Back in the blog saddle

I've not visited my blog for quite a while, mainly due to being ill and frankly I couldn't bear to write about it anymore. My illness was a series of one day feeling slightly better and the next feeling quite ill again and this went on and on, until one day three and a half weeks after it started, I woke up in the morning and knew it was over. I had energy, my head cleared, my nose cleared and all just like that.

I was relieved that everyone else who had it had the same, so it wasn't just me being pathetic, but it was one of those virus's that came and went in its own good time.

Meanwhile I had a few messages asking what's been going on, so have decided it's time to take up my laptop and get blogging again.

So here' s a resume of what's been going on:

End of February I went to London - this is still during my recovery period of one day good, next day bad, so had to conserve what I could of my energy and just get on with the things that needed getting on with e.g. work, which was a priority. Meetings went fine, which was a relief.

Then No. 2 Son showed up from Italy and it was lovely to spend a bit of time with him. Next my mother took me out to her local library, where I enjoyed Ruth Rendell imparting words of wisdom and talking about her life as a writer. My mother very kindly bought me a book Ruth had signed, which is now languishing in my 'To be read' pile.

Ruth Rendell in serious mode

The next day was my mother's 90th birthday party. Mountain Man and No. 1 Son arrived in good time to wash and scrub up and look fantastic. We all made it to the party in good humour, but the smile that was eventually fixed to our faces throughout the meal at having to make polite conversation with folk who we'd never choose to spend time with was quite funny it itself. I'm telling you no more, but that we survived. Oh yes, and I and one other wore purple, everyone else wore black!

A couple of photos for you:

Me and my men!

Me, my mother and my broher

The very next day we skipped on a train and out of town as fast as we could. I then had a day of exhaustion from having kept myself together for London doings and then it was off to Birmingham to speak at a conference at the NEC, which went rather well. I also spent a lovely evening prior to the conference with an OU friend having dinner and relaxing before my stage time.

And from then on it's been work, a bit more work, and a bit more work than that.

Last weekend we had a visit to my brother and his wife's, but I'm staying relatively schtum about that one apart from telling you that being with a woman in her 60's who had a tantrum at 10-pin bowling was not the most uncomfortable bit. 'Nuff said!

Which brings me to my work, which drastically altered this past Friday when I reached a momentous milestone. I have finished all my clinical one-to-one work! It's been a year since this was put in motion, but clinical work isn't 'clean' in the sense it needs working up to the end if at all possible. I felt this way was both respectful to both me and my clients.

So that's it. I'm still a Clinical Psychologist as I had to do my registration a few weeks ago and it lasts for 2 years, and still have lots of teaching work and conference work and workshops, but it really is a big change for me. And, because undoubtedly I shall have some spare time, I've decided to take on a short OU course called Understanding The Weather, which starts on 6th April... yes, ok, I know I probably should've given myself a bit of down time, but it's the very last time this course is being presented and I've wanted to do it for a while. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

We went to NT Live at the Pavilion in Galashiels on Thursday night, which was a brilliant production of Alan Bennett's new play 'People' and very good it was too.

Last night was Gordon Film Club night. We watched Michael Clayton (starring George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton and Sydney Pollack) while sipping Prosecco and eating delicious nibbles in great company. It's not actually a film I would've taken myself to, which is why think a Film Club is such a great idea and certainly opens my mind to other movies than my usual diet.

Tomorrow I'm off to Chester with a colleague to deliver another conference presentation and also a workshop. It would've been wonderfully easy if I could've rolled out my presentation from Birmingham, but no such luck.

And that's that... apart from telling you there's no change on the coffee plant front, but the Sweetheart plant I've had since 1983 and moved to the bathroom a couple of months ago is absolutely loving it's new home.

Phew! That really is the end of today's blog!