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I suppose you might be wondering where I am, what have I been doing?

The truth is that February is a really bad month for me. Why would that be? It’s because I have SAD.

For those who may not know what this is, its Seasonal Affective Disorder.

I have had depression and anxiety since I was a teenager,, but in recent years it has become clear to me that Oct-Mar are my “risk” months. I struggle with low energy, foggy head, absent mindedness periods of exhaustion and episodes of melancholy which sometimes get quite dark. So, I struggle to achieve much outside of work at all by the time I get to February, including writing this blog.

I do use a sad light and I go outside every day but by this point it just gets difficult.

I plan to talk more about this part of me at a later date.

So to bring you up to date, we have a girls dinner party next week (end of Feb), tai chi and mindfulness going well, wardrobe and bedrooms sorted, greatly reduced processed foods, walking weekly, struggling with sugar.

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR VIDEO TO HELP WITH GIVING UP SUGAR!!

In January, I asked my very talented son-in-law, Rob, to design my tattoo. I told him the elements I wanted, but had no idea how it would look.

I spent a long time thinking about what to have. I wanted something meaningful that said something about the person I am.

Like everyone else I cannot be defined in one word or image, so I picked a long held value that I’ve always felt is inherent in me.

So today I took the next step and had it done!

It took an hour and it seems my skin is thin. I have always bruised easily and so I have a small bruise. It was a bit uncomfortable but did not really hurt.

SO GLAD I DID IT!

Comments welcome 😁

Just have to decide which ones make it to frames and the photo wall….

Read at least one book a month.

I have not planned any titles for this challenge, but the plan is to enjoy more fiction.

I have always enjoyed reading and I have a reasonable range of genres and authors. My all time favourite authors are Charles Dickens, Jane Austen,
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Alice Walker, Margaret Attwood and Dr Seuss. In the last couple of years I have discovered Haruki Murakami, Marnie Riches, Patrick Ness and Patricia Cornwell. And then there is a rather new author, Mindy Quigley.

Look them up on Amazon for more info and lists of their books.

I have always read a mixture of classics and modern fiction interspersed with self help and other non-fiction. Presently I am reading a novel and a book on racism. I have a constant thirst for learning and happily grab it where I can.

This month I am reading “The Garment Makers Daughter” by Hillary Adrienne Stern. The story of immigrants landing on Ellis Island, then discovering the land of milk and honey is just one big sweat shop! The story covers labour strikes, women’s rights, birth of unions intertwined with individual lives and loves. Definitely worth a read.

I have a book ready for February, tell you about it then. In the meanwhile, what would you suggest? I’ve given you an idea of what I normally read, what do you recommend?

I have only one stipulation – No horror or westerns! One gives me nightmares and the others bores me stupid!

Have a think and use the comments box for your suggestions.

ICELAND!

January 12th 2019, we flew to Reykjavik, Iceland!

The plan was to be there for my birthday on the 13th and to go on a Northern Lights tour on that night.

So, we wrapped up warm and spent the day in the city, walking from our hotel along the sea front. We both love the sea front no matter what the weather, so even though it was below freezing, we enjoyed the walk. it was what my parents would have called ‘‘Bracing’.

We wandered around all day coming across sculptures, murals and amazing buildings, everything I love. We saw Hofdi House, which is on the sea front, where, in 1986 it hosted the famous summit meeting between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, which many said was the beginning of the end of the Cold War.

That night our coach arrived for the tour just before nine. Along with four other full coaches we set off away from light pollution to ‘‘chase the lights’ as Roman, our guide put it. For an hour we drove into the night with Roman giving us information about Iceland in general as well as explaining the lights.

We came to a large parking area at the side of the road and were invited to disembark after receiving instructions on how best to photograph the lights.

We stepped out into the darkness, our feet crunching on the frozen snow, seeing our breath rising in front of us. We had the camera ready as did everyone else and proceeded to wait. Roman told us we would wait up to an hour and if the lights didn’t appear we would move on.

We were freezing and losing hope when someone shouted and we looked up to see a very faint green glow. we watched excitedly, our faces so cold it stung. we looked at the sky for twenty minutes, maybe more but the glow never developed. Disappointed we climbed back in the coach to go to the next place to try again.

As we drove clouds developed and I think we knew we wouldn’t see them this trip. The picture above is one I took of a video at a museum. So, I did see them, but not ‘live‘.

Iceland was fab, would love to go again in the summer sometime. Maybe we’ll spend next new year in Wick, Scotland and try again to see the Aurora Borealis.

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60-4-60 starts today!

Over the next 365 days, I am aiming to meet 60 challenges, one for each year of my life!

As I write this , I am in a hotel in Reykjavik, Iceland, hoping the sky will be clear tonight so I can see the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights.

This is our first day here, we arrived last night after a flight that took an hour longer than it should due to headwinds.

I am nervous about take-off and landing and usually tap the distract myself. I did this on take off, but due to a fab Icelandic family, who we chatted to most of the flight, I didn’t realise we were landing till we did!

We have looked around the city today. We were told it was expensive. However £4 for a packet of biscuits was a bit of a shock.

But its been fab! Challenge 16 is well under way!

Thank you to all who sent me birthday messages, I’ve had chocolate and prosecco, so its going well!

Watch this space for news on the Northern Lights, meanwhile, enjoy the pics.