What is your next challange..have you got one??

jessM your book sounds interesting....must admit I dont seem to find time to read these days..I think I the laptop has taken over my reading of books...tut tut..

Ah well the download-able electronic book is made for you then!

I've challenged myself to use up some of my stash of fabric scraps (I have been a keen sewer all my life) by making another patchwork quilt with them. Some of the scraps are quite small but I will find a way to use them. For the record, I've made four five-inch squares so far. I wonder how long the whole thing will take.

Sounds like a good idea, Baggy. I have the same intention!

My other challenge is to write a novel: I already have a basic idea: it will be science fiction - after all, you can do anything in science fiction! I've written a short story which will be the basis of the book, and will run it by my writers' group on Wednesday to see what they think.

Good luck with the novel, Joan. I've always wanted to write one but don't know where to begin! A couple of friends recommend the OU Creative Writing course. I haven't enough energy to do it at the mo but maybe in a year or two.

*JessM I like the sound of your book. Can't wait. Do tell us when it's availalable for download. As I seem to have a couple of auto-immune conditions, it might be specially relevant, or am I wrong?

Go for it Joan. Keep sewing Baggy, how do you eat an elephant...
Yes Annobel i discovered that the immune system is behind nearly all illnesses and not just infections. even thing like heart disease and diabetes. Must get over monday-itis after a weekend of hospital visiting (and trying to communicate with a mixed bag of nurses) and do useful things from that List, get some exercise etc. the exercise always perks me up.

Baggy I have just done the OU Creative Writing Course - I dont recoemmend it unless you enjoy reading and writing contemporary poetry its about one third of the course- some of it is just dire. When I put in my assignment an appreciation of The Lady of Chaillot I was told that kind of peotry was ' irrelevant'!!!!!

Thanks, susie. Sounds like modern art courses where learning how to draw is irrelevant!

This is turning into an account of driving tests rather than rising to a challenge, but I'll add my story anyway. Congratulations by the way bikergran. I was never very keen to learn to drive but a new, distant job made it necessary, so I tried. During my test (car, not bike), a very small child ran straight out in front of me. I stopped in more or less a straight line and did not hit him, but I shook for about three hours afterwards. The examiner still made me do an emergency stop by banging on the dashboard when it was quite obvious that I could barely steer the car and had extreme difficulty even getting out at the end – having learnt that I had failed. I solved the problem by changing jobs. I still don't drive. My current challenge, incidentally, is writing a family history for my grandchildren.

Sorry everyone. I didn't realise that there was already a second page that had moved on from driving tests.

absent, Oof! What a boor of an examiner that must have been!

I had a similar experience years after I'd passed my (car) driving test, when a youth walked out from behind a bus. BRAKE!!!!!!! Missed him by an inch! I felt OK but he was shaken. Maybe he learned something. My two young daughters in the back would have flown through the windscreen if they hadn't been strapped in. I never had to remind them to fasten their seat belts again!

glassortwo what are black bullets lol?? ermm how do I get the star icon to make a name in bold?? ive only had the keyboard 7 yrs lol....

bold

ahaa got it

I finally took up driving lessons at the age of fourty, after considerable nagging by my family. Passed on the third attempt, but I found I was quite capable with the driving instructor beside me, but driving alone I hated. Kept forgotting to indicate left or right, turn on the lights after dark, it was only after driving my daughter somewhere, she said I was the worst driver she had ever come across. My husband didn't seem to mind, as he is as reckless as they come. Anyway I decided I didn't like it and have never driven since. I occasionally am tempted but not for long.
Anyway my next challenge is to try and visit every county in the UK I haven't visited. As my husband has no wish to travel anywhere outside of Suffolk, I shall embark on my own. I have in the last 3 years travelled to countries, mainly in the Eastern block. My first trip will be to Northumberland, followed by Wales, the Lake District, Devon, oh many more. How long this will take, who knows, and i am not in any hurry. Well that is unless i peg out.

bikergran, google Jesmona black bullets and you will get your answer.

Hattie64 - that is almost exactly my driving experience. Forced into it at 37 when expecting my youngest, managed to pass the test third attempt, hated driving and each trip exhausted me as I had no natural ability so I was forever watching my road position, speed, mirror etc. I had poor night vision and could never work out where the side of the road was. I planned my routes so that there was never a right turn without a green arrow, and I always parked where I could drive in and drive out without reversing, even if it meant a longer walk. Reverse parking? Forget it: I never did it as on the test I actually passed, the tester couldn't find a suitable place, so I said "Bugger, that as the only thing I got right last time" This was a complete lie, delivered out of desperation, but he believed me, or at least, he wanted an excuse for it to be over.. I once went to a place I'd never been before and made a lot of mistakes. Then I found out that every time I drove my blood pressure, already controlled by medication, would shoot up. Well, I didn't want to risk a stroke, did I? So I gave it up. I renewed my licence when it came up for a while, then I stopped.

Anyway, I now live near the suburban rail, so can go most places I want to go, and my husband drives of course, and is more than happy for me NOT to drive.....

PS And my next challenge will NOT to be to get my license again!!!!

I have a lovely young daughter who is a good mummy to her 18 month old son in very difficult circumstances, but is feeling a bit of a failure. The challenge is to help with my grandson, without undermining my daughter's confidence.
For instance GS has been waking up crying inconsolably on several mornings recently. He stayed at my house last night and, sure enough, began to really sob on waking. Fortunately he settled quite quickly after lots of cuddling. Later in the morning he climbed onto my lap and went to sleep. When I talked about this with my daughter she was upset because he rarely sits still for cuddles with her and hasn't slept on her lap since he was tiny. I remind her that I've had lots and lots of experience with babies and that for a first time mum she's doing amazingly well, but she often feels quite inadequate.
It's difficult for me to keep a balance between wanting to help, but not to take over - and the truth is that sometimes my daughter needs just a little support and at other times she does want me to take over and give her a bit of a break. I would love to see her accept that she's doing a great job, but I suspect that as I'm her mum she thinks I'm biased. (I am of course, but that doesn't detract from the fact that she's doing a great job with her little boy!)

Nothing as exciting as passing a bike test but I've signed up to the local Music School and am going to learn the flute. I'm over 70 and have a bit of arthritis in my hands but the school said they can lend me a flute for children which has 'extensions' on the keys. I start in September - so watch this space!!!!

Great stuff, golfinggranny! Hope you enjoy it.

I am defininately going to sign up for modern dance classes this September
at our local school and stick to it

grannyactivist, what a truly lovely mum you are.
We all wanted help when we needed it but wouldn't ask because we were afraid of failure. During the times we were ok perhaps we (I was!) were, or wanted to be wonderwoman. The first time my MIL came to babysit for our ES, I was so tired, she made it really easy for me to go to bed and sleep. She did washing, fed and bathed the little one and made up a bottle for DH to give the early morning feed oh and gave the place a tidy!
Keep going on exactly as you are! DD and GS will know where to come for a cuddle. With your help and support DD's confidence will grow.

After the first 4 months with our first child I never had anyone to turn to because we moved from England to Australia. Luckily our two lads were easy to bring up - a few dramas of course but nothing too bad. Except that during one bad time, when I had a three year old and a newborn, and could hardly walk because of a post-labour bad back, my husband became seriously ill and all our 'friends' stayed away. (We have some true friends now, who we met later)

When grandchildren arrive I will be glad to help, and I will ensure that neither DIL will ever be as alone as I was, but I think the daughters' Mums often take precedence. Anyway, I have no personal experience of interacting with extended family concerning my own children, so it will be a HUGE challenge to get it right.

This site is putting me right, and warning me of pitfalls - I'm glad I joined even though the grandchildren are yet to come.