Rest and relaxation

Today My "believe" book came and I am so glad I bought it thanks for telling about it, Lynne.
I am finding it inspiring and will be using it for a long time.

I was busy enjoying my day on Tuesday, giving out the "Girl with the Pearl Earing" and having a good natter with everyone I gave the book to. Not restful but very enjoyable.

Wednesday, We went to town and I was fitted for some new hearing aids should get them Friday next week.

Yesterday I sat and caught up with some of the TV programmes I  have recorded so that was really restful.

Today I went to a coffee morning and met some friends from the ME group, the first time since before Christmas and that was really enjoyable and now I'm catching up on more recorded programmes.
I've also been looking out of our window at the Spring flowers and the birds.

 

The book I gave out

 

 

Flowers from my window

Rest

“ Make rest and refreshment a necessity, not a luxury”

Lynnes quote for this week

I don't know about Anne, but I've bought the book, Lynn. I thought it looked really interesting.

I had to learn to relax and and rest and it wasn't easy at first. Now Roland has retired and the children have grown up it is much less difficult but I still have to step back at times and take a break.

My photos for today are more of our few days away as they are good examples of relaxation.

Enjoying Cheddar Gorge

 

A Beautiful sunset enjoyed from Saun and Fionas House

Taken with Rolands new camera

 

Watching Mum and Dad looking after baby

 

Relaxing with Smartie

 

I know I haven't finished last weeks nostalgia but I will do that sometime in the week.

 

 Tomorrow is World Book Night and I will be busy giving out "Girl with the Pearl Earing"

I am looking forward to that but it won't be very restful.

Nostalgia Music 1

I'm sorry I haven't joined in much this week. It's been a funny old week for me.

  Unfortunately this gastroscopy on Wednesday  didn't go as well as the last one and I have felt awful since.
The day started with them not having a bed for me on the day patient ward so I waited in the waiting room. They then took me to a treatment  room  to wait as they said it would be a while before my op. The chair in there was really uncomfortable. Then they had to rush getting me ready as the doctor wanted me earlier than they thought.
I came round in the middle of the procedure and felt like I was choking. They gave me  more sedation and that's probably while I feel so bad plus travelling the next day probably didn't help.
 To top it all I have to go back yet again in 6 weeks for more stones to be removed so I'm feeling very down at the moment and very apprehensive.

We came down to stay with Shaun and Fiona the next day. They live near Weston Super Mare.
 We've had a lovely time here though. Shaun has really been looking after us. His house overlooks the Bristol Channel and we can watch the tide going in and out.
We went to Cheddar Gorge Friday, went in one of the caves and bought some cave cured Cheddar cheese. There was sunshine as well so a good day out. Yesterday we went to Slimbridge where Roland saw a kingfisher but didn't have time to take a photo of it.
Today we went with Fiona to see her horse, Smartie. Roland took some photos as we hadn't met her before. She is a really lovely placid horse and very gently took carrots and apples from my hands. When we got back Shaun had cooked us Sunday roast. So another lovely day.
Back home tomorrow and then Tuesday I've got 20 books to give away for National Book Night.

 

Inside the cave in Cheddar Gorge

 

Some little ducklings at Slimbridge

At the stables with Smartie

The music in my life

Music has always important to me ever since I can remember.
My Nana taught singing and so wanted me to learn to play the piano but I was stubborn and wouldn't practice. I did love to sing though. 

The first music I can remember was a tune called

  "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White"

played by Eddie Calvert a trumpeter in the 50's.
I would be about 8 at the time and still living in Derbyshire.

Later I was introduced to Elvis Presley and fell in love.
My friends brother was much older than us and had a record player. He used to let us listen to it by standing it by an open window and we stood outside. Strange I know. This was up in Cumberland.
Next it was Helen Shapiro in my teens. My favourite song was
"Don't treat me like a child"
I was about 14 then and thought I was really grown up. I went to see her in Carlisle and guess who was a very minor back up act in the show - The Beatles. They wore leather jackets and when they tried to get into one of the hotels in Carlisle they were turned away because they weren't properly dressed.

I'll have to carry on another day as my reminiscences are rather long



Vulnerable

I just can't believe it is Thursday already and I haven't posted.

Vulnerable

This word has taken  a great deal of thinking about.

 

I feel my ME/ CFS has made me feel vulnerable as I cannot go anywhere without having a back up plan in case I can't get myself home. Usually it is Roland taking me and picking me up. I used to be so independent.

Apart from that I felt much more vulnerable with feelings when I was younger. Now I just don't care what people say or do about me. If it is too bad I just don't have anything to do with that person again.

I wore glasses from when I started school at 4. They always made me feel vulnerable (speccy four eyes springs to mind) but I was also vulnerable when I didn't wear them as I could and can only see shadows unless something is almost touching my nose. I suppose if they were made when I was younger I would have worn contact lenses.

My first marriage made me vulnerable as I was not respected or considered by my first husband and made to think all the problems were my fault.

Going into hospital makes me feel vulnerable as I like to be in control and that doesn't happen there.

I'm sure there are more things but I feel that is enough.

This is an extract from Annes post
 

What do you do when you feel vulnerable, what do you eat, what do you say, how do you dress, whom do you talk to, what do you avoid doing, what do you do much more ?

Do you dress in bright colors, do you go clubbing, do you hibernate, do you go for long walks, do you cuddle your Teddy in your PJs all day, do you read a book, do you raid your local supermarket for chocolate, do you look at yourself in a mirror and do faces ?

We all have our own small things we do to try and feel better and I would like we share them with each other, as we never have too many ways of trying to feel better, do we ?

And here is what I do

I bake and the other day I realised my mum used to do the same when she felt cross, worried or generally at odds with the world.
There is something satisfying in bringing a cake or pastry out of the oven and it makes me feel a great deal better.
I often hibernate as I find comfort in the warmth of my bed and I read, losing myself in a fantasy takes all cares away.
I find crafting is not an option when I feel vulnerable as things tend to go wrong for me and make me feel worse.
I now get my hair done every week but it used to help when I felt vulnerable - changing styles and colour made me feel great. Don't do the changing so often now.
Unfortunately I eat - anything sweet especially chocolate. I try to restrict sweet things but a bit of really dark chocolate does wonders for the ego.
Seeing the grandchildren and great grandchildren is another remedy.
There is nothing like a god conversation and laugh with little ones especially when you don't have the responsibility of them.

On Wednesday Jo and I went to the cinema to see "The Croods". We had a great time with a huge tub of popcorn and a drink (mine was a costa coffee)
He is a real love and couldn't help reminding me his birthday is in 2 weeks time.

 



April View

The last day of the view challenge.

I finally finished my dream board - more about that at the end of this month now I'm going to get on with the scrapbook pages for February and Marches View.
I also want to start my journal for Annes challenge and something for Nostalgia - may be an accordion book as Kathie suggested. I really feel like I'm on a roll at the moment so I want to make the most of it. I think it is something to do with the Spring like weather we are having at the moment.

The Local View

I decided to take the view from my bedroom window.
Just look at that sky.

I just had to post a photo of this busy blackbird.
She is building her nest in a garden 2 doors down.
I do hope Stella doesn't find it.

 

 

 



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View Challenge 2

Well I had my little op yesterday and all went reasonably well. Unfortunately the doctor couldn't remove the large stone. He has put a stent in my bile duct to enlarge it in the hope that that will help to remove it. I need to go back in 3 weeks time for him to have another go at it.
My throat and stomach are a little sore but that is a lot better today.

My Sister is moving out of mums house. Her daughter came up with a cousin and took most of the furniture and will come again tomorrow to remove the final bits and take Marion with them. The keys are to be handed over at 12 o'clock tomorrow and that is the end of an era. A sad moment mixed with relief that we don't have the worry of the house any more.

From the kitchen window

 

Not actually from the window but from the bottom of the garden.

You can just see the kitchen window at the top of the photo.

 

 

The View

Instead of taking a view of the whole garden I decided to take pictures of small places of interest.

 

A small corner of the veg plot

 

 The plant pots have native bluebells in them that I have grown from seed

 

Fionas rose I am looking after until she has a permanent place for it.

We just bought a new blueberry bush.

 It's the one on the right.

Now we have two.

 

The flower buds of the Chaenomeles Japonica
( flowering quince)

The veg patch ready for the veg seeds.