13 years of blipping

This entry marks my mathematical 13th anniversary on Blipfoto. Happy blipday to me! As is customary, below I have reviewed my entries since my last milestone blip (4500 blips) on 6th May 2024. 

When I read through my journal entries of the past nine months, I can understand why I have felt so exhausted much of this time. There are so many reports of action-packed days spent looking after my mother (until she moved into a care home last Saturday) and trying to keep on top of work, house and garden, while also fitting in exercise and a social life - and all on very little sleep. Worrying about clearing Mummy hazelh's house and the sale of its contents  was at the root of much insomnia in the first three months of this period (see for example my blip of 26th June 2024). More recently, discussion of the future care arrangements for my mother, and the strain of this on the relationships of the three sisters (myself, middle and not-so-little) have stolen hours and hours of sleep. I also feel that I have needed more medical treatment than is usual with my flat feet, a gum lump, and cataracts all demanding attention.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom! My exercise regime has been going well, particularly the running: by mid-December I was able to run over 9 miles in one go. I have continued to enjoy charity shop shopping (and donating), kept up with recreational writing (mainly letters to friends and our annual Christmas newsletter), enjoyed several shows: The music man, Lord of the dance, 10CC, and a bassoon concert in Doune focused on the life of Mr hazelh's grandfather. The best show of all came in two parts: the northern lights at Gruinard Bay on 12th September 2024, and again on 10th October 2024 in Edinburgh. Mr hazelh and I have managed to host and go to several parties, and I have kept up with my wonderful book group pals.

In the periods that my sisters have looked after Mummy hazelh, Mr hazelh and I have made the most of our free time to enjoy some trips away:

- Our main summer holiday in 2024 was spent on the islands of Lewis, Coll, and Mull from 25th May 2024  to 11th June 2024 
- We made two trips to West Sussex: in the summer between August 15th 2024 and August 19th 2024; and in the winter from 6th December 2024  to 10th December 2024.
- Following the first trip to of 2024 to West Sussex we travelled back to Edinburgh via Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Yorkshire from 20th August 2024 to 25th August 2024 
- We took a late summer holiday in the north west of Scotland between 7th September and 16th September 2024  
- We squeezed another ‘week off’ in Northumberland between 4th November 2024 and 11th November 2024 

With an extra person in our two-bedroomed flat for most of the period under review, it has been difficult for us to host visitors with our usual frequency. However, we were delighted when Cousin TBay said that she didn’t mind sleeping on the sofa bed and came to see us for a few days from 23rd July 2024.  We also enjoyed two visits from Nick on 27th August 2024 and 4th December 2024, and Mr hazelh had lots of fun with Richard when he arrived for a break with us on 30th August 2024. 

These are my favourite blips since 6th May 2024:

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne (no mist) -13th May 2024 
Arrival in Uig - 25th May 2024 
Sea thrift and a sea stack - 28th May 2024 
In the machair at Crossapol - 6th June 2024 
Garden posy - 13th June 2024 
Photographic treasure - 28th June 2024 
Shell beach - 28th July 2024 
Mouldings in the Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh - 10th August 2024 
Lavenham - 23rd August 2024 
A posy for Nick - 28th August 2024 
Gruinard Bay: then and now - 9th September 2024 
Northern lights, stars, and starfish - 12th September 2024 
Highland spring - 15th September 2024 
Leaf litter II - 3rd November 2024 
Sunrise over wet setts - 13th November 2024 
First snow of the season 2024/5 - 23rd November 2024 
Dome decorations from the top deck - 17th December 2024 
'Don't go' begs Rosie - 22nd December 2024 
Botanic lights 2024 - 24th December 2024 
City winter sunrise - 28th December 2024 
Partying in the colonies - 2nd January 2025 

As for today, Mr hazelh and I travelled by train, taxi, and train to Manchester to stay with the Foxes for a couple of nights. This journey was meant to be accomplished on one train from Edinburgh Waverley to Manchester Piccadilly. Unfortunately the driver noticed a fault with the brakes just outside Lockerbie. Rather than hang around in the cold at Lockerbie, we took the option of a taxi to Carlisle and picking up a later train south from there. This may give the impression that it was an awful journey, but it wasn’t too bad - and some of the views from the train were wonderful, especially in Lanarkshire and the Lake District (extra).

I took my blip on Broughton Street on the way to the station this morning. It's from the telephone number on the Eden's kitchen sign.

Exercise today: small amount of walking.