Normally writing is not a real issue for me. However, last year whilst I was completely distracted by my research and dissertation I agreed to write the chapter of a new textbook. After I finished my dissertation I needed some time off and then I was ill and then my brain rebelled any time I thought of doing something academic. And now I am blogging, doing updates, sorting emails and generally procrastinating when I should be writing as the deadline for the 8000 word chapter is at the end of the month and I have the grand total of 1258 words on paper!!
http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415822954/
Saturday, 9 March 2013
Lent
I have been getting daily emails from the Diocese of Bristol with their forty voices daily reflections for Lent http://www.bristol.anglican.org/2013/forty-voices-daily-reflections-for-lent/ which have been helpful and thought-provoking in turn.
One step forward, how many steps back?
Do you know, I had a day last month when I felt really well and energetic and better than I had for months. But then things went wrong again. I had tried to strip back my diary to bare bones but after feeling so well I thought maybe I could do more and let stuff creep back in so that I was working most days and had things on most evenings too. And so last weekend I had the worst 3 day migraine in a long time. And the fatigue ....
So, back to cutting things out of the diary, trying to fit some exercise in, and get on back to the doctors again seems to be the plan for the next month or so.
So, back to cutting things out of the diary, trying to fit some exercise in, and get on back to the doctors again seems to be the plan for the next month or so.
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
New Year
I have spent most of the last six weeks being ill. I have finally come to the realisation that there is a cost to overdoing things after all. I am not the superwoman that I thought I was. And after overdoing things for at least two years my body has finally broken down and said, enough is enough, you have to look after me.
So the New Year sees me cutting out a LOT of activities and commitments. The new focus is to hang out with friends and family, have fun, get some balance in my life/work balance (for too long its been work/life out of balance).
Let's see how this all works out then ....
So the New Year sees me cutting out a LOT of activities and commitments. The new focus is to hang out with friends and family, have fun, get some balance in my life/work balance (for too long its been work/life out of balance).
Let's see how this all works out then ....
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
MADASH
MADASH is an acronym for Mondays at Dave and Sian's House. It's first incarnation was as a youth group which we led at King's Church but the new version is for mutual pastoral care at Malmesbury Abbey. It has only been going for three weeks and the idea is for us to meet together in an informal way and eat together and support each other. I can't speak for how others are seeing it but from my own point of view I am already making the transition from 'entertaining' to 'hospitality'. I am worrying less about the state of the floors and more about the needs of the people who come. And it has already been an encouragement to me.
I spoke to The Lovely Linda about is last week and this week she sent me an encouraging verse from 'The Message' with her own words to 'know that you are in a right place - doing the right thing - right now!'. The verses from The Message were Romans 15:1-2
"Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to
those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service,
not for status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking
ourselves, "How can I help?"."
I spoke to The Lovely Linda about is last week and this week she sent me an encouraging verse from 'The Message' with her own words to 'know that you are in a right place - doing the right thing - right now!'. The verses from The Message were Romans 15:1-2
"Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to
those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service,
not for status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking
ourselves, "How can I help?"."
Monday, 12 November 2012
Bonus days
Don't you just love bonus days? Twice last week I went into work to find that no appointments had been made for me and I had unexpected time off. Friday I had gone all the way to Bridgwater but it turned into the most wonderful day. I decided to park myself in a coffee shop on the way home with a large mug of gingerbread latte while I completed a book review that has been on my 'to do' list for a good couple of weeks. That was a very pleasant couple of hours. And then when I got home I found that Mr E was having coffee with one of my bestest friends and I was able to join them for a bonus half hour.
Friday was the birthday of 'the lovely Linda' and so I took the opportunity of bonus time off to go and see her and had the most wonderful 2.5 hours catching up with her and having a good old natter over coffee and birthday cake.
That evening I went to 'Movies at Malmesbury' for the first time. I have never managed to get organised enough previously to know what was on and to get tickets. I went to see a 'Globe on Screen' production which is a project to bring plays from The Globe Theatre in London to the big screen around the country. And the offering in question was 'Dr Faustus'. I was expecting a Christopher Marlowe play to be pretty high brow but was very pleasantly surprised to find myself laughing out loud at some parts as well as loving the theological nature of the topic. A thoroughly good way to end a thoroughly good day.
Friday was the birthday of 'the lovely Linda' and so I took the opportunity of bonus time off to go and see her and had the most wonderful 2.5 hours catching up with her and having a good old natter over coffee and birthday cake.
That evening I went to 'Movies at Malmesbury' for the first time. I have never managed to get organised enough previously to know what was on and to get tickets. I went to see a 'Globe on Screen' production which is a project to bring plays from The Globe Theatre in London to the big screen around the country. And the offering in question was 'Dr Faustus'. I was expecting a Christopher Marlowe play to be pretty high brow but was very pleasantly surprised to find myself laughing out loud at some parts as well as loving the theological nature of the topic. A thoroughly good way to end a thoroughly good day.
Friday, 2 November 2012
Inspirational people
Reading the blog of my lovely friend Andrea has inspired me to blog a bit more myself. It was fascinating to see how creative and talented she is at the same time as being funny, informative and just plain interesting. My own blog seems a little dull in comparison but maybe with practice it will be something worth reading.
So getting some inspiration there made me think about the inspiring people, places, things and events that are all around. I have been lucky enough in the last couple of years to have several people tell me that I have inspired them, be it with exercise or studying or even in one amazingly encouraging conversation to walk with God. The odd thing is that I don't feel in the least inspirational. Maybe that is the point, trying too hard to be inspirational is like trying to catch a cloud. It's not so much WHAT we do that captures people's imagination and inspires them so much as HOW we do whatever it is that we do.
Not only has Andrea inspired me to keep on blogging but she has also inspired me to keep home more creatively. Mr E (how funny, as he often is a bit of a mystery) has been pleased to be on the receiving end of home -cooked food every night this week and even got some home baking. I have always been able to cook since I started stirring the gravy and making jelly before I even started school. It's just that for the majority of my adult life I have opted not to cook the mundane every day food. Maybe now though I can indulge my creative cooking skills. I am sure that Mystery will not complain!
Another inspiration is Sarah, she is so passionate and committed to the youth of the area and especially of the church. We have recently acknowledged that youth work is NOT my passion but that does not stop me being inspired to pursue the things that do fire my passion. In my case that is mostly the world of work and health but lifelong learning, travel, reading, theatre and film are all up there too.
Adele inspires me to just get on out there and live. Steve inspires me to 'be the best'. Andy inspires me to just keep on and never quit. Dave inspires me with his amazing steadfastness. Mum-in-law inspires me with her commitment to family and her ability to keep on going, keep on giving, keep on being amazing. So many wonderful people around me ... so much wonderful inspiration.
So getting some inspiration there made me think about the inspiring people, places, things and events that are all around. I have been lucky enough in the last couple of years to have several people tell me that I have inspired them, be it with exercise or studying or even in one amazingly encouraging conversation to walk with God. The odd thing is that I don't feel in the least inspirational. Maybe that is the point, trying too hard to be inspirational is like trying to catch a cloud. It's not so much WHAT we do that captures people's imagination and inspires them so much as HOW we do whatever it is that we do.
Not only has Andrea inspired me to keep on blogging but she has also inspired me to keep home more creatively. Mr E (how funny, as he often is a bit of a mystery) has been pleased to be on the receiving end of home -cooked food every night this week and even got some home baking. I have always been able to cook since I started stirring the gravy and making jelly before I even started school. It's just that for the majority of my adult life I have opted not to cook the mundane every day food. Maybe now though I can indulge my creative cooking skills. I am sure that Mystery will not complain!
Another inspiration is Sarah, she is so passionate and committed to the youth of the area and especially of the church. We have recently acknowledged that youth work is NOT my passion but that does not stop me being inspired to pursue the things that do fire my passion. In my case that is mostly the world of work and health but lifelong learning, travel, reading, theatre and film are all up there too.
Adele inspires me to just get on out there and live. Steve inspires me to 'be the best'. Andy inspires me to just keep on and never quit. Dave inspires me with his amazing steadfastness. Mum-in-law inspires me with her commitment to family and her ability to keep on going, keep on giving, keep on being amazing. So many wonderful people around me ... so much wonderful inspiration.
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Ch-ch-ch-changes
More time has flown since my last post. Happily both the courses have come to successful conclusions since then. The theology course has lead to me leading a small group studying the Michael Lloyd book 'Cafe Theology'. And I am just working on where the MSc might lead ... various types of work in the pipeline.
I have been through a bit of a metamorphosis this summer. It has been VERY full on with work, studies, being an Olympic Games Maker, working on several committees and teams in the church and various other demands. That pressure was followed by a vacuum where I had to look at what is really important and what things can or should be dropped from an over-packed schedule. I am only just re-engaging with some of my responsibilities and have resigned from others and some I am taking my time to consider which way to go.
Right now though, my plans are to reconnect with my friends and family and spend some time smelling the coffee (and drinking it, while I watch a show or two).
I have been through a bit of a metamorphosis this summer. It has been VERY full on with work, studies, being an Olympic Games Maker, working on several committees and teams in the church and various other demands. That pressure was followed by a vacuum where I had to look at what is really important and what things can or should be dropped from an over-packed schedule. I am only just re-engaging with some of my responsibilities and have resigned from others and some I am taking my time to consider which way to go.
Right now though, my plans are to reconnect with my friends and family and spend some time smelling the coffee (and drinking it, while I watch a show or two).
Monday, 5 March 2012
Oh how time flies
Well, it's been over 2 years since I last posted here. It has been a full time with highs and lows.
The last post talked about a 47 mile bike ride. Since then I completed a London to Paris ride in aid of the Royal British Legion. It was an awesome time. A real adventure as I set off with a load of strangers to challenge my physical and mental boundaries all in a good cause. The feeling of cycling up the Champs Elysees with tears of joy and triumph bubbling up was just amazing - all the blood sweat and tears was worth it.
Unfortunately I was ill for pretty much a year after that with various issues including SAD and migraines so exercise fell off my priorities for a while. I am just making an effort now to get back into running and cycling again. (I also did a triathlon in 2010 - also for RBL - and another amazing memory, I was 104 outof 109 getting out of the docks after the swim leg but I managed to climb to 89th place over all over the cycle and run legs).
Exercise of the body got somewhat replaced by exercise of the brain as I have been studying two courses since September 2010. I am doing a 2 year theology course, Exploring Christianity, and a 2 year MSc course, Workplace Health. It's all getting serious right now as I approach the actual research project.
I have come to the conclusion that I am always going to be a busy person. I like to have lots of things going on, to challenge myself, to give back, to collect interesting memories and experiences in all areas of my life.
The more I think about what has happened in my life since I last wrote here the more I am amazed at how much that has been. I have come a long way, learnt a lot, grown a lot - it's been quite a ride. And I thank God that I am part of his family and that I have grown in him in that time and that he has put me in an amazing family community here too. It's a blessed life.
The last post talked about a 47 mile bike ride. Since then I completed a London to Paris ride in aid of the Royal British Legion. It was an awesome time. A real adventure as I set off with a load of strangers to challenge my physical and mental boundaries all in a good cause. The feeling of cycling up the Champs Elysees with tears of joy and triumph bubbling up was just amazing - all the blood sweat and tears was worth it.
Unfortunately I was ill for pretty much a year after that with various issues including SAD and migraines so exercise fell off my priorities for a while. I am just making an effort now to get back into running and cycling again. (I also did a triathlon in 2010 - also for RBL - and another amazing memory, I was 104 outof 109 getting out of the docks after the swim leg but I managed to climb to 89th place over all over the cycle and run legs).
Exercise of the body got somewhat replaced by exercise of the brain as I have been studying two courses since September 2010. I am doing a 2 year theology course, Exploring Christianity, and a 2 year MSc course, Workplace Health. It's all getting serious right now as I approach the actual research project.
I have come to the conclusion that I am always going to be a busy person. I like to have lots of things going on, to challenge myself, to give back, to collect interesting memories and experiences in all areas of my life.
The more I think about what has happened in my life since I last wrote here the more I am amazed at how much that has been. I have come a long way, learnt a lot, grown a lot - it's been quite a ride. And I thank God that I am part of his family and that I have grown in him in that time and that he has put me in an amazing family community here too. It's a blessed life.
Monday, 28 September 2009
Health, home alone and holidays
Health is generally going ok. The exercise is going well, I did a 47 mile charity bike ride which I had hoped to finish in 4.5 hours. I was chuffed to bits to finish in 3 hours 40 minutes! And I have been out a couple of times since then too. And the running and PT sessions are going well too.
This week I have been home alone. I usually cope ok but it got a bit much at the weekend when I was struggling with a migraine (the second one in a week) and feeling a bit sad and lonely. There were some good points though, I managed to get to church which was good. 'It's all God's children singing 'glory glory, alleluia, he reigns, he reigns!'
The bright news this week though is that we are off to Greece early saturday morning for a week of sunshine and family and relaxation.
This week I have been home alone. I usually cope ok but it got a bit much at the weekend when I was struggling with a migraine (the second one in a week) and feeling a bit sad and lonely. There were some good points though, I managed to get to church which was good. 'It's all God's children singing 'glory glory, alleluia, he reigns, he reigns!'
The bright news this week though is that we are off to Greece early saturday morning for a week of sunshine and family and relaxation.
Friday, 21 August 2009
Hormones and holidays
The older I get the more my ovaries hate me - I am considering whipping them out, they cause me so much grief. This week I have just been in the grip of hormones, the world has seemed against me and I just hate sounding like a harpy shouting and snapping at people, especially hubby. And yesterday, the pain in my side was excruitiating.
But on the much brighter side, we get a bonus holiday, starting in an hours time we are camping with friends for four days. I am just so excited about it.....59 minutes now.
But on the much brighter side, we get a bonus holiday, starting in an hours time we are camping with friends for four days. I am just so excited about it.....59 minutes now.
Friday, 14 August 2009
Conference, capability and concerns
Summer Conference
I had been looking forward to Summer Conference for months - time out with God and friends, relaxing and learning and growing. The reality was rain and mud and leaving early. It was great to meet up with old friends and make some new ones and the few meetings I made it to were interesting and the worship was good. I didn't even mind the rain so much it was just the amount of mud you had to wade through to get to the shop or the toilets or even into the main meetings; after the horrendous mud last year as well I just could not cope with it. If I hadn't been the 'on-call nurse' on the Tuesday I would have gone home on Monday night. As it was we left on Wednesday evening. We had managed to pack everything up in the dry which was a good thing. I went there thirsty for God and I came away still thirsty.
Capability
One of my first jobs back at work was to go to a capability appeal hearing for an employee. I had gone along thinking it was about his capability to do his job and yet his union rep turned it into my capability to have a professional opinion - I am trying not to take it personally but it does feel personal.
Concerns
And just to finish off the first week back from holidays, I have been worrying about a good friend who is having a heart scare at the moment. All I can do is pray and be there - so leave it in Papa's hands.
I had been looking forward to Summer Conference for months - time out with God and friends, relaxing and learning and growing. The reality was rain and mud and leaving early. It was great to meet up with old friends and make some new ones and the few meetings I made it to were interesting and the worship was good. I didn't even mind the rain so much it was just the amount of mud you had to wade through to get to the shop or the toilets or even into the main meetings; after the horrendous mud last year as well I just could not cope with it. If I hadn't been the 'on-call nurse' on the Tuesday I would have gone home on Monday night. As it was we left on Wednesday evening. We had managed to pack everything up in the dry which was a good thing. I went there thirsty for God and I came away still thirsty.
Capability
One of my first jobs back at work was to go to a capability appeal hearing for an employee. I had gone along thinking it was about his capability to do his job and yet his union rep turned it into my capability to have a professional opinion - I am trying not to take it personally but it does feel personal.
Concerns
And just to finish off the first week back from holidays, I have been worrying about a good friend who is having a heart scare at the moment. All I can do is pray and be there - so leave it in Papa's hands.
Friday, 24 July 2009
Moving on
I am sitting at my desk on my last day in this contract. I started here in March as a temporary gig for a month or two and here we are four months later. It could have gone on longer but my employer said 'enough is enough'. I will certainly miss the canteen who actually cook food from fresh and it tastes as good as it looks (as opposed to most work canteens who reheat food or make stuff from packets and its all a disappointment and you end up eating chips 'cos they are the only thing that tastes as it should). Oh and the Costa Coffee franchise they have here - I will miss that too!
I have been continuing with the exercise idea and it is beginning to have a positive effect on my size and shape but boy do I ache and man it is hard work! Last night I went running with our new youth pastor - we were supposed to work on hills specifically but ended up doing a 5 mile run which incorporated three hills of varying length but also the most torrential rain which meant we looked like drowned rats half way round. It was the first time I met Paul so it was nice to make such a dignified first impression!!
Today I am trying to decide if my legs are up to a cycle ride with Steve? I can't decide yet - my legs say no, my energy level says 'you must be kidding' and yet my waistline says 'its working, keep going'.
Oh and very exciting, Womad starts today and we have weekend tickets - I am definitely looking forward to Peter Gabriel tomorrow night! Lets hope the rain holds off for that.
I have been continuing with the exercise idea and it is beginning to have a positive effect on my size and shape but boy do I ache and man it is hard work! Last night I went running with our new youth pastor - we were supposed to work on hills specifically but ended up doing a 5 mile run which incorporated three hills of varying length but also the most torrential rain which meant we looked like drowned rats half way round. It was the first time I met Paul so it was nice to make such a dignified first impression!!
Today I am trying to decide if my legs are up to a cycle ride with Steve? I can't decide yet - my legs say no, my energy level says 'you must be kidding' and yet my waistline says 'its working, keep going'.
Oh and very exciting, Womad starts today and we have weekend tickets - I am definitely looking forward to Peter Gabriel tomorrow night! Lets hope the rain holds off for that.
Thursday, 9 July 2009
progress and steps backwards
Just a short one tonight as I really need to go to bed soon.
I have had a bit of progress in some areas and a step backwards in others. Yesterday I got a PB on sprints on the bike in my personal training session (I took 1 minute 17 seconds off my previous PB). And then today I managed a very pleasing PB on the rower when I was acting as timer in the gym circuits class - I did 1000m in 3 minutes 53.7 seconds!! (My previous best was 4 mins 1 secs). And there is progress in the weightloss/inch loss plan as well as I managed to get into a smaller dress size and continue to inch towards the next weight milestone.
The backwards step came on Tuesday when I had a headache which meant I had to pull out of the housegroup barbecue. Since I started the new tablets I have just had one migraine which is good for me.
Well, time now for bed because there is still one more day at work until the weekend.
I have had a bit of progress in some areas and a step backwards in others. Yesterday I got a PB on sprints on the bike in my personal training session (I took 1 minute 17 seconds off my previous PB). And then today I managed a very pleasing PB on the rower when I was acting as timer in the gym circuits class - I did 1000m in 3 minutes 53.7 seconds!! (My previous best was 4 mins 1 secs). And there is progress in the weightloss/inch loss plan as well as I managed to get into a smaller dress size and continue to inch towards the next weight milestone.
The backwards step came on Tuesday when I had a headache which meant I had to pull out of the housegroup barbecue. Since I started the new tablets I have just had one migraine which is good for me.
Well, time now for bed because there is still one more day at work until the weekend.
Thursday, 2 July 2009
Avoiding the heat as best I can
While the rest of the country has been basking in a heatwave I have been working either in air conditioned rooms or else in an office with the blinds permanently closed and the fan whirring away on my desk. However, the heat hasn't stopped my efforts at the gym - they have air conditioning and water in plentiful supply so I am pretty safe from heat/exhaustion. The wrist is still a bit dodgy so we concentrated on lower body exercises in my PT session last night - man do my legs know about it today! But I am signed up for gym circuits tonight so there is no rest yet.
Andy Murray made a better job of his quarter-final yesterday...he won in straight sets. So he has made it to the semis and the hopes of the country are raised again.
On Saturday we are off to Henley to go to the Royal Regatta - here's hoping the sun shines for that (although not too much - I don't want a repeat of the W shaped sunburn from last year - it was a V shape when I was still in the halter-neck dress but when I let everything down it was distinctly W shaped!!)
Best wishes to James Pettit who is being ordained at Canterbury Cathedral on Saturday too. And talking of ordinations, our NEW curate was ordained at Bristol Cathedral on Sunday last week and so he will be serving at his first services this Sunday - I am looking forward to meeting him at last. And the new youth pastor arrived in town this week so hopefully we will get to meet him too.
Dave went to book our holiday to Greece yesterday. We have such good holidays planned - in a month's time we will be on holiday in Devon; in three months time we will go on holiday to Greece and then in six months we will be on holiday in South Africa. We had so many years where we couldn't afford holidays or else they were cheap and cheerful affairs camping or house sitting. And a few breaks where we were fortunate enough to be paid for by Dave's Mum and Dad. So it has been lovely this year to be able to plan, book and pay for 4 breaks away (and getting more exotic as the year progresses!). Thank you Father for your provision.
Andy Murray made a better job of his quarter-final yesterday...he won in straight sets. So he has made it to the semis and the hopes of the country are raised again.
On Saturday we are off to Henley to go to the Royal Regatta - here's hoping the sun shines for that (although not too much - I don't want a repeat of the W shaped sunburn from last year - it was a V shape when I was still in the halter-neck dress but when I let everything down it was distinctly W shaped!!)
Best wishes to James Pettit who is being ordained at Canterbury Cathedral on Saturday too. And talking of ordinations, our NEW curate was ordained at Bristol Cathedral on Sunday last week and so he will be serving at his first services this Sunday - I am looking forward to meeting him at last. And the new youth pastor arrived in town this week so hopefully we will get to meet him too.
Dave went to book our holiday to Greece yesterday. We have such good holidays planned - in a month's time we will be on holiday in Devon; in three months time we will go on holiday to Greece and then in six months we will be on holiday in South Africa. We had so many years where we couldn't afford holidays or else they were cheap and cheerful affairs camping or house sitting. And a few breaks where we were fortunate enough to be paid for by Dave's Mum and Dad. So it has been lovely this year to be able to plan, book and pay for 4 breaks away (and getting more exotic as the year progresses!). Thank you Father for your provision.
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Training, learning and tennis
Well the wrist was beginning to feel better and although I knew it wasn't up to road cycling I figured it couldn't hurt to do a long cycle at the gym where I didn't have to hold on and balance so much. So last night I did an hour on the bike at the gym. I managed 26.5kms on a hill plus programme in that time (16.46 miles) so I was quite pleased with the distance but boy did my wrist hurt by the end - there is more holding on involved than I thought!
This week I managed to get the book we are using at housegroup - Leap over a wall by Eugene Patterson. It is a series of studies from the story of David. In the introduction it talks about the earthy spirituality of David and how being human is our primary job - experiencing all of human life and emotions etc, however messy is actually what we are supposed to do. Trying to sterilise our life and make everything 'spiritual' and 'heavenly' kind of misses the point that we are humans and on Earth. In the David story we see David engaging with God in and through the human, earthy experiences of his life. He was ordinary, doing ordinary things and yet he looked for God and met him and interacted with him in the everyday.
On Sunday I went to church in the morning instead of the afternoon as I normally do. That was because we had friends coming for lunch and staying for the rest of the afternoon. We had a good day with them. Thomas is four weeks old now and is growing cuter by the day. He is doing great at holding his head up and he looks around and has the biggest blue eyes. And I don't care if its wind or not, he has the biggest smile too. Meanwhile, Steve and Abby had lunch with us (Duck with roast potatoes, steamed veg and yorkshire puddings - because we have yorkshires with anything!). We had all thought of the same thing for pudding - summer fruits with meringues and cream...we brought some and so did they! Oh and Pimms again too. All out on the balcony enjoying the spectacular views. Lunch was a leisurely affair and took a couple of hours. Then we spent a pleasant hour playing Scrabble before going out for a walk with the dogs - Steve nearly got tennis elbow from hitting the ball for Ruby to go fetch in the field and in the river. A very pleasant day with friends.
Now for the tennis - oh boy was it nerve-wracking to watch the Murray game last night! It took virtually 4 hours for him to win in 5 sets and it didn't finish till 1040pm - all thanks to the closeble roof which meant they could keep playing till it was done. He did eventually win and is now in the quarter-finals which he plays tomorrow.
Off to house group tonight ...
This week I managed to get the book we are using at housegroup - Leap over a wall by Eugene Patterson. It is a series of studies from the story of David. In the introduction it talks about the earthy spirituality of David and how being human is our primary job - experiencing all of human life and emotions etc, however messy is actually what we are supposed to do. Trying to sterilise our life and make everything 'spiritual' and 'heavenly' kind of misses the point that we are humans and on Earth. In the David story we see David engaging with God in and through the human, earthy experiences of his life. He was ordinary, doing ordinary things and yet he looked for God and met him and interacted with him in the everyday.
On Sunday I went to church in the morning instead of the afternoon as I normally do. That was because we had friends coming for lunch and staying for the rest of the afternoon. We had a good day with them. Thomas is four weeks old now and is growing cuter by the day. He is doing great at holding his head up and he looks around and has the biggest blue eyes. And I don't care if its wind or not, he has the biggest smile too. Meanwhile, Steve and Abby had lunch with us (Duck with roast potatoes, steamed veg and yorkshire puddings - because we have yorkshires with anything!). We had all thought of the same thing for pudding - summer fruits with meringues and cream...we brought some and so did they! Oh and Pimms again too. All out on the balcony enjoying the spectacular views. Lunch was a leisurely affair and took a couple of hours. Then we spent a pleasant hour playing Scrabble before going out for a walk with the dogs - Steve nearly got tennis elbow from hitting the ball for Ruby to go fetch in the field and in the river. A very pleasant day with friends.
Now for the tennis - oh boy was it nerve-wracking to watch the Murray game last night! It took virtually 4 hours for him to win in 5 sets and it didn't finish till 1040pm - all thanks to the closeble roof which meant they could keep playing till it was done. He did eventually win and is now in the quarter-finals which he plays tomorrow.
Off to house group tonight ...
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Sarah Jane
It should be your 15th birthday. Daddy says 'you would be a beautiful young lady now, just like your Mum' but he is just trying to make me cry!
Pain
I am in the middle of a migraine saga. I have had migraines for as long as I can remember. Recently I have just about had my fill of ruined events because a migraine hits on a day that I have looked forward to meaning I miss the fun stuff - New Years Eve .... missed it; Mayoral Ball ... missed it; my cousins wedding ... missed it; a long awaited day off ... missed it. And in February I had a three day migraine that just about finished me off - I got pretty low then. So, I have been keeping diaries with symptoms and triggers etc to try to get a better understanding of what causes the migraines, how to avoid them, how to manage them when they hit. The triggers are quite complex and can't always be avoided though so it is not a straight forward thing to manage.
As well as the diary I have been to see the GP (I know, following my own advice, who'd have thought it?!). Firstly we started me on beta-blockers which were wonderful in that I didn't have a migraine while I was taking them. However, I didn't feel great and I ended up with a heart rate of 38!! And climbing 2 flights of stairs had me out of breath and having to stop for a rest. Now I may not be the fittest person in the gym but I can usually manage more than that! Even after reducing the dose to the lowest possible amount (they had to order them in specially cos they don't carry that small a dose as stock) I still couldn't manage more than 3 minutes on the cross trainer and at rest my heart rate never quite made it as high as 60! Still, it did keep the gym instructor on his toes...
So beta-blockers aren't for me. It took a while to get back to the GP but eventually I managed it (after missing 2 days of work and getting a parking ticket for not being able to get out of bed and move my car). We are starting another tablet to see if we can prevent migraine attacks, or at least to reduce the frequency and severity of attacks. It has been 4 days now and so far so good.
That isn't all the pain this week though. I was woken up in the early hours of Saturday morning with agonising pain in my left wrist. It had been a bit achey recently what with increasing training and weights and going cycling etc but man it was bad when it woke me up. I couldn't move my wrist, even to lift it up. It was swollen to twice its normal size too. After a broken night of being woken up crying with pain I managed to get some ice on it, some anti-inflammatories into me, and Dave went to get me tubigrip to help support it. He wanted to take me to hospital but I couldn't face the extra pain of being examined by a worn out doctor in A&E so I refused to go. Saturday was spent in a haze of pain. I have continued the treatment and it is on the mend now but boy, oh boy, it hurt so much.
And on a different note, I learnt a new word today: meshugana which I may adopt as my tagline as it means 'a crazy person'.
As well as the diary I have been to see the GP (I know, following my own advice, who'd have thought it?!). Firstly we started me on beta-blockers which were wonderful in that I didn't have a migraine while I was taking them. However, I didn't feel great and I ended up with a heart rate of 38!! And climbing 2 flights of stairs had me out of breath and having to stop for a rest. Now I may not be the fittest person in the gym but I can usually manage more than that! Even after reducing the dose to the lowest possible amount (they had to order them in specially cos they don't carry that small a dose as stock) I still couldn't manage more than 3 minutes on the cross trainer and at rest my heart rate never quite made it as high as 60! Still, it did keep the gym instructor on his toes...
So beta-blockers aren't for me. It took a while to get back to the GP but eventually I managed it (after missing 2 days of work and getting a parking ticket for not being able to get out of bed and move my car). We are starting another tablet to see if we can prevent migraine attacks, or at least to reduce the frequency and severity of attacks. It has been 4 days now and so far so good.
That isn't all the pain this week though. I was woken up in the early hours of Saturday morning with agonising pain in my left wrist. It had been a bit achey recently what with increasing training and weights and going cycling etc but man it was bad when it woke me up. I couldn't move my wrist, even to lift it up. It was swollen to twice its normal size too. After a broken night of being woken up crying with pain I managed to get some ice on it, some anti-inflammatories into me, and Dave went to get me tubigrip to help support it. He wanted to take me to hospital but I couldn't face the extra pain of being examined by a worn out doctor in A&E so I refused to go. Saturday was spent in a haze of pain. I have continued the treatment and it is on the mend now but boy, oh boy, it hurt so much.
And on a different note, I learnt a new word today: meshugana which I may adopt as my tagline as it means 'a crazy person'.
Friday, 19 June 2009
My first blog
Well here I am, a blog virgin. I have written a journal for years and I have been Facebooking for months now but this is my first blog.
The hardest part was choosing a name. It feels important and I wanted to summarise all the important stuff in a few short words and that was a lot harder than I thought it would be!
So what's my 'status' right now? Well, I am at my desk at work but it is very quiet today which is just as well as I suddenly started a summer cold today (not swine flu as far as I know - no fever, no aches, no fatigue etc just the drippy nose and slightly sore throat). That's bad timing really as I need to do a training cycle tomorrow - I am signed up for a sponsored bike ride in September to raise money for British Heart Foundation. The sponsored event is 47 miles around the villages of Wiltshire and I am due to go out for a 20-25 mile ride tomorrow as part of training. I was supposed to do it last week but my training partner was really ill and at 630am on a sunday morning I figured the best response to that was to go back to bed!!
I have been watching the BBC drama 'Occupation' this week. It was powerful stuff and I woke up thinking about it this morning. I thought James Nesbitt was outstanding - he conveyed the emotions without saying much and without overacting - amazing to watch. And the different stories within it were powerful, interesting, thought-provoking, emotional, heart-wrenching, fear-inspiring....worth watching on i-player if you missed it on TV!
Well that's it for my first post ... I'll be back (as a famous Austrian once said).
The hardest part was choosing a name. It feels important and I wanted to summarise all the important stuff in a few short words and that was a lot harder than I thought it would be!
So what's my 'status' right now? Well, I am at my desk at work but it is very quiet today which is just as well as I suddenly started a summer cold today (not swine flu as far as I know - no fever, no aches, no fatigue etc just the drippy nose and slightly sore throat). That's bad timing really as I need to do a training cycle tomorrow - I am signed up for a sponsored bike ride in September to raise money for British Heart Foundation. The sponsored event is 47 miles around the villages of Wiltshire and I am due to go out for a 20-25 mile ride tomorrow as part of training. I was supposed to do it last week but my training partner was really ill and at 630am on a sunday morning I figured the best response to that was to go back to bed!!
I have been watching the BBC drama 'Occupation' this week. It was powerful stuff and I woke up thinking about it this morning. I thought James Nesbitt was outstanding - he conveyed the emotions without saying much and without overacting - amazing to watch. And the different stories within it were powerful, interesting, thought-provoking, emotional, heart-wrenching, fear-inspiring....worth watching on i-player if you missed it on TV!
Well that's it for my first post ... I'll be back (as a famous Austrian once said).
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