Better

The skies have largely been more blue and white than gunmetal grey today, which is good for the intrepid teenager as he has spent the day in a forest building shelters, learning how to light a fire and how to filter/purify water.  I know he is in Wales, but surely things haven't got that bad?!  He has located a spot where he gets "two bars" signal on his phone - which means he sends me a text and probably sends hundreds to Heidi!  These kids have no idea what it was like when there were no mobile phones and the best you could hope for was either getting to the phone before your parent answered it (oh the horror that they might know what we were doing!) or making arrangements via secretly passed notes via circuitous routes (in my case anyway - I went to an all girls school.  Boys school across the road.  Arrangements made hastily on the bus to school!!!)

Hoping it stays clear for them all tonight - they are camping out in their shelters.  I have given instructions for dark sky viewing of the stars - I was always going to give him that advice!  

The past week has seen some improvements - at least in terms of my attitude to how I am feeling.  I have been more active but have definitely overstretched on a couple of occasions.  I don't feel as fragile or deathly as I did 6 weeks ago.  I think maybe the act of coming to terms with an existence that is never likely to be pain free has actually been good for me.  A sort of "get a grip" moment.  Its easy to say when I am not doubled over in pain.  Let's see how my resolve is on a bad day!

Today I managed to deploy an appropriate latin phrase in context - I don't know why it thrilled me so!  Thank goodness the Boys' School that my brother went to had a proper latin motto!  "Ut Severis Seges" - essentially "what you sow, so shall you reap".

Clearly getting cabin fever.