Just when you think...

 ... it's safe to read Jo's blog, there's ANOTHER Parkrun post!

Apologies, dear Blogger friends. Parkrun is my most favorite leisure pursuit (an oxymoron if ever there was one, LOL!) as one of the only TWO leisure activities (another oxymoron!) I take part in on a weekly basis. 

Parkrun is what I do every Saturday. And Taigelates is tri-discipline class where I join five to six lovely friends in the Valley every Friday morning. 

I'm still trying to catch up on my life since I posted about Mary's memorial service in early November this year. After the service as is traditional in South Africa, we moved to the church hall for tea and eats. By 4pm I said goodbye to Mary's daughter, Trasi, now owner and chairman of Weigh-Less and set off for Howick. I had phoned ahead to [Aunt] Gill to say I would be with her in under an hour. 

I popped into the supermarket and bought a pizza and some dessert for our supper. Gill and I spent a lovely evening together. 

Again, I was near a tour Parkrun and after conferring with my dear friend and Weigh-Less member, Judy, I arranged to collect her at 7.30 on Saturday morning. She would show me the way to the Hilton Parkrun. She had registered on  the site and this would be her first official Parkrun. 

It was a very different venue to the one we have in Winterton and looked a lot easier than my first "tour" Parkrun a month before. You started out on a school sports field, walked down a grassy track, through a forest (Hilton/Howick abound with pine forests!) and then out along the school grounds perimeter. And back to the start at the sports field. 2.5km. A marshal guides you to the tunnel which takes you onto the sports field again and you do the whole route a second time. 5km total. 

Judy and I started together and although she said I should go at my pace, I told her I was staying with her. When we reached the grassy track which took us up to the first 2.5km point, Judy said: "Jo, I think I will wait here while you complete the Parkrun." I told her no way do you stop now, let's hit this second 2.5km.

 Which we did. 

When we returned to the start, the volunteers applauded loudly while we skipped into the finish paddock! I had done my second "tour" Parkrun and Judy had done her first official Parkrun. 

Afterwards she said to me, "Not only do you watch what I eat but today you made me stay and finish the course."  

I nodded sagely! 

Judy and I at the end of the Hilton Parkrun on 4 November 2023

Once I'd dropped Judy at her home, I drove back to the retirement village where I had a final cup of tea and a chat with Gill. 

I arrived home on the farm by mid-afternoon. I popped over to my neighbors, Ron and John to tell them I was home safely and tell them about the memorial service.

Regarding my Taigelates attendance. The classes take place on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. I work the first three days in the farm office, so Friday is the only day I can attend.  Our instructor, Caroline has returned to Australia for two years. She sends two WhatsApp messages of 30 minutes each. Estelle, another dear friend of mine, attaches her mobile phone to a bluetooth enhancer and with this in the center of the room with our mats in a circle around it, we follow her instructions as if she is in the room with us!

A few weeks ago, in one discipline she exhorted us to, while sitting on our mats, to place our heads on the floor and then on each knee (leg straight), while gripping your toes. She said it was quite a challenging move and if anyone managed to get close, she would like photos. 

Unbeknown to me, the other "younger" mid-sixty year-old ladies, and Estelle (my contemporary at 70 plus years) were struggling to do this.  And photographed the person who was able to do it!

Mmm, one thing about a close up of one's feet, you realize that

 not only your hands give away your age! 

This Friday past was our year end breakfast at the restaurant adjacent to where we exercise. 

But...

first...

We had an hour of exercise. Because it was my last session with the girls, and because of the season, I wore an appropriate head decoration. Estelle was so impressed; she wanted a photo of me to send to Caroline. 

As Estelle aimed her phone at me, Anne said "Estelle, you stand with Jo, and I will take the photo." Then Monique, arriving that moment, said, "You three stand there and I will snap you." I said, "Hold it,  girls.  I'll set my phone up on the selfie function and a 10second timer; we all pose and ALL will appear in the photo." They had never heard of this before but trusted me and we got our group photo! 

We had a group photo to share with Caroline, thousands of kilometers Down Under! 

We certainly enjoyed a wonderful year together and rounded it off with a jovial breakfast!

HAPPY SUNDAY TO YOU ALL!