Some of you know I'm doing the BRMB Walkathon next Sunday (8th May) and have been trying to build up my distance. Walkathon = 26 miles around the number 11 circular bus route in Birmingham. I read somewhere (or someone told me) that if you can do 18 miles before the day your adrenaline will carry you the rest of the way. Choise yesterday - stay home and watch the Royal Wedding or go for the 18 miles while the roads are quiet. The latter won.

Armed with a bottle of water, a banana, apple and energy bar I set of headphones in ear at 7.39 a.m. I'd hoped to start a 6 o'clock but the bed was too warm. I went the 11C route starting in Erdington going on the Stechford, Yardley, Acocks Green, a bit of Moseley, Kings Heath, Cotteridge, Stirchley, Harborne and was just thinking about the stretch of Lordswood Rd that would take me into Bearwood when my legs said 'No More.'

I could have probably gone a bit further if I hadn't taken a 2 mile detour down Fox Hollies Road and all past St Peter's Church before realizing my mistake. I had to retrace my steps to get back to School Lane. I was a little miffed but the scenery was worth it. Other scenery well worth it was Swanshurst Park and Bournville Village. How amazing that some children go to school in that amazing building covered with wisteria.

Spring's such a great time to be walking. All those blossoms, and in the stillness of the morning, before the world woke up (about 10 o'clock) the birds song mingled with Alicia Keys and John Legend to create a new genre of music; twitterock.

I bussed it back to Erdington (about another eight and a half miles) and wondered how my legs would cope today. (5 hours and 40 mins by the time I stopped) It may have been the green tea, it may have been the long rest, or it may well have been the half bottle of Chablis and a good night's rest but they were rearing to go this morning.

I rested them today - other things booked. May have a go at that final stretch tomorrow. I'll be emailing out sponsor forms this week. Please support Birmingham Children's Hospital in whose aid we are walking.

I now have a new website. Well two actually. You can still find me on www.predencia.co.uk and I also have a publishing website www.cymbalspublishing.co.uk where you can purchase my first ever poetry books (more accurate to describe them as booklets really). RAW (vols 1&2) are only £3.50 each and are full of all the stuff you've heard me perform - and some that's never seen the light of day before - mainly because they're not performance pieces. I've had some great feedback and some very surprised people have rung me to say 'I never knew your life was like that.' Of course not all the poems are my experiences - some are observed, but they've all left there mark on my soul.

I'm working on two CDs to go with the books. Really excited by the way they're shaping up -some nice tunes to accompany some of the poems. Keep checking the site to see when they become available. You will love them. Trust me.

This is my year for writing. First draft of novel nearly complete. Need to have that done by end of this month. May need to be a bit anti-social to make that happen. Me, my laptop, a lot of Tindersticks and some Theta music to stimulate the creative juices.

It's been a long time since I visited these pages but I'm moved to share the experience of my first pole dancing lesson. Yep, I said pole dancing! In a mad moment while I was in Barbados in January I was browsing Groupon and saw an offer 'Buy 4 pole dancing lessons for £15 instead of £45. It seemed a bargain. I put it out of my mind till recently when I was clearing out and found the coupon - nearing its expiry date. Emma said come along on Sunday and see what you think.

I went straight from the Mind Body Spirit fair at Derby University where I'd been listening to the wonders of creating your own meditation to making love to a long, thick, shiny pole in a large room in a snooker club. Me and four other girls (all young enough to be my granddaughters - or at best daughters) stripped down to vests and shorts (all the better for our legs to grip the pole) and awaited instructions from the teacher. I was introduced to the straight leg twist, the fireman's spin, graceful wheel (which looked anything but when I performed it) and a whole host of others. All of them involved me holding the pole as high up as I could with my right hand and pulling my full body weight up while swinging around the pole. (Apart from the one where I had to leap onto the pole and hold it firmly with my crotch - Ouch)

Don't get me wrong. I knew I'd need a bit of upper body strength and had been doing pull ups at the gym. What I was unprepared for was the expectation that I would throw myself gracefully around a slippery pole toes pointed, lips pouting, trying to look sexy. Wasn't this dance developed for acrobats?

I'd been sliding down the pole for about forty minutes before the teacher suggested using some of that cream on my hands that helps with grip. It helped enormously. I could swing round without hitting the mats like a sack of potatoes every time. Encouraged by my progress she gave me a few more moves to try; one involved swinging my legs out behind me while sticking my hips forward. I saw her do it so I know it's possible - just not possible for me - yet!

The classes are an hour and a half but after an hour and twenty minutes the teacher took pity on me and gave me the option of carrying on practicing for another ten minutes or stretching my arm and going home. As my arms could no longer hold me up I went for the latter.

Two days later my shoulders still feel dislocated and I'm having difficulty changing gears - despite taking the precaution of going for a steam, sauna and spa first thing yesterday. I've noticed a few muscles have popped up on my upper arms and my ribs hurt.

It feels a bit like sex - the thing we are simulating. Not much fun the first time, but hopefully it will get better. Three more lessons to go.

I'm watching The Secret again, about the third time this year. Thinking I could benefit from watching it once a week. We (me and another friend) set up a small group in September to help us focus on the principles of The Secret. We've called it The Secret Society. We've met to help each other create vision boards, to share our goals and to keep us firmly believing our goals are acheivable. I'm living the Secret. I've had an incredible year. Not everything's gone according to my plans but the outcomes have been better than expected. I've lost three dear friends, and while I will miss them on this plane I know their energies are still with me.

I've claimed being a writer performer. I mean deep down 'this is who I am'. I've finally felt brave enough to publish my poems and I've even recorded my voice in a CD of a selection of poems. A few big things happened this year. I started a novel. Writers Without Borders was 10 years old. I took on a big chunk of organising our anniversary celebrations in October as part of Birmingham Book festival, which was a huge success. First time ever we sold out the Library Theatre. I co-wrote a play about Mary Seacole with Mahogany Tree which we performed in November. I performed a solo dance at the Bellydance Hafla at the end of Nov, and was the lead dancer in one of our two class dances. I published the books and CD in December. I've got a restaurant review in a food magazine which came out last week. 'Taste the Caribbean' is a high quality glossy on Caribbean food, what to buy, how to cook, and where to eat it. My piece was on a restaurant in Barbados. I'm doing a writing course at Boldmere centre and in the process building up a selection of short stories which I'll publish next year. I'm very excited about writing and performing.

Eleven days to the end of the year. Been an amazing one. Really looking forward to 2011.

Getting into a higher holiday gear. Went on an Island Safari today in a 4x4 which took us to places you wouldn't normally get to in an ordinary car. I was expecting to be taken into the forests and up on the hills (such that they are in Barbados) and all my expectations were more than met on that score. What I wasn't expecting was to be supplied with gallons of rum punch on the trip. My other 8 travel companions began drinking at 9 a.m. and continued almost non-stop till our lunch stop at 2 p.m. Not happy with the strength of the punch supplied they asked the driver to stop and buy a bottle of Mount Gay to top it up. They were pretty sozzled by lunchtime and one became particlarly abnoxious. Trust me to be sitting beside him.

Lest you be put off taking such a tour if you come to Barbados - let me say that there were lots of other jeeps whose passengers drank responsibly. Some of them felt sorry for me. It felt like being the driver on a drinking night out, the sober one who. I have every admiration for the driver and tour guide who navigated his way around them with professional aplomb. Just the right amount of humour and gentle steering (especially one of them back to his seat after each stop).

Lunch at the splendid Sunbury Plantation House was a dream Caribbean buffet which three people from our party felt the need to complain about. I felt duty bound to put a different point of view to the manager who offered me a free visit for my trouble. Not sure if I'll have time to get back up there. The journey back was a pretty straight drive for which I was really grateful. I asked to be dropped of at the beach. I don't think I could get complacent about the beauty of the waves as they gather and then release their power over the sand; the way the sun sets slowly into the sea and the translucent air as day slowly turns to night. Everything is perfect then.

I asked my friend "What am I supposed to have learned from today?"
"Tolerance" she answered.

Amazing what 12 days in one of the most beautiful places on God's earth can do lift one's spirits. Flight re-booked for the 28th and I was happy to accept the extra six days because they couldn't fit me into a flight 14 days later. As they say....it's an ill wind....

I've just come back form a Mother's day lunch at Weisers Cafe Restaurant on Brandon Beach. Lucky me to have 2 mother's day in the same year. The buffet meal bagan with a virgin pina colada (just as well it was virgin as there was probably enough rum swilling about inside me from last night to make it a real one) and ended with a bread and butter pudding with guess what? Yes, rum sauce. The bit in between included breadfruit and redherring salad, rice, lamb, fish and a 'carribean jeark chicken' Now I'm not wishing to be nationalistic here but Jerk Chicken is is a Jamaican dish and sorry Weisers but it does not have a sauce of glazed mango. Don't get me wrong it was lovely, but putting some jerk seasoning on it does not make it 'jerk'

Anyway, that aside, the atmosphere was festive but relaxed. The baloons and ribbons made us mothers feel special, as did the waiting staff. And the view of the beach and turquoise water in the distance...well...a bit different to Cafe Rouge in Brindley Place. It would have been perfect if we could have stayed to watch the volley ball game. Those fine young men doing wonderful things with their balls.

It took me a few days to settle into the holiday mood, to leave the concerns of everyday life behind. Last night we went to Plantation night club in Christchurch for their 'Golden Oldies' night and I resolved to learn ballroom dancing when I get back. I was envious of the way some of these older folk glided gracefully across the floor. Made some of us younger ones look like clumsy oafs. I say some.. because some of the younger ones have obviously been practicing and also looked graceful. It was such a pleasure to be asked 'young lady may I have this dance'. Despite my protestations that I was inexperienced I was assured that if I just followed his lead I would be fine. And I was was. It wasn't all waltzes and foxtrots though. We got a chance to get down to some classic reggae lovers rock and wine to some soca. Could have rung my clothes out. Not since my wedding did I get to bed after 4 a.m. from a night out.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse - it just did. Within the last month another friend died. I went to his funeral on Friday. I say friend but in fact he was someone I grew up with like a brother; the son of my second mom.

A month ago I booked a break to Barbados - needing some sun and a change of scene. I've been chomping at the bit to go - only to find today that the flight is cancelled. I've been willing it to happen but alas to no avail. The worse thing though is that the airline kept telling me the flight was still on and to make my way to the airport. I had everything packed. Even had all my toiletries in one of those little plastic bags I detest. Then I checked the website and it said all flights out of Gatwick cancelled. It's been a tortuous rollercoaster. I'm going to have a very large glass of wine and go to bed. Tomorrow will look different. I guess one plus is that I get to fit inanother bellydance class and not have to miss too many classes. BOO Hoo Hoo!!!