Exterminate!?

One day a few years ago we visited the Churnet valley railway. We got on at Cheddleton and traveled to Froghall  wharf. We didn’t realise but there was a Dr Who dalek at the station, plus a tardis! We stopped for coffee and cake and watched as the remote control dalek trundled up and down the platform while people took photos and videos.

I’ve been watching Dr Who on TV since it started in the 1960’s. I used to hide behind the settee when the cyber men came on. I still watch when it’s on now.

The Churnet Valley railway is based on a line which runs between Cheddleton and Froghall, also running towards Leek in the Staffordshire moorlands. Plans are being worked on to extend the line towards Leek and possibly Stoke as the track bed is mainly still in situ except where they built a supermarket in Leek on top pf the track.

CT scan

I had a CT scan today. I’m a bit scared of what they will find. But I was glad to have it done. I only had to wait a few weeks and because it was done on a bank Holiday Monday the hospital was quiet and my friend was able to find parking on the road near to the entrance (about a third of the normal cost).

We complain about the NHS but we don’t have to pay massive bills as you would have to in the USA. I’m not saying our system is the best, but we really appreciate it when it’s working well.

So anyway, I have to wait for the results. More worry and anxiety, but at least I might have an answer soon.

Breakfast

What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like?

The excitement of porridge

The joy of tablets

A cool shower

If I can afford it

Trying to get dressed

Without getting tangled

Feed the cats

Work out what I can do today

It all takes time.

Wobbly arms and leg

Don’t help my balance

Feel like I’m moaning again

Let’s just go back

To bed…..

2004 drawing

Facebook Memory

Sometimes things just pop up on my status and I don’t remember when I drew them. In this case the memory was from five years ago, but the comment said I drew it in 2004. I think that’s right because I wasn’t doing many pencil drawings a few years ago. I think this was from a monthly drawing group. Friends met up at a pub and we would draw each other or customers. I have the Sketchbook somewhere in the house. One of a miriad of them.

WordPress changes?

One day things work in a way I understand, then the next day it’s slightly different. Icons and buttons change. It happens here at WordPress, but I think its worse at places like Facebook. It seems like there are more restrictions, changes to what you can see, and more ads.

For instance Facebook reverts to ‘most relevant’ posts even though you want to see all of them. Then if you press like or live to every comment you can get suspended! It happened to me. My hubby had passed away and many people commented about it and because I wanted to thank everyone I got a warning for spam!

Instagram can be a bit confusing too and X. I know the sites want us to have a better experience but sometimes it would be nice to be told.

Fears

Today is a hiding day. Lots of thoughts and fears roaming around the inside of my head. I need to get things done but I don’t feel like doing them. I’m going to give myself some slack, just a few hours to feel safe.

Yesterday I was more optimistic, I got some things done I’d been putting off. I’ve even started my gratitude book again. And later I will go out as the cats won’t have anything to eat if I don’t. But yesterday afternoon something happened that put everything into another perspective. And I just froze. I’m only hinting, I’m not going to say, and I think I will be OK, it was something mental not physical. I’m OK. I will be OK.

Science

What’s something most people don’t understand?

Science is hard, it is very difficult to understand or often to explain. I think the world is split into people who get science and those that do not.

I don’t know if you have to have a particular brain? I found science hard, and being a girl didn’t push myself forward in classes. The boys always had their hands up shouting me sir, me! Answering the teachers questions.

And yet I eventually found I loved science. I used to watch a BBC programme called Horizon which had a great many subjects from Chemistry to Astrobiology, to the Big Bang as subjects of hourly  shows. Suddenly my interest was piqued. I started to understand things and got more aware of science and it’s ramifications.

I also loved the Sky at Night, a monthly astronomy programme, it’s only short, 20 minutes, but really interesting. And then children’s programmes used to be informative, including the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. I remember seeing one about magnetic levitation of trains, it was a lecture by Professor Eric Laithwaite. Wonderful.

So my take from this is that you might not like science, but give it a chance, it helps you understand the world..

Squally shower

Wow, it’s just rained heavily. A real squall with gusting winds. The gutters were overwhelmed and water poured down the window. Now the sun’s back out and the dark grey clouds have blown away. I love the sound of raindrops clattering against the glass and the gusts of wind whistling through the gaps in the window frame. It’s never been properly airtight, but I don’t mind and in the dawn light I can hear the blackbird singing on the top of next doors chimney. Music of nature playing around my garden.

It reminds me of the myth or saying about the month of March and March winds… If it is a gentle start to the month it comes in like a lamb and out like a lion, while if it’s windy at the start of the month the opposite, in like a lion out like a lamb tends to be the case.

I don’t

How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?

Look at the sky, it’s blue,

I love that wonderful hue

I could ignore it

Pass it by

Be driven hard

Ambition charged

But then I’d miss the best of life

While dealing with the anxious strife

No time to stop and stare they say

Is not, for life a good way.

Try not to stress

Though I confess

I walk on sometimes

And miss sunshines.

Timely ability

What’s a secret skill or ability you have or wish you had?

I have a strange ability to do with time. If I’m cooking something in the oven and set the timer for whatever length of time the dish needs cooking I will have an urge to get up and check the time at exactly one minute to go! It happens virtually every time. It’s weird.

Other timely abilities included knowing when my hubby was coming home from work no matter what time his shift ended. I could not relax until a few minutes before he got home. This was despite the time not being a regular thing and no phone calls (he wouldn’t use a mobile phone). (One of my cats was always waiting for me when I came home, the same thing?).

Finally, I can be sitting at traffic lights and if I count to ten, the lights will usually change before I finish counting. I’m not sure why but it seems to work say about 70% of the time.

My thoughts are that I’m living time backwards! I can’t understand how it works. I know we humans have ‘timing’ cells in our brains that regulate our ability to measure time. Perhaps my cells are very accurate? It’s a mystery.