I've been....

Shopping: a gift for a new baby, the new edition of Homemaker and Country Living magazines for me, a lovely new suit for the Prof.

Enjoying: coffee, as usual. I only drink decaff at home so a real coffee is a weekly treat. No crossword this week though, although I have been carrying the part-finished Saturday Telegraph crossword from a couple of weeks ago around in my bag all weekend in case, we just never got to it.

Testing: new subtitling technology.We attended a special free screening of Wreck it Ralph at a cinema in London, where the Prof was able to test some new subtitling technology currently being developed and give his feedback. There were different items being tested and he was asked to try the glasses he is wearing in the picture, apologies for the quality, it was taken in the dark, which my phone isn't very good at. The subtitles appear in the glasses instead of on the screen, which is a good idea as then every film could be available to deaf people. Currently we have to attend specific subtitled showings, of which there are not many, and lots of films either don't get subtitled at all, or too few subtitled copies are made, and they don't get shown at every cinema. If these glasses came into use, all films could carry the captions, as they would only be visible to the deaf person wearing the glasses, and on-screen captions would not be needed any longer.

Visiting: the library. I returned two books, Human Remains by Elizabeth Haynes and The Good Father by Noah Hawley. The first was chilling, the second thought provoking and I thoroughly enjoyed both. I picked up some reserved items: a novel, a knitting book and the DVD Hope Springs, which is one of the films we hoped to see with subtitles last year and were not able to.

Knitting: I finished the wurm hat! I knitted one pattern repeat less than called for, and I think it is a little slouchier than I would prefer, but I will wear it, and more to the point, I learned how to knit in the round! If I make another sometime I will knit it a bit shorter.

Planning: my days. Instead of just bumbling along, I am trying to come up with a daily routine including yoga, fresh air/sunlight, proper meals, housework, decluttering and of course, reading and knitting - which may sound simple but with CFS, not so much. I am hoping the yoga will improve my strength and stamina, after three years at home I have little of either.  Work in progress.


Weekending with Amanda