Faith posting on Mal's Murmurings

A further posting for today, FAITH MATTERS, can be found on 'Mal's Murmurings'.

Viewing Habits

Howling gales and lashing rain are, once again, the order of the day. Today, a degree of comfort is felt, a sense of gratitude that I have no need to venture out and face, in the flesh so to speak, these inhospitable elements!

The howling wind seems to possess many of the qualities of the talentless oiks, upgraded to the status of celebrity, by programmes like ‘Big Brother’; it makes a lot of noise and, its most noticeable effect is of a negative variety. The wind usually manages to blow itself out after a limited period of time, hopefully these ‘celebrities’ will follow suit. The big problem, for me, is to understand why anyone with a modicum of talent or intelligence should even consider subjecting themselves to this type of inane indignity?

I admit that I have never watched the aforementioned programme so, my understanding is based only on hearsay; hearsay is so potent that I have no desire to make amends for this omission in my viewing habits.

At least looking out, through a rain streaked windowpane, at our battered and windswept garden gives me something worthwhile to watch!

For A Change

Today's blog posting, CONSTANT CHANGE, can be found on Mal's Murmurings!

Rise and Shine

Much of the morning was sunshiny and bright, although most of my information on that score results from an interpretative process, assessing the degree of brightness which penetrated the bedroom curtains. Although my body demanded an early night, last evening, I still found it impossible to release myself from the duvet realm before 11.15AM.

First port of call was the bathroom where, my beloved having securely installed a shower seat, I was able to luxuriate in its warmly soothing spray. Although the aches and pains, emanating from the Achilles tendon, have considerably subsided during the past few days (the meloxicam, codeine and paracetamol diet having a degree of success) I am still unable to take the amount of exercise that I’d gradually built up to over the preceding twelve months.

On Friday, Helen dropped me off at ‘Open Church’ where I enjoyed chatting with a few of the old faithfuls but, the walk back home proved a rather fatiguing experience, especially with the battle against a bustling wind which misguidedly attempted to aid me on my journey. Yesterday, I managed to attend a coffee morning at the neighbourhood chapel, with my beloved who then chauffeured me down for lunch at ‘The Park’ (formerly ‘The Hornbeam’) our local Brewer’s Fayre which has attempted, much to our disgust to go a little more upmarket. Having got up the nerve to venture in there, for the first time since the revamp/refurbishment last September, the experience proved most rewarding.

Dining out can be a pleasant experience, as long as I don’t expect it to produce the quality of food that I manage to prepare. The general ambience of ‘The Park’ proved cosily welcoming, unexpectedly so considering they describe themselves as a venue for ‘Contemporary Dining & Drinking’. I am pleased to report, a surprisingly unpretentious ambience and menu; a comfortably relaxed lunchtime experience!

So, I return to the bright sunshiny morning, although my first venture out was strictly speaking early afternoon. I hobbled along to the local 7-11 shop for a packet of cigs, shortly after noon, enjoying the crisp brightness rather more than my right leg appreciated the stick assisted exertion. This ten minute venture provided sufficient exercise to see me through the remainder of the day.

Before the tendon inflammation entered my life experience, I’d managed to reduce my nocturnal bed rest requirement to between 10 and 10 ½ hours but, following the limb directed major sleep deprivation it has recently increased to between 11 and 13 hours. Some severe disciplining may be called for!

Today's utterance

Today's posting, "Rhubarb, rhubarb ..." can be found on both 'Mal's Murmurings' and 'Hirsute Antiquity'!

The variegated dance of life

Oh, the bliss … a wonderful return to the almost normal disrupted sleep pattern. The cocktail, of anti-inflammatories and analgesics, has finally started to kick in and, my traditional mode of randomly disrupted bouts of sleep feels just great! What a contrast to the sleep disrupted pattern of acutely pained wakefulness.

The staircase now proves less of an obstacle, more of a routine; the exercise has been honed to a fine art of stick and handrail assisted good leg lead on the ascent, pained leg lead for the descent. My hobbling around, within the confines of the house, is an altogether less excruciating experience; I occasionally manage to maintain an upright posture, as opposed to a crooked one, during these ambulations.

The dance of life maintains an endless fascination. I rejoice in this day the Lord has made!

Not here - but elsewhere

Hirsute Antiquity - Malcolm in 'MySpace' guise - has today posted "Content - but not complacent"!

Mal's Murmuring Again

Today's posting, A Long Slow Getting Nowhere, can be found on 'Mal's Murmurings'.

Acrobatics of the Absurd

To shift oneself from laying on ones back, in order to attain a side lying position, the first imperative is to shuffle the bottom up towards the top of the bed, elevate the upper torso and, only then attempt the rolling ritual. Several painful attempts, to do so, may well be followed by a marginally less painful manoeuvre; once a relatively comfortable recumbent position has been attained, the possibility exists that it may be maintained for at least 5 minutes before the familiar dis-ease once more re-asserts its control of the situation.

Extending the offending limb, downwards, may alleviate the sharp shooting pain or, alternatively, intensify the same troubling symptom. Screams, in response to the agony are permitted but are by no means compulsory; tears may be stifled back or permitted free reign according to the situation. It is important to remember that removal of oneself from the bed will at first require the exertion of sitting oneself upright before gently manoeuvring the lower limbs over the edge of the sleeping apparatus.

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A totally sleep deprived, routinely fatigued, body is forced to exist in a state of constant alert.

For the past three nights, although totally shattered in mind and body, sleep has been a) difficult to come by and b) when it arrives, disrupted after a few minutes. Agony is too passive a term to describe the degree of discomfort, even though it is definitely agonizing. Nerve shattering fatigue seems to be overwhelmed by the degree of acute pain that sleep is ruled out as an overcoming option.

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This morning, after a further night of doubt, sorrow and affliction, my body finally yielded to the overwhelming necessity for sleep and, for several late morning hours the pain was forgotten as I lapsed into the arms of Morpheus. For this I give thanks.

Today's posting on Mal's Murmurings

Today’s posting, “Try A Little Tenderness”, can be found on ‘Mal’s Murmurings’.