Easter Sunday

East Sunday 2021

Our second Easter under the pandemic. Even the direst of times cannot, however, stop chocolate from featuring in our lives, and today was no different. We sat around the table (see extra) with a mountain of the stuff, including vegan eggs for TSM and I made by a company called NOMO (which stands for NO Missing Out apparently - very inclusive of us plant eater minorities. But we are also being very good; I had 125 calories of mine then hid the rest in the garage. Well put rather than hid, I know where to find it. But it is the symbolism that matters. I am not going to have it in the house where it can exercise its siren properties, since one of the things I have learned on my nooM course is that proximity of food of itself increases calorie intake. Along with the peer pressure of other people eating, which can be a big factor in our household.

We - TSM, Strider and I - went for the most glorious bike ride, along the local rivers and canals, lots of paths we’ve not come across before. The view above is the river Wey at Newark Priory, one of the monasteries dissolved and asset stripped by Henry the Eighth who had a canon set up on a nearby hill to blow it apart, which was partially successful. Rather vindictive if you ask me. The locals helped themselves to a lot of the stone - this being Surrey, probably for patios - but a service is held there at dawn on Easter Sunday apparently, in the ruins of what remains. Lots of people out walking, cycling, paddle boarding and kayaking; I think we did about fifteen miles in a great loop, by the end of which I was a bit bum sore and decided I would invest in a compression saddle and some padded cyclists underwear. The paths are of variable quality with lots of tree roots and ruts to catch you out so every little helps. My Hybrid eBike is very good at adapting to the terrain, although there was one section which was really challenging and probably not navigable after any serious amount of rain.

It was warm enough to sit in the garden and drink tea and play cards when we got home. The Dizzle and Mystic Em got back a while after us having cycled to Kingston and getting the train back, so we were all getting lots of exercise today. I id treat myself to another hot cross bun with marmalade - heaven, when you are dieting that sort of thing is a huge treat.

The weather is due to turn again tomorrow - minus four at its lowest and nothing above seven degrees, which seems unfathomable after a rather lovely spring week.