Many changes since my last entry ….

I am no longer in the lovely country cottage as the owners sold it out of the blue. Quite a shock to my system, business and cats! 

Thankfully, I am now in my new home, in Reading, the business is up and running again, cats are settled and I have found some good running in the fields behind me, following the Holybrook stream and the Kennet and Avon canal.

As well as the massage and healing, I have a new part time teaching position, as tutor for an HND Health and Social Care course in Reading.  A great course, with fantastic students mostly from Africa and the Phillipines (even one from Tibet).. makes for some very interesting converstations!

Summer is definately on it’s way, the sun is warming up, we have blue skies and lots of delights ahead!!!

I shall be taking part in a traditional North American Indian Sweat Lodge at the end of June, which I am very much looking forward to.. a little bit nervous about being in a dark, hot, enclosed space.. but we have to face the fear at times and just do it anyway!

I have recently joined the Healing Hands Network (HHN) and hope to be travelling to Bosnia by the end of the year, to work in a clinic over there for 2 weeks, treating those affected by the recent war.  Despite ending over 10 years ago, the people are still affected both physically and emotionally, so it will be an honour and priviallage to support them and bring some peace and relief from pain and suffering. 

HHN also run projects in other war torn countries, so I have a feeling this will be the start of something quite big for me, as I have always felt drawn to working in this area.  Nearly all of us have a story to share of the horrors of war don’t we…

That’s me updated for now..

Enjoy the warmth and happiness of the sun and happy solstice!

Wow.. what a day yesterday… up at 6am and very nervous, this was it, the big day, the Reading Half Marathon, 13.1miles around the streets of Reading.  Thankfully the sun was shining and the skies were blue, the training complete and all that was left to do was run the race!

I ran with my brother Pete and friend Hilary.  It was very exciting (one the nerves had calmed) over 18,000 runners, lots of supporters, music and laughter.  The start point (Reading football stadium) was full to bursting and felt like a festival!  We were ushered to the start line and had to gather in the correctly coloured area, which depended on the time you thought you were going to run.  Needless to say, we were with the masses, right at the back in the white zone aiming for 2.5 hours (or at least making it round without dying!).

The gun went and we were off… well, not so much off as standing still!  It took 20 mins to reach the starting line and then we were off! It was hard not to get caught up in the speed that everyone else set off at, but I pulled back and tried to rain in my brother a bit, but he was off! 

My brother’s costume was great, he had a plastic guitar attached to a cycle helmet and speakers, playing rock music round the whole course.  He attracted a lot of attention and all the kids were cheering on the ‘guitar man’.  A lot of people took photos and he was interviewed by the local newspaper, so hopefully I was standing close enough to get my picture taken too!

The support of the crowds meant a lot and really did help you to keep going (I particularly enjoyed the firemen and did suggest they run with us!), especially at the 12 mile stage, when it was begining to seem like a good idea just to stop and forget the whole thing, aching feet, sore knees and feeling sick weren’t pleasant, but it the words of Nemo (or his fishy friend) you’ve just got to keep swimming!  Or running in this case!

The best bit was coming around the final corner at the 13 mile mark and coming into the footbal stadium, this was the tearful point and an amazing sense of achievement and happiness… the crowds inside the stadium were cheering and all the pain vanished!  I nearly tripped, but saved myself and with a shot of energy, Hilary and I sprinted for the finish line!  I was gutted when I saw the time on the clock, but remembered we didn’t start when the gun did and therefore we could knock off 20 mins… so the final race time was an amazing 2.25hours!

My brother came in 10 minutes behind me and I’ve agreed to wait a week before I start teasing him and I acutally lasted about an hour before the first comment was made!

So big pat on the back for everyone that took part, well done! 

I’ve raised a couple of hundred quid for the Thames Vally Air Ambulance which is great news.  They provide an amazing life saving service and recieve no public funding at all and need over £2million a year to keep going.  Sometimes funds are so low they can only afford to provide the service on certain days of the week…. they are therefore my new pet charity!

A few pics for your pleasure and thanks to everyone for your support and best wishes and special thanks to the lovely Carrie and Kelley for putting me back together today, with a deep tissue massage and osteopathic session!

As I write this I am also looking out of the window at the most stunning rainbow.. brightly coloured and a second one is just forming.. right at the bottom of my garden… a sign of good luck I believe!

The snow and ice have almost gone and we are left with huge puddles in the roads and fields.. but thankfully the half marathon training has resumed and it’s been great to get back to it.. another run planned for this Friday and then a 9 miler at the weekend, so should be on track for the Half Marathon on 29th March.

Business is picking up and I have been teaching at a local college and running some workshops from home, so that’s great!  It would be lovely for more people to book in and means I’ll be able to keep the heating on!

The sad news is that I have sold my Baby Girl, my camper and my second home.  I was very gutted to see her go and confess to having  a big cry, not even banking the money helped!   She has gone to a good home, where her new owners have already planned some trips away …

That’s all for now..  bring on the Spring!

Welcome to 2009 and may it be a properous and healthy one for all of us!

My new website is currently being built and it is going to be fabulous! It will include new features, like my special Members’ Area – which will give you access to me for one to one support on issues you are dealing with, articles, forums, advice and inspirations! Watch this space.

I am now offering Hopi Ear Candle treatments, which can be combined with an Indian Head Massage for that perfrect clearing and relaxing treatment.  An hour of pure bliss and warmth, which we could all do with to deal with the  January blues.. do get in touch to book in.

The half marathon training is coming along nicely after a little break for eating at Christmas!!!  I managed a 42 min run on Friday, which I was very proud of.  Tomorrow is the big day, my brother Pete is coming over and we are going to go for an HOUR’s run…  if I manage that I will have to treat myself to a roast dinner and glass of red wine!

I am heading off now to buy some more wood for the fire and to write a massage and aromatherapy course that I am starting to teach next week, but I’ll leave you with a couple of images of the beautiful fields behind me.. fresh and crisp with their dusting of frost…..

Here it is.. the new home and treatment space in the lovely Berkshire countryside!

I’m settling in well and enjoying lots of open fires!  The cats are doing well too, they are starting to go outside, but I wonder if they can hear the local wolves, as they don’t seem that keen on going out!  Either that, or it’s too cold for them!

I’ve entered the Reading Half Marathon (end of March 2009), which is quite a strange thing for me to do as I don’t run and I know it can be quite harsh on the hips and kness.  It does mean that I have to start training, which I have actually done!  Last week I managed 3 x 30 min jogs and felt really good both during and after!  A good personal challenge and will help to keep the winter blues away I hope!

The business is picking up again after my Greek trip.  Lots of clients have booked in and seem to be enjoying the atmosphere of the cottage as much as I do, which is lovely.  We just need to spread the word everyone and get more bookings! Else I’ll have to head back to Greece!

Back in the UK for 3 weeks now and there has even been a couple of hours of blue sky and sunshine in that time, horray!

A few more pics from the last few weeks of the Greek Adventure:

And so the journey continues.  Moving tomorrow to a cottage in the country, open fire and fields and my new treatment space, which is all very exciting and possibly even more exciting is that I collect my cats from their foster mother Sunday morning.. horray!

It’ll be great to have my own treatment space after so many years of sharing clinic space and doing home visits.  It’s a lovely big room, clean and simple and feels just right for giving massage and healing. Some of my existing clients have already booked in and I’m happy to welcome new ones!

I also will be having regular gatherings of like minded people, an ideal way for us to make new friends and have some fun!  Watch this space…..

So, after a few mad days of driving and a rough crossing from Calais to Dover, I’m back in Reading!!  Just trying to work out which side of the road to drive on and which language to speak!

The next few days will be spent catching up with family and friends, finding somewhere to live and getting back to work!!

I don’t think the journey is over, just having a little rest and preparing for the next stage of the adventure!

So, a couple of driving days across Italy and up the West coast. Past Florence, Genova and into France, then past Monaco, Nice, Cannes and inland and north to a village called Orange, where I met with a friend Corinne from the circus yesterday. 

The drive was spectacular…..  over mountains and then for miles it was a coastal road, over bridges and through tunnels.  Lots of green grass and trees with changing leaf colours…..  Great to be back in the van and on the road, though not sure who has turned down the thermostate, down to 20°c…..  I hope England is warmer??!!!  I MISS GREECE ! The people, the wildness of the landscape, the sun, the sea, the olive trees…… still it will always be there!

It’s great to see Corinne and spend a couple of days with her and her dog.  We’ve come down to Marseille for the day, the sun is shining and we’ve had lunch by the harbour.  I’ll stay with her tonight, then it’s back on the road, straight up through France and over to UK…..  then down to business to find somewhere to live and back to work.  Two party invitations already, so that’s good!

I am now in Patras, waiting for the 6pm boat to go Ancona, Italy….  my last few hours in Greece and not at all sure that I should be leaving the 30c sunshine, blue skies, sparkling sea! All of a sudden it feels very real that I will be in the UK in a few days!!!

The boat journey from Crete to Pireas, Athens was great.. smooth seas and met with two friends from the circus, so good company too, no sleep, but that’s ok…. got into Pireas at 5am, parked up in the port and had a little sleep there for a couple of hours.  Panos (greek friend from circus) came down to meet me about 10am and he took me around Athens, visited all the sites, managed to do some shopping, eating etc… whizzing around on the back of his motorbike was great fun! I love Athens (and I don’t usually like cities), but I have fallen in love with Greece so it’s all good!

We met with Lena and Stella in the afternoon (more friends from circus), hung out drinking coffee and eating and then went back to Lena’s place – which was a small room on the roof of a building, very cute and fantastic views of the city and sea!  More chatting and some massaging!  I stayed with Lena last night, watched sunrise over the city this morning and we then walked to her work, had some breakfast and then I was on my way!  Back on my own, the first time in weeks, back on the road and back in BG!! 

BG is on fine form, starting all the time and purring along the road! I’ve been driving with a huge smile on my face, remembering the past 10 weeks, people, places and experiences and fully realising what a fantastic time I’ve had, am still having and will have in the future.  I am looking forward to the journey home, though I’ve been sensible with getting the boat further up the Italian coast to Ancona, it does save 600km of driving if I’d come into Bari. I’ll cut across Italy and come along south France, then I can call in on another circus friend and then straight up to Calais!

I am inspired to get on a plane, simply so I can visit new friends in Sweden, Thailand, Singapore, Bali and Australia and it would take a very long time to drive to visit them all, though if anyone fancies the trip, I am more than happy to do it!

So friends and family in the UK, I should see you all quite soon and can bore you further with the detail of my adventures, pictures included of course!  Do have a look at my friends blog ‘elaineguru.blogspot.com’ -she’s got some great pics on there and even 1 or 2 of me!

If anyone from the circus is reading this (maybe you Elaine) and you have a CD of the chanting and songs we sung, I would love a copy and could give you an address to post it to!

Best get some food for the boat journey..  see you in Italy or France or the UK!?!?!?!?

Still on Crete, can’t seem to leave just yet…. !!!

Left Anidri last Friday and spent the night in Paleochora.  Those of us that were still around met up for dinner that night and a few drinks.. more goodbyes were said and a few more tears…  we all realised it would be tough saying goodbye at the end, but not that tough!

Saturday morning and off back up to Hania, with 3 friends from the circus and one further friend following on his motorbike.  We hung out for the day in Hania, shopping.. well I tried to shop but was in full fever stage of a cold, so just wondered around shivering and gazing at shops.  I took one friend to the boat, but it was so windy the boat didn’t sail that night!

And then Sunday morning we were down to two.. . just Panos and I.  We hung out by the harbour watching the huge waves and wondering if the boat would sail that night (it did).  Then we met up with lovely friends Gina and Pete (from Reading who are living here for a couple of years), for lunch and we happened to bump into Katie and Martin from the circus, so a little mini reunion was enjoyed.

I’ve been staying with Gina and Pete since Sunday and sharing my cold with them, which is obviously very kind of me!  We’ve been talking about everything under the sun, playing great music and getting a few things sorted out with the van and I think I am ready to drive back to the UK… ahhhhh….. so I am going to attempt to get the boat tonight back to Athens, though if the wind picks up again, we may not sail!   

I am very excited about the journey home and wonder how long it will take as I am going to visit friends along the way from the circus.  First stop Athens, where there are a few lovely folk, so that could take a while and then France and/or Switzerland, London and finally Reading…..