I am so excited.  In a few hours I’ll be leaving for a short yoga retreat.  Am I jetting off to sunnier places?  Um no.  I’m going (according to Google maps) 18 minutes away from my house.  But that’s ok with me.  I went there a few years ago and it was so relaxing and stretchy, I know it will feel like I am a million miles away.  Except for the rain, of course.  I imagine that wont stop so close to home.

I’ve packed – and added a few extras (I couldn’t be too healthy – my body would probably collapse in shock).

And once I’ve posted this I’ll log off and start relaxing.   I was told this week that I am ‘quite eccentric’.  I’m not sure how to take that, but I’ve given myself a pep talk, based on the fact I already only know one other person who’ll be there and would quite like to make a sensible impression on new people.   I’ve decided there are two main things to remember:

1. When people start talking about their children (as they always do), unless I can keep the pretence up for the whole weekend, I must not talk about Norman as if he is a small child.  Last time that happened – when I had Charlie and Norman –  I got part way through a conversation before I realised that I’d unintentionally created that impression but couldn’t work out how to correct things without looking like a loon.  It turned out I ended up having to admit to it when the lady I was talking to asked who I was looking after them while I was away.  I’d already told her that ‘my boys’ were two, and without thinking, I answered the childcare question with ‘oh, they’re on their own at home – someone is just popping in to feed them later’.
2. To keep the conversation about knickers in my head.  It’s a mystery to me what underwear people wear for yoga that comfortably stay where they should with all the stretching, bending and twisting involved.  The girl I am next to in our usual classes copes very well when I mumble that I’ve ‘got the wrong bloody knickers on again’, but the people this weekend might not be as lovely and able to cope with my over sharing.

So I’ll do my best.  Hopefully I’ll be relaxed and stretchy very soon. Maybe I’ll have even met some new people who don’t think I’m eccentric :o)