Monday 4th April

I went dancing tonight - Irish set dancing is my passion - and I had an excellent and completely stress-free time as usual. Eileen McCarthy made up a sponsor form for me and, completely unasked for, made an annonuncement about my CWT walk to the rest of the dancers. I was really chuffed when some of them immediately sponsored me and even handed over the money. What faith!
Michael offered to come with me and carry my rucksack, but if I needed a sherpa, I'd want someone with a few more years under their belt or my husband might get jealous!

Dancing with Patrick

Photos of set dancing always come out blurred - it is quite a quick form of dancing and certainly good training for the walk, particularly for building up stamina. I dance for about 2 hours every Monday night. 
But far beyond any physical benefits, I believe dancing is good for the soul. And since I am a compulsive worrier, it is the perfect way to take my mind off the little demons that keep trying to enter my head and take me away from the happy moments (and there are many of them) in my daily life. It is impossible to be thinking about naughty pupils/work/annoying teachers when you are trying to remember the next step in the Televara set, or almost paralytic with laughter as someone tries to go the wrong way round the chain during the High Cauled Cap. I am sometimes laughing so hard I can barely stand, never mind dance with any grace! It is pure joy.
So to the devil with anti-depressants I say.... go dancing.