2021 - 52 weeks of doing something different

This week - don't laugh - I'm practicing standing on one leg.

There was a bit on the radio about us losing the connections in the brain that help us to balance as we get older, but like many things if we practice balancing we not only stave off the decline, but can hugely improve our balance. A previously wobbly 95 year old was cited as now being able to balance on one leg with her eyes closed for a minute. Try it!

I'm currently doing one minute on each leg while brushing my teeth and thanks to having a child's toothbrush with a timer I can't cheat!!

What a coincidence, PP. I heard that programme too and started standing on one leg. It was going to be my "One thing new" too.
If anyone else wants to stand on one leg https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/article...on-one-leg

2 new things this week.
First fishing trip of the year on our friends boat.
Had my first Covid jab this evening.

My new thing is timing how long I take in the shower with a 4 minute timer, provided by Welsh Water. I was pleasantly surprised - always thought I took much longer than 4 minutes but I don't!!

Make a list of what you've tried to date each week - you may surprise yourself!!

1. Pickled Red Cabbage (tasted good)
2. Sprouted Broad/fava beans and peas (failed - went mouldy)
3. Followed a recipe (almost) - Dal Saag/ Split yellow pea and spinach daal (Nice - will do again)
4. Switched from using Kleenex to table napkins for hankies (Still doing - permanent habit now)
5. Went to Splott for a Covid Jab
6. Followed a recipe almost for split Fava bean hummus (Failed - need right ingredients).

 7. Stopped drinking wine (still stopped)
8.  Bought a 4 light grow-light thingy.
9. Had windscreen replaced at an industrial estate I've never been to before.
10.  Stopped using talcum powder (an unnecessary plastic container)
11. Diluted washing up liquid by 50% (still doing that)
12.  became a NOMAD and picked lunch every day from the garden - including wild plants (still picking but not 100%)
13.  Made a Mint omelette
14. Took down a fence that divides the garden (still reinstating! - done)
15. Went yellow sticker hunting in the evening, not Sunday afternoon. 
16. Turned a plastic dog bed into a pond.
17. Made Herb Salt

18. Boycotted Social media for the weekend and didn't miss it.
19.  Started using washable wipes in the toilet (still doing it).
20. Read an old book "Three men in a boat" by Jerome K Jerome.
21. Ate tinned pineapple and evaporated milk - like childhood Sunday afternoon tea.
22. Cooked Red Quinoa.
23. Started Standing on one leg with PP.
24. Timed my shower with a 4 minute timer.

Nearly half way through the year!!

This week - don't laugh - I'm practicing standing on one leg.

There was a bit on the radio about us losing the connections in the brain that help us to balance as we get older, but like many things if we practice balancing we not only stave off the decline, but can hugely improve our balance. A previously wobbly 95 year old was cited as now being able to balance on one leg with her eyes closed for a minute. Try it!

I'm currently doing one minute on each leg while brushing my teeth and thanks to having a child's toothbrush with a timer I can't cheat!!

I'm still doing the leg thing and it is certainly easier now. It reminds me of the home physio I had to do after knee surgery, standing on one leg on a cushion and doing slow, wobbly squats, four times a day. After a few excruciating days I had to add another cushion, and then another ... I ended up with one very strong leg  

This week I'm making samosas for the first time. The dough and filling are both made and resting. Tonight we fry!

Week 1 Join Instagram
Week 2 Eccles Cakes
Week 3 Grow lemon tree from a pip
Week 4 Make a Baguette
Week 5 Cinnamon buns
Week 6 Started learning Spanish
Week 7 Make a dandelion salad
Week 8 ?
Week 9 Smoked a fish
Week 10 ikea cabinets
Week 11 kimchi
Week 12 Went to the Dr alone testing my language skills!
Week 13 Sowed home-saved cayennes
Week 14 Went up on the roof
Week 15 Made a genoise sponge for the first time
Week 16 Growing ginger
Week 17 learning new phone
Week 18 Stayed off social media
Week 19 new onion dishes
Week 20 citizenship paperwork
Week 21 standing on one leg for balance practice
Week 22 making samosas

I've tried the standing on one leg. Managed a minute on each but total disaster with my eyes closed
PP's idea of doing it whilst brush my teeth I brilliant, the electric toothbrush times it for you but leaning over the sink on one leg is a little hazardous.

My new thing this week was taking a lateral flow covid test.
I'm very pleased it was negative.

My new thing for this week is to try and use the gadgets on my bike's dash a bit more.
I never bother to scroll through and set the trip counters - there are two, who knew?! - or read the outside (allegedly 42 when we stopped for fuel) or engine temps. But as it would appear my fuel gauge is telling porky pies, it would be useful to know how far I've been since the last fill up.
The trip one counter and basic odomètre both read the same - 14,300 km, the total distance I've done since buying the bike in 2014!! Trip two was zero. Oops.
Mind you. my first bike had no trip counters or fuel gauge, so I used to write my mileage on a post-it note stuck to the speedo. Pretty hopeless in the rain...

If its anything like a car trip counter, its one for total distance since new and one that you can zero whenever you like - so adding fuel or starting a journey. That's about all I know about it!