I had incredible feedback from the Qiqong course I taught over 2 weekends, this last weekend being the the last one. It has made me feel so lucky.
It's also made me count my blessings.
My friends have been so wonderful and supportive over the last year and all that's happened with my book, Vespa, the other Guide Dog pups I've boarded and even the support I've had with my mother has just been incredible.
Thank you!
Tuesday, 29 November 2016
Saturday, 26 November 2016
No news is... no news
I went to see the surgeon in Glasgow yesterday about my cancer diagnosis and after a quick look and a chat and a laugh about travels in South Africa (he'd just been and I'm off in January) he pronounced that he'd need to do a biopsy. He then marched me out to the desk and told them, in no uncertain terms, to fit me in next Wednesday.
So there we have it. Nothing to report. Just another long journey from the Borders to Glasgow for another short appointment.
At least this weekend I'm teaching a course just outside Glasgow so didn't have to negotiate the road home as, yet again on a Friday the M8 seemed to be the most disastrous place to be travelling. Accidents, slow traffic and freezing temperatures. Hoping for better on Wednesday.
So there we have it. Nothing to report. Just another long journey from the Borders to Glasgow for another short appointment.
At least this weekend I'm teaching a course just outside Glasgow so didn't have to negotiate the road home as, yet again on a Friday the M8 seemed to be the most disastrous place to be travelling. Accidents, slow traffic and freezing temperatures. Hoping for better on Wednesday.
Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Secrets and confessions
It's Scottish Book Week and I signed up to give away 25 books. This year's title is 'Secrets and Confessions' and it was lovely to wander down the street and offer free books to folk.
The only problem was that quite a few people thought they were my secrets and confessions!
For example, I took some to badminton today. I gave some to the ladies, who were thrilled and there's a group of men who play at pretty much the same time and today just two of them turned up. I offered them a copy each. Well when they saw the title they said some things that even made me blush! It was hysterical and all in the sports hall collapsed in laughter as I went redder and redder!
Just to set the record straight, I have not, nor ever will, produce a book full of my secrets or confessions, I can promise you that!
The only problem was that quite a few people thought they were my secrets and confessions!
For example, I took some to badminton today. I gave some to the ladies, who were thrilled and there's a group of men who play at pretty much the same time and today just two of them turned up. I offered them a copy each. Well when they saw the title they said some things that even made me blush! It was hysterical and all in the sports hall collapsed in laughter as I went redder and redder!
Just to set the record straight, I have not, nor ever will, produce a book full of my secrets or confessions, I can promise you that!
Thursday, 17 November 2016
A day of strange conversations
Today has been a day of strange conversations.
I have a very old mac laptop that ceased to want to function when I came back from Thailand in July. I kept forgetting to take it into the Apple shop in Edinburgh for it's free check up, but decided I needed to get onto it and today was the day.
A charming guy called Andrea came to help and whilst waiting for my computer to churn into life he asked what I did. There ensued a conversation about writing books and stress and he then asked if I'd like to come and do a talk at the Apple shop to all the people who work there as sometimes they invite people who are interesting. Of course I said yes, so he said to expect an email in a few days. Not sure this will actually come to anything, but it was sure nice to be asked. Oh yes, and it was also nice to know that my computer battery is defunct and not replaceable but the actual computer is functioning just fine, it just needs to be on the power cord the whole time.
After that I went to meet my friend Shirley for lunch, but had a bit of time to kill as she was having her hair done. I went into Jenners and saw some rather lovely Ugg boots that were waterproof and looked rather nice. The first pair I tried on were too small, so an underling was sent off to get larger size and the girl who was serving me started to chat about how much she liked my sparkly ankle wellies. She asked me if they were comfortable and I said 'extremely' and then, as she was looking so longingly at them, I said, 'do you want to try them on?' 'Yes, please,' she said. So there I was in Jenners trying on some boots whilst the sales assistant tried on mine. I didn't buy the Uggs.
Shirley and I had a lovely lunch and after that went shopping and then time to get the bus back to my car. On the bus a rather unkempt looking guy, smelling very strongly of alcohol, sat down next to me and started chatting about the weather and then asked me if I'd just finished work. I told him I was retired and he was incredibly complimentary until I said that I'd become a lady who lunches and had just been out to lunch. 'Had garlic?' he asked. 'Yes,' I replied, feeling somewhat mortified as I popped a mint into my mouth!
Three rather strange conversations all in one day. Hopefully these things just come in threes!
I have a very old mac laptop that ceased to want to function when I came back from Thailand in July. I kept forgetting to take it into the Apple shop in Edinburgh for it's free check up, but decided I needed to get onto it and today was the day.
A charming guy called Andrea came to help and whilst waiting for my computer to churn into life he asked what I did. There ensued a conversation about writing books and stress and he then asked if I'd like to come and do a talk at the Apple shop to all the people who work there as sometimes they invite people who are interesting. Of course I said yes, so he said to expect an email in a few days. Not sure this will actually come to anything, but it was sure nice to be asked. Oh yes, and it was also nice to know that my computer battery is defunct and not replaceable but the actual computer is functioning just fine, it just needs to be on the power cord the whole time.
After that I went to meet my friend Shirley for lunch, but had a bit of time to kill as she was having her hair done. I went into Jenners and saw some rather lovely Ugg boots that were waterproof and looked rather nice. The first pair I tried on were too small, so an underling was sent off to get larger size and the girl who was serving me started to chat about how much she liked my sparkly ankle wellies. She asked me if they were comfortable and I said 'extremely' and then, as she was looking so longingly at them, I said, 'do you want to try them on?' 'Yes, please,' she said. So there I was in Jenners trying on some boots whilst the sales assistant tried on mine. I didn't buy the Uggs.
Shirley and I had a lovely lunch and after that went shopping and then time to get the bus back to my car. On the bus a rather unkempt looking guy, smelling very strongly of alcohol, sat down next to me and started chatting about the weather and then asked me if I'd just finished work. I told him I was retired and he was incredibly complimentary until I said that I'd become a lady who lunches and had just been out to lunch. 'Had garlic?' he asked. 'Yes,' I replied, feeling somewhat mortified as I popped a mint into my mouth!
Three rather strange conversations all in one day. Hopefully these things just come in threes!
Friday, 11 November 2016
Bad news/good news
Well this has been an 'interesting' week.
The US election was unbelievable and I've been in a slight state of shock ever since. But then given that they voted in George W Bush not once, but twice, well it kind of makes sense that the voting public would go completely off the wall and vote in a (failed?) businessman who hasn't a scoobie about running a country, apart from rhetoricalising all over the place. Oh well... that's what it is and it'll be fascinating to see how things unfold.
The one bit that really worries me is this: apparently Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin get on well. Can you imagine what'll happen the first time one of them disagrees with the other? I'll leave it there I think.
My other bit of news is that I've been diagnosed with a cancerous growth on my nose. I waited almost 8 months for an appointment and now they want to operate next week! I'm off to London and so the op will have to wait. They've given me another for the week after, but I'm thinking of cancelling it until I get back from South Africa at the end of January. I'm not sure I can deal with my mother and Xmas with her in London with half my nose needing to be taken care of too. And then there's flying and being in South Africa. I think I'd rather enjoy myself and have a good time without having to worry about my nose. Luckily it's slow growing and I've had it for a while, so I'm not sure another 3 months will make a huge difference.
But here's some good news to end with: the coffee plants are doing well and also my orchids are flowering again. Hooray! Something good to focus on!
The US election was unbelievable and I've been in a slight state of shock ever since. But then given that they voted in George W Bush not once, but twice, well it kind of makes sense that the voting public would go completely off the wall and vote in a (failed?) businessman who hasn't a scoobie about running a country, apart from rhetoricalising all over the place. Oh well... that's what it is and it'll be fascinating to see how things unfold.
The one bit that really worries me is this: apparently Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin get on well. Can you imagine what'll happen the first time one of them disagrees with the other? I'll leave it there I think.
My other bit of news is that I've been diagnosed with a cancerous growth on my nose. I waited almost 8 months for an appointment and now they want to operate next week! I'm off to London and so the op will have to wait. They've given me another for the week after, but I'm thinking of cancelling it until I get back from South Africa at the end of January. I'm not sure I can deal with my mother and Xmas with her in London with half my nose needing to be taken care of too. And then there's flying and being in South Africa. I think I'd rather enjoy myself and have a good time without having to worry about my nose. Luckily it's slow growing and I've had it for a while, so I'm not sure another 3 months will make a huge difference.
But here's some good news to end with: the coffee plants are doing well and also my orchids are flowering again. Hooray! Something good to focus on!
Friday, 4 November 2016
Eye problems
Last night I had my philosophy class in Edinburgh. I packed my things and headed off, but when I arrived I realised I'd left my glasses at home (I wear contacts during the day). I was a bit pissed off as I wanted to read before sleeping. So I left my contact lenses in, but when it came time to take them out I really struggled and I wasn't sure I'd still not got one in my left eye, but I was so tired that I thought I'd just sleep and deal with it in the morning.
When I woke up this morning I wasn't sure if it was in or not, but it felt like something was there. I tried to remove it, but no joy so headed home (no contacts in - I'm long sighted and driving isn't a problem) and felt ok, so I put a new set of contacts in. I then went off to meet my friend for a coffee, but part way through it felt like my contact lens was coming out of my left eye, so when I eventually got home I removed both of them, but it still felt not great. I flushed my eyes with sterile saline solution, but it still didn't feel right.
I looked and looked, but decided that as I couldn't see anything in my eye, I'd go to Boots in Galashiels and see the pharmacist for some help, but she sent me to Boots Opticians a little further on in the town. When I got there I was met by two assistants who looked about 16 and an optician who looked about 18. I had to tell them my idiotic story of what happened and I think it took all their strength not to laugh.
45 minutes later with a clean bill of health, one very sore eye and instructions to come back in 2 days if it still felt bad, I arrived home. Now resting my eye and deciding whether to ameliorate my sore eye with a glass of vino.
I've got a busy weekend with a Mindfulness practice day to facilitate tomorrow, followed by No. 1 Son's 32nd birthday dinner and then on Sunday I'm teaching an all day course outside of Glasgow. I can't afford for my eye not to be working properly, but at least without being able to wear my contact lenses for the next couple of days I'll definitely not forget my glasses!
When I woke up this morning I wasn't sure if it was in or not, but it felt like something was there. I tried to remove it, but no joy so headed home (no contacts in - I'm long sighted and driving isn't a problem) and felt ok, so I put a new set of contacts in. I then went off to meet my friend for a coffee, but part way through it felt like my contact lens was coming out of my left eye, so when I eventually got home I removed both of them, but it still felt not great. I flushed my eyes with sterile saline solution, but it still didn't feel right.
I looked and looked, but decided that as I couldn't see anything in my eye, I'd go to Boots in Galashiels and see the pharmacist for some help, but she sent me to Boots Opticians a little further on in the town. When I got there I was met by two assistants who looked about 16 and an optician who looked about 18. I had to tell them my idiotic story of what happened and I think it took all their strength not to laugh.
45 minutes later with a clean bill of health, one very sore eye and instructions to come back in 2 days if it still felt bad, I arrived home. Now resting my eye and deciding whether to ameliorate my sore eye with a glass of vino.
I've got a busy weekend with a Mindfulness practice day to facilitate tomorrow, followed by No. 1 Son's 32nd birthday dinner and then on Sunday I'm teaching an all day course outside of Glasgow. I can't afford for my eye not to be working properly, but at least without being able to wear my contact lenses for the next couple of days I'll definitely not forget my glasses!
Tuesday, 1 November 2016
Puppy mayhem
Today was puppy class and we have 3 gorgeous new pups in The Borders which made the class an absolute riot.
Molly (retriever), Ziggy (lab/retriever cross) and Lawrence (lab) were hysterical as they got to have a run around while the older pups looked on in disgust. For us boarders (3 of us), who just love to have a cuddle from a teeny pup, we were in our element.
Molly (retriever), Ziggy (lab/retriever cross) and Lawrence (lab) were hysterical as they got to have a run around while the older pups looked on in disgust. For us boarders (3 of us), who just love to have a cuddle from a teeny pup, we were in our element.
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| Lawrence |
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| Puppy mayhem |
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| Ziggy and Molly having a game |
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| Molly came to me for a cuddle after the fun and games |
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