Thursday, October 27, 2011

27th October

So today I’ve faced up to a couple of challenges and come through victorious. But the day didn’t start that well when I woke around 5am feeling rather restless and unable to sleep. I suppose it was my own fault really as I’d allowed myself to drift into a negative thought pattern late last night. My solution to times like that is to take a hold of an absorbing distraction… that means Sudoku on my DS – playing against the clock I allow myself 8 minutes to complete each game and persevere until I can do it. And some kind blog reader recommended ‘The Sword’ as a worthwhile Kindle novel and it was, so much so that I’ve nearly finished the sequel called ‘The Gift’. Problem is that the third book in the series has yet to be published so I’ll have to swap track to a different series if I want to sleep tomorrow night. I managed only about 5 hours the past couple of nights and that’s not so good. I’m beginning to think about campsites again so maybe in the next week or so I’ll have to go find a motorway to speed me on my way to the hills or a forest or maybe the sea… it’s nice being free to roam wherever I want, which I need to at the moment. I’m still thinking of a year off from all optional extra commitments as I still feel rather burnt out.

Ok then, challenge number one involved a simple trip to the local garden centre for a coffee with my eldest daughter and grandchildren. But this was a favourite activity of Jane’s, we went there countless times and as often as not it was her choice for a distraction on a day of test results at the hospital. Obviously the place is bulging with Christmas decorations at the moment and the last time I went there was with Jane just after last Christmas. Oh dear, I do miss her don’t I? Anyway, today I survived and certainly enjoyed the company although as always the cake portions are always too big and too sweet for young children. I remember Jane scoffed the grandchild leftovers one of the last times we went there. Jane’s mum wanted to buy me a leaving present so today I chose a bird-table and now I can do my bit for garden wild-life through the coming winter.

The second little challenge involved editing the wedding video. I’ve only ever done a couple of home movies and one of them was over 20 years ago involving VHS dubbing, a very different kettle of fish from over 70 AVCHD clips to play with on a computer. My daughter and her husband had a quite original idea when sending out their wedding invites, they gave everyone a CD of their favourite music, so that made my choice of background music a no-brainer. Anyway, despite my apprehension it seems to have turned out really well. I’ll present it to my family on Sunday as they’re all coming for a birthday tea for one of my daughters. But that’ll be immediately after the service of remembrance for the recently bereaved at the local parish church… and that’s another challenge to face. But we’ll do it as a whole family. I’m not alone, and never will be.

Matthew 28:18,20 ‘Jesus came and told his disciples… be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ (NLT)

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