Today, my sister, Anna, sent me a lot for today’s blog. So, instead of putting it all in ‘Readers Corner‘, I thought I would include it as part of the main blog, as a ‘Guest Blog‘.
If you fancy writing a few paragraphs about your day and things that have come up for you from reading my blog, send it over and I could start a regular ‘Guest Blog‘ section.
Perhaps you have always wanted to write a blog; never got round to it; don’t know where to start; and think it would take ages to build up regular readers? If so, you can try it out here!
In fact, I started another blog about 7 years ago and had exactly that problem, I wrote one or two posts, got one follower and then gave up! Perhaps I would include that blog in here sometime!
Just to note, that Anna calls me ‘James’ (my family name), so if you wonder who ‘James’ is – it’s me!
I have broken the paragraphs up a bit, added a few links over the text and included a few extra additions in [square brackets].
So I will hand you over to Anna.
Guest Blog – Anna
James recounted a few days ago how he had seen the sun rise on Arthur’s seat on the morn of the millennium [Day 102]. Duncan my husband and I had travelled to Edinburgh to see the new millennium in, and experience Hogmanay.
We had a great time and crashed on the floor in James’s flat having set an alarm to climb Arthur’s seat and see the sun rise. The alarm went off all to soon and we wondered whether to bother. Having finally decided we would, we felt quite a panic trying to climb fast enough and find a good spot before sunrise.
Luckily the sun rises a bit later in Scotland than it does in East Anglia where we lived and so we had more time than we thought and actually ended up higher than James and his friends [See photo below]
[Saturday] 1st January 2000 on Arthur’s Seat
Today we again set our alarm, this time at 2.30am.
In 31.12.1999 we wouldn’t have gone to bed, but 20 years on we caught a couple of hours sleep before we walked across to a view point near where we live to see if we could see Neowise Comet.
Ever since I was 7 years old and during a Space themed term and I had to find out about Halley’s Comet I have wanted to see one, and especially see the tail. When you are 7, 10 years seems a long time, and when 1986 finally arrived I was deeply disappointed to not see it (well I might have done, but I didn’t knowingly see it).
Hale-Bopp in 1987 sadly came and went without me realising, probably as I was studying hard for my exams at University. With many astronomical events you can get all excited and then the weather has it’s say. I thought today was going to be the same as there was low cloud despite it mainly being clear.
Duncan caught a glimpse but I wasn’t looking in the right direction. Patiently waiting for the cloud to pass at 3.34am I finally saw my first comet.
I am not sure if I will see Halley’s Comet in 2061. Apparently it will be a much better positioned for viewing compared to 1986.
After the excitement of seeing the comet I then went on a run, my first run at 4.45am and just before sunrise at 5.05am I took this photo.
There are some links to Neowise Comet, here’s one from Sky at Night –
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/skills/how-to-see-comet-c-2020-f3-neowise/
Poetry Corner
Another poem I wrote whilst training to be a mental health nurse.
I was sitting at Napier University Sighthill campus, we didn’t often have lectures there.
This was the week before we had a week of lectures on suicide and para-suicide. I had been thinking about the upcoming week of lectures and wondered what it would be like to be on the edge of killing yourself.
I looked out the window and saw these large dirty flats. I started to think about what it would be like to commit suicide jumping off them.
This led me to write this poem.
Journey To Another World
Closed my eyes, bodily moved forward,
Wind in my hair, air on my neck.
Toes reached the edge, silently still,
Wondering what would be felt once I had left.
Open my eyes, Edinburgh’s view,
Stretched out my arms, inhaled last breath.
Time to leave, say goodbye to this place,
Anticipating what would be felt once in this new life.
Relaxed by body, into a dive,
Sixteen floors up, of Sighthill flats.
Life felt so perfect, soaring in the air,
I was flying through the sky into another world.
Jennie’s Mini-Blog Corner
Due to the lack of a post from Jennie today, I am resorting back to an earlier post of hers. The day after she was having a hard day, due to not being able to graduate from University the usual way, due to lock-down.
The day she was having a hard day was posted in the blog on Day 97.
This was posted the day after, she seemed to be having a better day. Jennie writes:
Last night was St Andrews Folk and Trad Society’s online version of our annual ball. Unfortunately by the time I remembered to do my daily push ups, we were already well into the shenanigans and so I thought I’d just try to do double the push ups today instead (that’s 50 push ups)! This also means that today I am nominating two people: Folk and Trad’s outgoing and incoming presidents, Sarah and Emily!
Also want to say thanks to everyone who sent me a wee message the other day. It’s much appreciated and, as you can tell, I’m feeling much more cheerful today. Thanks as well to Folk and Trad for a fab night last night! I’ll miss yous next year muchly muchly but I’ll see you all again for graduation 2021 😉❤️🙃💗🎻💞💃
P.S. I think I’ll keep up the background music in the future. It’s more interesting than just watching my head bob up and down haha
Readers Corner
Helen
Helen left a comment on yesterdays blog (Day 105), saying:
“Having your camera balanced on a rock to film your push-ups added a whole new element of suspense! Will the phone fall over? Will Jim finish his set of push-ups before the next gust of wind? Will a crow swoop down and snatch the phone off the rock? So much drama!”
Thanks Helen, I tried it out again today, but just with the phone on a flat wall, not so exciting 😉
Lily
Lily, who was running the Yard Sale on Day 104, which had the poem ‘A Word ‘ (Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim), sent me a message about that blog saying:
“What a lovely blog, glad that our wee year sale appeared 🙂
Also, love your poem! Glad there was a video for rhythm cause I was sort of raising my shoulders in the gap when I read it myself”
Awww Lily, glad you like the blog and poem. When Miles (Lily’s partner) first read my blog, he was surprised how good it was! The poem is a favourite to quite a few of my friends, but usually with me reciting it- so glad the video helped 🙂
It Made Me Smile
This made me smile.
25 Day Push-Up Challenge
Day 20 of the challenge, I’m nearly finished !!
As I come to the end of today’s blog, I want to thank Anna for sharing her day and stories. So interesting and great not to have to find lots of reflections or stories to write about my day.
I didn’t go out much today, but I think most of the day it has been cloudy, with a little bit of sunshine. Saying that, there were quite a few children out playing and lots of folk sitting in groups in Montgomery Street Park, so I guess it was sunny in the evening.
Its so lovely, to see people enjoying the local park areas. As I said yesterday, usually, people would be in a pub or at the gym or in a flat/house, where as at the moment this is not possible, so people are outside in the parks instead. There are always a few people, with their exercise mats doing some kind of exercise or yoga, which is so lovely to see.
This evening on her bedtime walk, the graveyard was quiet, which was nice to enjoy.
I hope you have had a good day.
Enjoy Life!
Jim xx