Our Greenbelt .. and walking off the 'podgy-ness'

The very worst thing you can do is to hop on the bathroom scale when clothes starting feeling tighter around the middle! I know I shouldn't have done it .. !!! Oh my .. a few kilos more ! My heart sinks .. "I knew it .. have never been this weight before ... EVER ! " I say downhearted! I have always been a constant weight until the 'age thing' started coming into play! And now, it's like a yo-yo .. fortunately, I am lucky .. it's only a kilo here and there, but still !!!!! On one of my Mum's visits here, from Zimbabwe ... several years ago .. she said to me that I was looking a little "podgy" and "you know" - in her very English\Rhodesian accent - "we don't come from a family of large women" !!!! I have never forgotten that !! This comment came when we were getting out of the car at gym. I had taken her as my 'guest' to my gym class, which she enjoyed and came on several visits - and kept up with us!!

I never went to the aerobic classes or did the circuits and weights - only yoga and pilates. Started about 8 years ago and used really, really enjoy my yoga, twice a week, and pilates, twice a week, with a Wednesday (rest day!) in the middle. That is, until the gym went bankrupt and closed their doors with chains and padlocks !!

Also had about an 18 months break in between when Bradley was a baby (I looked after him full time from the age of 4 months when Jeanette went back to work). Oh .. and I tried taking him as a baby. Everyone said to me, it was easy .. just take him along and put him in the 'nursery' area while you do the class. Easier said than done (remember, I am the granny!) .. and he just didn't like that kiddies room - just cried. (Softie grannies like me do not let babies cry!) So that was no good. I then gave up the yoga, and was allowed to take him into the pilates class. We had our little corner of the class where I had him in his baby chair, then seated on a mat when he could sit. I even used to give him his bottle with my arm outstretched while I balanced the gym ball on my feet in the air (stretching hamstrings!) Was determined not to stop my classes!!! BUT, I had to eventually - when he started crawling .. he would crawl in and out of puffing and blowing ladies - and a few men - scattering toys everywhere. Our instructor was SO good about it and never said anything but I got the odd glare from her and I saw her chest breath deeper and slower (she also does yoga breathing !!! ) and then I knew ... the end had come!

Once Bradley started nursery school a few months before he turned 2 - I was back to my yoga and pilates. Loved it ... until the gym closed their doors! I was reluctant to join another gym as I really like the way my yoga teacher teaches so I waited for her to start a morning class. Thankfully she now has one, but only once a week .. she needs more people before it's worth while to start a second one (cost of hiring the small hall etc etc) - so we are always looking for new faces to join us. Evening classes are hopeless as they start at 5.30 twice a week - I still, usually, have the kiddies at that time, so can't make it.

I have found a private gym class - one of those 'jumpy jumpy' kind .. to get the heart rate up and all that ... but can only go once a week as the one class clashes with the yoga. Prefer the yoga - so I do yoga once a week and 'jumpy jumpy' gym once a week.

All this long story leads me to the question of this extra podgy-ness that has appeared from nowhere!!! I eat healthily and now that it's summer, eat less ... so I have started walking again, which I used to do regularly before I joined gyms .. way back!

Monday's are not good days for walking, but must persevere! It's garbage collection day and now that it's summer, instead of breathing in lovely fresh morning air, it's tainted with garbage smells, whether it's before the bins are emptied or afterwards !! Pooh-wee !!

The whole point of this story !!!!! and I'm getting to it !!! ... was to share photos of the vlei/veld/greenbelt down the road from our house.

I don't think I could EVER do a "Wordless Wednesday" !!!!

Now that we've had rain, it's looking green and good! I can't walk through it, though, on my own .. you don't do that sort of thing here in our area - really really not safe ! Even the other day, to take photographs, I had my little camera tucked in an insignificent sock and carried it in the palm of my hand - whipping it out every now and again to take my photos !!! Like a spy camera !!! My cell phone and house keys are tucked away in my shorts - out of sight! There is a chappie that comes on a regular basis to cut the grass - he is not from our local municipality as they are quite useless (most of the time) - he is paid for by us in the community to keep the greenbelt 'user-friendly'.

(Below) Using the full zoom - the 'Pirate Ship' (new Wesbank\FNB building) and then part of the city of Johannesburg in the distance. This building is a 'monster' of a building. All residents were up in arms when building operations started. I think we've got used to it now and it's not so offensive anymore. It's on the other side of the N1 highway in the suburb of Fairlands, quite a distance - I'm not good at judging distances in kilometres, but I'd say about 3 or 4 kms away.

Closer photo, still using zoom, of the 'Pirate Ship'

There is a small tree on the verge of one of the roads which I usually use on my walk, that has glass ornaments hanging from it. I am amazed that they haven't been stolen yet. I spotted them a few weeks ago, and they're still there !!

Pretty, isn't it ? !