So here it is a missed post, as I am not scheduling this, its live alive o. I am not posting from prewritten posts and yesterday was a mad ‘un. Working, walking, running, cooking for a dinner party and I all out forgot. Went to be late and I am rubbish in the evenings. I didn’t even have a moment to remember at all.

So, my outtake action is I have put an alert on my diary each evening to remind me. Not sure why I didn’t do this before?

On another completely irrelevant although opportunity to fail at it if I can’t remember to write a blog post for a year!

I have decided my challenge for 2021 is to run 10km everyday.

Told my eldest daughter and she why? Whate for that’s a bit mad! I replied by saying Yes of course it is, it’s a challenge! Now I’ve thought this through and have reserve actions.

• Plan A, running preference is outdoors

• PLan B, if the weather is too bad then will us the treadmill (don’t enjoy yet its a plan B so hoping not regular occurrence)

• PLan C, if we get power cuts then will run in the house, like literally on the spot for 10km!

Right now, I can run happily for 3km so getting to 5km by end of December is very doable. I walk and hike uphill everyday so this isn’t about can’t do, it’s about doing.

Now back to yesterday - the missed day.

We have a lot going on, which is the way we like it.

We work on several projects at once and we- this collective is hubster and me- we work together if you didn’t know. Anyhow having many projects mean some can add pressure, not stress just agitation if they aren’t going to plan and I have one said project that’s a solo one and it’s driving me bonkers. Its tech project for a client and it’s really pushed my competence to another level, so worry, concern, uncertainty and just not wanting to let anyone down including me adds a layer of agitation that can have a knock on effect- not resting properly as my mind is over busy solving, thinking, pondering scenarios, learning, updating, exposing on areas I didn’t know about at all, losing track so it makes sense that I writing the blog didn’t even cross my thoughts as I allowed myself to get consumed.

Where am I going with this?

I am telling myself it’s ok not to know and I am capable of learning. I read Seth Godin’s The Practice and a poignant part was allowing ourselves to practice what we do (he calls it your art and the generic concept of art- just what you do). His explanation n is when we are learning (practising) something new we start a level of complete incompetence so we should feel uncertain, uneasy and uncomfortable. Makes complete sense. It’s the action of keep doing the “practice” that’s creates our learning. I am embracing this whole Practice concept and will get the tech Project complete and know in the process that I am learning and progressing however it makes me feel.

Complete random connection here - anyone watched Emily in Paris? Hubster and I have, and Emily’s character of smiling resilience, naivety and persistence of good in self and others somehow feels familiar in this notion of smiling our way through the practice no matter how difficult feels in that moment.

Other things of note

1. Dinner Party worked out wonderfully. We have two farmer neighbours, and each have brought us half a lamb (that means I have a full one!) Plus, what a bonus having neighbours that bring your brilliant local, fresh food. I have every cut possible. My challenge was to convert the framers wife to Lamb as she doesn’t it. WIN! I made Mughlai Karahi Gosht from Maunika Gowardham bloody awesome . I cooked in in our Italian Terracotta pot for 5 hours, melt in the mouth and truly amazing.

2. Day after curry is the best, we had it today for lunch, with a fried egg and chili

3. Running with the hubster is fun, we used to do it a lot many moons ago. he joined me today and was fun.

4. Monty the dog has found the squeak on his new toy and destroyed it!

5. Had my first mince pie of the year and it was bliss. From our local bakery Aran bakery, proprietor is no other than Flora Shedden of Bake off fame , wonderfully talented lady (I don’t watch it, so didn’t know until I got told), her stores are fabulous , she has a Deli too (Lon Store) and this is where I go for my Weekly Friday Dunkeld shop.

Anyway, there you go, missed day and update and I amaze myself at what we squeeze into a day!

So lesson today is to remain consistent and persistent, that failing is ok, the momentum of practice and being more Emily!

Over and out should 6/365