Periodically there is new research published that warns us of the health impacts of watching too much TV.  I never paid too much attention to it since we don’t watch a huge amount – an hour or so a day is about the maximum and some days none.  When the usual round of New Year get fit publicity started at the turn of the year I started to get frustrated listening to the reports on the radio. After all what’s the difference with watching TV, playing computer games, blogging and surfing the net.  Or indeed spending hours on your back veranda reading, talking with others and watching the clouds go by?

Of course, it’s the TV perspectives that grab the headlines but in it’s any sedentary activity that is “bad” for you.    I gave up going to the gym years ago (couldn’t justify the expense when I couldn’t fit it in between working, eating and sleeping) so these days I fall back on walking the dogs and chores in the garden to fill that gap.  I know I should put in a bit more vigorous exercise to make a real difference but routine is everything and I’m still waiting for the ideal time to create that new habit.  My running shoes are waiting for my knees to stop aching and my bike is waiting to be excavated from under the debris and a clear path out of the barn.  1 February is D day on that front.

In the meantime, I’m content to enjoy all the home entertainment there is.  Including watching the rain fall, the wind blow, the sun shine and the clouds cruise by providing more natural visual entertainment than a girl should reasonably expect.  With the weather in confusion (it seems to have forgotten it’s summer) we watched the mist rise, the clouds blow and the sun finally win the day the other evening.

As I write this blog I’m back in jeans, merino and for good measure another layer.  The garden may be loving the rain but with a long holiday weekend on it’s way (Wellington Anniversary Day) I would rather the sun came back out to play.