Birthday and Other celebrations.

 My actual birthday was on the 10th it's now the 12th and I had lots of lovely messages from friends and family all across the world. Opened my gifts whilst Zooming with family back in Keele Road. And also had a nice long phone call with cousin Oli and uncle Harold. Harold is doing pretty well all things considered. 

Latter had a birthday dinner around at Emily's with Emily and Renee whilst we watched funny documentries.  And while I opened my gifts from them 

On the 11th I had a Zoom picnic with Mandy and Sam, which was a great deal of funny they where together and I was there via Zoom and we spent time together in a park. 

Latter on had another celebration with Emily and Renee and Matt (Remotely).  

So all in all my birthday was a great deal of fun, amazingly so given all that is going on in the world. Not sure I'm going to talk about that given the continuing disasters of Trump, Covid-19, and Brexit.  I haven't been able to go back home to Stoke in months and even though I Zoom home every day it isn't the same. 

On an entirely different note, I think I have decided or at least all but decided to undertake a PhD, which given how the last one went is pretty amazing. (But I'm not going to do anything hasty-well I never do, do I).

Panda is still bring me joy. Albeit that he is at times a very naughty cat. 

I continue to do my study with Tina and with Francesca. So not much has change really. Largely thanks to Covid.

A general update (Friends and Family)

I hope this post will be lighter on medical details than the more recent ones. Basically nothing has changed I'm no better but no worse either. The medical appointments continue and different specialists get added.

I'm still basically not working or rather not working at all. But trying to stay positive and succeeding (some of the time).

Olive (our cat) is a joy albeit sometimes an irritating one, when she wants food or attention but she makes my life so much better.

My thoughts are turning to the HHDs, but as I'm not working I don't have anywhere where I'm leading so will need to sort out some place to go to attend synagogue.

Back in June I had a very pleasant summer holiday with mum in Dunwhich and got to spend a little time with my big sister Rosie which was great because I don't get to see that much of her.

I'm paying more visits back home or at least trying to.

And this weekend just got I got to spend some time with Laura and her husband Stefan when they were visiting London, its wonderful to see Laura and great to meet Stefan who is lovely, witty and charming.

So this is an up-beat post, which makes a change from how this blog has been for the last four years. I'm still struggling health wise but if not getting better I'm not getting any worse. And am coming to accept the new situation.

I'm also continuing to study Talmud both Daf Yomi (and the regular (daily) study is certainly improving my skills) and with my two chevurta: Tina and Francesca.

So all in all. Even if things are still difficult I'm feeling more emotionally okay than I have in a long while.

Almost 8 years.

Talking about my health has been a theme of this blog not just recently but for quiet a while, which is unsurprising. As on Monday (July 2nd) was the 4th anniversary of my first major seizure. And each posting since has basically said how hard its been but that I am getting better.

Sadly I don't think that that's true.  Clearly I'm better than right at the start, well I nearly died so couldn't have got worse or stayed there really. But I'm still at the stage of 'just about managing' day to day life.  I've had to stop the very little amount of work I was doing, because I was simply not up to it.

I am looking for stuff to do on a voluntary bases because, put simply, if on the day I don't feel up to it then I can simple cancel. But not too much has come of these plans yet.  I also have a social worker who along with Emily is helping me out. And I am trying to come to terms with the idea that some (maybe a lot) of the changes in my life are going to be permeant, which I find a depressing thought.

I am still looking for ways to adjust and somethings have changed and are helping but its going to be a very very long process.  A bright spot is my talmud studying with Tina (as mentioned before) and having a second Talmud partner and new (or renewed) friend,  Francesca we also study talmud together (what can I say I love studying talmud) but we also do other stuff, she's one of the few people who can prise me out of my flat. In fact she's accompanying me back home to Stoke on my next visit. (This weekend).

I am really looking forward to that. I am also researching some voluntary work I can do, so I can get back out there, but also cancel at short notice if I'm having a difficult day when it comes to narcolepsy, epilepsy et al. But we'll see how things go.

Its coming up to eight years! since starting at rabbinical school (2923 days-but who's counting).

I think this brings this blog up to date, which isn't that hard because not a lot is changing and changes that are happening are happening really very slowly.

One of my very infrequent updates.

Once again I need to start with an apology about the now very spasmodic nature of my updates over here, and again justify myself by saying that this was indeed a blog about my journey towards ordination, which happened, indeed it happened really a long time ago now.

The theme of the last few years has been characterised by illness my memory problems and adjusting to life with Epilepsy, narcaepsy and other health problems whist trying to actually do some rabbinic work, I am not managing to do all that much but the little I am doing is right right on the edge of what I can manage.

I am now firmly based in London, but with regular trips back to Stoke.  One of the major changes is that in the flat its not just Emily and I anymore as we have been joined by Renee (who is Emily's girl friend they are getting married in about 200 days (194 but then who's counting).

We also have a cat (Olive who is simply lovely)

And is a real source of joy in my life. She is very affectionate and spends a lot of time with me, when otherwise I'd spend a lot of time on my own in the flat. 

I am doing a bit of work, I am part-time rabbi-ing at Hampstead two services a month and adult study once a week. I am enjoying it especially the adult study but it is right on the limits of what I am able to do. My memory which is dreadful, reading back I can see that this is a theme of my posts of since my seizures really isn't getting better. Okay I can just about manage but it really is just about on a more positive not I'm continuing my Skype Talmud study with Tina and have started an additional practice of Skype studying Talmud with a friend, Francesca. Both are very enjoyable and its a good balance because Tina is considerably better at Talmud than I am and I'm better than Francesca (I should be as a rabbi and someone who does a lot of Talmud) but its great because she asks fantastic questions.

I'm also not sure if I mentioned it but Rebecca has had another baby (although he's not a baby anymore) Solomon who's a lovely little kid.

I think that that has probably brought you all up to date with my life. And lets face it not a lot has really changed.