Month: July 2023

Banal enough – For some reason I was so driven to get a haircut

Number 2 all over – After a couple of mins I started to recognise myself again in the mirror – So banal but so important

Posted a few days ago about Art and how it might help. Was thinking along the lines of helping during a cancer adventure but also how it helps after that adventure. And now, also thinking outside of cancer and how it can help with life in general.

I was chatting(Texting with a close friend yesterday evening. This friend is going through the horrors and rigours of chemotherapy at present. I can get it …

I texted to this friend “Sometimes think we are all blessed with artistic talents but without recognition and cultivation these talents rarely flourish We need to cultivate even the slightish inkling of artistic inclinations”

And then ,

“Go to the art galleries Join the art classes Read the literature Write in the blank page or screen Let yourself loose on the paper with pen or pencil Never leave a canvas clear of paint”

Add to that – Go to the concerts – Listen to the Music – Read and speak aloud the poetry -Write your own poetry –

Lots of other Arts not mentioned – Am not finished with this subject

Who would say reading doesn’t help. Certainly not me who has been avidly reading since I learned to (At least sixty years ago). Doesn’t everyone read and read and read and read ,,, Thinking of my NZ cousins

Couple of books on my bed when I come up tonight – Have delved into both of them earleir today – A Buddhist book (Mind in Harmony) and a Fiction by (recently deceased) Cormac M’Carthy ‘The Passenger ‘ Both worth continuing – In competition with some YouTube videos on learning Beatles songs on guitar — Choices .. Choices. — The Bane of our lives .. Reading should win out .. Of course it should – Does it? Another blog post …….

It does. Have learned a lot overthe last few years. Best advice is to use lots and lots of fresh Turmeric and Ginger. In juices mainly but in curry and stir fry meals also. During early days I attended a cancer support group for Secondary cancer. A woman talked to us about the Ketonic diet – No sugar and lots of fat. At the time it didn’t sound safe to me and didn’t follow the advice. Have changed my mind in recent months and it has done me a lot of good. Anyway, Diet and Nutrition are so important and they do help

Recipe for tonight – TM improvised stuffed courgettes.

Four Courgettes (two round and two long)

Scoop insides out and put them on a baking tray with plenty of salt and a dollop olive around. In the oven at 180C for a while (15 Mins).

While that is happening mash the scoopings, Mix in some fresh herbs (Parsley, Vietnamese Coriander and Marjoram) straight from the garden – Use whatever herbs you like (they are all good). Mix in some cooked rice (had some in the fridge from yesterday). Mix in some minced meat (a beef burger in this case).Then squeeze half a lemon. Mix up well.

Take courgettes from oven and stuff with the mixture.Laying on top or stuffing into round (globe courgettes). Back in the oven for 45mins.

Serve with grated cheese (whichever one you like, emmental for us). Spray juice from the other half of the lemon. That is a Keto meal. Delicious and nourishing with no carbs.

We enjoyed that. Cooking and nutrition certainly help. The Keto woman is Patricia Daly and has written a book withDomini Kemp. The Ketogenic Kitchen. Big help to me

This is a post-cancer blog – Is there such a thing as post-cancer _ can explore that in future posts

Art certainly helps – Helped me – from doing a History of Art diploma in TCD – Wow – the energy of being a “mature” student amongst the new freshers – Sharing lectures – To taking some (covid era online art classes) – to in-person intensive drawing classes – to planning a Month on Florence studying Florentine Renaissance Art and Italian language

Art does help

Why do i let time go by without posting – without writing.

July already

Have a bit to say and working (this evening ) on a new poem)

Have a close friend newly diagnosed with this Emporer (In other words Fucker) of diseases – Brings it all back – There is much more to life than this fucker

Some ideas in mind on a few different subjects –

Lets see what comes

Writing is therapeutic