Saturday, sport, sisters and more.......

Morning all - the Paralympic swimming heats are on as I speak so I have one eye on the screen and one ear on the TV. You know how it is. Just so you know, America won 2 golds in the pool last night. Canada one one gold, and NZ bagged a couple of silvers. There were many more, but I was trying to update the world-which-was-not-watching-because-their-TV-bosses-didn't-think-the-paralympics-were-important. My facebook status feed was a one women commentary. Here is the Medal Table as of this minute. It is changing rapidly. I so wish everyone could see and hear it all. The roar of the capacity crowds is deafening. The excitement is contagious. The flags waving everywhere. And the athletes are outdoing themselves. Just fabulous.

I woke up this morning, thinking it was about 6 am. It was 8.55am. So we are sauntering slowly through the morning at snail's pace, because we can. I was so incredibly tired last night that I kept falling asleep wherever I was. Maybe it is all the sport. I am running/swimming/pedalling the races with Team GB and the blood pressure is in Olympic mode.

(Good grief. I just tilted the computer screen and I can see what I am doing. A miracle.)

A while later......

I keep racing out to see what is happening. Golds. Silvers. Heats. Sigh. I love it.

I should be changing the house to Autumn today. In my world. I declare Summer over at the end of August. I go with months. Autumn will be September, October, November. Winter = December, January and February. Spring = March, April, May and Summer = June, July, August. It makes things easier to remember. Actually I had totally forgotten until Peter popped in yesterday and asked when the house would change. Right. I need to think. I may make an exception this year and keep the patriotic/marine stuff out until the Paralympics are over. That seems appropriate. I don't want to take down the red white and blue bunting outside until it is finished.

Now for something completely different.

10 Things I love:

1. Technology - the ability to communicate with the big wide world out there with relative ease. I say "relative" only because I have an iffy computer! Where would we I be without it? Inspiration. Ideas. Events. Learning. Writing. Teaching. Sharing and more.
2. Fresh vegetables grown in my garden or allotment. I LOVE being able to go  out there and gather enough for our supper, and plenty to freeze as well. The little bit of effort in spring and regular watering, and all those seeds I saved from last year produce a plentiful harvest. The apples are next...
3. The swimming pool at gym. The laughter and fun we have while doing our aquazumba dances in the water. Being one of the girls and managing all the moves as if there was nothing wrong with the body at all. Being normal. The way hard work makes me first exhausted and then exhilarated. No sign of a Twiggy like figure, but I am feeling fitter, at least. 
4. My car. Old though it is, it is high enough for me to get in and out of with ease. It goes. It is comfortable. It gets me where I want to go. That reminds me - I must go this instant and put the new tax disc in the window while I remember it. Done. 
5. Hair straighteners, without which I would look like a poodle. Not a desirable look. 
6. The written word - whether in book form or as ebooks. I don't have an eReader yet, but I have downloaded so many free books onto the computer through a Kindle app for computers, and one day, they will be on an eReader too. For now, the computer is great. I can't tell you how many hours in the evenings I spend trawling through Amazon, playing with books and wish lists and baskets, taking things out, putting them in, saving for later - and I rarely push the button to buy, but I love the playing about. Am I weird? It is all the possibilities, especially as I have a gift voucher I could spend if I wanted to. I love being able to almost tease myself with all the possibilities. I love books. I love the worlds I enter as I choose. I love knowing there is a pile of books waiting to be read. I can't pass a book shop. Groan. Yes. I am weird. I have always loved reading, only now it is different. I find reading fiction so difficult because I cannot remember the plot, and yet non-fiction is easier for me. Not to mention all the Chicken Soup books - their stories are just a page or 2 long. Perfect. I will read anything. I just wish I could remember plots.....
7. My camera. Not fancy or smart, or big or complicated. Just small and neat and it does the job, allowing me to capture memories to take out and relive as I please. Digital photography has SO enhanced my days. I want to learn more, and graduate to a big camera one day, but right now, mine is perfect. 
8. Peanut Butter KitKat chocolates. DIVINE. The best. At long last I have found a British chocolate I really like!
9. My sewing machine. Which enables me to make things for my home, my family, my friends. Making things is part of who I am. Creating things is what I love. Add to the sewing machine, the embroidery machine, the cuttlebug, the scroll saw.... all tools with which I can make stuff. Gifts. They may all need servicing, but they all go, i love them and I am deeply thankful for each and every one of them. I have a shelf of works in progress (WIPs) and UFOs - unfinished objects. And I am thankful for the shelves of fabric awaiting inspirational thoughts too! I LOVE knowing I have the tools in place. And I love using them. They are not ornaments. I am just sorry my overlocker (serger) died after being worked to death. It was the second one I worked into the ground. One day I may have another. It is on The List. 
10. My home. Small though it is, it is still home to me and my family. And I love changing things about,. and using simple methods (and those tools - see #9)(and inspiration #1) to make it warm and welcoming. People smile when they see me change things about - little things. Home. 

I could go on, but I just wanted to talk about some of the things I love. Not people, just things which make my life that much better. Easier, more fun. And enable me to feel that I CAN do stuff, achieve things too. Now here is the plan - why don't you tell me about the ten things which you love too? I would love to hear your ideas! I may do this every week, because heaven knows there are way more than 10 things I really love!

I am now off to plot my Rio Paralympics plan to star in some sport or other. Archery? High jump? Marathon? 

You have a great weekend, wherever you may be! 

Especially my beautiful sister. It is her birthday today and I wish I could be there with her right now. She is working today, but I cannot begin to tell you how special she is, how much she is loved by us all and how thankful I will always be to know she is there. For a little sister (who is taller than me)(who is prettier than me) ( and who was totally annoying as a small girl)(who is MUCH smarter than me)(who was a trial to live with in my school days)(who got to live in my dream place - Switzerland)  she is more than OK. Of all the people in the world, she would still be my first and only choice as a sister. I love you, Marge. Here is a huge hug through the screen for you. {{ }}(Yes. Your sister who is not good with hugs sent you a huge one. You may remind me about this in person soon.) 

Oh...

You are catching me up. YES!!