Journal starts here

I kept a hand written journal up until February this year when I decided I’d use the WP platform instead.

Though this has given me ability and time to express thoughts and hobby information I think I’ve drifted slightly from the original intention. I need to start Journaling again, I have read through my previous entries in the book and it’s good to see what has improved, where I can improve and what has been successful. I need to go back to that, so from now on I will occasionally post some thoughts and feelings. Maybe it will help me. Maybe not. Who knows.

I’m still going to do the usual stuff and carry on the hobbies, that needs to be done to keep me out of a rut.

Last night, my wife openly cried in my arms, she is totally wrecked at losing our little lad Alf back in August. My heart broke when she cried “I want him back”. I was at a loss and I still am as I can’t make her wish come true. Grief is an absolute bastard, and we are both struggling to get to terms with it. I know time will heal, but I just don’t know what to do.

Hey ho, it starts here I guess. I will title it as journal followed by a date, so it’s easy for you to avoid seeing. It helps me, and who knows it might help someone else.

Happy day everyone.

Stop fighting Demons

What could you do more of?

Now there’s a very open question.

  • Give more to charity?
  • Be happy?
  • Have time off?
  • Spread joy and happiness throughout the world? YAWN 🥱

There is so much we could do more of, personally it has always been a challenge for me to be a better version of what I am. My good lady challenges me regularly asking why I think this, and to be honest I just look back at my father and compare myself to him, he was a nasty horrible man.

She keeps telling me there is no comparison and I’m nothing like him, but to me I can see comparisons and that’s what I don’t like. That’s why I challenge myself to be better than him, and constantly try to do more of that.

He’s been dead getting on for twenty years now, and he haunts me to this day.

I could certainly do more of dropping the demons and getting on with what I have left. It’s a fight.

And it looks like that’s what I’m destined to do, more fighting.

Be kind to all you meet today. Have a great day.

P’s and Q’s

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

You can give this question a lot of thought and really overthink it. I can think of a few items of advice that have struck a chord with me over the course of my life, but I don’t think you can get better advice than that instilled by your parents (if you had polite ones that is!) at an early age.

The simple advice to say Please and Thank you.

Three simple words that are basically the leverage you need to get on in life.

It’s a pity that they seem to be dwindling in certain sectors of our society, however it is still nice to hear them being said.

I still use them, and will continue to use them.

Great advice, for life.

Have a good Sunday.

Staying occupied

What things give you energy?

At my age probably a pair of jump leads to the..

David stop yourself 😡

No seriously, keeping occupied keeps me energetic, as my good lady would tell you, she even said that this week when we were on an activity based holiday that I was a different person.

Hobbies are my go to, and I’ve let them slip recently as I’ve sunk into a pit of self pity. Last night though I sat at my work bench and fixed two old electronic items and fault found another and I really enjoyed it. It was a kick in the pants that I needed, thanks to my wife who had threatened to clear my work area unless I got back in there, I love her for that.

That’s the thing with me. When I have a day off I always feel it is wasted if I haven’t done something productive, I’m slowly getting to learn that some days you just have to simply rest and turn off. However I do struggle with that and can be a right pain in the ass sometimes, I guess in a way I’m afraid of giving up and just jumping on to some slippery slide that I can’t climb back up again. It’s stupid I know as in all reality I’m not really that old, I’ve been in the company of some individuals during the last week achieving amazing feats and some of them are well into their 90s, all wonderful people.

I’ve got to stop imagining the worst, and calm down a bit, rest sometimes is just as important as food and drink, the body craves it and your body must be listened to at all times.

Hope you are all well on this fine day (Grey and damp in the East Midlands) and that you too have a superb day. Enjoy every minute. Stay safe.

Pinch pottery

This last week I have been away at a lovely location in Norfolk enjoying a few days away with the family.

There was an activity taking place that was an introduction to pottery, and here they were going to teach a technique that has been around for millenniums – Pinch pottery. I did pottery at school and was ok with it but I never made anything to write home about.

A simple pinch pot

To be totally honest I had no idea as to what I was going to do, but everything I’m doing lately seems to be in memory of our little dog who passed away in August of this year. Still very raw, I think of him a lot, and I’ve made this little pot for him. Yep it’s crap but it’s my crap, it’s a reminder of good times for me, a cartoon representation of him and on the rear of it I’ve signed it and stated where I made it.

It’s my first attempt in about 45 yrs and everyone has to start somewhere. I doubt I will take it up as a hobby at home but I enjoyed it, and for a small period of time I was productive, something I have been lacking in of late. It was most therapeutic.

My finished masterpiece…not

It’s now home, and in the next few weeks I will paint and seal it and hopefully have a nicely presented little keepsake. You can see the finished item here: Pinch Pottery Pt:2

I love trying new things, I loved doing this and who knows I may book a class and look at doing more in the future, just not at home. The missus would kill me 😂

6 little numbers…please

Which topics would you like to be more informed about?

  • What numbers will win this weeks lottery
  • When a politician is telling the truth
  • Why total incompetents get promoted and not fired
  • Why those groups who shout loudest get all the coverage
  • Why the silent majority have to suffer
  • Grief – why does it hurt so much

That’ll do for now.

Good day everyone

Pretty dull

What would your life be like without music?

Pretty dull I’d imagine. Yes I love my silence, but I do have a soundtrack to my life like many people do. I love all genres of music, and to be honest, i listen to some pretty random stuff across the entire music spectrum.

But.

I do have a number of playlists that reflect my moods.

And I love playing them.

Music comforts, calms and allows things to be put in to perspective. It revives both good and bad times as well as having a motivational aspect that we all need from time to time.

It would be pretty miserable without music.

Good day all.

In silence

How do you celebrate holidays?

Not sure what’s exactly meant by celebrating holidays but I’ll have a crack at it. Working the hours I do pretty much every day I get off is celebrated just like a holiday because those days are few and far between. They are very much days that are treasured and always spent with my wife and family.

If you mean public holidays such as “Bank Holidays” they are nothing special and to be honest I pretty much work every single one of them so no celebration there.

If you mean annual holidays then I still don’t quite get what is meant by celebrating them? Do you imagine that everyone is a crackpot dancing a jig and running around like a banshee just because they are on holiday.

I imagine just like me, most people celebrate in silence, just happy that they’ve made it to a holiday and to be in the company of those they love. And no more work for that period of time.

Have a super day.

Trust

Share a lesson you wish you had learned earlier in life.

I think I’ve stated in an earlier post that i believe myself to be a pretty good judge of character. This happens in my case fairly quickly, and though sometimes people say it’s wrong to judge someone that quickly it has saved me from some pain and discomfort in the past. That all comes down to one word.

Trust.

And in many cases lack of it. People go on about being disrespected, it’s thrown about today as if it’s a badge out of a jamboree bag, a god given gift to be demanded, whereas as a child I was told respect needed to be earned before it was given and I’ve always stuck to that what I have been taught. Trust ties in perfectly with this and again needs to be earned before it is handed out.

I’ve been stung a number of times when I’ve dropped my standards occasionally in the past regarding these words, it won’t happen again.

Yes it might make me appear a miserable old git, but at least I’m a protective miserable old git that’s no longer going to be taken for a ride.

Have a good day all.

A nice Stifado

What are your favorite types of foods?

Probably one of my biggest downfalls is in the calories I eat. I’m known throughout the family as “Swill bin” due to when we are a restaurant I always end up with stuff the family don’t like, being piled on my plate. It’s not that I ask for it it’s because they don’t like to waste food so I guess it gives them comfort to shove it in my direction, and if I try to refuse I get asked if I’m unwell? I can’t really win so I don’t normally complain.

There’s not much food I don’t like, and I am a staunch believer that if you visit a foreign country that you show them respect by indulging in the local cuisine. I love this about foreign travel and it’s one of the things I enjoy most about being on holiday.

When we visit Cyprus we go to all the really out of the way eateries in the local communities and I have to say my favourite is the beef stew meal called “Stifado”. It’s amazing how the taste changes as you go through different towns, all eateries use different recipes passed down through the ages and all have different additions and spices. I love it.

I also love a lamb dish called “Kleftiko” that is cooked for many hours in an oven, absolutely gorgeous.

And the Mediterranean fruit and veg is on a different level. Tomatoes and cucumbers have a devine taste and are not the tasteless water parcels we get here in the Uk. They are gorgeous.

At home I like spicy foods, living in the East Midlands means I have a penchant for curries, and again I’m lucky to have neighbours who will knock to give me something to try that they have just prepared and would like an opinion of. I’m lucky here.

Yes I like a whole multitude of food but for me the eastern Mediterranean gets my vote every time.

Have a good day.