tells us today's Observer.
Right.
The computer is going off (at 17.10) for the rest of the day, as soon as I have asked a question of my tutor.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Pounding the pavements of Vilnius
So, it's 5 weeks and a few days before my half-marathon on 27 April; I'm at home and now really ratching up my training. Someone suggested it was a bit late to do that now, but one has to run when one can, and one can't always follow a plan, not in my lifestyle.
10 days ago I ran 17 km, and worked out that four times round the park and there and back makes it about 21k. Which I did the following weekend, in just over 2 hours. Stopped running about 3 minutes from my home and found I could almost not put one foot in front of each other. Stagger, stagger, stagger. Probably should stop early more often, and not always run up to the front door, to allow for a stretch or two. But in the afternoon it was already better, and I never got any stiffness in the next day or two. So I can do it!
Sometimes I'm not entirely sure why I am doing it....after the run it always feels like an achievement, but do I really need 'measurable achievements' at my age? It's a good way of listening to music, though - although yesterday, for 9 km, I was stuck with Elgar's 2nd symphony; it was quite nice, but too never-ending.
10 days ago I ran 17 km, and worked out that four times round the park and there and back makes it about 21k. Which I did the following weekend, in just over 2 hours. Stopped running about 3 minutes from my home and found I could almost not put one foot in front of each other. Stagger, stagger, stagger. Probably should stop early more often, and not always run up to the front door, to allow for a stretch or two. But in the afternoon it was already better, and I never got any stiffness in the next day or two. So I can do it!
Sometimes I'm not entirely sure why I am doing it....after the run it always feels like an achievement, but do I really need 'measurable achievements' at my age? It's a good way of listening to music, though - although yesterday, for 9 km, I was stuck with Elgar's 2nd symphony; it was quite nice, but too never-ending.
Children are resilient?
Story on the Beeb today reports that US research has shown that children of anxious or depressed parents are more often sick. British consultants pooh-pooh the idea saying that 'children are highly resilient' and parents are not to worry.
Not convinced about that. Own experiences and some research I have done (the research admittedly being at the extreme end of child welfare problems) suggest that children are extremely sensitive to their parents' condition. Do they really think that stressed or depressed parents can hide their feelings so well that they can act relaxed with the children and that those don't notice? I don't think so - it must be even worse if children have never experienced their parents happy and relaxed.
Psychiatrists working with mothers with post-natal depression certainly worry about this enough because it can really interfere with the bonding of children and mothers. And, as we know, (as I know), bonding problems, and even more changes in carers in children's lives, especially in the first years, can interfere very significantly not only with their emotional development, but can also effectly wreck their future level of educational achievement (an infant who lacks proper attachment does not develop a certain part of his or her brain). Imagine, for example, children who are constantly moved around, from (often disturbed) parent to foster placement, back to parent, to another foster placement and so on. They haven't got a chance! (I will climb off my high horse now). There's a whole school of research into this, in connection with attachment theory and reactive attachment disorder. Google them.
People always say that children are resilient, particularly as they divorce - it makes the parents feel better, I guess. But the hidden damage in the children? Losing a parent is traumatic enough, and living with the remaining parent who may be anxious or depressed - and worrying about losing this parent, too - is far from easy for children.
Not convinced about that. Own experiences and some research I have done (the research admittedly being at the extreme end of child welfare problems) suggest that children are extremely sensitive to their parents' condition. Do they really think that stressed or depressed parents can hide their feelings so well that they can act relaxed with the children and that those don't notice? I don't think so - it must be even worse if children have never experienced their parents happy and relaxed.
Psychiatrists working with mothers with post-natal depression certainly worry about this enough because it can really interfere with the bonding of children and mothers. And, as we know, (as I know), bonding problems, and even more changes in carers in children's lives, especially in the first years, can interfere very significantly not only with their emotional development, but can also effectly wreck their future level of educational achievement (an infant who lacks proper attachment does not develop a certain part of his or her brain). Imagine, for example, children who are constantly moved around, from (often disturbed) parent to foster placement, back to parent, to another foster placement and so on. They haven't got a chance! (I will climb off my high horse now). There's a whole school of research into this, in connection with attachment theory and reactive attachment disorder. Google them.
People always say that children are resilient, particularly as they divorce - it makes the parents feel better, I guess. But the hidden damage in the children? Losing a parent is traumatic enough, and living with the remaining parent who may be anxious or depressed - and worrying about losing this parent, too - is far from easy for children.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
What I wouldn't put in my body....
....would be the results of Delia's latest book 'How to Cheat at Cooking'. I could not, anyway, seeing that it involves many ready-cooked products not available outside the UK, and it would seem, currently inside the UK.
For those not in the know, Delia Smith is the British goddess of cooking, who taught us all how to cook (in one TV-based cookery course it went back to how to boil an egg). Her Complete Cookery Course is my bible for good old-fashion British cookery - maybe a bit heavy on the cholesterol these days, but I can afford it.....The rich rice pudding, with eggs and cream, the trifle with a double cream custard ..... you get the idea. It was all home made, down to the stock and everything. Delia has made a fortune in connecting books and TV series, and depending on what is on TV at the time, the supermarkets run out of it.
So she has produced this new book, on cheating at cooking. It includes using a lot of ready-cooked ingredients, like ready-cooked frozen aubergines, frozen mashed potatoes, tinned mince and so on. Here her recipes get scathing reviews - they are more difficult to put together than with fresh ingredients, and the tastes are awful, apparently. Well, try eating cupcakes made with frozen mashed potato!
But Delia may be laughing all the way to the bank - the first print-run was sold out before the book was even published.
Me, I'm off to eat my lovely home-made lemon chicken.....
For those not in the know, Delia Smith is the British goddess of cooking, who taught us all how to cook (in one TV-based cookery course it went back to how to boil an egg). Her Complete Cookery Course is my bible for good old-fashion British cookery - maybe a bit heavy on the cholesterol these days, but I can afford it.....The rich rice pudding, with eggs and cream, the trifle with a double cream custard ..... you get the idea. It was all home made, down to the stock and everything. Delia has made a fortune in connecting books and TV series, and depending on what is on TV at the time, the supermarkets run out of it.
So she has produced this new book, on cheating at cooking. It includes using a lot of ready-cooked ingredients, like ready-cooked frozen aubergines, frozen mashed potatoes, tinned mince and so on. Here her recipes get scathing reviews - they are more difficult to put together than with fresh ingredients, and the tastes are awful, apparently. Well, try eating cupcakes made with frozen mashed potato!
But Delia may be laughing all the way to the bank - the first print-run was sold out before the book was even published.
Me, I'm off to eat my lovely home-made lemon chicken.....
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