FIMO and Meditation

Made another two rows of FIMO window frames: a miserable, fiddly job.

Next they go into the bottom oven for approx 20 minutes to harden.

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Meditation and FIMO:

One of the positive spin-offs of meditation is, apparently, that one learns to adopt a Zen like acceptance of what life throws at one. So, far from being irritated at the fiddliness of making these FIMO window frames (part of the irritation was due to its sticking to my fingers and also to the tools I was using to bend it into shape; part was due to the slowness of the procedure), I should have calmly executed the task and deemed it a pleasure and a privilege to perform.

Clearly, such acceptance of life's little foibles would be a great spin-off.

A) I wonder if it's true. B) If it is true, can it be achieved as a stand-alone benefit OR must it be part and parcel of a greater achievement eg oneness with the Universe?

Many decades ago I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. I did so with much skipping of the Aristotelian philosophising but on the whole enjoyed it as a road-trip book.

Since then I have on more than one occasion re-opened it  with the intention of  re-visiting the Aristotle stuff. Unfortunately, was completely unable to re-kindle my interest in any parts of the book.

Anyway, great title and great cover.

Note the sub-title, "This book will change the way you think and feel about your life."

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Last night's dinner wasn't really on a shoestring:

Chicken curry at the Shenaz, Glasgow.

And, this morning, after squash went to a cafe with my squash partner for a coffee and a pain aux raisins.

And then had a lunch of two salad rolls, and tonight will be having another curry - this time a home-made Lamb Bhuna.

It's so easy to let a diet creep away from one.

But equally, I don't want to become extremist about it.

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St Peter's Partick:

After the coffee etc we dropped into St Peter's, Partick. My squash partner had never been inside it despite having lived only 50 metres away from it for the last 15 years. He said he'd always been too scared to just step in.

He was gob-smacked by what he saw.

My phone camera simply cannot do justice to the grandeur of the church's interior.

The old.

The new.

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Currently listening to:

Leftism by Leftfield.

KNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEREPORT

Knee Report:

When I walk down stairs my right leg bends laterally at the knee. My left leg bends backwards as it is meant to do.

I've always taken this lateral movement to be a further sign of the malfunction of my right knee.

But, I read an interesting article on the internet by a researcher who passionately believes that such lateral movement is a result of a malfunction in the ankle.

Now, I badly sprained/twisted my right ankle 30 years ago - it was a spectacular sight afterwards and it never fully recovered.

Perhaps it would be worth taking seriously this analysis of the situation and the recommended exercises that the researcher claims can address the problem.

In particular, he claims that dorsiflexion should be practised to a) strengthen the ankle at that point AND b) to stretch the calf muscles. He emphasises the latter.

Spent yesterday looking for all sorts of exercises to achieve a) and b).

One of them is walking around the room in bare feet on tip toes.