Cat update

He’s had his op. A bad tooth has been removed. He came home this afternoon and has been very quiet but loving. I think he must have been in pain because when I used to stroke his face he sometimes flinched away. Now he’s pushing his cheek onto my hand. He’s better but sleepy. Lying on the stairs (as I type he’s just come to see me). The only thing is he’s got to stay in for two days, he’s already tried a couple of escape attempts! The vets say he’s well cares for (and fat!). No hard food anymore, the life as an abandoned cat was not good to his teeth. He must have fed on scraps before we took him in all those years ago. He’s twice the size now. Bless hom

Friendly

What makes a good neighbor?

I don’t care who they are as long as they are friendly.

Respectfully, I think the best neighbours need to be friendly, but not always friends. We all have different ways of doing things. Some people have noisy pets or play loud music, but as long as you can speak to them and work things out you have a chance of living in harmony. I always try and be polite and considerate. I’ve only ever fallen out with neighbours once in 30 years. They were students and we’re playing loud music day and night for a week.

They were disturbing my next door but one neighbour who was due to have a baby. They would not answer the front door. So I stuck my hand through the letterbox with my panic alarm beeping very loudly. Eventually someone came to the door. I asked them if they were at college? Yes. So I said, you understand you are creating a nuisance as you are intelligent? The student told me they never had problems in their halls of residence. I then explained the street was full of normal people. She apologised and the noise stopped! Not my friendliest action but it sorted out the problem!

Theft

My hubby has had about 35 train engines stolen out of our sheds in the garden, 30 carriages, various sizes, n gauge, 00 gauge, tt gauge. And a g gauge train. Plus a mountain bike (black) shopper bike (white) and a Raleigh titanium racing bike and a spade which we think they’ve used to get into the sheds?

I rang the police and they told me to post to social media. I put this on local pages with a bit more information, but I wonder if it will actually help.

Meanwhile in other news I’ve got to keep all three cats in tonight as one is having an operation in the morning. Instead of using the litter trays he just peed in a random box which leaked into the floor so I had to clean that up. I don’t have any airfreshner. Help! Then he threw up a big furball, ugh. Cleaned that up. He’s run upstairs and then hubby came down for a cup of tea.

The world is destroying itself in many places so I shouldn’t grumble. But I am!

Lemon tree

We have a lemon tree from the supermarket and after six months the lemon has grown and is turning yellow. There are a few more small lemons on the plant so once we pick this one they may start growing. It’s propped on the lip of the pot so it can catch the sun and get warmed by the radiator when it’s on.

The plant had to be potted on because it was root bound and it has grown really well with glossy green leaves. I like the texture of the lemon and leaves in my photo which I took from below to get a better view and catch the blue sky and dream catcher in the background.

Colouring my hair purple

What could you try for the first time?

I was singing with the choir tonight and I noticed a friend had got her hair coloured very subtle purple shades. A bit like this free photo but on much shorter hair.

I have had a box of hair colour in the cupboard for a couple of years, but I keep chickening out on using it. I’m worried I might be allergic to the dye and also I have watched several videos and you can’t just use it like shampoo you have to put it in thin layers to spread it evenly over your hair. I don’t think I can physically do that!

I once asked a hairdresser to do it but she would not use a dye by a different supplier as it was a problem if it went wrong. Shall I just try and shampoo it in or give up and throw it away? I have become very risk averse!

Pain

Pain attacks from different directions

Trundles like an army on alternative fronts

I need to relax

Let my body un-tense

Then the pain flows away

Fear and stress exacerbate

Anxiety cramps me up

But starting to understand

I can calm my impulses

Like a frozen bag of peas

Soothes the army of pain

Descalating aches

Deflating anguish.

Honesty and kindness

What principles define how you live?

Why not live by these principals?

By sticking to them you can try and do good.

Honesty and kindness means not being cruelly honest, to balance the truth and it’s outcomes. Kindness is probably the most important of the two. Honesty can be used to hurt.

So the two can cause moral dilemmas, but perhaps the best use of them is to combine them with the doctors’ oath “first do no harm”, at least that can help point you in the right direction.

I remember also, the two wrongs don’t make a right, even if in mathematics two negatives can make a positive (I think I remember?). Revenge and hate don’t make the world better even if it can make people feel better. It can only worsen the situation. Given that, I’m not talking about appeasement. What I mean is that more truth and reconciliation commissions should be created. It may take many years before they can try and work, but it seems like a better idea than violence and war cascading down the centuries.

But what can I do? Try and keep to my principals, avoid anger if I can.

Many things

What have you been putting off doing? Why?

When you go through bad times anxiety and nerves can hold you back. These emotions can make you hold your tongue, stop you going out, make you forget to write to, or email, or phone people. You put off till tomorrow and forget to do today… Eventually everything piles up and you don’t do anything, or just the bare minimum.

But I’m learning through counselling to do easy tasks first, then as they get easier and less onerous you can move on to medium difficulty tasks, and finally difficult ones. But if you have a set back, don’t give up. Start again with things you can cope with and gradually move on. Self repair, self acceptance. Be kind to yourself.

Last week I found myself laughing, I hope I can start doing more of the things I have been putting off. Hopefully…. Unless I get too stressed.