Sleep Disorders and Weight Gain

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Have just read in an article that sleep disorders can lead to weight gain in the long term. Now I know that hunger can prevent sleep at times so this doesn't seem unreasonable. Perhaps the temptation is to nibble on something when you can't sleep which is why the weight is gained - a kind of comfort eating. I have also read that hot milk and bananas are good for getting a good night's sleep so maybe that's the solution.

The Blank Page

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There's something quite intimidating about the blank page (or screen). The essential blankness seems to tease the mind with the idea that there's nothing to say or worth saying. Sometimes I think that the best thing to do in this situation is to write (or type) the first thing that comes to mind and go from there. It can be remarkably successful and tangential on occasions as thoughts jostle for position like a crowd of shoppers at a sale. On other occasions it can be quite turgid. Best thing I've found is to write it anyway and hope that it leads to something else. I think today is somewhere between the two.

British Sunner Time

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Yes, it started this morning. Early. Only remembered it after I'd woken up. Despite the hour's less sleep I feel more positive today and the weather is helping as it is beautifully sunny after the cold grey weather yesterday.
Dare I hope .? . .

Back to Winter

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There is no doubt that we have been very lucky here in Cornwall with the weather for most of this month, with bright warm sunshine even if the wind has been cold from time to time. Now that has changed and we're back to the cold weather of winter and grey skies. Oh well, I hoped that spring was here to stay but perhaps that's too optimistic this early in the year. At least all the daffodils are up, with their bright yellow flowers to cheer us all up.

Sketching

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Never sketch when there's a cat around. I decided, for the first time in ages, to do some sketching while I was sitting in the conservatory. The cat came to join me and decided that this was a great time to play with the coloured pencils I use to sketch. It was great, but not necessarily conducive to sketching since every time I put down a pencil the cat decided to play with it. He was having a lovely time and enjoying himself thoroughly, purring madly and head-butting me in his usual inimical fashion. In the end I was reduced to helpless laughter as I watched him with my pencils, until he darted off to go somewhere else and I had to recover a missing pencil from under the table. We both enjoyed ourselves though.

Computers (again)

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Had an unpleasant moment yesterday afternoon when my computer failed to connect to the internet and totally seized up. Had to do a cold reset to sort out the problems. Then found that I had a virus which might have been the cause of my problems.

Otherwise it was a pleasant afternoon going through the T'ai Chi short form and learning some more Pa Kua.

Then heard the sad announcement that the musical director of one of the choirs I sing with has to resign due to ill health. We were all extremely sad to hear this and particularly sympathetic. It must be really difficult to have to give up something you yourself have built up and love doing because of ill health. We all hope that the absence is only temporary.

Wednesday

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Today is a glorious sunny day again and it was so hot in the conservatory that I had to open the windows this morning. I just love this sunny weather and can't get enough of it.

Cats

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I love cats. They're such incredible animals, each with their own personality. I've had 7 cats during the course of my life and each have been lovely animals which I've responded to in different ways. One thing I have noticed is that the more you talk to them, the more they want to talk back. I can have quite a conversation with my latest cat. He's also the only cat I know who can do overtone purring. He's also very affectionate and I love him to bits.

Mother's Day

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The whole relationship day issue is something which, whilst I know that it is a bit of a consumer market, is actually quite a good idea. It allows a particular member of the family to be acknowledged for their efforts on a particular day. True, it would be good if it wasn't just for one day in a whole year but at least it raises awareness about the person concerned and the role that they undertake. Mother's Day has really been good for me this year as my son came home unexpectedly and we got to spend the whole of Sunday together. It was fun and tiring but I really appreciate his efforts in returning home for Mothers Day.

Money

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Have just been reading an interesting article about the psychological effects of money. For some it seems to be a food substitute while for others it's a powerful status symbol. No surprises there. I wonder at what stage in our history it changed from being merely a system of bartering to something which was much more powerful, psychologically.

Creative urges and Spring

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Theoretically it should be easier to be creative in the spring as we all see new signs of life leaping into being. Perhaps we all need a hibernation period of winter to relax and re-energise. Now, when there is a strong hope of spring in the air and the equinox just around the corner should be a good time to create anew. I certainly hope so, anyway.

March

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March is often a windy month down here (what month isn't) but I think this month is perhaps even more windy than usual. Now there are daffodils everywhere which look very pretty and spring-like along with some primroses. The willow in our back garden is even coming into flower. A great cause for hope for the spring and summer.

Emails

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Had an email from a friend who lives at the other end of the UK. I really enjoyed reading her news. That's one thing that I really like about emails. Mostly they're non-obtrusive and you can catch up quickly with people who live on the other side of the world if need be. So much quicker than traditional letters and postcards and mostly more reliable.

Conservatory

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It is getting warm enough now with the sun that I can think of sitting in our conservatory. Built on just after we moved it has helped keep the house warm in winter by cutting down on the wind and cold. It's just very cold in winter and very warm in summer. The only really good time to experience the conservatory and relax in it is during spring and autumn when it's relatively warm and sunny.

Today, it was lovely to eat lunch in the warm sunshine in the conservatory and look out on the garden. The only problem is that I've been reminded of all the gardening I need to do!

Computers

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Had a terible time yesterday with my computer and a particular program where the computer kept freezing up. I was tired and that made everything even worse. Today I've spent over 2 hours sorting out the problem and getting the system back to what I had before everything went wrong. The good news though is that everything is much faster. All of this on a beautiful sunny day when I could have been outside. Oh well. At least I did manage to go for a swim this morning.

Tiredness

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Tiredness can make us do funny things. In my case though, it just makes me feel bad tempered and I'm generally not a nice person to be around when I'm in this state.

Despite it being a lovely day, I find that I'm too tired to really enjoy it and take the opportunity to do the garden or go for a walk.

Perhaps tomorrow will be better.

Exhaustion

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There were many things I would have liked to do today in the lovely sunshine, but after I'd come back from a rehearsal at a local church which was freezing, I was totally exhausted and slept this afternoon. Feel better for the snooze but angry at the waste of time.

Playing

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I have just been reading an article about adults taking time off to play and to release creativity. One of the things that I miss as an adult is playgrounds. I used to love swings and slides and there are no adult equivalents. Perhaps it's time that playgrounds for adults were invented. It would be much more fun than working out in a gym and would still give some exercise.

Traffic Wardens

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At least the fog has gone today. It was quite scary driving last night in the dark and the fog when the visibility was so poor. Still - made it to rehearsal and back without anything untoward happening. Today it's still a bit cold because of the wind but generally more spring-like. I hope that it lasts.

Question: What else comes out in West Penwith in early spring apart from new growth and flowers?
Answer: Traffic Wardens.

Yes, believe it or not I saw a traffic warden in the main square of our local town, writing down car numbers. Hey ho!

Is this the first sighting this year of this particular species?

Foggy Wednesday

Image by Michael Heilemann via Flickr

Since dawn this morning it has been foggy where I live. This isn't at all unusual for this area. It often goes with the warmer weather and it is certainly milder today than it has been for the past while. We have our own climate up here, which is totally different quite often, compared with the inland areas just seven mile away. Often it is warmer and sunnier towards the south coast but sometimes they get the fog and we get the sun. Not as often as I would wish those.

Coastal Scenery

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On my way back from my piano lesson I drove home the picturesque way, encouraged by the sunny weather. The sea was looking a light misty blue as I drove past. What a change from last week when it was chucking it down.

Sleep

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Have just been reading an extract of an article about how sleeping allows us to form memories as the chemical composition in the brain totally changes when we sleep. Personally, I'm someone who enjoys their sleep and dreams, and I can get quite grouchy if I have anything less than 7 hours per night. The world of dreams and their meaning is also something which is quite fascinating to me.

March winds

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Today has been very unpredictable, weather wise, sunny one moment and then heavy showers. Didn't know this morning whether to wear my sunglasses when I was driving or not, it was so changeable. But it is so cold with the wind whistling around the house. On days like this I really yearn for the warmth of spring and summer. This winter has lasted too long this year. Oh well, sometime soon it will all get better, won't it, and we won't remember the longest coldest winter for over 10 years.

Fresh Spring Water

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Am taking the time to relax today after feeling so horrible and achy yesterday. Intermittently, there is fog outside and I had to use both lights and wipers when I went shopping and collected the water.

Yes, my significant other and myself collect water from our local chute. We are very blessed living where we are to have fresh spring water close by. To my knowledge this has never run dry, and in the past we have been reliant on it when the water company has been doing maintenance or, on one occasion, when our pipes froze, six months after we moved down here. It tastes delicious and much better than what is available out of the taps.

Trying to Keep Optimistic

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In these days of economic downturn it's really difficult to stay positive. Everybody is feeling the pinch to some extent and personally I'm much more economically and ecologically aware than I used to be. But having all the doom and gloom in your face every time you turn on the TV can get to be a bit much. I tend to limit the amount of time I look at the news by reading articles on line rather than watching the news on TV so that I don't get blasted with negativity all the time.

Instead I choose to do other things like play music and read as well as Sudoku puzzles. It all helps take the mind off those depressing news items. Today it's harder than usual to stay positive as I'm feeling physically under the weather and it's cold again. Still, with any luck tomorrow will be better in many respects. There's no harm in hoping anyway!

Funny Old Day

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Started today with a mental programme of what I wanted to do with my time, just to have it derailed totally by outside events. Silly little things which needed to be sorted out including a quick trip to the local town.

Now I'm trying to put together what's left of my original schedule and try again. If you don't first succeed, try, try, try again. Or something like that.