April craziness!

April has been something of a blur with many changes going on. 

I feel more positive and I don't think it's just the change in season (although it does help that the sun is up before I am and sets later at night and there are leaves appearing on the trees). 

I started April disastrously by missing our flight to Corfu - but we had a good time when we finally got there and it was lovely to get a few days' sun and peace. 

When we got back I started the James Duncan diet having read about it on a blog - it worked. I lost 4lb in 3 days but I developed an aversion to grilled chicken and tinned tomatoes on toast.  May try it again sometime but not for now. 

Jo & I have been training for the marathon in June for JDRF and I have arranged a cake sale at school next month.  People have sponsored me through the justgiving news page too and I have about £150 now. Still a way off target though. 

I approached several local supermarkets as well as local media to spread the word about our fundraising. Not a word so far ! 

I have also been spring cleaning or should I say Spring decorating.  Funked up the living room with some white paint and modern furniture it all looks super calming and spacious now.  There's a bit of a to do list and the stairs carpet desperately needs replacing but we will have to prioritise I think. 

 

Been therapeutic to stand with a paintbrush and make all the walls clean and white anyway.  Put a few more things on eBay and sorting out college work. 

I must knuckle down but it's been hard to do so recently with everything else going on.    I'm off to Mallorca with my sister in August and my god I will have earned it by then! So much to do between now and August and here are the main things; 

1. Finish dissertation

2. Finalise all the entry requirements for Reading uni in September (teacher training year)

3. Stick to a healthy eating plan and lose the extra stone by August!  

4. Run a marathon on 4th June !!! 

5. Draft (and workthrough) a jobs list that needs doing in house and garden.  

James Duncan diet. "Lose a stone in a week" I am up for an experiment!

Well I started this yesterday all motivated but also skeptical about how the diet works.  Essentially I can have neither of the following for the week:  sugar, milk, butter, alcohol, cola.  It is strict. The strictest I have ever been with food. But so far so good. 

Day 1 (yesterday) was a slice of toast with tinned tomatoes for breakfast, fruit for lunch then a salad with hard boiled egg for dinner. 

Today started with a soft boiled egg and grapefruit, grilled chicken with toast and tomatoes at lunch (which I couldn't finish) and this evening will be steak and salad. 

I have had to get used to copious amounts of black tea and coffee, or peppermint tea.  But I have to say that so far so good.  And I have lost nearly 3lb so far.  I am going to try hard not to jump on the scales again until at least day 5 or 6. 

Watch this space!  I have good motivation: a gorgeous bikini and holiday in Mallorca in August to look forward to. 

Corfu

We arrived on Sunday lunchtime - finally! Had a nice walk along the coast from the hotel. It's so quiet here. Very peaceful no shops really just the occasional taverna on the water's edge.  I went swimming in the sea, which was refreshing! Then went for a 3 mile walk to the next village - Petritis - to find a supermarket. Just heard the occasional lizard scuttling back to the undergrowth at the side of the road and passed a few Greek old men on the road. Definitely not touristy at this time of year. But the locals are incredibly friendly and very accommodating, they are eager to please.  

The hotel (Hotel Penelope) in Boukari appears to be a family business. Kostas and his brother run the hotel and restaurant (10 minutes' walk away) between them, the wives do the cooking and the dad oversees it all to check guests are happy. I booked car hire for Monday and J and I headed over towards Benitses, saw the Kaiser bridge and then up the mountain to Achillios palace before going down through several villages and finally arriving at Paleokastritsa on the north west coast.  Such a stunning coast line!

We had lunch in the only place open and then went on the beach for several hours where I swam.  Yes it was cold but after a few minutes it was perfectly bearable. 

Today we have been on a boat trip to Corfu town - we hired a boat with two other girls who are staying in our hotel and went up the coast for an hour then had a few hours to wander round the old town. Had a nice coffee and lunch in an outside cafe and really felt the hot sun on my arms.  Then back towards Boukari again by sea.  Just so relaxing.  J wanted to go back to the room to play on the keyboard (yes. The only hotel I've ever stayed in to have a full size electric keyboard in the wardrobe!)  so I joined the girls for a drink at the local taverna by the sea.  We head home in the morning but it has been a lively few days away and I would definitely return here. Apparently it doesn't get much busier in summer but the sea is warmer. 

Slightly delayed trip to Corfu

So this week I've found out what it's like to miss a flight and have to go to the easyjet customer service desk to get on the next one .. Only trouble was that the 'next one' involved going back home again and coming back 48 hours later. 

But I was determined not to let the disappointment ruin our Easter hols so we got home and I managed to have a very useful day. Spent over 4 hours at the college library doing my latest essay (this one is about comparative education and inclusion in British vs Swedish schools) scintillating stuff - er not.  I've tidied my desk and got lots of college stuff organised as the next two months are going to be hard work and crucial for my degree. 

After that I cooked a delicious chickpea, sweet potato and salmon curry and watched a film (Kingsman) with J. 

The good thing about only having 3 days of sun to look forward to as opposed to 5.. I could remove some of the many items of clothing from the case so it should now be well within the 20kg limit!

I've also spent part of the day writing to local businesses and the council spreading awareness of our marathon we are doing in June for the JDRF charity (against childhood diabetes type1)  hoping to get some localsponsorship and  I've also written to the local press. 

Tonight I am seriously considering sleeping in my clothes as we need to leave home at 2am for gatwick!   Will write more from the other side when we land :)    Need to practise my Greek too ... A Ferrits toe anyone ??!