I can’t believe it’s Friday again, where did the other six days go?  So this week saw an international crisis that left thousands of people in trauma ……yes, Facebook briefly went down, forcing many back to reality and into a panic at their inability to cope. I’m sure most of you have heard of the saying Wake up and smell the Coffee?  But how many of us actually do it from choice?.........

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We get so used to things and people, that we stop actually seeing them, they just become part of the furniture. Sure we know they’re there,  but we stop appreciating them and they lose their value, its’ only when something happens or we’re forced to stop, we realise just how detached we’ve become from the people and things that really matter.

While I wouldn’t wish illness on anyone, the one thing it did that I’m not sorry for is make me profoundly aware. Being bedbound for a considerable amount of time I had a large window where I could see nothing but the tops of the trees and the changing sky as day turned into night and the odd bird flew by, once I’d taken in the view I would close my eyes and imagine I was painting it with charcoals, or watercolour, whatever the scene suggested. In all the years this had been my bedroom I’d never noticed the view before,  I’d wake  up quarter to five,  half asleep and grumpy…(not much has changed) and automatically wash, dress, and head off for work without noticing anything other than I was tired.

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When you’re stuck in one place, every little thing becomes magnified and in most cases it can be a blessing.  With both hands wrapped around a mug of coffee I even started to appreciate the wonderful aroma rising from the steam.  I’d always just gulped it down, near cold, on automatic whilst dashing here, there and everywhere because……well, that’s what we do isn’t it? In most cases we rush through life on automatic  never really stopping to notice what we have right under our noses until it’s too late.

In some ways I was fortunate to get ill because it made me stop and see everything around me differently.  We refer to our family members as mum, dad, brother, sister etc   but we often don’t see them for the amazing individual human beings that they are. Again, illness has afforded me that,.

If someone had told me I’d be forced to swap my previous life so that the highlight of a day would be taking a gentle walk down the garden path to feed the foxes, badgers, birds and squirrels  and that I'd end up naming them all I would’ve cried with laughter but that’s exactly what I do and that is indeed the highlight of my day now and I wouldn’t swap it for the world. Meet Dave.......

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So bottom line is, if you still have your health and your job and your social life and  are able to dash about whenever and wherever you like,  then halleluiah, enjoy every minute of it,  but don’t forget to stop once in and smell the Coffee, it actually smells pretty good.

Onto Gizmo/Gadget/Gift of the week, and as if you need any excuse to stop and chill, let me introduce this RTSL03 Silver Grey Rattan Sun Day Bed with Table. The manufacturers say that it’s suitable for inside as well as outside….I can feel a new bed coming on?  At £315 there’s nothing not to love about this space saving piece of furniture that can act as a bed, seat or lounger as it consists of four halves and a table, cushions included. Plus a retractable sun roof operated by two gas pressure cylinders. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IPBSXZ0/ref=s9_simh_gw_p86_d1_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=0DHKVD1KG167HZ4ZE00R&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=577049067&pf_rd_i=desktop

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In M.E news my step mum Kate made it to the summit of Kilimanjaro this week in aid of the charity Invest In ME & The National Osteoporosis society, so congratulations to her and after her rest up in Zanzibar she’ll be flying  back home  to Stevenage where I hope to interview her and share  it with you in a forthcoming column . This was her just setting off on the trek.

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In other M.E news  GIVE IT UPtober began yesterday, Created by members of the ME Community, a spokesman said:  “Simple version, give up one luxury during October and donate the money saved to Invest in ME.

I Appreciate there are very few pleasure / luxuries for people with M.E. however we are determined and eager to find a cure.

During the month of October we are encouraging people with or without M.E. to give up one luxury and donate the money saved to Invest in ME Research - Who have a strategy for research and are working so hard on behalf of people with M.E. to find the cause / cure. Every penny donated goes to Biomedical Research in M.E. as the charity is run by volunteers. Check out the event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1475013139491681/

Just Giving Donation page - https://www.justgiving.com/GIUtober

Via text GIUT88 (£1 to £10) to 70070 E.g. GIUT88 £5

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Ending on a chuckle, I allowed my mother up from under the floorboards to attend a local hospital appointment this week at the Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic, it wasn’t until we arrived that we discovered the consultant was called Mr Toh (toe) …..cue much laughter. We couldn’t look at each other because it just set the other off again. So we had an Ear a nose a throat and a toe & then all of a sudden a Nurse Legg came around the corner and that just about finished us off ……What a comedy script, and I didn’t even have to write it, sometimes the best things in life are free. 

                                        Til Next Week, Stay Blessed

                                              Back Before Elvis X

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http://www.investinme.org/