Today we set off, once again, for Whistling Sands, on the Lleyn Peninsular. Third time lucky - we actually got there this time and braved the cold and howling gales to fill our lungs with good fresh air! Keith had great fun 'off-roading' because he can, and playing with the camcorder. Playing it back, the sound effects sound like the soundtrack from Scott of the Antarctic - i.e. the aforementioned howling gales.
Whenever we travel over that way, we lose the signal for Radio 4 quite quickly so today, we listened to Radio Cymru. Yes I know I don't speak or understand Welsh and Keith is pretty rusty at it, as he never listened at school, but after today, I have picked up quite a bit of Welsh vocabulary:
DVD, CD, novel, film, trombone, cameraphone.
I think the secret is that you say it all with a Welsh accent! Dead easy! At this rate, I shall soon be speaking like a native. :)
New Year Resolution
Today was the first session of my new course. As well as doing an ordinary counselling certificate course, from last September to July, I have also signed up for a Gestalt certificate in counselling course which goes from today to August. As the courses are given by the same person, one is on Saturday and the other on Sunday but they alternate. With me so far?
Now the course I've been following since September has been alternate Saturday and Sunday mornings so this morning I was up bright and early, took Lucy for a walk and was outside the centre at 9.20a.m. The only problem was that I was the only one there so I rang the course leader to make sure I was in the right place, only to be told that this course was running in the afternoons! So one week, I'll be doing Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, the next it will be Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon. Confused? You will be!
New Year Resolution - Read information sheets properly!!!
Now the course I've been following since September has been alternate Saturday and Sunday mornings so this morning I was up bright and early, took Lucy for a walk and was outside the centre at 9.20a.m. The only problem was that I was the only one there so I rang the course leader to make sure I was in the right place, only to be told that this course was running in the afternoons! So one week, I'll be doing Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, the next it will be Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon. Confused? You will be!
New Year Resolution - Read information sheets properly!!!
Fragile New Year
We did try to go out today - it was a lovely sunny morning, ideal for a trip over to Whistling Sands, where we didn't manage to go on Christmas Day because of the snow. However, by mid-day, we were back, having had to stop the car several times for fresh air, as I decided, regretfully, that I just wasn't going to make it.
The problem was not the tummy bug that's doing the rounds at present, no, it was, I have to admit, totally self-inflicted, albeit quite unintentionally.
Well, how was I to know that 2 red wines, a Martini, an Advokaat and 2 Cointreaus would cause me to feel 'fragile' to say the least, today? I have never been a big drinker (no, really) and as the years pass, my alcohol tolerance is gradually decreasing anyway but after today, I think I'll swear off the stuff for ever! What a waste of a day - and all self-induced, and what makes it worse is that Keith has been full of health and energy all day. So unfair!!! :(
The problem was not the tummy bug that's doing the rounds at present, no, it was, I have to admit, totally self-inflicted, albeit quite unintentionally.
Well, how was I to know that 2 red wines, a Martini, an Advokaat and 2 Cointreaus would cause me to feel 'fragile' to say the least, today? I have never been a big drinker (no, really) and as the years pass, my alcohol tolerance is gradually decreasing anyway but after today, I think I'll swear off the stuff for ever! What a waste of a day - and all self-induced, and what makes it worse is that Keith has been full of health and energy all day. So unfair!!! :(
Happy New Year
The working day is over, the shop is closed for the next three days and we are all set to see the new year in, so now is the time when thoughts turn to the previous twelve months - important events, life changes, new friendships etc. The biggest of my life changes was leaving my teaching job. For several months I had been commuting from North Wales to Liverpool each day, leaving home at 6.30. Now I struggle to get up at 7.30 and wonder how I ever managed it! I grabbed the chance of a redundancy package with both hands and have never regretted the decision for a moment. I have blogged at length about my disillusionment about teaching these days, so suffice it to say that I do not miss it. The best I could say is that I miss the job as it used to be but not as it has become.
My new job, on the other hand, in I.T. retail (Keith's shop, but it sounds better!) is great. I am really enjoying it, learning new things every day and only rarely do I feel compelled to don my 'deputy head' persona when dealing with awkward customers!
My counselling course is also a source of great enjoyment and, hopefully, will lead to a new career when I have done the diploma in two years time.
This year also saw my introduction to the world of blogging. I'm not even sure how I got into it but I do know that back in May, I launched a basic website, courtesy of Freeserve, as it then was and from there, I wandered into blogs. I remember discovering Gemmak through her website and she was to become my first 'blog friend' but then there was Maggie, Dale, Linda, Snowbabies, Michelle, Sue, Terri, Elspeth and many more - see my blogroll for the full list. I had no idea, when I began blogging, that I would get to know so many great people. Happy New Year to you all and many more blog-days to come, I hope.
And then there was NaNoWriMo. Maggie and I both managed to finish our works of art - 50,000 words written in one short month - who would have thought it? I certainly wouldn't have had time to do that if I was still teaching!
So, all in all, a good year and let's hope that next year is good too - for all of us. Bless you all!
My new job, on the other hand, in I.T. retail (Keith's shop, but it sounds better!) is great. I am really enjoying it, learning new things every day and only rarely do I feel compelled to don my 'deputy head' persona when dealing with awkward customers!
My counselling course is also a source of great enjoyment and, hopefully, will lead to a new career when I have done the diploma in two years time.
This year also saw my introduction to the world of blogging. I'm not even sure how I got into it but I do know that back in May, I launched a basic website, courtesy of Freeserve, as it then was and from there, I wandered into blogs. I remember discovering Gemmak through her website and she was to become my first 'blog friend' but then there was Maggie, Dale, Linda, Snowbabies, Michelle, Sue, Terri, Elspeth and many more - see my blogroll for the full list. I had no idea, when I began blogging, that I would get to know so many great people. Happy New Year to you all and many more blog-days to come, I hope.
And then there was NaNoWriMo. Maggie and I both managed to finish our works of art - 50,000 words written in one short month - who would have thought it? I certainly wouldn't have had time to do that if I was still teaching!
So, all in all, a good year and let's hope that next year is good too - for all of us. Bless you all!
A book for Bedtime
I am ashamed to say that I read far less these days than I have ever done - mostly due to time devoted to blogging, which includes reading other people's blogs, I know, but I don't seem to read books as I used to. However, I have made up for that to some extent during these holidays and I am in the middle of a particularly good novel at present called 'The curious incident of the dog in the night-time' by Mark Haddon. More details here. It's a murder mystery novel with a difference; it is narrated by 15 year old Christopher Boone who has Asperger's Syndrome, a condition within the Autism spectrum in which sufferers find it difficult to relate to other people, form relationships with them or understand their emotions, facial expressions etc. The story begins as Christopher discovers a neighbour's dog lying dead on the lawn and, after being falsely accused himself, decides to investigate the mystery and discover who killed it. I won't spoil it by revealing any more, but the reason I find it such compelling reading is that the author is able to show such a wonderful insight into the mind of an autistic person as Christopher tells his story. It's well worth a read.
Aid Agencies
BBC website
As requested by Kaptain Kobold, click on this link for a list of the aid agencies you can donate to.
As requested by Kaptain Kobold, click on this link for a list of the aid agencies you can donate to.
Bath-time
This morning I discovered that the shower gel I have been using for the last fortnight is really shaving gel! I just thought I would share that with you all.:)
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