Actually do some rabbinic work

My painfully slow recovery is continuing and now I am actually able to undertake some work. Not as much as I would like but never the less some.  I am teaching a few benei-matizvah students at SWEASRS and some other bits and piece here and there.  I am booked for the HHDs which is good as my finances could really do with it.  Again I am still splitting my time between London, where I am based for most of the time and home in Stoke.  The MA is still a work in progress and I really haven't made anything like the amount of progress on it I would like.  So basically as they say the more things change the more they stay the same.

Another update.

Again I have left it a long time between posts in my blog. Again I am based in London but with lots of visits back home to stoke to see my family and for my many ongoing medical appointments.  I have started on new medication, which seems to be making a world of difference.  My memory is getting better still, I can feel it.  I am working on MA and am again making progress albeit slowly.  So all in all things are good.  I am looking forward to my upcoming short family holiday, it will be a much needed break.

I have also started booking work which feels good.  I am also planning on extending my time renting with Emily, and we are about to go past the six year mark.

All in all things are good.  And my depression is really starting to lift so much so that there are times when I feel positively happy.

Not a lot has changed.

I am attempting to keep this blog more up to date, hence a new post relatively quickly. Again not much has changed since the last posting I am still splitting my time between London and Stoke, but now I feel as if I am once again based in London with visits to Stoke rather than the other way around. I am at last starting to make some progress on my much delayed thesis.  Which is all good I am not making as much progress on the two outside projects that I am involved with but hopefully will start making some progress there soon as well. Hopefully the next post will be more interesting and not after a very long gap.

An update.

So its been a very long time since I posted here.  And a lot has happened, well that's not surprising as its been almost a year.  I am still feeling the after effects of my seizures, although nothing like when I last posted here, but neither am I back to my old self.  I was however ordained on schedule last July with Emily and it was wonderful a really really lovely day.

I also have a new nephew (Rebecca's again) and I am still splitting my time between London (Emily) and Home.  I still have to work on my Rabbinic MA, which didn't get completed what with everything that had been happening.

But the biggest thing that has happened during the interval between the last two postings is that Dad has died, it was far from unexpected but difficult nevertheless.

I will try my best to keep this blog more updated but no promises, I hope at least it won't be almost a year before I post again.

Getting better

I am still slowly recovering after my second seizure and am splitting my time between London (Emily) and Home (Family) as well as doing more college work and stuff in my 5th year community.  There are still some lingering after-effects of my illness my memory is still really ropy (although as noted this might at least in part be down to some of the medication I am taking).  I am also hopeful that the depression I experienced afterwards is starting to lift as well.  So all in all things are long up. I've even been on a date :) which was really nice.

My new little nephew is adorable and another plus side is that I am getting to spend more time at home so I get to see him and Aaron more than I would otherwise.

I am still finding working a little harder than it was before I'm more easy to distract and things are slower but nevertheless I am working again, including a few things back up North in my community well most of those are in the future.  My MA has really been kicked into the long grass (post ordination), which is still set for July I was going to say next year but its very much this year.  Wow thats scary.

Anyway long story short I am continuing to get better and can expect to make future progress yet. Everyone has been amazing specially Emily and I am gradually getting back to being myself.

Again not all that much has altered since my last post.  I am still at home and still recovering, albeit that I am so so much improved on where I was.  So much so that I am planning my first real thing 'back' which is a trip to Newcastle-upon-Tyne to lead a Friday evening and a Saturday morning Service. I will admit to being actually really really nervous about the whole thing, which I guess is unsurprising as it is my first thing back.
Other than that I have written and handed in one of my last essays, so only one more to go.  As well as my MA thesis, which the college has kindly enough permitted me to put off until after ordination. I am continuing to work with my therapist on all the stuff that has surfaced after what has happened to me, and although its all getting much more manageable, now that I know that its there I feel as if I should do something about it.  In a not unrelated note I am back on Jdate, and actually talking to people this time. So there's a thing.
Rebecca has had her second baby and he is I have to say really really cute.  But then as a proud uncle I would think that wouldn't I.
I am also still waiting on the post because I have two things coming, one is a copy of the Limmud Chrevaruta booklet which I am keen to see and the other is a story book about mental health issues written for children by a friend of mine.
Then after that, and I guess depending on how it goes, i am planning on making a tentative return to college, only a flying visit at the start of February.
So all in things are looking up and I am trying to take away lessons in how to live not putting work commitments first all the time and living.
Anyway I'd better get back to getting ready for my first thing back at work as it were as I want it to go well.

End of 2014

2014 is rapidly drawing to a close and with it my 9th semester as a rabbinic student. Sadly, I can remember very little of 2014. Although all things considered, the fact that I can not remember much of 2014 is a blessing. As it has been largely a depressing and distressing year.  However, I am slowly getting better and although its a slow process I am happy it is happening at all, there was a time when I was very concerned I was not going to be making progress at all.
I am still at home in Newcastle but am working more, indeed people are starting to send me stuff to do and at times I am having to be quiet firm with them this is a skill that I need to work on.  In fact saying 'no' is something that I am working on with my therapist.
I am also enjoying spending more time back home with my family, although I am missing Emily terribly. That said we are in near constant contact, via Facebook or Skype.
I also find that I am still much more easy to distract than before my seizures, but I am hopeful that this too is improving. I have yet another medical assessment coming up which among other things will establish a base line memory line so I can work out how things are actually improving or otherwise rather than working on feelings.
I am continuing to work on one of my essays, and am trying to pin down a date for my senior sermon which is proving a little tricky.
Anyway I am hopping that 2015 will be less 'interesting' than 2014 was. Anyway wishing all my readers a very pleasant new year's eve and a fantastic 2015.