Deirdre Geraghty

They are saying on the News this morning about the fact that if you smoke skunk you are 3 times more likely to have a psychotic breakdown. I have been in hospital twice for psychotic breakdown and both times they gave me a grilling about smoking cannabis when it was only ‘Moroccan’ a fairly mild resin. I have never even tried skunk and was going through a very stressful time of my life – to be honest I was heartbroken but they gave me a really bad time about my relatively small amount of cannabis smoking which, on a weekday, was after a late dinner.

What l should have said in my previous post is that Lynne changed her plate for a smaller bowl too. So changing portion size is very important.

I tidied up my sitting room yesterday. It wasn’t too bad but there were several piles of things to go through – so I did. Under the pile on my sofa l found a book my son had lent me – ‘The low-GL diet Bible’ by Patrick Holford. It was a very big book so l just dipped in. He seems to like pumpkin seeds etc and says l will lose lots of weight. I chatted to my friend Lynne about it. “Yes” she said – she has pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and sunflower seeds on her porridge every day and she has lost over 3 stone. Must be something in it!

The little post office that I have been going to for the past 27 years has now closed because the post mistress has retired. It has moved into the back of the little corner shop nearby. I needed to post my son’s partner’s birthday card. I asked after the pillar box and was told they have to get planning permission to erect one outside the new premises. I looked to see if they were selling birthday cards too but I couldn’t see any.

Yesterday I went to the doctor to see if my new blood pressure tablets were doing their job. My blood pressure was 158/85 which was down on last time but still too high so she increased the dosage. As usual the volunteer car service took me there and back again – thank goodness!

Why is it? – as soon as I get confident with a website and the ‘system’ somebody goes and changes it all. It takes months of being ‘shown how’ and years until I am confident doing it and then they update it and change it all. I suppose I should be grateful that I can do it at all.

My two cats – Molly and Lily – keep me company. Many people would probably find them annoying because if one of them isn’t sitting on my chest then the other one is. They are long haired cats and they queue up when I brush my hair for me to pick up their brush and brush them and sometimes one will get annoyed because I have started on the other one first. What a pair!

I went to the community centre for a couple of hours but, unfortunately, the heating wasn’t working which is all sorted now. Afterwards Hilary – the lady who runs the craft group took me and another woman – Barbara – to the Range. We had never been before so it was really good to see. I didn’t buy anything but I had a nice cup of tea before we came home.

I kept waking up last night. Sometimes having to get up for one reason or another. And then, this morning, l was aware that it was morning and the cats were running around playing chase – each taking it in turn to chase the other – often jumping on and off me – and I knew it was time to get up but I couldn’t move until 10 to 8. I am very slow this morning.

I got hold of my brother Jack on Skype and we chatted for just over ten minutes. It was really nice to see his face and his wife Sue. Skype is such a marvellous invention.