| The second Maisie Dobbs novel was similar to the first, without the glimpses into Maisie's past. There's a new mystery to solve, which leads to another mystery. Maisie, however, is up to the task and manages to solve what the police could not. I missed the glimpses into Maisie's past in the novel. I'm not sure how much I like Maisie, the person. She seems very hypocritical and quick-to-judge, despite her training to be open-minded. But I'm still curious about Maisie's past and that's what makes her character so intriguing - what shaped her into the investigator. And so I'll have to read another Maisie Hobbs novel, in hopes of better understanding - and liking - this character. |
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Birds of a Feather
I enjoyed the first Maisie Dobbs novel last year and was excited to be given the second book in the series as a gift. Here's my review of Birds of a Feather....
Monday, April 10, 2017
Cathe Challenge: Week Three
Two weeks down, six to go. And six weeks until our next cruise. Eek!
My weight is way, way too high. I'm getting a bit desperate. Thankfully, I have a great workout resource at my fingertips: Cathe Live!
Monday: Cathe's Old School Cardio Plus Kickboxing + YWA
I didn't quite see how this Old School workout was any different than Cathe's other cardio workouts. I think she is just old school - and that's perfectly okay! As always, this workout was intense - as in non-stop. Dang! These really get to be exhausting when you do them almost every day of the week! After work, I did this YWA - which focused on breathing and the foundations of yoga. Very good!
Tuesday: Cathe's Hi-Lo Cardio and Core + walk + YWA
So I kind of got my workouts mixed up in the wee hours this morning. I thought I was doing one with weights but this was all cardio. So, I did my own weights throughout to take a break from Cathe's non-stop cardio. Oy. At lunch, I walked at the rec center and then did some core work. And at the end of the day, I did this rainy day YWA. No, it wasn't rainy but it seemed to suit my very tired mood.
Wednesday: Cathe's Bun Burners Barre and Ball + walk + YWA
In the spirit of low-intensity, I tuned into Cathe's lower body workout today. This had no jumping, no "cardio" - just body weight exercises for legs. If that doesn't sound painful, then you don't work out. Dang! I made it through the standing work with minimal pain - but still some pain - but the barre was almost torture. Actually, it may have been honest-to-goodness torture. And my masochistic self loved it. I stopped there - I don't own a stability ball. At lunch, I walked outside for 25 minutes, enjoying the short Texas spring while I can. After work, I tuned into this YWA - though I'm nowhere near to being able to do crow.
Thursday: The Gymbox's Extreme Cardio + weights
This morning, I did an extreme cardio workout that was led by Ashli. I really like her but she's tough. You never stop in her workouts and I didn't today. This workout consisted of HIIT bursts but in between you're jumping and jacking. Whew! I didn't do the tuck jumps that she performed - but I still jumped. At lunch, I did weights at the rec center. I'm going to feel these tomorrow.
Friday: The Gymbox's Advanced Power Yoga + walk
I wanted yoga today but I wanted a break from Adriene. I love YWA but I wanted to test my yoga skills with other instructors. The Gymbox's Chrissy was okay. This practice was for hip openers, in the hopes of getting to the splits. I'm so close to the splits! Arg! This was a good practice and tested me in new ways. At lunch, I walked outside for 20 minutes.
Saturday: Cathe's Cardio Boxing + The Gymbox's Extreme Cardio
Time for cardio and more cardio. I did the first 30 minutes of Cathe's boxing workout, until she started with weights. But that 30 minutes was good; I like Cathe's boxing workouts, I think! After that, I tuned into Ashli's workout on The Gymbox. This workout was very similar to the one I did on Thursday - non-stop jumping. Whew! But it was a good workout. After all that, I did some ab work and then stretched.
Sunday: Peak 10 More Cardio Strength + weights
I was not looking forward to Michelle's toughest CS this morning. This one goes to the floor so much - it's just so tiring. Somehow, I made it through, but I don't know how. I added on 10 minutes of my own cardio to get a full 60 minutes of work in. Then, five minutes with the heavier weights. After all that, it was good to stretch.
Calorie Counts
Between Monday and Thursday, I dropped five pounds. On Tuesday, I ate all of 900 calories. That may have had something to do with it. But then I ate horribly on Friday and Saturday, likely negating any poundage lost. Ugh.
My weight is way, way too high. I'm getting a bit desperate. Thankfully, I have a great workout resource at my fingertips: Cathe Live!
Monday: Cathe's Old School Cardio Plus Kickboxing + YWA
I didn't quite see how this Old School workout was any different than Cathe's other cardio workouts. I think she is just old school - and that's perfectly okay! As always, this workout was intense - as in non-stop. Dang! These really get to be exhausting when you do them almost every day of the week! After work, I did this YWA - which focused on breathing and the foundations of yoga. Very good!
Tuesday: Cathe's Hi-Lo Cardio and Core + walk + YWA
So I kind of got my workouts mixed up in the wee hours this morning. I thought I was doing one with weights but this was all cardio. So, I did my own weights throughout to take a break from Cathe's non-stop cardio. Oy. At lunch, I walked at the rec center and then did some core work. And at the end of the day, I did this rainy day YWA. No, it wasn't rainy but it seemed to suit my very tired mood.
Wednesday: Cathe's Bun Burners Barre and Ball + walk + YWA
In the spirit of low-intensity, I tuned into Cathe's lower body workout today. This had no jumping, no "cardio" - just body weight exercises for legs. If that doesn't sound painful, then you don't work out. Dang! I made it through the standing work with minimal pain - but still some pain - but the barre was almost torture. Actually, it may have been honest-to-goodness torture. And my masochistic self loved it. I stopped there - I don't own a stability ball. At lunch, I walked outside for 25 minutes, enjoying the short Texas spring while I can. After work, I tuned into this YWA - though I'm nowhere near to being able to do crow.
Thursday: The Gymbox's Extreme Cardio + weights
This morning, I did an extreme cardio workout that was led by Ashli. I really like her but she's tough. You never stop in her workouts and I didn't today. This workout consisted of HIIT bursts but in between you're jumping and jacking. Whew! I didn't do the tuck jumps that she performed - but I still jumped. At lunch, I did weights at the rec center. I'm going to feel these tomorrow.
Friday: The Gymbox's Advanced Power Yoga + walk
I wanted yoga today but I wanted a break from Adriene. I love YWA but I wanted to test my yoga skills with other instructors. The Gymbox's Chrissy was okay. This practice was for hip openers, in the hopes of getting to the splits. I'm so close to the splits! Arg! This was a good practice and tested me in new ways. At lunch, I walked outside for 20 minutes.
Saturday: Cathe's Cardio Boxing + The Gymbox's Extreme Cardio
Time for cardio and more cardio. I did the first 30 minutes of Cathe's boxing workout, until she started with weights. But that 30 minutes was good; I like Cathe's boxing workouts, I think! After that, I tuned into Ashli's workout on The Gymbox. This workout was very similar to the one I did on Thursday - non-stop jumping. Whew! But it was a good workout. After all that, I did some ab work and then stretched.
Sunday: Peak 10 More Cardio Strength + weights
I was not looking forward to Michelle's toughest CS this morning. This one goes to the floor so much - it's just so tiring. Somehow, I made it through, but I don't know how. I added on 10 minutes of my own cardio to get a full 60 minutes of work in. Then, five minutes with the heavier weights. After all that, it was good to stretch.
Calorie Counts
Between Monday and Thursday, I dropped five pounds. On Tuesday, I ate all of 900 calories. That may have had something to do with it. But then I ate horribly on Friday and Saturday, likely negating any poundage lost. Ugh.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Cortisol and the Thyroid
Almost three weeks into my Cathe Challenge and I'm already reflecting on things...
My weight is quickly getting out of control, despite working out like crazy (all that Cathe HIIT) and eating 1200-1300 calories a day.
And this may actually be my problem. My body may be producing too much cortisol because I'm stressing it out. Too much cortisol limits the amount of thyroid hormone your body processes which means you gain weight. If you ever need help with the aftermath of your thyroidectomy or with hypothyroidism, come to me. I'm becoming an expert!
As a result of this cortisol build-up, people with thyroid issues are generally told to not work out at high intensities or for long periods. Um, great. That means I'm doing way too much high intensity cardio.
Sigh. I'm going to get my cortisol tested soon and my lovely endocrinologist is even willing to change my thyroid meds - from synthetic to desiccated. (More on that later.) We'll see, after all this labwork.
In the meantime, if you have a weight loss or working out question, or if you just like knowing about fitness in general, check out Cathe's blog. It's great and has a wealth of information on anything related to fitness. Just try searching for thyroid - dang!
My weight is quickly getting out of control, despite working out like crazy (all that Cathe HIIT) and eating 1200-1300 calories a day.
And this may actually be my problem. My body may be producing too much cortisol because I'm stressing it out. Too much cortisol limits the amount of thyroid hormone your body processes which means you gain weight. If you ever need help with the aftermath of your thyroidectomy or with hypothyroidism, come to me. I'm becoming an expert!
As a result of this cortisol build-up, people with thyroid issues are generally told to not work out at high intensities or for long periods. Um, great. That means I'm doing way too much high intensity cardio.
Sigh. I'm going to get my cortisol tested soon and my lovely endocrinologist is even willing to change my thyroid meds - from synthetic to desiccated. (More on that later.) We'll see, after all this labwork.
In the meantime, if you have a weight loss or working out question, or if you just like knowing about fitness in general, check out Cathe's blog. It's great and has a wealth of information on anything related to fitness. Just try searching for thyroid - dang!
Monday, April 3, 2017
Cathe Challenge: Week Two
I've gone six days without a workout break....and I won't get one until Friday. Eek!
But I'm enjoying the different workouts that Cathe has to offer through her streaming site. She's still not my favorite instructor (ahem, Michelle Dozois), but she's a nice change.
Monday: Cathe's 80s Style Cardio with Low Impact Blasts Live + walk + YWA
I have no idea why I thought this 80s Style Cardio would be less intense....but it wasn't. It caught me off guard! I made a bit of it low-impact, just to have a break from all the jumping. Dang! Cathe definitely works you hard, no question! At lunch, it was gorgeous outside, so I walked for 25 minutes. Traffic was awful going home, which cut into my YWA schedule for the day. I ended up doing this practice, to help with anxiety. Appropriate.
Tuesday: Cathe's For the Love of Cardio + weights
I hate not knowing what I'm getting in to with these Cathe workouts. This one was very similar to yesterday's 80s style....if not the tiniest bit less intense. My only complaint so far: she does so many moves, over and over, in every single workout. I like variety. At lunch, I did weights at the rec center. Yay! That always makes me feel good - when it's over.
Wednesday: Cathe's Hi-Lo Cardio Kickboxing + walk + YWA
So after all these Cathe workouts, I'm getting tired. Thankfully, this kickboxing workout had less jumping than my previous workouts this week. Hallelujah. And I'm finding that I like Cathe's kickboxing. For some reason, my FitBit tells me that my heart rate is higher with this than with straight cardio, like I did on Monday and Tuesday. No idea. At lunch, I walked outside for 25 minutes. It was another gorgeous day out (after horrible storms last night). I did a good YWA today - it was nice and flow-y.
But I'm enjoying the different workouts that Cathe has to offer through her streaming site. She's still not my favorite instructor (ahem, Michelle Dozois), but she's a nice change.
Monday: Cathe's 80s Style Cardio with Low Impact Blasts Live + walk + YWA
I have no idea why I thought this 80s Style Cardio would be less intense....but it wasn't. It caught me off guard! I made a bit of it low-impact, just to have a break from all the jumping. Dang! Cathe definitely works you hard, no question! At lunch, it was gorgeous outside, so I walked for 25 minutes. Traffic was awful going home, which cut into my YWA schedule for the day. I ended up doing this practice, to help with anxiety. Appropriate.
Tuesday: Cathe's For the Love of Cardio + weights
I hate not knowing what I'm getting in to with these Cathe workouts. This one was very similar to yesterday's 80s style....if not the tiniest bit less intense. My only complaint so far: she does so many moves, over and over, in every single workout. I like variety. At lunch, I did weights at the rec center. Yay! That always makes me feel good - when it's over.
Wednesday: Cathe's Hi-Lo Cardio Kickboxing + walk + YWA
So after all these Cathe workouts, I'm getting tired. Thankfully, this kickboxing workout had less jumping than my previous workouts this week. Hallelujah. And I'm finding that I like Cathe's kickboxing. For some reason, my FitBit tells me that my heart rate is higher with this than with straight cardio, like I did on Monday and Tuesday. No idea. At lunch, I walked outside for 25 minutes. It was another gorgeous day out (after horrible storms last night). I did a good YWA today - it was nice and flow-y.
Thursday: Cathe’s Cardio Circuit Mashup + YWA
This was a good workout that alternated one cardio move and one weighted move - usually. I kept it all low-impact, needing the break. To be honest, Cathe’s cardio moves are difficult to make low impact - but I managed. It was a good workout. My one complaint is that sometimes, Cathe does the weighted moves too fast. I can move fast and I’m familiar with compound exercises - but these are very difficult for me. This YWA was a short bedtime yoga. Nice!
Finally! A rest day! I needed this. My morning started with Adriene’s healthy energy flow. I thought it’d be harder than it was - but I really enjoyed this one. I got a good enough workout without feeling like it was too much on my rest day. Honestly, I’m loving the effect that yoga is having on my body. In the evening, I did Adriene’s 20-minute bedtime yoga - it was definitely relaxing.
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn Remix + YWA
I didn’t know how this CIB would go but it was great! I needed a good workout after two lighter days. And this one is definitely a good workout. After all the Cathe workouts, this one reminded me of just how much I love Michelle. I have a newfound love for her, actually. Ha! Cathe is very limited in her moves so Michelle’s were so refreshing today! After that 55 minute workout, I added on 15 minutes of my own cardio to get a longer workout. Later in the day, I wanted some good yoga so I tuned into this one - day 27 from Yoga Revolution (my January Challenge). It’s a good one!
Sunday: Cathe's Solid Cardio Plus HIIT + The Gymbox's Extreme Cardio + weights
Today, I was back to Cathe. This was a good, solid (ha!) cardio workout that did not have much of a dread factor (I found out, after the fact). This one may be my favorite so far! Amazing! After that 45 minutes, I tuned into Dana's workout on the Gymbox. It was kickboxing and HIIT. I took some breaks from her cardio to do some weights. Then, after 20 minutes of that, I did the 12-pound weights for five minutes. And then a nice stretch and sit-ups.
Calorie Counts
We just won't go there this week.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Rebel Queen
While on vacation, I read a book in my favorite genre, historical fiction. I've always enjoyed the novels by Michelle Moran and Rebel Queen was no exception.
My Goodreads review:
I don't think I would hesitate to read anything by Michelle Moran - in any time period, involving any character. She's a wonderful writer of historical fiction. I don't have a lot of interest in India - and I'm not a fan of the British Empire - but the premise of this novel sounded intriguing... Girl power and all that.
Moran did a lovely job introducing the main character, Sita, and explaining the religious views of Hindus in 19th century India. I was ashamed bu how little I knew. Sita quickly finds herself in the employ of Queen Rani Lakshmi, who will become India's last queen before the British arrive.
This story is riveting and I found myself flying through this novel. Sita was a lovely heroine and the dynamics of court life were enlivened by Moran very well. The atrocities committed by the British made me truly ashamed to be a part of Western culture.
A great read!
My Goodreads review:
I don't think I would hesitate to read anything by Michelle Moran - in any time period, involving any character. She's a wonderful writer of historical fiction. I don't have a lot of interest in India - and I'm not a fan of the British Empire - but the premise of this novel sounded intriguing... Girl power and all that.
Moran did a lovely job introducing the main character, Sita, and explaining the religious views of Hindus in 19th century India. I was ashamed bu how little I knew. Sita quickly finds herself in the employ of Queen Rani Lakshmi, who will become India's last queen before the British arrive.
This story is riveting and I found myself flying through this novel. Sita was a lovely heroine and the dynamics of court life were enlivened by Moran very well. The atrocities committed by the British made me truly ashamed to be a part of Western culture.
A great read!
Monday, March 27, 2017
Cathe Challenge: Week One
If you read my post last week, you'll know that I'm now a subscriber to Cathe Live Streaming. For the next eight weeks, up until our next cruise, the majority of my workouts will be from Cathe. That should make a good eight week Challenge, for sure.
Monday: VACATION
Tuesday: Michelle's Rockin' Body Cardio + weights + YWA
After so many days of not working out - ahem, 11 days - I needed to ease into it again. So I did my traditional first-workout-after-vacation video: an older one by Michelle Dozois. It definitely gets you moving and while the moves aren't crazy hard, I always work up a sweat! At lunch, I got to the rec to do weights, for the first time in TWO weeks, and was so proud of myself. After work, I did a 16-minute YWA, which focused on lower back pain. My back was not happy today, for some reason.
Wednesday: Cathe's Kickboxing and Barre + YWA
Today, I didn't know what to expect from Cathe. Her kickboxing is different from others. She focuses more on arms than legs and scatters cardio bursts throughout this workout. It was really effective. The cardio was so much - jumping! - that I was tempted to take it down a notch, but I persevered. After work, I wanted to do a more flow-y YWA so I chose this one - though I do not have a broken heart. Ha! It was lovely! And it made me sweat a bit!
Thursday: Cathe's Intensity + walk + YWA
I'm continuing to ramp up my workouts, post vacation. Cathe's Intensity is challenging on any day! I did all the step and then the Lo-HIIT. I was sweating up a storm and breathing hard - yay! At lunch, I walked the track at the rec center. It was good to get out of the office, for sure! And after lunch, I did a 30-minute YWA for feet! My feet have been a bit achy - partly from my plantar fasciitis. So this YWA was lovely!
Friday: Shape's Bikini Body Camp Transforming + The Gymbox's EDI: Walking + YWA
Since I had Monday off, there was no rest this Friday. I did Michelle Dozois' cardio from Shape's Body Camp. It's such a good 30-minute workout, including burpees and lunge jumps. Whew! I didn't want to kill myself afterward, so I did 10-15 minutes of Dana's walking workout on The Gymbox. It kept me moving. After work, I did a short YWA because I was already cleaning for the weekend. Ugh.
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn - Fat Blaster + The Gymbox's Extreme Cardio + YWA
I love this CIB so I chose it to be my first Peak 10 workout, post vacation. Yay! And I made it all the way through! This one is so much fun, it's hard not to - except that it gets harder as you go along. Ha! After that 55 minutes, I did 15 minutes of Dana's low-impact Extreme Cardio on The Gymbox. I like Dana's workouts so far - she definitely pushes you, even when doing low-impact work. After all that, I stretched, did some sit-ups, and, finally, a short YWA to check in with my tired body.
Sunday: Cathe's Crush It Low Impact Live + The Gymbox's Advanced Kickboxing + weights + YWA
So because I won't have a light, yoga-y day until Friday, I need to not get completely exhausted before then. So I decided to take it down just a bit today. I did Cathe's low-impact, which was 75% low-impact with weights. It was good, though Cathe went way too fast on some of the weighted portions. Then, after that 30-minute workout (yes, a short Cathe!), I tuned into The Gymbox for Jodi's kickboxing. Some of the cardio was high-impact but it wasn't too bad. All in all, a good workout. I did that for 35 minutes, then did some work with the weights for 5 minutes. Then a stretch, planks, and a chilled out YWA.
Calorie Counts:
Not great eating this week but I had some good days. It's always hard after a cruise, when you eat so much and your body gets used to that amount of food. I had to to try to reign it in this week!
Monday: VACATION
Tuesday: Michelle's Rockin' Body Cardio + weights + YWA
After so many days of not working out - ahem, 11 days - I needed to ease into it again. So I did my traditional first-workout-after-vacation video: an older one by Michelle Dozois. It definitely gets you moving and while the moves aren't crazy hard, I always work up a sweat! At lunch, I got to the rec to do weights, for the first time in TWO weeks, and was so proud of myself. After work, I did a 16-minute YWA, which focused on lower back pain. My back was not happy today, for some reason.
Wednesday: Cathe's Kickboxing and Barre + YWA
Today, I didn't know what to expect from Cathe. Her kickboxing is different from others. She focuses more on arms than legs and scatters cardio bursts throughout this workout. It was really effective. The cardio was so much - jumping! - that I was tempted to take it down a notch, but I persevered. After work, I wanted to do a more flow-y YWA so I chose this one - though I do not have a broken heart. Ha! It was lovely! And it made me sweat a bit!
Thursday: Cathe's Intensity + walk + YWA
I'm continuing to ramp up my workouts, post vacation. Cathe's Intensity is challenging on any day! I did all the step and then the Lo-HIIT. I was sweating up a storm and breathing hard - yay! At lunch, I walked the track at the rec center. It was good to get out of the office, for sure! And after lunch, I did a 30-minute YWA for feet! My feet have been a bit achy - partly from my plantar fasciitis. So this YWA was lovely!
Friday: Shape's Bikini Body Camp Transforming + The Gymbox's EDI: Walking + YWA
Since I had Monday off, there was no rest this Friday. I did Michelle Dozois' cardio from Shape's Body Camp. It's such a good 30-minute workout, including burpees and lunge jumps. Whew! I didn't want to kill myself afterward, so I did 10-15 minutes of Dana's walking workout on The Gymbox. It kept me moving. After work, I did a short YWA because I was already cleaning for the weekend. Ugh.
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn - Fat Blaster + The Gymbox's Extreme Cardio + YWA
I love this CIB so I chose it to be my first Peak 10 workout, post vacation. Yay! And I made it all the way through! This one is so much fun, it's hard not to - except that it gets harder as you go along. Ha! After that 55 minutes, I did 15 minutes of Dana's low-impact Extreme Cardio on The Gymbox. I like Dana's workouts so far - she definitely pushes you, even when doing low-impact work. After all that, I stretched, did some sit-ups, and, finally, a short YWA to check in with my tired body.
Sunday: Cathe's Crush It Low Impact Live + The Gymbox's Advanced Kickboxing + weights + YWA
So because I won't have a light, yoga-y day until Friday, I need to not get completely exhausted before then. So I decided to take it down just a bit today. I did Cathe's low-impact, which was 75% low-impact with weights. It was good, though Cathe went way too fast on some of the weighted portions. Then, after that 30-minute workout (yes, a short Cathe!), I tuned into The Gymbox for Jodi's kickboxing. Some of the cardio was high-impact but it wasn't too bad. All in all, a good workout. I did that for 35 minutes, then did some work with the weights for 5 minutes. Then a stretch, planks, and a chilled out YWA.
Calorie Counts:
Not great eating this week but I had some good days. It's always hard after a cruise, when you eat so much and your body gets used to that amount of food. I had to to try to reign it in this week!
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Hidden Figures
For the month of March, my book group chose to read Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly.
My Goodreads review:
I was very curious about this novel because a) I had no idea women worked at NASA back in the days of the race to space and b) I didn't know black women were among them. When I picture NASA in those days, I see a lot of white men in polyester suits with cigarettes dangling from their mouths. Yep, no joke.
So I was happy to read this novel and learn that among those cigarette smoking, polyester-clad white men were professional black women. And what intelligent women they were! It blows my mind - especially because I'm horrible at math - that these women worked as computers.
And to consider what black women had to overcome just to receive a good education. I'm so proud of of them and for their accomplishments at NASA. Shetterly wrote a wonderful book and it was a pleasure to read.
My Goodreads review:
I was very curious about this novel because a) I had no idea women worked at NASA back in the days of the race to space and b) I didn't know black women were among them. When I picture NASA in those days, I see a lot of white men in polyester suits with cigarettes dangling from their mouths. Yep, no joke.
So I was happy to read this novel and learn that among those cigarette smoking, polyester-clad white men were professional black women. And what intelligent women they were! It blows my mind - especially because I'm horrible at math - that these women worked as computers.
And to consider what black women had to overcome just to receive a good education. I'm so proud of of them and for their accomplishments at NASA. Shetterly wrote a wonderful book and it was a pleasure to read.
Monday, March 20, 2017
Cathe Streaming
This week, when I return from vacation, I'll start an 8-week Cathe Challenge.
Earlier this year, when I learned that FitnessGlo was going down, I started investigating other streaming workout sites. I knew that Cathe streamed workouts but I had to investigate her site more before I fully understood what she offered.
There are two options:
1. Stream Live workouts from her gym.
2. OnDemand access to all of Cathe's DVDs.
*If you purchase the OnDemand package, you also gain access to the Live workouts.
My one gripe with Cathe's DVDs is that they require too much equipment - and to many are step workouts. So I was not inclined to try the OnDemand option. It's also quite a bit more expensive than just doing the Live workouts.
The Streaming Live workouts cost $10/month. That's not bad. That's what I'm paying for The Gymbox. To get me started, I asked for a gift card to the site, which I used to purchase a 6-month Live plan. Cool!
Cathe's Streaming Live workouts are more appealing than her DVDs - to me, anyways. She's more personable and she gives you water breaks. Amazing. So far, my one gripe (and I've only done two workouts but perused the site extensively), is that 75% of the workouts, if not more, require weights. That's all good and fine but you can't do weights every day. At max, you can do weights three times a week.
Given this knowledge, I think Cathe's Streaming Live workouts will compliment my subscription to The Gymbox, which has more cardio and less cardio/weight integrated workouts - which is what Cathe has too much of. They seem to be a good pair to subscribe to together.
We'll see! Stay tuned!
Earlier this year, when I learned that FitnessGlo was going down, I started investigating other streaming workout sites. I knew that Cathe streamed workouts but I had to investigate her site more before I fully understood what she offered.
There are two options:
1. Stream Live workouts from her gym.
2. OnDemand access to all of Cathe's DVDs.
*If you purchase the OnDemand package, you also gain access to the Live workouts.
My one gripe with Cathe's DVDs is that they require too much equipment - and to many are step workouts. So I was not inclined to try the OnDemand option. It's also quite a bit more expensive than just doing the Live workouts.
The Streaming Live workouts cost $10/month. That's not bad. That's what I'm paying for The Gymbox. To get me started, I asked for a gift card to the site, which I used to purchase a 6-month Live plan. Cool!
Cathe's Streaming Live workouts are more appealing than her DVDs - to me, anyways. She's more personable and she gives you water breaks. Amazing. So far, my one gripe (and I've only done two workouts but perused the site extensively), is that 75% of the workouts, if not more, require weights. That's all good and fine but you can't do weights every day. At max, you can do weights three times a week.
Given this knowledge, I think Cathe's Streaming Live workouts will compliment my subscription to The Gymbox, which has more cardio and less cardio/weight integrated workouts - which is what Cathe has too much of. They seem to be a good pair to subscribe to together.
We'll see! Stay tuned!
Friday, March 17, 2017
Shoal Bay
My week of pictures continues....
Shoal Bay, Anguilla, had some of the most amazing colors. The water was just....iridescently beautiful. I wish we had had more time to spend here but we were hampered by ferry schedules. If you get a chance to go, don't pass it up!
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Nelson's Dockyard
A picture to distract you while I'm away....
This is Nelson's Dockyard on Antigua, where the British navy had a foothold in colonial times. It's an amazing place and one that sailors of the Caribbean know very well. Every year there's a Regatta here and it must be quite a sight.
Monday, March 13, 2017
One Week Before the Cruise! - Workouts
It's actually less than a week: we leave on Thursday night. Eek!
After eating healthy all weekend, I'm hungry. But I've got to keep this going for four more days...
Monday: The Gymbox Cardio Dance + YWA
Today I cannot tell you how sore I was - either from weights or kickboxing yesterday, I don't know. But I could barely lift my arms - or anything else. Ouch! So it was good that I'd planned to take it down a notch today, before my final three day push to the cruise. I did a dance workout with Jodi, who is a really good instructor, successfully breaking down complicated steps. My heart rate didn't get too high this morning but I had fun! In the evening, I wanted to work a bit harder with yoga so I did this "energizing" sequence - it got me sweating!
Tuesday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn - Fat Blaster + walk + YWA
Changing it up this morning! I wanted cardio so I turned to Michelle. I love this CIB! Since it was so early, I didn't know if I'd feel up to the peaks, but I did about 75% of them. Wow! Talk about a great workout! At lunch, I meant to do weights but I was still so sore from Sunday, that I walked instead. I felt like a disappointment - I'm weird that way - but at least I didn't hurt myself. After work, I decided to do a tougher YWA - and this one made me sweat! So many lunges - wow!
Wednesday: Cathe's Metabolic Circuit Blast + walk
For my weights today, I decided to do another streaming Cathe video. This one was a lot like the one I did last week. The cardio, though, was intense and I was sweating like crazy. I'm still not 100% sold on Cathe's style but maybe my Cathe Challenge in a few weeks will change that. One thing this workout showed me, though, was how tired I am. I'm just rundown. Sigh. I may have to take it easier than I'd planned tomorrow. At lunch, I walked ten minutes to and from a cafe to meet my old boss for lunch. A lovely 20 minutes outside!
Thursday: Cathe's Intensity
My last workout before the cruise! I needed to make the most of it, though I was really feeling rundown. Cathe's Intensity is not my favorite but I can do it in the mornings - it's not too bad, if I do the low-impact HIIT. And that's what I did this morning. It was a good workout, without being crazy.
And that's it! We're off.
For the first time ever, I'm thinking of workout out on a cruise - well, doing yoga. I've gained some fantastic flexibility - I'm so close to the splits! - and I don't want to lose it all. We'll see how it goes.
On Tuesday, I finished my 30-Day Squat Challenge. Yay! I can't say my bum feels any different but we'll see after I spend time in my bikinis next week. Ha!
After eating healthy all weekend, I'm hungry. But I've got to keep this going for four more days...
Monday: The Gymbox Cardio Dance + YWA
Today I cannot tell you how sore I was - either from weights or kickboxing yesterday, I don't know. But I could barely lift my arms - or anything else. Ouch! So it was good that I'd planned to take it down a notch today, before my final three day push to the cruise. I did a dance workout with Jodi, who is a really good instructor, successfully breaking down complicated steps. My heart rate didn't get too high this morning but I had fun! In the evening, I wanted to work a bit harder with yoga so I did this "energizing" sequence - it got me sweating!
Tuesday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn - Fat Blaster + walk + YWA
Changing it up this morning! I wanted cardio so I turned to Michelle. I love this CIB! Since it was so early, I didn't know if I'd feel up to the peaks, but I did about 75% of them. Wow! Talk about a great workout! At lunch, I meant to do weights but I was still so sore from Sunday, that I walked instead. I felt like a disappointment - I'm weird that way - but at least I didn't hurt myself. After work, I decided to do a tougher YWA - and this one made me sweat! So many lunges - wow!
Wednesday: Cathe's Metabolic Circuit Blast + walk
For my weights today, I decided to do another streaming Cathe video. This one was a lot like the one I did last week. The cardio, though, was intense and I was sweating like crazy. I'm still not 100% sold on Cathe's style but maybe my Cathe Challenge in a few weeks will change that. One thing this workout showed me, though, was how tired I am. I'm just rundown. Sigh. I may have to take it easier than I'd planned tomorrow. At lunch, I walked ten minutes to and from a cafe to meet my old boss for lunch. A lovely 20 minutes outside!
Thursday: Cathe's Intensity
My last workout before the cruise! I needed to make the most of it, though I was really feeling rundown. Cathe's Intensity is not my favorite but I can do it in the mornings - it's not too bad, if I do the low-impact HIIT. And that's what I did this morning. It was a good workout, without being crazy.
And that's it! We're off.
For the first time ever, I'm thinking of workout out on a cruise - well, doing yoga. I've gained some fantastic flexibility - I'm so close to the splits! - and I don't want to lose it all. We'll see how it goes.
On Tuesday, I finished my 30-Day Squat Challenge. Yay! I can't say my bum feels any different but we'll see after I spend time in my bikinis next week. Ha!
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Two Days....
....until we leave.
I'm so ready. I can't remember a time when I've needed a vacation more.
I'm so ready. I can't remember a time when I've needed a vacation more.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Two Weeks Before the Cruise! - Workouts
Well, you guessed it. Two weeks until the cruise. Actually, less than that; we leave a week from Thursday. Eek!
After being so depressed at the number on the scale last week, I may not get back on it. I may stick to measurements only. Thankfully, I have my measurements all in one notebook - and they go back years. Sometimes it's not so good, actually. Ha!
I have a few more days left of my Les Mills On Demand subscription so let's put those to good use!
Monday: Les Mills' Sh'Bam #22 + weights + YWA
My last Sh'Bam for a while - so sad. I went back to the newest routine, which I'd only done one other time. It was fun! I kept it all low-impact because I needed a break. It was still a good workout and it was nice to not kill myself. Ha! At lunch, I forced myself to the rec to do weights. I hate them but it felt so good to get them over with for the week! After work - and a horrible commute - I did a 19-minute YWA. Very nice! And very calming, which is what I needed.
Tuesday: Les Mills' Combat #67 + YWA
And my last streaming Combat for a long while. Sigh. This one was a good one - not too crazy for an early morning. I was dreading the leg portion but it wasn't too bad. All in all, it was a good, energizing workout for a Tuesday. Work kept me from a lunch-time walk but I managed to do some YWA after work. This YWA was tough - lots of lunges which really got to my legs. Dang! Adriene still manages to surprise me!
Wednesday: Les Mills' BodyAttack #93 and 92 + YWA
My last Les Mills workout for this Challenge. Sniff, sniff. Instead of torturing myself with Grit, I decided to make myself work hard and fast with not one, but TWO BodyAttacks. This is pure aerobics. So much running and hopping and jacking.... Whew! It gets hard to keep up as you get tired but I made it through the cardio of most of these two. Yay! A birthday lunch at work meant no workout but I did a nice, calming YWA after another crazy commute home. It really helped to soothe my frazzled nerves.
Thursday: Cathe's Ramped Up Cardio and Weights + walk + YWA
For Christmas, I'd asked for a gift certificate to Cathe's streaming videos. I finally joined this month, and plan to do a Cathe Challenge after the cruise. But I wanted to check it out and this workout seemed good on a morning when I needed weights. And it was good! I like Cathe live more than on her DVDs. Ha! After work, I did a 33-minute YWA, focusing on balancing. I thought it'd be a bit lighter with balancing stuff....but it was a lot of flow and really got my heart rate going. Nice!
Friday: BodyFit 360 Vol. 2 - Dance Conditioning + walk
It was nice to go back to BodyFit this morning, after a two-month hiatus. I kept this low-impact....and still started sweating like crazy. There's no one like Michelle: fun with some serious work. The floorwork gets me every time! I skipped two tracks but did most of this workout. At lunch, I walked outside - it was gorgeous - for about 20-25 minutes.
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn Remix + The Gymbox Cardio Dance + YWA
After everything is said and done and another Challenge is over, it's always fun to go back to Michelle for a good Peak 10 workout. This one is a favorite of mine and I really enjoyed it today....and I got a great 55-minute cardio workout. After that, I tried a Gymbox dance workout with Kaycee.....and I'm learning that she's not my favorite for dance. But I persevered for 15 minutes. Then, a nice stretch and a lovely YWA.
Sunday: The Gymbox Advanced Kickboxing + weights + YWA
I wanted something different today. I've done a few of Dana's workouts on the Gymbox and I like her style, though she's tough. She has some kickboxing workouts so today, I decided to give this 60-minute workout a try. Dang! She warms you up well and then you do some major cardio before settling into some kickboxing combinations. After every combination, you do intervals to get your heart rate up. That was a very effective hour. Wow! After that, I did 10 minutes of weights with the 12-pound weights. Then, a nice 7-minute stretch with Adriene. And then my arms were killing me all day.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1359
Tuesday - 1310
Wednesday - 1290
Thursday - 1189
Friday - 1217
Saturday - 1235
Sunday - 1178
So I didn't freak out at my extra calories this week. I'm beginning to think I'm eating too little when I stay at or under 1200. Come the weekend, I was afraid to get on the scale as it's that time of the month. But I did....and I was down almost 3 pounds from last weekend. OMG! I was ecstatic. That means I'm 2.2 pounds away from my ideal 5-pound range. Yay!
After being so depressed at the number on the scale last week, I may not get back on it. I may stick to measurements only. Thankfully, I have my measurements all in one notebook - and they go back years. Sometimes it's not so good, actually. Ha!
I have a few more days left of my Les Mills On Demand subscription so let's put those to good use!
Monday: Les Mills' Sh'Bam #22 + weights + YWA
My last Sh'Bam for a while - so sad. I went back to the newest routine, which I'd only done one other time. It was fun! I kept it all low-impact because I needed a break. It was still a good workout and it was nice to not kill myself. Ha! At lunch, I forced myself to the rec to do weights. I hate them but it felt so good to get them over with for the week! After work - and a horrible commute - I did a 19-minute YWA. Very nice! And very calming, which is what I needed.
Tuesday: Les Mills' Combat #67 + YWA
And my last streaming Combat for a long while. Sigh. This one was a good one - not too crazy for an early morning. I was dreading the leg portion but it wasn't too bad. All in all, it was a good, energizing workout for a Tuesday. Work kept me from a lunch-time walk but I managed to do some YWA after work. This YWA was tough - lots of lunges which really got to my legs. Dang! Adriene still manages to surprise me!
Wednesday: Les Mills' BodyAttack #93 and 92 + YWA
My last Les Mills workout for this Challenge. Sniff, sniff. Instead of torturing myself with Grit, I decided to make myself work hard and fast with not one, but TWO BodyAttacks. This is pure aerobics. So much running and hopping and jacking.... Whew! It gets hard to keep up as you get tired but I made it through the cardio of most of these two. Yay! A birthday lunch at work meant no workout but I did a nice, calming YWA after another crazy commute home. It really helped to soothe my frazzled nerves.
Thursday: Cathe's Ramped Up Cardio and Weights + walk + YWA
For Christmas, I'd asked for a gift certificate to Cathe's streaming videos. I finally joined this month, and plan to do a Cathe Challenge after the cruise. But I wanted to check it out and this workout seemed good on a morning when I needed weights. And it was good! I like Cathe live more than on her DVDs. Ha! After work, I did a 33-minute YWA, focusing on balancing. I thought it'd be a bit lighter with balancing stuff....but it was a lot of flow and really got my heart rate going. Nice!
Friday: BodyFit 360 Vol. 2 - Dance Conditioning + walk
It was nice to go back to BodyFit this morning, after a two-month hiatus. I kept this low-impact....and still started sweating like crazy. There's no one like Michelle: fun with some serious work. The floorwork gets me every time! I skipped two tracks but did most of this workout. At lunch, I walked outside - it was gorgeous - for about 20-25 minutes.
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn Remix + The Gymbox Cardio Dance + YWA
After everything is said and done and another Challenge is over, it's always fun to go back to Michelle for a good Peak 10 workout. This one is a favorite of mine and I really enjoyed it today....and I got a great 55-minute cardio workout. After that, I tried a Gymbox dance workout with Kaycee.....and I'm learning that she's not my favorite for dance. But I persevered for 15 minutes. Then, a nice stretch and a lovely YWA.
Sunday: The Gymbox Advanced Kickboxing + weights + YWA
I wanted something different today. I've done a few of Dana's workouts on the Gymbox and I like her style, though she's tough. She has some kickboxing workouts so today, I decided to give this 60-minute workout a try. Dang! She warms you up well and then you do some major cardio before settling into some kickboxing combinations. After every combination, you do intervals to get your heart rate up. That was a very effective hour. Wow! After that, I did 10 minutes of weights with the 12-pound weights. Then, a nice 7-minute stretch with Adriene. And then my arms were killing me all day.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1359
Tuesday - 1310
Wednesday - 1290
Thursday - 1189
Friday - 1217
Saturday - 1235
Sunday - 1178
So I didn't freak out at my extra calories this week. I'm beginning to think I'm eating too little when I stay at or under 1200. Come the weekend, I was afraid to get on the scale as it's that time of the month. But I did....and I was down almost 3 pounds from last weekend. OMG! I was ecstatic. That means I'm 2.2 pounds away from my ideal 5-pound range. Yay!
Friday, March 3, 2017
Happy Birthday Door Sign
The cruise we're taking next Friday is for Mr. Higgins' dad's 70th birthday. It's a big birthday and it needed a big cruise - so we're taking a 10-night cruise on a line that's a bit more upscale than what we're used to.
A fun thing to do on cruises is to decorate your cabin door. All the doors are magnetic, making it easy to buy - or make - cool decorations to differentiate your door from all the others. It's fun. Except when people steel your stuff....which has happened to us.
BUT. I wanted to make something for my father-in-law's door. Mr. Higgins suggested a big cupcake.... But I don't do well with cutting. After trying to get ideas on websites, I came up with this.
A fun thing to do on cruises is to decorate your cabin door. All the doors are magnetic, making it easy to buy - or make - cool decorations to differentiate your door from all the others. It's fun. Except when people steel your stuff....which has happened to us.
BUT. I wanted to make something for my father-in-law's door. Mr. Higgins suggested a big cupcake.... But I don't do well with cutting. After trying to get ideas on websites, I came up with this.
Nice lines that I can cut - with a paper cutter and small things to do by hand. Ha!
I hope he likes it. He deserves to have fun and hopefully some festive decorations will help set and keep the mood of happiness.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
The Misremembered Man
Somehow, despite being crazy - or maybe because of it - I flew through The Misremembered Man, by Christina McKenna. An overnight trip to Chicago, meaning about 5 hours on a plane, means a lot of reading time, apparently.
My Goodreads review:
My Goodreads review:
| Someone loaned me this book, suggesting that it's one I might enjoy. The synopsis made me think that, as well. This was an endearing novel....but it was also very difficult to read, at times. It's the story of a man, James, orphaned, now grown and living on a farm by himself. He decides that it's past time to find a special woman to complete his lonely life. A schoolteacher, Lydia, has a similar epiphany when she needs a date to a wedding. The two end up exchanging letters and eventually meeting. What is difficult about this novel is the flashbacks to the orphanage where James grew up. I had no idea the houses run by the Catholic Church in Ireland were so absolutely despicable and abusive. The actions by those who ran such places made this a terrible thing to have to read - so much so that I cannot imagine living through it. The novel ends well, though a bit too quickly. McKenna's novel has a steady rhythm throughout until the conclusion, which feels rushed and disjointed. But I enjoyed James - a man whose simpleness is greatly endearing - and Lydia, with whom any woman can sympathize. |
Monday, February 27, 2017
Combat Challenge #4: Week Eight
My last week of Combat! Crazy!
The Challenge had to end a few weeks before our cruise due to not wanting to pay for another month (March) of streaming Les Mills. One annoying thing that's different with the payment this year - I'm getting charged an international transaction fee every time because LM is in Australia. Arg.
Oh, well. I really enjoy Combat, outside of Grit. And I can't wait to do it again sometime!
Monday: Les Mills' Sh'Bam #14 + walk + YWA
My upper ankle/lower leg was still sore today so I made this Sh'Bam as low-impact as possible. It was still a lot of fun! I always miss Sh'Bam when a Combat Challenge ends. At lunch, I walked for 20 minutes or so outside. Actually, there was a lot of walking today as we had meetings around campus. After work, I did a nice YWA - focusing on hips and hamstrings. I was very stretched out by the end!
Tuesday: Les Mills' Combat #60 + The Gymbox Extreme Cardio + weights + YWA
Still a bit sore today but I needed to power through. Combat was fun - and the leg portion was painful! Ha! To finish up my morning, I tuned into The Gymbox for some more intense cardio. Ashli's workout was good - and not too intense for my leg. I was sweating up a storm by the end of it. At lunch, I did weights at the rec center. Hate it! After work, I did a quick yoga - Adriene's street yoga - to stretch a bit.
Wednesday: The Gymbox Extreme Cardio
I was meant to do my last - hooray! - Grit this morning. But my leg/ankle was still a bit sore so I decided to do something else. Dana's Extreme Cardio looked good....but it was harder than it appeared! Dang! I'm learning that Dana is good - but difficult...or extreme. Ha! She works you hard and it's non-stop. So this was good on a morning when I needed HIIT circuits but not as crazy as Grit. And my heart rate was soaring. Good!
Thursday: REST
Travel day for work. I had intended to do yoga, like a Friday "off" day, but that didn't happen.
Friday: treadmill + elliptical
In Chicago, at the hotel, I got up at my normal time and went to the fitness room - a first for me. I did 20 minutes on the treadmill, with an incline. Then, 40 minutes on the elliptical, a machine I hadn't stepped on to in over 10 years. Ha! It wasn't easy going for 40 minutes but I pushed and was so proud of myself for getting it done. After that, a stretch, ab work, and a bit of yoga in my hotel room.
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Strength Remix + The Gymbox Cardio Dance + YWA
Back home and tired today. But I needed to work out and was determined to do it all. I got through CS Remix....but it was not easy. So much floor work in this one! But I kept going and soon, it was over! After that 55 minutes, I did 15 minutes of Michelle Stringham's Cardio Dance. It was alright. It made me move for a bit longer, which was what I needed. After all that, some ab work and a short YWA.
Sunday: Les Mills' BodyCombat #65 + BodyAttack #93
My last weekend of Les Mills. So sad. I tuned into Combat #65 and.....wow. I don't think my bum and legs have hurt so much in quite some time. It was exacerbated by my Squat Challenge which is now, finally, being felt in my bum. So Combat was a bit painful today. This one was, by far, the hardest I've done. After that 45 minutes of pain, I tuned into Attack - a new one! - for my last 15 minutes of cardio. I do like Attack - but it was difficult after Combat today. After all that, I stretched - my bum! - for a solid 10 minutes and called it a day.
Calorie Counts:
This week was not good, especially with my trip to Chicago thrown in. Besides that, we had a birthday lunch at work. Sigh. Before all of that, I got on the scale, confident that I had lost some weight....and nope. None. Zero. I'm so depressed, downtrodden, and deflated. Once home from Chicago, I ate really well over the weekend. And, by Sunday, I felt skinny again. I guess that'll have to do.
The Challenge had to end a few weeks before our cruise due to not wanting to pay for another month (March) of streaming Les Mills. One annoying thing that's different with the payment this year - I'm getting charged an international transaction fee every time because LM is in Australia. Arg.
Oh, well. I really enjoy Combat, outside of Grit. And I can't wait to do it again sometime!
Monday: Les Mills' Sh'Bam #14 + walk + YWA
My upper ankle/lower leg was still sore today so I made this Sh'Bam as low-impact as possible. It was still a lot of fun! I always miss Sh'Bam when a Combat Challenge ends. At lunch, I walked for 20 minutes or so outside. Actually, there was a lot of walking today as we had meetings around campus. After work, I did a nice YWA - focusing on hips and hamstrings. I was very stretched out by the end!
Tuesday: Les Mills' Combat #60 + The Gymbox Extreme Cardio + weights + YWA
Still a bit sore today but I needed to power through. Combat was fun - and the leg portion was painful! Ha! To finish up my morning, I tuned into The Gymbox for some more intense cardio. Ashli's workout was good - and not too intense for my leg. I was sweating up a storm by the end of it. At lunch, I did weights at the rec center. Hate it! After work, I did a quick yoga - Adriene's street yoga - to stretch a bit.
Wednesday: The Gymbox Extreme Cardio
I was meant to do my last - hooray! - Grit this morning. But my leg/ankle was still a bit sore so I decided to do something else. Dana's Extreme Cardio looked good....but it was harder than it appeared! Dang! I'm learning that Dana is good - but difficult...or extreme. Ha! She works you hard and it's non-stop. So this was good on a morning when I needed HIIT circuits but not as crazy as Grit. And my heart rate was soaring. Good!
Thursday: REST
Travel day for work. I had intended to do yoga, like a Friday "off" day, but that didn't happen.
Friday: treadmill + elliptical
In Chicago, at the hotel, I got up at my normal time and went to the fitness room - a first for me. I did 20 minutes on the treadmill, with an incline. Then, 40 minutes on the elliptical, a machine I hadn't stepped on to in over 10 years. Ha! It wasn't easy going for 40 minutes but I pushed and was so proud of myself for getting it done. After that, a stretch, ab work, and a bit of yoga in my hotel room.
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Strength Remix + The Gymbox Cardio Dance + YWA
Back home and tired today. But I needed to work out and was determined to do it all. I got through CS Remix....but it was not easy. So much floor work in this one! But I kept going and soon, it was over! After that 55 minutes, I did 15 minutes of Michelle Stringham's Cardio Dance. It was alright. It made me move for a bit longer, which was what I needed. After all that, some ab work and a short YWA.
Sunday: Les Mills' BodyCombat #65 + BodyAttack #93
My last weekend of Les Mills. So sad. I tuned into Combat #65 and.....wow. I don't think my bum and legs have hurt so much in quite some time. It was exacerbated by my Squat Challenge which is now, finally, being felt in my bum. So Combat was a bit painful today. This one was, by far, the hardest I've done. After that 45 minutes of pain, I tuned into Attack - a new one! - for my last 15 minutes of cardio. I do like Attack - but it was difficult after Combat today. After all that, I stretched - my bum! - for a solid 10 minutes and called it a day.
Calorie Counts:
This week was not good, especially with my trip to Chicago thrown in. Besides that, we had a birthday lunch at work. Sigh. Before all of that, I got on the scale, confident that I had lost some weight....and nope. None. Zero. I'm so depressed, downtrodden, and deflated. Once home from Chicago, I ate really well over the weekend. And, by Sunday, I felt skinny again. I guess that'll have to do.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Lord John and the Private Matter
I hadn't planned on reading Diana Gabaldon's Lord John novels, an off-shoot of her Outlander series. But a friend said that these short novels are worth the read. I purchased Lord John and the Private Matter, opened it up, and had no idea what to expect.
My Goodreads review:
This short novel is an interesting addition to the Outlander series. I must admit, though, that I was unsure about liking Lord John enough to read additional material regarding him. This novel may have changed my mind. I look forward to reading about his other adventures.
A short review, I know. I did enjoy learning more about Lord John and his family. And from a medical history stand-point, some facets of this novel were truly interesting.
If you love Outlander, you'll definitely enjoy reading this novel.
My Goodreads review:
This short novel is an interesting addition to the Outlander series. I must admit, though, that I was unsure about liking Lord John enough to read additional material regarding him. This novel may have changed my mind. I look forward to reading about his other adventures.
A short review, I know. I did enjoy learning more about Lord John and his family. And from a medical history stand-point, some facets of this novel were truly interesting.
If you love Outlander, you'll definitely enjoy reading this novel.
Monday, February 20, 2017
Combat Challenge #4: Week Seven
Week seven, here we go!
I'm feeling better about my weight, though I haven't weighed. But you know how it is - you feel right. And, when jumping around during workouts, your belly doesn't jiggle anymore. Ha!
Monday: Jari's Get Extremely Ripped! 1000 Hardcore + short walk + YWA
My weight schedule is messed up this week, so weights on Monday and Wednesday. Jari's workout is definitely tough - the weights and the cardio seem never-ending when you're in the middle of them. But I got through it. At lunch, I took a 15-minute walk outside, needing to get away from the office. In the evening, I did this 19-minute YWA, all about the revolved side angle pose. Dang, my legs were burning!
Tuesday: Les Mills' Combat #61 + BodyAttack #92 + walk
Valentine's Day and nothing was going right, straight out of bed. But I got into this Combat and it was good! And challenging! Lots of lunges. Dang! After that finished, I tuned into a bit of BodyAttack. The instructors in these seem to move so fast that I feel like I can't keep up. So it's a great workout! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and did some ab work. I love productive lunches!
Wednesday: Les Mills' Sh'Bam #16 and 14 + walk + Les Mills' BodyFlow #70
I wasn't feeling great this morning...so it was a good thing that Sh'Bam was on the agenda. It's so much fun! I vaguely remembered some of these routines from last time so that was good. At lunch, I walked outside for about 20 minutes. I'd meant to do weights, but wasn't feeling up to it (which is saying something, for me). In the evening, I decided to do a bit of Flow, instead of YWA, since my Les Mills subscription will soon run out.
Thursday: Les Mills' Grit #14 + Trainer Pass cardio + walk
As usual, I was dreading this Grit...but it wasn't too bad, all things considered. I skipped most of the floor work in favor of additional standing cardio. After that finished up, I tuned into Trainer Pass for some additional cardio to finish off my morning. It was alright. I'm still on the fence with that website. At lunch, I walked outside for 25 minutes. A lovely day!
Friday: Les Mills' BodyFlow #71 + weights + YWA
Today was a good day. Friday! I did 40ish minutes of Flow - which was nicely 55 minutes long. It stared with Tai Chi, which was different - but good! At lunch, I got to the rec center to do weights. I hate weights. But at least it got done for the week. Then, after work and a medical test, I did 30 minutes of Adriene's gentle yoga. It was nice but I was feeling it in my arms after weights.
Saturday: Les Mills' Combat #66 + BodyAttack #91 + YWA
At this point in an 8-week Challenge, workouts start to get a bit boring - such as Combat 60 and Combat 60 Live. So for the next two weeks, I'll do a 55-minute streaming Combat instead. Today it was #66 - and it was good. Very fun and not easy. Ha! After that 50 minutes (of cardio), I tuned into an Attack, which is guaranteed to spike my heart rate. Whew! I did #91 for 25 minutes and could hardly stand by the end. I stretched and did a short YWA.
Sunday: The Gymbox Extreme Cardio + Legs and Shoulders + weights + YWA
I needed something different today. One of my ankles was hurting a bit so I didn't want to go too hard for too long. I decided to try one of Kaycee's cardio workouts on The Gymbox. It ran for 45 minutes and spiked my heart rate with some new and different - and not crazy - moves. It was good! After that, I did a 25 minute weight class with Dana, focusing on legs and shoulders. Holy cow, my legs were aching! Then, some stretching and some work with the 12-pound weights. And, finally, a short YWA.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1172
Tuesday - bad
Wednesday - 1218
Thursday - bad
Friday - 1162
Saturday - 1668
Sunday - 1260
Ugh. Not a great week. Valentine's Day led to too many calories....and eating out with a friend on Thursday meant even more unexpected calories. I have to do better.
I'm feeling better about my weight, though I haven't weighed. But you know how it is - you feel right. And, when jumping around during workouts, your belly doesn't jiggle anymore. Ha!
Monday: Jari's Get Extremely Ripped! 1000 Hardcore + short walk + YWA
My weight schedule is messed up this week, so weights on Monday and Wednesday. Jari's workout is definitely tough - the weights and the cardio seem never-ending when you're in the middle of them. But I got through it. At lunch, I took a 15-minute walk outside, needing to get away from the office. In the evening, I did this 19-minute YWA, all about the revolved side angle pose. Dang, my legs were burning!
Tuesday: Les Mills' Combat #61 + BodyAttack #92 + walk
Valentine's Day and nothing was going right, straight out of bed. But I got into this Combat and it was good! And challenging! Lots of lunges. Dang! After that finished, I tuned into a bit of BodyAttack. The instructors in these seem to move so fast that I feel like I can't keep up. So it's a great workout! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and did some ab work. I love productive lunches!
Wednesday: Les Mills' Sh'Bam #16 and 14 + walk + Les Mills' BodyFlow #70
I wasn't feeling great this morning...so it was a good thing that Sh'Bam was on the agenda. It's so much fun! I vaguely remembered some of these routines from last time so that was good. At lunch, I walked outside for about 20 minutes. I'd meant to do weights, but wasn't feeling up to it (which is saying something, for me). In the evening, I decided to do a bit of Flow, instead of YWA, since my Les Mills subscription will soon run out.
Thursday: Les Mills' Grit #14 + Trainer Pass cardio + walk
As usual, I was dreading this Grit...but it wasn't too bad, all things considered. I skipped most of the floor work in favor of additional standing cardio. After that finished up, I tuned into Trainer Pass for some additional cardio to finish off my morning. It was alright. I'm still on the fence with that website. At lunch, I walked outside for 25 minutes. A lovely day!
Friday: Les Mills' BodyFlow #71 + weights + YWA
Today was a good day. Friday! I did 40ish minutes of Flow - which was nicely 55 minutes long. It stared with Tai Chi, which was different - but good! At lunch, I got to the rec center to do weights. I hate weights. But at least it got done for the week. Then, after work and a medical test, I did 30 minutes of Adriene's gentle yoga. It was nice but I was feeling it in my arms after weights.
Saturday: Les Mills' Combat #66 + BodyAttack #91 + YWA
At this point in an 8-week Challenge, workouts start to get a bit boring - such as Combat 60 and Combat 60 Live. So for the next two weeks, I'll do a 55-minute streaming Combat instead. Today it was #66 - and it was good. Very fun and not easy. Ha! After that 50 minutes (of cardio), I tuned into an Attack, which is guaranteed to spike my heart rate. Whew! I did #91 for 25 minutes and could hardly stand by the end. I stretched and did a short YWA.
Sunday: The Gymbox Extreme Cardio + Legs and Shoulders + weights + YWA
I needed something different today. One of my ankles was hurting a bit so I didn't want to go too hard for too long. I decided to try one of Kaycee's cardio workouts on The Gymbox. It ran for 45 minutes and spiked my heart rate with some new and different - and not crazy - moves. It was good! After that, I did a 25 minute weight class with Dana, focusing on legs and shoulders. Holy cow, my legs were aching! Then, some stretching and some work with the 12-pound weights. And, finally, a short YWA.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1172
Tuesday - bad
Wednesday - 1218
Thursday - bad
Friday - 1162
Saturday - 1668
Sunday - 1260
Ugh. Not a great week. Valentine's Day led to too many calories....and eating out with a friend on Thursday meant even more unexpected calories. I have to do better.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Monday, February 13, 2017
Combat Challenge #4: Week Six
I can't believe I'm entering into week six of this Combat Challenge! Time flies when you're having fun and sweating way too much! Ha!
It's been fun, this past week, to discover what The Gymbox has to offer as far as streaming workouts. They have tons of workouts, of all types. So far, I've liked what I've done.
Also new this week, starting on Tuesday: a 30-Day Squat Challenge! Come do it with me! Let's all squat till our bums burn!
Monday: Les Mills' Grit #12 + BodyAttack #91 + The Gymbox's Cardio Dance + YWA
I was not feeling well this morning but by the evening, I was ready to burn some serious calories after splurging on bad food all weekend. To start off, I did a newer Grit - crazy tough but definitely effective. My heart rate was crazy high! Then, BodyAttack, which is pure aerobic exercise that never stops. After that 45 minutes, I wanted more - but something lighter. So I tried a dance workout on Gymbox - and really liked it. It was the right impact - mainly low with some high impact stuff, but not too much. I did 35 minutes of that 60-minute workout. Whew. And I wasn't done - I did a lovely YWA, focusing on the liver. Talk about a great workout day!
Tuesday: Jari Love's Get Extremely Ripped 1000 + walk + YWA
It had been awhile since I'd touched a Jari workout so this was a nice change today. And Ripped 1000 is fun - it alternates cardio and strength so you don't feel overwhelmed by either one. At lunch, I walked outside for 25 minutes. Another 80 degree day in February here in Texas! After work, I did this 19-minute YWA flow....very nice. It heated up my body and allowed me to let the day go. Ha!
Wednesday: Les Mills' Sh'Bam #17 + walk + YWA
Nothing to dread this morning because it's Sh'Bam day! I remembered parts of this Sh'Bam....but not all because I did the new 45-minute edition this morning. So nice! I couldn't do the entire thing but I got through 35-40 minutes of it before stretching. At lunch, I walked outside again - it was just too nice to pass up. Cooler today and lovely! I was super sore today so I did Adriene's yoga for a sore body. It was good!
Thursday: Les Mills' Combat #62 + The Gymbox's Extreme Cardio + weights + YWA
Combat today! Number 62 was a fun routine. All those punches really got my heart rate up. Whew! After that 25 minutes, I tuned into one of Ashli's workouts on Gymbox. It consisted of intervals that ended with a plyometric move, meant to spike your heart rate. Mine wasn't quite spiking but it was a good workout. At lunch, I forced myself to the rec to do weights. They weren't nearly as painful as last week, thank goodness!
Friday: Les Mills' BodyFlow #72 + walk
Yay, my light day: Friday! I switched things up today with some yoga from Les Mills. There's definitely no emphasis on meditation with Les Mills, but you get a good workout! At lunch, I walked for about 20 minutes outside.
Saturday: Cathe's Cardio Core Circuit + The Gymbox's Extreme Cardio with weights + YWA
I was really dreading Cathe's workout..... But I got through it. I was impressed with my fitness level: some circuits that used to really challenge me seemed a lot more doable today. Cool! After that 45 minutes, I tuned into one of Michelle's (not Dozois) workout on The Gymbox - it has cardio and weights. Pretty good with circuits alternating a cardio move and a weighted move. That lasted for 30 minutes. I then did Adriene's 25-minute gentle yoga practice. Nice!
Sunday: Les Mills' Combat 60 Live - Extreme Cardio Fighter + The Gymbox's Cardio Dance + yoga
So I was a bit tired today. I did all of Combat 60 - which amounts to 45 minutes of cardio. I then tuned into Jenny's dance workout on GB. It was a good - a bit complicated but easy to learn with repetition. I did 20 minutes of that and then went back to Flow #72 from Friday and did the opening 7-minute sequence of sun salutations and dragon flow. Love it! And, finally, a stretch and abs.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - BAD
Tuesday - 1170
Wednesday - 1182
Thursday - 1147
Friday - 1194
Saturday - a bit bad
Sunday - 1330
I probably ate around 1600 calories on Saturday but I really enjoyed it. Fajitas with my BFF at one of our favorite places. And that's what you have to balance while on a strict diet - not depriving yourself of experiences because you're worried about a few calories. That being said, I didn't weight this week after all the bad food last weekend.
It's been fun, this past week, to discover what The Gymbox has to offer as far as streaming workouts. They have tons of workouts, of all types. So far, I've liked what I've done.
Also new this week, starting on Tuesday: a 30-Day Squat Challenge! Come do it with me! Let's all squat till our bums burn!
Monday: Les Mills' Grit #12 + BodyAttack #91 + The Gymbox's Cardio Dance + YWA
I was not feeling well this morning but by the evening, I was ready to burn some serious calories after splurging on bad food all weekend. To start off, I did a newer Grit - crazy tough but definitely effective. My heart rate was crazy high! Then, BodyAttack, which is pure aerobic exercise that never stops. After that 45 minutes, I wanted more - but something lighter. So I tried a dance workout on Gymbox - and really liked it. It was the right impact - mainly low with some high impact stuff, but not too much. I did 35 minutes of that 60-minute workout. Whew. And I wasn't done - I did a lovely YWA, focusing on the liver. Talk about a great workout day!
Tuesday: Jari Love's Get Extremely Ripped 1000 + walk + YWA
It had been awhile since I'd touched a Jari workout so this was a nice change today. And Ripped 1000 is fun - it alternates cardio and strength so you don't feel overwhelmed by either one. At lunch, I walked outside for 25 minutes. Another 80 degree day in February here in Texas! After work, I did this 19-minute YWA flow....very nice. It heated up my body and allowed me to let the day go. Ha!
Wednesday: Les Mills' Sh'Bam #17 + walk + YWA
Nothing to dread this morning because it's Sh'Bam day! I remembered parts of this Sh'Bam....but not all because I did the new 45-minute edition this morning. So nice! I couldn't do the entire thing but I got through 35-40 minutes of it before stretching. At lunch, I walked outside again - it was just too nice to pass up. Cooler today and lovely! I was super sore today so I did Adriene's yoga for a sore body. It was good!
Thursday: Les Mills' Combat #62 + The Gymbox's Extreme Cardio + weights + YWA
Combat today! Number 62 was a fun routine. All those punches really got my heart rate up. Whew! After that 25 minutes, I tuned into one of Ashli's workouts on Gymbox. It consisted of intervals that ended with a plyometric move, meant to spike your heart rate. Mine wasn't quite spiking but it was a good workout. At lunch, I forced myself to the rec to do weights. They weren't nearly as painful as last week, thank goodness!
Friday: Les Mills' BodyFlow #72 + walk
Yay, my light day: Friday! I switched things up today with some yoga from Les Mills. There's definitely no emphasis on meditation with Les Mills, but you get a good workout! At lunch, I walked for about 20 minutes outside.
Saturday: Cathe's Cardio Core Circuit + The Gymbox's Extreme Cardio with weights + YWA
I was really dreading Cathe's workout..... But I got through it. I was impressed with my fitness level: some circuits that used to really challenge me seemed a lot more doable today. Cool! After that 45 minutes, I tuned into one of Michelle's (not Dozois) workout on The Gymbox - it has cardio and weights. Pretty good with circuits alternating a cardio move and a weighted move. That lasted for 30 minutes. I then did Adriene's 25-minute gentle yoga practice. Nice!
Sunday: Les Mills' Combat 60 Live - Extreme Cardio Fighter + The Gymbox's Cardio Dance + yoga
So I was a bit tired today. I did all of Combat 60 - which amounts to 45 minutes of cardio. I then tuned into Jenny's dance workout on GB. It was a good - a bit complicated but easy to learn with repetition. I did 20 minutes of that and then went back to Flow #72 from Friday and did the opening 7-minute sequence of sun salutations and dragon flow. Love it! And, finally, a stretch and abs.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - BAD
Tuesday - 1170
Wednesday - 1182
Thursday - 1147
Friday - 1194
Saturday - a bit bad
Sunday - 1330
I probably ate around 1600 calories on Saturday but I really enjoyed it. Fajitas with my BFF at one of our favorite places. And that's what you have to balance while on a strict diet - not depriving yourself of experiences because you're worried about a few calories. That being said, I didn't weight this week after all the bad food last weekend.
Friday, February 10, 2017
Lazy Cats
Oh, the life of a cat. Especially a spoiled house cat.
Dooku loves his kitty shack. That may me the actual name of this ingenious contraption, I don't know. But in the winter, he lives in this thing - or on top of it.
Sidious, when she's not on Mr. Higgins, loves a bit of sunlight. And she loves bathing at 500 decibels in the sunlight. Ha!
Why do these fur balls have to be so cute!
Why do these fur balls have to be so cute!
Monday, February 6, 2017
Combat Challenge #4: Week Five
This week, Yoga Revolution ends. I'm so sad! But! Adriene has tons of videos online so I plan to do 3-4 every week to keep my yoga vibe going strong!
Combat is still fun and enjoyable. But this week is dark for another reason: the end of FitnessGlo. I can't tell you how sad this makes me. Glo was such a great resource and now, as of Wednesday, it's gone. Forever. Sigh.
Monday: Les Mills' Sh'Bam #18 + Ilyse's Groovy Dance Party + walk
This Sh'Bam is one of my favorites. Every time I do a Challenge, this one makes me smile. Ha! After that 30 minutes, I tuned into Ilyse's workout - one last time. Sigh. I love this one and it's been my go-to filler when I needed an extra 10-15 minutes of cardio. I'll miss it, for sure. At lunch, I took a 20 minute walk outside. It was a beautiful day!
Tuesday: Dozois' Tip Top Shape (Glo) + walk
The last day of Glo.....so my last workout was one with Michelle. Of course. She's the reason I subscribed. Sigh. I'm so bummed. And I'm so bummed about Yoga Revolution ending today - but at least there's tons of Adriene videos on her site. So this morning was good: weights with Michelle and a low-impact workout. Then, at lunch, I walked the track at the rec center.
Wednesday: Les Mills' Combat #63 + Trainer Pass' Cardio with Emily Welsh (BEMax) + walk
I'm doing Combat today since I'll have to do Saturday's Combat on Friday... And I didn't want to do them two days in a row. It's all good except that means putting Grit off a day, which means I have longer to dread it. Ha! This was a fun Combat - very energizing with some tough leg work. After that, I tried a TrainerPass workout. It was alright - good cardio for the last 15 minutes of my morning workout. I walked outside for 20-25 minutes at lunch today; it was so gorgeous outside!
Thursday: Les Mills' Grit #3 + BodyAttack #92 + weights
Oh, what fun today! I had to start with Grit. Ugh. At least this one is getting more doable as the weeks get on. I can't say it's not a great workout.... It's just not fun. After that, I did 15 minutes of BodyAttack, which is very much like old-school aerobics. I can't lie: I was exhausted not long after starting this. But I made it through. At lunch, I did weights at the rec. It was harder today, for some reason. Ugh.
Friday: Les Mills' Combat 60 - Extreme Cardio Fighter
Time for my Saturday workout, early this week. I couldn't get through it all but 45 minutes was enough for a great workout. I'm almost tempted to not do any more of the Combat 60 DVDs, instead focusing on the streaming workouts.... But I'll do one more round of Combat 60 Live, I think.
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn - Fat Blaster + Extreme Cardio (Gymbox) with weights + YWA
Even though we had company in town, I was able to get in a workout today. I did all of CIB - FB, which is 55 minutes long. I almost died about 15 minutes into the workout, but then I found a groove. Whew. I then tuned into The Gymbox, which I'm trying out. Some of their Extreme Cardio workouts use weights so I chose one that was low-impact and weighted (25 minutes long). It was alright. I finished off my workout with Adriene's 6-minute core workout. (I'm going to try to log my YWA workouts on here from now on.) A good day!
Sunday: REST
Forced rest with company in town.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1192
Tuesday - 1280
Wednesday - 1418
Thursday - 1169
Friday - BAD
Saturday - BAD
Sunday - BAD
Not a great week and then a horrible weekend. This was my last time to cheat (for more than a meal) until our vacation in mid-March. I have to be better from now on!
Combat is still fun and enjoyable. But this week is dark for another reason: the end of FitnessGlo. I can't tell you how sad this makes me. Glo was such a great resource and now, as of Wednesday, it's gone. Forever. Sigh.
Monday: Les Mills' Sh'Bam #18 + Ilyse's Groovy Dance Party + walk
This Sh'Bam is one of my favorites. Every time I do a Challenge, this one makes me smile. Ha! After that 30 minutes, I tuned into Ilyse's workout - one last time. Sigh. I love this one and it's been my go-to filler when I needed an extra 10-15 minutes of cardio. I'll miss it, for sure. At lunch, I took a 20 minute walk outside. It was a beautiful day!
Tuesday: Dozois' Tip Top Shape (Glo) + walk
The last day of Glo.....so my last workout was one with Michelle. Of course. She's the reason I subscribed. Sigh. I'm so bummed. And I'm so bummed about Yoga Revolution ending today - but at least there's tons of Adriene videos on her site. So this morning was good: weights with Michelle and a low-impact workout. Then, at lunch, I walked the track at the rec center.
Wednesday: Les Mills' Combat #63 + Trainer Pass' Cardio with Emily Welsh (BEMax) + walk
I'm doing Combat today since I'll have to do Saturday's Combat on Friday... And I didn't want to do them two days in a row. It's all good except that means putting Grit off a day, which means I have longer to dread it. Ha! This was a fun Combat - very energizing with some tough leg work. After that, I tried a TrainerPass workout. It was alright - good cardio for the last 15 minutes of my morning workout. I walked outside for 20-25 minutes at lunch today; it was so gorgeous outside!
Thursday: Les Mills' Grit #3 + BodyAttack #92 + weights
Oh, what fun today! I had to start with Grit. Ugh. At least this one is getting more doable as the weeks get on. I can't say it's not a great workout.... It's just not fun. After that, I did 15 minutes of BodyAttack, which is very much like old-school aerobics. I can't lie: I was exhausted not long after starting this. But I made it through. At lunch, I did weights at the rec. It was harder today, for some reason. Ugh.
Friday: Les Mills' Combat 60 - Extreme Cardio Fighter
Time for my Saturday workout, early this week. I couldn't get through it all but 45 minutes was enough for a great workout. I'm almost tempted to not do any more of the Combat 60 DVDs, instead focusing on the streaming workouts.... But I'll do one more round of Combat 60 Live, I think.
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn - Fat Blaster + Extreme Cardio (Gymbox) with weights + YWA
Even though we had company in town, I was able to get in a workout today. I did all of CIB - FB, which is 55 minutes long. I almost died about 15 minutes into the workout, but then I found a groove. Whew. I then tuned into The Gymbox, which I'm trying out. Some of their Extreme Cardio workouts use weights so I chose one that was low-impact and weighted (25 minutes long). It was alright. I finished off my workout with Adriene's 6-minute core workout. (I'm going to try to log my YWA workouts on here from now on.) A good day!
Sunday: REST
Forced rest with company in town.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1192
Tuesday - 1280
Wednesday - 1418
Thursday - 1169
Friday - BAD
Saturday - BAD
Sunday - BAD
Not a great week and then a horrible weekend. This was my last time to cheat (for more than a meal) until our vacation in mid-March. I have to be better from now on!
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
The Summer Before the War
It took me forever but I finally finished my book group's pick for January - The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson.
Here is my Goodreads review:
My book group chose this book and once I read that it compared to "Downton Abbey," I was interested.
That being said, it took me quite a while to get into this novel. The characters, all British and all a bit stuffy, were difficult to fully understand. But slowly, as the novel progressed, the characters seemed to bloom and my reading speed picked up.
Beatrice kept my attention as her story is one that any modern woman can relate to. Daniel seemed the stereotypical poet but soon displayed nice layers of depth. Hugh was a bit harder to like due to his stubbornness but soon I came around.
Here is my Goodreads review:
My book group chose this book and once I read that it compared to "Downton Abbey," I was interested.
That being said, it took me quite a while to get into this novel. The characters, all British and all a bit stuffy, were difficult to fully understand. But slowly, as the novel progressed, the characters seemed to bloom and my reading speed picked up.
Beatrice kept my attention as her story is one that any modern woman can relate to. Daniel seemed the stereotypical poet but soon displayed nice layers of depth. Hugh was a bit harder to like due to his stubbornness but soon I came around.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)