Be ye kind

The meteoric ascent of our heroine from Flabby Bleaty McBroken to Proper Sweaty Load-Bearing Athlete has alas come to a - temporary - screeching halt as she slogs her way through a vicous sinus/chest infection. Hello old friend! But thanks to equine-grade antibiotics and of course the recent move to Planet Working Thyroid, all is pretty cruisy - as I said to Noddie, I feel utterly rubbish, but in a good (calm and cheerful) way. Did I mention that I am now a tiresome zealot about everyone getting her/his thyroid checked regularly?
As I reflect on the last couple of years, there's not much I can do but shrug my shoulders and chalk it up to experience. I am a bit sad about some fledgling new-town friendships that ended or never really started because Bleaty McBroken kept butting in. Oh well. There's been some gold in these here hills though: it was certainly an intensive course in Keeping At It! Next time I'll pay more attention to the unit on problem-solving, eh? My life is simpler now. As my five faithful readers know (bless you, you dear patient things) I ended a long-term friendship after a piece of BS so monumental that it wasn't worth dealing with. I let loads of effbee friends fade away - good wishes to them all, but they just weren't real! One of my goals for this year is to have more genuine contact with real friends - step one is to write some birthdays back in the calendar, step two is to Pick Up the Darn Phone sometimes! Sometimes so hard...
My relationship with my body has changed too. It is how it is. I might not be so thrilled with it in its current state but I don't hate it and I'm not ashamed of it. I'm working on repairing it and making it stronger. Maybe the most important lesson I've learned is to be kinder to myself. You've all helped, the constant encouraging commenters THANKS THANKS THANKS THANKS and lurkers and of course my imaginary friends! It's been important to have this blank space to vent and reflect and try and work things out. I'm hoping to have some actual physical progress to report soon! But it's all good.
In other news, I had a dodgy pap smear result recently and now have to have some other investigations (sad face, ewww). Such a bore, but thank goodness for the reminder letters (you get your tests regularly, don't you?  Don't you?). I've just finished reading a book called Gingerbread, by one Robert Dinsdale, which was so gripping that I stopped about two thirds of the way through becuase I didn't want it to end, and then two days later read the last part in an hour and a half in one go standing at the kitchen bench. Gripping.
What a have you all been up to/ reading/ learned lately? Share!

More anon, booktopians!