F for FOUR - Day six Alert Level 4

 F for FOUR - a continuation of level four... F is also for fiery skies, friends, fun, full moon, fast, and so much more. 

Monday, and the work day looms, but time for FitOn and Yoga before the onslaught of online meetings. 

The morning disappeared into Zoom land...

Lunch outside in the sun, then back into Zoom. 

Finally, the end of work day arrived and off we went for our, now daily, bike ride. Turns out we should each take a phone and / or make a detailed plan of where we are biking. Lost site of Grant at the 9 km mark... and didn't find him again til the 25 km mark... Actually, he found me as he made it home after searching for me for some time, and came looking in the ute. Turns out we were only one block apart... I should listen more closely to the 'plans'... and we should ride closer together... 

I saw a whole lot of riders in yellow, but none of them were him...

Home by 6 to listen to the news that the Alert Level 4 has been extended to the end of the week. 

An end of the day walk around the garden, and wow, spring really is springing.

Tired legs, at the end of the day! 

So so funny to see the memes appearing from Chris Hipkins blooper yesterday, stretch your legs became spread your legs... teehee

So many clumps of daffodils and mini daffodils flowering in the garden... and the promise of hyacinths just around the corner...

So awesome to pick a stunning bunch of very fragrant early cheer, in my birthday vase from Mary Anne...

Stunning skies tonight...

Another big day on the bike...

FitOn badges 22 August 2021

I truly can't rave enough about FitOn. I love the exercises, the workouts, and I love the ongoing motivation.  

Fifth toning workout - results starting to show.

Woohoo, that sure is a bit of consistency!!!!

E for Energetic - Day 5 Alert Level 4

 E for Energetic, and exhausted, energy, enthusiastic, easy, 

After another great sleep I decided today was a great opportunity to bake and cook and get some meals in the freezer for upcoming events.  I had soaked the fruit overnight and was interested to try Jenny's fruit loaf recipe. It was a bit of a mixed result. The small loaf was great, but I didn't cook the large one long enough, so the birds got a big lunch!

I also baked two sticky date puddings, and a large date loaf.

Great to get the freezer stacked. 

Then it was off for a bike ride. The sun had finally come out, and we decided to have a gentle ride. Check out some of the amazing footpath artwork, and games people are adding. Unreal! I didn't add the bears today as there was a bit of a drunken bear theme going on out there. 

I truly don't think I have ever seen so many people on Mosgiel streets! So great to see families out biking, walking, jogging...

So the last three days we've biked 11km, 12km, 13km, so why not up it a bit? 23km? Hmmmmm that was a big jump up and I sure am feeling that tonight. 

A nice rose with dinner, and for those of you that know the wine COVID testing video, yes, I took a couple of tests tonight... hahahaha

...and back in the kitchen, I round the night off with baking three batches of lasagne! And I am pleased to confirm it is delicious.

Energised to exhausted.... and it may indeed be an early night for me tonight... 

 

D for Delightful - Day 4 Level Four Alert

 D for Delightful, daffodils, dreamy, D as in Vitamin D, dramatic, duck, and dinner...

What a day! We started with a -6 frost, then the sun shone. We got out in the garden and managed to complete a task that has need attention for a very long time. We repaired the stone path around the vege garden and concreted it. What a delightful sight indeed. 

An afternoon in the garden was a real pleasure in the sunshine. I finally moved the reeds from the back and put my new rustaholic reeds in. 

Then it was off for another bike ride. We are gradually increasing the distance each day, and I have to admit, saddle seat is real.  So many incredible sites for Isolation - driveway drinks, bears back out and this incredible chalk hopscotch...

A trip to New World this evening was a very pleasant experience with no queues and shelves very well stocked. 

Roast Duck for dinner was another delight. 

The highlight of the delights though has to be FaceTime and the opportunity to read bedtime stories to lil guy!!!

Delightful day indeed!

C for Cold - Day 3 at Alert Level Four

 C for COLD! C could be for so many things today, cold, cool, catastrophizing, connect and even calm...

So, what a surprise today to open the curtains to see snow on the Maungatuas. I know it was forecast to be cool but I wasn't expecting the snow...

An early FitOn session to warm up and YAY, another badge earned!

Off we went for an early bike ride, trying to avoid the predicted rain. Oh my goodness, wind blasting into our faces, and numb fingers. I can hardly imaging how cold it must be for all the poor new baby lambs... 

Turning away from the head wind, and riding home with the tail wind was a delight. 

So, day three of isolation was all about online meetings. 

At 3pm the update came through that we remain at Level 4 until at least 11.59pm on Tuesday the 24th of August. 

That takes me through til G at least... 

I love thinking of the word, hmmm I wonder what D will deliver tomorrow...

FitOn Fist Pump

 Stronger daily! 15th strength workout!!!

On fire with FitOn

Feeling on fire today too. Love, love, love the constant rewarding. 

B for BIKING - Day 2 at Alert Level 4

B for BIKING, and bliss, birds, blossoms, blooms, bees, balance...

Day two, agh, how glorious this pause is. I am struggling with fitting work in around my "Anne" time, but working on a balance. It is a little harder to take when Grant is home enjoying time in the garden, and I am upstairs in the office in online meetings, but we are working to make this work. 

The end of the day today saw us out on our bikes again. What a glorious day it has been. The wind dropped and the sun shone. It truly is amazing to be back biking on streets almost empty of traffic. It is so quiet you could hear the birds singing everywhere today. 

So many wonderful options to bike from our place. I am really looking forward to getting out and about on the bike as often as possible. 

Stunning sunshine, blossom, and clumps of miniature daffodils all on show today. 

It was so quiet out today, you could hear the bees buzzing around this stunning blossom tree. 

Blooming beautiful and very fragrant. The sun over the past couple of days has really seen the spring flowers bursting out in our garden. Soooo fragrant too. 

A for ACTIVE - Day one at Alert Level 4

Here goes... day one at Alert Level 4!

Today is brought to you by the letter A for Active. At 11.59 yesterday evening we entered level four after a community COVID case was identified in Auckland. Just yesterday I was shocked to see that it was over a year since I had blogged and I thought, what better way to get back to it than blogging.

A for active.

I really am secretly delighted with this little pause in our country. I am so sorry for those who are suffering and hope for speedy recoveries, and a drop down the levels, but for now, we can pause. 

Keeping active is so important for me and I want to share a couple of wonderful opportunities. 

FitOn is an incredible free app. 

I am thoroughly enjoying the workouts, challenges and opportunity to work out at home for free.

BREATH - A 30 Day Yoga Journey is free online.

This is a wonderful free series. I have not managed to complete them daily, but am up to day 22 and absolutely loving it. 

Biking - YUSS, back on my bike. What an absolute delight to get back on my bike, on the super quiet streets. I am so glad we have our bikes and helmets here at home this time. It was super windy today, and freezing cold. I biked as far as I could into the wind, turned around and in the blink of an eye I was back home!

Active is a great start to the time of isolation for me. 

ABC of isolation... Here goes an new idea I have to get me blogging again.

 Here we go with an idea that popped into my head when Alert Level 4 was announced.

I am planning to post each day, working my way through the alphabet.

I sure hope I don't get all the way through before we drop down a level, but here goes...

And I am issuing a challenge. To get back blogging and writing, how about you join me in this ABC blogging... I would love to hear from you if you are planning this, and we could set up a group blog to follow each other.

WOW - just WOW...

How can it be possible that it is over a year since I posted here? I am not sure if it is due to the sheer volume of work and travel the past year has entailed.

Maybe it was due to the relief of getting out of lockdown and enjoying face to face time instead of online time initially...

It has been a tough year. I have been overloaded with work and completely wiped out with travel. 

Good to be back... and looking forward to blogging more regularly.

FitOn keeps me focussed

 Feeling fabulous. I absolutely love these workouts. 

FitOn - up to workout number 20

 I am loving how easy it is to keep motivated with FitOn...

Yoga high five today

 YAY, these badges are stacking up... these yoga works are really complementing the workouts I am doing with the 30 day Yoga Breathe challenge with Adrienne online. 

Strength is building with FitOn

 I really am noticing that I am feeling stronger as I work through these FitOn challenges...

ACE with FitOn

Love love love the motivation with this free app....