Legally Blonde

Not lots to report really – I don’t like posting when there isn’t really anything to post about, but life has been not exactly a barrel of laughs this week, so I didn’t want just to wallow and bore you with it all.

Stuff from a couple of years ago has been kind of catching up with me, and I need to be a bit careful not to let it get to me to the extent that I’m really ill again. I know how to deal with me in this state, but it’s an effort that I find harder to muster when I’m like this. Catch 22.

On the other hand, I finally heard from Carmarthen – something a bit more concrete and practical about next week, which is v.g. and most reassuring. Despite loving happy spontaneous stuff sometimes (see last week smiley post!) I’m not that way all the time – I’m sometimes paralysed by fear of the unknown, and seem to cope much better when there’s a safety net of givens to expect and function within. So now I’m (fractionally) less nervous about starting my Masters next week.

Wish me luck while I’m being so needy for a bit, and hopefully normal upbeat service will be resumed shortly!

for the weekend, so won’t be updating the next few days – I’m going up to London to a cousin’s wedding and will play happy families catching up with brothers while there.

for the weekend, so won’t be updating the next few days – I’m going up to London to a cousin’s wedding and will play happy families catching up with brothers while there.

Having planned a relatively early night in, I came back from running on the beach to be told we’re going out for curry, which was lovely, but I’m never v g at short notice and changing plans etc. Also knackered and skint. Was persuaded into going anyway despite reservations (someone was so keen for me to join them he offered to pay for my meal – thank you again kind boy if you’re reading), but had to shower, change and veritably leg it to Anarkali at high speed, but it was a lovely relaxed evening with friends who’ve been away for three months (oh yeah, that’d be students then…!), so worth it. Reminded me of the value of the occasional spontaneous unplan! (‘course, all the good work I did attempting a run has been negated by curry calories now, but hey, I enjoyed it!)

I have a choice of ways of looking at today…

I started off being hugely frustrated at my waste of a day, a lovely sunny, latesummerinmidseptember day, and it’s so silly ’cause there are so many things I always say I’ll do when i have a free weekend, and here I am with one, and so low and ill I can’t get motivated even to dress let alone leave the house and be somewhere in the air and sun, and do the things that always need doing…. and on and on in similar circular vein.

Then again, I realised, due to forced inactivitiy, I can have the other sort of day… another one I’m always wanting and never seem to make is time, time and space, not to *have* to do something, a chance to read, catch up with paperwork and ironing, write in my book and make some real connection with God. (I don’t suppose he’s susceptible to this current lurgy, is he?!) While all sensible healthy non sneezing people avoid me like the plague, there’s still someone I can talk to and spend the day with…

so maybe not quite such a frustrating waste after all

…

though there is still some of that paperwork to do battle with

Found a wonderful company – via Oxfam in town – that do beautiful Fair Trade clothes, jewellery etc. "A new way to shop without exploitation" they say, which can only be a Good Thing if you ask me.

Sarah came home with their magazine and I was hooked (only windowshpping, honest, to reassure any worried bank managers reading!); the blurb includes "people tree gives you top quality eco-friendly clothing and crafts" and so it seems to be.

Have a look at http://www.ptree.co.uk/

All are very good at the best of times, but when one is slightly under the weather they are particularly welcome.

To the people who offered me each of the above today, many thanks.

Fish (now called Surefish, for some unfathomable reason) do a daily readings page and during lent they had suggestions for each day. One that has stuck with me is the Joy Jar – a decorated jamjar on the bookcase/windowsill/wherever you’ll see it, that you put little moments of joy /thanks/ etc in, and periodically take ‘em out and -literally- "count your blessings" … Mike, Sarah and Richard, I put you in that jar tonight.

Needed!

Our kitchen windowsill is veritably straining under the weight of empty bottles – not all of them wine, or mine, but still. The City and County of Swansea have, in their wisdom, extended the pavement recycling pilot scheme so it now includes Uplands. This is a Good Thing. What is slightly less good, however, is that they deliver one bundle of green bags per house, and ours went straight Upstairs. So, since our landlord is currently on night shifts, and his girlfriend speaks v v little english, we have been unable to connect with the requisite green bags.

Either we need a bigger windowsill, or a trip to the Tip!

My housemate’s boyfriend came back to Wales at the weekend, and gave her a cold, and she being the kind and generous soul she is has shared it with me. I’m not often ill (or not physically liek this anyway!) and not very good at it. Forgive me if I’m mouldy and impatient for a bit!!

Richard at http://www.theconnexion.net/greymatter posted musings about alternative worship, which means a lot of different things to different people, as far as I can tell (have to admit to a very limited experience, though what I’ve seen/been involved in has been wow). One of the most helpful things I’ve found about it is here: http://seaspray.trinity-bris.ac.uk/~aworg/theory_experiment.html

there’s a group of students /ex-studenty types in swansea wanting to get more involved/experimental and I’m really hoping we stop talking and start doing. It could be great… I’ve been having a bit of a spiritual dry patch, not sure if it’s anticlimax from greenbelt, or start of the new term, or just general thinking too much and not being v sure of where i am and where I’m going, but I think anything new/different/exploratory can’t be bad at the moment.

Wish us luck… I’ll keep you posted.