk enough so should be easy!!!

Candice’s Blog 

March 2020 

March 20th

Never blogged before, but I talk enough so should be easy.... 🤔

Thought I may share some thoughts, Reading them is OPTIONAL! I just hope in these extremely bizarre and disconcerting times that we all come out the other side ok. (We will!!!) 

Doing a quick recap on the last few days - Thursday last week I taught my last class for the foreseeable future. I was glad we did the classes last week, we were all pretty safe and stayed our distance. Plus I was able to give out all the equipment you ordered. So you can practice at home! 👏👏 The classes all ran at about 50% on average, apart from Tues 6:30 class where I only had one missing. Hope you are all well as you read this. 

I left my flat in Stoke Mandeville on the Friday along with Spencer and his girlfriend Suzi, ... Spencer had already been working from home for 3 weeks, and Suzi just for a couple of days, 3, I think. Both of them work in London. We are all fine so far 🤞

Sat and Sun - a time to regroup, make a plan, and get some ground rules... poor David going from half the week on his own, to us all being there..... I think he was in two minds whether or not to go and self isolate at the flat 🤣

The weather was beautiful, so lucky. We decided to have a table tennis tournament .... I came second, to Spencer 🤨. Not competitive at all in our family. We were still allowed to go into the little summer house on the lake where the table tennis is, we had all our own bats and balls, and armed with a hand sanitiser we played. Feeling inspired we decided to tackle the tennis courts. I haven’t played tennis very much ever.... probably been about 20 years since I even held a racquet in my hand. I couldn’t even remember which hand I played with 🙈....I am left handed, and play table tennis left handed, but actually play ( loose term) tennis right handed. Luckily Suzi was about my level ... non existent..... but after a few misses - actually loads of misses, and of course after I had realised I was playing with the wrong hand, we finally connected bat and ball, occasionally anyway! We improved though in just half an hour 👍 and looked forward to playing again.

There was no one around and we were safe, as all in one household. It was our last play out, as the management company has now closed all areas of play. Very disappointed as I believe I had real potential......

Sunday on another family walk ... Suzi and I picked some daisies... she wanted to make daisy chains and in fact made us a pair of daisy crowns which we wore with our sundowner glass of wine! Wine and Daisies.... when did you last make a daisy chain? Is this devastating event in all our lives bringing out a better and more connected side to us? Sometimes the simplest things in life .... brings you a teeny bit of joy. 

MONDAY 

BJ made the big announcement to literally go into lock down today. Scary times for everyone. Feel very fortunate to be here in the Cotswolds with my family, although I wish my eldest son Barclay and his wife Cris could be with us, but how lucky are we to have all the ways to communicate that we have now. They are in Pasadena, LA and also in lock down, pretty much the same rules we have in place.

We started the day as we mean to go on.... 8am run around the lake.... me and Suzi again, Spencer set off at a speed, but we are again non runners, but as we have the lovely surroundings and the sun is shining.... it seems a great way to start the week. 

We ran, let’s re think that, we slow jogged and fast walked ... to each speed bump, not at the same time, that would be interesting.... it was 1.4 kilometres ..... I hate running, now I could dance around the lake, now hardly anyone is around, so it could be an option.... we made it home and actually felt good. I have no inspiration to become a runner, unlike my future tennis career which is now in ruin.... but it sure was nice to be out there, not so sure next week though as it’s meant to get colder. I am sure we will be up to speed by then 🤣so will keep warm...

Spencer did 5 kilometres..... whoop de doo....... he was back 2 mins after us...

Starting the videos outside, now anyone visiting our little abode here near Cirencester on Windrush Lake, we realise there is not much space inside for classes. Well hey ho how fortunate are we, to kick off the classes in gorg - e - o - s sunshine. Had to get the sunnies 😎 out! My lovely hubby David setting up the camera... so lucky he has great equipment 😉... Mat and pillows, ball and band at hand. A few comments from the man to stay in the centre of mat, and off we went. 

A little apprehensive and a little out of my comfort zone, no hair and makeup, no lights, but a 🎥  and 🎬. No stopping straight through, one take each video. We did 3. So they are a little rough around the edges, but hope you enjoy! 

Tuesday 

Same routine as above, trying to get a few videos in the ‘bank’ for the rainy and cold days. Although I know we will need at some stage to shoot inside, which will take some furniture moving around, but all is possible👍 

All good family so far, how are you all doing? 

Please send on the WhatsApp groups any photos, with animals, kids or family... keep us all motivated 🙏🏻. Any questions do message me privately or on the group. Any requests for exercises, or themed classes. I am intending to do Ball, Band, Roller, even ring workouts. Along with the traditional. Also a complete beginners class as I know quite a lot of you are having your family members join in, and I want to make sure everyone is safe. 

We are all having to be creative with our days and nights if we are at home. Spencer organises us every evening to play card games. We discovered a board game at Christmas called Pandemic....🙈...... think we will give that one a miss! 

Today a slip of paper came through our mailbox and was from a neighbour in the village, and was offering to help anyone in need, phone calls, shopping, pharmacy run etc. I messaged her a thank you and offered to help. So I am now an official volunteer, even with an official badge, for our local Parish Council, and helping our community. Happy to do this. 

Wednesday 

Sadly woke up with a bit of a headache... normal occurrence, so didn’t run, just fast walked the circuit, but went anti-clockwise to spice things up 😆

Recovered and had a bit of a late start because the migraine pills make me speak sometimes a little slurry, and some of you may think I maybe on the grand marnier already 😳..... still what fabulous weather....so blessed.

Recorded a couple more videos nevertheless, and David and I have mastered our hand signals, well his hand signals and my obedience... apart from one video that I overran and the camera automatically cuts off at 31mins 🤦🏼‍♀️. So just in case one of my videos abruptly finishes you understand why. Although David says he should be able to fix it.... he can fix anything 😅 

I have been going for an afternoon walk with David too after all this movie making, before the sun sets, and before the gin/wine/beer comes out!🥂 I know this gives me two outings in a day ... please don’t dob (a northern saying which my 7:30 in Berko class will understand!)  me in 🙏🏻.... seriously we don’t meet anyone else, although there are several people on their decks, sunbathing .... it’s MARCH! 

Anyway I was so excited .... seriously don’t get out often... REALLY don’t now... as I saw something tiny fluttering around in the lake close to the edge. I moved closer trying not to lose my balance and join whatever it was, in fact it was a bumble bee and it was drowning, it obviously got its wings all soaked it couldn’t get out, watching carefully, and shouting David to come back as I was going to try and rescue it... he ignored me and walked on, the excitement obviously too much.  Well it was fascinating and only wish I could have filmed it, there were several sticks and foliage floating on the water, and the bee 🐝 dragged a bit of foliage to try and climb up on it and then onto a stick, she kept slipping, I was cheering it on... I really was.... but she wasn’t getting anywhere, I had to help... found a longer stick... stretched out and was still a few inches away from the little bee, it then actually swam to my stick as though it knew I was helping her, she climbed on and I lifted it out and onto the grass, turned around and trod on it 🙈.....

Just kidding!  Felt really good to rescue it though... small things eh? 

Evening more games, love them but am knackered by 10pm as awake very early the past few days about 4:30am... can’t say I am not worried, as I am sure we all are. 

Another round of UNO and a game called Cambio which is actually a lot of fun. Although we can get a bit rowdy... with lots of .... ‘you are not in my bed tonight... sofa for you’... I think in the end we were all due to sleep on the sofa!

Thursday 

Back on form this morning and off for a run.... unfortunately Spencer wanted to come with us.... THAT’S  not happening again... Sargent Major or what... we had to increase the run around the tennis courts adding to our 1.4 kilometres ... we did 1.55 and I believe that’s almost 1 mile! I also increased my calorie burn, 1.4k burned 75 calories, my walk burned 60, and today’s marathon was 79!!! 🙄 You aren’t going to recognise me when we get back to class... especially as you are only seeing me on video at the moment, and you do know that the camera puts 12lbs on you! Just letting you know 🤷🏼‍♀️

Another fabulous sunny and even warmer day.. 

Into our working day after jog and shower.. more filming although just about to start and the gardener on a ride on mower did his rounds... small delay...funny as we saw our laundry drying on a rack on wheels outside had the wind take it down the full length of our outside deck ... but I guess you had to be here. Would have been funny to have seen that half way through one of my videos. 🤣 

Three more videos today including a ball class. Hope you like? They take forever to upload though as everyone is using the broadband and slows it all down. 

Had to go and do my first volunteer job to the pharmacy, all very strange, was the only person in there, and used their hand gel, staying back from the counter. A second person came in... oh no what to do... we kind of looked nervously at each other and just said how strange it all was. Keeping the distance... all ok, using again more gel getting into the car. Delivering the goods to our neighbour and leaving on the doorstep. 

I have been keeping an eye on the deaths in Europe, a great site is worldometer and 3 weeks ago today we had 104 deaths in the U.K., 2 weeks prior to that, Italy had 107, I couldn’t believe this, anyway one week later Italy had 827+ and we had 8 one week later March 19th Italy 3405 and U.K. 144  March 26th Italy 8165 UK 578. Although they say we are on the same trajectory as Italy... I am feeling positive that we are now staying under. Let’s 🙏🏻I am right. 

Stay safe everyone 😊