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That They Might Face The Rising Sun

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I’m finally getting around to watching some of the stuff I recorded over Christmas, and in yesterday’s case it wasn’t the one just gone. I finally watched “That They Might Face The Rising Sun” (in case you hadn’t guessed). I’m slightly undecided about it but I think I shall come down on the favourable side. It’s not your typical film and if you’re hoping for defined plot and movement carrying the story along, then this is not for you. On the other hand if you’re a fan of silence, slow pace and spartan conversation then this is absolutely for you. On the other hand if it’s not, I’d still say give it a shot – you don’t have to watch it a second time. Although you will probably spend all of it asking yourself when will this start to get going – the answer is – it won’t. It’s a bit like life, it trundles on making its own way forward. I just hope that the characters had more conversation off screen ‘cause if they didn’t then they must live monastically silent lives.

As with any story set in Ireland, where would you be without a wedding and a funeral. Watching the wedding scenes, you’d almost want to get up and dance with them – although they are more the weddings pre-my youth – it’s still somewhat familiar to me. Along with the funeral, that ritual has hardly changed – although the undertaker takes on the laying out these day – I was almost saying the rosary with them – belief aside, it’s ritual and rote.

I have a feeling that the film is set somewhere in the 70s – I don’t think it is beyond 1980 (of course I am probably wrong) and in which case it’s showing an Ireland I was born into. It’s definitely not the same country now and that isn’t a bad thing – but it was nice to see what it was up there on the telly. As it’s a slow quiet film that’s the lives it shows.

So despite wondering when the story was going to start, I’ve taken to the film. Will I watch it again – possibly not intentionally – but if it’s on I won’t be in a hurry to change channels.

Bloggage · Home · Life · Mental health

Do Something

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Over the last few days I’ve been catching glimpses of myself in the mirror and to say unappealing and disappointing is putting it mildly.  Is this the moment that the change happens  – no, not that change – the mindset change.  

I saw a reel on Insta and it was Joanne Donnelly and she mentioned something about doing a 28 day walking challenge – so I think that is what I’m going to do.  Now anybody in their right mind would start straight away and by postponing it they are only doomed to failure etc.  But my mind doesn’t work like that – my mind has immediately hit upon the fact that tomorrow is February 1st and that is 28days long.  So that is the plan – I have to leave the apartment and go for a walk every day for the month.  if I’m lucky it’ll continue to happen – or my natural laziness will reassert itself and I’ll revert to my natural state of a hermit couch potato.  In the mean time I’m going to have to start on the calorie counting.  I just want to reduce the wobble a bit.  

I think I should address the opening statement a little bit – the unappealing – I don’t find it appealing – I’m not worried about anybody else – nobody else is going to see it – it’s just for me – the combination of disappointing is – that’s not the way I look, that’s not how I’m supposed to be.  Now in fairness I’m not a million miles away from it and it just takes a bit of effort to get back there.  That’s where the problem lies – effort – the constant fight of don’t wanna do it, don’t wanna look like this – so there’s the choice.  The small starting step is the walk everyday in february, with the calorie counting.  Whether anything else gets added into the mix a little later is something that can be addressed when the time comes – but I have to say, walking has always served me well – once i actually do it.  In fairness the walking is for fitness – it’s not going to tone me – but also it will do me good to get out – blow away the cobwebs.  Although if I remember correctly I used to walk at lunchtime during covid simply to keep myself out of the kitchen so in that respect it helps with the calorie counting.

So the question is – how long will it be, before I don’t go for the walk???

Bloggage · Home · Life

Tidy Your Room!

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I know!  When we were younger that was the last thing we wanted to hear from our parents.  Well I’m saying it to you now – tidy your bedroom.

Last night was one of those little moments where I realised I couldn’t have somebody come in here ’cause the place is just cluttered with clothes that need to be put away.

What ’caused that little moment you might ask?  A Spider!  I don’t like spiders.  I have a vague agreement with them – do what you want just don’t be seen.  This agreement is for all rooms with one exception – the bedroom – just stay out please.  Last night there was a spider on the wall above the bed and I was tempted to call the neighbour to rescue me or spider but couldn’t ’cause the room was a mess and also they’ve moved so there wasn’t anybody to call on.  However had the room been tidied, there was more of a possibility that another neighbour would be called on instead.

So please tidy your bedroom – you just don’t know what emergency is around the corner (spiders do count) and you don’t want be embarrassed – and the reward is that you have a tidy room!

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Starting the Summer

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It’s the May Bank Holiday Weekend – although I will admit that I woke this morning wondering if it really was a bank holiday or should I be getting up to go to work, but I think that’s a normal reaction.  Anyway – May, Summer – I had a productive day on Saturday – I had my car’s NCT at 9am – What was I thinking of??  9am!  on a Saturday!  A few years ago, I got caught in traffic and ever since then I’ve arrived early – so I was done and dusted at the time the appointment was due – how cool was that!  Anyway – I didn’t pass but didn’t exactly fail it either – a light wasn’t working so I’d to get it fixed and I could go back for a visual inspection.  I went to Ikea and spent like it was going out of fashion on knick knacks – I only went for cake and a charger cable but why stop there??  Anyway – went to the garage to see when they could fit me in to get the light sorted – as luck would have it they took a quick look and it seems nothing needed to be done – it was simply that something had popped out of place and once it was put back, all was well – so straight back to the NCT centre, had the visual, got my certificate.  I’m really pleased as the car is 21 yrs old and she’s still going grand!

I came home had cake and decided that the weather had been fine long enough to cut the grass or in my case, dandelion patch – and that’s what I did – it makes such a difference it really does – and I took it as my cue to move the garden bench – in the colder months it’s kept on the path by the wall of the house, but during the summer I move it so that it’s back is to the shed and it’s sheltered by the honeysuckle.  Yesterday (Sunday) there were noises in the garden – I was terrified it was a rodent having some sort of shouting match but it was a load of starlings feeding on whatever was coming through on the garden – it was fascinating to see.  Also when I say starlings – that’s me having a guess…

I actually spent all of yesterday (Sunday) indoors because I’d finally gotten time to read and this was a book I couldn’t put down, so that was me ignoring the outside world for a few hours.  I am actually really happy about that – it’s not that it doesn’t happen that often but I’m a bad reader and it takes me an age to get through books but this was one of the few where I simply had to keep reading until it was finished – the disappointment in it, was that it finished and as it was alluded to the book – that there is always an aftermath and we don’t get to see it.  Anyway – the book was The Wilding by Ian McDonald – it’s categorised as horror but I’m not a horror reader so I’m not sure how deep into the genre it is – I can’t say it was fantasy although it did contain the fantastical – it had the catastrophe and the survival flight or fight – funnily it reminds me of John Wyndham.  Sorry that’s just my thoughts running away with me – but now that the book is finished I’ll have to bring it back to the library.

Keeping me company while I read was the neighbours cat – she came in and curled up on the desk chair and was most reluctant to leave when I eventually evicted her at 8pm.  She’s also the reason I thought rodent in the garden rather than birds – I’ve seen her on occasion passing by with a mouth full of mouse!

This morning I had notions about this post – there was even thoughts of a photo but that didn’t happen ’cause I tend to eat the food and rarely remember to photograph it even if I had intended to do so.  So starting the summer – breakfast outside on the bench listening to the birds and as I was a bit late it also involved a child having great fun playing in their garden somewhere down the road.  The sunshine and the not warm but not cold morning – a lovely air that refreshes but doesn’t invigorate too much.  It’s the one thing that I love – to sit out on the bench having breakfast listening for the sounds and the silence.  If the weather holds over the next while, it will be a mix of the mornings and evenings after work, listening to all of the voices enjoying the outside – looking around and seeing how the flowers are growing and changing (flowers = raspberries, black currants, agapanthus, lavender, holly and of course dandelions).  There is something so peaceful about just sitting out when the weather allows.  So now that the bench is in Summer position it’s time to start getting outside.

Bloggage · Celebration · Christmas · Family · general · Holidays · Home · Life · purchases

The Confusion of Dreams

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Firstly a slight back story – When I was in London earlier this year, I picked up a gift for my Dad for his Birthday/Christmas. They are both in December and the second gift would dictate whether this was going to be for his birthday or for Christmas. Anyway – I came home and dutifully put it away (Can you see where this might be going??)

Fast forward 5 months and I was in the local shopping centre, spotted a shop that reminded me I had already made a purchase, but where did I put it? No, not a clue! it’s not in the places I thought it was – and I’m not going to lie, I am panicking! The up-side is that I still have slightly over 2 months to find it – so that’s ok.

Last night I had a dream that I’d found the gift and it was exactly where I thought it was – how lucky is that??? I’ve gone through most of the day with a sense of relief knowing that I’ve found the item in question. Until now that is, when I’ve just realised it was only a dream and I still have to pull the place apart to find out where it is.

I was going to make a Bobby Ewing/Patrick Duffy reference but after a conversation last week in work, I’ve realised that it’s waaaay out of date. But if you get the reference than I thank you!

Bloggage · general · Home

Saturday Success

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I’ve been looking forward to the weekend ever since Thursday. That’s when the wind down started. I did my weekly food shop, and there’s only one more day of work to get through. Yesterday, when I got home from work, I changed to bedding – I also upped the duvet tog. Naturally this meant that it’s heated up again. However the notion of cosy has beaten being slowly roasted for a week or two and the duvet stayed. Saturday’s Plan was get up and get stuck in and then just relax – sounds normal.

Well, normally, I plan to do something similar – but I get up have breakfast and the next thing I know is it’s almost midday. I get washed and dressed, have a sit down and suddenly it’s 4pm. I mean seriously – how does that happen?? Where does the time go to??

Not today! While I was having breakfast, I washed the bedding that was taken from the bed last night (it really was too late to put on a wash), got it dried and put away. If I managed to do that alone it would have been a good day. HOWEVER, I made a list! This consisted doing a few things in the Living room, Bathroom, & Bedroom. Whenever I do a list it gets to be a meh – as if it’s all optional. This time I’ve tried to stick to it – to make sure that these are the things I get done. I think it has helped that this time I haven’t overwhelmed myself with things. Bt 4pm today, I’d tidied the livingroom, cleaned up the bathroom and picked up stuff in the bedroom – I’d even swept the leaves from outside of the front door!!

I know this might down daft, but when I look at the livingroom – it doesn’t look that different but it still feels different. Is it the sense of accomplishment that has made the difference? I don’t know. What I do know is that I can now sit down and relax!

Another thing I was looking forward to and this is just odd – I was looking forward to a ham,cheese & tomato sandwich for my lunch. WHY??? I think it definitely falls into the category of “notion”. So that is what I had for lunch – and it really did just hit the spot. In addition to that – I made soup – I’m obviously expecting it to get cold any minute now.

Expecting the cold to arrive definitely explains why I have this on the telly:

Bloggage · Food · Home · Life

I now consist mainly of bread

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I ran out of bread yesterday and rather than going to the shops yesterday evening, I thought I’d go this morning before work.  You can take it that there was in fact very little thought given to this until about 06:30, when I realised I’d need to have a shower and wash my hair before I could emerge outside.  Anyway – Amn’t I wonderful?  that’s exactly what I did!

I decided to treat myself and rather than getting a sliced pan, I bought a loaf from the lidl bakery instead.  Apparently it’s called a “Country Loaf”, according to my receipt.  According to me, it’s just delicious.  Whether it’s a doorstep with just butter, butter and jam, or toasted with butter – it’s all good and almost all gone.  Although I will say this for one of the slices of toast, you’d swear I’d never buttered toast before – it was carnage!  It still tasted great though

Note to self: thinner slices will make it last (no they won’t)

Bloggage · Books · general · Home · Life

Slow Sunday

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This is going to be short’n’sweet as I’m just out if bed as I type this!
This morning I have done something I haven’t done in a while – I got up, made myself a cup of coffee (mug of coffee) brought it back to bed, switched on the speaker and listened to some background music and read a magazine on the iPad.  I can’t remember the last time I flicked through a magazine.  It was so worth it – I have a new recipe for tea brack and I have discovered there is a new book I want to buy, although it’s still only being written.  It seems that Joanne Harris is currently writing a prequel to Chocolat.  Mind you it seems that the kindle edition of Blackberry Wine is 99c/p on Amazon ’til the end of March – I’ll have that, Thank You Very Much!!

On that note, I’m off to sit on the sofa and watch Pride & Prejudice – the entire 1995 mini series – well what else would you be doing on a Sunday?

BTW the recipe was in the March issue of the Country  Living magazine

 

Bloggage · general · Home · Life · Mental health · Notions · Seasons

Sitting in the Shade

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It’s just after 8am and I’m out in the garden with the laptop and a coffee.  I think this is the hour that everybody seems to emerge – I can hear windows opening and voices – chattering about what needs to happen in order for the day to start.  The dogs have been left outside, they too, are chatting over the garden fences.  It’s the same every morning, an unconscious way of marking what time it is.  The various different birds flying about and singing in their dawn chorus are joined by aeroplanes.  I see their con trails in the sky – why has that reminded me of slugs and snails? – when I can’t see them like the birds, I can hear them somewhere high above and off in the distance.

Because of the angle of the building, I have a choice, I can sit in a warm sunny carpark or sit in a slightly colder shaded garden.  I’ve picked the garden, nobody goes near me.  The closest I have to that are the bees who are investigating the raspberries.  They’re not in the lavender yet, although I can smell it sometimes if the breeze goes in the right direction. I’m waiting for the honeysuckle, now that is a beautiful smell.
Occasionally I will be joined by the cat but this morning she has chosen to go back to bed.  I will probably make the same choice when I’m her age.  But for now, for this season, for this day, I chose to get up earlier and and enjoy the sounds.   It’s a gentle way to start the day and for that I’m lucky.  There’s no hurry hurry hurry.  It’s strange that 30mins less time in bed gives my day much more than 30mins extra.
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Rainy Days

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This is probably a post that should be over on the blog with the photos, but I decided that this was the place I wanted it to be.

I love nothing more than a rainy day.  It’s even better if I’m sitting inside – a cup of tea in hand, cosy socks and slippers – if it’s in the cooler months, add a warm jumper or oodie – maybe watching some old film.  It all invokes that mood of being cocooned and safe.  It’s possibly part of that Hygge definition – that cosiness is highlighted against the not so cosy weather outside.

The above is the stereotypical notion of being indoors when it’s raining.  However, for me, I like to sit next to the window – if there’s a stair to be sat on that’s a double win, but I like to be next to the window to watch the rain.  Not the rain outside, but the raindrops coursing down the window.  It’s hypnotic.  It allows the mind to wander away and come back to what’s in front of you.  Watching how each trickle can distort the background, how some will join up and become larger and change the pattern it leaves behind.

I love the comfort and the solitude it invokes.

This little video/reel was recorded one evening, using the time-lapse option on my phone.  I like the increased sense of movement that you don’t always get with rain – and because it was still early evening the light outside was sill bright enough to see beyond the window.  So click on it – press play and enjoy the clip of music that it going with it.