17/10/2008 by Aileen.

It started well, although I was really tired as I stayed up ’til 1.30am faffing around on the ‘net. Loveley time at Creative Writing, but tried to attend Mass at Hessle, only it wasn’t on. I had an eye test in Hull at 3.30 and decided that I didn’t want to wander round the shops beforehand so went home for a couple of hours. Went for eye test, (15 miles away) but as it was not quite two years since the last test I declined as I would have had to pay. Waste of a journey and an afternoon. I wouldn’t mind, but I’m not home much and I would have loved some more time gardening. In Hull I just remembered that I had a ring in for repair (lost an opal) so thought the afternoon was not wasted altogether, but the man said it wasn’t in yet (although it was due in a week ago)

This evening I did ironing, and got on with updating the Hull/Lincs. Counselling Website while keeping one eye on Wire in the Blood. No idea what it was about!

I have finally done what I have always wanted to. I’ve bought a domain and webspace with Hostpapa. This site allows me to use my own coding (unlike my seriouslight website) so I am having fun sorting out colours etc. I’ve cheated, as I’ve uploaded the website I did for my OU course, and I’m just changing the content (and colours, fonts etc.) I’m telling NO ONE what this site is called as it is going to be really personal withall my soppy sentimental poetic stuff. And photos if I can find some suitably arty farty.

Night diary.

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01/09/2008 by Aileen.

I ordered a new router from Virgin yesterday before travelling home. This morning I thought I’d have one last go at using the one Martin gave me - and it worked first time! Yeay!

John rang this morning, and the consultant had been on his rounds. He was very pleased with what he saw (John’s bum) It’s still three weeks’ bed rest though.

I spent morning making plum jam, giving some to neighbour, phoning people. Meant to start meditating again but forgot. Am now going to upload some long overdue photos onto my website.

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27/06/2008 by Aileen.

I don’t seem to be able to upload photos any more. Need to find it if the problem is at my end or with the webmaster (if that’s the term for 1 & 1)

Anyway, I’ve spent 2 hours on the web and it’s now 8.20 am. Am actually in the mood for shopping so am going in to Hedon to collect replacement coffee machine (no Creative Writing as it’s the hols) then back to Hull for a much needed haircut. As I’ve lost over a stone since January I might treat myself to something to wear.

I also need to drop off LOTS of packaging at the rubbish dump as we got a new tv and tv table yesterday. It’s like being at the cinema as it has a 40″ screen. I notice all sorts of details that I didn’t previously. Like a toast rack on a table. Camera work also seems more obvious - which sounds bad, but what I mean is I am appreciating the depth of field that the cameramen (persons!!!) are using. I can see their skill. One bad thing - every little blemish on someone’s skin also shows up.

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19/06/2008 by Aileen.

I’ve been really reluctant to write lately. Don’t know why.

Had a good day last Friday when I met my creative writing colleagues at Burton Agnes. It was raining so we spent a long time over coffee when we met at 11am, then dispersed to look round the house. It’s a lovely size to look around. Quite often I feel weak and sick looking round castles etc. and need to sit down or go out into the fresh air. This place was fascinating and had some wonderful furniture, artefacts and paintings. We met for lunch at 1pm and after that the sun came out, so I spent ages snapping the gardens and going for a walk in the woods. A couple of the photos are on my website.

Sunday was sad, as Éamonn announced that he was leaving the parish for another one. The priest from the next parish is taking our one under his mantle. Will have to write about this in my secret blog!

On Tuesday evening I went to the talk on the sacraments by Fr Michael. Really good. I am going to buy a book/books by Huebsch when I have googled him and seen what he has written. (Fr Michael gave us a handout which was simple and profound at the same time - and in modern language.)

Birding on Wednesday was quite good. Saw lots of waders. I prefer little woodland birds, but the avocets are lovely. We saw a swan carrying cygnets on her back. Norma came back for lunch and brought some delcious homemade chocolate biscuits. I had ONE after Slimming World and John’s nearly scoffed the lot.I lost half a pound, which was disappointing as I put on the same amount last week. My fault for eating every scrap of the pork crackling on Sunday (plus fish and chips one day and some alcohol a couple of nights.)

As all the hard copy photos are now sorted I have been sorting and tagging (and deleting) my digital collection. Must add some to my web (and label the family according to Norma.)

Well, that’s a very uninspiring post, maybe they all are. But it’s a good record of my life for future years. I have written (much more searching) journals, but cannot read my writing. Let’s hope the kids can’t when I’m dead and gone.

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03/02/2008 by Aileen.

Powder blue sky with wispy clouds. Fields of green/brown. Howden Minster spire peeping through. It’s what I call a jigsaw morning. I can just see it on a 5,000 piece box.

Lovely morning at church. I took children’s liturgy. Some are too young to attend really, but at least they are getting to feel they belong.

Then started First Communion prep with a young boy (who’d better be nameless I suppose) He’s great. A real chatterbox. Just as well as I’ve had groups of shy children before, and it’s painful trying to get a reaction. Just think. One child. In Tolworth there were 90 one year! I was more of an administrator there, and just took a group if a catechist was ill.

Keeping my head down at the moment as I think John wants to go out for a cycle, and I’m hoping he’ll forget. I’m all toasty now. Much happier about the web design course, as I looked ahead and it doesn’t seem too bad. Even if I fail I will have learnt loads.

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02/02/2008 by Aileen.

Got a new laptop the other day, as old one was ‘old’ and slow. Bit like me today. Spent ages transferring the old stuff onto the new computer wirelessly (it kept stalling) Then found it hadn’t transferred all bookmarks and passwords, so have had to e-mail sites to get the passwords. I thought I only used two for everything - but obviously not.

So! I couldn’t use either computer for ages. (Main computer is in sunlounge and I didn’t want to venture out there.)

‘I might have been gone for some time!’

So! Today I’ve been tackling the website design course - and IT IS DIFICULT! I am going to have to do a lot of work and even then don’t know how far I can progress. I am the girl who wasn’t allowed to take Maths O Level. In the first form I got 3% for algebra, 12% for arithmetic and 98% for geometry (well that’s only drawing!) I think maths and web design is linked. In both the devil is in the detail.

Oh well. Better start cooking….. then ironing…..then bed.

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12/01/2008 by Aileen.

Well, Saturdays aren’t really special any more now that I’ve retired. They can be a bit ordinary. Down to the local shops for the Guardian, meat from our lovely butchers, and fruit and veg from the farm shop.

This Saturday there was a Day School in Leeds for the OU. I’m exhausted now. Too tired to describe it but I really enjoyed it. Some help with my TMA on Rousseau, and the painter David, and a thought-provoking lecture on Philosophy and Religion. I would be quite interested in studying this, but will probably concentrate on literature courses. Did I say I have signed up for Web Site Design for February? I think it should help me be more disciplined in my learning about websites.

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02/01/2008 by Aileen.

This website really is a work on progress, which is not, apparently, very professional. I’ve added a Form Book on someone’s suggestion, and experimented with a photo album this morning. Don’t like the look of it though.

I spent yesterday afternoon organising my photos on the main computer.Put them onto external drive to use on the laptop in the evening so I could upload them onto website - and they’re all in NEF , not JPG, so it wouldn’t work. My photoshop on the laptop won’t recognise NEF and Nikon Capture was taking forever, so this morning I just uploaded a few JPGs I found.

Off to Surrey today, to stay with Kevin and Mag prior to Royal Marsden appointment tomorrow. Will take minimum clothes, but laptop, camera gear, books, magazines, binoculars.

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31/12/2007 by Aileen.

Today’s the day I’m going to be brave. I’m going to tell my OU mates that I have a website, and ask them to click on it to boost my numbers. It’s 22 at the moment, and I don’t know how as I’ve only told John and a friend in the States! Maybe Resi told her family. We all grew up together in glorious anarchy in Pimlico, a mile or two from Victoria Station, London.

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06/12/2007 by Aileen.

Well, site is up and running although far from finished. As no one knows about it (exceptJohn) it doesn’t matter. I intended to create it all using my own HTML but it was taking forever, and I only know basic stuff anyway, so decided to go with a template. I like it but need a ‘pinker’ (not orange) sunset for ‘logo’. Also, my links have crossed wires and are leading to the wrong sites! Advent today and we had a letter from Bishop Arthur read out. He spoke about the Body of Christ. I suddenly remembered going to a Christmas show as a kid and seeing white puppet skeletons dancing against a black backdrop to ‘Funeral Dance of a Marionette’ The bones were articulated and kept flying out and joining up again. I thought that is what it is like if Christians don’t bother going to church. They are disjointed and can’t be so effective. End of homily!

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