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Showing posts from 2018

Frazzled meditation!

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Frazzled Meditation Hello hi areet! How are ya? It’s November now. I succeeded in that October was indeed the acclaimed ‘dry month’. Apart from best mate Al’s 40 th night out – that I knew of; and has been the breaker on other dry-spells in previous years too – I drank nothing alcoholic. Woopidoo! Gold star! Woo. Ahem. Benefits? The pocket maybe, but not massively. Hmmm. Coffee instead of booze? Different story coming soon! Okay. To the real blog intention. Meditation . Beryl King my meditation teacher at the fantastic resource of Benmar House ( MSRRF ) was on holiday at time of this writing. Point in question, she loaned me a book last month that I have just recently finished. And what a book. A Mindfulness Guide for the FRAZZLED by Ruby Wax. It was highly recommended by Beryl, and with me being a ‘slow reader over-thinker  analyser’ type, it took a while to finish. I loved it and it has inspired me to investigate to (possibly) further my meditation journey

'tis the season

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Season change Autumn is in full force. Is it? Well the leaves think so and the cooling weather thinks so; or does it?! Recently there have been temperatures up here (the north east) hitting bloody 20°C! Yes, that is nice in summer months (obviously higher please; and was this year to be frank!) and not one to whinge about any other time; unless. Unless? Well, you know where I’m going with that. Yip, M bloody S. Temperature can be a nasty (for want of a taboo-free word!) trigger. Can. Not everyone granted, and depending on the type of temperature; e.g. dry or damp/humid. Enough of that; for now. It is currently October and so far, so good in that I’m having (touch wood) a good month with a few notable ‘good’ days. Those who know what I mean by that, know. Just a month then? Yes, in that apart from A great week last month, I did not really enjoy September. Change of season? Who knows! Now it’s been and gone - moving on! What is/are the change/s making a posit

Summer 2018 nasties

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Aunty May Even being of an agnostic/atheist belief, there is something that being in a church for certain occasions feels a bit different. Recently (as of August 2018) my Aunty May passed away. Cancer had the final word. She had been living with the disease for too long, keeping up amazing spirits. Of course, it is sad. Trying to dig any positives out of any death is a damn hard ask. That the suffering ended? Possibly; hard to say an outright yes. That she received a brilliant send-off in church? Again, there is that word possibly. She was one of my Mam’s sisters. There were three. Aunty Maureen (she was funny!) was taken away surprisingly in the summer. There is now only one sister to Mam. Aunty Ann. One Scottish Aunty for Sharon (my sister) and I. To the church, and as I’ve said I’m largely a non-believer type (judge if you want) and as such attending church is a rare occasion. There are two reasons for such visits; for me. One sad, one happy.

Positive Alpha Affirmations

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Positive Affirmations goes Alpha; apparently Second blog within a week? Something good must have happened right? I would not be writing this if not so! I do not want or seem to be repeating myself, like I may have said already, but certain things I do are done regularly with regular positive outcomes. St. James' Park This blog though covers different efforts! 1. Meeting Sound inspiring? Gets worse! No. Let me continue. As part of my world now has me functioning as a willing volunteer within the MS world – literally! – due to no longer being a member of the workforce ( GRRRRRRR ), I fulfil quite a few roles instead. #cantdonowt. As one of these roles – happily being part of the Multiple Sclerosis Society’s North Tyneside Group – I am the Health and Safety   (h&s) volunteer. Peterhead Power station Love (ha) or hate, I do have some history adhering to strict health and safety protocol of such, in the past. Power stations. Can’t m

Positive Affiliations 5

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Positive Affiliations 5 Straight to it! #lesswaffle! 1. Tysabri 108. Another? Thankfully YES! Those who know, know! My MS treatment, my DMT ( Disease Modifying Treatment ; DMD…Drug), and it has done and doing its job. Touch wood. I like to think that the week prior to the infusion I was quite active and energetic in my own way; then the reminder. Tysabri gets commonly named ‘magic juice’ by its MS recipients. I can’t quote stats for those of us who get Tysabri that are NOT affected by the time between infusions. Some are though. Commonly I am one that knows when it is the 4 th week of the 4. More fatigue with symptomatic responses as an example. A top-up then. Literally! The weekend was largely spend sat on my arse doing not a lot. The actual day after the infusion (before the weekend) I did ‘receive’ a session with an MS specialist Physical Trainer, all positive for the MS journey’s benefit. Then a welcome sit for a meditation session thereafter. Back

Sunderland Airshow Noshow

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Sunderland Airshow Noshow The 30 th Sunderland Air show has just been. I went to one many moons (arg! Missed the Blood Moon due to cloud coverage!) ago. I was there with the Newcastle City Pipe Band ! That’s how long ago it was. I did not go again. Different reasons why. Location has kept me away ‘recently’ in truth. Yes, I still have an interest in aerospace all be it not as strong as used to be no longer working. I still proudly hold a good degree in aeronautical engineering that I attained at Glasgow Uni some time ago; that I put to use working in the industry. In 2002 and 2003 when working as an Aerodynamicist for BAE Systems I saw and volunteered at the globally famous Farnborough Airshow that was fabulous! (I had a go on a Segway that was brand-new at that time and didn’t fall off. I would these days!) Barriers built as to why I haven’t gone to the Sunderland equivalent? Yes. Regrettably? Yes really. Not only was it Sunderland Airshow 2018; i

Positive Affirmations ACE

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Positive Affirmations ACE The weeks are flying by. (“PositiveAffirmation”; “PA”) PA4 already. Sign of good times? Within reason! Finding a few good things is beneficial! I wonder what you may be thinking of these positive affirmations. They fit with something that was recently put to me during counselling. ACE . I’m no counsellor or psychologist yet I can relate to this ‘ACE’. Achievement , Closeness , Enjoyment . So, for me (my blog obviously) this model makes sense. With that, parts of meditation too (see below), and exercise! Knowing what I had in mind as to what I wanted , I had hopeful achievements planned. 1. Chillifest-ne Being the chilli-lover that I am, ok maybe it is an addiction (the chemical compound of capsaicin that causes the burn; triggers endorphins in the brain(!?)) of sorts, when “ North East Chilli Festival ” began a few years ago, I simply HAD to go. I have been all but 1 since. Knowing that being out of super-hot chilli sauce…