(no subject)

[galadhir]

Not much going on with me, but it's been a while since I've posted and I know that if I don't make an effort I'll go silent again, maybe for another year :) So:

• As promised, an announcement that The Boat of Small Mysteries is out in paperback. Though I only pressed the button yesterday so it may take some time to work it's way through to the shops.

• Louise's belly dance class are now in full preparatory panic mode for the Cambridge hafla on the 11th of April. Next week we do the dress rehearsal for the group veil choreography which we are putting on there. I'm not getting on well with the veil - I get it stuck on my hair, or step on it. Even when I don't do that, I can't make the turns fast enough to keep up with the rest of the class, though it's quite a slow and elegant dance. Eh, this is what I get for trying to dance when I am naturally unathletic. Nevertheless we persist.

• Louise's veil dance is set to Rumeli Hisarı nın Yapılışı Which bears out my point about her always finding the best music.

• I am also doing my Fos solo at the Cambridge hafla, so I have started practicing that again, and have completely revamped the outfit that goes with it. I must practice putting the outfit on also, because it involves body glitter and fake nails, neither of which I have experience with.

• I'm at the end of week 10 of the 12 week low calorie diet I am on, and although I will have lost 3 stone (42lb) by the end of it, I still have a good 3 stone left to go, and I am afraid that if I loosen my grip even slightly it will all come back on and more. Still, this diet has been true to its word so far, so I'll trust it as I move to the next stage (intermittent fasting instead of permanent fasting.)

• My fear that I would lose so much weight before April that I wouldn't be able to wear the dress I bought at Christmas for the hafla in April has not been borne out. The dress is stretchy, and I had a lot to lose!

• Health-wise, I have been feeling less sluggish. The permanent pain in my hands and feet has eased - thank God! I find it easier to stand up and sit down, and much easier to get in and out of the car. I can also fasten my seatbelt without taking off my coat, which is just a factor of cars being too small, rather than my health, but is still an improvement in my day to day life in the winter.

Comments

[watervole]

There is no way you could ever get me to wear body glitter and fake nails... Not even for a dance group.

[lucy_roman]

Well done on the diet. And yay for the paperback being available!

[galadhir]

I wonder if that is what people mean when they say belly dance helps you to 'embrace your femininity.' It hasn't made me feel any more feminine but it certainly has made me more open to all the glittery stuff.

It may help if I tell you that the nails are actually claws, and the glitter is there to make me look more like an amphibious alien?

[galadhir]

Thank you! It's a nice, neat little book. I don't like them to be too tall :)

[watervole]

It's more an aversion to non-biodegradable plastics.

But by the description, you should look great!

[alatefeline]

Thank you for sharing! I iunderstand the appeal of disappearingh under a rock for ages, so: your effort is appreciated, and not taken for granted.

And good for you for dancing.

[pattrose]

The diet sounds like a good deal. Especially if you're losing all that weight. My diet is quite slow. It's been 5 months and only 2 so far. I keep telling myself at least I'm not gaining.

I'm glad you're feeling better.

[mistressofmuses]

Hooray for paperback book!

I'm sorry the dance is being a bit of a challenge. (As a painfully unathletic person, I sympathize greatly.)

Good luck on the continuing diet! I am glad that you've been feeling better, and less pain!

[kazzy_cee]

Well done on your healthy eating plan and losing the weight. I'm glad you're feeling better as a result.

I love dancing with a veil! It was my favourite prop alongside fan veils. The music is great.

[galadhir]

That is a great point! I do intend to keep and reuse these, and I don't see me doing it with any of the other dances I do because I don't need claws for them ;)

Thank you!

[galadhir]

Thank you :) I forget that there is anything interesting in my life, which is sad since it's been a pretty good one. I am the Watcher of this dungeon.

I do get nervous about the dancing, but I tend to feel that there isn't any point in practicing for years on end if you're not going to perform. That's an attitude I brought with me from morris dancing :)

[galadhir]

It has been a good diet so far, if a bit controlling. It's the Fast800 diet which was dreamed up by a doctor over here who wanted to reverse his diabetes as soon as possible. He claims he's been on it for 6 years and has maintained the weight loss, so that would be wonderful if true.

Not gaining is a heck of an achievement in itself! Thank you :)

[galadhir]

Thank you! I like the little book a lot. I was able to choose the dimensions, so I went with 5" by 8", and that gives it a decent width of spine.

I've just watched back the video we made of the veil dance and realized that Louise holds her veil much closer to the middle than I do - her trailing ends are very long. I'm going to try that next time :)

Thank you! I am still waiting for less backache, but perhaps that will happen further down the line.

[galadhir]

Thank you! The nice thing about this one is that I don't really feel hungry because there's lots of protein. That suits me :)

I like veil better than fan veils, although I only disliked fan veils because they absolutely do my wrists in. I'm sure if I pushed through that it would get better. Veils are also much more physically demanding than they look, but the longer rehearsals go on the more I like them. My favourite prop is still the sword though, definitely :)

[pattrose]

I'm so glad to hear this. I'm not on a diet right now. So that's why I'm not longer losing. As soon as I become serious then the weight will come off. Good luck. Keep posting so I can see what happens when you diet correctly.