28 June 2007 June 28, 2007

Tesco’s delivery without carrier bags has reached us - hurrah! It made taking delivery of the shopping more difficult as the driver only carries the trays to the front door. I ended up filling the porch with food. Total plastic bags used = 1 (for meat). While it meant I had to work a little harder unpacking and putting things away it was quite liberating and uplifting not having a massive pile of plastic bags facing me at the end of it all.

—

This morning I discovered that I cannot do ‘Downward Dog’. I simply do not have the upper body strength. Yes, I have tried out the Just My Size yoga dvd. Megan Garcia is lovely. She’s not a fake plus-size - you know, one of those women who are just so huge that they probably wear, ooh, a size 12 (shock, horror). She actually has a stomach. Yay! Okay, she’s nowhere near as big as me, but she clearly can empathise, and I don’t feel patronised by her and her suggestions for adapting poses. I’d been told, and read about, prednisolone causing muscle wasting, but I hadn’t really noticed it happening to me, but it has. I struggled a little bit with the cat and dog stretches (I don’t know what they are called, but they involve being down on all fours). But when it came to Downward Dogging (oh, that could mean so many things!), I had to just sit and watch passively. Overall, the dvd is good. Garcia is so natural, sweet and calm and really does ’sell’ yoga well. I have a few criticisms though. Firstly, the adaptations are separate from the actual routine. There is in fact an adaptation for Downward Dog which involves placing the hands against a wall, but I didn’t watch Megan’s ‘tips’ until afterwards so this morning I missed out on what will no doubt be an adaptation I have to resort to. Secondly, it feels a little rushed in places. There just isn’t always enough time to follow the instructions. Finally, it’s quite short. I think I’ve heard or read, or maybe Garcia mentions it, that the whole routine is 28 minutes long, which felt a bit short for me.

Btw, XL Emma replied to an entry I made about fat fitness. She is contemplating making an exercise vid. Do it Emma, please!

—

I so organised that I already know what I’m getting my mum for her birthday in August. I caved on the bookplates and ordered some beautiful ones from a seller on Etsy.

I’m a latecomer to Etsy. I’ve browsed it many times in the past, but had never bought anything from there before. It really is a wonderful site allowing artists and crafters to sell their works worldwide.

The BIG problem with Etsy is that there are too many nice things on there. I keep seeing things and thinking “I must have that”.

Anyway, see right for pretty peacock bookplates.

Of course, Mum isn’t just getting bookplates, but it’s part of a book-ish themed pressie. She retires next week from her life as an SFL teacher and is planning on returning to her Open University degree (which has pretty much been all about literature and art history). So, a literary, book-ish theme seems apposite.

—

I have ordered a Bye Bye Standby kit. Things being left on standby is one of my pet peeves around the home. I seem to recall when remote controls actually had proper ‘off’ buttons and not just standby buttons - what happened? I also seem to recall a time when it wasn’t unusual to get up off the sofa to turn the tv off or change the channel. The Bye Bye Standby kit I’ve ordered has three socket adaptor things, so all things televisual can go in one, all things audio can go in another and I’ll have a spare one left over for the living room’s television etc. I had a look around and the cheapest kit I could find was from Amazon (but with a 4-6 week estimate on delivery). Acting on my desire for one of these kits coincided with Mum and Dad getting their electricity bill which is up again. Mum has really embraced my wish to go green and is talking of ‘a green makeover’ for the house. She even said that she’d love her next house to be an eco-home!

 

25 June 2007 June 25, 2007

The cats woke me up at some ungodly hour this morning (Dolly playing with a leaf and Boo wailing to get out) and I struggled to get back to sleep. Consequently, I’ve been even more tired than normal today. This would have been fine but for my trip to the hospital this afternoon.

I had some time to kill in town before heading to my appointment, so I bought a compost crock and then I went into Grampian Health Foods. I’d never been in before, but it’s a fantastic little shop. It’s my idea of shopping heaven at the moment. It has so many of the natural toiletries and organic/natural foods that I’ve been wanting to try - and so much more too. I was a little dubious about the shop after looking at its website and seeing references to Jan de Vries. I used to watch him on This Morning and he would diagnose lactose intolerance (or similar) by holding a pint of milk near a person’s back and pushing down on their outstretched arm. It was totally ludicrous pseudo-science. I used to sit laughing at the people who believed in him. I really can’t understand how he gets away with it. Presumably there must be more to his diagnostic tests if you actually pay for a session with him?! Coincidentally, for a while my brother lived in a flat next to de Vries’s Edinburgh clinic. Anyway, I digress - Grampian Health Foods is great and so much better than Holland & Barrett in Aberdeen.

I bought Green People Day Solution.

—

I’ve been looking for bookplates for Mum. I do not want to order bookplates from the US, so my choice has been rather limited. I saw some perfect ones (see left) on a website for a shop called Hebejewellery, but the site seems to have disappeared.

In my searches I have seen bookplates that I’d like for me. Foyles have some which I love - they are so appropriate for me. I haven’t ordered them, but I am sorely tempted.

You wouldn’t think that finding bookplates would be so tricky. I asked in Waterstones today and was told that lots of people ask about them, but that they don’t sell them. They referred me to WHSmith, but I didn’t have time to go there, maybe next time I’m in town.

—

I almost didn’t make my hospital appointment. The bus to the hospital was horrendously late and when it eventually did turn up it got stuck in traffic. In the end I had to run (!) when I got off the bus. Luckily, they must have been running a bit late, because no one seemed to notice I was late. I saw a registrar, not my usual (locum) consultant. He was young and nice, but clearly didn’t really know very much about my condition and its treatment, so he got a consultant. The consultant was also nice, and knew - or at least knew of - my old Edinburgh consultant. He seemed to be more knowledgeable about pemphigus than my regular consultant. He’s taking my prednisolone down from 15mg every day to 12.5mg and 15mg on alternating days for three weeks, then if everything goes well with that, then I should start on 12.5mg every day. I failed to mention the tremor, mainly because I was anxious about seeing new doctors. I think I’ll make an appointment with my GP and ask her about it.

My blood pressure was 125/60 - so much for it being high!

24 June 2007 June 24, 2007

 Another photie of Dolly.  She so cute.

 Pemphie

I have my appointment at the hospital tomorrow.  I hate going there, but I know it’s necessary.  I haven’t had too much pemphie-related ‘activity’ in the past few weeks, so I’m going to play down what I have had in the hope that my consultant will reduce my meds.  I’m also going to mention the tremor I seem to be developing.  It’s not constant, but it seems to be happening more and more.  It started with my hands, but now I can feel it right through my body - it’s a very strange sensation.

 

Food 

Loving Doves Farm Crispy Rice Bars.

 

Shopping

I got my stuff from the Ethical Superstore.  The nest thingy was better than I expected.  It looks really good.  And I got free date and walnut bars.  I do love a freebie!

 

Film 

Watched The Prestige last night.  Bloody brilliant.  I loved all the twists and turns in the plot (although I saw some of them coming).  The acting was spot on - I don’t even have anything bad to say about Scarlett Johansson (and I’m really not a fan of hers).  I’m looking forward to seeing The Illusionist now - I want to do a compare and contrast thing!

22 June 2007 June 22, 2007

Environment: 

I finally caught the Government CO2 calculator in a good mood. My (individual) result: 1.75 tonnes. It’s so low because I don’t own a car, I don’t fly - I rely almost entirely on public transport and my own two feet.  The main suggestion for me seemed to be to switch to green electricity. Our electricity supplier isn’t down to me, but I’ve had a look at Scottish Hydro Electric’s green option - power2 and it seems like an easy sell. It apparently shouldn’t cost more than their regular tariff. Mum is all for being greener, but ultimately it would be Dad who would have to make the phone call. I’ve emailed him a not-so-gentle hint.

—

(Sacred) Art: 

I’m not a Buddhist.  I tend to tell people I am an atheist, but really I am more accurately an agnostic.  Anyway, that is all beside the point: I am not a Buddhist, but I have been looking at mandalas.  I have started to meditate to relax and one thing led to another and I found myself looking at websites about mandalas.  From what I can tell they are made and used to aid meditation by focussing the mind.  I like the artistic aspect to them.  I don’t think I’ll try meditating with one, but I think I might take inspiration from them - and the principles which guide their creation - for a little art project.  As a child I had one of those Spirograph toys, and I was curious to see if they were still being made.  Well, they are, but they’re not the same.  I see that there is also a Mandala Designer toy available (for all budding Buddhist children?).  There is even a computer programme called Mandala Painter.  I had a go with the programme trial and it’s quite fun (see piccie for my first, rather feeble attempt!).  I’d bet that with some practice it would be possible to produce some beautiful and interesting images.  I think that I’m going to focus my efforts on producing something with pens/pencils/paints and paper though.

 —

 Shopping:

I got my Natural Grocery order today.  I love getting parcels and this was one BIG parcel!  I’d ordered organic cordial, tea, noodles and liquorice, and they all arrived in perfect condition.  Ooh, all so yummy!  The slight delay in the delivery was more than made up for by the products and the free postage.  I’ll definitely be shopping there again.

I got more of the Cinnamon Yogi Tea, but I also got some Choco Yogi Tea which is even more scrummy, especially when you stick a bit of milk in it.  I really like the packaging too.   Each box has a yoga position on it with instructions and each tea bag has a wise little saying on it.

I opted for a garden-themed alternative pressie for Mum and Dad’s anniversary, and I also ordered at bird nest via the Ethical Superstore (I even got to ‘offset my carbon’ on the delivery).  Yes, it was a bit random, but it looked sweet and was very, very cheap!

—

Kitten cat update:

We’ve been keeping Dolly in since we got her.  The cat flap is on ‘in only’, so that Boo can get in (but she has to wail to be let out).  Anyway, I took Dolly outside today.  I just held her while we sat on the bench by the back door.  She was hyper-alert and the slightest noise or movement made her puff up her tail.  I brought her back into the house after a few minutes, but later on there was a strange noise coming from the utility room (where the cat flap is located).  Curiosity got the better of me and I had to have a look.  Dolly was whacking the cat flap with her paws, seemingly desperate to get out.  Part of me thinks that she should be let out to explore (or even find her way back to her original owners?!?), but the other part of me thinks that really she hasn’t been here long enough and doesn’t know her (new) name.  Also, I’m still not convinced that she’s not a kitten, so maybe she should be kept in until she’s older.  It’s hard to know what to do.  The vet seemed to think that after this amount of time it was unlikely that her original owners wanted her back, after all they have (apparently) done nothing to find her.  I think the cautious part of me will probably win this one at least for a couple more weeks.

21 June 2007 June 21, 2007

Oh, dear.  A return visit the Government’s CO2 calculator and it’s down:

Thank you for coming to see the Act on CO2 calculator. The calculator is proving extremely popular at the moment, so please come back shortly to calculate your carbon footprint and find out how to help tackle climate change.

 —

When I was at the GP’s surgery on Monday I spotted an notice up about a (relatively) local yoga group. The woman who runs it has a website - Inner Melodies - and blog. Some of the other (non-yoga) classes she runs look interesting, but maybe a bit ‘out there’ for me. I’m not sure I’d be comfortable getting in touch with my spiritual and/or feminine sides in front of strangers. I wish I could be the sort of person who went to tribal drumming workshops and yoga classes, but I think I’m destined to always be a closet-case when it comes to these sorts of things.

—

My NaturalGrocery order still hasn’t arrived. It was supposed to be delivered by courier yesterday but didn’t arrive. This doesn’t come as a huge surprise - couriers aren’t reliable when it comes to delivering out here.  Delivery today would have been okay, but it hasn’t happened and I’m a bit disappointed.  We’re already seeing the effects of cinnamon-tea-withdrawal!  There’s no way I’m staying in all day tomorrow, so it’ll be a pain if they try to deliver while I’m out.

—

Long story cut short(-ish): When I moved out of my old flat back in February, I didn’t get my security deposit back automatically and the management agency are being a bit petty about things. Despite the fact that nothing gas-powered worked in the flat and I was never connected to the gas they are demanding I produce a receipt for the final bill … hmm, there was no bill! This has been dragging on for months. They were just dreadful and sorted nothing that was broken or went wrong in the six months I was there. My big problem was that the flat wasn’t water-proof and they refused to do anything about it. It really wasn’t a fit place for someone with my compromised immune-system to be living. I’m sorely tempted to name and shame them, but will resist … for the moment at least. (Although if anyone is renting in Edinburgh from a small, independent agency, based in the New Town then feel free to ask which company I’m talking about!)

—

Checking out upcoming local events provided a modicum of amusement:  An exciting evening out can be had in Aboyne on July 25th when there is a lecture on midges!

—

A story from the BBC News website about a disappearing lake in Chile worries the hell out of me, especially while An Inconvenient Truth is so fresh in my mind!

 

20 June 2007 June 20, 2007

David Miliband (would his socialist father be proud of him?) launched the Government’s CO2 calculator today. I tried it out, but got part way through then it froze - not a good start! I then tried the HTML version, it was painfully slow … and then it crashed and I gave up. Maybe it’s just launch day teething problems and heavy use.

—

I’ve been trying out some samples of Supersalve Skincare Balm. Ingredients, as listed on the website:

 

‘Calendula (Calendula Officinalis), St John’s Wort (Hypericum Perforatum), Lavender (Lavandula Officinalis), Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia), Clove (Eugenia Caryophyllata), Camphor (Cinnamomum Camphora), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus Smithii), Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis), Aloe Ferox Leaf Extract, Shea Butter (Butryospermum Parkii), Evening Primrose Oil (Oenothera Biennis), Wheatgerm Oil (Triticum Vulgare), Olive Fruit Extract (Olea Europaea), Apricot Kernel Oil (Prunus Armeniaca), Grapeseed Oil (Vitis Vinifera), Honey (Mel).’

The website is simple, but quite good, it has a fair bit of information on the ingredients and the debate around ‘natural’ products, although some of the most interesting stuff is hidden away.

Before I looked at the ingredients I would have said that it smelled of honey, but with honey so far down the list I think it must be the power of suggestion making me thing that.

I’ve tried it on my elbows (dry!) and my face. It’s a light cream; I thought it would be too light for my elbows, but it seems to be softening them up, pretty quickly too. It felt lovely going on my face and was absorbed well - no greasy feeling at all.

It’s not particularly cheap, but it’s not horrendously expensive either at £14.95 for 175ml tube.

—

This week, in a change from the norm, I did the (online) grocery shopping at Asda. They seem to have quite a good, big range of organic food, but not in all sections. There’s a fair amount of organic fruit and veg, but I was hard-pushed to find a packet of organic biscuits.

—

Came across the Recycled Products Guide on my travels through t’Internet today. It’s a search engine /directory for finding recycled products. Looks like it might be quite handy.

—

I got my official letter from the library with my start date etc. I’m still scared.

—

The hospital came through for me and I have an appointment for Monday afternoon with a consultant, although it’s not clear whether I’ll be seeing my consultant or not.

18 June 2007 June 18, 2007

So, yesterday was Fathers’ Day. Dad seemed pleased with his Spongebob dvd and QI book (apparently Richard Gere’s middle name is Tiffany). Now my mind turns to the next gift-giving event looming on the horizon: Mum and Dad’s wedding anniversary. A couple of years ago I started using World Vision’s Alternative Gift Catalogue. I’ve given the occasional Christmas, birthday and anniversary present from it since then. I had thought about giving my parents a bird bath for their garden, but an alternative gift seems so much more appropriate … now to choose!

Health:

I had yet another visit to the nurse today - another pin-cushion appointment. We discussed my bone density, all the drug side-effects and my general well-being. I need to go back in a month.

My last appointment with my consultant was on May 9th and my next was supposed to be six weeks later, but I haven’t had an appointment through. I rang the hospital this afternoon. It sounds like I have been forgotten / fallen through the cracks, but they will try to arrange an appointment for me … at some point. Hmpf.

Kitten update:

Firstly, Dolly is not a kitten!

Mum took her down to the vet today to see if she was microchipped, to have her vaccinated and wormed and to get her general health checked. The vet decided that she is probably 1-2 years old, and is just an exceptionally small cat. Looking at cat websites and the information on age and weight, we had figured that she must be 3-4 months old, but the vet spotted that she has some dental plaque on her teeth and so she can’t be very young. He couldn’t tell if she had been spayed or not, but gave us information on the warning signs that she’s in heat. He also had a look at her funny eye, but he couldn’t really tell what was wrong with it, but thought that it was probably nothing to worry about.

Apparently Dolly was a complete hit down at the vet’s, charmed everyone and had everyone coo-ing over her. Then she came back from her trip out and peed on Le Dog’s bed. Nice.

16 June 2007 June 16, 2007

 

I’m quite excited to have ‘discovered’ NaturalGrocery, an online, organic food store which offers free delivery on orders over 30 pounds.  I’m a bit addicted to Rocks Organic cordial, but it seems so difficult to get hold of the flavours I like - namely, lime and ginger - so it’s good to find somewhere that will deliver it without charging a fortune for delivery.  I placed my first order tonight, so I’ll see how things go with them.  I’ve also stocked up on Yogi tea and liquorice treats.

Tonight’s is a very brief entry because I have to go find where I’ve hidden Dad’s pressies for tomorrow (I got him The Spongebob SquarePants Movie and QI: The book of general ignorance) and then wrap them.

15 June 2007 June 15, 2007

News, news, news: I have a job! I start on July 10th as a library assistant for the City Council. I’m not quite sure where I’ll be based. It could be a bit of a roving position or it could be in the Central Library’s Reference Department. I’d prefer the latter, but the former would be fine, it’s a job after all. It’s just a temporary job for the summer, but it will be a good way to ease myself into work and get a bit more practical experience. I’m excited and scared.

Mum took me out for lunch in Alford. We also did a bit of shopping. There’s a shop there called Parade, it used to be part of Annie Mo’s, but went solo a while back. It has the most beautiful furniture, gifts, toys and jewellery. Mum was buying a big pink agate pendant for herself and bought me some very pretty silver earrings with milky white and yellow gemstones. I’d like to know what the gemstones are, it would be nice to know a bit more about them.

Dolly is still a total sleepy-heid. She has the odd burst of energy when she’ll play, but mostly she sleeps. I dug out some old cat toys. She shows little interest in balls with bells, but likes a strange, bright orange mouse toy. She also likes to chase a bit of wool. A few days ago I cut some holes in a big cardboard box and she seems to quite like hiding and playing in that, the problem: it’s a bit of an eyesore. We had a wee look to see if we could find one of those climbing/scratching/sleeping activity centre things for her, but couldn’t see anything suitable. Mum bought the local weekly newspaper - Dolly isn’t in there. I am completely baffled about why no one is looking for her. She is a lovely cat and has been looked after. She is beautiful, litter-trained, well behaved, friendly and doesn’t seem to be at all traumatised. The only possibility that occurs to me is that maybe she is ill and some <insert rude word> thought it would be better to ditch her rather than pay vet’s bills or give her to the CPL (or ‘Cats Protection’ as it now prefers to be called).

Mum and I just had a bit of a barney about anorexics. She was watching a programme about skinny celebrities. She’s a bit obsessed with weight, her own and other people’s. All day she has been commenting on people’s weight and it frustrates me. I wouldn’t want people commenting on my weight, so I try not to be critical of others (obviously there are times when I fail miserably!). I tend to assume that people who are very thin or very fat (myself included) have eating disorders and are ill and therefore deserve my sympathy/empathy and understanding rather than my criticism and judgement. Anything in between very thin and very fat, well who cares!? Being healthy is far more important. I really do try not to be hypocritical when it comes to weight and appearance, I, after all, am no oil painting. The Western world’s obsession with the very fat and the very thin saddens me, especially when it is all concerned with aesthetics.

This reminds me, while in Parade today I spotted (and sneakily read) a book called The Lady Who Was Beautiful Inside by Edward Monkton. It’s a wee book and it’s lovely. It has a very simple, very positive message - I think the title probably gives it away! I foresee me having to buy it for people for birthdays/Christmases/etc.

Finally, after asking around how other people had found doing yoga I have been convinced to give it a try. I opted for Yoga: Just my size with Megan Garcia and ordered it today.

14 June 2007 June 14, 2007

I watched An Inconvenient Truth this morning. I’m so glad I watched it. I have been wanting to see it since its cinema release. Unfortunately, I was in the hospital while it was on the big screen and it has taken this long for it to come to me via my dvd rental service.

Anyway, I was completely gripped by what is, in Gore’s own words, “a slide show”. I am now utterly scared by what we are doing to the planet. There are a lot of facts and figures in the documentary, but I was most stunned by the idea that the last ice age took just ten years to happen - from things to go from ‘normal’ to ice age. The fact that this could happen again scares the crap out of me. I just don’t understand why it doesn’t scare everyone into doing something!

I’ll admit that I’ve always found Gore quite charismatic - I never really got that ‘wooden’ label that he got stuck with during that presidential election - and he is clearly passionate and articulate when it comes to matters environmental. Sometimes the film seemed to drift off into being about him, rather than the environmental message, but it wasn’t too guilty of this, and I was interested to hear about where his interest in the environment had come from. It should be compulsory viewing without a doubt.

Kitten update

Miss Kitty has a name: Dolly. She has a weird, misshapen pupil, is desperate to go outside and is playing more than she was.