tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26615213168236334282024-03-05T13:45:18.846-08:00The Chronic Elephant- Life, Art and MEHello! Dealing with ME. POTS, and chronic pain are on the bill for this elephant! I Blog about what it is like to be a frustrated woman who has colours and laughter in her soul...but sickness in her body.
Despite being disabled by a steaming pile of chronic conditions, I have returned to being creative.
Why not walk a little in my slippers, and find out what life is like at The Elephant House?! :-)
Break out the bananas and let's get started.!!
thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-81851878828151778022022-08-08T12:16:00.001-07:002022-08-08T12:16:27.819-07:00YE OLDE CRAP CURES FOR PAIN<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIrc5GNPmGgrzqBeQ6VmBsJ_vAckIuyfxpcnAxnqykHlUQ_-IynaqE8ONwHN150663Cu-N3wgMW5XpEbYcpAXmzmopME-SaWIMf6lI4j9Ht_CULobtkMa9UFWNLXeJBkSErdBP27jpIKZecyxE313igHhPd0KgTCYldyBX_ysfA2wH9XuIa8d0x0/s628/tumblr_lqjk7z4Atr1qggdq1.jpg" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="427" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIrc5GNPmGgrzqBeQ6VmBsJ_vAckIuyfxpcnAxnqykHlUQ_-IynaqE8ONwHN150663Cu-N3wgMW5XpEbYcpAXmzmopME-SaWIMf6lI4j9Ht_CULobtkMa9UFWNLXeJBkSErdBP27jpIKZecyxE313igHhPd0KgTCYldyBX_ysfA2wH9XuIa8d0x0/w304-h446/tumblr_lqjk7z4Atr1qggdq1.jpg" width="304" /></a></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">SPOILER ALERT: I am still in pain!😑</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I feel exhausted by 9 years of searching for a way to relieve my pain...and the truth is that whilst Science has put a man on the moon, it has still not found a way to solve chronic pain ( or created a bra that is genuinely comfortable, for that matter!) With this in mind I thought I would look at the feasability of some old-time remedies.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It was not THAT long ago that Doctors ascribed any medical complaint experienced by a woman to be caused by an 'hysterical-womb.' Men did not fare much better ( read Samuel Peyps' s account of having kidney stones surgically removed, if you don't believe me.) So here we go with a not- entirely-serious-look at ye olde crap cures for pain ( and please don't try these at home!):</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfLljaHmBGAQ4CKJV5RFjSyuxiyWf51hsQZXJz1VKm38rKvK1QfvyNOaV8Y0Uf8PmhZvcOJHf0u0HQ3TndzP3696hEz5fKeDV0rAVmwjxqEIZ6eL4RQa-x-GooUgFUxL_wA1TbhyH1MGd9K3ZS2s0XWVDTe0AZvif93WAODd6MMqWcTSRgDmRaumQ/s1300/the-sick-goose-and-the-council-of-health-19th-century-artist-george-B0KHN7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="942" data-original-width="1300" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfLljaHmBGAQ4CKJV5RFjSyuxiyWf51hsQZXJz1VKm38rKvK1QfvyNOaV8Y0Uf8PmhZvcOJHf0u0HQ3TndzP3696hEz5fKeDV0rAVmwjxqEIZ6eL4RQa-x-GooUgFUxL_wA1TbhyH1MGd9K3ZS2s0XWVDTe0AZvif93WAODd6MMqWcTSRgDmRaumQ/w458-h232/the-sick-goose-and-the-council-of-health-19th-century-artist-george-B0KHN7.jpg" width="458" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">1. Biting on a rag/piece of wood. The trade mark pain relief of ship/military surgeons of the past for everything from childbirth to amputations. BETTER THAN SCREAMING ...BUT ONLY FOR THE SPECTATORS.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">2. Leeches. An oldie but a goody - for the leeches that is! Whilst molluscs feast on your weakened state...don't expect to feel better in any way, shape or form. NOT GREAT(UNLESS YOU'RE A LEECH).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">3.' Bucking up'. I am unsure as to the verb in this sentence, ( to buck?). For anyone born this century, this is a version of Keep Calm And Carry On, but said by someone who has not staggered in your shoes. For those of us who developed Chronic, long- term M.E. through trying to 'push through' pain and illness, when our bodies needed rest. A HARD "NOOOOO!"</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-y0c_g0Wq7U73AmTxjJDbbnjWFGf6KpOQrxseXTDfKALI4fDrBYc2MLONkUy7hMNawT_eTPmvJ6Yv8pMQQ70GK_KyM_3TrCRKr5e-QYLouiHgUVvuZoiswhlXfDGpOjy7SDXUT1lVlRnx09y4tGCSqkPf_O5-GGg2HgCfYnsxTrf_hbFraxHjoo/s404/OIP%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="242" height="485" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-y0c_g0Wq7U73AmTxjJDbbnjWFGf6KpOQrxseXTDfKALI4fDrBYc2MLONkUy7hMNawT_eTPmvJ6Yv8pMQQ70GK_KyM_3TrCRKr5e-QYLouiHgUVvuZoiswhlXfDGpOjy7SDXUT1lVlRnx09y4tGCSqkPf_O5-GGg2HgCfYnsxTrf_hbFraxHjoo/w291-h485/OIP%20(1).jpeg" width="291" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">4. Laudanum. Used up until 20th century for many common conditions, chronic pain, and...er...getting your baby to sleep. MORPHINE + ALCOHOL= A VERY BAD IDEA.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">5. Tightening your corset for back or abdominal pain.Us Ladeez have such soft bodies that we need a whalebone corset to keep the blamange and fluffy kittens that we are constructed from, from flopping around. Only to be attempted if you enjoy that type of thing. Think of The Whales, people, and just don't. NO, NO, AND NO!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">6. Going to 'take the waters' at a Spa. I have actually stayed at a Spa in Italy, which was more about vegan food, towelling robes and massage, than sulphurous drinks. MISS!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">7. A mustard poultice on the afflicted areas- erm...definately NOT RECOMMENDED!, unless you want to add burnt skin to your problems. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">8. A simple (aka. flavour-less diet). I am British, so have been trying this one since infancy.😉 NOPE!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">9. Carrying an Amulet. Back to Samuel Peyps again, who carried an amulet of a hare's foot to cure his colic. Such talismen were widely used, and at least the ancient version of a Gonk wouldn't actively make things worse. The hare's point of view was not recorded...😮 NEXT!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">10. Having a baby.😮🙄 This is a classic piece of advice given as a way to fix painful periods, endometriosis, and yes also M.E!! It is hard to believe that this ever fell within the NICE guidelines of the time, ( this BS was still being shoveled as recently as the eighties), or indeed the agreed limits of the hypocratic oath. UNHELPFUL IN LITERALLY EVERY SITUATION.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">However bad my day, at least I can give thanks that I am not smothered in mustard, with leeches hanging off me, and with a gallon of fart -smelling water to drink!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">THANK YOU FOR READING AND SHARING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT BLOG.</span></p>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-28337686523041666662022-07-23T09:49:00.002-07:002022-07-23T12:37:21.887-07:00The Toddler-Tantrum! (Not Able To Go Out 😐.)<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21G8VsrzxowqyVK8OfU2sMnmw8LZYBrddC8AQAQvkctiAm45RyZpqk2pRdtJd0HuuAknf2sBY7s_rIiylNvqiQyZfemF0jPeSllhxEbgdgQtjbJjKHvZtMnJ8R6eeCpPFBm2vf2s6EM0e46BpVQkKZ5_vaTb6v-PPly-xr6IuS5_OSDWEXmtp3F4/s1710/Severe-tantrums-could-be-a-sign-of-ADHD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1710" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21G8VsrzxowqyVK8OfU2sMnmw8LZYBrddC8AQAQvkctiAm45RyZpqk2pRdtJd0HuuAknf2sBY7s_rIiylNvqiQyZfemF0jPeSllhxEbgdgQtjbJjKHvZtMnJ8R6eeCpPFBm2vf2s6EM0e46BpVQkKZ5_vaTb6v-PPly-xr6IuS5_OSDWEXmtp3F4/w640-h336/Severe-tantrums-could-be-a-sign-of-ADHD.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Toddlers have have had it all their own way for far too long, and I am reclaiming the right to feel irrationally peed off, when my body is only doing what it has cheerfully been doing for the last 32 years- living with M.E. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If you have seen me IRL or in photos, or seen my artworks, you might have formed the opinion that I have fully accepted pain and M.E as my constant stalkers...but it turns out It REALLY SUCKS!!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So in today's' Show & Tell, I thought I'd share how this morning has gone....</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The prequel was late last night when I had random break- through pain. ' It'll be Fine, " I lied to myself. </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">This morning I woke up feeling ill, but confident I would still be able to go out. Giddy with denial, I dragged on my outdoor PJ's, ate breakfast, took meds...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">...Then accidently chucked tea and a glass of water all over the place. The mini-meltdown that followed was the point at which I realised that I felt like a hoard of flu viruses were making merry with my immune system (thankfully 'just the life- depleting powers of M.E, and not Covid). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The word " Bollocks!!! " formed in my head.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I was NOT going to be heading anywhere other than bed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I write under the duvet, wearing ugly - but- comfy pajamas. It is true that over a long period of time, disappointments, letting people down, and coping with flare-ups gets more familiar...but not easier. And it's ok that I don't like it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It's ok that sometimes I want to drum my heels on the floor and scream loudly. And when you have an illness for which there is no cure, it's ok to dose that tiny toddler with lots of TLC...and a massive ice cream!😊</span></p><p>THANK YOU FOR READING & SHARING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT BLOG.</p><p>Email the elephant:thechronicelephantblog@gmail.com</p><p>Follow meon Insta: THE CHRONICELEPHANT</p></div>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-86371984434344348292022-07-13T04:50:00.000-07:002022-07-13T04:50:21.797-07:00 THE TOUR DE CHRONIC ILLNESS.<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Even on a good day, living with chronic illness feels like an endless marathon of monitoring, medication, and medical appointments. But there is another sporting event that I identify with far more: THE TOUR DE FRANCE.</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dAknZgw3xWiKQkh92jtp1AEaATmo7G7nPv6MzazjXzosD9yo__-O1pnQgstNjyNBxRU8WrSK6i1wDS7TizO_lnAhQwgkJXQu-Uc4aqnPX_Jv4GKkHSAGfnWnHMHg8GSiFFrY3yGoZ11mrE1W54yCAT-ky6VCoh5MGcSKXih6dXnD-wqjBhOpfoc/s1600/IMG_20220705_174951_kindlephoto-691935795.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="697" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dAknZgw3xWiKQkh92jtp1AEaATmo7G7nPv6MzazjXzosD9yo__-O1pnQgstNjyNBxRU8WrSK6i1wDS7TizO_lnAhQwgkJXQu-Uc4aqnPX_Jv4GKkHSAGfnWnHMHg8GSiFFrY3yGoZ11mrE1W54yCAT-ky6VCoh5MGcSKXih6dXnD-wqjBhOpfoc/w523-h697/IMG_20220705_174951_kindlephoto-691935795.jpg" width="523" /></span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> This 3 week endurance event features teams of cyclists climbing, sprinting and speeding through the ( mainly) French landscape. Crashes and controversies are common place, and riders often collapse into a sweaty heap of exhausted flesh, after crossing the line.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I love watching it every year, but more than loving it, it inspires me: the tensions, the tears, the disappointments and unexpected crashes- but enough about me...😉</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAg41YEP5Ft3JIV4zXOYFs11bY4QZNFIVb-pKpXShAisQ0jYajvBcuGWTDYgednBGIBh-EgghuXSjgd0GgW-ZglAGOpSo4HV1rnbHMYa-jNivDpGqgd2El0JlGypElhRyOSi1n7nDcY-vACjwI4gRITQweDdfkTWgref4jSz_f3LEwM-Ol_REFiC0/s1050/R.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="1050" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAg41YEP5Ft3JIV4zXOYFs11bY4QZNFIVb-pKpXShAisQ0jYajvBcuGWTDYgednBGIBh-EgghuXSjgd0GgW-ZglAGOpSo4HV1rnbHMYa-jNivDpGqgd2El0JlGypElhRyOSi1n7nDcY-vACjwI4gRITQweDdfkTWgref4jSz_f3LEwM-Ol_REFiC0/w500-h261/R.jpeg" width="500" /></span></a></span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">So what can this ailing viewer learn from this endurance race?</span></span></div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">1) THERE WILL ALWAYS BE MOUNTAINS TO CLIMB. 'Mountains' for me, can feel entirely horizontal with no hand or footholds, and can involve such epics as 'reading', 'walking to the kitchen' or (GASP!) Leaving the house!!!</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">2) THERE WILL CRASHES & MELTDOWNS-</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">It is all ticking over as well as possible until it isn't. Crying is very much allowed, as is self blame/ blaming other people.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">3) MACHINERY CAN ( and probably will), LET YOU DOWN:I have experienced 'a mecanical', and have tipped sideways off my scooter more than once ( 'Penelope Pitstop' hates mud, and refuses to ride on uneven ground, or chunky gravel- my scooter is such a Diva!)...And let's not get started on the brakes on my rollator...</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">3) IT'S OK TO FEEL CHEATED AT TIMES. Yup. See Crashes above.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">4) YOU HAVE TO WEAR ( SOMETIMES ) LUDICROUS CLOTHING IN ORDER TO GET THE JOB DONE: Leggings and baggy tops for me- helmets & spray-on lycra for them.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">5) PAIN AND SUFFERING- Like us Spoonies, cyclists are no slouches when it comes to gritted teeth and pushing painful bodies beyond what they can do. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">It is not unknown for cyclists to ride all day, then get to the finish, and realise they have been cycling all day with a broken bone. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We hear you.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">6) ELECTROLYTES, PROTEIN (AND ENERGY BOOSTING SNACKS. Hydration helps...or rather: dehydration will certainly set you back. Your water bottle is your best friend.</span></span><p></p></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">7) CUDDLY TOYS: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBiNnCCADaO4KnmX0eT9_0uIbbkk5Gch2TAuZuM1R356q42LPEXS442YH2zVueC5Qr0zVni1cuJFBk8HKiC6U49MsxcZIt8dKUrRCE9R6YJUWmXUDw8q4Tjz1w23-kx__I4_ka71yuWPzhvT5miZj74b_buSshNIPkZTJqPSOXZyxC0e0pa4gzng/s1200/EAZFxrPXoAAMGjp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1200" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBiNnCCADaO4KnmX0eT9_0uIbbkk5Gch2TAuZuM1R356q42LPEXS442YH2zVueC5Qr0zVni1cuJFBk8HKiC6U49MsxcZIt8dKUrRCE9R6YJUWmXUDw8q4Tjz1w23-kx__I4_ka71yuWPzhvT5miZj74b_buSshNIPkZTJqPSOXZyxC0e0pa4gzng/s320/EAZFxrPXoAAMGjp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Randomly each stage winner is presented with a yellow jersey, a bunch of half- dead flowers, and..er..a cuddly lion. I mean, I have a small collection of soft toys...but not REALLY SURE what role they would play if I was being given an award for physical excellence...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> They say 'hi', BTW:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8-tTvQweu8NtM6nMbZzfocEKgeX0vvQb9hBDsRaaUvdTGdfNB-jb2IfdEeoT76N9gxBu7RZNTwjYeZZWlJsu_Wq4pohu9wtWTNQssJH09bxVL5_36fTn7Go63BMuk3SaLKiIvRK0YH002E1Z9UR24eSkGdm6KkeNcI30Da0ZBi9RwPtzaG76b0A/s1295/IMG_20220713_121946_kindlephoto-1221124865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1295" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8-tTvQweu8NtM6nMbZzfocEKgeX0vvQb9hBDsRaaUvdTGdfNB-jb2IfdEeoT76N9gxBu7RZNTwjYeZZWlJsu_Wq4pohu9wtWTNQssJH09bxVL5_36fTn7Go63BMuk3SaLKiIvRK0YH002E1Z9UR24eSkGdm6KkeNcI30Da0ZBi9RwPtzaG76b0A/w460-h259/IMG_20220713_121946_kindlephoto-1221124865.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">And so we come to, 8) THE TAO OF GERAINT THOMAS: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ulzI1BVOOWngbK2IVl31r8seq7tJWbVa1-iws0QDxHyTvbygtV5-hhjogwd9SM3vrY15DXSN-RxqvPDOdSipBYKzMe15k1g0GmPUyT1NrADQWfqkYRqp-sec00EExRwDRyAMUYje4YANHQeqNTtQ3DDLBNa42Nvg27nvf9QIGvG-z4eGUG3psJo/s474/OIP.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="474" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ulzI1BVOOWngbK2IVl31r8seq7tJWbVa1-iws0QDxHyTvbygtV5-hhjogwd9SM3vrY15DXSN-RxqvPDOdSipBYKzMe15k1g0GmPUyT1NrADQWfqkYRqp-sec00EExRwDRyAMUYje4YANHQeqNTtQ3DDLBNa42Nvg27nvf9QIGvG-z4eGUG3psJo/w400-h267/OIP.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The Welsh rider is known as 'G' to those of us who love him. The 2018 Tour winner always answers every post- race interview in his trademark monotone. It's just one day- whether he is winning in fine style, or out of contention for a medal, he remains dryly funny, and supportive and kind about other riders. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Good day or bad day it will be absorbed but not dwelt upon- there are no tantrums. He is already thinking of the healthy routines of that evening, already laying the groundwork for maximum strength for the next day of pedalling.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">When this Elephant grows up, she would like to be him...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">...but without the bike😊 I am knackered enough as it is!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">THANK YOU FOR READING AND SHARING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT BLOG!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">If you have a topic to suggest, a comment, or feedback, </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Email the elephant: thechronicelephantblog@gmail.com</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">See more artwork on INSTAGRAM: thechronicelephant</span></div><div><br /></div>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-88000710606204651822022-06-12T08:02:00.000-07:002022-06-12T08:03:09.083-07:00M.E.-THE INVASION OF THE BODY- SNATCHING ILLNESS.<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">In 1956 a 'B' picture was released. The Invasion Of The Body Snatchers has become something of a cult classic. The plot revolves around small town America being invaded by an invisible force that completely takes over the bodies of the locals, and consumes their lives. The town becomes inhabited by lifeless, listless characters unable to engage with their everyday lives and relationships...</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">For those of us living with M.E this all seems rather familiar...</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFFrh1SqaaJ-81LSc_xirvqZvJevlRzNfxljRwYGivCKbNtQm_dxYVyTNeMne0LLq5hrLRbqIxFV_HO2WHwze_g-ex6Uc_FEk4mW29EKHl2vLJvOJEkOpK66iTT9zuPbkV-wl5-vGAWO_FTZrKvluX0jE9j6wCTnr9NIN-gO3HUo2RuLuOvER0_I/s1042/15979278201_83ed7ae5a3_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="1042" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFFrh1SqaaJ-81LSc_xirvqZvJevlRzNfxljRwYGivCKbNtQm_dxYVyTNeMne0LLq5hrLRbqIxFV_HO2WHwze_g-ex6Uc_FEk4mW29EKHl2vLJvOJEkOpK66iTT9zuPbkV-wl5-vGAWO_FTZrKvluX0jE9j6wCTnr9NIN-gO3HUo2RuLuOvER0_I/w391-h294/15979278201_83ed7ae5a3_o.jpg" width="391" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> Prior to becoming largely bedbound, (for the second time), I was ' able' ( although far LESS able than I thought), to work. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> I hid my pain medication, I painted on a smile as I was forced to miss everything other than work ( and often to miss work itself for weeks on end). I was the (barely) walking- wounded, spending every available minute in bed, and sleeping on my journey home. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The 'elephant in the room' was that my body had again been taken over by M.E.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I existed (as many do), with willpower driving my depleted body on and on. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">There was a huge cost to this subterfuge...and eventually my body broke me.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">My illnesses were INVISIBLE no longer...denial then grief started to blow through my life like a tornado... but I have come to be relieved that the pretending was over. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Today, I have no need of a lanyard to tell people I am sick: my ashen face, mobility aids and big bag of medications make it blindingly obvious!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Doing a lot of life-drawing has given me a great respect for how unique and special every body is, regardless of its ability to function, or its shape and size.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">The theory is simple but the challenge remains: how to honour the limitations that illness and age have imposed upon my body, and still feel like myself.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Can the body that I have resented all my life become my friend?!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">THANK YOU FOR READING AND SHARING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT BLOG:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Email the elephant:thechronicelephantblog@gmail.com</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">To see more artwork follow me on INSTAGRAM: </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">https://www.instagram.com/thechronicelephant/</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-46378047578813045982022-05-26T05:00:00.002-07:002022-06-12T08:04:30.679-07:00I AM NOT A NUMBER: I AM A FREE ELEPHANT! ( Rating Your Pain).<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPz3ByA7kRz6D66Dcqxaamf2KusJXi9qjNwUPYJBlWsDDRow1QYUYBxr7pRiDCyvcithjWnTsht3UlVFHjU85G3f0V2O6v8yMWsowYtrlUfyw8hDcVpULKVG8qgTLm2N8LMIKrHoW675LlKu2xwVJ2n5_TF5Rx9xnC5ngZoGvHhIpc6XhaxNDUT4/s1600/IMG_20220523_210740_kindlephoto-448187461.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPz3ByA7kRz6D66Dcqxaamf2KusJXi9qjNwUPYJBlWsDDRow1QYUYBxr7pRiDCyvcithjWnTsht3UlVFHjU85G3f0V2O6v8yMWsowYtrlUfyw8hDcVpULKVG8qgTLm2N8LMIKrHoW675LlKu2xwVJ2n5_TF5Rx9xnC5ngZoGvHhIpc6XhaxNDUT4/w625-h468/IMG_20220523_210740_kindlephoto-448187461.jpg" width="625" /></a></div></span><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">I am an elephant who always sees lemons as potential lemonade, so I try to use creativity to cope when pain feels intense or overwhelming. Sometimes I draw pain in flashes of acid yellow, or electric blue. At other times it has been circular patterns of orange and deep pink...then there is The Black. Pain can feel like a deserted town, population 1: me.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">The truth is that it is hard to visualise pain. If chosing the best visual language is tricky, then trying to describe it to clinicians, or even our loved ones, is a whole new kind of difficult.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">When I worked with pre-schoolers. One of the tools that we had to help them manage their emotions was a chart of faces with different expressions. Small child would be able to identify how they felt and point at it- images unlocking their inability to communicate.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQRuQhQ3O-p9zvHIY-Do8Ma2EWCl0cUfTrOgf7VxQJHUlR5ScgvQeNcqkvaL6CLWy5cLEjvntrDKaXLOfcxLbIX31swte2BZskHotWa5AKZCuJRBpmMMDF-lnRV1HSB50z8Gjctql6ToLvwydnnEk4cu6huwFwKLe3W1NCSAB_BxCUgHMAHky840/s246/download.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="246" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQRuQhQ3O-p9zvHIY-Do8Ma2EWCl0cUfTrOgf7VxQJHUlR5ScgvQeNcqkvaL6CLWy5cLEjvntrDKaXLOfcxLbIX31swte2BZskHotWa5AKZCuJRBpmMMDF-lnRV1HSB50z8Gjctql6ToLvwydnnEk4cu6huwFwKLe3W1NCSAB_BxCUgHMAHky840/w375-h305/download.jpeg" width="375" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">At some point someone (who wasn't an absolute genius), thought that this idea could work with chronic pain patients. Patients are routinely asked to rate how much pain they 're experiencing by looking at the image below.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2-2tn98ysBL7A1bpZyokboD4V1KDhYa2Aks6fIwTxQecChwFpZZflSk7Mm0RNSzQbMN2wNlEPbYMH6Yzga-tXXuNGP4qgd397lNDXlP1Iwzr1Vpohy0Fa-u9t7BwdJ1xfoeYr6vdJIPZD8mx7DTLhNpfMj8E9h76TlUbTpqoEGouIFYRvKcJths/s800/R.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="800" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2-2tn98ysBL7A1bpZyokboD4V1KDhYa2Aks6fIwTxQecChwFpZZflSk7Mm0RNSzQbMN2wNlEPbYMH6Yzga-tXXuNGP4qgd397lNDXlP1Iwzr1Vpohy0Fa-u9t7BwdJ1xfoeYr6vdJIPZD8mx7DTLhNpfMj8E9h76TlUbTpqoEGouIFYRvKcJths/w489-h250/R.jpeg" width="489" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> If only it was as easy as pointing to a smiley: and miraculously we were comprehended. The truth is that you and I may have very different ideas of 'moderate', or 'severe'.The face in 'severe pain' looks like he just ate a sandwich he didn't like, rather than being doubled up with pain, and the smiley on number 10, looks like he needs a sit down and a mug of sugary tea, rather than an ambulance and a morphine drip.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Not surprisingly this scale has come in for substantial ridicule (see below):</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblDw91h4v0tOPlmcRZaSRAbNsCXeVk0-6DOJVpoAxe4Jx6c9MN9L2amD9bHJ66_KGNNy7sGDWoa9I7ovGhllpr5G_G--hgfmhmFqfuZhu2be4B2QMMNKD1LeV0mSKWys7QEsvXO46q8p_XmqVMM0MbhQByiHN2NmEIE5_9sQ3ldyI5RV4A-5vu38/s704/3999d59834aec273cd9deb28a06e80d0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="640" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblDw91h4v0tOPlmcRZaSRAbNsCXeVk0-6DOJVpoAxe4Jx6c9MN9L2amD9bHJ66_KGNNy7sGDWoa9I7ovGhllpr5G_G--hgfmhmFqfuZhu2be4B2QMMNKD1LeV0mSKWys7QEsvXO46q8p_XmqVMM0MbhQByiHN2NmEIE5_9sQ3ldyI5RV4A-5vu38/w581-h395/3999d59834aec273cd9deb28a06e80d0.jpg" width="581" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Years ago the Pain clinic told me not to draw attention to the pain: I was not to talk about it, or,( heaven forfend!!), to take medication in front of people(!) The intention seemed to be to make me appear 'normal'. The message was clear- I had failed in some ineffable way, and I SHOULD be ashamed.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;">What would be helpful for everyone, would be to acknowledge that pain ( mental/physical/ spiritual), are inevitably part of our journey through life. We have bodies and minds that can and do break, and there should be only kindness in response: from clinicians, families, and governments.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;">For many people creating their own Art, music, fiction, or poetry can help express THEIR experience of pain, THEIR way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;">We are all so much more than a number on a scale.</div></span><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzBvrP3A14PNxGkrKrenTiAiClNNMsbD39RsRdZXQGxQGtiGZQbQYisyjmOzBIPT6euRtMJIB_mZxeqoE8bjA3MNaEkDC3NvickLP73EngRLicpDYWRLCfEwRbr4MWxLJLnux0oUsNA0BxiqRruu2_JdXNW38kowoWXQZDjR6CJFZtmxdpr5J4rI/s1600/IMG_20220523_210740_kindlephoto-447765287.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzBvrP3A14PNxGkrKrenTiAiClNNMsbD39RsRdZXQGxQGtiGZQbQYisyjmOzBIPT6euRtMJIB_mZxeqoE8bjA3MNaEkDC3NvickLP73EngRLicpDYWRLCfEwRbr4MWxLJLnux0oUsNA0BxiqRruu2_JdXNW38kowoWXQZDjR6CJFZtmxdpr5J4rI/w637-h478/IMG_20220523_210740_kindlephoto-447765287.jpg" width="637" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING & SHARING THE Chronic Elephant Blog.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Email The Elephant with your ideas for future Blogs, responses, questions, or to say hi:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">EMAIL: thechronicelephantblog@gmail.com.<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p></div></div></div>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-29557621756700906392022-05-19T09:45:00.002-07:002022-06-12T08:04:30.679-07:00DISABILITY & THE SHAME -TANGO<p><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-family: arial;"><b>They say that you never forget your 'first'. </b>First snog, first time you travelled by plane, first time you ate proper Italian ice cream...</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">...And the first time you buy incontinence products. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXaGJKL3e3KQG3WrR0dJL_9BN29LL9awsEyOG9ojhyuW5MBBmdS1fLRpKiEi-vfluTEiz8_0ouGYbqaacxZMIPhRKKFmAIMFQxiIzDTuq9QpGJKbqetN0X1897MKsI0sO97CmbnbN-uIiUZ0sxQhqmEfesTcZ0oZ7CgP7iwLn4MbKaQWgmd2Y7Fo/s1600/IMG_20220519_140559_kindlephoto-103526464.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1171" height="909" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXaGJKL3e3KQG3WrR0dJL_9BN29LL9awsEyOG9ojhyuW5MBBmdS1fLRpKiEi-vfluTEiz8_0ouGYbqaacxZMIPhRKKFmAIMFQxiIzDTuq9QpGJKbqetN0X1897MKsI0sO97CmbnbN-uIiUZ0sxQhqmEfesTcZ0oZ7CgP7iwLn4MbKaQWgmd2Y7Fo/w469-h909/IMG_20220519_140559_kindlephoto-103526464.jpg" width="469" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Like a lot of aspects of living in a disabled body, incontinence has a massive amount of SHAME shackled to what, let's face it, is a) something most of us will arrive at eventually, and b) just a biological fact, NOT something connected to your worth as a human.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Babies are infamous for their leaks, smells and lack of control, but the same thing in an adult is treated as a disgusting shame.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I know I may appear to be the epitomy of 'don't sweat the small stuff ( pause to allow my own disbelieving laughter to subside), but I have found it REALLY hard to accept help, and to use each additional </span><span style="font-family: arial;">disability aid. As hard as it to live within a disabled body, it is harder still to tolerate the daily Tango with SHAME.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaN2aLtheBnmW-m96lRBNcdoL_jL2P6PCAC-swFcoF_vmKJdbqJuDQzHrVQUw9YDAvTZKGRwVy3dDI9Zo23vvOO5vtb72GpBB-e5iqDaM_ZzRnW2rOgypnZvqCcmvV9yZqycJNx7RN3O4cHfz2ioyZx-6RIUvuTKstFWTGAzbQATvC8LW1O7XcGGU/s364/IMG_20220519_171133_kindlephoto-113916231.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="364" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaN2aLtheBnmW-m96lRBNcdoL_jL2P6PCAC-swFcoF_vmKJdbqJuDQzHrVQUw9YDAvTZKGRwVy3dDI9Zo23vvOO5vtb72GpBB-e5iqDaM_ZzRnW2rOgypnZvqCcmvV9yZqycJNx7RN3O4cHfz2ioyZx-6RIUvuTKstFWTGAzbQATvC8LW1O7XcGGU/s320/IMG_20220519_171133_kindlephoto-113916231.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We are brought up to be rewarded for 'looking after ourselves', 'to be independent,' and to be 'A 'BIG boy!' or 'BIG girl!' I used to work with pre-schoolers, and we practically gave a child a mexican wave when they managed to poo without assistance!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As adults, the focus is on what we are contributing to society by working. When we are too sick/disabled to work, we are allowed to apply for social security benefits, but this is made as stressful and difficult as is humanly possible. The process is similar to one of those arcade games, with a clumsy metal claw poised high up over a heap of slippery cheques.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLt1Up10ZscEcfQc4lhlAkTAzlADSTub72s5D5HMQiSHIisGXFp_HQosGFo1HrKReH65neYztNdofpnhBPyRojty_7j5OlFMqc_Fl6dGOaItvTMYiKG2eZKFxZZ2yCWoo7kShabTFpBCrlqdbvx3NvbyYrZMxR-Skk0M1noTlDMcGqDxpsVZ2zss/s1531/IMG_20220519_171158_kindlephoto-113792167.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1531" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLt1Up10ZscEcfQc4lhlAkTAzlADSTub72s5D5HMQiSHIisGXFp_HQosGFo1HrKReH65neYztNdofpnhBPyRojty_7j5OlFMqc_Fl6dGOaItvTMYiKG2eZKFxZZ2yCWoo7kShabTFpBCrlqdbvx3NvbyYrZMxR-Skk0M1noTlDMcGqDxpsVZ2zss/s320/IMG_20220519_171158_kindlephoto-113792167.jpg" width="251" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Asking for help feels like failure a lot of the time. This is not because being disabled is inherently Shame-ful, but because society tells us that we SHOULD be ashamed.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Need and Dignity are not a co-dependent couple- they can (and should!) operate entirely independently of one another. <b>If we allow ourselves to be stamped as FAULTY by society, then we miss out on so much of living.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In common with many people who have physical disabilities, I have what is known as 'functional incontinence'- broadly speaking, sometimes my inability to walk far, or with any speed, means that it is impossible for me to the loo quick enough.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcYN5XOqReuzGnPEk9-mtI4T8pVFC7dW22IpBKFQQXNj3KuutgjItH1ohYS_ocErXmc-xZlFPZ_zDWbwK2MIpRsSnnxGGu_bjQmNBPVnmnqrJYJ0rtzRHFe5dltuDpSNY5A77gD8aOgSech2F2YxHQZ5iqyH5H29hRqMOOYhJfAv0RrO-OskP1eM/s721/IMG_20220519_171413_kindlephoto-113671181.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="657" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcYN5XOqReuzGnPEk9-mtI4T8pVFC7dW22IpBKFQQXNj3KuutgjItH1ohYS_ocErXmc-xZlFPZ_zDWbwK2MIpRsSnnxGGu_bjQmNBPVnmnqrJYJ0rtzRHFe5dltuDpSNY5A77gD8aOgSech2F2YxHQZ5iqyH5H29hRqMOOYhJfAv0RrO-OskP1eM/s320/IMG_20220519_171413_kindlephoto-113671181.jpg" width="292" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /> I am a blushing elephant writing this, but I want to encourage other chronically ill folk to accept the aids they need without the hesitancy I have felt.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The first time I used a mobility-aid I felt a level of self-consciousness I had not felt since puberty. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">You can never blend into the background as a disabled person...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">...And sometimes you just don't want to dance.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING & SHARING the Chronic Elephant Blog.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Email your Ideas for future Blogs/your comments/feedback to: thechronicelephant@gmail.com</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-42601089283576709182022-05-12T07:14:00.000-07:002022-06-12T08:03:54.227-07:00ELEPHANTINE LEVELS OF DENIAL, & DISABILITY<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Alongside the grief of acquiring DISABILITY, I seem to have got stuck with grief's Ugly Sister- Denial..</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHLNJ49oxcC7rlwCeyShTpjvtFmCEL22J3DP-hHbwBhNOOFExuI_rv0RErMdTnSwJZg-epj38bBmf8MpYbFLuXSiKBJpExJccbHj3XO1DpDZmdSSVAe0ZmzzL6sTAD-OBf6BvlVf0tT6Jh9c34v7twyiblZguOwX4JA1-HLpc7jJoxfMsc4FYfcI/s608/IMG_20220511_143044_kindlephoto-171481685.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="488" height="665" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHLNJ49oxcC7rlwCeyShTpjvtFmCEL22J3DP-hHbwBhNOOFExuI_rv0RErMdTnSwJZg-epj38bBmf8MpYbFLuXSiKBJpExJccbHj3XO1DpDZmdSSVAe0ZmzzL6sTAD-OBf6BvlVf0tT6Jh9c34v7twyiblZguOwX4JA1-HLpc7jJoxfMsc4FYfcI/w534-h665/IMG_20220511_143044_kindlephoto-171481685.jpg" width="534" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When I first got really disabled, I kept having the same dream, : I dreamt that I was walking, lost, around a city...and then I would remember that I can't walk, look down at my legs,and a great wave of panic and shame, would sweep over me. Vulnerable and immobilized I would ask the same question:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"How did I allow this to happen?!" </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The next night I would be in Denial again.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'm talking about acquired Disability that comes from an accident, an acute illness, ageing, or series of illnesses or Chronic illnesses. It is never what you wanted and it will feel like the worst possible time for this to happen.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have also discovered that I hold deep- seated Ableist attitudes to disability ( more on this in a future Blog). I have felt </span><span style="font-family: arial;">rage at not being able to navigate a World that often considers disabled people as not important enough to be catered for. I still feel so frustrated at myself that I care so much that a 'special' ramp has to be dragged out of storage when I appear, that people stare at me wondering what my story is.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">To join the ranks of the Disabled you need Special Keys/lanyards/parking permits, gadgets, gizmos and furniture with wheels..but most of all you need to pull on your Big Pants and get brave. Like it or not the World now considers you as NOT LIKE THEM.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Disability or a disabling illness places a huge economic economic and social burden on you. You lose friends,and opportunities and have to manage your day to day routines with the precision of an Olympic athlete, and the discipline of a trappist monk.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A few years ago I would not have dreamt of calling myself Disabled. I was not THAT person. Then I had a battle-royale to get the disability benefit that I truly deserved, culminating in me lying on the floor of the court at my Tribunnal. Being forced to advocate for myself made me see the unvarnished truth: I can't walk more than very short distances with a walker, my house is full of disability aids and everyone has felt like a surrender of territory. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">During the last 4 years I have come to know that I AM Disabled...and maybe...just MAYBE... I can live with that. And that maybe after 50- plus years of fighting my body, I can </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">start to treat it with kindness, and be full of wonder and gratitude for its sheer hard work. Over the years I have starved it, told it to do better, to try harder, and pushed it way beyond its limits, when it begged me for rest. Now its thin angles are softer I berate it for its slackness. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv27ZATnUyg0w74PoUTafAic_g-5HWPDPiGdFxuAF5K5POmYul35i1kgcZFEwk_CIjWinSNXepVlpBSNPFsrCU58WdVxKO9ZseBDr2IQg8h7NtRnLUYtbeMaUkfA4hHkiIGy7OTsSmWlz7A21ET_2ygW_BQamSVjG2yDsAqURJGituRVqkHrd6zpw/s1377/IMG_20220511_143246_kindlephoto-171337172.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1377" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv27ZATnUyg0w74PoUTafAic_g-5HWPDPiGdFxuAF5K5POmYul35i1kgcZFEwk_CIjWinSNXepVlpBSNPFsrCU58WdVxKO9ZseBDr2IQg8h7NtRnLUYtbeMaUkfA4hHkiIGy7OTsSmWlz7A21ET_2ygW_BQamSVjG2yDsAqURJGituRVqkHrd6zpw/s320/IMG_20220511_143246_kindlephoto-171337172.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Some people may flourish under such trials: they may develop unusual gifts and inspire others. They maybe an award- winning physicist or mountaineer, film-maker, Paralympian or Writer. Some may fly gracefully</span><span style="font-family: arial;">: This Blog is for us- the ordinary elephants, who were not meant to be exceptional, but who want to feel accepted and appreciated for who we ARE- not who we would have been with a different body. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">THANK YOU FOR READING & SHARING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-55854487819684398472022-05-04T06:52:00.000-07:002022-05-04T06:55:33.037-07:00DUMBO THE ELEPHANT, AND DISABILITY<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXuM2T3D0kGzIX6fmqRJqJrpPW0XWfCtz7v2nUsegVytuTAnw4a9jQeFcWWF48-GCS5-WnPxLKId22wETtMivRv9FjxpXKxLNcfdt9y36mroJjYnd9zHRFop1tn53BDXFcrUDrMoY9O2iKPki7fF_Ski6Zn_ZN9rtUtfzBhtoXQ7D5R8G_HoMqgPI/s1941/R.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1941" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXuM2T3D0kGzIX6fmqRJqJrpPW0XWfCtz7v2nUsegVytuTAnw4a9jQeFcWWF48-GCS5-WnPxLKId22wETtMivRv9FjxpXKxLNcfdt9y36mroJjYnd9zHRFop1tn53BDXFcrUDrMoY9O2iKPki7fF_Ski6Zn_ZN9rtUtfzBhtoXQ7D5R8G_HoMqgPI/w434-h335/R.jpeg" width="434" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I can't walk more than a metre or so even with a walking aid. I can't work, cook, clean or shower myself. Sitting is a problem.The Elephant House is stuffed full of disability aids. I have a badge for disabled parking, and my husband is my official carer..</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So why is it so hard to admit I'm Disabled!??? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In this short series of Blogs I'll be taking you on my journey of acquired disability. From a person with quite the aversion to being disabled to someone who, for better or worse, IS the owner of a disabled body. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">If you have ever watched the Disney film Dumbo, you will have witnessed some out and out <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ableism" target="_blank">ABLEIST</a> bullying, to the Pachyderm star of the show. Disabled by his huge ears, the titular hero is treated as a freak, and made to jump ( as he thinks), to his death, to entertain a crowd. Miraculously his flapping ears means he can fly.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I am an elephant who can't fly.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">For most of us, waving our disablilities in front of people feels less like salvation, and more like humiliation.. Even using disabled facilities, or disabled parking can lead to curious staring or comments.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJrhFVAIu2IJJsejJaTHU1qn71CQrHpEzT5OAUu-jCD21-_Hv3RrCwGPNkDINh_gKaLOY3UpdYfQLOX0losCKdbwMlycmxwWrBIBfZpMsSlhP9-23lIh2Xuqjn5SsaQxrAHco-0FYyLaVzj-6rx9zyrypZIIKgf4dJHsAsvE9sPgIrkSGtgXTxng/s1600/IMG_20220424_131750.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJrhFVAIu2IJJsejJaTHU1qn71CQrHpEzT5OAUu-jCD21-_Hv3RrCwGPNkDINh_gKaLOY3UpdYfQLOX0losCKdbwMlycmxwWrBIBfZpMsSlhP9-23lIh2Xuqjn5SsaQxrAHco-0FYyLaVzj-6rx9zyrypZIIKgf4dJHsAsvE9sPgIrkSGtgXTxng/s320/IMG_20220424_131750.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In the past, joining a ' Freak Show' was a possiblity for disabled people with few available job options. Arguably the modern iteration of this is what is know as 'Inspiration Porn'.<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspiration_porn" target="_blank">INSPIRATION PORN</a> is the story of how a disabled person /people, overcame their disability to become exceptional in some way,( with the intention of leaving the able- bodied audiennce feeling good). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> '"So Inspiring! "</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">At the other end of the spectrum is the trope of Benefit- scrounging slackers who just don't try hard enough.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Neither of these stereotypes is helpful, most of us are not aiming to be exceptional, nor are we pulling a fast one and pretending disability.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaqFgSW9_BbJoyb1RUGzJChSRtlB-8WgN52VbxGz_1Nv2gyYajc8--euTGlTeoQ4m8Be1dgk5DHtRZJj4Y-4TL466uFqeBRPed474jQfHu3K4PkTJ_AcllZ_CQvvbqsAQ4RA9iMsoQUcu3GK54RQOv_f9I5DFObMKPgB_LPR9i1od6vfbLUD_1bs/s1600/IMG_20220504_134559_kindlephoto-223368049.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaqFgSW9_BbJoyb1RUGzJChSRtlB-8WgN52VbxGz_1Nv2gyYajc8--euTGlTeoQ4m8Be1dgk5DHtRZJj4Y-4TL466uFqeBRPed474jQfHu3K4PkTJ_AcllZ_CQvvbqsAQ4RA9iMsoQUcu3GK54RQOv_f9I5DFObMKPgB_LPR9i1od6vfbLUD_1bs/s320/IMG_20220504_134559_kindlephoto-223368049.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It is not our job to inspire able bodied people.We just want to be able to have the dignity of respecting our body's limits, and getting the assistance we need.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Why is that that SO hard?!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-30287807750462131252022-04-24T05:56:00.000-07:002022-06-12T08:05:12.991-07:00YOU ARE NOT PICASSO...& THAT'S GOOD !<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hello...yes, it's ME! Still ill, Still in pain. Still being creative. Still moaning, and FINALLY writing a Blog again in an attempt to inspire you to make some fab art!😊<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvxpmjq05SAF7s0RCOIEvHvsttBB1s4dUeagEEF3CYL8dnj6Yy3UAo2M8onUC4zMoDv3JJfTf1FIhxboHsG-E52BIQpz7AF4rbWbVwu0HYzNNkvFMyLjefzEHDIXFBUqVYZs68LR5Qz68SNrazFh5pT4BOVKA7i2q-M14r-BqYJ040-DhOpRlCog/s1080/IMG_20211231_193207_276.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvxpmjq05SAF7s0RCOIEvHvsttBB1s4dUeagEEF3CYL8dnj6Yy3UAo2M8onUC4zMoDv3JJfTf1FIhxboHsG-E52BIQpz7AF4rbWbVwu0HYzNNkvFMyLjefzEHDIXFBUqVYZs68LR5Qz68SNrazFh5pT4BOVKA7i2q-M14r-BqYJ040-DhOpRlCog/s320/IMG_20211231_193207_276.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-large;"><b>YOU ARE NOT PICASSO..& THAT'S GOOD!</b></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Many moons ago, I was evicerated by an art tutor looking at my work, then pointing to a poster of a Picasso print, and asking me "Why can't you do that?!" In World of stupid opinions and limitless questions, it still ranks as one of the most witless things I've ever heard.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The thing that stops most of us from being creative is just that brand of scorn. Who are we to DARE to call ourselves artists, when others are SO much more talented, so much more worthwhile. We lurk in the shadows afraid that what we see as imperfections in our work will recieve a hostile reception. And if it's not other people telling us that dogs don't have 5 legs, and trees are not pink...then we stick a hand into the sock- puppet who can slag us off with the most efficiency: Our Inner Critic.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VgS9EahvB3HUQVuexIC3DO6zTJAG9ErdB5OA5GvcVpz_KVrdbtevLCSyHt0W6AfB9f3mFt9uLXhZJkKjnkomHhfzKL392u1xZDkgTLcpRNWFpmbQgTw_Y75YrURSNcIFACC9tOTP3IqnA3J0TTHcR6r5bPrA66KEF_tnq-ZMWBv5rFdqvw6SL_E/s1600/IMG_20220424_131857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VgS9EahvB3HUQVuexIC3DO6zTJAG9ErdB5OA5GvcVpz_KVrdbtevLCSyHt0W6AfB9f3mFt9uLXhZJkKjnkomHhfzKL392u1xZDkgTLcpRNWFpmbQgTw_Y75YrURSNcIFACC9tOTP3IqnA3J0TTHcR6r5bPrA66KEF_tnq-ZMWBv5rFdqvw6SL_E/w412-h240/IMG_20220424_131857.jpg" width="412" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Each of us has a bespoke creativity as unique as your fingerprints and your dental records. Until you pick up a pen/ brush/crayon/glue-gun, your uniqueness remains silent. No one else can do what you are capable of, and you are capable of much more than you know.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The deterents when you are in pain/chronically ill, are even greater- you might make your pain worse ( spoiler alert: you probably will!), and what happens if you flake out halfway through? You may have questions..</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">..I never go out- how can I feel inspired?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">...What if my work looks stupid?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">...Maybe my art teacher had a point?!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">WHOA THERE! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Here is the Chronic Elephant's guide to getting started ( YOU'RE WELCOME!).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">1. GET COMFORTABLE. The trope of the suffering artist is highly overated. Get comfy, stay warm and stop as many times as you need to. Chose a size to work that doesn't feel offputting.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8hBBeAJzEJBJxbgY0sNtJGPwjbw8qfyrBPGjksZYcvCNUyHRo9-wOG64PewTwxy_RFz6k-1neLT57JwhrhySXtkSK-uCiJ7mYyxR-bTbV7sSWOZIfQp24Js0KuBbuxgixbCn0JE-ghn6CFaAlF1_-NFurD8wO4ihROiF3lgQqRdpq3vvcC-XQ-c/s1600/IMG_20220424_131750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8hBBeAJzEJBJxbgY0sNtJGPwjbw8qfyrBPGjksZYcvCNUyHRo9-wOG64PewTwxy_RFz6k-1neLT57JwhrhySXtkSK-uCiJ7mYyxR-bTbV7sSWOZIfQp24Js0KuBbuxgixbCn0JE-ghn6CFaAlF1_-NFurD8wO4ihROiF3lgQqRdpq3vvcC-XQ-c/s320/IMG_20220424_131750.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">2. GET A LOT OF CHEAP MATERIALS, RATHER THAN A SMALL AMOUNT OF 'PROFESSIONAL QUALITY' ART MATERIALS. Felt tips or biros can be as good to draw with as a range of 'Artist's Professional Quality Pencils'. Get a load of cheap paper, so you can do lots and lots. Quantity beats quality every time.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_HT37GbIrL9qRclQFH-ui3qYBdQBr2sRG5DlxxsxF9ohwv8zgKi7ndk35Kx1LKsUhLSrnmA99qlpSCWGtPzRgh-4Y2wH_cWw5evP6_WHJtI7327N1h3QbWVSXGwjsJye5T8ZUNn2I-Yblzno6kTXKeVR8E4zBNAvs3zYydEzYQ8ZAnbGb9G-agWc/s1600/IMG_20220327_152636_kindlephoto-176020554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_HT37GbIrL9qRclQFH-ui3qYBdQBr2sRG5DlxxsxF9ohwv8zgKi7ndk35Kx1LKsUhLSrnmA99qlpSCWGtPzRgh-4Y2wH_cWw5evP6_WHJtI7327N1h3QbWVSXGwjsJye5T8ZUNn2I-Yblzno6kTXKeVR8E4zBNAvs3zYydEzYQ8ZAnbGb9G-agWc/s320/IMG_20220327_152636_kindlephoto-176020554.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">3. REDUCE MENTAL LOAD. If choosing from 40 coloured pencils is too much, use just two that contrast. Take some photos on your phone, or listen to <a href="https://www.artslicepod.com">https://www.artslicepod.com</a> and learn from other artists. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LuuF5JDVAbAK14uCmrJvSKUo6P790IE_PF9NFrd_9Z_PGo_aZ0Y1fGDWjWzJQ17deKk1LNrxub7Cgy47QKpdqQEeLfe1S4fYns7XEX--qynbp2T9nXjZsjAxC5CQ4PsRqSbhzyB2yX4OKkHkzN9IkZEMo6bvoGy6C2QXJR8EpWHIx7_HumKsdD4/s1600/IMG_20220424_131704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strike><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LuuF5JDVAbAK14uCmrJvSKUo6P790IE_PF9NFrd_9Z_PGo_aZ0Y1fGDWjWzJQ17deKk1LNrxub7Cgy47QKpdqQEeLfe1S4fYns7XEX--qynbp2T9nXjZsjAxC5CQ4PsRqSbhzyB2yX4OKkHkzN9IkZEMo6bvoGy6C2QXJR8EpWHIx7_HumKsdD4/w479-h240/IMG_20220424_131704.jpg" width="479" /></strike></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">4. START A JOURNAL. Get all your morning angst out in words, and leave it on the page.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">5. BUY A COLOUR WHEEL, AND TRY DIFFERENT COLOUR COMBINATIONS. What colour feels like you today?!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcDbiN0qH1BLwiMIxfJRS2KwVVk01n_5OlzS7QVCGcIkfdtc1rafhKz8YzzGBfbZbAL0uF8Vl_XQeK_aKkgcCdsuzU1DkUCT1KHULqpiqYt_cDRZ3wQGAR6u9behTXP9i85qkX9re7phKD3rlGyIhyozyXFLLkiOng1hIk5YogS-QoxwxhummQhI/s1600/IMG_20220424_131651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcDbiN0qH1BLwiMIxfJRS2KwVVk01n_5OlzS7QVCGcIkfdtc1rafhKz8YzzGBfbZbAL0uF8Vl_XQeK_aKkgcCdsuzU1DkUCT1KHULqpiqYt_cDRZ3wQGAR6u9behTXP9i85qkX9re7phKD3rlGyIhyozyXFLLkiOng1hIk5YogS-QoxwxhummQhI/s320/IMG_20220424_131651.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">...And most important 5. PLAY. Try things- maybe a 5 legged camel is what you WANT to draw. SPOILER ALERT: That Art teacher was an idiot!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">6. SHARE YOUR WORK ONLY WHEN YOU'RE COMFORTABLE & WITH FOLK WHO ARE HIGH QUALITY GOLD PLATED FRIENDS.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYB9XoQAvSQpDKjzs4Fsy9T-er6z3sOxx-jHLdWjhnNKbp6Mjw4DW9hrzWB8Y9tm8MD-RA__gSG95zFUUFOmEbg-F-i6zLG1sa3gzVnZfDbJX9IisBBqnd0n-mbsfMNR3toVmLcTsOgS0XMopeI3jqzu0xnG5boQxBfPZiISLepMJDJFn1htoerng/s1600/IMG_20220413_091317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYB9XoQAvSQpDKjzs4Fsy9T-er6z3sOxx-jHLdWjhnNKbp6Mjw4DW9hrzWB8Y9tm8MD-RA__gSG95zFUUFOmEbg-F-i6zLG1sa3gzVnZfDbJX9IisBBqnd0n-mbsfMNR3toVmLcTsOgS0XMopeI3jqzu0xnG5boQxBfPZiISLepMJDJFn1htoerng/s320/IMG_20220413_091317.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">THANK YOU FOR READING AND SHARING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT BLOG.😊</span></p><p><br /></p>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-72159202720180936682021-07-27T11:43:00.000-07:002021-07-27T11:43:55.039-07:00ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES :THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE WOO-WOO<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well hello there. Let's start with a question:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Q:What do the following have in common?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Aromatherapy, Osteopathy, Cranial Osteopathy, Spiritual Healing, Reiki Healing, Sound Bath Healing, Exclusion diets, Homeopathy, TM, Buddhist Meditation, Mindfulness, Acupuncture, Allergy testing, Vega Testing, Muscle Testing, Breath Control, Air filter, Naturopathy, Bach Flower Remedies, Staying at a private hospital, Deep Tissue Massage, Crystal Healing, Counselling, Psychotherapy, Yoga, CBD, Liquid Oxygen and Tumeric lattes...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">A: They are all therapies I have used over the years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Some have been really helpful, others have failed to have any effect whatsoever, (other than making me poorer and sometimes in debt). Some have been a lot of 'woo- woo', and some have become part of my ongoing maintenance routine- ( thank you Meditation, Aromatherapy and Homeopathy!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After seeing</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> overworked Doctors, it can be bliss to consult an alternative practitioner who has time to listen sympathetically, and may seem to offer a solution. All this will be music to the ears of the typical ME patient, who may have spent years trying to convince their GP that they ARE really ill. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">My advice after 30 years of a vicious tango with this illness, is never to pay anyone more money than you can afford to lose. If this sounds harsh, it is tough love, because you <strong>may </strong>be helped, you may find great benefit...but equally you <strong>may</strong> <strong>not!</strong> Chronic conditions are not easily cured, and ultimately you need the basic necessities of a roof over your head, heating and food, more than you need any therapist or healer...so don't get yourself in debt because of alternative therapy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">You are also likely to have had all kinds of friends and aquaintances recommend the local person who cured their friend with ME ( who is now mountain climbing/bringing up triplets/taking part in a triathlon). The therapist might be the best in their field, but they might still be unable to help you, ( as has happened to me more than once).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">I have 4 rules of thumb for judging practitioners, that I have honed over the decades:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">RULE 1**The more they promise- the less they deliver. If someone is really competent, then they will know that people are variable, and what has worked for one person, won't necessarily help another. Anyone telling you they, ' ...Can definitely cure you,' definitely can't. Only an idiot or snake-oil salesman, would make such a rash claim.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">RULE 2**If you do not see any progress within a short time, you are unlikely to get a result with a longer time. Do not get duped ( as I have done in the past) into trying something for 3 months '..Because it will take a while to work.' or 'Things have to get much worse before they get better,' only to realise, that you have wasted all that money and time, and the practitioner was actually clueless.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">RULE 3**Anything described as 'miraculous wonder drug/vitamin' <span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">probably isn't. Also be aware that many supplements are unregulated in terms of ingredients, eg, CBD. This is worrying in the sense that you may be paying for poor quality, but also, that you may be ingesting something that has God knows what in it. They can also be insanely expensive. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">RULE 4** If the person makes you feel uncomfortable in any way, or intimates that your attitude changing is what will effect a cure, leave as fast as your knackered body can get you out of there! <br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Do not work with anyone who gives irresponsible advice such as stopping the medication you are on without consulting your Dr, or having all your fillings removed ( multiple local anaesthetics are not something to sign up for voluntarily, in my view). I have also had a couple of experiences of wildly inappropriate behaviour from a therapist- If in doubt- get the heck out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Trust your gut feelings: YOU are the expert on your own body and mind, as you live with them every moment of every day. </span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1vSqP9dENtVkfIMy7nYOAhu-9COkuTZYkcuvqarRHsGnw0DvMn9v0Yn1ANcwA0Af4RrCC2_QoPpzXXqZmk6fF3Ruug_DflTUS4T2Qv41t3tsV72WkYF4SF5ZcLENbj9oMFAZVH52cGI/s1600/IMG_20180805_114638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1vSqP9dENtVkfIMy7nYOAhu-9COkuTZYkcuvqarRHsGnw0DvMn9v0Yn1ANcwA0Af4RrCC2_QoPpzXXqZmk6fF3Ruug_DflTUS4T2Qv41t3tsV72WkYF4SF5ZcLENbj9oMFAZVH52cGI/s640/IMG_20180805_114638.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">THE BENEFITS OF SEEING</span> <span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">A GOOD PRACTITIONER:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">There are good, helpful, kind practitioners out there and they can be someone to help you manage your symptoms, and to review your health with. Decide on manageable goals together, and make a deadline to review progress: 'I want to take less pain medication' is more achievable, and more likely to happen, than 'I want to be completely cured'.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">A good practitioner will NOT want to keep seeing you if they cannot help you. They will also not be short on clients, so don't need to work with folk they can't help.They will manage expectations and not offer miracle cures, or simplistic explanations of why you are ill. They can collaborate with you, and advise you when you have to manage acute problems on top of the usual chronic ones.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">I have generally found that the things that have helped me the most have been things that I have been able to learn to use to self manage - again, Homeopathy, Meditation, aromatherapy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">WITHOUT SPENDING OUT ANY CASH, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP YOURSELF?</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><u>Keep a symptoms diary</u>- this has been game-changing for me and useful to see whether new supplements/medications/foods etc are having a positive or negative effect. It has been incredibly useful for medical appointments, but was also a helpful reminder when I had to fill in benefits forms. <br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><u>Maintain a routine</u>- it is very easy when you have symptoms that can vary from day to day, not to have any kind of routine- you're not at work, your social life is zero, why not get up when you fancy, or eat at random times?! For me this would be full-on-elephantine-chaos, as I need routine as scaffolding to get me through the day. I use alarms every hour, so I get through planning a bit at a time. When you feel this crappy an hour is a L-O-N-G time!</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">It is also nice to have some difference in routine at weekends- Give yourself a treat of some kind, or have your favourite meal.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
<u>Keep hydrated</u>.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><u>Don't neglect basic health maintenance</u>. If you are unable to brush your teeth, then swill some mouthwash, if you can't wash, use wipes, etc. If you can attend basic health checks, pap smear, cholesterol tests, etc you will be really doing something good help yourself. Mine often take quite a few goes ( my last dental check had been cancelled 4 times, but I finally did it!)</span></li>
<li> <u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Find something to smile at everyday.</span></u></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">My last piece of advice is never to give away your agency and power. I know how desperate being chronically ill can make you feel, but you do not need anyone in your life who leaves you feeling sad, bad or just plain out of pocket!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">THANK YOU FOR READING AND SUPPORTING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT. PLEASE SHARE THIS BLOG WITH ANYONE YOU THINK MIGHT BE INTERESTED.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span><br />thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-81357197299860073192021-03-02T02:30:00.003-08:002021-03-04T04:54:58.876-08:00CHRONICALLY LOCKED-DOWN BLUES.<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Did you miss me?!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It's been some months since I last Blogged during the Covid- crisis- remember that? Oh no. Wait.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Yep.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="367" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jpiHQ11LBzg" width="547" youtube-src-id="jpiHQ11LBzg"></iframe></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Covid is sadly still doing its thing. So here is a brief resume of the last months at the Elephant House, with our very First World problems: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">LOCKDOWN 1: Fear, anxiety, worry. Establishing routines, peaceful, birdsong, sitting in the garden, free weekly drama productions on Youtube. Spring and hedgehogs. Temporary shortages of loo roll, ibuprofen, vinegar, flour, and eggs. Mr Elephant mentions reusable toilet paper(!) and we had a heated coversation about how to measure 2 meters. What the heck is ZOOM?! I miss family and friends...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> Dominic Cummings...Grrrr </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6igI5BsmUs-XqxsdcbNx7XbeOxrv4MaPBwoswHDGM3uR5Kny6lvs-4XHvnvyYxwA3uEjJzvzPbeu1fw8PALLtJlUortdeg9xtSFwMuIjJHz34cDCAS1MTLLTpI42gjPwjAok-TmkwXM/s261/H+HOG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="193" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6igI5BsmUs-XqxsdcbNx7XbeOxrv4MaPBwoswHDGM3uR5Kny6lvs-4XHvnvyYxwA3uEjJzvzPbeu1fw8PALLtJlUortdeg9xtSFwMuIjJHz34cDCAS1MTLLTpI42gjPwjAok-TmkwXM/w424-h572/H+HOG.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">NEW LANGUAGE TO MASTER: Covid, Zoom, Doomscrolling, Elbow-bump, Nightingale- hospital, and Bardcore. The SpaceX rocket launches, and we watch Bob and Doug and their sparkly toy dinosaur blast into Space. We enjoy the weekly 'Clap for Carers' as an opportunity to at least HEAR our local friends and neighbours - who go mad banging pots, blowing whistles and screaming. I take up life drawing again (after a 25 year hiatus), from poses on the Internet...and I hand-stitch 5 masks...</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpbfisUB5EW0M6dhxJbg2WQyilFbZh-Qt-0L16l1kYpMrPtg1yPLpjWj57CR9_H31olqTfPAFrDIvSwoFLm-XmNzBGYTJretKmSuB3lc-2gzs8mPH2kmSLwSyX-r6vaSR0Cl4cMYjCQU/s1600/IMG_20201106_094117+%25281%2529+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpbfisUB5EW0M6dhxJbg2WQyilFbZh-Qt-0L16l1kYpMrPtg1yPLpjWj57CR9_H31olqTfPAFrDIvSwoFLm-XmNzBGYTJretKmSuB3lc-2gzs8mPH2kmSLwSyX-r6vaSR0Cl4cMYjCQU/w496-h372/IMG_20201106_094117+%25281%2529+%25281%2529.jpg" width="496" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">SUMMER: Warmth, Light, sitting outside and chatting spaced apart.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> Attending a socially distanced funeral. :- ( </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Meeting a friend on the village green, (maybe this year is picking up!) Crowds at local beauty spots are insane- Have they not watched any news in the last months?!!. I miss family and friends!!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEdZb7LAuF87FAzVh0-MlR8i34tSwYt9yRYENMpYK6oD8SoGuAchIS379mhavUbasDCLpeT1Dg2hagYRx0cCd_IPW1dgBVnt_fwH8PTkRkSLg-YldnS8zuUbLy7SKrdQlfcSqcW4EJlQ/s479/Photo1070.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="479" height="521" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEdZb7LAuF87FAzVh0-MlR8i34tSwYt9yRYENMpYK6oD8SoGuAchIS379mhavUbasDCLpeT1Dg2hagYRx0cCd_IPW1dgBVnt_fwH8PTkRkSLg-YldnS8zuUbLy7SKrdQlfcSqcW4EJlQ/w521-h521/Photo1070.jpg" width="521" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">AUTUMN: Tier 3 , or are we Tier 4 (?) The days are getting shorter, and all covid data is going up again... why aren't we in lockdown?! I introduce a Gratitude practise into each day, because some days I don't feel grateful for anything in this **** of a year, despite being highly blessed. I begin eating chocolate like never before! A squirrel replaces the hedgehogs. We are now Zoom veterans!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehsUwQwFgVw8xMcCc01zJN8qLhQsKPPRlw1Fr-QwU7bWXNEzpQ5BAvLsMepGnfbOcA6CUTEfl6Fk8439UdMlmKxzD-L9DorPzJ6lyFS_2VQUlThc0bk_aiR0seD1_GUX9nbam7h7-TqY/s1600/IMG_20200617_174716+%25281%2529+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehsUwQwFgVw8xMcCc01zJN8qLhQsKPPRlw1Fr-QwU7bWXNEzpQ5BAvLsMepGnfbOcA6CUTEfl6Fk8439UdMlmKxzD-L9DorPzJ6lyFS_2VQUlThc0bk_aiR0seD1_GUX9nbam7h7-TqY/w510-h382/IMG_20200617_174716+%25281%2529+%25281%2529.jpg" width="510" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">LOCKDOWN 2: If we are locked down, then why are there so many people about?!. Not sure what's going on. (?) Keep manically scanning the news which isn't helping...I have a plan to entice next door's cat into the flat and see if it will play some notes on the piano. Mr Elephant looks at me as if I'm mad...<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">LOCKDOWN 3: TRUMP'S GONE!!!!!!!!!! He's finally GONE!!!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Finally we are out of tiers and into lockdown and that fact, along with the bad weather mean there is no valid reason to leave the house unless it is on fire. At least these are rules that are possible to understand!!! I unearthed some wildflowers I had pressed during the Summer- they fall apart, and I look at them thinking: " I know how you feel". <span></span></span></p><!--more--><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">DECEMBER 25th- I hope the politician who earlier declared Covid "Would be over by Christmas," is choking on some particularly farty brussel sprouts...I force myself to lay off the chocolate...<span></span></span></p><!--more--><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I have not been out since December due to my usual seasonal flare - up. The cat is still not playing ball with my piano- playing plan..but I did spy it trying to stuff itself- (unsuccessfully ) into a wheely bin. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A pair of swans have been spotted getting cosy on the local river- we guess they are planning nest building. We are so starved for novelty at this point that crowds will probably gather if they so much ass put three twigs together. The prospect of a) getting the vaccine, and b) the potential for cygnets on the river, makes me giddy with delight...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And so on....</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And on.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And on.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-48399816689863372192020-07-01T08:55:00.002-07:002020-07-01T08:55:10.787-07:005 (GOOD) SURPRISES AT THE ELEPHANT HOUSE<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My apologies for it being an age since we last did the Blog thing together. My words over the last couple of months would have been being small, useless...and it just wasn't the time for my usual brand of 'First- World Problems' moaning! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now, I am back at my keyboard,( h</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">aving washed my hands), and promised myself not to mention any of the following: sourdough starter, mask construction, acts of kindness/bravery, #Blessed, Dominic Cummings, Banana- Bread, my flare-up(s), oat flour, egg shortages, and lies and damn statistics...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So we finally arrive at this Blog!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9VSHZF6QnbaSJEm5kgSZmSfWLWdts1GIAHbH2LSK00Fsu7HnudFhlKY8ErkCpjuHT9vvSVUySmbI9hLnmIL11mCePoPDVsg67enePLN7X0zkVoBqbqQ5cA4f3Xnn1kMe6cfwqr5sPoUA/s1600/veggie+brek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9VSHZF6QnbaSJEm5kgSZmSfWLWdts1GIAHbH2LSK00Fsu7HnudFhlKY8ErkCpjuHT9vvSVUySmbI9hLnmIL11mCePoPDVsg67enePLN7X0zkVoBqbqQ5cA4f3Xnn1kMe6cfwqr5sPoUA/s640/veggie+brek.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Britain went loo-roll mad, then baking-mad. There were acts of kindness that brought tears to my eyes, and depressing acts of selfishness that made me want to club myself unconscious with a hard-won tin of pineapple. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A high spot of lockdown for me, was settling down with Mr Elephant and watching the SpaceX shuttle take off. There is nothing like seeing our Earth from space, to make you realise, that as fractured and broken as it often feels, it is in fact, one beautiful entity. :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Along with all the crap stuff and stress, I have made some good discoveries during the last few months, and here are 5 I'd like to share with you:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. The Virtual Egyptian Gallery!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are some fantastic 'tours' of museums online. Some of these are photos and text...and in some you can actually 'walk around', via your touch screen or mouse pad ( a novelty for those of us who last 'walked around' a museum some years ago. I have really been enjoying The British Museums </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Egyptian Gallery, Atrium etc, and I also drew some of the exhibits (!).Be still my beating heart...and thank you Google Maps! </span><a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5192048,-0.1274951,2a,75y,172.87h,89.26t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFyBuFtvu6FeVvVVc5--uiw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">The British Museum- The Egyptian Gallery</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There will, (quite rightly), come a time when much of the collection will be repatriated to the countries from which it was plundered. It is good to know that as museums and galleries adapt to the new normal, virtual 'visits' continue to be possible.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGL7IBQozu2odLYptLe-WqOZgM9pH693f220Rpb7YUOtEJFpTBs1PZOct15tmcf3O81AYaTDWeROZvsB5gpw-4mEc7pO2TfYrYs3thF_k5trbBPxgOo5flUjGdsnsFEi7dSfpttOqllk/s1600/IMG_20200630_121428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGL7IBQozu2odLYptLe-WqOZgM9pH693f220Rpb7YUOtEJFpTBs1PZOct15tmcf3O81AYaTDWeROZvsB5gpw-4mEc7pO2TfYrYs3thF_k5trbBPxgOo5flUjGdsnsFEi7dSfpttOqllk/s320/IMG_20200630_121428.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. Bardcore.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, I hadn't heard of it either! Bardcore is a form of music that flourished during lockdown. With musicians out of work, some who specialize in medieval music turned to their Youtube Channels. Performing 'Medieval-ized' versions of rock classics, they have rendered them a much more relaxing listen in the process. The whole thing has got quite the cult-following, and has surprised its audience with a completely new sound.</span><br />
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Queen's Stadium Anthem played on lutes etc.</div>
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Radiohead's dark CREEP made even more intriguing by Medieval style vocals.</div>
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A Medieval-style rendering of The Beatles' BLACKBIRD- complete with actual Blackbirds (!)</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. Sanity Breaks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sanity. Over the last 3 months. Not so much!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lockdown, and the continuing stress of the pandemic, has left many of us taking up worrying as an Olympic sport. Anxiety, stress...and other fun stuff, has left many people Googling ' How To Pray?,' or brushing up on Breathing techniques whilst simultaneously inhaling Oreos and glugging G&T.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For me two resources have been my 'go-to' when I have been having a really crappy day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you are still stuck at home, and in need of some practical pointers about structuring the day, then you might like to look at:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.alonetogether.org.uk/copy-of-how-to" target="_blank">alonetogether.org</a>. Alone Together was started by Jesuit Abbot Christopher Jameson. He has produced a series of short films to help bring structure to the day, and comfort to folk stuck at home. In theory this is something I SHOULD be an expert at, having spent years of my life largely disabled/often in bed. In reality, I have REALLY needed these resources on a number of occasions. </span><br />
(BTW: There is also a really good film on how to pray for complete beginners.)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide" target="_blank">https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ten Per Cent Happier has been one of my favourite meditation websites for a couple of years. The approach is much more pragmatic and less spiritual than my own, but I have found the resources really useful. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Throughout lockdown there were live 5 minute meditations with founder Dan Harris ( ABC newsman), and a guest expert. Topics covered how to manage social media, dealing with anger, fear, and loss of control. The site has a designated page for 'virus-support', as well as an app and a weekly podcast. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">4. Life Drawing in Lockdown.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The last time I did life drawing regularly, I had hot pants and a pull-on mini skirt in my wardrobe! Yup- almost 30 years ago, so I was delighted to find both of these resources! For 28 days worth, daily 15 minutes of intensive life drawing poses ( usually 3x 1 min poses, 2x 2 min poses, and a 5 min pose.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have hugely enjoyed the challenge of doing this on days when I can, and my drawing is slowly improving.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Figuary 2019, and 2020 are available, with parallel Love Life Drawing videos giving hints and tips on coping with drawing the poses.</span><br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/385683231" target="_blank">FIGUARY 2020</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/lovelifedrawing/playlists" target="_blank">Love Life Drawing</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">5. The comfort of an All Day Breakfast.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYUD7nIS979NiR_F5kpXh2Xo2j0l8dunIVCPudYRJbmerKMSasxvLQiu_0Ir0SNIMgaVozkK5IrCPksjZnl8cEYztysAFzim0uy7rjniOIkY3p-kYHDXpILqRX9FfZDpMKhUkVn5sr2I/s1600/smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYUD7nIS979NiR_F5kpXh2Xo2j0l8dunIVCPudYRJbmerKMSasxvLQiu_0Ir0SNIMgaVozkK5IrCPksjZnl8cEYztysAFzim0uy7rjniOIkY3p-kYHDXpILqRX9FfZDpMKhUkVn5sr2I/s1600/smile.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So we come to the 'elephant in the room'! Why do I have a picture of a vegetarian cooked breakfast heading this Blog?! Well, in April, we decided that to celebrate getting through another week, we would reward ourselves with a delicious home cooked breakfast- to be eaten as our evening meal. This comforting mix of eggs, baked beans, veggie sausages and hash browns is happiness on a plate for me- and happiness should always become a habit! :-)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope some of that was helpful/interesting for some of you. If you are having a bad day-keep going step by step, and keep looking out for the colours when it feels dark.</span></div>
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THANK YOU FOR READING AND SHARING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT POSTS.</div>
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thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-87927000416750044292020-04-24T05:01:00.001-07:002020-04-24T05:01:58.561-07:00ELEPHANT IN CAPTIVITY 2: Colouring In(side).<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, it's been a while....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgqnK7ZhmSERhuIXA__I0M4FiDHLYT8OQtH07Incn1TknuYHm0-banLbVGCg_68HGLI4W-nF5wEn2Ho6mDoQUDEnOHNcvvpxxwxMwt2KjFLuekPBl0uzeWfxPY_FiDw6VCPlEaGj2sKw/s1600/IMG_20200421_121913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgqnK7ZhmSERhuIXA__I0M4FiDHLYT8OQtH07Incn1TknuYHm0-banLbVGCg_68HGLI4W-nF5wEn2Ho6mDoQUDEnOHNcvvpxxwxMwt2KjFLuekPBl0uzeWfxPY_FiDw6VCPlEaGj2sKw/s640/IMG_20200421_121913.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Amid the ever changing emotional tides and the brain forcing me to fuel my worries with too many statistics and headlines.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So many questions with no answers:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">How long is this thing going to last? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Will women ever want to put on a bra again, after slobbing around the house in a tracksuit? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Who are the shadowy figures who hoarded all the flour?! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Do we really need any more celebrities checking in from their mansions, or cooking videos about how to make brownies with odd ingredients?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">AND</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> How will Mr Elephant's hair look after I have 'sheared' him with clippers and a bowl on his head?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">All these trivialities are of course vastly outweighed by the collective suffering, and concern and fear for loved ones. If like me, you are managing ongoing mental health conditions, then you may well be feeling highly triggered by the tsunami of events beyond your control. I would like to recommend The Mind Website which has much useful advice including where to access help if you are really struggling. <a href="https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/">https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Breathworks ( where I did the online course for pain and illness this time last year- type 'mental health' into the search box on this page to read about my experiences), are also offering free resources:<a href="https://www.breathworks-mindfulness.org.uk/news/a-message-from-vidyamala-covid-19-free-course-for-troubling-times" target="_blank">FREE BREATHWORKS COURSE FOR TROUBLING TIMES</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> At The Elephant House, there have been productive times, leaky eyes at unpredictable moments, loneliness, 'isolationship'- narkiness, laughter, darkness, grumpiness, and falling into the cosy vortex that is Netflix. Days of routine...and days of the routine refusing to bend into any shape.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Despite being a 'shut-in' for years, I can't say I am full of wisdom on how to manage. I can't coat it in icing and stick a cherry on top- It's really tough!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As long as I can remember, feeding my brain with creative stuff, has really helped my mental health. This is not only a way to stimulate my own creativity, but also to coax my mind to stop focussing on the negative.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6YsDRBMwq70Y6hr3FVevsi_NZPdQyspc6D6HINJbKy3K00AN6-w5qyRf8KQzRtK_XBxbCGtrlBPQfneCBdg1AXK3W40tUYQ3mjfyAVbHG-P6HJ-myqBHbVbrS8-gDq8zjmyGhz1uOsM/s1600/IMG_20200421_142307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6YsDRBMwq70Y6hr3FVevsi_NZPdQyspc6D6HINJbKy3K00AN6-w5qyRf8KQzRtK_XBxbCGtrlBPQfneCBdg1AXK3W40tUYQ3mjfyAVbHG-P6HJ-myqBHbVbrS8-gDq8zjmyGhz1uOsM/s400/IMG_20200421_142307.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This a fantastic read you can dip in and out of...and on the bad days just look at the colour spectrums!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> For me colour is hugely important in lifting my mood. On the days where I am BEING rather than DOING, I watch art videos, I enjoy the colour in my room ( top tip: get as much colour as you can on display in the room you spend most time in,) I go to virtual galleries, and exhibitions, and if I feel really vile I put a coloured scarf on the bed next to me, and something coloured next to the bed.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtL-nPJsCmGv9LzRO4iCQBF5FxRJlANEJ9LoJE3Mf1vjDHCsSkFjwP1AdiKfW7BiBUOCWaJ9UCioP7rqQ2sbmJuXM-4tDelc2HIDQoSCh9_XbE605K8F_Nl_87BG2TatzWkrkubo1qttI/s1600/IMG_20190608_135545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtL-nPJsCmGv9LzRO4iCQBF5FxRJlANEJ9LoJE3Mf1vjDHCsSkFjwP1AdiKfW7BiBUOCWaJ9UCioP7rqQ2sbmJuXM-4tDelc2HIDQoSCh9_XbE605K8F_Nl_87BG2TatzWkrkubo1qttI/s400/IMG_20190608_135545.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea and a sketchbook- what more do you need?!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For once I am not envying the 'well folk', who are going out and doing stuff... because, well, we are ALL staying in! As I pray for an end to suffering, and a return to sanity, my range of options has actually increased(!), and I have been watching more plays, musicals and virtual exhibitions than ever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SOME RESOURCES TO GET YOUR CREATIVITY COOKING WITH GAS:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Originally released at the Cinema, this full length film, is a virtual exhibition combining Hockney's two popular shows ( one of huge landscapes and one of portraits) at The Royal Academy, London. Interviews with artist, curator, models and art critics, plus the wonderful ( and colourful ) pieces themselves make this a gripping watch. As the film ended I felt 'well fed' with so much superb art and so many wonderful colours!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Art Channel is one of my absolute favourites. Two art critics walk and talk in an engaging way around various London art exhibitions- there is a huge library of short films from these two. Exhibitions without crowds and brilliant tour guides is a win for me!This one is about comparing the work of Marcel Duchamps, and Salvador Dali. See below, for a more modern and colourful subject.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have never watched ' Fake Or Fortune', which is a very popular art programme on BBC here, so I didn't previously know Art Dealer Phillip Mould, but I am absolutely loving his lockdown series of daily films about his art collection. He is an enthusiast and so relatable as he shows us his amazing paintings and sculptures ( Richard III statue anyone?!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was so unbelievably blessed to go to Art college, and I probably learnt as much (maybe more) from my fellow students as I did from the tutors! In my experience, there is nothing that gets the creative juices flowing, as watching and learning from other artists. There are a few episodes of ' Portrait Artist Of The Year 2020', available, and if I'm having a tough day, it's a good one to make me smile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This may seem a random choice, but I keep being drawn back to this song. It was only whilst thinking about what to put in this Blog that I realised it's title fits with the theme! The other weird coincidence is that he is locked up in a prison in the video!!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ddddee; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700;">"Break The Night With Colour"</span><br style="background-color: #ddddee; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 16px;" /></div>
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Fools they think I do not know, the road I'm taking<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />If you meet me on the way, hesitating<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />that is just because I know which way I will choose<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />The corridors of discontent, that I've been travelling<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />on the lonely search for truth, the world's so frightening<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Nothing's going right today, cos nothing ever does<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />I don't wanna know your secrets<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />They lie heavy on my head<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Let's break the night with colour<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Time for me to move ahead<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Love this life if you get a little light</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">THANK YOU FOR READING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT. PLEASE SHARE WITH ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next time: Random colouring (!) and life drawing from bed!</span>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-82728329348556250292020-02-09T05:33:00.001-08:002020-02-09T05:34:46.586-08:00DATING DISASTERS...AND 5 DATES WITH MYSELF.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It has been some years since I last went on a date, and from what I can remember of my poor decision making as far as date partners went, I was rather horrendous at it. Seriously awful dates included; my date turning up on a skateboard ( I was 36 at the time); literally sitting in a pool of bum sweat during an overcooked Milan, my date bringing 2 mates with him; on another occasion, me not realising it was a date and bringing a friend; and another date refusing to purchase anything but tap water during a trip to the V & A café! Yes, I was a danger to myself, and am most thankfully off the market.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had far more success in taking myself on some great dates, and, I has some wonderful trips to cafes, restaurants and cities either alone or with wonderful friends. Now my wings are clipped, and it is almost impossible to schedule "dates" due to our combined health problems. Any time doing anything with other people is so precious..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>In the last few weeks I have been on 5 ''dates'...with myself! No, I have not (completely) lost the plot- it is part of a creativity course I have started: <span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <a href="https://juliacameronlive.com/">THE ARTISTS WAY</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, it is that time of year where ennui, dreadful weather, and equally dreadful health, drives me to 'learn something new'. Last year, I learnt Mindfulness Meditation from Breathworks, (which has turned out to be the best £50 I ever spent.)</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This years financial outlay is minimal, as I already have the course book. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The course was invented by a writer, poet and film maker, and is a person development course to release your creativity. This is very much about 'creativity' in terms of thinking and how you live and enjoy your life, rather than being a course for people who class themselves as 'artists'. I have done some of the course before, and have always been amazed at how much I have benefited from it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The book has 12 chapters, and I am doing a chapter roughly every 10 days- 2 weeks. There are a few pages to read and think about, some written tasks to do, and an Artists Date to go on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The purpose of the 'Artist's Date' is to take yourself out of your comfort zone, and into somewhere to make you think/ excite your senses/provide inspiration, or all of those. Playing and not taking yourself too seriously are key.Suggestions in the book are things like going to an old fashioned sweet shop or fabric store, to go sledging, or to the zoo. You have to go alone- no along-siders.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I am currently visible outdoors as rarely as the British sun, it has been tricky finding things that fit the bill....but I have approached it with a playful attitude, and so far, it has been a lot of fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">DATE ONE: (Watching a film about something I'm not interested in.) Borg v. Mcenroe </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Result: I suprise myself by being very interested in this drama about the Wimbledon Tennis finals in 1980. I used to watch tennis a lot as a child and I had completely forgotten I had watched this match ( it is the one where McEnroe loses his temper with the linesman re whether the ball was on the line or not). This drama is gripping and I felt inspired by how much stamina and persistence these top sportsmen had needed to get this far.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">DATE TWO: .A 'binocular safari' around my bedroom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Result: This was in the middle of a series of migraines, and I had to have the room dim, but it was certainly a way of looking at things differently and noticing a lot of different surfaces and textures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">DATE THREE: Making some Origami. I have made a few Origami storks in the past...but this was REALLY HARD! I am not sure what happened, but I ended up with a very crumpled piece of paper. It was absorbing, but also frustrating.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Result: My whale looks as if it has washed up on a beach in need of medical attention!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">DATE FOUR: Growing something easily when I don't have physical energy or a garden.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Result: My first batch of mustard and cress died when the temperature dropped and they froze their tiny backsides off, and collapsed. Batch two, kind of worked, and I was amazed at just how peppery the taste is! I am persisting...and also considering the possibilities of growing micro-greens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">DATE FIVE: Making primary school butterfly pictures.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Result: Loved it! Dobbed the paint straight out of the tubes, and found some new colour combinations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My next 'date' is going to address my frustration at not being allowed to have ballet lessons as a little girl....I am not <i>quite </i>sure HOW, but it is going to be fun finding out! It turns out that even when you are stuck in bed, you can have new adventures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">THANK YOU FOR READING AND ENJOYING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT. </span></div>
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</span>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-29592990525097784212020-01-13T00:45:00.001-08:002020-02-01T08:57:14.524-08:00Gratefulness And Dancing As If Your Body Can.<span id="goog_1251318401"></span><span id="goog_1251318402"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hello and a belated Happy New Year (and Decade)!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Here in the Northern hemisphere it is a grey Winter, and despite the warmer than usual temperatures,( and the confused wildlife!), my body is playing up like an over- caffeinated toddler...and whatever I do, it is NOT happy ! </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just like a toddler, I want treats, I NEED treats, and days, and weeks and months and years of 'being sensible' can really make me feel like a 'grown up'.. and not in a good way. What happened to the plan I made, when I was 8, that when I grew up I would stay up as late as I like, eat pizza, and paint in my attic in Paris?! <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: &quot; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">( I REALLY can't do without sleep these days, both gluten and dairy make me ill, and I can't travel, or climb stairs!)</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: "arial","helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: "arial","helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 24px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I imagine many of you are also trying to placate and soothe a flare-up. It is tough to start a new year, when every email and advert and invitation, seems to be asking you to do things that you just aren't able to do- train for a marathon for an asthma charity? Go on an Action For Climate Change march? Go out for tea at a café? Have visitors?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Er...that will be a "NO" then.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ok, so far, so moany! I imagine many of you are feeling similarly daunted by 2020, so ( without breaking into song, as I don't want to inflict suffering)," These are a few of my favourite things,"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have not been able to watch much telly over Christmas so I have been listening to a lot of Poirot and Miss Marple radio plays on YouTube. These are BBC productions and are really absorbing, and well, can anyone really have too much Poirot. No question mark needed!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFpblFot3KNIgalV64MjOWV1AH_j_OO-cwdO9des1355KIZ6NOoApTCvCTSpvjy8Q5zseWpsE1t1yUi65Pn-B-stlxd3-BoMam5xN7Bps1UFh05q1B0QG9pkpiTstgmwiDWkz5GDkq4U/s1600/hellytheelephant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="96" data-original-width="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFpblFot3KNIgalV64MjOWV1AH_j_OO-cwdO9des1355KIZ6NOoApTCvCTSpvjy8Q5zseWpsE1t1yUi65Pn-B-stlxd3-BoMam5xN7Bps1UFh05q1B0QG9pkpiTstgmwiDWkz5GDkq4U/s1600/hellytheelephant.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It has been a lifelong regret of mine that I have never had dancing lessons, and now it is possible that I never will. However that does not stop me from loving to watch dance, particularly when done in groups. When I get absorbed in a dance video, I am taken to a happy place where my heart feels as if I am dancing too! I spotted this video a while ago, and I find it literally impossible to watch without breaking into a smile. Perfect choreography, perfect music choices. You're welcome! :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This has been my other overplayed video since it debuted. Again, perfect synchronicity and a wonderful male dancer in heels. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, from brilliant choreography to a very groovy website indeed. I discovered this site some years and have popped in and out since. The site was started by a Benedictine Monk, Br. David who started it as an online sanctuary <a href="https://gratefulness.org/explore/new-to-gratefulness/">https://gratefulness.org/explore/new-to-gratefulness/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2c2a; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "alright-light" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 30px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Grateful living is a way of life which asks us to notice all that is already present and abundant – from the tiniest things of beauty to the grandest of our blessings – and in so doing, to take nothing for granted.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "alright-light" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #005000;"><span style="background-color: white;">..<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-size: 17px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 30px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="display: inline; float: none; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 30px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">. Small, grateful acts every day can uplift us, make a difference for others, and help change the world."</span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "alright-light" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="color: #005000;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span>The site has many wonderful features including a global forum to discuss the 'Question of the day', you can send 'e gratitude cards', you can keep a private online Gratitude Diary, AND... you can light a virtual candle for someone, and it will flicker away in the corner of your screen. You could even make it the focus of a meditation. Do investigate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have also continued my addiction to Podcasts, and I have discovered a few newbies that will be available on your favourite platform:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0605sx6">EVIL GENIUS</a> - Russell Kane and comedian friends decide whether icons of the past (e.g. Queen Victoria, Gandhi, Amy Winehouse, etc), are 'Evil' or 'Genius'. Rude, sweary, informative and funny.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04x5pd7/episodes/downloads">FORTUNATELY WITH FI AND JANE</a> Two of our finest radio presenters have small and big talk about life and broadcasting. Funny!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/c4zrm-888ca/Out-To-Lunch-with-Jay-Rayner-Podcast">OUT TO LUNCH WITH JAY RAYNER</a> Food critic Jay takes a celebrity out to lunch at a restaurant, and the talk flows with the wine. Kathy Burke and Richard E.Grant are highlights.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://howtofail.podbean.com/">HOW TO FAIL WITH ELIZABETH DAY</a> A long thoughtful 1:1 interview talking about what the guest has learnt from their failures. Very insightful, and encouraging. Guests include Malcolm Gladwell, Lemm Sissay, Andrew Scott, and Alain de Botton. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/38k7d-a28e3/Sue-Perkins-An-hour-or-so-with...-Podcast">AN HOUR OR SO WITH SUE PERKINS</a>- a longform interview, with the Bake Off comedienne chatting to a friend, and she is a very gentle and thoughtful interviewer. Interviews include Paul Feig and Mary Berry. The time just flies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">AND...not forgetting some belly laughs from Humberside policeman turned comedian Alfie Moore. <a href="https://fourble.co.uk/podcast/itsafaircop">IT'S A FAIR COP</a>. Moore swears the audience as police officers for the duration of the show, and takes us through one of his real-life, cases. Very, very funny.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, having given you the 'Swiss Army Knife,' of how to cheer yourself up, it is time to crack on with 2020. Buckle up for another year at The Elephant House, featuring Life, Art, and of course, a lot of ME!</span></div>
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'<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Miranda' -someone else who has been a tonic in the last few weeks. Episodes available on Netflix and BBC Iplayer.</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-53629572832319003122019-12-04T07:58:00.002-08:002019-12-04T09:23:59.423-08:00MIGRAINES AND THE 'MYSTERY CARD'<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Of all the Blog posts in all the world, you had to walk into mine...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Or in other words, hello again! I return to my keyboard after a prolonged spell, that has included non stop Boris Johnson coverage, and a lot of vomiting ( actually, come to think of it, maybe the former caused the latter...)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As is normal for this time of year, I have been up to my big flappy ears in trying to manage my symptoms. It is exhausting and takes up most of my energy, and is akin to plate- spinning with greasy hands.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have had a lot of days affected by migraines recently, and as all you 'Migraineurs' out there know, those puppies can affect everything from your digestive system, to your mood and digestion, and can incorporate weird tastes, sensitivity to smells, and strange stuff going on with your eyesight. Light flashes, vertigo, a pain like some one has stuck a javelin in my eye, and days of nausea and compulsory darkness: it's been fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I return to give you the benefit of my non-wisdom, as the country is on the brink of an election, the trains are on strike for the next 27 days, and here at the elephant house, we have already received the annual 'mystery' Christmas card.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This card arrives every year addressed to our home's previous inhabitants. Signed only from 'Alan' the printed message inside contains the uninspiring message 'Have a good time'. ( definitive proof, if it were needed, that for many folk, Black Friday has more spiritual significance than the Nativity.) </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Despite our local scouts undercutting the official postal service, and the rise of social media, cards remain an integral part of the British Christmas, along with women wearing velvet dresses, kids wobbling around our streets on new bikes, and mass flatulence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As we moved here 4 and a half years ago, we no longer have a forwarding address, so the 'mystery' card will join cards from all those from folk who <u>do</u> know us. Alan if you're reading this: they moved and didn't tell you- they are NOT your friends.</span></span></div>
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<br />thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-9669415429264355402019-10-17T12:56:00.000-07:002019-10-17T12:59:51.549-07:00THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Most jobs have a few perks- you may get to do the odd photocopy, or might never need to buy Lego again ( sorry kids!) ;-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">However, being chronically ill is not a stroll along a beach on a sunny day. It is not your favourite ice cream sundae with sparklers in, or a baby smiling at you. It is hard to see the positives.Troubles really don't melt like lemon drops- unless you're on some pretty strong medication.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Being chronically ill, is like a day of heavy rain when your shoes leak. Like finding a letter on the doormat from the tax office, then having to go to a party where the food is crap, the venue cold, and there are only plastic spoons with which to eat the quiche ( Yes, sadly, I went to that party...). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Regular readers of this Blog will know that I am the 'looking-on-the-bright-side' kind of Elephant:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">"I don't <em>like</em> to complain."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">And it is true that amidst the suffering, the flare-ups, loss of income, relationship casualties, pain, breathlessness, barely seeing daylight, side effects from medications, deprivation of alcohol and tasty foods, the depressing prognosis, the complete lack of treatment, having to spend every minute of every day managing the whole shebang, and not being well enough to get out to get my frickin' teeth seen to by a dentist... for me, there actually are some bright spots!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So here it is: The Chronic Elephant Guide to THINGS THAT ARE QUITE NICE REALLY, ABOUT BEING ILL aka. The Perks.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">NO MORE OFFICE PARTIES- This is by far the best thing about being out of commission. I never really had a job I enjoyed, and can honestly say that watching colleagues get horribly drunk and embarrassing, whilst eating an overpriced turkey and sprout pizza, was indescribable. The worst case scenario occurred when I was 17: a fancy dress party. In the public library. With Librarians dressed as wenches, fairies, and Catwoman - and that was just the men. In a cold library after hours. 'Nuff said.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">LIBERAL PEEING: This will only make any kind of sense to you if you have done multiple jobs where access to the bathroom was limited and/or discouraged. At last I am able to follow the diktat of super-models and celebrities and drink a LOT of water. The ' Glowy skin' has not yet appeared but my kidneys are doing a happy dance.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">THE BIRDS AND THE BEES: In my younger years I thought that people who enjoyed watching birds flitting about, were 'saddos' ( I was busy wearing outsize suits with braces, and watching obscure Russian art films at the time. Pretentious? Moi?) Now I love to watch, not only birds, but also the local cats, dogs and the leaves changing colour on the trees. I am now literally slow enough in transit, to not only sniff the roses, but slowly stroke their petals, as well as follow the scurrying around of beetles, flies and ladybirds. Those little guys never fail to fill me with wonder.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">PYJAMAS<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">! How I remember the delight on arriving home from a long commute and wrestling myself out of the instrument of torture constricting my torso ( a brassiere), and sliding into some roomy PJ's. Now I get to wear them all day, everyday...which is kind of a mixed blessing. If you are familiar with the concept of taking off your nightwear pyjamas and putting on your 'Daytime Pyjamas' then you will know what I mean. A spiffy dress and heels is but a memory.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">EVERY DAY IS LIKE MY CHRISTMAS. YAY! These days I don't have the stamina to shop in person. Everything I need has to be bought online, so there are often packages being delivered. The best part of this is before they are opened, when I can't remember what I ordered ( thank you cognitive problems!), and they look all exciting and mysterious. 20 seconds later I am the proud owner of some glue, vitamins, and a bag of wet wipes!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">WRITING THIS BLOG. As previously stated, I don't <em>like </em>to complain, I LOVE it! I submit my 63 previous Blogs as evidence! When I used to write and illustrate my own magazine as a child nerd, little did I know that something called the Internet would mean, that from under my duvet I could type some old tat, and you would be kind enough to read it from wherever you are... </span></li>
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thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-67804270410511044062019-10-09T11:19:00.000-07:002019-10-09T11:19:47.715-07:00ANARCHY IN THE UK....or is it?!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong>HELLO. BONJOUR. HOLA. HALLO. CIAO. OLÀ. NAMASTE. SALAAM . ZDRAS-TVUY-TE . OHAYO . AHN-YOUNG-HA-SE-YO. MERHABA. SAIN BAINUU. SALEMETSIZ BE.SZIA. MARHABA. SANNU. JAMBO. NI HAU . NAY HOH. </strong><strong>HALO...and my thanks to you and my lovely Guest Bloggers, for supporting THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT. About a month ago we exceeded 10,000 views since the start of the Blog.</strong></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now where was I...?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Without blowing my own trunk, I would have to say that I have quite good self-discipline when it comes to not eating things that are bad for me, ( although the fact that most treats give me pain and/or worse symptoms is <strong>very </strong>motivating!), but there is one thing I struggle with giving up: tea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Yup, I am British, and trying to get through the day when you are of my motherland, without 'the cup that cheers', is like trying to get through Bake Off without a snack in your hand. Today I was chilled by the bitter wind of self- knowledge: the reason I can't seem to give up on tea and coffee...is that I don't want to. TA DAH! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">...And herbal teas! REALLY?!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">I once tried to explain the importance of tea in our culture, to a Slovenian. I illustrated this by saying that someone will automatically go and make you tea with lots of sugar, in the event of any of the following:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"> " What do you give someone in Slovenia if someone has had bad news and you are trying to comfort them?" I asked. He looked at me as if I was mad:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">"Vodka of course."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Chocolate I can live without, but I can't eat Gluten, drink alcohol, or have high fat food or curry. I can't have many kinds of carbs, or potato chips, pizza, or jelly or pies or cakes. Fruit juice is off the menu, as are many fruits, dried fruits, and most soya products. If it stopped there I would be happy, but in addition I am allergic to most GF breads, cakes, crackers etc. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Other than the occasional naughty biscuit, clinging on to my tea mug feels like the last line of resistance...or maybe just the confirmation that however hard you try, nobody is perfect. :-)</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjsOTG2odPSbtDhbRy0FcN2FcgWBM6KzCnXivS_XqkRm-56Hgl2rU6mnNlgs15gc8k4SOj1EPXYg7AOJ3LSivp-8SCqdJNcnivnPx38zf4oxcXpzki7yyIuYsa46DlM5H4wE3p3-ncFk/s1600/d593d2d674de568d9653d3957e444c16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="760" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjsOTG2odPSbtDhbRy0FcN2FcgWBM6KzCnXivS_XqkRm-56Hgl2rU6mnNlgs15gc8k4SOj1EPXYg7AOJ3LSivp-8SCqdJNcnivnPx38zf4oxcXpzki7yyIuYsa46DlM5H4wE3p3-ncFk/s320/d593d2d674de568d9653d3957e444c16.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span> <span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">The state of the nation here at the Elephant House, is that I am awaiting delivery of a sample pack of MATCHA tea- I am working on the basis that as I am going to have caffeine it might as well be stuffed full of anti-oxidants....but let's be honest, I think some 'builders tea'* will be going down the hatch as well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">This is a stressful time for the U.K and going tea-less as well as Europe-less is not something I want to contemplate. The Matcha is on the way. Watch this space!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u> TEA VOCABULARY FOR NON ANGLO-SAXONS</u>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'Builders' tea' - very strong dark tea with a splash of milk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'British Rail tea'- as above. This term is inspired by the terrible tea available on trains when I was a kid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Both of the above generically refer to standard ( not herbal) tea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'Afternoon tea'- a tradition usually only revived on special occasions, e.g. tea at the Ritz Hotel. Usually scones, triangle sandwiches ( sarnies), with a variety of cakes and pastries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'High Tea'- this refers to more of a meal in the late afternoon with cups of tea, including some hot savoury food.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">THANK YOU FOR READING, SHARING AND SUPPORTING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT BLOG.</span></div>
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<br />thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-61870155361848745542019-09-19T12:20:00.003-07:002019-09-19T12:20:44.509-07:00ART BLOG: AN ELEPHANT, A HORSE, AND SOME PLASTIC BAGS.<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Q: What do you get when you add together an elephant, a horse, a load of glue, 8 months of my life, and some plastic bags? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">A:You get this:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaSR9tjiMQCqItOxqYDU-ovPtEjCNlvyBtYuWHE0-IjpJNFiN66GQM5CS4S1f6u4p0gZJSCbMLlbSF5WVXdgSnhsaxDHoXzXEPyrkI3eVAxHynFO6HlXlTS1PlCxIZKo07xUQ8KJAa8g/s1600/A+HORSE+WITH+NO+NAME+1+-+By+Helen+Harley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaSR9tjiMQCqItOxqYDU-ovPtEjCNlvyBtYuWHE0-IjpJNFiN66GQM5CS4S1f6u4p0gZJSCbMLlbSF5WVXdgSnhsaxDHoXzXEPyrkI3eVAxHynFO6HlXlTS1PlCxIZKo07xUQ8KJAa8g/s640/A+HORSE+WITH+NO+NAME+1+-+By+Helen+Harley.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">This Blog is the story of this artwork ( above) from scrappy sketch to completed collage, taking in all the wrong turns and hesitations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"> A HORSE WITH NO NAME is based on the song of the same name and is now finished, but let me take you back to January 2019...</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">It is so much easier for me to draw something, rather than faffing around with printing inks, etching plates, egg boxes or whatever. <span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">But at the beginning of this year I kept returning to the illustrations from the Lindesfarne gospels, in my Celtic prayer book, and listening to a particular song...and an idea began to take shape...and it wasn't just a drawing or painting.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">It was an idea that was going to involve a heck of a lot of glue!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love both the words and the music in ' A Horse With No Name.' Listen and/or read the lyrics, and you'll see what I mean- it has a really hypnotic power. Is it a kind of poem about journeying through life? Or an exploration of man's relationship with Nature? Or a horse who didn't have a name? Or were the guys in the band making up nonsense after having too much weed ?( It was 1971 after all). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">This is the song:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zSAJ0l4OBHM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zSAJ0l4OBHM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">And check out the Lyrics:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span><div class="Ftghae iirjIb">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>***A Horse with No Name By America</strong></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span jsname="YS01Ge">On the first part of the journey</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">I was looking at all the life</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">There were plants and birds and rocks and things</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">There was sand and hills and rings</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">And the sky with no clouds</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">The heat was hot and the ground was dry</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">But the air was full of sound</span></strong></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"></span></strong> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span jsname="YS01Ge">I've been through the desert on a horse with no name</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">It felt good to be out of the rain</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">In the desert you can remember your name</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain</span></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">La, la, la, la, la</span></strong></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">La, la, la.</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span jsname="YS01Ge">After two days in the desert sun</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">My skin began to turn red</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">After three days in the desert fun</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">I was looking at a river bed</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">And the story it told of a river that flowed</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Made me sad to think it was dead</span></strong></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span jsname="YS01Ge">You see I've been through the desert on a horse with no name</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">It felt good to be out of the rain</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">In the desert you can remember your name</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain</span></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">La, la...</span></strong></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span jsname="YS01Ge">After nine days I let the horse run free</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">'Cause the desert had turned to sea</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">There were plants and birds and rocks and things</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">there was sand and hills and rings</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">The ocean is a desert with it's life underground</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">And a perfect disguise above</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Under the cities lies a heart made of ground</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">But the humans will give no love</span></strong></span></span><br />
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<div aria-hidden="true" class="xpdxpnd" data-mh="-1" jsname="U8S5sf">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span jsname="YS01Ge">You see I've been through the desert on a horse with no name</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">It felt good to be out of the rain</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">In the desert you can remember your name</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain</span></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">La, la....</span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Like a lot of the good things in life, this project began with drawing- idly exploring with a pen/pencil in hand...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As the composition began to take shape, I found myself wanting to try something new. The gift of a mini- origami kit from a friend, was the next clue, and I began to play around with the Japanese papers, with the looping patterns of Celtic manuscripts in mind... </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The design I came up with was quite complicated and seemed too intricate for me to attempt on a small scale..(.and aside from other obstacles, some of my medication can result in shaking hands)...so size in this case, did matter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As you probably know my 'art studio' is essentially my bed, with me lying down in it. Think Frida Kahlo, but more grumpy, and without make-up or interesting clothes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anyhow, unless I grew arms like Mr Tickle ( so I could reach around the board ) AND got a shedload of energy from somewhere, the only way to nail this, was to work on it in sections, then stick the whole thing together at the end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I discovered baking parchment was quite a pleasing texture to sketch on, and it was lucky that I had a whole roll to make mistakes on! <br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span>Horses turned out to be REALLY hard to draw. I had to do dozens and dozens before they didn't resemble something out of Jurassic Park...and don't get me started on the jockeys..!The sky was a mess, the horses were rubbish, I was in the throws of the Gluten Challenge, and it seemed as if things would never come together...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZ4qG-3BHBt5RT3tUGpaHxG5e6QIudIR1fg-gLep48tJzhFE2R0-aqGxo0wULF0oiTCMpLj4R-9OSOWXL-hiJxnjAbOdDJl9nN86NUK1Dul5nYHOwia3MwQ877tUXRj2WzWsFAX12p8g/s1600/horses.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="256" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZ4qG-3BHBt5RT3tUGpaHxG5e6QIudIR1fg-gLep48tJzhFE2R0-aqGxo0wULF0oiTCMpLj4R-9OSOWXL-hiJxnjAbOdDJl9nN86NUK1Dul5nYHOwia3MwQ877tUXRj2WzWsFAX12p8g/s320/horses.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I began drawing horses from the Edward Muybridge photos ( see the black and white photo series above).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZgQNLPVWm6xumrl4aocr3eYof7qKkY3LtGDKwhGkRirjeaBRf5-JULQKXSeaS0I3kM6iyv1OyQLbJOTLkR4N1ifAgAVmjruxQ4IEEGxbiJvqWFj3qYgJCJVtGzKNtlFU0_IO9ODwuUE/s1600/IMG_20190625_143411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZgQNLPVWm6xumrl4aocr3eYof7qKkY3LtGDKwhGkRirjeaBRf5-JULQKXSeaS0I3kM6iyv1OyQLbJOTLkR4N1ifAgAVmjruxQ4IEEGxbiJvqWFj3qYgJCJVtGzKNtlFU0_IO9ODwuUE/s400/IMG_20190625_143411.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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Then, salvation came in the ( unlikely) form of some Ebay plastic bags (!) and I was transported back to making stop-frame animation, and drawing on accetate in black, which I then laid over a background....SORTED!</div>
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The old saying is: </div>
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Q: How do you eat an elephant?</div>
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A: With a knife and fork.</div>
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Unbelievably the idea that I first sketched in January is now finished, and no one is more surprised than me.Tiny amounts of energy are all I have, and that never feels enough to me: I always feel dwarfed by the things I can't achieve. This project has showed me that tiny efforts over a long period of time, can amount to something I can feel good about.</div>
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It has been an adventure working with unfamiliar materials on a larger scale, but now I've finished and now I am casting about for new ideas to work on...watch this space!</div>
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<img height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39u7iCIbBHXIHyLg7BE2rQhM2nuksOkTUFnDoVQkso0PFymOaqiTOdHhIl_WdOuDjx_VZMUQ2tRZWZ3c2mB-L1fSDRooUrpNAFt-fzFKBq-FE-FNrL2zoT9bj7YLCx_RdtQSfGxKPqTA/s320/A+HORSE+WITH+NO+NAME+2+-+By+Helen+Harley+%25282%2529.jpg" style="left: 178.47px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 7403.7px;" width="96" />thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-15375283235505944022019-09-11T08:13:00.000-07:002019-09-11T08:13:01.555-07:00PIG-PEN and LINUS!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">😉Two conjoining factors have contributed to the title of this week's post: 1) I have just bought myself a very cosy shawl/mini blanket that I have been curled up in for some days.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> AND 2) we have flies in the house!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EdM9DVZdLWpxpoKtj7_vzPZaTes8Hq2COAy2WRx73L7YTAfgI5BvdobZRfhdEndPyZcuPSP6dpRErmIePEHCjEzFBXklpnn2jrJBswVCnl7oRlKLjEO5YXFqKHVGYJ4cfpJLD93Szh8/s1600/linus+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="220" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EdM9DVZdLWpxpoKtj7_vzPZaTes8Hq2COAy2WRx73L7YTAfgI5BvdobZRfhdEndPyZcuPSP6dpRErmIePEHCjEzFBXklpnn2jrJBswVCnl7oRlKLjEO5YXFqKHVGYJ4cfpJLD93Szh8/s320/linus+1.png" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_d7_oqQP2l4S7ZRs53UM07nnBFKonP7rQO5yApjNIl_q0NdK7ZrWuc5nVU0ABVZFHG2tnhN9A6LsWR8qiJjxxqvrk1YtQ3fy_HcZZvlWrixl_eyRqp96JJE7GDnCtU15rQUapmzmMYjQ/s1600/imagesXYPMEZL4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_d7_oqQP2l4S7ZRs53UM07nnBFKonP7rQO5yApjNIl_q0NdK7ZrWuc5nVU0ABVZFHG2tnhN9A6LsWR8qiJjxxqvrk1YtQ3fy_HcZZvlWrixl_eyRqp96JJE7GDnCtU15rQUapmzmMYjQ/s1600/imagesXYPMEZL4.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">For those of you who don't have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Snoopy cartoon strip- LINUS is the character who always carries a blanket around, and PIG PEN is the kid who is surrounded by clouds of dust and flies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">When your household is composed of flare- up twice over, I can confirm that an unexpected outbreak of fruit flies, does nothing to lift the mood. The sense of them overtaking our ( clean and scrubbed ) kitchen, has been a challenge too far. More and more of the little critters greet me, first thing each morning, then finding it to their liking, doing whatever vile stuff constitutes insect reproduction, and bringing their offspring to meet me the next day!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">I am really reluctant to use insecticide, (for the sake of my lungs and the environment)...but just as we had cracked, and Mr Elephant had been dispatched to the One Stop for supplies, Dr Google came up trumps with 'an old wives' tale.' Apparently fruit flies LOVE apple cider vinegar and you can use it to trap them. I would have enclosed a photo of the traps, but I know that the sight of multiple corpses will upset those of a sensitive disposition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">The critters continue to get tempted by the smell of the vinegar...but are not the brightest at finding out how to get into the traps, so you have to be patient. Put it this way, if they were negotiating Brexit, the country would be...(come to think of it), in the mess it is currently in.!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">It is Wednesday, we are getting on top of the fruit fly problem, but I am STILL flared up! My security blanket is a nice shot of ( shocking pink ) colour, as the skies get greyer and colder, and boy is it cosy! It is a good time to have something woolly as my new BFF. And to channel Linus...<br />
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NO ONE is getting that Blanket off me without a FIGHT!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJK7UCjIT3PxmSSzp5rJovdqUyud2mbDcucJ4TFE1rhdnaY_tKFQUFiAUyLA6ddlrY4W4n7mJ2AZkyHIS0521zi1je5NzNUngax2rkgpALe4FIvmbmUvFCresBXUQ6_Bb8qRtWF-yn3ac/s1600/linus+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">And if you think I am too nice to react, then you couldn't be more wrong- just ask the recently departed in my kitchen!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING AND SUPPORTING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT. PLEASE SHARE ON FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM/TWITTER OR TO YOUR REAL LIFE FRIENDS.</span>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-29181687682329094772019-08-24T10:40:00.000-07:002019-09-18T12:51:20.927-07:00GETTING MOBILE WITH PENELOPE. PITSTOP.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqZDfKOZd7Tq8PNhke0fyGNL3WMfEjsIA4v0Yc2FctYkK33j9VydKIUb0xyPrVX5ummW9qY1F-hQ8mTMXQjje6DEvHgvNKPZoSWzX9wag0TAVDD0-jxxOLhNb94pohktYdkNsPtWa3Js/s1600/PP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="261" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqZDfKOZd7Tq8PNhke0fyGNL3WMfEjsIA4v0Yc2FctYkK33j9VydKIUb0xyPrVX5ummW9qY1F-hQ8mTMXQjje6DEvHgvNKPZoSWzX9wag0TAVDD0-jxxOLhNb94pohktYdkNsPtWa3Js/s640/PP.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>I have named my mobility scooter Penelope Pitstop, because she is rockin' an unconventional mode of transport, </strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>and so am I!</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">It can be very hard to accept the usefulness of a disability or mobility aid - let's face it, we would rather not have to use the adaption. I can remember feeling that I stood out like a sore thumb the first time I tentatively took the seat in my mobility scooter.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">The first time I used my walker, I felt guilty: I was not ancient or dying...why the heck was I using such this contraption?! Surely I could just keep feeling as if I was going to pass out, as I tried to cling to the walls....because...er...that worked...NOT!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">I was on a respite stay, when I first took my new walker a couple of tentative, slow, meters. A group of folk chatting turned and looked at me. It was probably for only a few seconds, and they were just being friendly, but I felt as if I had dressed in clown make up and stuck a unicorn horn on my head. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">My painful self-consciousness was like going back to my teenage years - NOT a time I would choose to repeat!!!! Was everyone judging me, and thinking I was some kind of faker? Shouldn't I battle on without these crutches ( Not literal crutches...you know what I mean :-)</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpn9lXSgbsVizHOyrOObuTmKtcx5o5ppVtfxk8ansDC0TdfSaKf4el3bI5cLali4T2FQAbLNFZyJ-EY42KOIQoX3dLVSfS5Tq6QNdJgEsBHzJLjUF7WRaR-fUPmkPMc1bGLDL9GhmXWg/s1600/imagesPPLIPPY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpn9lXSgbsVizHOyrOObuTmKtcx5o5ppVtfxk8ansDC0TdfSaKf4el3bI5cLali4T2FQAbLNFZyJ-EY42KOIQoX3dLVSfS5Tq6QNdJgEsBHzJLjUF7WRaR-fUPmkPMc1bGLDL9GhmXWg/s640/imagesPPLIPPY.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Do not attempt this whilst moving- lippy on BEFORE leaving the house.</span>.</span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Two reasons for using mobility aids:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">To get around more easily/ frequently, or both.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">To enable you to budget your energy better.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Anything that brings you a better quality of life is worth investigating.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><strong>Do try before you buy, and ease yourself slowly into using a stick/walker/mobility scooter etc. It can really feel counter-intuitive, ( we live in a society that prizes 'independence' i.e. not needing any help, above practically everything else) but having mobility aids that enable you will give you more agency.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are many excellent Blogs written by people with chronic health problems, and on occasion, I have written guest-blogs for a couple. The link at the bottom, is to an article I wrote for Pajama Daze, (which is a fun and informative chronic illness blog site), about the pros and cons of getting a mobility scooter. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">So, if you are stuck at home and have limited mobility read my Blog about</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"> <span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>Choosing and buying a scooter</strong></span>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">and</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>Using a mobility scooter.</strong></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">Here is the Pajama daze Blog:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.pajamadaze.com/blog/chariots-of-fire-selecting-and-using-a-mobility-scooter" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">http://www.pajamadaze.com/blog/chariots-of-fire-selecting-and-using-a-mobility-scooter</span></a><br />
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THANK YOU FOR READING AND SHARING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT- I HOPE SOME OF YOU HAVE FOUND THIS HELPFUL.<br />
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</span></span>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-9890616604513582472019-08-16T12:03:00.000-07:002022-06-12T08:05:58.592-07:006 BOOKS THAT HAVE MADE IT EASIER TO LIVE WITH M.E<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Like many of those with M.E I struggle to 'read' books cover to cover. Problems range from being unable to physically hold the book open, to being unable to see the page and take in what I am reading. The last book I tackled, took me months to finish....so with a tonne of downtime to fill, and the need for mental escape, I joined the <a href="https://www.calibre.org.uk/">CALIBRE LIBRARY</a>. This library was originally set up for the visually impaired but its' remit also includes anyone who is unable to read in the traditional way due to disability or illness. If this is you, and you live in the UK check them out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">The books below are part of our 'Swiss Army Knife' that helps with all kinds of quandries. These are the books that come out when Mr Elephant or myself are feeling a bit stuck... or overwhelmed...or just peed off! </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span> <span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><u>N.B: Some of my choices may also be available from audible, but apart from 'Chocolate...' and 'Waking...' they do not need to be read cover to cover</u>.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Practical Help.</strong></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.cfsselfhelp.org/store"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">MANAGING CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME AND FIBROMYALGIA</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-large;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">By Bruce Campbell, Phd.</span></span><br />
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Just been diagnosed? Wondering if you have ME/Fibro? Have to fill in a benefits form and not sure how to describe your symptoms? Confused about pacing?<br />
If you nodded wearily at any of the above, then this is the book for you. It is packed with basic nuts and bolts info- what is ME, how to self- manage, and how to manage your emotions. </span><br />
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(Personally I don't use the pacing section of the book, but I do keep health records as suggested, which are invaluable.)</span><br />
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There are a lot of good things about this book including the ( many) semi-detached symptoms and conditions resulting from ME, and practical tips on how to maintain the health of your sleeping, eating and relationships.<br />
<span style="color: red;">This is written in short, clear sections and is easy to use as a reference book. The associated website contains many informative articles: <a href="http://www.cfsselfhelp.org/library">http://www.cfsselfhelp.org/library</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/elizabeth-turp/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-me-support-for-family-and-friends/GOR005126120">CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME/ME- Support For Family And Friends.</a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> By Elizabeth Turp.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yup, this is the book to give your family and friends, who are wondering why you don't just get off the bed and do more. This not only explains in clear language what this illness is, but also gives your loved ones ways to support you. This has been used by great success at the Elephant House!! </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is a long read and the type is small, so maybe better to give to the 'Wellies' ( well-folk), in your life</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-large;"><strong>First Hand Accounts/Emotional Support.</strong></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/jennette-fulda/chocolate-vicodin-my-quest-for-relief-from-the-headache-that-wouldn-t-go-away/GOR009578120"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">CHOCOLATE AND VICODIN- MY QUEST FOR RELIEF FROM THE HEADACHE THAT WOULDN'T GO AWAY.</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> By Jennette Fulda.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is my 'spoonie go-to', if I need a good laugh, and to feel I am not alone in this New Normal existence. Jennette Fulda woke up one day with the headache from hell, and this is the story of how she tries to find out what <em>the birdsong</em> is going on ( ?!), and how to cure it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">From time to time, I have read one of those inspiring books, a sort of 'triumph over tragedy' memoir. It usually leaves me feeling depressed and inadequate. This is not that book! Fulda writes as if she is lying on your couch, and you are gossiping and snacking- and she is good company!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> For those of us who just want to be able to sit on the loo, or make a sandwich without pain- this is for you. Dip in at any point and you can be sure of cheering yourself up.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">This is hilarious and I recognised so many of my own experiences with Doctors ( and their waiting rooms), and the brick walls I have hit over the years. Those readers from the U.S will appreciate her labyrinthine attempts to deal with Health Insurance companies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SPOILER ALERT: Chocolate and Vicodin has a happy ending....but possibly not the one you might be expecting.</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">A breezy humorous account of unexpectedly finding yourself living with chronic pain. Check out her website:<a href="https://www.jennettefulda.com/">https://www.jennettefulda.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/emily-ackerman/the-amazing-technicolour-pyjama-therapy-and-other-ways-to-fight-back-against-lif/GOR006960548"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR PYJAMA THERAPY</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> By Emily Ackerman.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I should warn you that Ackerman is a Christian, and has taken the story of Joseph ( yes, he of the Technicoloured Dreamcoat and the jealous brothers), and used it to illustrate the many trials of years of being sick. She also tackles that thorny question : 'Why hasn't God healed me?!!!' and opens up a new vision of how we can still experience wholeness even when we are not cured.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">She was a Dr in a previous life ( before becoming disabled by years of ME), and in this book she covers so many subjects in such a fresh way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chapter titles include: HAND TO HAND COMBAT, OUCH! HANDLING EMOTIONS, SINGLE AND SICK, LOOKING AT LOSS, FRIENDS IN THE STORM...and the cartoons are hilariously on point.!</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's easy to read and each chapter is divided into small chunks- ME friendly!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/toni-bernhard/how-to-be-sick-a-buddhist-inspired-guide-for-the-chronically-ill-and-their-careg/GOR002434803"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">HOW TO BE SICK- A Buddhist Inspired Guide For The Chronically Ill And Their Caregivers</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">By Toni Bernhard.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"> Chapter 2 of this account is called: STAYING SICK: HOW CAN THIS BE HAPPENING TO ME?...which really says it all. Toni Bernhard was on a trip to Paris when she got sick ( with what she and her husband assumed was flu), then never recovered. Back home she struggled, and eventually had to give up her job as a Law Professor, and adapt to a sedentary life she hadn't planned on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">As a very experienced meditator and Buddhist, Bernhard, finding herself too sick to meditate, found the principles of Buddhism ( impermanence, acceptance, curiosity, non-attachment etc), were really helpful tools as she continued to grieve for her old life, and time she was unable to enjoy with family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">I avoided this book for a long time...and of course...DOH!... it is really wonderful!! Her writing is fresh and unpretentious, and if you are chronically ill, you will recognise many of the situations and frustrations. It will definitely appeal to you whatever your faith or if you have no faith...and it will be helpful.</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Small type and big paragraphs, so one to savour over time and read bits on good days. Check out her website:<a href="http://www.tonibernhard.com/">http://www.tonibernhard.com/</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/matthew-sanford/waking-a-passage-into-body/GOR003067535"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">WAKING- A MEMOIR OF TRAUMA AND TRANSCENDENCE</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> By Matthew Sanford.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have recently discovered and read this book, but I believe it is one I will come back to time and time again. Matthew Sanford is a Yoga teacher...but he is also a paraplegic and physically unable to physically do many of the Yoga poses he teaches.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A road accident when he was 13, killed his dad and sister, and left him paralysed from the chest down. The brutality of his survival and disconnection from the majority of his body, left him hungry for answers: how could he find a better relationship with his body?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This book follows his journey from age 13, with very many medical and emotional ups and downs. It is a visceral, sometimes humorous, account of his life, written in a lively down- to- earth style. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Working with a Yoga teacher he began to rebuild his sense of himself as a physical being, and he understood that, far from his body being a dead weight, it was full of subtle energies and connections that he could explore. He has now developed his practice into a centre that teaches both able and disabled alongside one another, and specialises in helping veterans and victims of abuse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is not a book about rising above disability, it is about living it fully and embracing the transformations and growth, that it can bring. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A very gripping and entertaining read. Also check out Matthew Sanford's website: <a href="http://www.matthewsanford.com/content/teaching-yoga?phpMyAdmin=4qrRaMSfaJdSKnrro9UtvUEcrT1">http://www.matthewsanford.com/content/teaching-yoga?phpMyAdmin=4qrRaMSfaJdSKnrro9UtvUEcrT1</a><span id="goog_836784416"></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">and his non-profit Centre: <a href="https://www.mindbodysolutions.org/">https://www.mindbodysolutions.org/</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">THANK YOU FOR READING AND SHARING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">may the spoons be always in your favour ;-)</span></div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-34928600745557413172019-08-11T11:30:00.003-07:002019-09-18T12:51:38.726-07:00PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG ELEPHANT<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong>There is nothing like attempting a self-portrait for unleashing the monster that is The Inner Critic.</strong></span> The last time I tried to draw myself, it was in the pre-selfie years of the 90's and I was in my 20's. My fascination with how to portray myself lost it's shine long ago, but after watching Sky Arts Portrait Artist of The Year I decided to have a play.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">TIC will always manage to make you feel bad about anything you create, but with an image of you, made by you it can feast and feast...and leave you with the feeling that you never again want to p-p-p-pick up a pencil.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbBqxN0FkdbB34iWc333sCMpdER466owJs8IqUyzgl-MHH7hDIqd-AnYyqpzLQbIxZ2SNrztsN-4YZeSNWb4HNCfq7D1nn7slAcZBxChSBCeuz1Z2OGn7_RGiXpIe4WqqAVjskaJBoV4/s1600/IMG_20190725_103517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbBqxN0FkdbB34iWc333sCMpdER466owJs8IqUyzgl-MHH7hDIqd-AnYyqpzLQbIxZ2SNrztsN-4YZeSNWb4HNCfq7D1nn7slAcZBxChSBCeuz1Z2OGn7_RGiXpIe4WqqAVjskaJBoV4/s640/IMG_20190725_103517.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">One of the best things about time at art college was the chance to spend all day everyday with a bunch of people who were not only passionate about being creative, but pretty good at it too. Both my Art Foundation and Degree courses were heavily weighted towards drawing, so it was not surprising that there were a lot of very good 'draughtspersons' in my year, and that we spent a lot of both college time, and evenings, hunched over a drawing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">I had a sketchbook in my hands most of the time, and like anything you practise a lot, I got quite good. Drawing is a bit like riding a bike, so you do not forget...but if you do not regularly pump up the tyres and treat the frame for rust, (not to mention taking said velocipede out for a spin regularly), you're going to be going nowhere fast.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">As I put some old photos in an album earlier this year, it hit me like a bolt of lightening, how much I had gained just from watching other artists work. Yes, the college projects had stretched me (and 'some' of the tutors comments were helpful...others are etched onto my ego with indelible marker pen), but I learnt a lot from watching.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QflFVMlrBilFHagbHwGt24bEEPjWPJuTlNsEjhbvXDs_RhsA4mO9Jq5Hyur5SD1jvbgN4tlIxzqQZ3_DH3UcSu_6TuQXfN-ojBCPdWYk4GwSGNSqm9AkMVTjlF1xvGafL82600U30aI/s1600/IMG_20181230_104934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QflFVMlrBilFHagbHwGt24bEEPjWPJuTlNsEjhbvXDs_RhsA4mO9Jq5Hyur5SD1jvbgN4tlIxzqQZ3_DH3UcSu_6TuQXfN-ojBCPdWYk4GwSGNSqm9AkMVTjlF1xvGafL82600U30aI/s640/IMG_20181230_104934.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-large;">How the heck could I get more inspiration, when I am stuck in bed and can't get to shows, classes or hang out with artists...?!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkuCvslx7OUui6Q42GVr2Vtz58dRBCzTG1JYBxEwULoGUmi3QV2JTsLUzFCQh6ygB7kIzeHksxr2aCcKBx9bxrzsVfZd_z26dJ9WXCo4LwoLnTSmmBcUwc19IsQDy81MVcZFZjxRgbLI/s1600/IMG_20181230_105003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkuCvslx7OUui6Q42GVr2Vtz58dRBCzTG1JYBxEwULoGUmi3QV2JTsLUzFCQh6ygB7kIzeHksxr2aCcKBx9bxrzsVfZd_z26dJ9WXCo4LwoLnTSmmBcUwc19IsQDy81MVcZFZjxRgbLI/s640/IMG_20181230_105003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">HERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT HAVE HELPED ME FEEL INSPIRED:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Sky Portrait Artist of the Year</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Sky Landscape Artist of the Year</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrPOgNsUldOtQsTf9Kjlm_A" target="_blank">THE NATIONAL GALLERY</a> has its' own channel on YouTube, and has filmed it's curators giving gallery talks. I have watched several and they have all been fascinating.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuM-z4rFVOBSBAxFY-5gjiQ" target="_blank">THE ART CHANNEL</a> you can find mini exhibition tours of all the latest shows in London. Your down-to-earth guides keep it pithy and give you all the background, as well as picking out favourite pieces. Almost as good as seeing a show yourself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bbc+art+documentaries" target="_blank">BBC ART DOCUMENTARIES</a> YouTube provides a good supply of films on any artist or art movement you can think of. It is interesting to see how many great artists lived with significant physical or mental health problems- can you express something about your situation in art? The limitations and frustrations? The pain? The benefit system? If you feel strongly see what inspires you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">If you are stuck in bed or at home, it is well worth asking all your art-loving friends to send you any old <span style="color: blue;">art postcards</span> or greetings cards, or to bring back some art postcards from their travels. You can get so much from one painting, or drawing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Magazines</span> on any subject- you can collage or just look out for colour combinations or subjects that appeal to you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YJGl_umOz35TJccAvymMM6QHasZdzZXLlrfQ0zdhdrqhIWfZPEkU7vlohq_io63XSkgLp4Qdjz6UQKkLO0mCylH2m1jLEaTqeNfLjY4_CZWQNaJoNEPkYeGSUL3I6TLET7KbbKWeTGo/s1600/IMG_20190608_135633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YJGl_umOz35TJccAvymMM6QHasZdzZXLlrfQ0zdhdrqhIWfZPEkU7vlohq_io63XSkgLp4Qdjz6UQKkLO0mCylH2m1jLEaTqeNfLjY4_CZWQNaJoNEPkYeGSUL3I6TLET7KbbKWeTGo/s400/IMG_20190608_135633.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Equipment:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">FOR DRAWING</span> :</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">A hard surface to lean on. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Choose a size of sketchbook or paper that you can work on comfortably.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">A drawing implement- pens mean you can't correct, but re-sharpening pencils and rubbing out can be too tiring. Ditto crayons. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">A biro is cheap and will do hard and soft lines and doesn't make a mess.</span></span></li>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">FOR COLLAGE :</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Small, light scissors, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">A large sheet of paper (folded in half then opened out flat), placed under your work so when you are tired so you can lift the under-sheet and let the scraps slide down the central crease and into a large envelope.</span></li>
<li>
Pritt stick ( it's washable, cheap and won't stain things)</li>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">FOR COLOUR WORK :</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">High Energy: Crayons, paints, inks etc</span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Low Energy: felt tips, coloured pencils</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCoYBTnjdM0sYSHBOLpJHNnguCUeiLn7Gtfp_F4Td9i7G0tCB1armhQ4GASf-t26BSqwXGSPfKLK6A-DYv3szw0cz9oPRjpXpWaHAG9QgY4PNEM0CLN5WDW-jSXYXBR_r5naHpCFtBCM/s1600/IMG_20180731_123437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCoYBTnjdM0sYSHBOLpJHNnguCUeiLn7Gtfp_F4Td9i7G0tCB1armhQ4GASf-t26BSqwXGSPfKLK6A-DYv3szw0cz9oPRjpXpWaHAG9QgY4PNEM0CLN5WDW-jSXYXBR_r5naHpCFtBCM/s640/IMG_20180731_123437.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">AND... HOW TO GET DRAWING...and make lots of mistakes.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Put a pen/pencil in your hand everyday even if just to doodle, or write down how you are feeling</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Trace a photo </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Sketch from the telly</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Buy a pack of blank postcards and write a word a day on a card.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Select 2 colours and do some free drawing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Take a pencil and see how many different types of marks you can make.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Copy a postcard by drawing cm grid across it, each square 1cm. Repeat the grid with each square being 1cm and simply copy what you see in each square. This is an exercise in training your eye to look hard, so keep correcting each line. (<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">You can do this as a line-drawing or use colours ).</span></span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rcihDaAARvCB4FPE4-yiR8rWvNjR4C2kjCBem0tL1rOaU9VCXvmbWb04aIuD14TTC4l33PZ_luv1G2MBDFyi3PrFVHvSCETPrZwdK-SHhJvknfciqVUgIrtR1cIe2nemAQMrMjCyTiU/s1600/IMG_20180805_114556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rcihDaAARvCB4FPE4-yiR8rWvNjR4C2kjCBem0tL1rOaU9VCXvmbWb04aIuD14TTC4l33PZ_luv1G2MBDFyi3PrFVHvSCETPrZwdK-SHhJvknfciqVUgIrtR1cIe2nemAQMrMjCyTiU/s640/IMG_20180805_114556.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">WHEN YOU'RE TOO SICK TO DRAW</span> ( Which is very often how I am ) you can still give your inner artist time to play.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">There are 2 parts to doing any drawing: Looking, and mark- making.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Look- <span style="color: blue;">REALLY LOOK</span>! You can allow your brain to be creative even when you can't physically <em>do</em> anything. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Play with some blu-tack or tin foil and see where your fingers take you. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Or make some shapes with string, thread or ribbon, or trace around your hand to create shapes to colour. You are never to old to play.</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbBqxN0FkdbB34iWc333sCMpdER466owJs8IqUyzgl-MHH7hDIqd-AnYyqpzLQbIxZ2SNrztsN-4YZeSNWb4HNCfq7D1nn7slAcZBxChSBCeuz1Z2OGn7_RGiXpIe4WqqAVjskaJBoV4/s1600/IMG_20190725_103517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbBqxN0FkdbB34iWc333sCMpdER466owJs8IqUyzgl-MHH7hDIqd-AnYyqpzLQbIxZ2SNrztsN-4YZeSNWb4HNCfq7D1nn7slAcZBxChSBCeuz1Z2OGn7_RGiXpIe4WqqAVjskaJBoV4/s320/IMG_20190725_103517.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">I hope you can find your own source of inspiration and get on that bike, kick off the stabilizers, and see how just a very little effort can bring a lot of result. Oh...and don't forget to be kind to your own work. Imagine you are looking at something a little child has put their heart and soul into...when you think of it that way you really have to appreciate and honour everything that you create. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">You are not going to draw like Picasso, you are going to do something even more special.<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"> The world already has Picasso's creativity- it is still in need of yours.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">HAPPY CREATING!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNSuCIiWr3oXT6YsDtbUsRJ1LZb_0EkuOwhubqfyIN_LfNop3fyPzkbkdys7JPvA2o0Phbu9GGHRV-DwrRSYUH9Ej8326fhXD378cV-UxyHCMyi7J_zjAzJMHp30aEoHSPdwCPvh7rsA/s1600/hellytheelephant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="96" data-original-width="96" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNSuCIiWr3oXT6YsDtbUsRJ1LZb_0EkuOwhubqfyIN_LfNop3fyPzkbkdys7JPvA2o0Phbu9GGHRV-DwrRSYUH9Ej8326fhXD378cV-UxyHCMyi7J_zjAzJMHp30aEoHSPdwCPvh7rsA/s320/hellytheelephant.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">THANKS FOR READING AND SUPPORTING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT. PLEASE SHARE ON YOUR FAVOURITE SOCIAL MEDIA.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span><br />thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-75073186789981545212019-07-20T08:47:00.001-07:002019-07-20T08:47:33.255-07:00FUN WITH ASTHMA<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have many good memories associated with grass ( I am of course referring to the 'turf' not the soft drug!)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1cn36Y1oTeNtaOAQWs6UTtAaP79kTONjVbK6h8TghcTXPi9j3wo2ceXBVU0I8NFLhVB6iClwSrRKOfVsrrikYgYjJ-PH6io5OpGMcd7svn6dQ1Bn-kh3mcND8NuW4f7mCHzh0-pL6-E/s1600/Pain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1497" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1cn36Y1oTeNtaOAQWs6UTtAaP79kTONjVbK6h8TghcTXPi9j3wo2ceXBVU0I8NFLhVB6iClwSrRKOfVsrrikYgYjJ-PH6io5OpGMcd7svn6dQ1Bn-kh3mcND8NuW4f7mCHzh0-pL6-E/s640/Pain.JPG" width="598" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Hazy days as a student sketching on a grassy knoll, bitching as the fashion students emerged into the sunshine,(each wearing ever more outrageous costumes, or shaved-head- adornments). Throwing a blanket over the washing line when I was a kid, and my brother and I, 'camping' outside,<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> 'til it was time to head indoors for fish fingers and chips. Admiring landscape paintings, and watching old Italian men playing bowls in the sunshine...And walks...many, many walks in this country, and others, watching sheep chewing away, and cows pooping away....</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Yes...I have always liked grass...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0IJDhTYsyyK_EeAdy0Ty4Wui0OfTF21v0UzhT3kwdWnFgv475uX0Igk795lF6rWeCUcC6yaSrauA-V8SWLdAChP_w8BDQmIF1onQYT3nW1nYKklv8UWr4PQHNsA95B34GUrr3KYmZJk/s1600/083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0IJDhTYsyyK_EeAdy0Ty4Wui0OfTF21v0UzhT3kwdWnFgv475uX0Igk795lF6rWeCUcC6yaSrauA-V8SWLdAChP_w8BDQmIF1onQYT3nW1nYKklv8UWr4PQHNsA95B34GUrr3KYmZJk/s640/083.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">… but THIS year I seem to have developed an allergy to grass pollen, which this season has been tardy in flowering and is now belatedly showering the air with its microparticles...which are in turn blocking my bellows.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">There is nothing like an asthma attack to put all other worries into perspective: suddenly my concerns about my chubby thighs, British politics, and why I am not a better artist, fade into the background, as every cell in my body focuses on the simple in- and- out of each breath.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">I am lucky: I have medication, doctors, and paramedics on the end of a telephone. Past asthmatics like Vivaldi, Proust and Charles Dickens had no inhalers, and their condition was completely misunderstood. Proust for example continued to live with the very trees that were tightening his chest, just outside his window, and was prescribed Champagne as a treatment! ( I have not tried this myself, but, I am guessing this was a 'keep the patient drunk,' scenario.)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1BxJhwt9blfAsmWADAhL2K15XDFfaKZRpBVKOTVM1qODUiJVEdXP_53QnfJ3KXyLg2QsxXP3xaWEzha9E2ylQYOrCeAGpbW8N3Uhixt5GTzMfk9VsSmSNus0XgkctsggG9G6J-QuR5c/s1600/teddies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1BxJhwt9blfAsmWADAhL2K15XDFfaKZRpBVKOTVM1qODUiJVEdXP_53QnfJ3KXyLg2QsxXP3xaWEzha9E2ylQYOrCeAGpbW8N3Uhixt5GTzMfk9VsSmSNus0XgkctsggG9G6J-QuR5c/s400/teddies.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A random photo that always makes me laugh.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">What you only discover about managing chronic health when you have to, is that those same conditions rarely stay as they are. When you least expect it, one or more can flare-up, or something acute and unexpected<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"> might spring at you. At such times I try to remind myself that as I have so much experience with illness, my resilience muscles have become strong...even as my actual muscles have got weaker. Spoonies as a bunch, are stronger than we think.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">There are also the unexpected spurt of tears that stay strangely silent during the worst of moments.. and will then emerge during the watching of an advert, or reading a corny meme. The cheesy, romantic comedy that leaves you in bits...even though you have seen it many times before...the sight of next-door's cat doing something funny, that can push you into the self-knowledge that, actually: "I'm not alright.. " and a hailstorm of tears.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfdOFcUJ7IdlVSZuaYYe6La3HWWbHBQXK_Icpf566UxFgwOa9xmxVBCwh8UaBg9Qh79V_jAVDwoVkNAr6hvIYkXet-XXF3hC9W83U9QPAUMKvlzQx_QAQmB1zAubgEAtoJ5ZiwK1zUl0/s1600/865d5ca4f3431cf396e24b6e864976f3--funny-happy-birthdays-funny-happy-birthday-song.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="236" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfdOFcUJ7IdlVSZuaYYe6La3HWWbHBQXK_Icpf566UxFgwOa9xmxVBCwh8UaBg9Qh79V_jAVDwoVkNAr6hvIYkXet-XXF3hC9W83U9QPAUMKvlzQx_QAQmB1zAubgEAtoJ5ZiwK1zUl0/s640/865d5ca4f3431cf396e24b6e864976f3--funny-happy-birthdays-funny-happy-birthday-song.jpg" width="503" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">For our own sanity we have to keep finding the tiny joys, the moments of light, the unlooked-for laughs amongst all the chaos...and for me that means colour and creativity, which I look forward to sharing with you in forthcoming posts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span><br />thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2661521316823633428.post-10485819893074583482019-07-18T08:45:00.001-07:002019-07-25T09:59:16.316-07:00 MICROWAVE COFFEE CAKE ELEPHANT STYLE.<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>It is not putting it too strongly to say that sometimes I really <span style="color: red;">NEED</span> cake!!!!!!!</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It can be tricky for this elephant to find treats that don't contain something that makes my body egregious as a parrot. I know many of you are in the same boat, and are too shattered/sick/in pain to think about baking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">So here it is- cake, that you can make in minutes that is <span style="color: red;">gluten-free, dairy free and</span> <span style="color: red;">vegetarian.</span> And, it is actually good for you! ( flax contains a whopping amount of fibre, as well as magnesium and iron). I try to make this quite often as it is a nice treat at teatime with some slices of frozen banana....and is good for my digestion too.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">++For those of us with limited energy, you can pace doing this in bitesize stages +++++++++...and there is little washing up.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">INGREDIENTS FOR YOUR BASIC CAKE:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><strong>8 heaped dessertspoons ground flax</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><strong>half a teaspoon baking powder</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Flavouring ( see below)</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><strong>tsp vanilla essence</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><strong>1 1/2 teaspoons of honey</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><strong>100 mg soya milk ( or any kind of milk).</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><strong>1 medium egg</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><strong>1 small banana</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>PLUS-</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><strong>Flavourings for coffee cake:</strong> <span style="color: blue;">1 dessertspoon decaff /caff coffee granules + 1 1/2 handfuls of <span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">chopped dates.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">OR</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><strong>For Mocha cake:</strong> add choc chips instead of dates</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">OR</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><strong>For Fruit cake</strong>:<span style="color: lime;"> leave out the coffee and use a teaspoon of cinnamon, and add sultanas/mixed fruit instead of dates.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">You will need a ceramic soup bowl ( a deep one is best, as the mix will rise). No need to grease the bowl.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">NB: Use Oven Gloves- the bowl will get <strong>red hot</strong> during cooking.</span><br />
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">METHOD</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Add flax and baking powder to the small bowl and mix. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Mash banana onto a plate</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Add milk to the dry mixture and stir well.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Crack the egg into this mix and add the honey.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Mix thoroughly.</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Add the banana mash and 1 1/2 handfuls of dates/choc chips/sultanas and the coffee granules. Add a splash more milk if the mix is too stiff- it should resemble grainy cake batter.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Mix well and cook on high in a microwave for 6 minutes. Open the microwave door and stand back to allow steam to escape.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Microwave for another 1 min 30 secs. Leave in the bowl to rest for another couple of minutes before turning out</span>.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Loosen the sides with a knife, and upturn onto a plate and allow to rest for 10 minutes<span style="color: #6aa84f;">. </span> <span style="color: red;">If the cake is still too wet, then you can pop it back for another 30 secs in the microwave.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">The cake is moist and dense like a ginger cake and works as an English style serving of sponge for pudding, or as a big slice with a cuppa...and of course you can ice and decorate if you wish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1g6hUhZVwdAMc5ZoNVGaQ4MhdF3oNYL2P35ykPsaF9on_4lU30KOCE9OpvUnm7xOySLerbZ5_aiwVTSN07_uNE9XSWVyK0QKPDfNlrqqCkPtlsXqsg_wRFuViy3BMcUNIs9jwwLBXG9E/s1600/IMG_20190716_164931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1g6hUhZVwdAMc5ZoNVGaQ4MhdF3oNYL2P35ykPsaF9on_4lU30KOCE9OpvUnm7xOySLerbZ5_aiwVTSN07_uNE9XSWVyK0QKPDfNlrqqCkPtlsXqsg_wRFuViy3BMcUNIs9jwwLBXG9E/s400/IMG_20190716_164931.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-large;"><strong>You're Welcome!!</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">THANK YOU FOR READING AND SHARING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT BLOG. WISHING YOU JOY AND PLENTY OF CAKE 'TIL THE NEXT BLOG.</span></div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">O</span>thechronicelephanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07284211103827144743noreply@blogger.com0