Day Sixty-three

A glorious autumn day, mild in the sun and at midday; got suddenly a lot colder towards evening.

What emotional pangs did I notice today?


Too busy to notice.

What feelings about differences did I notice?

I'm such a stickler for details.

What went well today?
Kept good time for my various appointments and commitments.
Shipped off a translation in good time; kept up with other ones.
Encouraging dental appointment to see whether my recurrent mouth sores can be sorted.
Good walk right across town and back again.
Typed up my TO DO list, and also typed up a HAVE DONE list! 
I get a lot done in a day, even if I don't get to some of the things that I should.
Booked hair appointment for next week.
At last caught up with plumber who has not been very forthcoming re new taps in kitchen and bathroom. 
Took phone calls from ACHA people re water ingress from ACHA flat into mine.

How can I make it happen more regularly?

Keep on keeping on. Keep checking up on clients, workmen – but why should I have to do that?

What strengths have I focused on today?

Ability to juggle quite a few things at the same time.

At what point did I feel most authentically myself?

In meditation during Tai chi class.
Walking to hospital and back again in glorious sunshine.

Chatting to some friends I ran into along the way.

What did not go so well?
Have not touched my accounting at all, at all. 
Watched TV late into the night.

Day Ten plus Eleven

A good day, all in all. Woke at some point in the early morning but must've fallen asleep again while thinking about getting up because my alarm woke me at 8:45 – time for Concerta x 2.

It was pretty damp out there and grew damper and windier as the day wore on. Wild water out in the Bay, beautiful but not to be taken lightly. I was glad to have the shell of my car about me, anyway.

Wasted a lot of time sorting on-line stuff out for my new Gaelic course, and phoning people, chasing things up.

What went well today?
But had a good laugh with my new dentist, who accepted my decision not to have injections for the removal of a dodgy filling. It was fine. That kind of pain is over so quickly and then it really is over.

Also managed to hopefully sort out a knotty translation question for my very oldest client, who has kept me housed and fed for over twenty years – not exclusively, but with some of my most interesting  commissions.

And had a good Tai chi session, and got ready for some more work.

Finally, a lovely evening out with a friend up at live music in Benderloch (Orcadian Ivan Drever, guitarist, singer, songwriter).

Shall I look at all the things I did not manage to do?
- accounts
- another translation due by Saturday
- garden work
- cleaning windows, cleaning house in readiness for a visitor

What emotional pangs did I notice today?

Missed the cat at the most unexpected moments – should be over that by now, surely...

At what point did I feel most authentically myself?
Probably when I walked along the Esplanade, with the spindrift blowing in my face! It was good to be out there and to feel the elements. Needed that!

Day Ten plus Four

A productive day, one that brought a number of positive surprises.

What emotional pangs did I notice today?

Not many. The weather was fairly awful, wet, windy, gusty – but I actually quite like it, as long as it doesn't go on and on...

What went well today?
Woke very early, after only five hours' sleep.
Had a fascinating dream – again, as on a previous occasion, one of great clarity and definition. One episode made me feel really happy: there was a very young, bland-faced baby. I was talking to her but I don't remember what I said. Suddenly, she focused on me and her face broke into this really wide grin and her eyes locked into mine, very deliberately and clearly, and I knew she had recognised something and that made her feel good. – Later in the day, at the LORN market, there was the "market baby", and she laughed and smiled at me. Magic!
Next, an unexpected job came in; I did some more work on a tricky translation; completed legal work to secure my tenants' deposit and went to look at the outside of the house – that needs a bit of sorting, very neglected-looking. Not good. But will get better.
Today's big surprise: I've got a place on the accelerated Gaelic distance-learning course (Sep 2012-July 2013) at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye. Registration deadline was 24 August. I sent an on-line enquiry yesterday and got a reply this morning: because of my background, computer skills etc., they're happy for me to join in even though I missed last week's introduction.
By this evening, it was all arranged, forms filled and posted off and the course paid for.
First session: next Wednesday evening. Shame about the Gaelic conversation group, with which it coincides to a large extent, but I'm hoping I'll be able to join them a bit later.
Also did quite a bit of walking today – to my Thursday evening Tai chi class and home again – and am really tired now. Tai Chi is just so good. I like the instructor and I like the other practitioners.
When I got home from the market, I found my gladioli all buffeted by the gusting wind, so I spent half an hour in the garden, tying them up and cutting away the faded ones so the fresh ones may have a bit more room. And there are some truly exciting flowers coming up – I've no idea what they're called. Will have to take photos tomorrow!

How can I make it happen more regularly?

By sending out positive vibes. By focusing on what really matters.
I've been there before and I know it really works. All the same, it's nice to find it still does! Long may it continue!

What strengths have I focused on today?

Getting lots done at speed. I didn't actually deliberately focus on any of my strengths.

At what point did I feel most authentically myself?
Most of the day, actually, but especially as I walked briskly along the Esplanade, with the wind driving soft, warm rain into my face. And on my way back, being almost carried along on the gusts. Exhilarating. People smiled when they saw me, which was really nice.

My niece is now in Istanbul – at least I hope so. And I hope she finds what she went all that way to find. :)