Thursday 30 October 2008

Psychotherapy Assessment

Attended for the Psychotherapy Assessment appointment. The psychotherapist asked various questions and commented that I’m very good at rationalising away my feelings – so good that I’m not always aware of my feelings.
“That’s the basis of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, isn’t it - changing the thought to change the feelings?” I suggested.
“I’m not going to comment on that” he told me firmly.
Later I noticed that each time I spoke, I was sprinkling the phrase ‘you know’ through everything I said, like a verbal tic. I commented as much, adding that I don’t usually do so.
“You’re looking for validation and I’m not giving it” he responded.
At the end of the interview he said, “I may have seemed critical”, which surprised me as I couldn’t recall him saying anything critical and I hadn’t felt criticised. We’ve made another appointment to meet in November.

Wednesday 29 October 2008

Snow in October!


This Christmas Cactus is blooming early!
Apparently the last October we had sufficient snowfall in the south for it to settle was back in 1934. Neither Vic nor Dave could resist making the suggestion that I get my bike out today (a family joke relating back to January 1999 when as part of a New Year Resolution to get fit, I decided to forsake the car in favour of cycling to work - a distance of around one mile. Unfortunately at the first junction, the road was like a sheet of ice. I came off the bike and managed to both dislocate and fracture my left elbow. It took months of physiotherapy before I regained the use of the arm). Ha ha. No thanks. I walked to the pool, did 20 lengths and walked home, walking to Dave's after lunch to do a spot of decorating for him then walking home again to make a warming vegetable curry with spiced basmati rice for dinner and apple crumble for dessert.

It's half-term so no Cell Group tonight. Vic and I went back to Dave's where they finished fitting skirting board and architrave in the freshly decorated bedroom and I painted the radiator and cleaned the windows.

Tuesday 28 October 2008

Friendly Overtures

Went swimming lunchtime. Met Jill L_ (wife of one of Vic’s former colleagues when he worked for Newbury Data). Jill and I were friends back then, but haven’t seen each other for years and took the opportunity to catch up with each other’s news.

After the swim I picked up a couple of friendly text messages – one from a church friend and one from a friend I made in hospital – plus an email via the FriendsReunited site from someone I shared a house with when we were at Hatfield together.

I reflected on the coincidence of Mark preaching on friendship* on Sunday, encouraging us to move towards others and to deepen our friendships, and the number of friendly overtures suggesting get-togethers I’ve received this week.

*to read about this, click on link – you can use back button on your browser to return to this page.

Saturday 25 October 2008

Web Tracking

Ultimately (son) Dave has ambitious plans to extend/improve the existing kitchen in his new home but meantime, having offered to host Christmas this year, replacing the broken cooker was high on his priority list. He found what he was looking for on Ebay at a good price: a dual-fuel range with 7 gas burners and two electric ovens (he seriously enjoys cooking!), and thus it was that he and Vic set off for Birmingham today in a hired van with a tail-lift to bring the beastie home.

He emailed me a link to Co-pilot Live which is pretty cool! It lets you follow the journey from your PC. On screen you get the same view that the driver sees on his SatNav, with the facility to exchange messages. Neat stuff!

Tuesday 21 October 2008

Fragrance Junkie

My name is Patricia and I’m a fragrance junkie.

Yes, ‘tis true. I can still remember a ramble many years ago when at the end of the walk I couldn’t have told you what landmarks we’d passed or described the scenery because the whole way round the route, I’d been focused on the wonderful smell of a fellow rambler’s aftershave, and quietly followed behind as close as I could without tripping over him, revelling in his perfume.

On our recent trip to Bala, I noticed the owners of Cyffdy Farm cottages had paid a lot of attention to detail. One charming example of this was the delightful fragrance of the bed-linen. I commented as much to our host and learned it was Lenor.


Now one of the qualities Vic and I share in common is that we’re generally thrifty. Fabric conditioner was one of those little luxuries we’ve been perfectly happy to do without for any number of years. However, I was so taken with the fragrance of the bed-linen on holiday that our shopping trip on Saturday saw me surreptitiously sniffing the various bottles of Lenor and subsequently placing two bottles (it was on special offer!) of ‘sleep sensations’ in the trolley. Mmmmmm… heavenly! The drawback is I'm not wanting to get out of bed!

Thursday 16 October 2008

Inner wholeness or In a hole-ness?

Recently as part of my Recovery Plan, I've been using the trampette for a bit of light exercise.

Got it out today and set it up on the grass.

Grass was wet and soggy underfoot from yesterday's rain. Took my trainers off and stepped onto the trampette, careful not to tread on grass and get socks wet.
Began to bounce.

Rapidly realised I wasn't wearing my customary sports bra. The lacy little Primark number (£3) just wasn't ... errr... 'man' enough for the task.

Provided extra support with hands, glad that the high hedges guarantee the neighbours can't see.

After a few minutes became aware that the trampette was now at a crazy drunken angle.

Stepped off onto the wet grass - Ugh! Now got wet socks.

Discovered that my bouncing had effectively hammered two of the legs deep into the soft earth. Pulled them out - but it left the black rubber feet behind in the bottom of each hole.

Found something thin, metal and slightly hooked and tried to fish for the rubber feet.

Only succeeded in catching a metal washer.

Tried digging out a core of earth with a trowel then searching through it for the rubber foot. No luck. Now not only were my socks wet, my fingers were extremely muddy with dirt trapped under the fingernails - NOT an attractive look to sport at tonight's dance class.

Added to that there's the vandalism to Vic's lawn (I think of it as his now that I leave the garden to him to tend whilst I focus on the allotment).

Like a naughty schoolgirl, I try and hide the evidence.

[Sigh] Remind myself confession is supposed to be good for the inner wholeness of the soul. Added to that I need to tell him if I want him to help me retrieve the feet.

Wednesday 15 October 2008

Houseplants



Topped up the houseplants with fresh potting compost today. I acquired this Madagascar Dragon Plant back in 1999 as part of a planting arrangement in the little ornamental tub. Now it is almost as tall as me, and seriously pot-bound. You can see a neat mat of roots has grown out of the bottom of the flower pot. I have no intention of re-potting it to a larger pot so it will have to make do.

Tuesday 14 October 2008

Chopsticks

Here is a curious question, "What utensil are you?"

Apparently I'm Chopsticks:

'People see you as exotic, unusual, and even a bit intimidating.You are a difficult person to figure out. In truth, you try to live a very simple life. But most people are too frenzied to recognize the beauty of your simplicity.'

Wanna take the quiz and find out what utensil you are? You'll find it here http://www.blogthings.com/whatutensilareyouquiz/

Friday 10 October 2008

Bag a Bargain

This fuchsia is in a sheltered spot in the garden and still thinks it's midsummer! I brought it with us from our previous house, which makes it at least 15 years old.


This week I’ve done well with the Recovery Programme: 30 lengths Wednesday, 20 lengths Thursday, supplemented by various sessions on the trampette, not to mention dancing, cycling and walking. Speaking of dancing, my dance partner has suggested that when his work schedule permits, we attend both ‘B’ and ‘C’ classes on Mondays and Thursdays. Ye-ha! and other appropriate noises of jubilation!

Today to celebrate I walked into town to buy a new handbag. Much as I like my current one, it is tedious having to keep searching for keys etc. that have worked through one of the holes in the lining.

Guess what my primary buying consideration was as I stood in front of the display in Primark?
“Will this look good with my outfit”? Nope
“Will this colour go with my shoes”? Nope.
The big question in my mind was, “Will my Bible fit in this?” In the church I belong to it's customary to take along your own Bible to meetings – probably not a factor the handbag designers consider, generally speaking, eh?.

I found one both capacious and stylish enough and discovered it was marked down from £6 to £3 – bargain! I took it to the checkout and paused when the girl asked me for £1. “It says £3 on the label” my conscience pointed out. She smiled and confirmed it was further reduced. Even better! A handbag for £1. You couldn’t buy the materials for that. Perhaps I should have bought the whole stock and given them away as Christmas presents.

As I walked out of the shop, a familiar face greeted me with a megawatt smile. “Hello, how are you?” she asked warmly.
“Very well thanks, how are you?” I returned with equal warmth, my memory struggling with the alternate question: WHO are you? I couldn’t immediately place her. It wasn’t until I was at home that I realised it was the member of Housekeeping staff at the Wingfield Ward I’d shown how to solve Sudoku puzzles. Nice that she recognized me.

Tuesday 7 October 2008

Problem Odours?

The Japanese Maple looks lovely when the sun shines through it at this time of year


Today I spent unpacking from the weekend, tidying up and catching up with the laundry. My walking boots got wet and muddy on Sunday and sat festering in a bag for two nights. When I finally got around to unpacking them, they literally stank the place out! I took them outside and washed them off thoroughly, but the lining still smelt rank. I tried spraying Febreze in them. Big mistake. Now they smelt even worse, a sickly sweetness overlying the mustiness.

A quick trawl of the internet came up with a few tips: I sprinkled some bicarbonate of soda inside and left it in there while the boots hung out on the line in the sunshine. Still smelly. I hoovered them out and tried putting a few drops of tea tree oil on tea bags and left two of these in each boot for a few hours. Slight improvement. I made up a spray of surgical spirit and distilled white vinegar and used that to spray the inside. Again, a slight improvement, although the vinegar smell lingers. Next off came half a lemon in each boot, left overnight. To be honest, I still don't really want them in the house. The final suggestion, which I haven't tried yet, is to seal them in a plastic bag and leave them in a freezer overnight. Our freezer is tiny and generally crammed full, but due for defrosting and cleaning soon so I might try this once I've used up all the provisions.

If you know a sure-fire cure for smelly boots (short of burning them), please don't hesitate to fill in the comments box to let me know!

Sunday 5 October 2008

Bala Getaway

View through the porthole window in one of the bedrooms at the cottage


Vic and I were married in March 1979. His Best Man was his best mate, Dave A_, but over the intervening years we lost touch and they last saw each other around 26 years ago. With Vic's 60th birthday coming up, I decided it was time for a reunion and tracked Dave down via his daughter through the FriendsReunited website in June this year. We swapped a few emails in which I learnt that Dave, like Vic, had suddenly (after years without a motorbike) bought a BMW last year. With both of them being confirmed aficionados of British bikes in their youth, this joint defection to BMW seemed almost uncanny, similar to the connection twins are said to have.

Dave and his family run a business near Bala in North Wales, so I booked a
cottage near there for 3 nights, 3rd to 6th October, and invited Vic’s sister and her husband to join us for the weekend. (If you follow the link, it will take you off this page to the Cyffdy Farm website. You can use the back button on your browser to return to this page).

I’ve posted a number of photos and the full story (three pages) of the weekend and the reunion on my homepage. The scenery was fantastic! If you’d like the link, please email me (you’ll find an email address on the profile page of this site).

One aspect that made a big impression on me was the difference in the night sky at the cottage. Sunday was a clear night. When we returned to the cottage after an evening out with Dave and his family, we stood enrapt gazing up at a sight unlike anything you see from a garden in Bristol or Surrey! Us town-dwellers may enjoy the advantage of a vast number of stores on our doorstep, but in that moment I could understand a country-dweller's preference for seeing stars. Against the deep black velvet backdrop they sparkled in untold numbers, with the misty swirl of nebulas and galaxies adding to the awe-inspiring beauty. If you want to count the stores on your doorstep, live in the town. If you want to count the stars in the sky, choose the country!