Bloody Nora – 10 mile Great South Run!

“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”

When I completed 10km Race for Life I had a feeling of success and euphoria (seriously, I wept – not a surprise to people who know me!) I then promised myself that I would aim to do the Great South Run. Aswell as it being a major personal achievement it also allows me to push myself and make money for worhthwhile causes.

My chosen charity this year is ‘Help the Elderly’ – a wonderful charity that my Mum works for in Portsmouth. I attended their Christmas party last year and quickly I felt like I had known them for years. Many of them have no family to speak of and these events organised by the charity are the only occassions they have where they can interact socially with other people. As you can see, therefore, this charity is hugely important to many people and the money raised would go directly to arranging events that are so very important to their standard life. I feel very honoured to be running for such a worthwhile charity. LET TRAINING COMMENCE!

https://www.justgiving.com/annabellaswifty – Swifty is pushing herself to the absolute max. Please ladies and lasses sponsor as much or as little as you can. Any donation would be brilliant. 10 miles guys! 10 ruddy miles! Thank you so much in advance.

A Complex Love Affair with Strong Island, Portsmouth.

Sep9

Southsea. Portsmouth. Strong Island. A weirdly wonderful place and one which I hold dearly to my heart. The eyes of this town have seen many a shenanigan but it continues to affectionately hold on to the good, the bad and the downright dastardly. This bashed about town is the one place that epitomises ‘home’. No matter where I am in the world I always think about Portsmouth and I look forward to getting back to her.

We are very lucky in this city to have a huge amount of artistic talent who make it what it is. I have had a complex relationship with this place and it is not until recently that I have come to appreciate the beauty of this place, with the help of other people who capture it’s many gems. I am not by any stretch of the imagination a professional photographer but each people I take holds a sentiment which makes the moment a personal one.

A Dream Come True.

Sep9

So, the day finally arrived. I am writing in semi past tense because I was proposed to a few weeks ago and it is only now as I start to build my blog that I have had a chance to write it all down.

In your mind you dream about this moment your whole life. It went above and beyond my expectations, primarily because, the moment was executed perfectly and in the most simplest of ways as i knew it would be. Ben is by no means a man of huge gestures and nor would I want him to be. It comes from the heart and decisions are made with careful thought and consideration. This is I think why we work so remarkably well together. We are polar opposites in many respects – realist/dreamer.

I shall forever remember the day he asked me to marry him and I will never forget the moment for as long i live.

Wise Few Words Sums it Up.

Sep9

All About my Boys.

Sep9

Today has been a gristly one; with a headache so intense I would have happily eaten a spider if it ensured my pain would disappear. Three syndol and im feeling a little too okay. I thought I would introduce my boys. One ‘human’ boy (my fiance) is galavanting around Bestival as we speak, hard at work at the Shack. The two boys I am talking of our Samson and Malley. Quite the boisterous pair. However, today, they are feeling my pain and have not left my side all day. So here they are proud and protective.