Bleugh! I think I may have spent too long sitting out in the cold on Saturday with my friends, with not quite enough layers on, and I am now paying for it with a sore throat, tight chest and general under-the-weatherness. I also tend to get this sort of thing when I relax after being busy or stressed - annoying as it means it is not unusual for it to happen when I go on holiday - so it could also be down to "breathing out" after H's house move. It intrigues me that people's bodies react so differently to stresses. M's weak points are always his back and his stomach; mine my throat and chest. My mother always said that it was only after having measles when I was six that I became prone to chest infections and tonsillitis (until I later had my tonsils removed). A couple of years ago research was published showing that measles does severe damage to the immune system, so it seems her observations actually fit with the scientific evidence.
After yesterday's beautiful spring day there were gales overnight and snow flurries this morning. This is why the British always talk about the weather. We get very little extreme weather, it is just so changeable and unpredictable. Plus - according to the book I am reading - it is a handy topic which allows us to get over the awkwardness of not knowing how to open conversations! On the subject of national characteristics - is it a peculiarly English thing to routinely find oneself saying please and thank you to Alexa or Siri?
For years I have used an app called Trello to organise various aspects of my life. It works with "cards" arranged in columns on "boards", which can be moved around easily to adjust priorities, set target dates, show what is done and what is outstanding, and so on. I use it consistently for my archive work, as it helps me to keep track of what I am doing and what I need to do next - essential when I only work two days a week, as otherwise I would just forget everything during the following five days! I also use it for various personal things, though less consistently. I have a board called Life Stuff which I use rather erratically, but which is a useful catch-all for things I want to do and general thoughts about habits and priorities.
Looking at my Life Stuff board this weekend I found a four year old snapshot of a spreadsheet where I had planned out an ideal morning routine. I realised that the things I had put into this routine were still things I want to be priorities, so I did a revised version. It is rather more complicated than the original plan as I will be going in to the office on Monday and Tuesday of alternate weeks, and TG needs dropping at school early on Tuesday's and Thursdays for French classes. With small variations to fit round the school runs, the plan is to set aside 90 minutes in the morning to start my day with some quiet reading time, followed by yoga, a shower and a more leisurely breakfast. It will mean getting up a bit earlier - always a challenge for me as I am definitely not a morning person - but if I can make it work I know it would feel as though I have made a really positive start to the day. I may experiment a bit over the next few days, but won't start trying to put it into practice properly until TG goes back to school next week.
Despite the cold and feeling a bit fragile, M and I did manage to make it out for a short walk this afternoon. The photos are from our walk round the village near H's house yesterday.
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