A Lazy Sunday.

Roberto Matta.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Matta

Today's been really relaxed and lazy Sunday which I thoroughly enjoyed, I slept right through until 12.00.

Then no sooner had I woken up when the phone rang and it was Gareth on the phone from Wales, which was a wonderful surprise.

He and his partner Paul, will be over here on 14^th of September and the best bit is that they'll be staying with us for the first three days.

It will be brilliant to have them staying with us, that's the third this year that we had friends staying with us.

I find I am getting quite excited about the prospect of their visit, it'll be nice to see them again, the last time was in September 2010.

A lot has happened since then for all of us, they've been renovating their house so I hope to hear all about it and maybe see some more photos too.

In 2010 the weather was much pleasanter in September than it is at the moment, it is quite cool so much so I have the windows shut in the bedroom.

Quite amazing given that the windows were both or either open up until Thursday since when is become cold enough for me to need a blanket at night.

Something I haven't needed since March, if it carries on getting cooler I will be needing my duvet very soon, usually that is necessary at the end of October.

Who knows what will happen with the weather, it could also suddenly get a lot warmer again we'll just have to wait and see.

Today has been good for me as I'm pleasantly relaxed now, I'm going to find another piece of art by Roberto Matta, a wonderful Chilean surrealist artist.

Whose work I admire, I think he was a great artist, who was extremely prolific so there's a lot of paintings to choose from which makes me very happy.

Never Going To Forget Them

Gareth's Photo Of Wales

Most days I write about my life, about being extremely disabled with Primary Progressive MS.

However despite wanting and needing to post about my situation, I do also need to post about other things too.

Otherwise I would not be able to be me, engaged with the world not just focussing on my situation and getting depressed because all I can see and feel is my own pain.

Life and my life is so much more than just this shitty disease, I can not and do not want to only focus on that aspect of my life even if it dominants our lives Richie’s and mine.

Watching the film about The Forgotten Children of Zimbabwe was very upsetting, sitting here crying made me realise that despite everything I am still better off than the people in Zimbabwe.

I had to write about it yesterday, somehow writing helped me to work through all the emotions I had felt when seeing those lovely children suffering.

So much suffering, bad enough that incurable diseases offer no perspective of improvement but for so much suffering to be inflicted because of power is revolting.

All that suffering so that one man can stay in power, a man who does not care how many lives get destroyed in the process.

In 2003 Mugabe said:

‘’This Hitler has only one objective: justice for his people, sovereignty for his people, recognition of the independence of his people and their rights over their resources… If that is Hitler, then let me be a Hitler tenfold."

Richie mentioned Mugabe had said he wanted to be like Hitler so I looked on the Internet and found the quote on this blog:


http://quotingmugabe.blogspot.com/

The film about The Forgotten Children of Zimbabwe was very upsetting, seeing people living like that with no hope was horrible.

Their lives do not matter to Mugabe who has thrown them away as if they were rubbish.

The children in the film all had great potential but unless things change soon they will also be thrown away.

Really hope that Mugabe dies soon so that those people can live, can have a future.
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Right now he is killing thousands by starvation, others he has murdered and he has his security services watching everything people do.

I won't be able to forget this film and Obert, Grace and Michelle or Esther nor do I want to forget them ever.

Enjoyed The Cooler Temperature Today.

Gareth's Photos From Wales.

It was a disturbed night last night, fell asleep quickly and with no problems but then woke up and felt very damp and thought that I was lying in a pool of urine.

Called Richie in a panic and he came over right away and checked and told me that all was well and there was no need to worry.

Could hardly believe that all was well, heard myself ask Richie again who reassured me before getting some THC which soon had me sleeping again quite quickly.

What a relief that it was sweat and nothing else, the calm way Richie dealt with being ripped out of sleep and the news that there was no leakage from the catheter, plus the THC really did the trick for me.

Today started very overcast and cool, after midday it rained, twice a huge black cloud came over and emptied itself.

Saw people trying to outrun the rain with little success, strange they did not have rain gear on such an obvious changeable day.

Amsterdam is always wetter than other places as it is located close to the Ij an inland waterway which connects to the sea.

That is also the reason that snow happens rarely here and when it does it is usually gone by the next t day.

Winter 2009 was an exception; the snow happened on the Winter Solstice and was on the ground well into the New Year.

The sun has just come out now at 19.00 and the clouds have gone and its blue skies again, it is also instantly much hotter once more.

Was very happy that it was cooler today was good to not feel wiped out for once, really enjoyed the temporary absence of the 30 + temperatures.

Hoped my fingers would be able to function better today but sadly this was not entirely true, my index finger is still not all that especially, now it is very hot again.

Oh well going to enjoy what there is for me to enjoy this evening, Richie is making some food now and will be in shortly.

Winning The Lottery

Camille Pissarro.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camille_Pissarro

Well Nur got his plane ticket today for a flight to London next week Saturday, he flies away at 11.45 in the morning and arrives at Heathrow at 12 noon.

Isn't time travel good, wish we could beam over to visit him when he gets settled, sadly did not win big in the lottery, only won 22,50.

It is a shame but can not see us travelling to England or anywhere these days, only in fantasy.

Would love to see London again and visit my cousin in the countryside outside Paris and visit friends in Wales and Devon.

None of which is possible for me not the way I am , especially as I can not sit for so long yet, that’s where a lottery win would have been great.

The only reason I could ever imagine travelling in First Class on a plane would be because you got a cabin to lie down in.

Already started organising the right sort of mattress and a smaller foldable hoist and a smaller adapted wheelchair for the flight.

Think that the fantasy got quite involved at that point and sadly was stopped short by the fact that I had not won the jackpot.

It was a great fantasy shame it did not become reality, nearly bought a new ticket for July but decided against it, am going to stay in the real world this month.

The sun is shining again today which is a really lovely change from the recent cool and grey and rainy weather.

Enjoying the sunshine very much and the company of Nur which has brought added sunshine to both our lives.

Going to enjoy finding pictures for this post and then enjoy dinner and watch South Africa v Uruguay.

It's My Birthday

Wassily Kandinsky

The sun is shining and the sky is blue and I have already had online birthday cards and greetings email and birthday greetings via Face Book.

The bell rang earlier; I thought it was the chemist dropping our deliveries to us.

It turned out to be flowers from Gareth and Paul in Wales, a lovely bunch of roses and lilies and other pretty flowers.

What a gorgeous surprise for me, one that totally got me, wow can't stop saying that every time I look over at the flowers.

The bell rang again and it was a second bunch of flowers from another friend in Wales Cari and her son Zebe.

And then another friend, who; lives local came by also with flowers, 5 small roses in pots and a bunch of willow branches.

Wonderful plus some more emails and e-cards and phone calls from dear friends.

Think that I shall stop here and find some pictures and post this and then I can have a nice shower and enjoy my day.

It is my Birthday today and I am going to enjoy it to the max
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Happy Days are here again.

More holiday photos from Anglesey, Wales.


Today we had such a quiet and relaxed start it was positively boring, there was no need to call anyone.

The only thing that happened was the person who empties the bins was there doing their thing just before 8 am, which seems to consist of banging the bins to make as much noise as possible.

Always a great way to be woken up and on Tuesdays even better as once the bins are empty the kids arrives together from nowhere.

It is usually about 20 kids, who sound like 60 kids, it can annoy but on the other hand it is also nice to hear their excitement.

Wonder what session they are waiting for, whatever it is the kids love it that is obvious.

Today they were gone as quick l y as they arrived and we were still extremely tired and both of us fell asleep again with out any problems.

A couple hours later I woke up again and once I opened my eyes I started doing the arm exercises.

Did quite a few extra sets which felt very good so I carried on, today my arms were still l very flexible.

The session with the fysio yesterday was very good; hopefully they will remain as good as it is fine for your arms and back muscles.

Keeps everything supple which is brilliant, it was a very good session with Mathilde yesterday.

She won’t be here this Thursday as it is Ascension Day so the practice they work for is closed.

When I came here in 1981 everything was closed for those kinds of holidays, the first time was a shock especially as I needed food.

Even then I got hold of some at an out of hours shop called an avond winkel or evening shop but of course everything was nearly twice as expensive as in the supermarket.

Of course now everything is open so there need be no worries about food shopping or any shopping now the idea of shopping with out restrictions has been embraced by the Calvinist Dutch.

Well it has not been the most beautiful of days with only quick glimpses of the sun.

Does not matter whatever the weather I am doing well hope you are all having a good day too.