A Christmas Marathon

Yesterday was a happy day; for the first time I ran sub 5 hours. It was a 4am start, so I was back in the hotel before breakfast finished!

Chiang Mai was fantastic. I'm now on my way to Melbourne to have a MERRY time.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays!!!

The holidays are here!!!

I've been sick for over a week, I've been fighting it with vitamin C and powders and tablets. Everyone is sick, but we are all determined to be involved with everything Christmassy that is on offer. School is very anti-Christmas. The word is not uttered, parties do not happen, special winter crafts are not done...or done in secret behind a closed door! Many Kuwaitis put up a tree in there homes and gives gifts...but at school we are supposed to follow the curriculum to that final bell. We ho and hum, but we made it...the holidays have arrived.

As an international teacher the Christmas holidays are my favourite. All the excitement of holidays away but with none of the wretched goodbyes. Just lots of love and hugs and 'can't wait to hear about it in January'.

Today I started packing- sundresses, bikinis and Christmas goodies for Kerry. I'm so excited about my trip to Melbourne that they are overriding my nerves for the marathon in Thailand.

I hate this part of the marathon training though...the waiting...the trusting the plan...the 'not eating too much' (hahaha) and resting part. It makes me feel unfit and unprepared.

But enough of that-the holidays are here and I'm so happy about that.

Go for a wee run on the 22nd ( or 21st night) and send me good vibes please!

I'm out of here!!!!!

If I don't check in before the big day, Merry Christmas!!!

Currently - December 2013

Reading-
Old copies of Runner's World magazines. I just want to flick pages or read an article in bed, hoping by reading about running I'll feel better prepared about my upcoming marathon. Usually though the articles have the opposite effect and I have butterflies in my tummy as I try to fall asleep.

Watching-
Mad Men series 6. Amazing!!! I think it is better than the last couple. I am still constantly swinging between love and hate for Don Draper.

Drinking-
Beetroot juice. Daily. The shelves are empty when I leave the supermarket.

Eating-
Far too many mince pies. They will be weighing me down on my run!

Listening to-
Christmas music!! Hooray!!
I started playing it this week while I baked in the kitchen-it seriously makes me so happy! ( Am easily pleased!)  I also get very excited when the American radio station VOA (which I sometimes listen to in the car) plays a Christmas song, momentarily I forget that I am living in Kuwait.

Thinking about-
My marathon....which is next week in Thailand...arrrr....and the holidays!!
I am so excited about my trip to Australia after my marathon that I've had a few sleepless nights this week. I am so excited ! Did I just say that! Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait.
I'm also thinking about all my friends and family that I won't see this Christmas...but I've had some lovely chats on the phone recently and that helps. I'll be home in Scotland for a holiday before you know it!

Taking photos of-
The beautiful sunrises and sunsets at the moment. I don't think Kuwait has looked so pretty! This was taken when the Red Arrows came to Kuwait a couple of weeks ago.

Feeling-
Happy. I'm happy at work, although running on fumes at the moment; I'm lucky to be working with such great people this year and I'm not taking that for granted. I'm also so happy more of my friends have recently taken up running. More running buddies for me!!

From me to you

Merry merry Christmas!

Hope you have a jolly one! x

Season's Greetings!

We don't do Christmas at school here. The word isn't mentioned. With two days to go before our winter holidays I have not had the glitter out once and the red tissue paper is still in the packet..bah bloody humbug!

(I remember Santa visiting every year at school here before...! Not sure what happened to that...but that is by the by.)

Anyhow, not to let the season pass completely unnoticed, tomorrow we are getting our hands sticky and making chocolate snowballs (I am linking it in with Forces and Friction...tenuous link much!).

It will be a mad dash for the airport on Thursday...I'll be literally running for that plane. Before that I have mulled wine at the embassy, a whole lot of chutney making to do and my three hour long run to fit in after work...

but...I can almost taste the holidays!!!

On other news...today I sold my Surf in Nairobi. Bitter sweet. I had wonderful pipe dreams of taking it on a massive safari this summer and then ditching it in a lake somewhere (for insurance purposes only of course!). I am still dreaming of Africa, I'll just need a new car the next time I go!

 

 

Ahhhh-such a good looking car.

 

PS- I'm off to Amsterdam for some good times with a great friend, then home to Scotland.  A bit different to last Christmas in Ethiopia. This is my first Christmas in 5 years that I won't be in Africa. Snoooooowww!!

Very Merry

I'm back!

But I'm not quite ready to face the music of the end of a holiday and the start of a new year, so my stories of adventures had in Ethiopia may be a bit delayed.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! I did! 

PS- The Santa hat stayed on all day!

Ethiopia bound

I'm off to Ethiopia today. I've already been on holiday for a week, but it has been  bit of a blur. Every time I tried to do anything, my body screamed out 'NO!'. But I did manage to bake more cookies, drank copious amounts of mulled wine, made up Christmas boxes for the guards and my house girl (I suddenly I have four guys on the gate...!?),  I completed my Internet shopping for friends and family in the UK (too late! I'm sorry!), watched Love Actually (a must!) and downloaded more Christmas music. But, my camera is charged and my bag is now packed; Santa hat and stocking fillers squashed in.

I am meeting 3 friends of mine, Tim, Kelly and Sibyl in Addis Ababa. They are flying in from Uganda and then we are off on a 12 day adventure.We will be spending Christmas on/around the Simien Mountains, a World Heritage Site. It is said to be the 'roof top of Africa'. I could be told anything, as really, this is the first holiday in a long time, that I have not planned and really have no clue of our itinerary...my mum has a better idea of what I am doing! I don't mind what I see or where we go,  I am just looking forward to catching up with my friends. Maybe even getting a run or two in with Tim.
So, that is what I'm up to this Christmas.

But be sure, I will be thinking of friends and family around the world, especially my mum, my dad and my brother,who will be spending Christmas in Dublin this year. 

Merry Christmas!

xx

Trying to be Martha

To myself...

Oh, that looks cute...

Don't count them yet, you still have lots to do...

Another broken one, shame. One for me, one for you, one for me...

Stop eating the cookies, you are going to run out...

Do I really need to give one to everyone!!?? Yes...

But, the office staff can just have a jar. It is easier for me for them to share!..

God, I need a glass of wine. How many more do I need to do!??

Oh-don't bother writing your name on the tag- it's quicker more fun guessing who gave the cookie!..

Done!

Spiced Christmas Cookies

I have been baking these Christmas Spiced cookies  a LOT this week.

I used this Martha Stewart recipe and for the first time ever bought 'Molasses' (that is treacle to you        
and I)...which cost a small fortune by the by!

They really only take about 7 minutes to bake, I have learnt to just stay by the oven!

They are really easy to bake...I don't have a fan assisted oven, and it only has an on/off knob...and they turned out well. You will have no probs!

Getting into the spirit

This weekend was the start of the Christmas season, for me.

I downloaded the new Michael Buble 'Christmas' album. I ate mince pies and drank beer as I wandered round, in my wellies and sunglasses, one of the big Christmas Fairs in Nairobi. I started making some Christmas gifts and wrote a few cards. And I had my first Christmas dinner, complete with paper hats, Christmas pudding, crackers and a visit from Santa. (And then I had my second one, at school, today!)

This week I have two concerts to attend, carols to sing and more crackers to pull. As I am going to Ethiopia for my Christmas,  I think I better soak all the Christmas spirit up now, while it's going!



PS- Don't you hate it when someone says, "oh, you should have come for dinner/drinks/whatever last night," the next day. A belated invite is not an invite, is it?

Maple Nut Granola

Friends of mine at the 'w' place were laughing at me the other day, as I spent my whole evening (and admitted it!) at home looking (with my tongue hanging out) at the Martha Stewart website!

I wish I could be that creative! I'm not...as I have mentioned before..!

Anyhow, I decided to make a few homemade gifts this Christmas. When I was younger it was snowballs and truffles, then the past few years I have made chutneys. This year I thought I would make granola. A funny kind of gift, but granola is expensive here, so I thought I would have a go-as you can actually buy flax seed, wheat germ and lots of other gems here. Anyhow, by the time I bought all the ingredients I would have been better off buying a box of Dorset's and decanting it into a jar with a home made tag on it!

Hey ho-it's the thought...

I used a recipe from this lovely blog, but I used dried blueberries instead of cranberries and I left out the coconut.