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Friday 29th October
American Theocracy Found this article via the blog Pure Land Mountain. It's a long article but important. After my earlier entry of the 28th October (see archives) about the Power of Nightmares programme, I'd say it's accurate. Take the time to read. Posted 2.30pm BST
Friday 29th October Phone conversation Bearing in mind that Mr R is my partner and that he decided to officially live with me at my house back in mid-September to make life easier (he still has his own house but it's smaller than mine and this one is more convenient for us both), note the following phone conversation that I had yesterday evening: Me: Hello... Man: Are either Mr or Mrs R there please? Me: No. Can I help? Man: Oh - I need to speak to them. Me: There is no Mrs R. Can I help? Man: Does Mr R live there? Me: Yes. He's not here. Can I help? Man: No, I need to speak to the home owner... Me: I am the home owner... Man (sounding confused): But does Mr R live there? Me (getting annoyed): Look, I'm the home owner, not Mr R, and I'm not interested in anything you may be trying to sell me... bye. Man (as I slam the phone down) But I'm not selling any..... (at this point I cut him off). I wish I'd found out (a) who the man was (b) where he got my phone number from (I'm ex-directory) and (c) why he was convinced that Mr R had a wife and was the home owner but I was so annoyed with him that I just wanted to get rid of him. It was probably some company aiming to sell us something (despite his denial) but if the call was genuine and important, he can try again. I've had a great dislike of cold callers for years, so they always get short thrift (if I want to buy something, I'll do the necessary research and choose the product that I want). But this one really riled me. Are there still men out there who can't grasp the possibility that women might actually own houses??? Obviously yes. The other side of my partner having put himself on the electoral registry at my address rather than his own, is that the junk mail is now beginning to arrive addressed to him and not to me. So he's getting two lots (the stuff here as well as at his own house). He was annoyed at all the junk. Me, I just grinned - less for me to throw out, he can throw it out instead! But the underlying point is still niggling me - why do companies always assume that, where a man is listed at an address, he is the owner??? Equality obviously still has a way to go... Posted 12.50pm
Friday 29th October Art blogs 2 new art blogs to add to my list of favourites: Wildspiritarts has a wonderful fresh feel and makes me long for the sea whilst Wild West Yorkshire is much nearer to home and portrays the countryside in a way I could not. Both inspire me. I would love to produce an art journal of my own, but never seem to get around to doing any. Not any art that I'd be happy with anyway! Perhaps next month... or the month after... or in the New Year... Posted 10.10am BST  Clothes and Fear Now that I've woken up and recalled what I watched on TV last night, time to share. The first programme was 'What not to wear' - I don't normally see this but my partner has been away (again - same course but this time the exams - he doesn't think he's doing well but his colleagues aren't happy either). Anyway, getting back to the programme - they were looking initially at 5 women, all going through their 'mid-life crisis', all in their 40's. They chose 2 for the actual programme of changing clothes etc. It was amazing to see the difference, especially in one - from looking as though she was in her late fifites (she was 45) she looked only 40 or less by the end. What fascinated me, however, were the lifestyles of the 5 women. In some I recognised how I'd been and felt before I left my 'ex' - they seemed stuck in ruts, with no way out. In a way I was lucky - I left my 'ex' and completely changed my whole life when I was 38. If I hadn't, I'd have been in a worse position than all of them. Scary. But what was more scary was the second programme that I watched. We saw the first in the series last week - The Power of Nightmares, or FEAR. It reveals the background behind the current political situation and has been extremely interesting. I've learned a lot about both Al Qaeda and the Neo-Conservatives. Of the two, I think the latter is the most frightening. They're hidden, they're manipulative, they use the religious right as a tool and scatter lies about those they dislike (including ex-President Clinton) in an attempt to rid America of more moderate voices. Voices that are, in some cases, still right of centre but reasonable in comparison to the neo-conservatives. These guys want to rule, not just the USA, but the world. Their tactics are dishonourable and immoral - although they, of course, see themselves as extremely moral. If they had their way there would be no abortions, no gay couples (probably no gays), no atheists - in fact, no one who disagreed with their view of how the world should be. Osama and his like may want us all to be fundamental Muslims. The Neo-Conservatives want everyone to be ultra right-wing religious evangelists who believe the bible in it's entirety - including the teaching of the Creationist theory (they'd probably outlaw Evolution). Both are dangerous. And frightening. The third programme in the series is next Wednesday. Be there. Posted 10.30am BST
Thursday 28th October Dreary days Dark and dreary this morning. Next week it will be lighter, as the clocks change at the weekend and we lose an hour so that it's not so dark for people going to work and school. What it means, of course, is that the day will end sooner. We talk of 'days drawing in' as the mid-winter solstice approaches - yet that's several weeks away - 8 plus a few days to go before the shortest day of the year. November, though, approaches fast. Always for me a sombre month, and one of the longest - not in actual time, but it feels that way. Still, we're not getting the storms that they're having in the south west of the country (see here). Treacherous to say the least. Mind, they can be fun to watch - when I lived near Bristol with my family (long time ago it seems) we used to go down to Clevedon when high tides and strong winds coincided and watch the waves crash over the sea wall. Exhilirating. But dangerous if you go too close... people have been swept away in the past. Here, though, it's just dull and grey. Think I'll go read a book and hibernate... Posted 8.55am BST
 Wednesday 27th October Yhazeem Progress! Wrote about another 800 words today. Haven't advanced the story by much but I feel that I've broken the barrier by actually writing twice this week. Still trying to work out exactly what's going to happen although I do have fairly detailed plans for the rest of chapter 3 and possibly the start of chapter 4. However, that could all change - my characters have a tendency to misbehave, as it were, and alter the plot! It was hard work on Monday, and I thought I'd probably have to scrap a lot of what I'd written but on re-reading it this morning, I found it wasn't too bad at all. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised. Only needed a few changes before moving on. May add some more later, though, as one paragraph doesn't seem right, but I couldn't work out why or what should be added. What I'd love to do is some artwork for the novel. Nothing spectacular but as an aid to my visualisation process. Problem is, I want to sketch the Felsha, my so-called cat-people, but I'm hopeless at drawing people. Or animals. So I doubt that anything I do sketch would relate to my imagined view of them. I'm also tired - writing takes it out of me, another reason why I tend not to do any 'serious writing' for long periods. Ah well, feel pleased with what I've done the last 3 days. Now, time to play!!! Posted 4.25pm BST
 Tuesday 26th October Read this! Please, all go and check out this post by a blogger friend of mine. It is excellently written, pulling in links and observations that should be made compulsory reading for anyone who keeps 'having a go' at people on Incapacity Benefit. Blair, please read and take note!!! Posted 8.50am BST  Monday 25th October Writing... ...won the day. Well, the morning. I ended up writing almost 1400 words, a lot for me. It was a struggle and I know that I'll have to work on what I've written to make it flow better, but I'm happy that I've eventually managed to take the story further. Of course, now I feel too tired to do much else today. So I'm going to give in and play... Posted 2.30pm BST
Monday 25th October Art vs Writing I don't know what to do!!! I've had an idea for the next part of my novel, but I've also been looking at the PurpleGlitter site Hmmm.... Will let you know which wins!!! First, though, I'd best have breakfast, put the washing in the machine and feed the fish... (includes a Poem Generator as well as some art galleries) and am tempted to do some art. Posted 10am BST Sunday 24th OctoberTired but happy Have done very little since the last post. Did finish reading the last book that I have of the Alvin Maker series, book number 5. I've really enjoyed them, it's been a long time since I've become so engrossed in a novel that I've had problems putting the book down every half-hour or so and take a break - something I have to do, otherwise my shoulders, hands and neck ache like hell! I've realised that there is another one in the series, but at the moment it's not available in paperback, so I'll wait until it is. Or until the library purchase a copy that I can borrow! I've been experimenting with yoga, can't do the postures properly, of course, find it difficult just to raise my leg most days, and still can't sit cross-legged (I sit against the wall or in a chair for the breathing exercises). But I'm finding the relaxation helpful, as well as the breathing which is why the physio thought it would be a good idea as long as I don't push myself too much - stop when the pain increases more than just a little. So will carry on for now and see how I go. Still no writing at all. In a way I'm disappointed, but partly I've done no writing because I've other things to do. Like reading, of course. And my half-hour yoga practice. And I'm still enjoying playing around with Sims2 - not playing the game as such, more creating new clothes and hairstyles for them! Should stop arsing around though and get back into my story - but it is so difficult to motivate myself when I'm having fun! Posted 9.45am BST 
Thursday 21st October
New page Have completed a new page, Mosaic2, for my web site. It's only taken me a year or more to get around to doing this - now, perhaps I should do some more? Posted 11.50am BST Thursday 21st October Calm... Still feeling calm and more relaxed than usual. Is it due to the yoga? No idea. I didn't do any yoga yesterday as I had to go out after lunch to the Pain Users Group and then into town. By the time I got home I was too tired to contemplate doing any exercises, although I did do a few a minutes of deep breathing. However, one of the items I bought whilst out was a book on yoga (only a fiver - I love cheap bookshops!!!) so started reading through that. I really must try to get into a routine which includes the relaxation and breathing exercises, if nothing else. Difficult to maintain, though. Let alone start... As for writing, nothing. Still. Not even a note in my journal. I did buy myself a new notebook (again, from the cheap bookshop) with pen, only a £1. Perhaps today I will get around to writing - probably not on my novel, but perhaps on one of my 'projects': cityscapes; character sketches or items for 'mosaic'. Then again, maybe not... Oh, and here's another new blog that I found via the Purple-Ink group: NickieBlog. Lovely art work, Go and see for yourself!!! Posted 10.05am BST
 Arty!!! Have actually done some art, not very good but I enjoyed myself. Trying to use washes, wet-in-wet, plus ink. Based on photos in a book on the Yorkshire Dales that I got in a cheap book shop ages ago - some may call it cheating but I promise you, the paintings look nothing like the originals - it's the structures that interest me. If I could go out and draw them on the spot, then I would. But restricted as I am, using a book is the next best thing... for now.   Posted 12.45pm BST
Tuesday 19th October New blogs Added new blogs to my blogging links: Scratches and Scribbles; The Wire-Verse; Journal of Mersea and Random Acts of Inkness. The last is more like a journal than a blog but as far as I'm concerned, it qualifies. Hope you like them as much as I do.... Posted 9.50am BST
Tuesday 19th October Yoga Yep, I made it to the yoga class. The guy leading it is a real cutie, very
slim (as you'd expect) and appeared serene all the time. Has a lovely smile. As
I said to my neighbour, if only I was 20 years younger!!! She grinned, seems she likes
him too...
He didn't know what FM was though, so I explained it as I usually do -
muscular rheumatism, painful and makes me very stiff. He nodded, fairly sagely
for a 30'ish year old, and told me that if I couldn't do the postures just to go
into shirvana - or whatever the relaxation posture is called. Which I did. Most
of the session!!! Had 2 goes at the cobra, some of the standing exercises and
the stretches, kept in mind what the physio had taught me though -
ie don't do too much, take it easy etc. and enjoyed the relaxation!!! Chris (the
yoga guy) did move my limbs into position a couple of times, and showed me a couple
of easier ways to do things that I couldn't do, very gently, and seemed happy
that I'd gone - think for him teaching anyone yoga is sheer joy! He did some
chanting, ending with a peace chant.
Did make me realise how bad the pain is at times though - not being able to
lift my leg more than an inch or so off the ground or being able to sit
cross-legged (I gave up and rested my back against the wall instead for the
breathing exercises) when I used to be able to do the cobra, the plough and all
the other postures with relative ease in my very early 20's. Chris told me to try doing a little each
day, just a few minutes, and instructed everyone to have a glass of warm water
when they got home - which I did. Now, wonder if I'll do the exercises???
I've been enjoying the Purple-Ink group and have found some lovely sites due to their posts. Like this one and this one. Feel (almost) inspired to get out my paints and have a go.... on the other hand, my Simmies don't like being left alone for too long... Posted 9.10am BST Stonings Have just read about 2 more women who have been sentenced to death by stoning in Nigeria because of alleged adultery. Thanks to An Incurable Hippie for making me aware of the position. I suggest that you all go to this site and read about it for yourselves. Such laws are appalling. At least we don't have to suffer Sharia law here and have relative freedom. Please take a few minutes to support the campaign to have them freed. Thank you. Posted 10.50am BST
Friday 15th October Benefits Blair has annoyed me once again with his attack on people who "languish on benefits": - ie those of us who are unable to work due to ill health and are forced to live on incapacity benefit instead (see this). He's determined, it seems, to put pressure on everyone on incapacity benefit to return to work. To work where, exactly? Employers detest people who take more than 3 or 4 days a year off ill. My last employers made that perfectly clear. I tried very, very hard not to have any time off but my condition is one where I succumb to every virus, cold, stomach bug and infection that does the rounds of offices, buses and other public places. Not to mention, of course, that I'm in constant pain, my brain is often fogged and I struggle to stay awake much of the time. I would love to work and not have to claim benefit. However, I know, the rheumatologist knows, my doctor knows and my physio knows that my body won't let me. This morning, for example, my fingers are extremely stiff and making it hard for me to type; my legs are stiff and painful making it difficult to walk anywhere, especially up and down stairs; I can hardly open my hands out and certainly can't hold coins properly - I had to cup my hand to receive my change from Sam in the corner shop earlier. But people in authority hate people like us. We're a drain on society. We take money from the state (even though we don't want to - but how else are we supposed to survive?). We're lazy, scrounging, good-for-nothing people with no morals and no desire to support ourselves. Perhaps there are a handful of people on benefit who warrant that description. But by his blanket assertion that people "languishing on benefits" should be made to return to work he causes stress to the larger number of genuinely disabled or ill who have had no choice but to leave work and to remain at home. Get real, Blair. Stop accusing us of malingering. Being on benefit is not fun: it's hard to survive, it makes us feel like social outcasts and I doubt that many would choose to live on them. Posted 10.20am BST
Thursday 14th OctoberSurfing Haven't done much so far today, apart from surf and write in my (paper) journal - the last entry was months back - a shame as I used to update it 2 or 3 times a week. Must do so again. One of the sites that I found during my travels is the Memes List site. Haven't explored it much so far, but a meme for Thursday is Desert Island - what to take and leave there. So have had a quick think and here is my list: 1. My old Cliff Richard records 2. Ancient hymn books that I inherited from great-aunts 3. My early attempts at art 4. The songs & poems I composed in my teens 5. My biker leather jacket - because it's now way too small and reminds me of how podgy I've become! And yes, I still have Cliff albums, in a box in the attic. Aaargh.... Posted 2.40pm BST  Wednesday 13th October Daydreaming Found this site this morning, thanks to An Incurable Hippie. Some extremely interesting ideas, and a Yahoo group to join for those of you who share a love of writing and drawing for fun. Last night was very enjoyable. Tony Robinson is a great character, his talk included satire and comedy as well as serious anecdotes and comments about history, politics and life in general. Have always liked him, like him even more now. Early this morning went to the hospital for my 3-monthly acupuncture session. It's always a struggle to get up and out on time, but well worth the effort. I know that a lot of people hate the idea of being 'needled' but it's about the only treatment that helps me at all, and as I don't actually see the needles going into my back and shoulders, I'm quite happy. On my way, I was stopped and interviewed by a journalist from our local daily paper, the Star, about the pensions crisis. Was I worried? Concerned, yes. As I told her, the government expect people to save for their retirement but how can someone on incapacity benefit and a tiny occupational pension manage to save anything? It's difficult enough to survive financially as it is. I'll be interested to read what other people told her. I still haven't done any work on my novel. Perhaps I should look at the whole process and my perception of it more closely. Writing has always been fun for me, a pastime. As has my art. Perhaps I need to return to that more relaxed attitude. After all, I know that any book I do write will never get published. I'm writing because I want to. Yet sometimes just the thought of doing another few sentences makes the whole thing appear to be a chore. If any one has any ideas about how I can revert to the concept of the book as fun, please let me know!!! Time for a snooze - the problem with being needled is that I always get tired afterward. Not that I really need an excuse to nap... Posted 1.40pm BST
Tuesday 12th October Kingdom of Loathing Found KoL on Sunday, thanks to PC Format. Great little game, think I'm totally hooked already. Free too so go and have a look. Apart from exploring the Kingdom of Loathing and having a good laugh (you get to bash Knob Goblins and can earn experience in Roguishness and Sarcasm amongst other things), I've been back in the alternative America of Orson Scott Card - finished book 4 this morning, and read the first chapter of book 5 this afternoon. Completely engrossed. Hence the lack of updates to my blog - sorry! But they are the type of book that once you start reading, it's very hard to put them down. Well, it is for me anyway. My partner arrived back on time on Friday, happy to be home but shattered. So we didn't do very much at all over the weekend. Did watch the snooker (yeah - Ronnie won!!!!) and went shopping. Tried out our new Waitrose store in town. It was packed. Apparently when they opened last Thursday they ran out of supplies by about 3pm and had to make hurried phone calls to the warehouse for more. Seems the nearest other Waitrose is down in Newark. Virtually all of their other supermarkets are 'down South' - those of us who have lived in the southern regions of England know them as a slightly expensive but good quality store. Perhaps that's why people were coming from all over our region to shop in the new one. It will be interesting to see whether or not that continues. Didn't get to yoga last night - turned out my neighbour wasn't going this week, and I had slight vertigo so didn't want to risk going alone. But hopefully I'll join her next Monday evening. About to leave for town - having a meal with my partner then going to see Tony Robinson - despite the appalling weather (it's raining) I'm really looking forward to the outing. Hopefully I'll let you all know what happens... Posted 5.50pm BST  Friday 8th October Feeling good Had a nice evening, including a chat with the neighbours. Apparently they're getting married in April and planning to stay around for a while, so I'm pleased as they've been good neighbours. Also S. has asked me to go with her to a new yoga class that's just started in a nearby school. I'd been thinking about it especially as the physio thought it might be good for me, so I'm going to go with her. Nice to have someone to go with - I'm not the best for attending something like that on my own. I've also booked onto a poetry workshop, just a half-day one, about rivers and water, should be interesting. It's ages since I went to anything like that and even though I prefer writing prose to poetry (as you can see from yesterday's efforts, I'm not a poet!!!) I think it will do me good to meet other people and get some 'serious' writing done for a change! On top of that, I'm hoping to meet up with a 'new' friend next week, a woman I met at the Pain Clinic. It seems that things are finally coming together as far as my social life is concerned - during the last year I've hardly had a social life at all. Makes me feel good to know that the community at large hasn't completely deserted me!!! And my partner is on his way home from his course in London. Yippee!!! Looking forward to this evening and a restful weekend together, should be nice. For now, make myself a cup of tea and watch the snooker until my partner arrives... don't expect an update before Monday, folks! Posted 3.05pm BST  Thursday 7th October National Poetry Day 2 Went into town even though I felt lousy for a Poetry reading session in the Winter Gardens. Only a small group there but I knew half of them from various writing workshops and courses that I've been on. It was fun, and I even read out the 3 lines I submitted earlier to the Poetry Society random patchwork poem. Plus a line I scribbled down whilst I was listening to other people. Not much, but in the spirit of the event, it's fun! Ripe raspberries in a nest of meringue Pavlova that melts and sweetens the tongue Topped with cream, a swirling delight A perfect dessert in red and white. Also managed to get 2 tickets to hear Tony Robinson at the Crucible on Tuesday evening - I was lucky as the event is sold out but they'd had 2 returns this morning. It's part of the Sheffield 'Off the Shelf' festival - although it doesn't officially start until 16th October there are 3 or 4 events that are being held next week as well. So an eventful day. Now I'm shattered. Going to make myself a cup of tea and watch the snooker... Thursday 7th October National Poetry Day As food seems to be the theme (see Poetry Society site) here is my feeble contribution (the only poem that I've ever written that has anything remotely to do with food!): Shopping Trip She surveys packaged commodities of varied shape and size: a landscape peopled by world cultures first to third. Containers, filled by poverty-stricken workers, jostle for her to choose or to reject. All here in their labelled places: sterile tins and boxes neatly stacked. She plots her course down one aisle, up the next as if this economic nightmare, this masculine vision (no room for feminist curves), is her natural environment. At the checkout she stands irritated in a line of others, eventually pays and places her goods in recycled bags: This her only recognition of the true cost for her weekly shop. © Linda Doughty. Thursday 7th October Art and things I seem to be having problems keeping up my blog: I'm getting more tired and achy etc. now that the colder weather has arrived. Still, not everyone updates daily, and one of the reasons I haven't posted anything is that there isn't much to write about. I did treat myself on Tuesday, however. Went to an art exhibition at the Millennium Galleries in town, a wonderful modern art gallery that attracted twice the number of visitors they'd expected in it's first 6 months. And is still very popular. Partly because they have some extremely good exhibitions. The latest is one of the best I've been to. 'The Biggest Draw' (see the Sheffield Galleries site) has a rich and varied selection of drawings, from architectural to anatomical, sketches to detailed engineering studies. Extremely interesting. So much so that I took a break part way through (luckily once you buy a ticket you can do that on the day) and had lunch in the galleries cafe. Lovely. And I highly recommend 'The Biggest Draw' to anyone who can get there. Of course, I suffered later, my back hurt and I was tired for hours afterward, but it was worth it. I may well return before the exhibition closes in December as there was a lot to take in and some drawings I would love to see again. Apart from that I've been reading, watching snooker, playing Sims2 and Star Wars Galaxies. And snoozing! Hoping to go for a walk later today, as it's sunny, albeit cold. But must keep up my exercises, and for me, walking is far pleasanter than other forms of exercise, even if it does hurt :> Posted 9.42am BST Monday 4th October Happily fogged! Feel shattered but happy. Reason? We went 'down south' on Saturday for my mother's 80th birthday. Now I don't, and never have had, a strong loving relationship with either of my parents and the outing was probably more of a duty than an act of love. However, not only did we have a nice meal with my parents but we also saw my sister and brother-in-law, my son and daughter and their partners plus my 2 year old grandson (my granddaughter went to a far more exciting children's party, lucky girl!!!). But it was a wonderful few hours, a rare get together of the family and I confess I felt proud of my 'children' and their efforts to turn out for their nannie. It reminded me of the family get-togethers we used to have when I was a child. It wasn't unusual for there to be 20 or more of us at Christmas - great aunts and great uncles as well as grandparents being among the 'guests'. I remember those occasions as being tiring and sometimes overwhelming (as well as boring at times - as a child I was supposed to be on my 'best behaviour' - not something that comes natural to any child) but there was always a feeling of belonging, as well as acceptance. I was part of the group, one of the family. Saturday had that same air of familiarity and acceptance. It was a nice day and I'm glad it turned out well. Of course, the journeys there and back, plus the event itself, have taken their toll. I'm very tired (still) and my brain is fogged. It's taken me all morning just to surface enough to write this. Mind, I'm happy to be able to have the time to recover. My partner had to return to London yesterday evening for the second week-long session of the course his boss insists he do. He sounded very tired when he phoned me from the hotel last night, and I'm hoping that he'll be ok. As for me, I'm reading the 3rd in the Alvin Maker series, and will be watching snooker on tv (yes, I'm a snooker fan, have been for years!) so I'm quite content. Just hope that I'll eventually wake up enough to do some writing and make some phone calls to friends - can see it could well be tomorrow though before that happens!!! Posted 12.50pm BST |
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