Cheat day cont. We got some sweet licquorice drops here. Pink peppercorn Belgium chocolate. Chocolate covered orange slices and a salted caramel shortbread biscuit. Oh, and there’s some limoncello cooling in the fridge for later. Yum and refreshing for this scorcher of a day.

Summertime and the livin is easy 🌞

There’s music wherever I go in York. Great to hear an old favourite. ❤️ 🎶❤️

He got the musical moves. Mr Rupert Engledow. Jazz and swing violinist. 🎶.

Freedom on the sparkling water.

I’m loving it here at the Gulp + Graze in Micklegate. It’s bright and airy with a delightful breeze running through the front of the cafe to the cosy back courtyard. There are happy, giggly people celebrating Saturday together. It feels alive and joyous. It feels full of love. The staff are smiley. I’m enjoying the fresh funky vibe.

There are delectable juices, nourishing smoothies and sweet apricot pastries. Nut smoothies aren’t a common occurrence so it’s great to see them here. I’m starting with a coffee and will see where I end up next. It’s cheat day afterall. The coffee is subtle and easygoing. I’m enjoying this cappuccino. It looks beautiful and has chocolate on the top. Bonus.

Cheat day here we go. Breakfast. Dutch pancakes. I took mine with maple syrup, Swedish Glace vanilla ice-cream and a side of Nutella. Simon went with apple and Dutch stroop. Bubbles flew past the window as we ate with wide eyed kids running after them. Pancakes were yumbly.

Day 25

I dance in the sun, in the fresh, in the light
I dance with the stars, I dance with the night
I dance to music and magical sounds
I dance as birds sing songs all around

I dance with the moon, I dance with the trees
I dance with fairies laughing soft on the breeze
I dance with my feet, with my whole body bright
I dance as I fly into warm golden light

Doggo enjoying the Solstice sun. Look at them go. Such grace.

Happy Summer Solstice People of the World! May the force and the peace and the joy be with you ✌️

Initiative.
Rainbows.
Bunting.
I ❤ York.

Taken from The Urban Dictionary. Apparently I’m healthy. Jolly good. Ghost Poo

I’ve been enjoying listening to a genre of music called Retro Wave. It’s got a lot of 80s samples and has a driving bouncing rhythm. Great for helping me get out of bed this morning.

Montrose by Le Matos was awesome. 🎶.

I’m at Fossgate Social (coffee shop #4) this morning and boy do I feel awesome. Jazz funk plays out. It’s got a South American feel one moment and Swedish lounge the next. There’s wood everywhere. My favourite part - the chunky bar. An array of liquor bottles adorn the back wall. This place will turn up a notch later as it celebrates the Summer Solstice on a Friday night. But for now, I’m chilling man. I’m buzzing out on vibrations of funk in this uber cool cafe energy and yes, I’ve had a coffee. Next up is rhubarb tea. Pure sweet ecstasy in a cup. I’m hap.

The staff are friendly and love cats so that obviously gets them extra brownie points.

A simple cappuccino for me. No chocolate sprinkles. Hmmmm. I’ve realised how much I actually like those chocolate sprinkles. Rounded tasting coffee. Quite a bite to it but not overpowering. Nice amount of froth. The tea is sweet and refreshing with a hint of vanilla.

Day 24 - I had an amazing dance. I feel incredibly strong now. But I went through hell to get here. I felt sick to the stomach during one of the new bellydance exercises this evening. A belly roll is the most difficult manoeuvre I’ve ever done. Engaging the pelvis and abdominal wall in a cyclical rhythm brought up sensations in my stomach I’ve never explored before. I haven’t engaged this area much so it’s waking up and shouting at me from the inside. It’s saying that this stomach area is really important and needs to be taken care of.

During the exercise, it felt like my stomach was my brain. My second brain. It made me remember my unhealthy past. This sensation of feeling sick reminded me about how I could be greedy and overeat. I could feel that a few months ago, I didn’t make good food choices. And through conquering this belly roll, I could clear up all those poor decisions and make my core area healthy and vibrant again. I felt my body reprogramming itself from the centre. It brought up and released a lot of old crap and emotions. Releasing emotions is important so as not to lead to dis-ease. This exercise helps all the negativity leave my body and in its place it leaves health and strength and power. Gradually, I’m turning into a butterfly.

I’ve got my mum joking to me about her getting a mobility scooter and wanting a bed that automatically lifts her up. It’s a lesson for me. I don’t want to go down this road. If I have my way, I’ll be dancing til the day I die, with both feet on the ground and no walking stick in sight. The only way is to keep on going.

This photo represents something for me. All the hours of dance I’ve put into my life the last few months. All the sweat, love and rhythm. I’ve never been happy with changing room photos. This is the first one where I’ve thought ‘Yeah baby’. Here’s a girl with a healthy attitude.

I discovered a Lindt shop. Suffice to say, I got rainbow pick n mix.

This morning I’m in Pret A Manger. A lovely coffee shop chain in the UK. I love it here because they’re all about fresh food and organic coffee. They even have carrot juice and in a mainstream chain this is a real bonus. I never feel pressured to give my seat up in Pret because there are always a good spread of chairs available. I’m in a mall at the moment. Only ten minutes from the house. Malls aren’t places I usually frequent but it’s working for me today. There are a couple of shops to visit hence the visit. It’s quite quaint actually. I’m enjoying the vibe.

I opted for a turmeric latte with coconut milk today. As much as my caffeine demon wanted a coffee, my softer side wanted something sweeter. If you haven’t tried a turmeric latte give it a shot. Made with care, it can be a nourishing drink. And you could always chase it down with an espresso : ) I also got a chocolate hazelnut croissant which has made me one very naughty girl as it’s not my cheat day. I blame my hormones.

There’s something about going into a place of refinery that makes me become a better person. It makes me feel good. I sit straighter and talk more politely. Etiquette is an art. They’ve got it down to a fine tee at The Ivy. I watched many cocktails being made tonight at the bar.

Another glorious York walk. How small does my head look in this photo?!

I want to talk about hairy armpits on ladies. For some reason society dictates that women should have no hair under their arms (I’m sticking with arms though I know there are other places this filters into too).

When I was a kid, I was fascinated by a lady in the swimming pool showers (she happened to be French). She had hairy armpits. This wasn’t the main thing that surprised me. It was more the fact that she got completely naked (such confidence) in the communal shower when all the English ladies were more reserved in their swimming costumes. This was my first knowledge that ladies had underarm hair.

I used to shave and wax all the time. It was what you did. Especially in your teens. Then I became a hippy and everything was more relaxed. Especially during the winter months. The guys I’ve had relationships with have never minded either way. I thought that was cool. Though, when I was in Madeira, a waxer there told me men couldn’t stand women who had hair of any kind (a bit sad and unrealistic I thought).

I’ve heard a few women tell me how cool they think other women are when they ‘own’ their body hair. Complete confidence in their choice not to shave. I think all women secretly want to be able to be like this. It shows such a strength of character. Not playing a stupid game of societal pressure and rules.

In the past I’ve tried not to look different. Tried not be pointed or laughed at. I had enough going on. I didn’t need anymore weirdness. Yesterday, I succumbed to that part of me again and snipped back lots of my own lovely soft underarm hair in the name of summer fashion and vest tops. It was just growing there. Not doing anyone any harm. Helping me, in fact, to stay balanced and fresh. And now it feels rubbish.

There’s a reason hair exists under the arm. Something called sweat. So now, I’m walking around all sticky and wet in the name of some weird societal norm that I persuaded myself mattered.

Damn. I’m gonna try better next time. I’m gonna slay that part of me who gives a shit. And in the meantime I’ll wait for my soft sweet down to grow back.

Had a look through my photos and found these. Gobstopper heaven in Montreal and catto Amy, doing what she did best - being the most relaxed and unfazed catto ever. My first love ❤️

I find it impossible to swim anywhere where I can’t see the bottom. Pristine seas. Absolutely. Murky waters ie rivers, lakes etc. A definite no no. I think I’m missing out on all this wild swimming stuff. But the fear runs deep.

I swam in a murky lake once. When I was a kid. It was a grey day. Kind of ominous and colourless. It had a weird slimy, silty bottom. When my feet touched it, it made me squirm. My imagination running wild probably. That night I got ill. It probably wasn’t even the lake that made me ill but in my mind there was something sinister about that dark water.

I’ve been in an ice cold waterfall pool in India. That was deliciously freezing but I’m not sure how long I could have swam in it for. It also wasn’t very big so I couldn’t have done any serious lengths.

I’m one of those people with all the gear - goggles, swim cap, paddles, fins, pullbuoy, float (it’s an odd shaped bag to pack too). I like my lengths long. I like to power on with front crawl and use my fins to glide through the water at speed (fins are AMAZING btw). And, I can imagine doing this in idyllic river settings, because swimming outside is an incredible experience. So fresh and unchlorinated. But I’m held back by my anxiety of what lies just out of my sight. Eeeeek.

I saw a documentary once about a guy who would cycle to a spot in Yellowstone Park, park his bike up, put his wetsuit on, get in the water (with his waterproof bag with his clothes in) and let the river take him downstream to wherever it chose. He just flowed with it. I’d call that brave, exciting freedom.

Anyone had any great experiences of wild swimming? I’d love to hear some positive stories : )

I was lucky enough to swim in lots of pristine water growing up. I loved nothing better than being in the sea. Dad and I splashed around in San Antonio bay in the rain. I remember being fascinated by all the sand worm formations. I went on and on and ON at my mum in Spain to buy me a lilo. Eventually (and I mean it took ages to persuade her - a lot longer than usual) she bought one. It was amazing. I’m so glad I went on at her. Best fun I had on that hols.

On one of the Greek Islands, dad and I went rockpooling. I remember feeling ever so scared looking over the edge into the sea. It was deep and clear. I could see to the bottom. I could see coral and fish and seaweed (I wasn’t into seaweed at all). Earlier on that day I’d seen a battered dolphin washed up in the harbour. I imagined it had been attacked by sharks. The imprint of its body had affected me deeply. So as I looked over the edge and into the water, I remember thinking what if I actually fell in? Then all the sharks would come and gobble me up. A child’s imagination can be so dark and scary.

In Cape Cod I burnt my feet on the sand, it was so hot. I was relieved to reach the water. Waves were a big thing for me. I’d spend hours taunting them to try and get me. They were pretty big and eventually I realised the current had taken me 300m down the beach. What a power. I was such a mermaid. I’d spend hours looking under water and doing lots of handstands. I found some treasure in that sea. I found a gold necklace, glimmering and shimmering in the sunlight. It had a St Christopher’s pendant on it.

In Nice I walked along a flat pipeline which ran between the shore and an island made of rocks. I went with a lady I’d met on the beach. As I walked, I looked down to my left and saw turquoise sea and a white sandy bottom shining back at me. Blissful safety. When I looked to my right, the seabed was dark and unfriendly. Full of seaweed (eurgh!). There could have been any number of monsters lurking down there. When we got to the rock island, I couldn’t believe it, the lady only went and jumped off the rocks and into the deep, dark water. What?! Absolute madness. She had no idea about the scary things in there. I didn’t join her. Obviously. I just gaped. She floated for a while (in huge amounts of seaweed), ignorant to all the sea creatures probably swimming towards her right at that very moment (like sharks and eels with teeth), calmly talking to me about how lovely it was in there. Yeah like right lady, I’ll take a raincheck on that one. I don’t want no nibbled toes.

An unfiltered rose. A scary looking old druggist shop. A street in Fossgate. A contented catto.