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| ~ Einstein ~ |
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| From Google Images |
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From Google Images |
Showing posts with label quotes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quotes. Show all posts
Saturday, February 25, 2017
'An empty desk'
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Catch up: Dementors, resolutions & good wishes for 2017
OK, it's 10 days into January, so I might be pushing it a bit with Happy New Year wishes, but in my defence:
1. I ('we' really, but I'm writing) have had the winter cold/bug/virus/ that escaped from Azkaban & has held my family tightly in the icy grasp of a Dementor's kiss for about a month now..... a couple of us were better at conjuring up a Patronus (aka immune system response) than others & given I already battle multiple Dementors on a daily basis, I couldn't even tell you what form my Patronus assumes (although I'm pretty sure there's no stag or doe 😔).
I shouldn't really need to add to that. I think 'Dementor's kiss disease' should be the ultimate excuse; but I do genuinely have other reasons:
2. Through the brain fog, the darkness, and the Dementors' kisses of horror, I did remember my 'personal resolution' (not so much a new year one, more of a personal aim ) is to blog more again. It can be cathartic, it often serves as a good way to sort of 'talk to myself positively' & search for positive quotes and images which do exactly as they are supposed to, and instill further positivity & motivation. It's a great habit to get into, but it's easy to get sucked out of it (this metaphor totally works!) when things get tough.... which brings me to my true personal aim: to try to be more honest - both with myself and with other people, regarding my health, and capabilities (or lack of them, it often seems right now).
Last year was an incredibly tough year, and I did withdraw from the world a bit. Not exactly on purpose, more in a subconscious act of self-preservation; but I'm going to try really hard to move on from that (or spill it all out of my head, perhaps) and truly hope this year is a better one for my family, many friends who seem to have had a really shitty year too.... and the world, which seems to have been just as badly affected. I am determined to put 2016 behind me & to hope for good things for the world this year too, as so much uncertainty looms ...
... So I have been writing. Honest!! They're just all 'drafts' right now that need to be finished & edited before I can hit that orange 'Publish' button! So this post explains why my next few are going slightly backwards in time first - then I'll get on to that whole 'new year, new motivation' thing...
3. It's the 10th. That is 2.74% of the year (really, I just checked). I've been asleep for AT LEAST 50% of that time, maybe more (honesty!) 1% of the year hardly counts . ... SO....
1. I ('we' really, but I'm writing) have had the winter cold/bug/virus/ that escaped from Azkaban & has held my family tightly in the icy grasp of a Dementor's kiss for about a month now..... a couple of us were better at conjuring up a Patronus (aka immune system response) than others & given I already battle multiple Dementors on a daily basis, I couldn't even tell you what form my Patronus assumes (although I'm pretty sure there's no stag or doe 😔).
I may have been wrongly sorted.
I might need a new notebook if I don't improve.
 |
| Or Google might have the answer.... |
I shouldn't really need to add to that. I think 'Dementor's kiss disease' should be the ultimate excuse; but I do genuinely have other reasons:
2. Through the brain fog, the darkness, and the Dementors' kisses of horror, I did remember my 'personal resolution' (not so much a new year one, more of a personal aim ) is to blog more again. It can be cathartic, it often serves as a good way to sort of 'talk to myself positively' & search for positive quotes and images which do exactly as they are supposed to, and instill further positivity & motivation. It's a great habit to get into, but it's easy to get sucked out of it (this metaphor totally works!) when things get tough.... which brings me to my true personal aim: to try to be more honest - both with myself and with other people, regarding my health, and capabilities (or lack of them, it often seems right now).
Last year was an incredibly tough year, and I did withdraw from the world a bit. Not exactly on purpose, more in a subconscious act of self-preservation; but I'm going to try really hard to move on from that (or spill it all out of my head, perhaps) and truly hope this year is a better one for my family, many friends who seem to have had a really shitty year too.... and the world, which seems to have been just as badly affected. I am determined to put 2016 behind me & to hope for good things for the world this year too, as so much uncertainty looms ...
... So I have been writing. Honest!! They're just all 'drafts' right now that need to be finished & edited before I can hit that orange 'Publish' button! So this post explains why my next few are going slightly backwards in time first - then I'll get on to that whole 'new year, new motivation' thing...
 |
| Not sure where my 'Dementor's cold' came from, but this may evolve into a massive 'Lyme metaphor' - it's perfectly fitting. I just need to Expecto Patronus enough to find that borrelia-immune Bambi. (Maybe it will work against political leaders too.... or free up the Dementors to get them...hmm. I think I may need a wand more than nail polish 😉!!) |
3. It's the 10th. That is 2.74% of the year (really, I just checked). I've been asleep for AT LEAST 50% of that time, maybe more (honesty!) 1% of the year hardly counts . ... SO....
Happy New Year!
 |
| Paintings, my own (c)gfm |
Or as it was yelled in our house,
"F*€k off 2016... may 2017 be much better!"
(Actually wasn't me yelling, I just thought it too!)
Lets's start with an old favourite:
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass,
it's about learning to dance in the rain."
~ Vivian Greene ~
And one that is perfectly fitting in every way:
Monday, July 4, 2016
Grow positive thoughts
I'm not sure why exactly I chose container gardening. I considered painting classes, or yoga classes, but I wasn't well enough to make any kind of time commitment, especially to a course I'd paid for - my health was still very unpredictable (& my wallet not exactly overflowing with spare cash for classes I may or may not have been able to attend) - I needed something I could do at my pace. Container gardening, specifically, removed the physical barriers - I wasn't strong enough to dig, and it let me explore something new. And I discovered I LOVE it!
THIS is totally true:
Below is an assortment of random photos of growing my own veggies (it quickly went from 'my' garden in the first year to 'our' garden in subsequent years. ... my mum loves it too! And grudgingly, I have to write it is (/she calls it!) her garden now, since I'm not there - but I have got to enjoy it at different stages, for different lengths of time since the year I started it!)
Initially, my dad seemed to find the whole thing hilarious, frequently laughing at my excitement when seeds successfully germinated, and my baby plants began to grow.... then fruit..... Until the next spring when he said, rather hopefully, "so, are you going to grow those tomatoes again....?"
 |
| Mostly from year 1 - MY veggies! But LOOK - we grew a pineapple (took 2 years)! Pepper seedlings, baby tomato plants, yellow tomato flower, aubergines (eggplants), baby courgette (zucchini), baby corn plants, cantaloupe melon, accidental zucchini /squash creation, mixed salad leaves, multicoloured carrots, "those [cherry] tomatoes", sugarsnap peas, PURPLE bell peppers, CORN!, PINEAPPLE!, beetroot (beets) - quite a selection.... & we added more/ tried new things different years. SO rewarding, & OK, yes, I got excited! :-) |
Research published relatively recently (last few years) that shows microbes in soil might actually affect our human 'microbiome'; and this may contribute to positive mood, and feelings of relaxation and contentment felt while gardening. So it was a GREAT choice of 'new hobby' - all round beneficial.... and those freshly picked veggies and herbs.... just can't beat them!!
"Adopt the pace of nature:
her secret is patience."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Strength
To quote my surgeon, who could not have been more right:
"when it goes on this long, it becomes as much a mental challenge as a physical one."
...... and that was over three years ago. I hope that finish line comes into sight soon.
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| pinterest.com/gmun22 |
"The mind is everything.
What you think you become."
~ Buddha ~
What you think you become."
~ Buddha ~
Friday, February 14, 2014
My Soulmate
An entirely accidentally appropriate topic for today....
I think the person who created this is possibly my soulmate. I am not alone. I am not the only one who overthinks simple things!
However, I think I can win. Paper is a metaphor. It represents the written (and spoken) word, which has resulted in old sayings such as "the pen is mightier than the sword" (scissors or rocks, if we're talking about violence) and "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me" - not something we hold to be true anymore, but I'm pretty sure it also works with the metaphor. 'Paper' is words, writings, ideas - everything; it can even be used to represent diplomacy versus a violent war.
So Mr Anti-paper, as much as I love your thought process, I think you didn't quite finish it, perhaps we are not soulmates after all! Paper all the way!
Just to weigh in, you can't beat some genius thinking from Sheldon........:
I think the person who created this is possibly my soulmate. I am not alone. I am not the only one who overthinks simple things!
 |
| http://www.pinterest.com/gmun22/just-me-my-thoughts/ |
However, I think I can win. Paper is a metaphor. It represents the written (and spoken) word, which has resulted in old sayings such as "the pen is mightier than the sword" (scissors or rocks, if we're talking about violence) and "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me" - not something we hold to be true anymore, but I'm pretty sure it also works with the metaphor. 'Paper' is words, writings, ideas - everything; it can even be used to represent diplomacy versus a violent war.
So Mr Anti-paper, as much as I love your thought process, I think you didn't quite finish it, perhaps we are not soulmates after all! Paper all the way!
Just to weigh in, you can't beat some genius thinking from Sheldon........:
Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock
From The Big Bang Theory
Sheldon even uses 'paper' in a broader academic sense!
And since it's after 6am..... I think this might be my favourite thing I've found on Pinterest EVER (so far.... so much more to discover....):
 |
| http://www.pinterest.com/gmun22/just-me-my-thoughts/ |
"There
is a drowsy
state, between sleeping
and waking; where
you dream more
in five minutes
with your eyes
half open, and
yourself half conscious
of everything that
is passing around
you, than you would
in five nights
with your eyes
fast closed and
your senses wrapt
in perfect unconsciousness."
~ Charles Dickens
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Peace, tranquility & harmony
Today's teabag is something we all crave (well I certainly do!). It's something that we should all make time for - even for just a moment, to sit, relax and contemplate everything and nothing all at once. It seems perfectly accompanied by some soothing photos and few words. Have a peaceful day :-)
 |
| http://www.yogiproducts.com |
Things that bring me peace, tranquility & harmony:
One of my favourite pieces of art - my Dad brought it back from Barcelona for me a few years ago, and it is framed in my bedroom where I can lie in bed and lose myself in it, imagining the beautiful absurdity of playing a grand piano in a hay field.
Memories of perhaps the most peaceful, tranquil place I have been:
Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman
The idea we are just tiny specks of stardust, floating around the universe, temporarily inhabiting a conscious body. This reminds me of one of my favourite books, 'Sophie's World' by Jostein Gaarder - at one point he writes, "We are all made of star dust." This thought soothes me, and this image illustrates the idea perfectly.
What brings you peace, tranquility & harmony? It's the weekend.... take a moment.....
“It's not what you look at that matters, it's what
you see.”
~ Henry
David Thoreau
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
2014: Another chapter......
Last January I decided to come up with something positive to focus on and to write a blog post a day to get me through the month. Let's face it (for those of us in the Northern hemisphere anyway), January is a pretty bleak time of year. The days are short and dark, the weather is pretty dismal (especially in Scotland) and all the build-up and excitement of Xmas and New Year dissipates instantly.
For me, this January marks 9 years since I first got ill with Lyme disease, and although I have made massive strides regarding Lyme, I still have symptoms, and no answers - because nobody knows the answers. This January also marks 2 years since I was diagnosed with detached scapular muscles, and while that story certainly has many other facets and milestones (bad and good - plenty to talk about!), I think it's the whole new year-same old story that makes it seem more significant - probably combined with the fact that I was quite convinced, this time two years ago, I would be in an entirely different place than I am right now, physically and metaphorically. But ultimately, it is what it is, and life is what you make it, so I am attempting to drum up some positive January energy again this year and focus on some good things - and I do feel a little lucky.... I'm spending most of the month with my parents in Pennsylvania, (currently, excitedly awaiting a snowstorm) and missing the dreich Scottish weather of the moment.
After my new year (stolen) photo, I thought I would go with the theme of life as a story and pick some words, quotes, thoughts or images each day this month; some inspired by the little sayings on my teabags I use (I drink rather a lot of herbal tea - some of my favourite ones have little philosophies on them, so I've been saving them). It fits perfectly with my love of words, books, reading and writing and I'm hoping it might inspire me to manage a bit more reading and writing this year too. (I'm sure my dad would have some comment about my love of talking to throw in with that....)
So this January for me is going to be about stories and journeys, through words - those magical little sounds we create that make it possible for an idea to jump from our mind into some else's....
To start off the first of the month, I'm 'setting the scene' - here is a quote from novelist Dean Koontz which applies perfectly:
And hopefully, I can change my January story into something positive....... we could all do with a little positivity in January and start off the year with a happy journey!
So, to everyone, cheers for the new year, blank pages, another chapter; and here's to achieving "metanoia" and having a wonderful 2014!
For me, this January marks 9 years since I first got ill with Lyme disease, and although I have made massive strides regarding Lyme, I still have symptoms, and no answers - because nobody knows the answers. This January also marks 2 years since I was diagnosed with detached scapular muscles, and while that story certainly has many other facets and milestones (bad and good - plenty to talk about!), I think it's the whole new year-same old story that makes it seem more significant - probably combined with the fact that I was quite convinced, this time two years ago, I would be in an entirely different place than I am right now, physically and metaphorically. But ultimately, it is what it is, and life is what you make it, so I am attempting to drum up some positive January energy again this year and focus on some good things - and I do feel a little lucky.... I'm spending most of the month with my parents in Pennsylvania, (currently, excitedly awaiting a snowstorm) and missing the dreich Scottish weather of the moment.
After my new year (stolen) photo, I thought I would go with the theme of life as a story and pick some words, quotes, thoughts or images each day this month; some inspired by the little sayings on my teabags I use (I drink rather a lot of herbal tea - some of my favourite ones have little philosophies on them, so I've been saving them). It fits perfectly with my love of words, books, reading and writing and I'm hoping it might inspire me to manage a bit more reading and writing this year too. (I'm sure my dad would have some comment about my love of talking to throw in with that....)
So this January for me is going to be about stories and journeys, through words - those magical little sounds we create that make it possible for an idea to jump from our mind into some else's....
To start off the first of the month, I'm 'setting the scene' - here is a quote from novelist Dean Koontz which applies perfectly:
And hopefully, I can change my January story into something positive....... we could all do with a little positivity in January and start off the year with a happy journey!
So, to everyone, cheers for the new year, blank pages, another chapter; and here's to achieving "metanoia" and having a wonderful 2014!
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Insomnia
Well, it's been a while. Not because I haven't had anything to say, but because when I start writing, I really don't know where to start and when to stop with everything that has been going on lately.
August is my last month in the USA, and a difficult time in many ways as I know some pretty big challenges and changes lie ahead; so I am going to try to blog more, daily if I can manage it, to update things, help me focus on the positives, and to help me keep things a bit more organised inside my head...
However, as usual, it is 3.17 am, I am not asleep and it is this time when it feels like my brain comes alive. I have journal called "I can't sleep" (It's from this company HERE.)
(Inside the journal the copyright states that "brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews" can be used without pre-obtained permission; so I intend this to be considered a review and critical article that discusses the journal, journaling, and insomnia.)
This is the journal:
Personally, I think it is fantastic. My mum got me it for my birthday. It is also filled with famous quotes (and now many of my own thoughts) from famous writers, philosophers, world leaders and others, many relating to sleep.... or rather, the lack of it.
Tonight I have picked my very favourite quote, from Dostoyevsky: "To be too conscious is an illness - a real thoroughgoing illness." I think I might take that page to my doctor.... I am definitely "too conscious"!
One of my favourite Scottish authors, Alexander McCall Smith, often writes on his own facebook page. He gets up in the middle of the night to write, then goes back to bed when the sun comes up. This made me think about him:
"You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write." - Saul Bellow, a nobel-prize winning novelist.
Personally, I love this next one, as it conjures up ideas in my mind of all these thoughts simply floating about, looking for a conscious mind in which to enter and be realised: "Nighttime is the best time to work. All the ideas are there to be yours because everyone else is asleep." - Catherine O'Hara
Att the beginning of the journal, there is some information about insomnia and it says "we sleep only when we need to and are awake when we're most productive." Well, I sure as hell am not productive during the day! So I'll definitely take being productive in the middle of the night.... it has to happen at some time - right?! And lying in my bed writing definitely counts!
It also goes on to say that Marcel Proust and William Shakespeare wrote when they couldn't sleep and that Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin and Napoleon Bonaparte were famous for "conducting their affairs in a sleep-deprived state." I have also read in various places that Margaret Thatcher never slept for more than 5 hours when she was prime minister of the UK.
As my insomnia as plagued me over the past few years, I have read more about it and discovered the world of chronobiology - the study of sleep and circadian rhythms which currently holds that we all operate on our own body's natural cycle - some of us are naturally night owls, some are larks (morning people); some of us may have a 24 hour cycle, but others may have a cycle that veers entirely away from what we, culturally, consider to be 'normal'. Another 'listen to your body' piece of advice. Funny how that makes so much sense in every context...
It also says "journaling" is highly beneficial and claims studies have proven that "physical benefits include stress management, strengthened immune systems, fewer doctor visits and improvement in chronic illnesses such as asthma..."
I wonder if blogging counts as a form of journaling... I do both, and have kept a journal or a diary since I was a child. The intro also says journaling, "forces us to transform the ruminations cluttering our minds into coherent stories..." Not only do I love the idea, but it's such a beautiful and eloquent way of wording it. Plus 'ruminations' is definitely one of my favourite words.
It goes on to further explore the idea that writing your thoughts in a journal when you can't sleep "can be seen as a way of organizing the conscious stuff floating around your brain..."
Personally, I quite like the part that says insomnia "could just mean you are smarter than the blithely snoozing masses and have more to say than they do"! I doubt anyone would disagree that I talk way too much! It also goes on to say that apparently "studies have found that night owls are, in fact, more intelligent and have better memories than early risers."
Perhaps this is just to make all the readers feel better about their lack of sleep... But perhaps I should not complain about my insomnia and embrace my enhanced creativity and capture all those ideas that seem to appear out of the darkness - in all honesty, the only reason it bothers me is because everyone else seems to operate on a different schedule!
I often tell people (really, I mean doctors) I don't have a problem actually sleeping, it's more the falling asleep and waking up (at a specified time) that cause me problems. Sleeping when my body wants to sleep is very peaceful! However, having given up my sleeping tablets, as my tolerance increased and they were not working as they should have; forcing sleep is close to impossible, and so as daylight appears and the birds start to sing, I usually begin to feel sleepy... ear plugs and an eye mask a necessity.
And now, as the cicadas have gone quiet and the birds are beginning to sing, I will quote the last quote in the book and hope sleep is soon forthcoming: "... and so to bed." - Samuel Pepys.
Good night!
August is my last month in the USA, and a difficult time in many ways as I know some pretty big challenges and changes lie ahead; so I am going to try to blog more, daily if I can manage it, to update things, help me focus on the positives, and to help me keep things a bit more organised inside my head...
However, as usual, it is 3.17 am, I am not asleep and it is this time when it feels like my brain comes alive. I have journal called "I can't sleep" (It's from this company HERE.)
(Inside the journal the copyright states that "brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews" can be used without pre-obtained permission; so I intend this to be considered a review and critical article that discusses the journal, journaling, and insomnia.)
This is the journal:
Personally, I think it is fantastic. My mum got me it for my birthday. It is also filled with famous quotes (and now many of my own thoughts) from famous writers, philosophers, world leaders and others, many relating to sleep.... or rather, the lack of it.
Tonight I have picked my very favourite quote, from Dostoyevsky: "To be too conscious is an illness - a real thoroughgoing illness." I think I might take that page to my doctor.... I am definitely "too conscious"!
One of my favourite Scottish authors, Alexander McCall Smith, often writes on his own facebook page. He gets up in the middle of the night to write, then goes back to bed when the sun comes up. This made me think about him:
"You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write." - Saul Bellow, a nobel-prize winning novelist.
Personally, I love this next one, as it conjures up ideas in my mind of all these thoughts simply floating about, looking for a conscious mind in which to enter and be realised: "Nighttime is the best time to work. All the ideas are there to be yours because everyone else is asleep." - Catherine O'Hara
Att the beginning of the journal, there is some information about insomnia and it says "we sleep only when we need to and are awake when we're most productive." Well, I sure as hell am not productive during the day! So I'll definitely take being productive in the middle of the night.... it has to happen at some time - right?! And lying in my bed writing definitely counts!
It also goes on to say that Marcel Proust and William Shakespeare wrote when they couldn't sleep and that Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin and Napoleon Bonaparte were famous for "conducting their affairs in a sleep-deprived state." I have also read in various places that Margaret Thatcher never slept for more than 5 hours when she was prime minister of the UK.
As my insomnia as plagued me over the past few years, I have read more about it and discovered the world of chronobiology - the study of sleep and circadian rhythms which currently holds that we all operate on our own body's natural cycle - some of us are naturally night owls, some are larks (morning people); some of us may have a 24 hour cycle, but others may have a cycle that veers entirely away from what we, culturally, consider to be 'normal'. Another 'listen to your body' piece of advice. Funny how that makes so much sense in every context...
It also says "journaling" is highly beneficial and claims studies have proven that "physical benefits include stress management, strengthened immune systems, fewer doctor visits and improvement in chronic illnesses such as asthma..."
I wonder if blogging counts as a form of journaling... I do both, and have kept a journal or a diary since I was a child. The intro also says journaling, "forces us to transform the ruminations cluttering our minds into coherent stories..." Not only do I love the idea, but it's such a beautiful and eloquent way of wording it. Plus 'ruminations' is definitely one of my favourite words.
It goes on to further explore the idea that writing your thoughts in a journal when you can't sleep "can be seen as a way of organizing the conscious stuff floating around your brain..."
Personally, I quite like the part that says insomnia "could just mean you are smarter than the blithely snoozing masses and have more to say than they do"! I doubt anyone would disagree that I talk way too much! It also goes on to say that apparently "studies have found that night owls are, in fact, more intelligent and have better memories than early risers."
Perhaps this is just to make all the readers feel better about their lack of sleep... But perhaps I should not complain about my insomnia and embrace my enhanced creativity and capture all those ideas that seem to appear out of the darkness - in all honesty, the only reason it bothers me is because everyone else seems to operate on a different schedule!
I often tell people (really, I mean doctors) I don't have a problem actually sleeping, it's more the falling asleep and waking up (at a specified time) that cause me problems. Sleeping when my body wants to sleep is very peaceful! However, having given up my sleeping tablets, as my tolerance increased and they were not working as they should have; forcing sleep is close to impossible, and so as daylight appears and the birds start to sing, I usually begin to feel sleepy... ear plugs and an eye mask a necessity.
And now, as the cicadas have gone quiet and the birds are beginning to sing, I will quote the last quote in the book and hope sleep is soon forthcoming: "... and so to bed." - Samuel Pepys.
Good night!
Friday, February 8, 2013
I will try again
I saw this quote today on a magnet by Quotable Cards and it actually made me feel a bit emotional and I choked on my words as I tried to read it out loud. I started to read it to my Mum because it really resonated with me and I didn't quite manage to get it all out. Sometimes it's just the simple things that really hit a nerve.
I think it applies to everyone, at some point in their lives, in probably a billion different scenarios, as we all fight our own battles... The point is that just getting up and dealing with each day, and with whatever the day throws at you is courage. The alternative is to hide under the covers, away from the world; the human equivalent of an ostrich hiding its head in the sand. And while this is highly appealing at times, trying again tomorrow is what gets results. Even if it takes a thousand tomorrows.
I think it applies to everyone, at some point in their lives, in probably a billion different scenarios, as we all fight our own battles... The point is that just getting up and dealing with each day, and with whatever the day throws at you is courage. The alternative is to hide under the covers, away from the world; the human equivalent of an ostrich hiding its head in the sand. And while this is highly appealing at times, trying again tomorrow is what gets results. Even if it takes a thousand tomorrows.
The best thing about the future is that it
comes only one day at a time.
~
Abraham Lincoln
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
So sleeeeeeepy.............
Today, I am struggling to think of anything inspiring and uplifting. Honestly? I am tired. Exhausted. Completely energy-less.... Out of spoons (if you've read the spoon theory)
I'm tired and sore after physio yesterday and I really just need a good night (um, and day)'s sleep to make me feel human again.
So here's some cute pics. This is what I feel like I'm doing. Every now and then I open my eyes and try to keep writing....
And then, hopefully, I will feel more like myself again and be more able to think!
But aren't the sleeping pups and cats cute....??
(All images from Pintrest)
I'm tired and sore after physio yesterday and I really just need a good night (um, and day)'s sleep to make me feel human again.
So here's some cute pics. This is what I feel like I'm doing. Every now and then I open my eyes and try to keep writing....
And I already feel quite sure that this is my plan for tomorrow!
And then, hopefully, I will feel more like myself again and be more able to think!
But aren't the sleeping pups and cats cute....??
(All images from Pintrest)
“Why does the eye see a thing more clearly in
dreams than the imagination when awake?”
~
Leonardo da Vinci
Sunday, February 3, 2013
She believed she could...
... so she did.
I came across this quote/ image on Pintrest recently and I absolutely love it. Talk about being simple, to the point, and still inspirational! I've tried searching to find the author or origin, but the quote is all over cyberspace without any author attributed. (If anyone knows, please let me know.)
Just keeping things short and simple today, like the quote. I think I got cramp in my rhomboid muscle tonight. Picture an overly dramatic footballer hitting the ground with cramp in his calf, switch it to the shoulder and factor in some major torn-repaired-drilled-post-surgical-pain-issues as well and that's getting close. I bit my pillow while Mum half-balanced, half-held a hot water bottle on my scapula until I stopped seeing black spots and sweating; and my ability to breathe and talk (and cry) returned; and then I thought..... my muscles are trying to work!!
Then it did it a couple more times and my attempt to be positive and excited kind of dissipated, beaten back by the ferocious pain; but it feels like, maybe, my muscles are waking up... hopefully my physio thinks this is good when I see him tomorrow. And then hopefully this phase will not last very long.
I don't believe life is really simple, but I do think we over-complicate it (as I am doing to this eloquent, simple quote!). Sometimes it's nice to have a reminder that it doesn't have to be complicated all the time; sometimes, we can just decide to do something - and we do it.
Happy Monday everyone!
I came across this quote/ image on Pintrest recently and I absolutely love it. Talk about being simple, to the point, and still inspirational! I've tried searching to find the author or origin, but the quote is all over cyberspace without any author attributed. (If anyone knows, please let me know.)
Just keeping things short and simple today, like the quote. I think I got cramp in my rhomboid muscle tonight. Picture an overly dramatic footballer hitting the ground with cramp in his calf, switch it to the shoulder and factor in some major torn-repaired-drilled-post-surgical-pain-issues as well and that's getting close. I bit my pillow while Mum half-balanced, half-held a hot water bottle on my scapula until I stopped seeing black spots and sweating; and my ability to breathe and talk (and cry) returned; and then I thought..... my muscles are trying to work!!
Then it did it a couple more times and my attempt to be positive and excited kind of dissipated, beaten back by the ferocious pain; but it feels like, maybe, my muscles are waking up... hopefully my physio thinks this is good when I see him tomorrow. And then hopefully this phase will not last very long.
I don't believe life is really simple, but I do think we over-complicate it (as I am doing to this eloquent, simple quote!). Sometimes it's nice to have a reminder that it doesn't have to be complicated all the time; sometimes, we can just decide to do something - and we do it.
Happy Monday everyone!
Life is really simple, but we insist on making
it complicated.
~ Confucious
Friday, February 1, 2013
Dance in the rain
I really enjoyed doing my daily blog in January and am delighted some of my friends have asked me to keep going because it gives me a great reason (/excuse) to do so!
I thought this month I'll keep going with the inspirational thing, since I certainly need lots of it right now! So I'm going to mix some things I love together - books, quotes, words and art - and try to post an inspirational picture and quote, combined or linked, every day. I've been working on some inspirational art to put up on my walls - I figure an overload of motivation and positive thoughts can only be good... Plus, it gives me another theme.
I have just actually spent a couple of hours managing to hang some pictures on my wall. (Awkwardly, but accomplished! Ok, half-finished...) Sometimes it feels amazing how my body has got used to doing things with such limited use of my right arm... one of the questions on the shoulder function questionnaire I've done a lot (at various places... many many times...) asks how much difficulty do you have getting dressed? (I can't do this/ much difficulty/some difficulty/ no difficulty) and I'm never quite sure what to put anymore. Initially, getting dressed one handed was a real challenge - there were times I needed help as I simply couldn't do it on my own; but now I am quite adept at getting my left arm out of my left sleeve without requiring the right arm to 'pull' (go on, try it! It's not easy!!) - so getting dressed is not difficult anymore. (Ok, there may have been a couple of occasions I've got stuck in a dress this winter and had to shout for help from my Mum, but just a couple!) But that's not because I don't have a problem, it's because there just seems to be this amazing ability in the human brain to adapt and make something work, so I never know what answer to put on the questionnaire (then multiply that by about 20 questions... although after question 5, I pretty much fail at everything)!
And as much as that's a good thing, it is also my biggest problem right now. My Dad was talking to our friend, the neurologist who has been treating me (actually, who saved me by getting to the actual diagnosis) and he said to my Dad that everything is working, mechanically, now, it's just "in there" and tapped his head. My Dad (despite sometimes asking me a similar thing or telling me it's having confidence in my body - which I then disagree with: it's not!) said he felt quite defensive of me and said he didn't think it was that, I was really trying as hard as I could and working hard. Our friend laughed and said that wasn't what he meant, it was not psychological, it was the brain that had to 'learn' how to make the muscles work again. It gets 'stuck' in a pattern of movement - and it's SO hard for me to really understand this, because I just think I should be able to make my body move however I want - but it gets stuck because it has developed certain movements, as a protective movement or as an alternative movement to prevent pain and now my challenge is to change the neuromuscular pathways; to teach my brain how to use my muscles normally again and this will increase my movement, which will eventually allow me to start increasing my strength, which will - hopefully - eventually reduce my pain!!
When I think back to February last year, I was SO excited to be getting the surgery and finally having doctors who knew what was wrong with me and how to fix it. But I had no idea what lay ahead... Just as well...!
Today I have a picture I painted (well, I use the word loosely because dribbled paint and blew on it is more accurate) and a card on a bookshelf that go together. I've had the card a while, and I love the quote and a few months ago I saw a similar picture somewhere and thought it really visualised the quote on the card; so I painted my own version of it and I really love the outcome:
And my quote for today is for my Mum. It's her favourite, and so very true:
I thought this month I'll keep going with the inspirational thing, since I certainly need lots of it right now! So I'm going to mix some things I love together - books, quotes, words and art - and try to post an inspirational picture and quote, combined or linked, every day. I've been working on some inspirational art to put up on my walls - I figure an overload of motivation and positive thoughts can only be good... Plus, it gives me another theme.
I have just actually spent a couple of hours managing to hang some pictures on my wall. (Awkwardly, but accomplished! Ok, half-finished...) Sometimes it feels amazing how my body has got used to doing things with such limited use of my right arm... one of the questions on the shoulder function questionnaire I've done a lot (at various places... many many times...) asks how much difficulty do you have getting dressed? (I can't do this/ much difficulty/some difficulty/ no difficulty) and I'm never quite sure what to put anymore. Initially, getting dressed one handed was a real challenge - there were times I needed help as I simply couldn't do it on my own; but now I am quite adept at getting my left arm out of my left sleeve without requiring the right arm to 'pull' (go on, try it! It's not easy!!) - so getting dressed is not difficult anymore. (Ok, there may have been a couple of occasions I've got stuck in a dress this winter and had to shout for help from my Mum, but just a couple!) But that's not because I don't have a problem, it's because there just seems to be this amazing ability in the human brain to adapt and make something work, so I never know what answer to put on the questionnaire (then multiply that by about 20 questions... although after question 5, I pretty much fail at everything)!
And as much as that's a good thing, it is also my biggest problem right now. My Dad was talking to our friend, the neurologist who has been treating me (actually, who saved me by getting to the actual diagnosis) and he said to my Dad that everything is working, mechanically, now, it's just "in there" and tapped his head. My Dad (despite sometimes asking me a similar thing or telling me it's having confidence in my body - which I then disagree with: it's not!) said he felt quite defensive of me and said he didn't think it was that, I was really trying as hard as I could and working hard. Our friend laughed and said that wasn't what he meant, it was not psychological, it was the brain that had to 'learn' how to make the muscles work again. It gets 'stuck' in a pattern of movement - and it's SO hard for me to really understand this, because I just think I should be able to make my body move however I want - but it gets stuck because it has developed certain movements, as a protective movement or as an alternative movement to prevent pain and now my challenge is to change the neuromuscular pathways; to teach my brain how to use my muscles normally again and this will increase my movement, which will eventually allow me to start increasing my strength, which will - hopefully - eventually reduce my pain!!
When I think back to February last year, I was SO excited to be getting the surgery and finally having doctors who knew what was wrong with me and how to fix it. But I had no idea what lay ahead... Just as well...!
Today I have a picture I painted (well, I use the word loosely because dribbled paint and blew on it is more accurate) and a card on a bookshelf that go together. I've had the card a while, and I love the quote and a few months ago I saw a similar picture somewhere and thought it really visualised the quote on the card; so I painted my own version of it and I really love the outcome:
And my quote for today is for my Mum. It's her favourite, and so very true:
"What lies behind us and what
lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
F - R - I - E - N - D - S
Sometimes it just takes is a kind word, an email, a text message, a facebook post, or a skype call to remind us life is all about our friends.
I don't feel I need to say a lot today, but sometimes I am reminded how incredibly lucky I am to have certain people in my life and this post is for them.
And since they are SO awesome, I have picked two songs... although if I had more space I would have picked many more...
I don't feel I need to say a lot today, but sometimes I am reminded how incredibly lucky I am to have certain people in my life and this post is for them.
And since they are SO awesome, I have picked two songs... although if I had more space I would have picked many more...
A little help from my friends
The Beatles
What would you think if I sang out of tune,
Would you stand up and walk out on me.
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,
And I'll try not to sing out of key.
* *
* * *
* *
I get by with a little help from my friends,
I get high with a little help from my friends,
Going to try with a little help from my friends.
* *
* * *
* *
I get by with a little help from my friends,
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends,
With a little help from my friends.
(Again: I don't own any music/ videos etc. All linked to Youtube and artists accredited)
And, of course for our generation that grew up with:
This photo (above) is from 1994. I remember when we'd actually be outside playing in the park - playing hunt or hunt on bikes, or rounders, or football, or bike races... and we always came in at 9pm on Fri night to watch Friends - sometimes as many as 12 of us crammed into my bedroom, watching on my tiny little portable screen TV. I love those memories.
It eventually moved on to this:
And F-R-I-E-N-D-S was compulsive viewing in our university flat (Ebru, you know that's why you - and your boxsets - lived there, right?!)
We definitely grew up watching friends, so this also seems at appropriate song for MY friends.
I'll be there for you
The Rembrandts
So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D O A
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week
Your month or even your year but
I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)
* *
* * *
* *
No one could ever know me, no one could ever see me
Since you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me
Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest
with
Someone I'll always laugh with
Even at my worst, I'm best with you, yeah
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week
Your month, or even your year
I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)
(Again: I don't own any music/ videos etc. All linked to Youtube and artists accredited)
“Many people will walk in and out of your life,
but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart”
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Always true:
Good friends are like stars.... You
don't always see them, but you know they are always there
~ Confucius (I've also seen this attributed to
Roald Dahl)
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