Friday 27 August 2021

Friday

Friday morning - the start of the last Bank Holiday week-end before Christmas.  Quite a chilly, Autumnal start to the day but a promise of something better as the day goes on.   I can't go on my walk until my Amazon order for garage door batteries has arrived.  I have had the confirmation that they (and a torch a friend has ordered) have been despatched so I suppose it depends now on where I am on the delivery round.

I sometimes question just how my brain works.   I suppose it is getting old and a bit rusty in parts.   In order to keep it working I always do the Times Mind Games each morning - this means a couple of Codewords, a couple of Sudoku, a Set Square, a (so called) Easy Cryptic Crossword, and a killer number puzzle (which I love until the end of the week when they get too hard).   Some mornings I sail through them all and my brain feels as though I am still teaching,   another morning I struggle and can't finish them all.   It is frustrating and usually when I open the page I know what kind of a day it is going to be.   Yesterday I just could not finish one of the Codewords - I knew as soon as I started it that I have chosen the wrong letter but I ploughed on until, of course, I came to a full stop.   I had gone wrong.   This morning I opened the codeword page, looked at the empty square, put in the given letters and saw immediately what went where.   I had finished it in two or three minutes - everything fell into place.   Now why is that?   I cannot tell you how frustrating I find it.

I don't kow whether it improves one' s skills to do this but doing the Mind Games, being a member of a Book Group so that I have to read a chosen book each month whether I am enjoying it or not and make notes on it so that I am capable of joining in the discussion when we meet, walking and chatting to various people on my walks.......all these things are done with that aim in mind.   I try to watch at least a couple of programmes on television each week which stretch my mind a bit and add to my knowledge.   At present our transmitter is down and we are limited to BBC in what we are able to watch so it is not so easy to do this - although tonight's Gardeners' World is a start.

And, speaking of gardens, I walked round my garden yesyerday.   The most of it is looking good - I have asked my gardener to leave the Autumn tidy up until Spring (there is still a lot in flower - things like Hellenium, Scabious, Gallardia and Achillea.    A  lot of bright yellow Antirrhinums which I left last year seeded themselves and there is now a nice bright patch of yellow which was late coming and is at its best now so I am leaving that so that it can do the same over winter this year.

Always plenty to fill the mind if you look for it even it the old legs don't work as well as you would like. 

I am off now to leave a message on my Gardener's answerphone saying when he is in my area can he drop his assistant off with her weedkiller spray to just go along my patio and kill the unsightly weeds poking up between the slabs.   If they are done soon the weeds should have died when my visitors come the week after next.   They are keen gardeners and they have come to see the plants and the design not the variety of weeds.

Have a good day.

 

21 comments:

Jennifer said...

I admire you so much, Weaver, and I think your brain is top-notch. I consider you a model of aging gracefully and well.

What is your book club reading this month? My book club is undergoing some changes; the leader of the group is moving away and someone else is taking over. We threw a little going away party for her at our last meeting and gave her a good send off, but I'm still sad about it.

I hope you have a good day!

JayCee said...

If your blog is anything to go by, you have no worries about your mental capacity. You seem to be doing a lot better than some of us!

Mary said...

You never cease to amaze me Pat - you are one special senior lady in so many ways. I just hope I am able to stay on top of things regarding memory and writing when I reach your age - which really isn't that far off the way time is passing so quickly!!!

Enjoy this coming weekend, get some fresh air in and around the garden as you can't go farther right now - so glad you still have lovely flowers to view, mine are over now with such intense heat/humidity. . . . and it will continue at least another week here - 90+ daily and no rain in sight.

Hugs - Mary

Rachel Phillips said...

I actually quite like it when I go wrong on a codeword because of the great rush of ecstaay when I see my mistake and put it right and everything thereafter falls into place. There is nowt so much pleasure as this in a codeword.

Minigranny said...

I love codewords,sudokus and crosswords and ,like you, find it frustrating when I'm beaten though as Rachel says it's great when suddenly it becomes obvious and the feeling of satisfaction is better for getting it wrong in the first place ! Your post about the Wensleydale show reminded me of all the trips we had to the Great Yorkshire Show,often with our village school. Later on I wasn't so keen on it when the traffic from the show on the Wetherby Road that my bus went down after work made it a very slow journey home.

The Feminine Energy said...

They say doing puzzles helps the brain. I don't do them so maybe that's my problem all along. *lol* I will start my autumn cleanup next week. If I leave it until spring there will be just too much for me to tackle. ~Andrea xoxoxo

the veg artist said...

You should be able to sign up for ITV Hub on your laptop, as well as Channel 4, if not others. They'd give you more variety. I don't know if you can do this through your smart TV, I haven't got one!

Ellen D. said...

All the things you are doing to stay sharp appear to be working! Your blog is proof that you still "got it" as you always have something interesting to post and you often get us discussing your topic! Well done!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Jennifer it is my choice this month and we are reading Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms I have never read any of his work and I watched a series of excellent programmes about hi))m. I have really enjoyed the book and have now also read The Old Man and the Sea..

I really enjoy the meetings (8 maximum and they kindly meet in my house because otherwise I would not be able to continue.)

Julia said...

Hello, Weaver. I am a few years behind you at 84 1/2 and enjoy reading about your activities and admire your good attitude. I, too, have my gauge to anticipate what type day it will be. Mine is putting on my pants when dressing first thing in the morning. If I can put in one foot and then the other, its a great day and will get lots of gardening done. If I have to hold on to the bed post while dressing, I had better scale back my plans as I will be short on energy. And, if I have to sit down to put my pants on, its going to be a bummer of a day and better think of lots of sedentary activities. I join you in celebrating whatever kind of day it is. Joy of living keeps us strong. Julia in Texas

The Weaver of Grass said...

Hi Julia - lovely to hear from you. As I always say - the alternative to getting old is worse. Take care.

Bovey Belle said...

I do a codeword puzzle daily too and know how frustrating ti is to get a letter wrong - throws the whole thing out. Sometimes if I know the first word is "out" I'll put it down and come back to it, or wait until the next day's paper. Other times if I'm really stuck on the first word, I resort to the CodeSolver!

I read The Old Man and the Sea again recently. Well written.

Currently reading (and near the end of) the latest Ellie Griffiths, now out in paperback - The Night Hawks. As it has Archaeology in it, particularly interesting for me.

Brenda said...

Old man and the sea...awwww. My students loved that book...I love all of his work... you are amazing

CharlotteP said...

You are an example to much younger folk to make the most of everything you can do!

Bonnie said...

You do an excellent job of keeping yourself active both physically and mentally! I enjoy doing puzzles too but sometimes in the mornings I'm not as good with them until my second cup of coffee. I hope you are enjoying your book!

Debby said...

The one thing that I can tell you for certain is that I watched my mother in law slip very quickly into dementia when she lost her vision. She was a tremendous reader and sewer. Deprived of those activities, it seemed that her mind slipped very quickly. Using and occupying your mind is critical, and you do that so very well. It is one of the reasons that we admire you.

Heather said...

We must all do what we can to keep our minds and bodies working for as long as possible. I take a short walk to the newsagent to buy my newspaper, then back home for a rest while I do as many of the puzzles on the puzzle pages as I can before doing something 'useful'. If I had the paper delivered I might become lazy and not bother about a daily walk. I see it as my duty to my children to take care of myself now, so that I don't become dependent on them too soon.
Enjoy your visitors.

thelma said...

Well I don't do word puzzles, perhaps I should look them up on the web, but do a daily jigsaw puzzle on my computer. You whirl through life quite happily Pat, never give up that questing spirit.

potty said...

Monday night on BBC 1 is Quiz Night! Mastermind, Only Connect and University Challenge all require a trawl through the memory banks - but sometimes at too high a speed.

Crafty Green Poet said...

My Dad is a great fan of soduko and crosswords too, it is definitely important to keep your mind actuve

monika love said...

I will always advice, that when you want to trade, you should seek the assistance of a well trained personnel. I've been trading with Robert Seaman and it would be selfish of me, if i don't recommend them. With their well guarded signals and forever active strategies i have been able to make over $11,200 usd weekly. 
Email: Robertseaman939@gmail.com