Wednesday 25 February 2009

The Dreaded Disability Living Allowance Form

Ok I've had it a month now-had a reminder to send and still can't bring myself to do it. I keep telling myself I'm researching it so have rang a few helplines for advice on what to write. Have printed off guide from http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/ and filled in my name and bank details and then.....

I guess its just it makes you think about how bad you really feel, how little you can do and the outcome could still be they take it away from you and you have to fight to get it back.

I know I said I had become decisive in my 25 things but this one I just cannot get to grips with and now I can't find a black pen so.. can't do it today either. Am going away today for a few days to Hever in Kent so maybe next Monday? Will let you know when I have completed it.

Tuesday 24 February 2009

Why I Love My Ipod

I often have nights where I can't sleep because of pain or wakefullness so I rely on my ipod for distraction from pain and to keep me from thinking too much about worries. I rarely listen to music but listen to various podcasts about quirky news items, stories and some meditation. I have tried talking books but find that when I fall asleep it justs plays on and then I don't know where I am in the story so it takes a long time to get through a book- but maybe that's a good thing because they must be sending me to sleep right?
Here's a list of my favourites:
APM A Prairie Home Companion-the news from lake wobegon
The Archers- english radio soap
EFT Talk- emotional freedom technique- how to do tapping
Good Night- Dick Summer ex radio presenter with a silky voice to send you to sleep
Meditation Station -guided meditations by Stin
My Thought coach- more meditation by Stin
A new Power Nap every day- if you haven't slept a quick boost for daytime
NPR Driveway Moments- short uplifting stories
NPR most emailed stories- news and interesting stories
NPR Storycorp- short interviews with people across America
Podquiz weekly- we like to do this quiz as a family listening on speakers but we are not very good at it
PRI selected short stories- short stories read live
This American Life
WGBH Morning Stories
Wrightales- Fairy Tales for grownups

I couldn't manage withiout my pod so much so that my husband bought me a spare- just in case.

If you don't have an ipod you can copy the podcasts from itunes onto a CD and I forgot to say the best thing about them is they are all free- yippee

Monday 23 February 2009

101 things in 1001 days - my list

101 Things in 1001 day

1. Lose 30lb and keep it off -7/30
2. Play on Wii 3 times a week for a month 0/12

3. Swim every other day when in Turkey in the summer 0/56
4. Do all fitness Dvds in cupboard at least once 0/5

5. Have spa day at home with friends 0/1 planned for next Tues
6. Have Turkish Massage 0/1
7. Pay off credit cards 0/2
8. Pay off at least half other debts
9. Save towards emergency fund 3 months out goings 200/10000
10. Put £10 away each time complete challenge use to finance other goals 10/1010

11. Don't buy any clothes for a month 7/31
12. Use pain machine every day for a month record if it helps 0/31
13. Go to comedy club 0/1
14. Go to cinema that has sofas in Knightbridge 0/1
15. Go to outdoor cinema 0/1
16. Cover sofa cushions 0/5
17. Get Front garden tidyed 0/1

18. Insulate loft space and put flooring 0/1
19. Fix fence at bottom of garden 0/1
20. Plant more flowers in garden
21. Get curtains for front room 0/1
22. De-clutter every cupboard in house 0/15
23. Spring clean every room- not me!! 0/8
24. Complete the dreaded Disability form 0/1
25. Dye my hair purple or blue or pink before I am too old to 0/1
26. Become a Reiki Master 0/1
27. Try a flotation tank 0/1
28. Learn Turkish good enough to hold conversation in shop or restaurant 0/2
29. Stay in Bellek Castle 0/1
30. Drink 8 glasses of water a day for a month 0/31
31. Go for a ride in a hot air balloon 0/1
32. Go to have feet nibbled at place in Turkey 0/1
33.Ride on banana sofa by sea 0/1

34. Go to Saltzburg to waltz and opera with David 0/1
35. Get a tattoo even if it is fake haha 0/1
36. Drive an open top sports car 0/1
37. Go to Istanbul 0/1
38. Have a bonfire with all papers re work complaint 1/1 completed marvellous
39. Swim the English channel in pool 0/38000yards
40. Go to lunch alone with each of my children-don't be scared kids 1/4
41. Make some soap 0/4
42. Go blackberrying and make jam 0/6 pots
43. Meditate every day for a month 0/31
44. Learn to play ukelele one song well 0/1
45. Wear makeup every weekend for a month 0/4
46. Have eyelashes dyed 0/1
47. Make air raid shelter into house 0/1
48. Listen to all songs on ipod A-Z 92/3765
49. Make some saresses for family and friends 0/4
50. Make pattern for dress and make it 0/1
51. Go to tea dance in afternoon 0/1
52. Sing karoake in public 0/1
53. go dancing with friends 0/1
54. visit all pubs in Surrey bit of 2009 good beer guide with fire with David 2/69
55. Wear a dress every day for a week 7/7
56. Wear everything in my wardrobe at least once or give it away 1/50 ish
57. Keep gratitiude journal for month 5 things a day 0/31
58. Go on a picnic 0/1
59. Book a hotel on Friday to go on Saturday 0/1
60. Take dance class (with David for bonus £10) 0/1
61. Take some good photos and enlarge and frame them 0/4
62. Have family portrait done 0/1
63. Make use of library go at least ten times 0/10
64. Go to Bath for a holiday 0/1
65. Have a clothes swapping party 0/1
66. Add more slate to back garden 0/1
67. Go to auction and buy something nice 0/1
68. Blow big bubbles in the garden with Catrina 0/1
69. Go to three art galleries 0/3
70. Send up a video to you've been framed 0/1
71. Read all books on bedroom shelf and give away ones don't need to keep 0/50
72. Watch 50 new DVDs 0/50
73. Read a Turkish book or newspaper 0/1
74. Write a short story and send it to a magazine 0/1
75. Make and print family recipe book 0/12
76. Do an online blog for a month 7/31
77. Learn to put talking books onto my computer instead of having to ask P or T 0/12
78. Start a website ask for help P or T 1/1
79. Write a song 0/1
80. Sing a song and record it 0/1
81. Ride on a trike in London 0/1
82. Spend a weekend doing exactly what I want once a year 0/3
83, Go to a spa once a year 0/3
84. Go to Ritz for high tea 0/1
85. Go to London be a tourist on tourist bus 0/1
86. Give 5- just because-gifts 0/5
87. Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice to Freerice 4,000/1,000,000
88. Ride on back of tandem 0/1
89. Paint an oil painting on canvas 0/1
90. Make a quilt 0/1
91. Knit a squares blanket 0/1
92. Go to belly dancing class 0/1

93. Write a book nanowrimo 0/1
94. Beat David on the Wii ideally tennis but will settle for golf 0/1
95. Holiday with kids here and in Turkey 0/2
96. Furnish house in Turkey 0/1
97. Make a bean bag 0/1
98. Give myself reiki every day for a month 0/31
99. Share a skill-reflexology or indian head massage, computer training with Joyce 1/4
100. Learn how to make cards 0/12
101. Go to flower show 0/1




101 things in 1001 days

Hi everyone I an just going to start doing this challenge and wondered if anyone fancied joining me. Its sounds interesting and also fun. Your list will of course be completely different to mine but I had fun making it and hope to have great fun doing- most- of them. David is looking forward to the pub crawl in Surrey but doesn't think I will get him to do the dancing class. sorry about the rubbish spreadsheet but maybe "someone" (Hi Telbel) might be able to make it better for me. I used these websites for info to start me off for ideas of things to do but really you can put anything you like.

http://www.dayzeroproject.com/

http://www.foldedspace.org/weblog/2007/04/101_thing_in_1001_days.html

http://www.dienu.com/

I am starting on first March and will therfore finish on 27th November 2011 I don't expext to get them all done but if you want to join my 101 CLUB it will be interesting to see what other people decide to do and how they get on. Happy 101 ing

Its a bit like an enormous target list. I really find its important to have things to look forward to especially on those days when you are not able to do very much-like yesterday. I like to do a bit of planning and have a few note books on the go with various projects that I am working towards. I start with a list then Break it down into achievable bite size bits.

For instance-I am trying to recover my sofa so first thing was: 1. fix broken cushion, 2.buy velcro for closure, 3.ask Ellen (daughter) to help make pattern and then hopefully she will help to 4.cover them. Have completed 1 and 2. Will do similar thing for my 101 things. I am starting on 1st march 2009 and will finish on 27th November 2011.