29/11/2010 by Aileen.

Snowed in but who cares with a view like this from the sitting room.

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26/11/2010 by Aileen.

Back from my endoscopy. Threatened to run away. Well, I got the same nurse as two years ago, and she expressed surprise that I wanted sedation. Said they don’t do it much now as it’s more dangerous than they originally thought. Yeah. Well, I said if I didn’t have it I would just leave. (Not like me at all, but no way did I want to go through what I went through two years ago.) Well, she gave me the injection, and of course that made me feel faint, and they had to get me a trolley. I’m such a wimp! Anyway, the sedation kicked in, and I had the endoscopy. A nurse asked me to sit up, and I hadn’t even realised I had had it! I knew I had a tube in my mouth, and I thought they had gone away for a while waiting for the sedation to work. I still can’t believe I’ve had it! Anyway, I have. I’m seeing the specialist soon to hear the results. Think everything is the same as last time. Hope so, anyway.

A few weeks ago I was invited to go on a trial for Barrett’s Oosophagus. 50% of the guineapigs would have endoscopies, and 50% would not, but just be aware of symptoms.I ageed to go on it, hoping to be in the group that didn’t have to have treatment. No so luck. But at least I learnt that apparently, the endoscopies are probably not that effective. If oesophagal cancer develops, it develops in weeks, and two year checkups is not really helpful. That’s why I told the nurse I would leave if I couldn’t have sedation. It didn’t seem too irresponsible.

Last Tuesday I had a great day at Saltholme Nature Reserve. I was prepared not to go if the weather was bad, but it was a lovely sunny day. Freezing, and a few showers, but good on the whole. I intended to go home after a carrot and coriander soup lunch in the canteen, but walked around again. Saltholme is a new reserve, but will be good. It’s surrounded by two rubbish dumps and powerstations, and really flat, but there are great expanses of water. We saw a couple of pintails, but they were too far away for good photos. Best for me were the stonechats. Here are some photos. The stonechats are not good quality, but I don’t know why. We were quite close. Maybe it was a bit too dark.   

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22/11/2010 by Aileen.

Well, it’s Monday, innit? A lovely new week ahead. Plans…

• Monday - housework, Viewfinders
• Tuesday - day out at Saltholme looking for birdies
• Wednesday - dunno. Bird course has finished until January
• Thursday - dunno. Is it too early to design a Christmas card?
• Friday - ooer! Endoscopy. And Hull Library books are due back

And that’s it, folks. The tantalising times of a truly tenacious T thing.

Ooh, I’ve just checked, and John has no clients on Wednesay. we might be able to go somewhere together. He’s had up to 13 a week lately, and it’s impossible to do anything. I’ve been hankering for the seaside and fish and chips for weeks. We’ll see.

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20/11/2010 by Aileen.

Fred has been annoying us for the last couple of days, following us round from room to room.  The last one left. I was watching him each day, wondering when he would bite the dust, when he got a bit too familiar. Splat. No more Fred.

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16/11/2010 by Aileen.

Well, best bit was I walked briskly for an hour yesterday. Beautiful sunny day. And although breathless I didn’t feel I was going to black out at the end of it. As I did an hour in one go I didn’t ‘have to’ do any exercise in the evening. I intended to do a bit of yoga while watching the telly, but I didn’t! See why later.

Meditation - well, Sugar came to sit on my lap. I let her, as from past experience she settles down and purrs in rhythm to my breathing, but this time, after lots of pats to remind me she was there, she began coughing/choking a bit. Although I couldn’t really do anything for her I was stroking her, and lost my concentration. Then, the time seemed to be going on for ever, and when I sneaked a peak at it I found the alarm hadn’t gone off.

For my evening meditation Sugar jumped up again, and this time settled down quickly. But then Ellie noticed, and being jealous she jumped up too. Good job my lap is big enough. We all settled down, but once again the alarm didn’t sound at the end, so I did more than intended.

This morning I discovered that I had it set to put the iPhone to sleep after twenty minutes instead of ringing. Got it right this morning.

My essay! I can’t believe how well it went. Ideas just seemed to flow, and all in a coherent order. Probably rubbish, but at least I have  lots to work with. Much better than an empty page.

Viewfinders. Really interesting talk bu Peter. He showed us these ancient glass slides recording the social history of a Hull village. The vicar took most of them in the mid-19th Century.

Then I got swamped. ‘Everybody’ had brought along their usb sticks with photos on, to put onto my laptop so I could put them on to the website. It took forever.

And in the evening. Shock horror. I don’t know where they went to on my conmputer. I thought Lightroom would leave them in the order they were imported, but it didn’t. Now I have - maybe a hundred - photos all over the place. I don’t know who took them. I’ve tried searching by metadata, but it’s going to take me forever. Can’t find them on my hard drive, but I know they are there. Help.

Anyway, this moring. Slept in until gone 9am, checked website, and it’s back to normal. (Forgot to say that it was playing up something chronic, and nothing was being uploaded). Now all I have to do is locate those pesky photos, and work out who they belong to.

Happy days. (Yes, I’m loving it.)

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15/11/2010 by Aileen.

Action stations. I mean it this time. I’m still 11 st.10oz, stilll get very breathless, and still - oh I’m not everything I dream to be,

So. I’m not going to diet exactly. Perish the thought. But I’m having no biscuits, and no hacking off chunks of cheese.

And now comes the hard bit. Two lots of 30 minute exercise a day. I have the time. I just don’t think I have.

So some energetic housework in a minute. I need to do a big shop, as I didn’t do one last week. I seem to have run out of lots of odds and ends. Too much to buy and carry from the local Londis.

Intellectually, I’m going to plan my TMA today, and start rereading Treasure Island.

Spiritually, two lots of 20 minutes meditation.

It’s Viewfinders tonight. A talk from Peter R about glass slides, and people are meant to be bringing me their digital photos on sticks, so I can add them to the web site.

Have I got time for all this?

I’ll let you know tomorrow, dear reader.

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13/11/2010 by Aileen.

Don’t take any notice of the title. I just wanted something alliterative. Pity it doesn’t make any sense.

Anyway, went to Sheffield this morning for a great tutorial. Tutor is enthusiastic, and knows his stuff. Well, I assume he does. I’m just a little nobody!

Last time I went, I went shopping afterwards, and had trouble finding somewhere to eat.  I queued at John Lewis’ restaurant, and then decided it wasn’t worth it, as even when I had my food I might have had trouble finding a table. Can’t remember where I ate in the end. So this time, I went straight across to the restaurant attached to the Millennium Museum. No queue, waitress service, and had a lovely Nicoise salad (virtue compromised by having a latte too)

I had intended going to John Lewis for an external hard drive, but didn’t bother in the end. I’ll get one (as a second backup for my photos) at PC World some time. Hope I don’t lose my photos in the meantime.

Instead, I went to Cemetery Avenue, where I had heard there were dozens of waxwings (delightful little birds over from Sandinavia) None there - only a few twitchers. One of them suggested another road, so I set my Sat Nav and set off, only to find - zilch.

Home. Pottered. I’m doing Children’s Liturgy tomorrow,and it’s a special Mass for Remembrance Sunday, so I had to think hard to get something suitable for little kids. Think I got there.

I wrote a poem about Armistice Day, but not sure if it works. I haven’t posted any of my stuff for ages. because in the last two OU courses I did we were warned that the OU anti-plagiarism software might pick up anything we upload, and think we had plagiarised. But this course isn’t about my own writing, so it doesn’t matter. So here goes.

Round and round

 After the din, there is no sound

The blood seeps slowly underground

And still the wars go round and round.

The careless poppy blows around

Fed on the children in the ground

And still the wars go round and round.

The hero with his laurel crowned.

The widow in her weeping drowned.

And still the wars go round and round.

So many soldiers never found

No wake for them, no burial mound

And still the wars go round and round.

Let our thanksgiving for them sound

In humble silence, deep, profound,

But still the wars go round and  round.

Aileen B Urquhart 11/11/2010

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08/11/2010 by Aileen.

Well, here we are again, but I’m not feeling all bright and breezy.

Heaven knows why! I had my TMA back yesterday, with 80% and some really useful comments from my tutor. Also got some books for the course which I only ordered yesterday - or maybe Saturday. Good old Amazon.

Anyway, bitty week. I did write a whole load here, and managed to delete it, so I’m not repeating it all now. Just the way the day seems to be going. Crappy, but I don’t know why. I usually enjoy Mondays.

Anyway, here’s a photo of a cute Little Grebe murdering a fish.

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04/11/2010 by Aileen.

Regular readers of this column will realise that I spend Mondays tidying, cleaning, and generally working hard. Not this Monday. I wasn’t lazy. Perish the thought. I emptied and sorted two kitchen cupboards. Picked up a repeat prescription. I must have done more, but what exactly escapes me at the moment.

But I didn’t do any hooving and dustering.

Today the place looks decidedly neglected, so out came the hoover this morning. Notice I’m not doing it yet - I’m having a delicious coffee. But my intentions are firm and honourable.

Other plans. Might do a big shop today, so I can load the car up with cardboard for recycling tomorrow. (I go past a recycling place on my way to Hedon for Creative Writing, and I do so like to synchronise car journeys) ((if you know what I mean))

I might have missed the best of the autumn leaves. It’s been so windy, and many leaves have gone. I did intend to go up to Thorpe Perrow, but might give it a miss this year. I can conentrate on close-ups nearer to home. Norma suggested the arboretum at Castle Howard, but it’s some distance still, and after last night’s wind it might not be worth it. Also, the light isn’t very good at the moment.

Oh, and the house needs doing, doesn’t it?

Before I go - we had a great morning at Potteric Carr yeserday. (Couldn’t stay longer as the rear window was being fitted in the afternoon. Anyway, the weather changed)

Here are some photos.

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02/11/2010 by Aileen.

Feel very relaxed. Well, it’a 11.10pm and I’m tired. Had a good few days.

Well, Sunday morning wasn’t so good. Woke up to the back window of the car shattered. Autoglass Repair (hate that ad) said it could easily happen by a passing car. Twice in the past drunks have gone along the lane after the pub has shut, and damaged several properties (garden posts etc) but there was no other damage in the road, so I presume it was an accident.

Still waiting for the final  repair. It’s being done tomorrow afternoon, which is a bit of a nuisance, as we’re going to Potteric Carr for birding tomorrow, and I quite like staying on there for a bit.

I did my Speed Awareness course. Can’t speed anyway at the moment, as the back window is all polythened up and I’m not allowed to go over 50mph. Good course. Still learnt new stuff, although I did the course four years ago lol. It was more interactive this time, with notebooks we had to fill in after discussing the questions in groups. I found one in the ladies’ loo afterwards. Shame.

Gave two of our grass  moss plots the last cutting of the year this afternoon. At last! Two more to go.

Got Redemptorist worksheets in on time.

Better go to bed, but first - I forgot to report that I went to North Cave Wetlands on Saturday and took several photos. Here are (in  particular order) pochard, coot, tufted duck, cormorants, shoveller and snipe.

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