Just noticed the back light was on and looked out, should have been in bed of course.There was a cat of unnamed breed in the garden. I saw that first. I thouht it had caught the bird that fell from it's tree earlier. Then I looked round for the bird and there it was, in the mouth of a fox. He ran of course. I tried to get a pic but failed. shame about the bird. i had hoped that it had got the gumption to fly off as it did when I tried to pick it up. It must have been a blackbird as ther were a pair of them fliting around the garden. What a shame.

Last week I had to go down south to see my brother who'd had a brain heamorrhage. They opened up his cranium and tied off some arteries and he is now home and fine. No sign of limb weakness or speech probs, just a HUGE headache. Amazing.

Won't be in for a few days now as going to visit my brother in Hampshire. Staying in a B&B in Lymington, booked over the internet last night.

No new news on my brother but i think he is out of danger for now.

Well I have been to three Weight Watchers meeting and lost a total of 4 and a half pounds, gained a totla of three pounds, and I have eaten that much crap this eek I may as well spend the money on having my mouth stapled.

So since my weigh in on Thursday I have had Pizza, a LOT of cake, pie, chinese and chocolate. Now if I put weght on I can hardly blame the diet when i don't follow it. i am my own worst enemy. As soon as I say I am going to be 'good', I have toe eat cookies, chocolate or some other item that is dripping in calories.

I tried to do the paul McKenna trick of imagining your fave food dripping in something disgusting, but it still didn't work.
This week it will be even worst as with stress, on go the pounds.

My brother is now out of intensive care and back on a neuro ward. Big sis and SiL have gone to see him. They say he is drowsy and in a lot of pain. He has a drain coming rom his wound which they can't see because of a hat dressing he is wearing.

I go down tomorrow. I can't say how much it is a relief for me to know he is improving. I won't be fully happy until I see him though.

I lead conservation task today. It was extremely therapeutic hacking weeds along a footpath. It did rain all the time, but it did not bother us. We even went and walked round the reserve afterwards. The light was beautiful on the water of the pond which is quite big. The greens of the plants were bright and the whole place had a magical feel to it.

Just what the doctor ordered for inner peace.

Had some friends round to night for a BBQ, ended up having it inside of course.

Today I should be writing about the the good day I had yesterday, selling stuff at a craft fair and going to my friends house for a girlie night in, but unfortunatly, though I did those things, it was over shadowed by my brother being treated for a brain haeomorrhage on Friday night. He lives four hours drive away and I did not rush down as his wife was there supported by my sister and step mum.

He had now had surgery and is in high dependency unit, and at this monemt awake. Big sis is going down today, and I take over Monday night as they have two children and they live forty miles away from the hospital.

It is hard to be on the sidelines, especially as a nurse, but I will be no use in the way.

Today I am leading a conservation task, slashing grass and weeds along a footpath in a nature reserve, and then later, throwing a BBQ, dpending on the weather.

Just finished 3 nights of hard labour at work and went to be for an hour, got up and went for a walk. Nuts I know. Friends from my conservation group and I went of to Arrenborough Nature reserve in Nottingamshire. Here is the link: http://www.attenboroughnaturecentre.co.uk/index.htm

They have nice easy walks for people who are not fit like me. Two miles causes me to have bad hip and back pain, even on the flat. So here I sit writing, dosed up with painkillers but well worth the effort.

There were loads of water fowl. A coot had built it's nest right by the visitor centre and it got off and we could see it's egg for a minute until it hopped right back on. Wish I'd got my camera.

The weather was overcast but dry. When I walked out of the door it was raining so was pleased things perked up.

They sell fairtrade and organic food at the cafe, nice panninis and cheesecake. There was a woman doing mosaics there too. She had a little table going for kiddies to make badges and fridge magnets, so littleun was chuffed.

She was seven yesterday. Soo grown up.

I have decided to turn my potting shed, aka dumping ground, for writing. I have been thinking about it for a while. If it was good enough for Roald Dahl it will be good enough for me.

Anyway, yesterday I had enough energy to start pulling out the junk and was doing OK until I noticed the wasp building a nest on the ceiling. Now I don't mind any wasp as long as it is out of sight and hearing. This one was in a small confined space with me and I screeched loudly and ran away.

Every time I went to see if it had gone it had built more nest and I got the colliwobbles. Yeuch. I had an extreme reaction to a bee sting many years ago, so I am think I am quite sensible to keep away from anything that buzzes. Every year I have to relearn getting used to them, and it is a bit early for me yet. Especially when the wasp in questions is as big as a horse, or over an inch longD

So this morning, not to be beaten, I went down to the shed and through a gap which had been conveniently made in an attempted break in, got my floorbrush and knocked the nest off the ceiling, the wasp was in it and I hope it wasn't hurt. of course I ran away as fast as I could imagining the poor thing chasing me down the garden.

I had a good night last night. I the Book crossing meetup, where I left a load aof books and had a good chat. Unfortunatly I picked up four books, but still that was less than I released yesterday. My Husband is driven mad by my book collecting habit. They are in boxes under the bed, cupboards, hidden in corners all over the house. After this I went off to my friend's house for a Body Shop at home event.
The Body Shop at Home was part of the fundraising strategy for my friend who is raising £2500 for Alkhzeimer's Society by going on a trek to Iceland. She is very close to her goal now, just another £400.00 to go. She is doing a craft and gift fair, a plant sale and a few other things so I think she should get it.
More details:
http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/index.htm Here is the link to my friend's donating site. If you wish to donate: http://www.justgiving.com/trekjane

ONE life follows the story of Christine Lyall-Grant who has early-onset dementia, and her daughter, Fiona, who is struggling to come to terms with her mother's reliance on her.
Tuesday 9 May 2006, 10.35pm, BBC ONE
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/tv_and_radio/onelife_series6prog1.shtml
Alkzheimers Society
http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/index.htm as part of her fundraising strategy for the trek she is to do into Iceland. Here is the link to her donating site if you wish to donate: http://www.justgiving.com/trekjane

For those interested, my friend raised over £170.00 at the Co-op in Belper the other day for the Alkhzeimers Society http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/index.htm as part of her fundraising strategy for the trek she is to do into Iceland. Here is the link to her donating site if you wish to donate: http://www.justgiving.com/trekjane

A little late I know but I should tell you about my weekend. It was most productive, with me clearing a room, gardening, going to the Alternative Fiction Event and a conservation task.

Saturday morning I had pleanty of energy, not going to the Alternative Fiction Event 'til one. Cleaned the kitchen and then cleared the 'back kitchen'. It should be a small breakfast room butis the dumping ground for washing to dry, Littlun's making stuff and junk. A lot had been put inthere over the las few weeks with my house clearing programme.

Then of to Derby Assembly Rooms for the Alternative Fiction Event. There were authors from the genres of sci-fi, horror and fantasy taking about their work, doing readings and workshops. There were publishers talking about their line of work in the current climate and the different genres. Most were small press, but that was OK. The day went really well. I got two books signed by their authors Justina Robson and Stan Nicholls. There were loads of books for sale, I only managed buy two.
Best talk was by Richard Morgan, cyberpunk writer, though he says he is writing his next book in the fantasy genre.

Afterwards I went to the pub with my friend N who had been with me all day. A nice feedom I don't have very often.

Sunday was conservation day. Conservation is something I have done since ,moving to Derby 21 years ago. It was a way of meeting people, getting out into the countryside and doing my bit for nature. I met my husband in my local group.

This time we were moving rock from the bottom of a small hill to the top in preparation for the mext task there in July, the rebuilding of a tumbled wall. It was strenuous but fun. Most of the rocks were huge so two or three people with a whellbarrow and rope carted it up, also we carried up smaller stones one at a time. It started to rain after half an hour, but to be honest, it didn't matter, it just cooled us down.

We finished just after lunch so we went home and ended up tackling the garden while we were still in the mood.

Today I am off to Derby's 'Alternative Fiction'. There will be authors from the genres of fantasy, sci-fi and horror talking about how they got where they got, their inspirations.

I have not gone to a trading event today so I could go to this so I hope it is good.

It doesn't start 'til 1pm which is great. I have a load of books by authors that are going so I hope to get some signed. I am taking my cheque book to buy more and I am taking a load of sci-fi and fantasy books to release, all registered with book crossing. Book crossing is a 3yr old hobby of mine, many of my books have travelled the world and the world is a much smaller place because of it. Here is the link www.bookcrossing.com

Added to Janes website is of course the AS own website, here is the link: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/index.htm Lots of opportunities to give there too.

I have just finished my night shift and by rights should go to bed, but seeing as I am such a sucker for a good cause I am helping my friend and business colleague to raise money for The Alkhzeimers Society by doing a trek to Iceland.

She is at the Co-op today and I am going in support. Follow the link to donate on line if you wish to do so. http://www.justgiving.com/trekjane

She is doing a plant sale and we are orgainising a craft and gift fair in the nearfuture.

Great start to the diet then. I weighed 3 pounds less at Weight Watchers this week. Not bad for the first week of a diet which I barely followed.

I am a quarter of the way to my first target of one stone. I don't suppose I will lose it so fast in the next week but it was nice for one day. Sticking to it today so far. Doesn't sound much but I was at work all night and count each day from midnight.

In an hours time I will be going for my first weigh in after a week of 'dieting'.
I have had all the naughty food groups except McDonalds and deep fried anything. I am feeling pretty happy though. I am not eating as much and my ample figure did not come overnight. Just by walking a bit more and cutting down I have STARTED

I am more determined to carry on with it now than I was when I started. I must say that the sun brings out the positive in me and I am more likely to pursue my goals.

Sat in the garden and actually did some writing today, nothing clever, but at least something. I have realised of course that every day since I started this blog I have been writing. Before that I was always too busy. The question is was i too busy or was it just more procrastination on my part because nothing is springing around in my brain at the mo? Is it actually 'cause all my creative juices are beig sucked up in the refashioning and organising of our house, my business, work and supporting friends. Of course there is the old chestnut of tiredness too, something I suffer from due to a chronic lack of sleep.
Who's fault is that anyway? Like now. I should have been in bed for at least the last hour so I can be sociable and effective at work tonight. If I don't get some sleep this pm I will be a bumbling fool tonight. My excuse is that I must finish my hot choc( pre sleep routine whatever time of day) and that my MIL is going to pick up Littlun from school, so I get an extra few mins in bed.

So there you have it, procrastination in full flow. Wonder if I can market it as a saleable transferable skill?

My house clearing project has moved forward in leaps over the last few days. We put together furniture from Ikea (bought on Friday). Transferred a double bed roungd to my in-laws. No 1 son persueded my husband to buy this bed whe I had said he was to have only a single due to lack of room. It took up sooo much space and so am glad to see the back of it.

I have now got a proper sideboard in the dining area of my lounge> I have needed one of these for a long time as we needed somewhere to put place mats and tablecloths. The wardrobe I used for stock moved upstairs and put in the place where the bed was and a second, new wardrobe, also put there for the overflow stock which is lurking around the house.

My mission today is to clear the rubbish from where the old wardrobe was and put a unit there which has been getting in the way elsewhere for ages. This will be our drinks cabinet.Then I am going to tack the shelves in the dining room, loaded with books, stock and stuff for Littlun that doesn't need to be there, now we have a new shelf unit just for her in the lounge. I nt eh next week it should look great but at the moment the whole house is in a state of flux. Can't beleive I have so much stuff when I only came to Derby with a suitcase and a carrier bag.

I had to clear out my dad's house after he died and he had hardly anything except 7 binliners of papers and a load of junk which ended up on a skip. I always said I didn't want to end up with loads of stuff but I seem to be a junk magnet. I would hate to be the one sorting out my stuff after I die.

I had a good day yesterday. Got my diary and worked out what I had to do in the month of May and then made a list. I used to hate being so organised but now I need it, otherwise I miss stuff and get stressed. In march I missed two birthdya parties that my daughter was supposed to attend. What a screw up. I felt so bad about it. Happily she knows me well and was philsophical about it . She said 'It doesn't matter mummy, I can have a McDonalds instead.' She hates some of these parties with dressed up characters and clowns, she was happy not to go to one of them for that reason.

One of the reason's I am busy this month is that I am helping a friend raise money for the Alkzeimers Society by going on a trip to Iceland. She has raised well over £1000 but needs to raise £2500 at least.
She is doing all sorts of things. She has already done a tin collection at my local Asda, held a card sale, benefitting from the proceeds, doing a pub crawl round town dressed as a viking woman, with friends.

On Friday I am to help her collect at the local Co-op and we are organising a craft and gift fair. She is taking donations on line too.

Just in case you fancy donating you can do it online at www.justgiving.com/trekjane.

But hanging on with to the side.
Another long night at work, and I kept being hungry. This time I took food, but after I ate it I was still hungry. Did well until I got in and shared a slice of toast with Littlun. She loves hot buttered toast for breakfast at the moment.

Apart from that, a positive restart to the diet.