Sunday Ramblings

I do wish that my body clock did not wake me up at 6 am each morning, all very well when it is a work day, but at the weekend it would be rather nice to have a longer sleep.  OK I could roll over with the luxurious knowledge that I don't have to get out of bed, but by then I am usually wide awake.  However, this was no hardship this morning as it is a simply glorious day.  It is so lovely when this unexpected sunshine and warmth suddenly appears out of nowhere and the heart lifts and people in the street begin to smile a bit more.  So I am sitting here with a cup of tea, have opened all the windows in my bijou flatette, Classic FM quietly on the radio so I don't wake the neighbours, and all is gemutlich.

However, be warned I am now going to go into Grumpy Old Woman of Colchester mode, so all those of you who who are rolling their eyes up to the heavens and thinking O God here she goes again, look away NOW.

The downside to this sudden arrival of summer is the sudden mass display of flesh that I had to suffer when I went into town on Saturday.  The reason for my foray into town, I would rather have needles in my eyes than do this normally, was that I discovered that my summer wardrobe is sadly lacking in anything that is half fit to wear (have not bought any new summer clothes for some years now) and also, sadly, that I really have to shift a bit of weight and the clothes that I have were just a little too comfortable for my liking. So off I went to buy some stuff.  Before I go any further, I would like to make it quite clear that I am not exactly pin thin, I am not svelte, never have been, never will and I, too, have rolls of excess flab lurking around the waist area.  They are not things of beauty and I do not inflict them on the public at large.  Why then do others not adopt the same way of thinking?

Walking down Colchester High Street was horrific, at a guess I would say that nearly 70% of everyone I saw was overweight, some verging on the obese and yet there was a preponderance of tight shorts, skinny clinging t-shirts and of course, the obligatory baring of flesh in the midriff.  There were rolls of white flab everywhere and I cannot believe that anybody who looked in the mirror before they went out could even begin to think they looked in any way fetching.    The men were just as bad with huge beer bellies and an awful lot of them shirtless which, quite frankly, was all too much to bear.

I purchased, I fled home and here I am.  I don't have a garden, this is when I miss it, but as I said all windows are open, and I shall be spending the day in my long floating cotton caftan which has the virtue of hiding all my deficiencies in figure as well as being cool and comfortable.

I should mention that I went into the wonderful Marks & Spencer food hall while in town as I decided that before I belly ached about everyone else, I should do something about my belly, and purchased salads and fruit and healthy things to eat and this week I am starting to see if I can shift a bit of avoirdupois.  I did it for the wedding, then relaxed and it all came back, and now here we go again.  I sometimes wonder if it would jut be easier to think Oh to hell with it and not bother, but the thought of my body being somewhat on display when I go on holiday to Turkey in June is focussing my mind wonderfully.

Vanity vanity all is vanity...

More later

Comments

[Juliet]

Ha! Good morning Elaine. My children and I took our virtuous M&S salad bowls into Colchester Castle Park yesterday for a picnic lunch, during which I had more than ample time to gaze at all those people you'd seen flip-flopping their way down the High Street and I can only agree with you wholeheartedly. Out comes the sun, out come the shorts and skinny vests - and way too short and way too skinny most of these were for the people bursting out of them. It was all decidedly yucky to behold (apart from the (rare) distraction of a few gym-honed young male torsos (from which I averted my eyes, naturally) . . . ahem), my overwhelming impressions were: (a) there is a serious mirror shortage in Colchester;(b) the healthy eating/healthy living exhortations of the government and the media are falling on deaf or oblivious ears; (c) by comparison, I actually don't have *too* much to worry about myself (this is a most unusual state of affairs). It was a relief to get back to Mersea - where people were also disporting vast amounts of flesh but, somehow, the seaside seems a more natural and appropriate place for it than the High Street. Hope you have a cool and wafty Sunday.

[Maxine]

This is all so funny as our lives seem to mirror each other in some ways! I too wake up at 6 am at weekends, and wish I didn't. And I too, had to go into Kingston (not Colchester, but same principle I presume) and had just the same reaction as you. All these gross people with practically nothing on.... I was amazed by what seems to be a new (?) fashion, that of coloured bra straps. Many ladies were wearing various forms of brightly coloured and/or patterned sundresses (as I call them) with shoulder straps not sleeves (first mistake for the not so svelte). They also wear a bra in a matching colour, but with the straps nowhere near the straps of the dress, so obviously supposed to show? (1) Screamingly ugly. (2) what of the next day's sun tan marks? A mess?

As well as the many wobbly exposures of flesh, were many rude and aggressively shouting teenagers, usually part of a clump of vaguely threatening males and afrorementioned busty girls wihtout much on. But I suppose the aggro youths are there all year round. Glad I am not their teacher.

[Lesley]

Oh lord... in July, I'm making my first trip back to the UK in 12 years. It'll be my first English summer in 38 years. And here am I imagining it's going to be all sunshine, wide-brimmed hats, flowers and floaty, dreamy fabrics.
You're all putting me off!

[daphne sayed]

You can't have it all ways. You are lovely to look at and look at least 10 years younger than you are. you also look elegant. so there!!
You should visit Brighton for funny clothes often accompanied by short white socks. Rita and I find it hilarious.I'm afraid i lived with Arabs too long and don't like 'personal' flesh on show.

[Susan Balée]

Ugh. It's even worse here in the U.S., I think. Most of the teen girls dress like lap dancers, and even some of those are chunkettes. The general population is obese, as you've doubtless noticed on visits to our shores. I am always struck when I go to Europe how thin everyone looks as here you have two extremes: Obese or ruthlessly gym-perfect bodies. We are not good with middle ground -- not with religion, food, drink, whatever. It's all or nothin'.

But today it is mother's day here in America and my husband and kids are waiting on me hand and foot. I like it. Let's have it this way every day!

[Maxine]

I'm defining myself as "middle ground", Susan ;-)

[Nan]

I loved this! So, there's fat in England, too? I thought it was just the US. You are so, so right. There are many people who shouldn't wear what they wear. My own personal rule was no shorts after 50, men or women. No one abides by it, though. :<) And I can't believe that young people don't mind how they look. Maybe they just see so many who look like them that it isn't a big deal??