Life's too short, I want more

Good morning, and it's another bright one again. Seems like we are in for a hot spell, not too hot I hope or I will be moaning about that. Heat saps the strength out of me, I am always searching for shade, I am not a sun worshiper. It got a bit hot yesterday but it was lovely and cool to walk through the woods. The caravaners were getting set up at the race course ready for the meeting tomorrow, some of them had the top of the range motorhomes, even satellite dishes were in abundance. I can't think of anything worse than being trapped in the middle of a field amongst loads of half dressed folks lounging about swigging their lager, and watching the goggle box. Still, each to their own I suppose, not everyone wants to traipse through fields full of cow pats, and wade through knee high nettles wearing shorts, ha ha.

Can you tell I'm glad I wasn't at Glastonbury last weekend. I shall be heading off down there tomorrow, camping at the Youth Hostel in nearby Street, and meeting Kath on Monday. On the way back up a week later I am hoping to meet Compostwoman. Ha ha, Meanqueen on tour if you like, anyone else down that way who wants to join in?

This short little video I made yesterday was quick to upload on Yootoob so here we go....


Right, today I've got a lot to do, clean the house ready for the cat sitter, leave things ready, food, cat litter, etc,  gather everything I need for walking, camping and hostelling, and get the car loaded. Ooops, just a minute, the washing machine has stopped, I'll get the clothes hung on the line before they get creased. Excuse me.

Now, the questions. I'll start with this one from JP from India. Not sure if you are male or female JP, but you ask how I keep up my energy levels, when at 28, you get tired easily. It's difficult to compare lifestyles from two different age groups on two different continents, so many factors to consider, but I'll try. I am retired, I no longer have to go to work, so I can focus all my attention on making the best life for myself without having to deal with the mind numbing orders from management. Freedom is so sweet. Saying that I was always energetic, even when working, because I loved my job. I got pleasure out of doing it well. Yes, I was always ruled by deadlines, be here, go there, but I didn't mind then because it was a challenge and I wanted to beat it. As I have got older I am more laid back, more relaxed, but still with the same energy. Now it's a bonus that I can decide what to do with it.

Going back further, I was all over the place when I was a teenager, out and about, with my mates, shopping, partying, dancing, I was born with energy. I wasn't a swot because I knew I didn't have the brains to pass exams, but I was good at everyday living. I learnt practical things from my mum, how to survive and get on with it.

I believe that having energy, or not, has a lot to do with what you eat. I don't know what your diet is like JP, but I thought they ate pretty healthily in India. How many overweight people do you see hobbling about with sticks, or sat on a buggy because their knees have gone altogether, and how many skinny people do you see with mobility problems.  Please don't take this personally if anyone is in this situation. This is not an attack on anyone's lifestyle, and I know that there are genuine cases of ill health that are not attributed to unhealthy eating. Just saying we all have the freedom to make choices about what we put in our mouths, we are not force fed. I expect to get a few negative comments here, but go ahead, I can take it. There will always be people who say they eat the best diet ever but still put on weight. I'm not talking about those people, they have a medical problem which should be monitored by a doctor.  

So, lack of energy, I would say look to your diet first. If that is fine and you are eating the right foods, it could be something psychological that is draining your energy. I want to say at this point that I am not trained in medical or psychological matters, these are my opinions, based on my lifestyle. The way I see it, I have been given a life, I value that life, I am grateful that I am here. There has never been a time when I have wanted to chuck it all in. Oh, I have had my down moments, I think we all have. I have been fed up when things have gone belly up, sometimes I have been in despair, especially when it comes to hating my reflection in the mirror. But I can honestly say I have never been depressed.

Being fed up can sap your energy levels, it can make you irritable, hate where you are, and want to run away screaming. If anyone can't cope with their circumstances the best thing they can do is to get out. That old saying, 'Life is too short', keeps coming back, and it's true. If you have a zest for life it is good for your energy levels, and it will help you sail through. If your energy is blocked by negative thoughts, you need to assess where you are and where you want to be, and make the changes to bring back some sparkle. I am well aware that every day which passes is a day loser to death, not morbid but being realistic. When I was JP's age, 28, I thought I had all the time in the world. Now I know I don't. It would be such a shame to waste what time I have left.

Exercise is also important. Doing no exercise at all is a sure fire way of putting your body into snooze mode, your brain shuts down and your muscles seize up. You must do some exercise, no matter how little. Even those with limited mobility can do something, there are classes for wheelchair users. Whichever bits of your body don't work properly there is always something you can do with the rest of it. And if anyone says to me I can't do this, and I can't do that, I say, yes, but what can you do. A defeatist attitude is no good at all for your mental and physical health. Look at all those disabled athletes in the Olympic Games, they didn't roll over and die, they got up to fight.

It's strange, but when I go on a long walk, I hit the wall on about the third or fourth day, tiredness looms it's ugly head. I might get an achey knee or a grumbly hip, or a blister. But what happens after that is it gets easier, my body adjusts, it finds ways of coping. I go on automatic pilot and my legs move like pistons. They just keep going. It's like that with most forms of exercise. Lots of people have said to me, I've tried the gym, aerobics, zumba, or whatever, and I had to give up because....blah blah blah. And I say, you didn't try hard enough, you didn't stick it out. I have to say here, that if you are unfit and want to embark on a fitness programme, it's a good idea to ask your doctor first. Chances are that there is no medical reasons why you shouldn't make a start.           

So, where am I now? I'm in a good place, I am working hard at living my life for myself. I don't do much long term planning, a week or two ahead is fine, maybe a little longer if I want to go on a long trip. JP asks about my resourcefulness. The answer is, that I have always been resourceful, it's how I was brought up. I feel sorry for those kids of rich parents who never have to sort out problems for themselves. They know that the bank of mum and dad will cough up. Throw them into the real world and they would be flumoxed. They should be forced to do a year of voluntary work in third world countries, it would give them a good grounding for the rest of their lives.

To sum up.....If I want something doing, I ask can I do it myself. If I need to buy something do I really need it, can I make it, can I buy it second hand, have I got enough money to pay cash for it. If you don't have the skills needed you can learn them, there are plenty of videos on yootoob. I can't think of anything else to add to this, I hope it has been useful.

Now, what was the second question, ah yes, Old She dragon asks about biodegradable plastic bags being used for fusing and making new bags. A lot of plastics are now biodegrade, especially supermarket carrier bags and charity shop bags. They seem to be quite flimsy because there is hardly any plastic in them. I think it would be ok to use them if you sandwich it in between heavier plastic. Mind you I am no chemist when it comes to working out the composition of plastic. I think, if you pull real plastic with your fingers it will stretch, if it is flimsy it will break and make a hole. The bag I knitted about four years ago out of charity bags has not disintegrated, because I chose what I thought was real plastic. I can't give you a definite answer, just try and use thicker stretchy plastic.

A quick note before I get on with my jobs, welcome to the new followers, nice to see you. And thank you to those who read but don't follow. You don't have to follow, life's too short to sit by a computer all day, ha ha. I'm off.  I shall check back later to read your comments. Enjoy your weekend.
Toodle pip