Tuesday 11th October

284/365: fuchsia Dark Eyes

Yesterday was one of those days where everything was just right. Personal training has moved up a notch with a couple of new exercises that currently challenge me and I felt that I had a really good workout. We discussed adding in another 30 minute session in the new year, which we both think will be a good idea but it all depends on the news from the hospital at the end of the month and also on how Amy is ... she's expecting her first baby in April. 

The book group was not at all what I was expecting. It lasted for about 2½ hours, so longer than I was expecting it to but hardly any of that time was spent discussing the book. There were seven of us, as two were away, and the first 30 - 40 minutes was spent just chatting ... they wanted to know when my birthday is as they always go out for a meal to celebrate and the fact that my birthday is in November was met with a huge cheer. It seems that all the other birthdays are at the start of the year so my joining the group means that they now have an excuse for a jolly in November! After the initial chatting we went through the library's book group books to see what we fancied for the next few months and then we stopped for tea and cakes, so we'd been there for 1½ hours and still hadn't mentioned the book of the month! I get the impression that the socialising is more important but we did eventually get round to discussing the book ... I say 'discussing' but it was more of a quick chat where everyone gave a brief comment and that was it! Then lots more chatting until it was time to go home. They were all very friendly, made me feel very welcome, and I enjoyed myself. The book for next month was handed out, so it's great that we don't need to buy our own copies, - it's 'Love Marriage' by Monica Ali, which is not one that I would have chosen to read but that's one of the benefits of joining a book group as it offers the chance to try new authors and genres. 

Then in the evening I went out for a meal with J. We always have a good time together but we had the extra pleasure of chatting to a mutual friend we haven't seen in years who was sitting at the next table with some of her friends. J may join L and myself at the cinema on Wednesday if she can finish work in time. 

On to today and it's another U3A event, this time the monthly general meeting this afternoon where there is a speaker talking about The Great American Songbook. I'm not sure what to expect from that but will be going and hopefully get to meet some of the other members. I was asked if I'd be interested in organising a group and I said I would consider running a photography one but that I don't want to do anything until I have been to the hospital at the end of the month and have a better idea of what treatment, if any, I will need so we have left it like that for now. I used to enjoy the photography walks I organised for the Meetup group so it would be nice to share that hobby with others again.