Read the Read.

After reading the tweet from the QI Elves, it again reminded me that learning a new language is fraught with oddities and difficulties. I’ve always been slightly envious of those who are multi lingual, I’d have loved to been competent in Spanish, but having to try and wrangle with French and German at school, scarred by enthusiasm or persistence to try.

I have a vague recollection of an old black and white movie, possible with Stanley Baxter where he was trying to teach potential German spies during World War Two how to speak English clearly, I remember them tripping up over how to pronounce Slough but getting confused that rough isn’t pronounced ‘rouw’.

Another tweeter added a link to a poem called “The Chaos” by Gerard Nolst Trenité written in 1922. Quite the read.

 

Startember

My lists have broken, historically they helped me get organised, sorted and done, but the ‘meh’ apathy has set-in.  Is it because the list is on the iPad and a mere swipe deletes them as if they were never there, whereas writing them in longhand on a note pad and crossing it out doesn’t remove it from view, just reminds you of a failure?  It’s deeper than that, it’s a personality trait, accountability thing.

Sometimes success of getting stuff done is dependant upon the sense of satisfaction (personal and third-party) that comes along after the effort and struggle, it has to have a worth.  Sometimes it might be because someone else is relying on what you do.  Sometimes it’s something that is time sensitive.  I am fortunate that I don’t have things pulling at my time, I don’t work thus reducing the free hours for chores, projects and such, but because my days have no structure it’s neither here nor there what time I get up, go to bed, today is like yesterday and will be the same tomorrow.  Granted initially after ceasing work, having the comfort of so little pressure was so relaxing and reviving, and so needed after the stress and pressure of grief, work and deteriorating health, but now it has become a hindrance. Even enjoyable pastimes become things to merely fill empty hours, which takes the shine off the brightest activities.

But occasionally a spark of possibility needs seizing to try and wrangle the waining spirit, and ignite the motivation to get on and ‘do’, because it will bring satisfaction in a project successfully completed that others might just enjoy.  Give a sense of purpose and instead of time filling I’m being ‘productive’.

So, September is the month, BFF’s visit is the deadline.

1. Research and write the new article
2. Upgrade video player (current one doesn’t handle mobile devices)
3. Rework each video file/page
4. Upload everything to the server and publish
5. Update back-up drives 1 and 2 (I’m not loosing all that hard work)
6. Possibly pick up cat blanket crochet

I know, I know, I might be over reaching with the crochet, lol, but goals be goals.

Not being able to just get stood up from the desk is a major faulting factor, I could and should spend a couple of hours most days at the desk but the thought of shuffling on the chair to get to the sofa is a chore even though when I do do it, it’s not so bad, only some degree of hip discomfort.  It’s a mental tug of war. It is necessary to put myself in an outright absolute ‘have-to’ situation to give my mentals that extra decisive tug.

Right then ….. 2–6–heave!

 

It’s the way you give them

It can be very hard to gift a gift to someone who is always around when you go shopping.  My Sister is my carer and at times of Birthday and Christmas it can be difficult getting items for her without her knowing about them.  When I could move about more easily getting something delivered by mail or courier solved that issue but nowadays I cannot get to the door to grab the stuff and then carry it to a hiding place.

What to do – what to do

During one of my insomnia nights an idea began to form in my wide-awake noggin – a letter in the form of a riddle or quiz, something brain teasing to make her guess what she has been gifted.

I remembered those childhood puzzles where words were replaced by pictures and you had to read the passage.  It kept me busy for a few days working out how to replace the sentence with pictures and no cheating with simple words.

But it doesn’t end there.  You cannot just hand someone a piece of paper, where’s the fun in that!!  Off to the oracle known as YouTube to search for origami A4 and see what comes up.  I found an awesome easy video to follow that turned the sheet of A4 into a heart, I created a bag out of wrapping paper and made sure it was not with anything else and when we loaded up to go to hers. I said it was fragile to handle with care.  When it sat on her foot stool ready to be opened I said “You can rip the bag there’s nothing in there to harm”. puzzlement crossed her face.  She opened the wrapping and took out a heart, neatly folded and looking crisp, she gingerly unfolded the tabs and creases and laid it out flat.

It took her a while, but she got there and thoroughly enjoyed it when I offered to decipher she gave an emphatic “No, I will get there”

I will put the answer in the first comment for those of you wanting to give it a go.

  ENJOY!!