Virginia Cheeseman Blog

Happy Halloween! I am writing my blog a day early as tomorrow is my niece's 40th birthday and we are holding the celebrations at Chessington World of Adventures (undoubtedly with several thousand other people as it is both half term and Halloween). Still it is her choice and she does have 4 kids (my sister's other 6 grandchildren will be there too). I love Halloween with all the bugs and beasties but I will obviously have to take it easy on the rides with my bad back (baby rides only I think). I will take myself off to the zoo bit, they have some lovely animals there. The Binturong is amazing, Google tells me it is also called a bearcat. She comes out for shows and the audience are asked to sniff her as she evidently smells of popcorn. Sadly they only pick out kids for this task so I haven't actually smelt her myself, life isn't fair! Sales have again been pretty slow this week. Everyone is probably out in the sunshine, amazing 20c at the end of October, long may i...

Still rushing but for a different reason this week. I have the time to write the blog but I must get off the computer as my hubby needs to upgrade it. We bought the new hard drive weeks ago but there has never been a good day to sort it out as I am always working on it! Clearly today is not great but as my hubby starts a new job on Monday and will be around a lot less it is now or never. I am sick of the computer constantly crashing and me needing to climb under the desk and over some boxes to get to the plug, to then reset it. Thankfully my back is getting better but it was a real trial resetting the computer when it was very bad. It has been a slow week for sales. What has happened to all my customers? Last week was busy, next week is half term so I'm sure it will be busy again. I will be sending out orders on Monday morning but then I will be at my dear friend Joyce's funeral in the afternoon. Sorry I don't think I will be able to answer the phones on Monday, I just...

Ups and downs of life, I was going to write a far more cheery blog this morning. I did in fact sit down at my desk and intended to start the blog Hurray! But before I got started I had a phone call informing me that my next door neighbour (up until May when she moved into sheltered accommodation) died yesterday. She was a great friend and a great help too as she took in parcels for me (I had a permanent notice on my door saying "if not in please leave next door"). We had "tea and a chat" most days and I will really miss her. The only good thing is that I visited her the day before she died. With all my woes recently I hadn't managed to see her and I would have felt absolutely awful if I hadn't seen her. The better news is (the reason the blog was going to be titled Hurray) that I saw the physio on Wednesday and she said I could go back in the gym. I have to take it very easy but I went in that afternoon and yesterday and my back hasn't been any wors...

Trying hard to keep everything going, all this has certainly made me realise that things have got to change. I have to work less and live more! I must stop panicking about every little thing and dare I say it "try and calm down". My daily visits to the gym seem to have been replaced by visits to the doctor, opticians, chiropractor etc. However I should be fine, my eye is healing and hopefully my back is too. I am praying that when I see the chiropractor next week I can go back in the gym but clearly I will have to take care and ease up on the weights. I went to the AES exhibition last Saturday and spent a lot of time just chatting rather than rushing around everywhere looking for the best buys as I generally do. It was very pleasant and I got to catch up with lots of people who I have known for years but only see occasionally. I did buy a few bits and pieces, some nice spiderlings, beetle larvae and a beautiful pair of giant grasshoppers. I am hoping they will breed for ...

On the mend thank goodness but still needing to take things easier. A quick round up of my health issues as everyone has been so nice. Feeling a great deal better in myself but still worried about my back, I have an appointment with the physio in ten days time so should find out what I can and cannot do then. At the moment I am trying desperately not to lift anything too heavy but so many of the boxes in the bug room are heavy and there is nobody else here to help so I'm just trying to take care. I have been discharged from the eye hospital but I'm not sure if that is good or bad as it still hurts and my sight has not returned to normal as yet. I will be seeing my regular optician on Monday which will be good. It is the AES (Amateur Entomologists' Society) annual exhibition tomorrow. The biggest bug show of the year. I have been up and down about going all week but I have now decided to go along. It is great to chat to everyone but I must take care and only buy things ...