April 11, 2013

English Gypsies of the 18th Century

I did some digging one day for my Remmington Pirates Series' gypsies and took some notes on gypsies in England.

– Gypsies travelled back and forth from New Forest to Kinson and other Dorset villages, Poole, as well as Hampshire. Some were originally from Sussex, Kent, and Surrey. Some even travelled from as far as Wales and Scotland. Many travelled from the New Forest settled in Bournemouth and surrounding areas or went back and forth. Some travelled to Dorset and Hampshire’s Portsmouth. Some were in Nottingham, Otterbourne, Woodgreen, Blackwater.
– Gypsies were Romany families
– Dorset one of the 1st recorded in 16th century (as well as in Scotland), gypsies were called Egyeptiones.
– Forest Gypsies were travelling back and forth between Wiltshire and Berkshire as well as Somerset, even as far as Cornwall. Some families settled in Dorset and in villages much earlier than 16th century too.
– Secret burial ground at Woodgreen and Blackwater near Farnborough
– Gypsy Queen, King of the Hampshire Gypsies
– Gypsy life enjoyed lots of singing and dancing, as well as feasting and drinking.
– Gypsies in Britain
– They live in tents and wagons at Shave Green, Godshill, Copythorne, Longdown, Thorney Hill, Millersford Bottom and Crystal Hollow and other places deep in the forest. – there also a few places outside the forest which were populare with Gypsies, Bournebouth and Pool and Fordingbridge on the edge of the Forest and all of the Cranborne Chase area.
– “The Romany and Traveller Family History Society website contains a list of trades and occupations (including horse dealers, basket makers, beehive makers, knife grinders, tinkers, peg makers, blacksmiths and entertainers)


April 9, 2013

What's Your Noble Name?


So instead of knight or lady name, think of it as Lord or Lady in the early 18th century of the time of my Remmington Pirate Series ;)

1. Take the name of your workplace or school or church or club or team or band
2. Take the name of your favourite village or town or city or county

For Example, I am:
                                                        Lady Black Light of Bath

April 5, 2013

Quoting...

Jonathan Nolan (one of the screenwriter for The Dark Knight Trilogy):

"Put it all into the film...It's sort of the opposite of 'Keep your powder dry.' It's 'Blow all your powder up.' Put it all into each film because you have no idea what's coming down the line."

April 2, 2013

Hannah's WW #5 - Tummy Melter

Melt fat around your tummy with the cardio and strength training in one!

For Warrior Workout #5

Original ( or Intermediate) DO 5 Rounds

30 seconds Oblique Jump Twist
20 reps Jack Squat
20 reps Frog Press
10 reps (Alternating) One-Legged Push-Up
20 reps Leg raises
20 reps Plank Jacks
30 seconds of Jump Rope


Beginners DO 2-5 Rounds

15 sec. Oblique Jump Twist
10 reps Jack Squats
10 reps Frog Press
6 reps (Alt.) One-Legged Push-Up
10 reps Leg Raises
10 reps Plank Jacks
15 sec. Jump Rope



[Note: Go as fast as you can without losing proper form]


THE HOW TO:


Oblique Jump Twist (without the ball or anything between knees)

Twist to the other side with a jump. DON'T PLANT YOUR FEET. It's up, down, up, down, twisting your lower body as you do it, working the abs in a cardio form to enhance fat-burn there...





Jack Squats
Jump feet out, wider than shoulder-width and back together. Keep chest up, back straight, abs tight, look straight ahead.


























Frog Press
Remember to breathe






(Alternating) One-Legged Push-Up

Original version - remember to breath with every reps and keep abs tight and hips in line with rest body, don't sag hips toward floor

The modified version - on knee - abs tights, hips in line with rest of body, don't sag hips toward floor and breath with every rep.






Leg raises

If you can't go all the way up or down, make the raises smaller - do what does not give you pain. - Breathe with every rep






Plank Jacks

Hands below the shoulders or a little wider than shoulder (which ever is most comfortable), abs tights, hips in line with body or if back hurts try a little higher toward ceiling, don't let them sag toward floor (it hurts the back)

Jump Rope - (don't have a jump rope like me, then just pretend to jump rope, jumping up and down for half a minute or hold dumbbells in your hands, whilst you pretend)
Abs tight, elbows close to sides - try to jump as fast as you can and BREATHE as you do it - if you have to go slower in ordered to keep going safely for set time that's okay! It's always good to be safe.



















Need something different, because of an injury or condition? Here are some suggestions you could try:

If you can't jump 

In Place of "Oblique Jump Twist" try Victoria Secret's "Aerotwist" (go here to 3:21 into the video to actually see it properly done) 

        I unfortunately could not find an image to show you, (I should have my picture taken doing it, huh?) - 
What to do: Make fists with hands in front of your chest, (so your fists are pressed against each other); elbows and fists are about shoulder level (so it's like you make a table with your biceps, forearms and fists all lined up), then you just twist your upper body from side to side, driving your elbow into the face of a pretend bad guy behind you - and your abs are tight






In Place of "Jack Squat:" you could try "Squat Cross Punch" (same number of reps):
Just hold the squat with your feet wider than shoulder-wide apart and alternate fists pretending to punch somebody's face on your left and then on your right (for 1 rep). Squat only low enough it does not hurt. - Keep back straight, abs tight, chest up, look at your imaginary opponent.






Can't be on your hands, because it hurts?

In place of "One-Legged Push-Up" try "Chop" - Here are some variations you can try (the idea of the push-up is to work your shoulders and arms, so to do that with the chop hold onto some weights, which could be with books or closed bags or bottles or cans, whatever you can use to challenge your shoulders and arms):

Alternate legs - as you stand on your right leg, raise hands above head toward right and bring hands down to your left hip - keeps abs tight to help with balance.













In Place of "Plank Jacks" you could try "Jumping Jacks" (same number of reps)
Keep chest up, abs tight, look straight ahead and melt that fat - when your abs are tight while doing any exercise actually, you're working and strengthening your abs to burn more fat after your workout too.











MY TIME:

On March 5, 2013 - 5 Rounds (Original) = 33 minutes

Can you beat my time?