Journal Entries
Onwards and upwards!
Posted Nov 23, 2003
Went to Bluewater today with Roy and little 
. I'd promised little a trip so that he could have a go on the climbing wall. I also wanted a go on it, although I confess to a bit of trepidation and the thought.
In the event, we parked easily enough and made our way straight to the climbing wall. We paid and there was a wait of about an hour and a half, so we went for a pootle and for a cup of coffee.
He was fitted up first and had a go at the wall. He was quite scared and didn't get above head height really.
Then it was my turn. I drew a deep breath and started on up. Looking for footholds was a bit of an issue. I could see hand holds, but not necessarily footholds. Sometimes the handholds came as a pleasant surprise, with somewhere to really hold onto and sometimes they were just fingertip holds - much more difficult. I got almost to the top before deciding to come down.
His turn again. Same experience - quite scared and not really willing to go higher and frightened to stretch for holds.
My turn. This time I got fully to the top. Hands and wrists starting to ache.
His turn. Again, not a great success.
My turn. Saw his little face looking disappointed, so I gave him my last go. He had someone different on the bottom this time and she really encouraged him and he got almost right to the top. I knew I had done the right thing, as he had succeeded. We left on a high note.
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Latest reply: Nov 23, 2003
Dancing in the leaves
Posted Nov 14, 2003
Just come back from the Co-op and there was a pile of leaves. It's been a very windy day, and has corralled the leaves into largeish piles. Little asked if he could walk in the leaves and spent quite some time dancing in them, delight writ large on his face. It was 
to watch!
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Latest reply: Nov 14, 2003
Interesting reaction
Posted Nov 14, 2003
Was doing a qigong class yesterday and I've had some interesting feedback.
This was the sixth session out of a series of 10. One of the participants said that she found herself tearful and sobbing at the end. I noticed that she didn't join in a face massage that I did right at the end, and I thought she looked a bit unhappy, however I didn't want to draw attention to her. I've always said that if there are parts that feel uncomfortable, then it's OK to stop for a while and rejoing as and when.
I gave her advice about doing the 'closing down' that I do at the end of every session and also about sitting quietly and visualising being surrounded by healing white light.
She later told me that she'd check with a couple of others who had also had tearful reactions. Powerful stuff. It's releasing blocks.
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Latest reply: Nov 14, 2003
TS Mercury
Posted Nov 10, 2003
Went to an Old Boy's Reunion of the TS Mercury on Saturday. It was held at the Hilton Hotel, near Portsmouth.
Roy (who told me most definitely that he doesn't want to be known by the nickname Merlin, although he'd chosen it earlier) is an old boy and one of the last to be there.
It was a naval training establishment - a private fee-paying one. He joined at age 13 and left three years later.
The 39 men dined separately and the ladies (all six of us) ate in the restaurant bit in splendid isolation.
TS stands for 'Training Ship' and it was originally called HMS Gannet, and is now being restored in Chatham dockyard.
It sounds to have been rather a Dickensian schooling. The boys slept in hammocks, which in the winter had icicles on them and were sometimes wet as the roof leaked and they had a spartan and harsh regime.
The school was run by CB Fry and his formidable wife Beatrice, who sounds to have been a somewhat sadistic character.
Unfortunately, the men's business meeting and meal lasted until just before midnight, so by the time I saw Roy, it was really time to turn in for the night.
There's definitely enough material for an h2g2 entry, so I'll be working on one when I have the time.
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Latest reply: Nov 10, 2003
Veggie Christmas
Posted Oct 28, 2003
Thinking of what to cook. Not sure. Most of what I've looked at have cheese as an ingredient, and I'm not supposed to have that as I'm intolerant to it.
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Latest reply: Oct 28, 2003
Zarquon's Singing Fish!
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