P.S…yes I know…I forgot to dead head my hydrangeas…x 
Didn’t see that 
Know what you mean about peace for the goat, Bijou is a labracollie, constantly trying to keep us together when we are walking 
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Bijou…jewel…??? What a pretty name…probaby the collie traits are dominant over the cross if it’s necessary to “herd” you together…precious…x
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She is a Jewel Helen, absolutely wonderful nature 
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I have very weak / puny shoulders - scoliosis plus always carrying hand bag on the left and toting three kids on left hip plus breaking left arm three times plus damaged cervical vertebrae (on the left!) after a bad riding fall involving my neck and a tree…so I can assure you that the exercises work!
When I don’t do them I end up at the kine. Plus I now have arms like Madonna… complete with veins!!
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I tried to lure my lovely kiné man… to come and live in the village… 
In my ideal world, I would have my own kiné and hairdresser…daily sessions… so relaxing… I could fall asleep during both… 
Good to know the exercises will work… not that I have any expectations of ever looking anything even vaguely like Madonna…
For the first time ever I haven’t dead headed the hydrangeas. I didn’t foget ,was just unable to do it…so I am conducting an ‘experiment’ and awaiting to see how Mother nature copes without my interferience. I suspect that she will cope very well without me 
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Stella, you have forgotten someone who will change the sheets daily, and the towels, and will also give you a lovely relaxing massage just before you go to bed in crisp fresh sheets … bliss
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I think she will cope really well…I have “forgotten” to dead head my hydrangeas ever since I got here as I didn’t know they needed it…My gran had one in her back garden when I was little…all I remember is that it always had an army of ants busy all day…and she used to feed it with the cold tea leaves from her teapot…I’ve got 3 just outside my back door…a white one and two that change from blue to purple to pink and all shades in between…It fascinates me how when the flowers die they stay there through all weathers…dried flowers…really delicate but they hold out through gale force winds and driving rain…x
A neighbour who is only here 10 weeks each year… has a beautiful hydrangea with long pointy flowering heads. Beautiful shades of palest pink through to burgundy.
I cut the heads and let them dry… or let them dry in situ …depending on how I feel… then use the best ones for decoration over the winter months…
I take Winston Churchill’s approach. Everytime I get the urge to exercise I lie down till it passes.
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…
It’s wonderful that the desiccated blooms keep their shape and don’t shed petals after they’ve dried out thoroughly, the blooms take on such a rich palette of creams and reddish browns and caramel colours, as I type this I have three two-year-old specimens in a square ceramic vase facing me - exquisite things. And so widely popular in France it seems.
I’ve just binned those from about 5 years ago… they have done sterling service… but it’s time to say goodbye…
I have some dried Annabelle in the hall.
Up until four years ago I was playing competitive football and badminton every week, unfortunately arthritis in my hips put paid to that so I now walk a lot and have just taken up cycling again. My work is also very physical so I get a huge amount of exercise which is just as well given the amount of food I eat!
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I have had quite serious sciatica since 2007 and subsequently can’t exercise effectively, by walking or even by doing housework. I tell my current doctor the anti-inflammatory drugs don’t work and he shrugs his shoulders and says try to keep moving around – don’t seize up – and he doesn’t refer me for physical therapy. I also find that due to the natural loss of muscle strength as we age, it becomes very easy to overbalance or trip, and fall over.
I have used static rowing machines, static bicycles, ordinary bicycles, yoga and walking in the past to keep fit, so I’m going to try something else now, at my age, that only requires me to stand - on a whole-body oscillating vibration machine. An old therapy which has been around since 1867 apparently and is/was used by NASA for astronauts. Sounds convincing.
I have ordered a vibration machine, not the one in the video, arriving tomorrow, and wondered if anyone has used this form of home therapy? If I find it isn’t of much beneficial use to me, I shall resell it.
Added edit - should have included who should not use these types of machines…the website’s not in English so use Google to translate.
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There’s an amazing machine at my Kiné… must be a fairly recent addition (or perhaps during Covid when I never went there…)
Looks a bit like an open-fronted time-machine, with handles and all sorts of stuff…
Hope your new purchase works well for you… keep us informed… please 