Chee Dale Wanderings

We’ve been incredibly lucky to be able to explore and discover new places. And honestly though cold at times the weather has been kind as well.

Rarely do you find such industrial structures and yet completely Magickal areas, somehow this place has it all.

Nature has reclaimed so much of it back, you just can’t hold them down for long (Thankfully)

The whole trail around the River is scented with Wild Garlic.

With all this water, it makes sense to brew up and enjoy our cappuccino again, and grab snacks too.

All in all it was a really glorious place, with lots of places to wade into the River, I just need slightly warmer weather first.

Lots of opportunities to be more adventurous than myself.

Hip is being ridiculous so I’ve ordered a hip brace to see if that will help stop the cracking and instability.

Knife Edge by Kerry Buchanan #BlogBookTour

#ADGIFTED as before I choose books and authors I’m going to enjoy. All opinions are my own.

Not an author I’ve tried before, so this is exciting to find a new one. Title alone drew me in, I’m hoping for a complete heart in throat, hanging on my nerves book.

Knife Edge by KerryBuchanan

Buchanan

A MESMERIZINGBREAK-OUT CRIME THRILLER SET IN NORTHERN IRELAND FULL OF BREATH-TAKING TWISTS

BREAK-OUT CRIME THRILLER SET IN NORTHERN IRELAND FULL OF BREATH-TAKING TWISTS

Nic always hated clubbing.

She only went outthat night because she’d promised a friend.

that night because she’d promised a friend.

She wakes up, naked and bound in an abandoned cottage in the middle of nowhere. Dappled light comes in through a dirty window. Her body is covered in cuts. Across the room her friend groans in pain.

A shadow passes the window. He’s back.

He picks up a knife. He begins to cut her friend. In that moment of bloody frenzy, Nic wrenches free and runs.

She’s finally safe.

But this is only just the beginning.

Detectives Asha Harvey and Aaron Birch arrive at the scene hours later. There is no body, thereis no sign of the killer. It’s as if it never happened.

is no sign of the killer. It’s as if it never happened.

YOU THINK YOU KNOWHOW IT ENDS? THINK AGAIN.

HOW IT ENDS? THINK AGAIN.

Fans of Lynda La Plante, Tana French, Patricia Gibney, Brian McGilloway and Helen H. Durrantwill devour this electrifying crime thriller by one of Northern Ireland’s newest talents.

ABOUT KERRYBUCHANAN
BUCHANAN

Kerry Buchanan lives amid the rolling County Down hills that feature in her debut crime series. When she isn’t writing, Kerry performs her work at literary events and participates in literary panels, and works with new writers. She is disabled, and passionate about sailing and attempting to outwit the slugs in her vegetable patch. Generally the slugs win.

My Review

Oh My God!! I got exactly what I wished for. From the first chapter my pulse was racing, heart thundering and gripped by every single word.

The pace, and description males you feel like you are there, running, frightened, and that surge of relief.

Never have I been so totally emerged in a story that it’s affected me physically like that. I could NOT put this down.

What a book, I’m shocked. Gotta be my favourite to date!!

I must find more by this author, the talent is amazing.

Three Shire Head

Magical just pure magic here!!

Retail has reopened and pub beer gardens, but for us it’s a new place to explore and discover new beauties.

And what a magickal place it is, beautiful clear waters (So cold couldn’t do a photo with our feet in this time, too painful)

But we managed a home made river water starbucks cappuccino with added gingerbread syrup. Nice warm drink to help us carry on, as it was our coldest walk to date.

Looks so warm but it had snowed previously, and in shadey parts the sun hadn’t yet melted it all.

1 Month Post Steroid injection

WOW, considering at 2 weeks post injection I was ready to throw in the towel, I’ve had a really good 2 weeks lately. A few splint wears and a couple of gel usages compared to 100% splints and 8 x gel usage.

I’ve managed to do normal things like peel potatoes, hold a pen and tie my laces without that hideous burning pain.

However I’ve noticed I can’t put my hand flat down and put my weight through it though!! nearly faceplanted a few times, hands sore and so weak. My left hand has more sore aches than the right, but overall it is my worst hand anyway.

My body temperature is still a tad wonky, I am still getting really hot flushes, but to be honest I am in my 40s so it could just be me, though I have noticed they get bad around steroid injection times.

Now if I could just stop this hip from cracking…. it’s gonna be a long year possibly more wait to get that fixed. Least it’s nice not to have to focus on hands for a bit.

Danebridge Walks

We’ve been exploring a new walk, one that is more geared to the continuing cracking hip.

A lot more gentle, and plenty of times I can stop and rest. It’s frustrating that one hip is getting better, while the other is failing and failing fast.

Sunny blue skies but absolutely freezing. Even my hip implant felt it, took many days to warm it up again. Made me very stiff and sore.

Ground was pretty even and stable to walk along. Though the cold wind was the worst for my hip.

Made it look so pretty though, being half snowy and half sunny. Like a promise of warmth to come. On days like this, we barely see a soul, and those that we do are like minded walkers.

Quick stop by water to dip hands into, not feet this time too cold. Water always grounds me, it’s a spiritual energy that I enjoy.

Need to find some warmer trousers or maybe a hip brace, to keep it more stable.

Patrick Valenza Trionfi Della Luna Paradoxical Tarot

I’ve spoilt myself with some Christmas money, on a deck that is so unusual and the artwork so sublime I had to own it!!

It’s the Trionfi Della Luna Purple Paradoxical Deck.

The colours are so rich and the detail is unmatched in any other tarot deck.

Good size to handle and shuffle, strong card stock so they feel substantial and sturdy.

Here is some of the Major Arcana, it has a few alternative cards available too. So you can choose which version represents you.

Here are a few alternative cards. The deck is more of a historical representation based on the Marseille decks. So it’s my first one that is more historical.

As well as the Major we have the most visually stunning Minor Arcana too.

But what this deck has as well, it’s an included Oracle deck and Beast Pack Deck. To really build your readings and spread, taking it from the classic 78 cards to 115 cards to play with.

The Oracle alone is super pretty, you get 10 cards.

The Beast Pack is so unusual and you get 21 cards in this. 21 Majors from a forgotten collection originally meant to complement the Trionfi della LunaTarot.

This deck holds another secret, it GLOWS under black light!!

Have you seen any tarot deck quite as pretty as this?

I have some amazing art decks, which are fabulous ways to collect such artwork from favourite artists. But this is a living deck that begs to be read, and used.

Padley Gorge Peak District

Padley Gorge we are finally back now we can travel a bit more, I’ve missed this place so much.

A beautiful warm day, meant it was T-shirts and dipping our hot achy feet in the stream (man it was painfully cold) But worth it

Beer and Sarnies in the sunshine is exactly what we needed.

We never wanted it to end if we are honest. But bodies need rest and all good days come to an end.

So beautiful to see such lush green grass and colourful flowers coming back. Shame it’s going cold again.

This is the one place I really treasure, it’s a wonderful place to escape and ground yourself. Its my happy place xx

2 Weeks Post Steroid Lt and Rt Cmc Joint

Such a lot has changed since week 1, and it was already a good improvement.

I have a few niggles now and then, and go back to splint wearing. But overall I’m holding cups, and pens, or cleaning my teeth without that white hot sting!!

So with this new sometimes pain free time, I try and snatch moments to do some physiotherapy exercises. I’m just trying to build up to 10 reps a day.

These are always hard, sometimes utterly impossible, but now with this Depomedrone I can do them. Each finger 10 reps.

These are surprisingly hard considering I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. But slowly does it and trying to aim for 10 reps each finger.

Something I couldn’t do before the injection on the Left side, as it was so so swollen. But if you do while watching tv, you can soon get 10 reps done

Left hand has a bit if a bruise and swelling, so had a few days rest before starting these exercises.

Side Effects

Not sure if anyone else has felt side effects off these injections, but my worse ones by far are sweating, or being freezing. Somehow my temperature is all wrong. Felt a bit off in mood and energy. And the dull ache in the hands after doing a bit much. It even has messed with my menstrual cycle a fair bit too, nothing too bad, but definitely a consideration.

Niggles

The cmc joint pain seems to have been replaced with a low throbbing MCP pain, So although not wearing splints 100percent of the time, they twinge and nag, and it’s still taking up my mindspace.

Lantern Boats #BlogBookTour

#ADGIFTED All opinions are my own, I pick and choose the authors I wish to feature, and I on my choose genre’s I enjoy, and will feel happy to review.

THE LANTERN BOATS by Tessa
Morris-Suzuki

A WEB OF ESPIONAGE AND BETRAYAL IN OCCUPIED JAPAN DRAWS IN TIGHT.

Tokyo, 1951.

Elly Ruskin is still struggling
to settle. Half-Japanese by heritage, Elly was repatriated to Japan after the war, but Tokyo is a city she barely knows. And now she’s certain her new husband is having an affair with the enigmatic Japanese poet known as Vida Vidanto.

Yet Elly is not the only one suspicious of Vida.

The occupying American forces
have their eye on her too. Kamiya Jun has been recruited to spy on the poet and find out why Vida spent her war years in China. He is perfect for the part. A war orphan, he has honed the art of becoming invisible in order to survive. But following Vida leads Jun to the Ruskins. And he soon finds himself delving into their private lives as well.

Then Vida Vidanto is found
murdered in her apartment. Is it a case of mere jealousy or has there been a betrayal of a more dangerous kind?

Because Vida had more than one
secret worth killing for.

A powerful, absorbing mystery
that will be consumed by fans of Victoria Hislop, Dinah Jefferies, Fiona Valpy,
Robert Goddard, Kate Morton and Louise Douglas.

ABOUT TESSA MORRIS-SUZUKI

Tessa Morris-Suzuki divides her
time between a small village on the south coast of New South Wales and Canberra, where she is Emeritus Professor of Japanese History at the Australian
National University.

My Review

This one I found a little difficult at first to get into, purely as it’s set in a time I don’t know and have no experience with. So the connection wasn’t there immediately.

But no matter I wanted to give it time to get into it. A story told from two perspectives which is new to me, twisting and curling and melding together, a life of certainy thrust into a life of action.

A slower pace and differing timelines is probably just the change of pace I needed. Beautifully written and well developed characters that you will love.

Hippie Woes

Still having untold issues with the left hip, I’m forever trying to keep it in decent condition while finely balancing it with not doing too much.

As it’s so easy to aggravate it and I can barely move. Seem to do more damage just pottering around the house, probably because it involves more bending and twisting.

Some basics I like to do, to keep legs moving are.

Ankle Pumps

Sit or lie with legs supported,Pedal your ankles up and down. Keep the knee as straight as possible, do for 1min

Thigh Squeezes, push down

Lie on your back, with legs as straight as possible. Pull toes and foot up towards you, while pushing the thigh muscle down, feel the stretch at the front of hip. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat for 10 reps.

Heel raises in lying

Lying down with supported legs, place a rolled up towel under one knee. Pull the foot towards you and straighten the knee as much as possible. Hold for 3 seconds and repeat for 10 reps.

Heel slides (use a bag or magazine)

Legs fully supported while lying down, keep the heel in full contact with the bed. Slide the foot up towards the buttocks, bending the hip and knee. Hold for 3 seconds and go down slowly. Use Some thing to reduce friction and use of glide under foot.

Buttock (Butt) Squeeze

Lying or standing up, gently squeeze the bum cheeks together, Hold for 3 seconds and repeat for 10 reps.

Bridging

Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the bed. Squeeze your buttock muscles together, and gently lift yourself upwards, off the bed and as high as you can. Hold for 3 seconds and slowly lower, repeat for 10 reps. (Still my most hated)