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Monday 28 February 2011

Day 333. Not my most productive day!

Well I've wasted most of Monday. So that puts the pressure on for the rest of the week. On the plus side I'll spend the evening planing the week ahead and get to bed early. I'm on call but if I'm lucky it may stay quite.
I'll make sure the flat's tidy before I turn in so they'll be no excuses for a slow getaway in the morning.

Monday is "Star of the Day" day. Over the weekend I was planning my summer holiday. Yes I know I'm broke but you've got to have a goal. Anyway MissG has never been to Giverny. The home of the French artist Monet. I've been before, that's where I took yesterdays picture. So I looked him up and found this

" At the beginning of May 1883, Monet and his large family rented a house and 2 acres (8,100 m2) from a local landowner. The house was situated near the main road between the towns of Vernon and Gasny at Giverny. -The family worked and built up the gardens and Monet's fortunes began to change for the better as his dealer Paul Durand-Ruel had increasing success in selling his paintings. By November 1890, Monet was prosperous enough to buy the house, the surrounding buildings and the land for his gardens."

So he rented the house for seven years before things got better. He was fifty by then. He spent a further thirty six years living and painting there before he died. I have to say it's lifted my spirits, knowing he kept at it for all those years in his forties until things improved.

The Wiki entry is pretty good and worth a visit.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Monet#Giverny

Onwards and upwards :~)

Sunday 27 February 2011

Days 331 and 332. The weekend review.

It's been another positive week. I've learned a few more things about myself and I really feel I'm taking charge of my life at last.

It's becoming harder to keep up with the blog as running out of time. Which I suppose isn't a bad thing. On the other hand committing things to paper or screen keeps me fairly honest.

Another short entry I'm afraid. Will try better :~)

Onwards and upwards :~)

Day 330. A day late I'm sorry.

Apologises for missing Fridays blog. I had a good full day at work. Then needed to rush home do some shopping on the way, have a tidy up and put some food on. Then await the arrival of MissG. We had a good evening together and had a really lazy day on Saturday until she left around 5 to meet up with her sisters.

Being busy  keeps my mind off worrying about things but I'd be lying if I said it stays away completely. Then again I feel more positive. I'm starting to get my priorities in the right order and taking setbacks more in my stride.

OK enough. Time to take a look at things in a very lighthearted way. Friday nights are now designated as "The Joys of Depression"

You're at a party and even in your low state you're having an ok time. So imagine what an absolutely brilliant time all your mates are having around you. You may well be off the drink as well. Seeing as to how it makes you all maudlin and miserable. So you're probably the designated driver to boot. Your mates will have had a blinding time at the party get driven home and helped up the steps to their front door! Now who wouldn't want a depressive as a friend :~)

Onwards and upwards :~)

Friday 25 February 2011

Day 329. Too type to tired :-)

It's been a busy day and I've got through a lot and tied up a few loose ends. I'm trying to be realistic with time scales and not making promises I can't keep. It's going to take a while to get that bit right. I can't think of a time when I wasn't being unrealistic with timings or making promises that were doomed.

I guess these two combined have had a big part to play in where I am currently. In an effort to please and impress. I did neither. So another thing to add to the "must change list".

That's it for today ( well yesterday now) On balance there has been far more positives than negatives and the week is coming to a good end.

Onwards and upwards :~)

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Day 328. Getting bogged down.

Today started well. listened to my French tape while I sipped the hot water and lemon. Left the flat clean and tidy and had a pretty solid day at work.

I'm overdrawn at the Bank and have £1:19 in my pocket. So tea will be a hotchpotch of whatever I can find in the fridge. Hopefully a cheque I paid in late last week will clear by tomorrow as pretty low on petrol as well. I could do with loosing a pound or two but would prefer not to breakdown!
It's still pretty early, 7pm. I don't usually get to do the blog till much later. So tonight's an opportunity to get something done. Not sure what it will be but it will including reading abit of Kipling (days 303 and 304) and in bed by midnight hopefully.

I forgot to mention MissG came over on Sunday and brought me chocolates and flowers. The first flowers any one's ever brought me. Flowers, whether for a man or a woman are a wonderful little gift. They brighten up any space and if your lucky smell pretty nice as well.

I thought I'd finish each day with something different. So "Star of the Day" on Mondays. "Weird things on EBay" on Tuesdays. "Stuff on the Web" on Wednesdays. Not sure about Thursdays yet and Fridays will be "The Joys of Depression" a light hearted way to start the weekend.

So to kick things off,

http://www.urban75.org/useless/bored.html

Goodnight and as always Onwards and upwards :~)

Tuesday 22 February 2011

Day 327. The mountains aren't as high and the valleys not so deep.

Finished my weekend on call this morning. It's been a busy and tiring weekend but two thoughts occurred to me this morning.

Firstly. I need to put myself at the front of the queue, put my interests first. If I'm going to get myself to a better happier place then I have to. I spend plenty of my thinking time dithering. If this happens, if I can do this, if only that happens. Which benefits no one, least of all me. Accepting that my current situation won't change for the foreseeable future is a good solid start and  was probably the first grown up thing I've done in a while. It will help iron out the ups and downs along the way in the near future.

Secondly. Today the valleys, home of despair. Don't look so deep and the mountains full of successes and hopes don't appear so high. Or to be honest, worth dwelling in for the moment. Best I move along the road as quickly as possible and find more things to write about.

Onwards and upwards :~)

Monday 21 February 2011

Day 326. Ups and downs.

Today has been a bit up and down. I did something really stupid last week. I thought I'd sent an invoice to a customer for a large amount which would of covered the rent. Spoke to the customer today and found out they had not received anything. So panic and instant gloom. I've corrected it now but the next couple of days will be really difficult financially. I'm either managing things well or poorly at the moment. A success is cancelled out by a failure. Or is it a failure is cancelled out by a success?

Onwards and upwards :~)

Days 324 and 325. A happy end to a week.

So the end of another week and what a week for me. I don't want to tempt fate but I think I have turned a corner. Excepting that I may be in the doldrums for some time to come and getting to bed earlier although not connected seem to have been the catalysts for my sudden elevation to a better place.

I've made a few changes to the blog. Adding a "things I've tried" section. I've dropped the "Star of the day" for the moment but it was taking such a long time to do the blog and I need to get to bed earlier but I would like to bring it back sometime in the future.

Onwards and upwards :~)

Friday 18 February 2011

Day 323. The Shepard's pie wasn't so bad tonight!

What was left of yesterdays Shepard's Pie tasted fine tonight. If only my looks improved with age as my cooking  so obviously seems to!

Today was another good day for me and I did spend a little time wondering why. I know I only wrote on here a few days ago, that I wasn't going to think too much, sorry.

Firstly I've latched on to the diet and vit supplements. Now I've only been taking these a couple of days so I doubt they have had any real effect but they seem to have a placebo effect on me.

My diet hasn't changed that much either. Less coffee and tea. More fruit, especially bananas but again I doubt that would of kicked in after only a couple of days.

Maybe it was my acceptance that I may not be happy for quite sometime to come and I'd just need to tough it out for the foreseeable future.

The one thing that could, may, probably has made a difference is the earlier nights. This will be put to the test now. As it's my weekend "on call" so I may not get a full nights sleep for a couple of days.

That's it for now. I've had a couple of ideas about changes I'd like to make to the blog. hopefully I'll find some time over the weekend to firm up those ideas and start from next week.

Onwards and upwards :~)

Thursday 17 February 2011

Day 322. I've been soooo good.

How sickening, you tune in to read of misery and pain. Only to find yours truly all positive and smiling. Don't worry it probably won't last. Maybe as a way of giving this blog a bit of a lift I could run a "when do you think it will end" sweep-stake down the right hand side?

Anyway back to the mundane stuff. Woke just before 6 and listened to 20 minutes of French. I can now say "where would you like to eat tonight" and "it's not a problem like that" I can see the first phrase being useful but unless I fall for a sex mad female contortionist, where am I going to use the latter? Got up made the hot water with lemon slice and drank this, while I made my packed lunch and porridge. Took the vit B and St Johns Wort tabs both washed down with green tea. If I was reading this I'd close the page about now. Fear not my cyberspace chums. As a reward for all this sickeningly sensible living I've promised myself Coffee  and toast with peanut butter on Sunday morning. 

Work went well and looking forward to tomorrow. Popped in to see the ex and help her do a couple of things. Then next door to see my old neighbour. Who's been rather ill lately but is on the mend now. Then home and switched briefly into domestic Goddess mode. Washing machine on and made soup and a Sheppard's pie. Before you throw your computer out of the window in disgust at my rapid conversion into a wet lettuce I should say the Sheppard's pie was awful but I was so hungry I ate it all . With luck my soup may be rubbish to and I'll be back to my old sobbing self.

Till then. Onwards and upwards :~)   

Day 321. I'll start again.

Well I trimmed "9 things I must do" to "3 things I must do" and my daily list has shrunk to three as well (although it does get amended as the day goes on) I went to bed early (well for me) got up early and  completed the first two things on the must do and when I sign off tonight that will be all three.

I started the day with green tea and lemon and will watch what I eat. I shall buy some "St Johns Wort" tabs on the way home and try and get as much vitamin B into my diet as I can. So fingers crossed with the new diet.

I'm trying to keep my brain occupied and not allowing it to wonder and start thinking "where did it all went wrong"  :~)

It's occurred to me that I have this child like view of the blues. One day I shall awake, the Sun will be shining, birds singing, the smell of coffee will fill my nostrils and I will be happy for ever more. So today I took myself to one side and explained that things won't change over night and I'm just going to have to keep my head down and tough it out.

My daily entries are getting abit dull. I need to start earlier in the evening and maybe have more of a structure to this piece.

23:58:59

Just made it again. Onwards and upwards :~)

Tuesday 15 February 2011

Day 320. Hidding in bed.

Today I woke up and that's it really. I turned off the phone and stayed in bed till about four and just slept. Since then I have made various plans to do this and that but haven't . Around 8 o'clock I received an email from a friend which kind of changed things. She always manages to send a message when I'm feeling low and my replies are always humorous (well she thinks they are). So I made something simple to eat and reread the blog. As I said I would do a couple of days ago and am doing the best I can to get back on track.

The first thing I noticed was cycles. I go from positive to negative fairly regularly. The second was late nights. All my lows were connected to late nights or feeling low meant I didn't go to bed until it was far too late. Now wouldn't it be nice to think that late nights were responsible for my blues but hey that would be too easy. Then again if I had a drink problem hanging around bars wouldn't be a smart thing to do. Would it. So no more late nights. If I don't get things done by midnight then tough off to bed and start again tomorrow.

My "to do lists" and "9 things I must do" are too long. I'm going to cut these drastically till I can successfully carry them out. Once I've achieved that then I'll see if I want to add to it.

Diet. Whenever I go down hill my eating habits follow the same path. So I need to stick to something good and basic.

Following on from that, keeping life simple and not thinking too much might be good for me too. A while ago "Day 281" I came up with Desire and Completion. I have desires, to be successful, happy etc but lack something to get to completion. The missing word was application. Now if I go back to last weekends review and Churchill's quote "Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential." Which is similar and I'll begrudgingly accept that Churchill's words are far more powerful than mine but in my defence he did go to a good school. So for the foreseeable future I shall be keeping it simple.

Lastly wish me well please it won't cost you and you never know!

23: 56: 47 made it lol.

Onwards and upwards :~)

Day 319. Late night so a bad morning.

I didn't go to bed till almost four last night. I won't try and justify it or explain it. It's lead to a bad start today but I have got some things done and will see what I can rescue from the day. I signed on to a "depression study" managed by a Uni in Australia. There was a questionnaire. Nothing difficult, simple questions but there was a couple about self harm. Which did fill my head when I finnally went to bed. It's the first time I've seriously thought about it and the first time I've admitted it. There were always two reasons why I used to dismiss any thoughts along these lines before. The first being some poor sod will discover you and that will have a life time effect on them and then the effect on my Children, Mum and friends. Last night I didn't give a thought to the first.

So should I be worried. I'm going to reread the blog from the beginning and see what that does to my spirits.

I didn't get very far with the reread but I was surprised how things don't seem to have changed that much. I'm sort of trapped in my own "ground hog day"

I'm off to bed more misery tomorrow. Onwards and upwards :~)

Monday 14 February 2011

Days 317 and 318. The weekend review.

It's been rather an up and down week. I've wasted time, most of Wednesday for instance but worked hard and smart on other days.I have and do feel very alone. to counteract those emotions I do have a sense of inner strength. I also have a feeling of greater self worth. This has lead to a couple of surprises. I feel I'm being taken for granted slightly by MissG. In the past I would of behaved badly and moodily. I need to think this through carefully, as it is a relationship I would like to stay in but not at any cost. I'm also putting things into perspective and allocating successes and disasters to their correct pigeonholes.

The start of this week won't find me full of confidence for the week ahead. However there will be a strong sense of  getting stuck in. I found this quote from Churchill the other day. Which sums it up far better than I could hope to do.

"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential."

Onwards and upwards :~)

Saturday 12 February 2011

Day 316. A busy day, TGIF

I feel really lonely at the moment. There's nobody on FB and the kids haven't been in contact all week I say this not for you to feel sorry for me. Just as a matter of fact. It's very quite outside and I could be the only person left in the World.

The upshot of these feelings is some (to me) clear thinking. It occurred to me today that my moods and feelings may not be connected. Waking up feeling crap may be more to do with going to bed far too late than being "depressed". Feeling alone may be more to do with me withdrawing from the world rather than the World forgetting about me. OK it's not that cut and dried but it would explain alot.

I think for the next week I'll try and think what am I not doing. Rather than what has the World not done.

Friday 11 February 2011

Day 315. Back to cheerful.

Up early, ignored the feeling to pull the duvet over my head and got on with it. Arrived on site early and put in a full day. May of found a flat mate as well.

Sorry this is so short but no time this evening to write more.

Thursday 10 February 2011

Day 314. Well that ended pretty quickly.

Got up this morning, got ready for work Sat on the couch to drink my coffee and that was it. Didn't move till lunchtime. I'm at a loss to explain why. I guess it started to creep in yesterday and I guess I spotted it then but then didn't do anything about it. Not that I'd know what to do.

I'm generally happy. My relationship with MissG is going well. There's a bit of work coming in and I'm just meeting my financial obligations. The latest job is challenging but not overwhelming. I'm eating well not drinking much either. This blog helps me straighten out my thinking and I sleep ok (but do go to bed far too late). So why does my mood change so quickly????????????????????????????

I'll think no more about it now and come back to it tomorrow in the next thrilling adventure of "Beating  my Depression" . Actually I have noticed my attention span is very short at the moment!

So I definitely need a "Star of the Day" today. Someone to lift and inspire me.

Robert the Bruce (1274 - 1330)

Robert the Bruce was crowned King of Scotland in 1306 but almost immediately had to go into hiding when the English invaded his country. After many months of constant movement to avoid the invaders, Bruce hid in a cave when he was at his lowest ebb. There he watched a spider try to spin its web from one part of the cave roof to another. Six times it tried and six times it failed. On the seventh attempt it succeeded. Bruce took this to be a message that he should not give up his struggle to free Scotland from the English. He was eventually victorious at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 when the Scots soundly defeated a much large English army.
It's also said that his Mother locked his Father up until he agreed to marry her. I doubt Bob gave his mum any trouble.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_Bruce

http://www.brucetrust.co.uk/home.html

Onwards and upwards :~)

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Day 313. Still feeling cheerful.

Today has been much like yesterday. My drive seems to be returning. The distinction between work and play is continuing to grow and grow separately. Small bits of work are creeping in and I'm starting to plan when and how to tackle it. My "to do" lists are starting to be an aid to me and not something that hangs over me. The friendship and support of those close to me is also taking on more significance to me. Am I listening more carefully, or is what they are saying different. Do they see changes in me? whatever it is. I'm beginning to realize how important it is and as big and ugly as I am I need their support.

But please don't think it's all been plain sailing. After all, this is a blog about depression, pain, misery and self doubt. Why else are you reading :~)  So I went home this evening or rather back to my old home to help my ex deal with a mouse. I'm beginning to feel like a repair man. She texts me whenever something is wrong. It's like still being married but without the meals and bad sex. I can see how I used to suck up her unhappiness and that lead to mine. I'm not doing it anymore I'm sorry if this makes me sound uncaring or mean but there you go.

I've been busy trying to think of a Star of the Day and looked a couple up but nothing inspires me and that's what they are supposed to do. So for a change today's Star is you! What would you write about yourself, there's no rush, take your time or better still ask people what they would say about you!

Onwards and upwards :~)

Monday 7 February 2011

Day 312. I'm feeling quite cheerful.........

.......But the day didn't start like that. I really resent having to get up and go to work. I did though, got up early and cleared a bit of paperwork as well as straightened things out in the kitchen. Got on site on time and did a full day. Came home and this is where things changed. Normally I'd veg out for an hour and then finally drag myself up and make something to eat. Tonight I dropped my bits off then went straight out, walked down to the supermarket got a bit of shopping came back and made myself something to eat. Then finished my book. So not like me! more evidence of change maybe? I shall let you decide but I might add I feel in a good and cheerful mood.


So who shall I have, as Star of the Day? There was a good radio play last Thursday. It charted the relationship between Raymond Chandler and Billy Wilder, as they wrote the screen play for "Double Indemnity" . I know a little about Chandler but nothing about Wilder. So I did abit of googling. So today's Star is





Billy Wilder (1906 - 2002)





Did you know The American Film Institute has ranked four of Wilder's films among their top 100 American films of the 20th century and he has five in the top 100 of the Film Institute top 100 funniest American films of the 20th century. So he's a pretty influential guy when it comes to 20th Century film making. I found a nice quote at the bottom. Spanish filmmaker Fernando Trueba said in his acceptance speech for the 1993 Best Non-English Speaking Film Oscar: "I would like to believe in God in order to thank him. But I just believe in Billy Wilder... so, thank you Mr. Wilder." According to Trueba, Wilder called him the day after and told him: "Fernando, it's God."





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Wilder





Be lucky and remember Onwards and upwards :~)

Sunday 6 February 2011

Days 310 and 311. The weekend review.

So this week I managed to get myself to work early well early-ish. So hopefully I'll carry that through next week. I came across the "28 days to change a habit" thing (more on that in a minute) and I've rediscovered the difference between work and pleasure.

OK back to the 28 day thing. I've managed to write this blog for just over 28 consecutive days. Before that it was a bit hit or miss. So I guess this is now a good, well formed  habit. I'm going to try a few things over the coming weeks to see if the 28 day thing works for me.

To start this I'm going to get up each morning and start the day with 20 minutes of French and a mug of hot water and lemon. The French I've been trying to listen to for several weeks now but if I'm running late that gets missed out. The hot water and lemon is a good detox for the kidneys and skin. So if I'm lucky by the 6th of March I should have skin like Taylor Swift and enough French to reduce MissG to a blubbering mess during my attempts at seduction :~)

I was hoping to include a picture of Mrs Richardson, the lady who helped me to read, today but couldn't find it. I promise to dig it out this week and update this page, when I do.

As per my entry on Days 303 and 304, I managed to get a Kipling book "The Days Work", published in 1915 so it's almost an antique and a Daniel Auteuill DVD both including postage for £4.07  

Saturday 5 February 2011

Day 309. Thank God it's Friday.

Another full day to end the week. I've had a nice slobby evening on the sofa in front of the TV and laptop. I've noticed this week that the blur between work and pleasure is clearing. I'm beginning to realize that there was no distinction between work and pleasure before. So I couldn't focus on work properly or enjoy myself when I was out. I do enjoy these unexpected realizations. Is this proof I'm further along the road to something better. Or am I just a thick twat ?

There were a couple of good things on the radio today. I don't mind music but the inane banter from the DJs between it drives me up the wall. So I end up listening to radio 4 or BBC7. Now not so long ago that would have condemned me to be labelled an "old fart" (maybe it still does). This week's been a bit different however. There are four or five young lads, working on the same job, in their early 20's. Who as the week's progressed. Have dropped by see what I'm listening to and have hung around. Now I don't believe they'll all be listening to the Archers next week but you never know.

One of these interesting things I heard was it takes 28 days to form a new habit. Well I looked that up this evening and it's all a little confusing. 21 days, 28 days, changing a bad habit or forming a new one. It doesn't seem an exact science but I did learn that most processes within the human body happen in 28 days. For instance, It takes 28 days to replace the cells of a human being's epidermis completely. What I don't understand is if it's completely new, why am I still so ugly?

There is no Star Person this evening. I've had a look around but nobody really catches my imagination.

So onwards and upwards :~)

Friday 4 February 2011

Day 308. I'll try and do better

Well yesterdays post was a bit thin! sorry about that. I'm feeling a bit more tappy (a mix of chatty and typing) tonight.

So first things first. How did the day go? got to the site on time put in a good shift. Then went on to a colleagues and did a couple of hours work there. Brought fish and chips on the way home as I was tired and couldn't face cooking. Sitting here now and typing away in my pyjama's (Sorry to shatter your illusions. There you were thinking "I bet that big hunk sleeps naked" go on admit it) and a large cup of tea keeping me company.

Phoned a creditor today to own up to not being able to pay. So just one more to deal with and I'll be morally straight with everyone. Still in debt mind you but able to answer the phone and my post. Now that will be something I haven't been able to do for a while.

So enough of the day to day stuff. What have I been thinking about ? well I've been thinking how lonely I am. Not in a bad or self centred way. Just that I feel lonely. I want someone here. Someone to talk about how our days went or argue about who drunk all the milk and whose turn is it to do the washing up. Now while thinking these thoughts the song "Nature Boy" the George Benson version was going thought my head, I don't know why. So I've looked it up and found my Star man for today.

Eden Ahbez     (1908-1995).

Eden was an American songwriter. He was prompted to show his song "Nature Boy" to Nat Kings Cole manager. It went to number 1 for 10 weeks in 1948 .  Eden was abit  of a hippy and lived rough for many years under one of the "L"s in the Hollywood sign up in the Hollywood Hills. He claimed to live on $3 a week (which is about twice as much as me at the moment). Anyway I've done all the hard work. Just follow the link and read it for yourself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eden_Ahbez

Thursday 3 February 2011

Day 307. Nothing good, nothing bad.

I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to write this evening. Things went ok with work. A bit slow but the client hasn't brought the parts asked for. So I'm limited as to what I can do.

Got home around 5, cooked, ate, changed and went to see Fulham beat Newcastle that's it.

I need to go to bed. I'm tired. More tomorrow.

Onwards and upwards :~)

Wednesday 2 February 2011

Day 306. Facing up to what scares me!

Do you remember the other day when I owned up to putting off difficult or unusual tasks. Well today I faced up to one and will have to face it everyday for the next two or three weeks. I have to say that this has come at the right time. I'm feeling pretty strong mentally and so want to move forward.

Went back to my old home to go through some paperwork and move a few things. It's odd being their. It's comfortable. There are lots of reminders of happier times. My daughters are there and the ex and I chatted about things that need doing (decorating) over a cup of tea. I miss the security, it's been my home for the last 20 odd years and most of the big events of my life have happened while I've been there. My bed was very comfortable too. I miss that :~) Enough of this walk down memory lane. It's in the past now. Although I don't feel it? Maybe I need to face up to this? so I can put all my efforts into making the here and now the beginning of a new and happy life??????????

I don't want to end today's entry on a low and thinking about what I've left behind is making me feel a bit down. So what to do?

Right I know. I'll tell you about my dreams for the future. Now normally this would involve me talking about my pile of stones that looks like a cottage in Brittany France. Today however it's a different dream. This one is set in the not too distant future. It is, to be on-time with all my payments and out goings. It's to have food in the cupboard. Go to the gym regularly. My daughters dropping by occasionally and nice white fresh sheets on my bed. How much of this do you take for granted and not think about.? I used to. Now here I am writing these things down as a goal! Oh and it would be nice to see abit more of MissG as well.

Our relationship is developing nicely. Trust, desire, security and a warmth that exists around us when we are together. Plus a physical relationship which never existed in my long marriage. I cannot stress to you how important being desired and desiring someone is to me. It is starting to be a big plus factor in giving me and building my confidence. I haven't given this much thought till now. Is this significant? does this signal another little change in my makeup? A move in the right direction? Too many questions to ponder over tonight but before I go lets choose a star of the day.

My Star Person of the day is the French writer Colette.

Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873 – 1954).

Colette's writing explored the struggle between independent identity and passionate love.

She was a controversial figure. On one hand her private life was scandalous and very public and on the other she took great personal risks. During the German occupation of France during World War II she aided her Jewish friends, including hiding her husband in her attic all through the War. She was awarded the Legion d'honneur and was the first woman in France to be given a State Funeral. She wasn't a saint by any means but she certainly lived a full life and wrote about it.

 http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/colette.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colette

Onwards and upwards :~)

Tuesday 1 February 2011

Day 305. Past thoughts......

As I drove back last night, from an evening at the cinema with MissG. My mind wandered back to my childhood and a very special lady in my life, Mrs Richardson.

I had terrible problems learning to read and write as a youngster and when I was about 8 or 9 I had special reading classes with this lady. Which in the mid 60's in a state school in Cambelwell was a huge stroke of luck  If it hadn't been for her I don't know where I'd be now. I love to read and am beginning to enjoy writing too. There hasn't been a month in my life where I haven't thought of this woman. She's been the most influential person in my life. I guess she's past on now and this, thank you to her is long overdue but "thank you Mrs Richardson".

The day hasn't gone too badly. Sorted out a nonworking boiler in the morning. Tried to sort out a tiny leak on a shower tray in the afternoon and have had four call-outs  so far to boot.

Someone else who enabled others to read was Louis Braille. So he's my star man today.

Louis Braille (1809-1852)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Braille

Onwards and upwards :~)