Sadly I have just heard that a very good friend from years ago has died. I feel shocked and numbed and very, very sad.
Sue xx
Friday, 14 January 2011
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Grand Designs
Phew, I am shattered after today's early start and then the wallpaper stripping etc. Time for a cup of tea and a sit down. Everything aches again, so I know not to push on too long as tomorrow I won't be able to move. I have reached the TV so the last quarter along the longest wall, which is what I was aiming for today. Tomorrow I want to get to the end, and maybe under the radiator...........then there will be the final part to do and that's it! Oh, apart from filling all the holes.............
I am loving watching this series of Grand Designs. My man Kevin is reveling in the enormity of the tasks each person commits themselves to undertaking and they are indeed at the very edge of ingenuity, engineering and imagination. Each afternoon another surprise which is great. Yesterday they were in the Lake District at Windermere where a family were building a huge ( 'teletubby' house according to the guys son) futuristic house that actually in the end looked rather impressive. But not finished. They had so totally over-committed themselves and then the crisis hit and things all went rather pear-shaped for them. Did they give up? No, and what we saw at the end of the programme had a lot to commend itself. If I were to build my own house it would be far more modest and more conventional I suppose but I too have an idea in my head of what it would look like, and what I would like to include both in and out of doors. At the moment the only design question mark in my head is what colour to paint the walls!!! Hardly on a grand design scale but nether the less important to get right. I went to look at more paint charts this morning and they are now all laid out on the coffee table for perusal and discussion. I have my favourites but I can be swayed.....
thinking about the end result is motivating me to continue. I am more about the finishing touches than the hard work!!
So, sluggish and tired now, but glad that Steve Wright is back on the radio! Cheers me up no end. And my last books arrived which means I have lots to take in and read again. Some are for my study and some are for pleasure, but ALL were in the sale!!!
Sue xx
I am loving watching this series of Grand Designs. My man Kevin is reveling in the enormity of the tasks each person commits themselves to undertaking and they are indeed at the very edge of ingenuity, engineering and imagination. Each afternoon another surprise which is great. Yesterday they were in the Lake District at Windermere where a family were building a huge ( 'teletubby' house according to the guys son) futuristic house that actually in the end looked rather impressive. But not finished. They had so totally over-committed themselves and then the crisis hit and things all went rather pear-shaped for them. Did they give up? No, and what we saw at the end of the programme had a lot to commend itself. If I were to build my own house it would be far more modest and more conventional I suppose but I too have an idea in my head of what it would look like, and what I would like to include both in and out of doors. At the moment the only design question mark in my head is what colour to paint the walls!!! Hardly on a grand design scale but nether the less important to get right. I went to look at more paint charts this morning and they are now all laid out on the coffee table for perusal and discussion. I have my favourites but I can be swayed.....
thinking about the end result is motivating me to continue. I am more about the finishing touches than the hard work!!
So, sluggish and tired now, but glad that Steve Wright is back on the radio! Cheers me up no end. And my last books arrived which means I have lots to take in and read again. Some are for my study and some are for pleasure, but ALL were in the sale!!!
Sue xx
Thursday already?!
The rain remains. It is a dark and dull day and at the moment too dark in the living room to start on the walls. I am all prepared though - the cupboard is moved and space is made so that I can move further along the wall. I ought to be over the half way mark by the end of today. That's the plan! All the other jobs that I had for this week are done..........just this one outstanding.
I am likely to be in England for my birthday this year which is very exciting!! Although the final details haven't been made I am sure it will work out, so great. Something to look forward to and stay on target with my diet for. I agree that making the decision to lose extra weight is personal and not something that one does for someone else; I do believe that the motivation has to be there and that sometimes that has to do with other people in your life. As well as the health issue - which we ignore at our peril really. As soon as one hits 50 there is talk about diabetes, heart problems, joint problems etc and it is all very worrying. Finding the right balance between being able to eat and drink what we want and feeling healthy is so difficult. So I am not aiming for Slender Me; I am aiming for a realistic weight that allows me to indulge when I want but to wear what I want, shop where I want, look how I want, and feel that I am at the best I can be right now. Approaching 52 is scary......... my friend Clare even mentioned the number six yesterday...................with numbers after it!!!! I want to enjoy this decade first please!! Watching the news yesterday about the woman journalist sacked for being too old for TV, listening to the radio now about designing clothes to camouflage flabby underarms, that 13 january is the day most people give up their new year resolution to diet, what can we learn from all this? BE OURSELVES. A happy, contented, healthy US, please.
Tim came home from college yesterday with the most fantastic gateau he had made. Wow, Tim, it was delicious and looked amazing! So proud of you darling. Tasted too good........I snook a second slice; so good. I am expecting to get an invite to parents evening shortly so I suppose that will tell me about how he is doing, though it seems so many of his class are leaving at the end of this year, and he estimates that only 5 or 6 will be there for the second year.
This evening we have an open practice in order to allow prospective new members to come along and join us. It is sink or swim time I fear. We have so few members now that the money side is getting critical...we have to stay longer to discuss it this evening. I do hope people come along if they are interested in joining a choir because we really need them!!
And my final thing this morning: I am wearing my NEXT jeans that have languished in my wardrobe for the past 12 years!!!!! Yes! I feel ok in them - can breathe too - so things are still going well.
Have a good day, be warm and dry.
Sue xx
I am likely to be in England for my birthday this year which is very exciting!! Although the final details haven't been made I am sure it will work out, so great. Something to look forward to and stay on target with my diet for. I agree that making the decision to lose extra weight is personal and not something that one does for someone else; I do believe that the motivation has to be there and that sometimes that has to do with other people in your life. As well as the health issue - which we ignore at our peril really. As soon as one hits 50 there is talk about diabetes, heart problems, joint problems etc and it is all very worrying. Finding the right balance between being able to eat and drink what we want and feeling healthy is so difficult. So I am not aiming for Slender Me; I am aiming for a realistic weight that allows me to indulge when I want but to wear what I want, shop where I want, look how I want, and feel that I am at the best I can be right now. Approaching 52 is scary......... my friend Clare even mentioned the number six yesterday...................with numbers after it!!!! I want to enjoy this decade first please!! Watching the news yesterday about the woman journalist sacked for being too old for TV, listening to the radio now about designing clothes to camouflage flabby underarms, that 13 january is the day most people give up their new year resolution to diet, what can we learn from all this? BE OURSELVES. A happy, contented, healthy US, please.
Tim came home from college yesterday with the most fantastic gateau he had made. Wow, Tim, it was delicious and looked amazing! So proud of you darling. Tasted too good........I snook a second slice; so good. I am expecting to get an invite to parents evening shortly so I suppose that will tell me about how he is doing, though it seems so many of his class are leaving at the end of this year, and he estimates that only 5 or 6 will be there for the second year.
This evening we have an open practice in order to allow prospective new members to come along and join us. It is sink or swim time I fear. We have so few members now that the money side is getting critical...we have to stay longer to discuss it this evening. I do hope people come along if they are interested in joining a choir because we really need them!!
And my final thing this morning: I am wearing my NEXT jeans that have languished in my wardrobe for the past 12 years!!!!! Yes! I feel ok in them - can breathe too - so things are still going well.
Have a good day, be warm and dry.
Sue xx
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Life's ups and downs
These past few days have been quite a roller coaster ride for me, which is not unusual but something that I take time to recover from, shall we say? I am unable to share the detail here on my blog but let me say that there was at least one good turn in there that perhaps makes up for all the rest. I have been able to help someone else. I have been able to use my experience and knowledge to good effect and I am grateful for having the opportunity to do this for someone I care about. Life bites you on the bottom when you least expect it and forces actions and decisions to be made that are so left-field you are left reeling. But I hope that what happened will be a turning point for everyone concerned, and I will leave it there.
More wallpaper stripping ahead. Yesterday I fell off my ladder and split red wine all over the floor.....what a waste!!! My shoulders and arms ache so much now, and I am struggling to get into the swing of it again today. I have spent the entire morning writing up my essays from the study days, and dealing with issues arising from them. It is a dull, uninspiring day, and that is how I feel really. Better try to shake it off!!!!
Sue xx
More wallpaper stripping ahead. Yesterday I fell off my ladder and split red wine all over the floor.....what a waste!!! My shoulders and arms ache so much now, and I am struggling to get into the swing of it again today. I have spent the entire morning writing up my essays from the study days, and dealing with issues arising from them. It is a dull, uninspiring day, and that is how I feel really. Better try to shake it off!!!!
Sue xx
Monday, 10 January 2011
Weekend over, new week begun
Already 10th January!!! The days are flying by in what is traditionally the 'longest month' after the buzz of Christmas has passed. This weekend was full of learning for me, some good and some not so good. I have got a student to be counsellor to for the 'real' practice sessions which is great, and I have learned more about using the client-centered approach in my work. What do I think of the model? I am not jumping up and down with joy about it but that is because I still need to discover how to match my style of talking with the bones of the model, to make it mine. ( if you know what I mean?!) There were several people missing on Saturday so it was a much smaller group, but nevertheless, instructive. We have two workshops to sign up for now as well, which is exciting, and our study group is meeting again so all in all, today is going to be about writing.......................and hacking off more wallpaper!!!
My knitting is progressing! I found it very therapeutic yesterday and as I was sitting there with my cup of tea, knitting furiously, I couldn't help but allow a random thought into my consciousness from "A Tale of Two Cities" by Dickens. Y'know, the one where the woman is coding all the names of the people for the guillotine into her knitting.................
There has been a heavy frost overnight, which surprised me this morning. I had not felt so cold lately and was thinking maybe the worst of the winter was behind us, but I doubt it. I am looking forward to spring!
Well, it is time I took a shower and faced the day. Let it be a good one for you too.
Sue xx
My knitting is progressing! I found it very therapeutic yesterday and as I was sitting there with my cup of tea, knitting furiously, I couldn't help but allow a random thought into my consciousness from "A Tale of Two Cities" by Dickens. Y'know, the one where the woman is coding all the names of the people for the guillotine into her knitting.................
There has been a heavy frost overnight, which surprised me this morning. I had not felt so cold lately and was thinking maybe the worst of the winter was behind us, but I doubt it. I am looking forward to spring!
Well, it is time I took a shower and faced the day. Let it be a good one for you too.
Sue xx
Friday, 7 January 2011
How did I relax today?
.............knitting!!! Haven't done it in ages, years in fact, but I happened upon some lovely wool and an easy design for a fast knit, so I decided to start. If it turns out well, there is another beautiful cardie that I would love to tackle, but that is way more complicated and I felt too much to begin with. Finka insists on grabbing the ends of the needles however, or trying to bat the ball of wool with her paws whilst I knit....Genghis ignores it totally. Aah, the difference between youth and wisdom!!
Tired still, and not that energetic all day so hoping for a wonderful nights sleep now. In the immortal words of Zebedee " Time for bed! "
Sue xx
Tired still, and not that energetic all day so hoping for a wonderful nights sleep now. In the immortal words of Zebedee " Time for bed! "
Sue xx
Thank you
...........just wanted to say thank you to the universe for granting me yesterday. :-)
Sue xx
Sue xx
Struggling
You really feel your age when you have done something unfamiliar and moved and stretched muscles that normally just reside in your body comfortably doing as little as possible!! Yesterday I started on stripping the old wallpaper off in the living room downstairs, and boy do I know that today! My hands have got tiny paper cuts all over them - which hurt when I took my shower this morning! - and my shoulders and back really need a good massage to get them feeling supple again. I am tired and lethargic at the moment, and thinking of a million reasons why I may take it easy today. The thing is, I can do that, no problem, but it will only move the task to Monday and every day next week if I am to achieve my deadline: ok, that's a deal!! I really don't have the energy it requires today. Tim is back at the bakery two days a week so we wake up at 3.15am and I find it so hard to get a good sleep on these nights. He was tired this morning as well, but off he went at four am so I know he must enjoy his time there.
Today is a day for getting the weekend organised as I have two days of study ahead. I am looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow in Amsterdam and hearing how their Christmas/New Years all went. We are focussing on the Client-Centered Approach by Egan tomorrow, and practicing using it in our interactions with one another, so I want to get a better grasp of that before the end of the afternoon. I have a fair idea and understanding of it, but then again, using it properly and well is another matter!!! I also need to get the things we need for the study group which is being held here on Sunday; I'm thinking Salad Nicoise for lunch as that is on my diet and I have most things in the house already!!! So today I need to sort the music out for our meditation moment and things like that...............I am putting all my positive energy into it as you can see!!! I take your advice on board, as ever, so I am sure it will be a good session.
There must be a teeny tiny hint of spring in the air as Genghis ventured outside the front door this morning for like a milli-second!!! His first step towards going out again after the winter indoors. I think he only sat on the front doorstep but he definitely wanted to go! I think there has been a frost as the cars are white and will need defrosting before I can use mine, so it is chillier than expected. We had a lot of rain last night here.
I went to choir as well - probably why I am so tired this morning as I didn't get to bed early enough - and it was encouraging to see that all but two members were present. And that is all for now!
Sue xx
Today is a day for getting the weekend organised as I have two days of study ahead. I am looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow in Amsterdam and hearing how their Christmas/New Years all went. We are focussing on the Client-Centered Approach by Egan tomorrow, and practicing using it in our interactions with one another, so I want to get a better grasp of that before the end of the afternoon. I have a fair idea and understanding of it, but then again, using it properly and well is another matter!!! I also need to get the things we need for the study group which is being held here on Sunday; I'm thinking Salad Nicoise for lunch as that is on my diet and I have most things in the house already!!! So today I need to sort the music out for our meditation moment and things like that...............I am putting all my positive energy into it as you can see!!! I take your advice on board, as ever, so I am sure it will be a good session.
There must be a teeny tiny hint of spring in the air as Genghis ventured outside the front door this morning for like a milli-second!!! His first step towards going out again after the winter indoors. I think he only sat on the front doorstep but he definitely wanted to go! I think there has been a frost as the cars are white and will need defrosting before I can use mine, so it is chillier than expected. We had a lot of rain last night here.
I went to choir as well - probably why I am so tired this morning as I didn't get to bed early enough - and it was encouraging to see that all but two members were present. And that is all for now!
Sue xx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)