Problem solving

Sometimes it can seem as if everyone who seems to achieve seems to be following some guru's guide or other that focuses more on having carefully thought out strategies for dealing with those life skill issues some of struggle with.

I'm a great fan of The Latest Kate's inspirational art and in this she addresses a fundamental truth which is you don't actually need that approach to having it right at the outset.
Many of us find we're programmed more to pick at it a bit at time as we go along and that often gets us to where we want to be.
It all doesn't have all appear before our eyes in one flash of inspiration.

Getting things together

Oh well, reaching from the back to fasten anything not least to plat your own hair was always going to difficult for some of us with poor grip and worse co-ordination but you sure can't fault her for trying which is an easy mindset to fall into.
Sometimes it's born of the expectation someone else will always do such things for you or that you are so used to told you never will, it becomes a belief system so you never explore any way in which you might cos in your mind you have you can't and never will.
I've been there to, being capable of getting into a very defensive mindset which may of had more toward how others handled such things in the past especially if they tried guilt tripping you into the bargain but sometimes new techniques can make a real difference so why deprive yourself of a potential ability?

Putting the emphasis on what it belongs

It's been another hot week struggling to cope with the temperatures and the intense brick dust from nextdoor's building work by the local cowboys but there is one issue I have touched on before here I am revisiting.
In an era where social media is seen as the one point all information and contacting having an old school website devoted to mainly non sexual spanking might seem to be a bonus given some folks negative experiences of sites like Fetlife but there has been an issue a few of us have been talking about for a while which resumed last week.
A website for adults who are spanked and those that do you might think has little need to have anything that has to do with spanking and children especially when talking about that in the forums is an absolute no and where no one under 18 can sign up but two pages on the site clearly breach this.
The main page had a long section on it that after much pressure was removed but this a fellow member pointed out leaves a substantial chunk on the other that uses examples on time outs versus spanking referencing children.
One can follow the arguments but it is simply inappropriate to reference it on a site for adults  and should use not discuss its application using examples with children where they could be replaced by some those of us who as adults, are explaining why we find it more helpful.
Such examples would themselves serve as a more useful guide for those looking into this for being the experiences of actual adults  in dealing with their own challenges while making crystal clear the site is not about in any way shape or form spanking of children leaving such discussions to those to whom this is relevant such as parenting sites.
Thankfully that wording has now gone.
In my opinion making these changes is well overdue although I remain surprised the wording went unchallenged at the time.

Peter Fermin: A tribute

(Picture credits: Kent Press)
It was announced on Monday, Peter Fermin, artist, puppet maker and the creator of Bagpuss and Basil Brush who worked with the late Oliver Postgate of Small Films had died aged  89.
Peter believed passionately in the appeal, the soul of traditional animated films and their puppets  feeling they had soul that appeal more greatly than computer generated icons (CGI) to viewers being more relateable.
There are many series he had a hand in of one one I feel on balance is the one most of us hold the greater affection for and that is Bagpuss, "a saggy, old cloth cat, baggy, and a bit loose at the seams" for whom Emily the owner of a shop that repaired and sold old things so loved.
Her affection for him remains a most poignant moving thing for me and many others who have seen the original series from 1974 with it's sepia toned introduction.
It would be a mistake to ignore his involvement in other series Small Films made  and that are fondly remembered such as the railway series set in Wales, Ivor The Engine, which no doubt was popular with boys or the Viking adventures of the Saga of Noggin the Nog.

 One which I loved to pieces was The Clangers from the early nineteen-seventies but with new series too  set on a small planet inhabited by family of small creatures called Clangers who share their life with people like the Soup Dragon whose Blue String Pudding and Green Soup underground.

The Clangers communicate in Clanger, a language using whistling something to which much to the annoyance of ones parents and teachers many of us used too and the series had a narrator who would explain what was going on while allowing the characters to communicate directly to us in Clanger. 
It was a peaceful co-operative space world so many of us loved in the era where man's space exploration was at its peak, eagerly followed by schoolboys and girls and also featured a musical tree that played music and an Iron Chicken.
These cartoons, in part Peter's life work were and are core parts of our childhoods I cannot say to hear of his demise doesn't make me sad, it does but thanks to digital media they live on able to offer something that more glossy more, commercially savvy series lack.
R.I.P Peter.

A week in the life of Jo

One thing I tend to talk about at various places is missing spoons because however I wrap the thing up, just living as me physically, mentally and psychologically takes a lot of out me as try to keep up with everybody else.
It's especially bad at times of the year like the one we're going through where it has bee unrelentingly hot, over 28 degrees  for over a week so hot you struggle to get to sleep at night and wake up with damp night clothes sticking to you as the sweat has been absorbed  by them, leaving you feeling clammy.
It's a reason why I needed to leave chat early last night as I was starting to feel too far gone and also dehydrated.
It's been an uphill struggle to get things done as you just lie there first thing feeling tired before you've even done a thing, never mind everyday stuff like fixing food, getting some exercise in to keep myself reasonable fit and loss a bit of weight and even read or colour so the fact I'm at least doing it is a sign of some self discipline being in me now.
I as sure as heck would not of a few years back.
 

New and improved colouring

As you may be aware I do colour quite a bit and I did mention not so long ago I really did need to get a new colouring book  having finished off my "Coloring book for girls" one I had since last year.

It also is the case I do love Jacqueline Wilson's stories  so when I found out there was a colouring book based on the characters from them, that to me seemed just perfect as that just married up two likes in one.
I bought it because I was looking for something a little more of a challenge when it comes to neatness and having smaller areas to colour compared to my other ones so it would hold my interest being more for Tweens which as far as my regression goes is more where it is at.
I'm enjoying this one heaps.

Horizontal thoughts

Things are better in pink I think!

 As explained on the other blog, not much tm happened at the weekend but maybe that enforced break was a good thing in a way because it meant I used time to just switch off and relax rather than trying to get a half dozen things  together.
Sometimes just listening to story-telling can help with it outside of my regressive needs so being able to 'tune in' to a friends streamed show with messaging to kind help relax, tossing any unneeded grown up thoughts out of the window on Sunday helped.
The other thing is I feel more confident in myself, what I'm about (and what I'm not) what it is I'm trying to do knowing actually I own that that leaves me feeling more purposeful, like I'm in control here.
I walked through a door smiling with confidence.
The noise from next doors building works is a pain but I'm just going out more into the outdoors and they pack up mid afternoon and it shouldn't be that long before it's all over with with most of the roof timbers in.
Now for a Magnum icecream!