Every day is by far a challenge and I feel we sometimes searching for gratitude is so important. Especially with our current situation. I'm grateful for my dog Benny my companion and the beautiful nature that surrounds us. :)
What's yours?
My walk along the road i live in. I am managing more than half way and i love the success of getting just a fraction further each day.
My warm and pleasant bungalow, the long garden and the trains making their way to London.
the people that join us on this forum.
bless you all
colin
Ah Colin!! I love your gratatude, motivation and positivity!! You really set a beautiful scene of your beautiful souroundings!! I completely agree... I too am so greatful for the amazing people we meet on our journey ie this forum. :)
Have a fab day Colin and never stop those gorgeous walks and achievements of yours. X
You've certainly got some lovely views, and Benny looks very smart and cosy!! What can we do but try to strive for the positive, find something to laugh at each day - which usually involves a lot of teasing about our own shortcomings ?? so there's plenty to choose from ? We did a lot of walking after C'mas, and now I've got quite deep blisters, so I'm having a few days keeping the log- burner company.
Just watching the birds and other wildlife is a wonderful distraction, and puts things in perspective. Stay safe, healthy and happy xx
I must tell you.
for years i have been telling unwell people to smile. Started with stroke survivors and has gone on to depressives and hearties.
i am in a blip, mainly because my BP isnt going well and finding it hard to drag myself up. And i have forgotten the smile !
False, forced or fake will do. Just kids your brain into a positive mood.
so many thanks for reminding me of my own mantras.
i live in rural Essex. Yes there is a rural bit of Essex ! I have magnificent views across the coast and rivers. But i must confess to some envy seeing you close by a trig point. I am grinding forward with walking and the flat land does help. Did you drive to the trig point or can you manage proper walks.
i am on half a mile. Looking forward to making the full mile.
My totally loved cat is on my lap, snoozing. Do i push him off to take my walk..........
colin
Hi Colin, just something to give you the start of a smile ... maybe ?
Many stroke survivors find things have changed for them; my husband always used to enjoy football, but post stroke he just couldn't muster any interest at all. That has reverted back to normal over 3 years and he now watches quite a few games on TV. However ... his love of the film "The Sound of Music", has been unwavering, so I am forced to suffer that every C'mas/New Year/Bank Holiday , and can never resist the urge to question why he couldn't have fallen out of love with that movie ? ?♀️ this always involves a lot of teasing and can generate a smile or two!
I have had to pop into town to collect some supplies, and as I was driving along a huge buzzard flew right across the road in front of me, for a moment I was just mesmerised by the amazing close contact with such a graceful creature ... only to look back at the road to find a gormless pheasant heading straight at me!! It was a close call, but the pheasant lived to face another day, and I was left with a look on my face as though I'd swallowed an orange!! ?
? when you're smiling ?
For me, every day is a gift, if the bit that broke off the clot had decided. To go to my brain instead off branching off to my right eye, I would have had a massive stroke. I have emerged from my TIA with just a slightly weakened left hand, a sore brain, a scar from ear to throat which at my age, worries me not one jot. Ok I am suffering with various health issues but I am alive. Life is precious, There is always someone worse off than you are.
yesterday I was inspired by the sun and blue sky to walk double my usual distance. Today I am tired, but triumphant. I Am not sure I have the energy to repeat this distance today but I will do it, soon.
Life for stroke survivors is challenging, full of hurdles to be overcome. I rarely look ill, even when recovering from an operation, people keep telling me how well I look when my BP is soaring, I have a urineinfection, and trouble with shortness of breath and feeling quite rough. It enrages me, I just grit my teeth and smile. very few understand That stroke recovery is a very slow, two steps forwArd, one step back, process, full of troughs and peaks. Measured in months and years. A process that can only be slowly nurtured along, definitely not rushed. It can be so boring and repetitive re educating brain to find new pathways and body to remaster skills previously taken for granted Dealing with new weaknesses and frustrations and the depressions they cause. Waking up each morning feeling no better, sometimes worse, than you did the day before. Covid has conspired to deprive us of the change of scenery that helps with depression, so my tiny garden and plants have to work their magic.
My apologies Claire, I seem to have gone off on a rant, I love being alive. Marylin
Buzzed by a big buzzard. The hassle of living in the countryside. Then more pleasant with a pheasant.
A heron landed by our lounge window and scared me somewhat. I hadnt seen one close up before.
the garden birds are disappearing. So much development, they have lost their habitat.
Poor hubby, losing interest in soccer. Whatever can he watch on TV.
All those extra channels and nothing to watch. I have to acceot that there hasnt been much filming as its unsafe for the actors and others.
No one has much to say because not much is happening. This cant be doing SS much good. We try so hard to find our way back into general life. Now there is nothing to find.
I note your long walks with hubby. I do short walks most days. Less than a mile. This rehab is for heart op but it serves the stroke issues as well. I am planning to drive to the edge of the village then walk. More interest that way. The traffic increase ruins the walks. When i first stayed in this village, the housewives would gather in the road. They would discuss st some length any and every vehicle that came through. Now i discuss the rare moments when no vehicles can be heard. And the road is widened and the bends stretched out. Speeding is a big issue. And parking on pavements. Or half on half off.
i do at least have six or so lovely big silver birch trees to admire. Not in my garden , a couple of doors up.
Keep smiling
colin
Hi Colin, yes the roads are much busier, although our road doesn't go anywhere, we have a lot of delivery drivers, so on constant alert when out for walks, and have to leap onto the banks to avoid white van man ?. When we first moved here, 1982, our dog used to lie asleep in the middle of the road - the occasional car, or horses just used to walk around him!!
I think taking your car and then having a walk is well within the current restrictions, and would certainly give you a change of scenery. We really enjoyed doing the walks, which we haven't done for 2 years, and just taking in the scenery. A few weeks ago I went up to the coast to see the seals and pups. Not a spare millimetre on the beach it was covered in seals, the viewing was well managed and it was a real boost to the well being!!
I think we'll all feel better once January (& February) are behind us, this is never a good time of year. Hard to find things to laugh about, my friend just had her hip replaced and she's still in hospital, she sent me the most hilarious message this morning, but it's completely UNrepeatable unfortunately, otherwise I'd happily share it with you ?. I'll leave it to your imagination!!! Try to smile and enjoy your day ?
Dear Nicabella
i hadnt given a thought to the possibilty i might breach restrictions. Good point !
rivers run to the south and to the west of my village, and when I could walk, a three mile walk to one of the rivers and back was fine. What i might now do is drive the first mile then walk.
my road is unfortunately a through route, from wivenhoe to brightlingsea via alresford. With several sand extraction pits en route. We get lots of huge lorries, lots of delivery drivers and routine drivers using our route to avoid the bigger roads. We get eight buses an hour. So all somewhat busy
what a site that must be, wall to wall seals. And indeed fancy having your dog asleep on the highway. Times have changed so very much.
better go and do something, not sure what
best wishes
colin
Thank you for your post ,it's not a rant it's helped me today as I am the same nothing to see the outside it's all going on the inside.
I am 83 and had a stroke which affected my right side, 12 month's ago. I've always been a very positive person and I feel it helps me to keep going. There's so much beauty all around us in spite of the COVID problem that is really challenging for our medical experts. All this seemed to break out as I left the hospital last year. Life seemed very surreal to me for many months but I managed to hold onto my faith. And life goes on.
Mine is our garden, with its birds, squirrels, hellebores and snowdrops.