Mind and Body Changes
In the previous post on Sudoku, I speculated how my problem solving ability was changing.
But this is not the only change that is happening.
Just after the second stroke in Hong Kong, my balance was not good and walking in a straight line was difficult. In fact when I went to physiotherapy or X-ray, it was always in a wheel chair. Incidentally, once in Addenbrookes, I was generally left to my own devices, after the first few hours. But that is in the main down to a difference in cultures.
But take what happened on my first day in Addenbrookes. I was taken to a kitchen and asked to make a cup of tea for myself. It tasted better than any cup of tea, I have ever made.
What that cup of tea taught me, was that you have to think differently and take in all possible outcomes, when you do something.
Now that I’ve been home for a few weeks and virtually looking after my cooking and personal needs on my own for the last three or so, I can see that my brain has developed new ways of doing things. As an example, I am sure, I’ve devised new ways of doing things to get round the problems I have, say with my left hand. But then I’ve done this before, when my arm was broken at school. For years, I avoided using it, as it didn’t work too well, So I sometimes used my right hand, when everybody else would have used their left.
Underneath it all, we all have several ways of doing things and when one is no longer available, we just use another one we know or devise a new one. As an example, how many of us are naturally left-handed, but have been made to write with the other hand. And then you have Ken Rosewall, who some would say was the finest tennis player of all time, but he was naturally left-handed and had been made to play with his right by his father.
The Sudoku Conundrum
In an earlier post I wrote the following.
Except for one curious thing. I do the Sudoku in The Times every day and have always found that the Super Fiendish were beyond my powers, unless I resulted to a process of elimination. That in my book is almost cheating.
But since the stroke, I can do these without problems in just a few minutes. I would never accuse such an august newspaper as The Times, of dumbing down, but they have just introduced a new section called Mind Games.
I should write to them.
I haven’t written, except to enter their Sudoku championships, where I did mention the fact that my prowess has improved.
I’m no expert on brains and how they work, but could it be a general improvement, that would have happened anyway. We all learn new tricks as we get older and have I just worked out other wheezes to find a solution. Possibly as my brain has had to relearn how to do things that it can’t do anymore, new pathways are being found or uncovered, that give my brain extra power in solving problems. On the other hand, I’ve always solved problems and that to me is almost a pastime in its own right.
Remember too, in hospital in both Hong Kong and Addenbrookes, I spent a lot of time doing the various puzzles in The Times. So it could just be a case of practice making things better, as it is by no means perfect!
Chicken, Bacon and Potato Pie
This is effectively a version of Shepherds Pie, that uses pieces of chicken breast and bacon, rather than mince. I made it to clear some chicken breasts out of my freezer and also make my left hand do some work by peeling potatoes.
This simple meal used the following ingredients to make three, two of which I froze after cooking.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 4 chicken breasts
- 4 rashers of bacon
- 1 jar Bay Tree Cracked Black Pepper and Mustard Cooking Sauce
- 1 kilo of King Edward or similar potatoes
- Milk and fat to mash the potatoes with
The method was as follows.
- Chop the chicken and bacon into small pieces and fry in the olive oil in a large saucepan.
- When the chicken is brown and the bacon is cooked through, add the shallots and the carrots and continue cooking for perhaps ten minutes, after which you stir in the sauce and simmer for perhaps 10-15 minutes.
- Whilst the chicken and vegetables are cooking, boil and mash the potatoes.
- Pour meat and sauce into an 11-inch by 7-inch baking dish or individual foils for freezing and allow to cool slightly. Top with potato.
- Bake in the bottom of the top oven of the AGA.
For something I made up with what I had available it worked out quite well.
It will be interesting to see how the ones I have frozen turn out, when I eat them in a couple of weeks!
Tutu Withdraws
I don’t have any religion, but I do try to follow a moral path, that tries not to hurt others in any way. I don’t succeed all the time.
If though, I have a priest who I can admire in all ways, it is Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Here is a man who has faced up to life’s most difficult challenges with a bravery and a sense of humour, that we could all do well to try to emulate.
I do hope that now Tutu has decided to withdraw from public life, that he doesn’t stop appearing on and in the media, on the one hand to cajole us to make the world a better place and on the other to amuse us.
The world would be a worse place without Tutu’s involvement and I know the inevitable happens to us all, but there are still many things for the wonderful priest to do. Let’s hope he gets most of them done!
I wish him a very long and happy retirement! I doubt it will be quiet though!
Will The Last Member To Leave Please Turn Out The Lights!
There is a touch of sadness about the closure of Trimdon Labour Club in Tony Blair’s old constituency of Sedgefield. But it is a pattern that is being followed all over the country, as clubs;political or otherwise fall on hard times.
So why do I say there is a touch of sadness? Some people, mainly of a certain generation, will mourn the loss of a quiet place for a drink, where theyt can talk about their leeks and whippets and moan about the government. Most will not as the club, and especially those that were run by and for men, have had a good run and their time is now past. And there are better and more exciting places to spend an evening.
My father used to go down the Conservative Club at the end of the road and always left my mother at home. To most couples these days that is just not how you behave, as there is so much more to do!
So in truth, as another club throws in the towel, it probably means that a whole group of people have already found a better life.
I’m very Marxist (Groucho tendency) on clubs, in that I wouldn’t join any that would accept me as a member!
I Can Drive
Not legally, I should add and not on any public road. But a couple of weeks ago, when I needed to move the Jaguar, it was a struggle and I ended up stalling it in reverse. whether it was my arm or my leg, I didn’t know, but today, I was able to move it so I could put all of the bottles for recycling in the boot. I then did a three point turn on the stud yard.
It’s progress! I hope!
Tourism Will Increase by 60%
This report was on the Press Association web site.
The value of tourism to the UK economy is set to rise by more than 60% to £188 billion by 2020, according to a report.
The number of jobs supported by tourism is predicted to increase by 264,000 to 2.89 million in the next 10 years, the report commissioned by VisitBritain added.
The amount of spending per year by overseas residents is likely to almost double from £16 billion now to £31 billion in 2020.
It is all good news, but are places like Middlesbrough ready for it. In my travels recently, London, East Suffolk and Newcastle certainly are.
The Anonymous Widower 