The Silver Zone

Hexagons of Hope . . .

2009-03-04T03:41:00.000-08:00

. . . is a lovely idea started by a blogger in Australia who is passionate about hexagons in patchwork. Since I am quite keen on these myself, I came across this while doing some research about hexagon piecing on the Internet. For anyone interested, here is the link for this great helping hand for the sewing and craft ladies who have been victims of the Victorian bushfires in Australia. Imagine having a houseful of treasured quilts and handicraft that you have spent years sewing, collecting etc., only to have it all destroyed by fire! Heartbreaking in the extreme - we can only guess at the distress the whole event has caused. Hexagons of Hope is a way of showing these ladies that other people are thinking of them, holding out a small helping hand and doing so with love. If you are a quilter/patchworker a few of these will take very little of your time and will really help someone to carry on. Click here for more info.

PC for Cats and Dogs?

2009-03-04T02:40:00.000-08:00

This was sent to me recently - I thought it excellent . . .

Dear Dogs and Cats: The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.
I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.
For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.
The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.
Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:
TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:
(1) They live here. You don't. (2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture. (3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people. (4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.
Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they (1) eat less, (2) don't ask for money all the time, (3) are easier to train, (4) normally come when called, (5) never ask to drive the car, (6) don't hang out with drug-using people; (7) don't smoke or drink, (8) don't want to wear your clothes, (9) don't have to buy the latest fashions, (10) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and (11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children ..

Cat blanket anyone?

2009-02-27T06:41:00.000-08:00

One of my great pleasures in life has been sewing of all sorts, but in particular, patchwork. It has been in and out of fashion with me since the seventies when I started my first patchwork quilt, a huge kingsize bedspread - talk about starting with a small project, definitely got that wrong! This 'little' starter project took me five years and could nearly have put me off patchwork for life I think! However, the mish-mash hexagon centre eventually took on a life of its own and evolved into a passable bedspread, which was finally finished during my son's baby months when I couldn't go out much. Shame eh?! We've all been there I'm sure - baby years I mean not patchworking!

I digress. From there I moved on to cross stitch, smaller projects for a start, though sometimes they seemed to take as long and once again I started with a fairly complex piece - a mother cheetah and her cubs, which hangs on the wall today. I love wildlife - especially cats (big and small) and spent many years happily sewing and creating pictures until I eventually ran out of wall space. And when I moved and had more wall space I had also bought more pictures!

So it was back to the patchwork for a while, a bedspread for a friend's marriage, one for my son, another wallhanging that was sold and went to Canada and several other small cushions and bags along the way. As well as visits to shows etc. to maintain the interest and gain inspriation from the wonderful creations of others.

Eventually 'life' took over and all things crafty paused for a while. I do think you have to be in a certain mental place to be able to create such things. Well I travelled back to that place lately and have begun once again to 'piece' as the hand sewing version of patchwork is called. Again hexagons - my favourite shape I think - but this time connected to the new addition in our lives, Sonny the cat! At least not specifically for him, but my friends' cats.

I decided last summer to make a dear friend a small patchwork blanket for one of her cats, the first of four (as she had four cats!) as an ongoing birthday come Christmas present. Seemed like a good idea at the time ! One thing led to another and now I spend a lot of time making cat blankets, or cat mats for short. If you are interested in any more photos etc. please visit http://www.cat-mats.com/.

Even for those who love cats - and I know we can be an obsessive breed - this is a bit off the wall. Patchwork blankets for cats?! But then again, why not? I am sure I am not the first to make the connection. They are quick to make, easy to wash and can be placed anywhere around the house to save on the furniture. They are also so personal and unique to the cat and its 'staff' (!), that I have discovered they become quite a talking point, especially when you get into the history of the material used, if secondhand. And a lot of patchwork is made from the scrap ends of other projects or clothes. This beautiful Rag Doll puss called Oliver certainly took to his pretty quickly!

So, anybody else out there with similar stories? Til the next time.

Sylver Zone Vintage Prints

2009-02-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

When I started blogging (not very regularly admittedly) I was exploring things associated with the over fifties, relationships, families, some health issues etc. A sort of logical extension of that was another form of income in case all things went pear-shaped with the jobs, recession, and anything else related to paying the bills of life!

I have spent many years exploring different ways (usually through the Internet), usually unsuccessfully it has to be said, and mainly because of a lack of focus and perhaps a lack of interest in the subject I was pursuing. However, last year I developed an interest in Antique and Vintage Prints. I love books of all kinds, fiction, non-fiction, coffee table books, recipe books, travel books, craft books - so it was a small leap to then start looking at vintage books with a view to reselling the beautiful prints and illustrations that could be found in them.

To that end the Sylver Zone Vintage Prints was born. Through eBay mostly, with small success so far, but building. And I am confident enough now to start to market the whole process more, which in turn should help build the sales. If you're reading this and are interested in such things click on the title for more information and some downloadable brochures. Let me know what you think!

New Grandchild

2009-02-11T07:03:00.000-08:00

Another new addition to the household was my partner's granddaughter, who arrived on 26th January after keeping us all waiting for over two weeks (typical female!). This delightful baby will no doubt keep us all on our toes for some years to come, and I am (apparently) an official Step Nanny, or whatever she decides to call me when the time comes! The advantage for grandchildren of split families is they invariably end up with more sets of grandparents than the traditional two! More spoiling. I'm sure plenty of you can relate to that.

Household addition

2009-01-27T07:37:00.000-08:00

Last year on Remembrance Day, we lost our dear old dog to a chronic condition called CDRM. I have shared my life with several pets - cats and dogs - and have never had to watch such a heart rending deterioration in my life. This beautiful German Shepherd with the most generous nature (unless you were a stranger in the house!!) gradually lost the use of his back legs and rear end, with its inevitable tragic end.

Our house has been decidedly empty ever since, not least because he was a large dog (!) in a big house. But now we have a new addition.

So, meet Sonny - a delightful black and white, two-year old tom cat. A stray brought in to the local Animal Rescue centre and just what I was looking for. Over the last couple of weeks he has gradually gotten used to us and the house and now trots around with us, exploring as he goes. He has yet to tackle the outside - we live on a very busy road - and will not do so until the summer I think. But he seems to be settling in pretty well considering he was a stray and, I suspect, did not live in a house. Although he seems pretty Ok with people.

He has some funny little habits, like laying against furniture - like a dog would, or in doorways to watch you. A great time waster, as are most animals! But already much loved and a welcome addition to our household.

Recessionary tactics

2009-01-21T02:34:00.000-08:00

Recession seems to be the buzz word of the last few months. If you turn on the news all you hear is how the latest bank has taken a dive or a major retail outlet has closed its doors - Woolworths for heavens sake! An institution.
A recent article about the 1930s Great Depressions sparked some interest in that the author covered a more realistic outlook. Tim Price writes for the Price Report at Fleet Street Publications and was summarising a book called America’s Great Depression by Murray Rothbard.
'Rothbard, who died in January 1995, was something of a Renaissance man: scholar, economist, historian and philosopher. He was also a leading member of the ‘Austrian’ school of economics – which amongst other things maintains a healthy cynicism about the value of mathematical modelling in markets, and prefers ‘sound money’ to more speculative and ultimately dangerous credit creation. It is the perfect read for our time - not least in its suspicion of the role of banks. (You can read more about Rothbard and the Austrian school via the excellent Mises website here: http://mises.org/about/3249).'
I mention it because in his summary he states that Rothbard considered the Government's intervention in our current crisis a major obstacle to our eventual recovery, an opinion I entirely agree with. The tinkering that is going on at the moment does nothing more than lull everyone into believing that things will soon return to normal. Nothing could be further from the truth.
If we are to sort this mess out, we all need to start being more realistic, accept that everything must be deflated in value and find its natural level, before we can move forward again.
I heard on the news last night that some retailers didn't even pass on the VAT reduction to the consumers - something I would have thought was illegal - which simply means that the recession will continue for longer. Short-term tactics such as these will not improve the situation and will only make the population angry at being used yet again to shore up ailing businesses. This coupled with Gordon Brown's generous use of tax payer's money to shore up the ailing banks - isn't it our money in the first place? - makes you feel that as usual the general populous are at the bottom of the list for recovery.
As I watch my pension slowly dwindle and hope that the state pension will still be around by the time I retire, I once again feel that at the end of the day the only person you can rely on is yourself in such times and continue my search for the additional income streams to help prop up finances.
So far my vintage prints on eBay (search on eBay name 'sylverzone' if you are interested) are proving to be a slow but possible route and a website may be the next step.
Till the next time . . .

Cycling

2008-08-20T07:00:00.001-07:00

Well a new bike was definitely an improvement on the old and the open road has become a major attraction these days. We are starting to explore further afield and now take the bikes on a carrier to the likes of Cambridge - excellent cycling territory. Loads of cycle paths, loads of pubs and loads of other cyclists (who will, given the chance, mow you down!). It seems there is the same hierarchy on the cycling tracks as there is on the main roads. Worse there is no 'stay on the left' rule such as on our main roads! But in the main it is still great fun and excellent exercise.
The down side has been the dreadful British summer! Cycling in the rain is definitely not fun, and can be positively dangerous in heavy downpours. That 'drowned rat' feeling has hit me more than once lately.
We now have two friends encouraging us to train up to try out the London to Cambridge cycle run - mmmm. I'll sleep on that thank you.

Cycling anyone?

2008-05-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

When in my early teens I used to cycle a lot - didn't we all? Well it was a cheap mode of transport and in Singapore - where I lived at the time - the weather was more suited to two wheels. When I married I moved to Devon - well that put paid to cycling - Devon hills are not something I am equipped to deal with, so the cycling went on hold - for a while - until my son reached the age of wanting to cycle. Then it was going to be a family thing, mountain bikes had just become really popular and more and more cycle routes were being created in Devon at least. My husband was the first to cave in and decide that we couldn't have a dog and do cycling. Not sure why they were mutally exclusive, but there you go. My son kept it up and I did my best to follow - occasionally! But I was no match for a 14 year old, so eventually the bike was sold, and that was that until I moved to Hertfordshire on the borders of Cambridgeshire. Flat roads! Wonderful. So when my partner suggested we give it go, apart from some reservations about my dodgey knees, I thought why not.
Now we have had the best early May for years they say, so it was a great time to try out the knees and see what future there was in cycling for a pastime. What fun - the knees were not as bad as I had feared and indeed I think this may be the saving of them, as the exercise is strengthening the muscles around the knees and actually makes them less painful. There was a pain barrier to go through first! But now I seem to be past the worst and have rediscovered a pleasurable form of exercise that doesn't involve expensive gyms and could be the answer to drink driving! There's a thought!
So having decided that this form of exercise is likely to be here to stay, the next step was to buy a better bike - hand me downs were all very well while I sorted out whether this would be a permanent thing, but since this particular hand me down is about 15 years old, rusty and rattlely as well as only having 5 gears, I have decided I deserve something better. Even the relatives are showing sympathy for the ancient lump of metal that should be put down. The brakes announce themselves to the world every time I use them and the whole bike shakes itself to bits every time I go over a bump - of which there seem to be quite a few!
A new bike is on order from the local cycle shop and will be here by the weekend - what fun. Front suspension, 24 gears (I'm not sure they will necessarily be an advantage!) and quiet brakes! I am assured it will be considerably lighter than the present heap. Still mustn't complain - it allowed me to try out the knees and decide that this was something I could do. And my partner has landed himself a real bargain on eBay. I'm not sure whether he quite expected to win his first ever auction, such is the power of eBay! But his new bike arrives next week - then there really will be no stopping us. Watch this space . . .

Quiet life

2008-04-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

Quiet life . . . what was one of those I wonder? They say life builds up speed as you get older, though I'm sure the ubiquitous 'they' are referring to the speed at which you head towards old age! However, I also think it is because as you get older you become more aware of time slipping away from you and therefore try to cram more and more in! Where once upon a time one weekend out of four would be busy, now we have to plan a quiet weekend.
Since splitting up with my husband of 30 plus years, meeting my new partner and moving in with him, my life has gone from the slow steady tick over of a Ferguson tractor to the full blown roar of an Aston Martin - something I plan to drive one day! Making up for lost time with a vengeance. But we live life!
We went to a dinner dance recently, a full blown black tie affair . I only mention it because it is not something I had ever been to before. The sheer indulgence of getting dressed up in a glamorous dress, and stepping out with a handsome man in full dinner suit was amazing. Nine of us went, had a smashing time - it was a Bond Theme night (Casino Royal to be precise) - and plan to do it again . . . because we can!
On the same day we had been to the NEC for a Hobbycrafts Exhibition - well the night before, met up with some friends for dinner and then the NEC the next day. You see what I mean about cramming things in!
More later . . . .

One Possible Route to Successful Dieting!!

2008-03-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

Or, what not to do when you go on a diet. Or, how to decide which sort of diet to go on. Or, should you go on a diet at all? It’s a subject that is constantly around once middle age hits. As well as being constantly around your middle.

Yeah, yeah I hear you say, heard it all before, done it so many times and forgotten more than I could ever write about dieting. Very likely, but you know what, I’m going to talk about it anyway. Because this is the time of year, when most people lose heart over their post Christmas diets. It’s still winter and our bodies are insisting on hanging on to the fat to keep us warm – that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. And just because the daffodils and crocuses are confused and poking their heads up early, don’t think it won’t come cold again just as you leave off your winter vest!

I have to own up here and say that I don’t have much of a weight problem. I don’t have a huge appetite and rarely gain more than I can easily lose, so have escaped the yo-yo effect of dieting that besets many people. But I have bought and read quite a few diet books over the years as such things interest me. One person who has recently stood out is Paul McKenna. He seemed to be on our screens more than he was off them for a couple of years and successfully tours doing shows and lectures, as well as writing books. In his book ‘I Will Make you Thin’, Paul McKenna states four main rules for dieting:

1. Eat when you want
2. Eat what you want
3. Chew every mouthful thoroughly – eat slowly
4. Stop eating before you are full

He’s not alone with this concept. It is accepted that our body stores food when it thinks it is not going to get any more. So if you stop eating you achieve the opposite to what you are trying to achieve. It actually works better if you eat more often, BUT eat less. Become a grazer! Fine, but what do you graze on? Well again, Paul McKenna says, ‘eat what you want’ – he should add the proviso ‘but in moderation’. After all if you ate all you wanted whenever you wanted there wouldn’t be much point to the diet. The trick is to fool your stomach and digestive system into reducing its needs. So if you are used to eating a three course meal, cut back to two courses, or spread the three courses out over a longer period of time. Reduce quantities – a little at a time and you will hardly notice the difference.

So here’s one possible route to success . . .

Around mid February my partner decided that he was going on a soup diet. The extra stone he has been carrying around was outliving its welcome and he had made up his mind it had to go. This was announced one weekend having spent the Sunday entertaining most of the family and a few friends – plenty of food and alcohol around as you can imagine. Well we are a sociable family!

So the request was for lots of home made soup which were nourishing and wholesome without being fattening. OK, I figured that should be pretty easy. I quite like that sort of cooking – you know, chop it all up, throw it in a saucepan and leave it to do its stuff. Then go back and emaciate it in a food processor. Lovely! Not so simple in reality.

We started off with the obvious – vegetable soup. What was left over from the Sunday lunch became the first port of call – sadly this actually doesn’t work that well, depending on what you had for Sunday lunch and the palate of the person you are cooking for. I discovered quite quickly that I could not just throw any old leftover into a soup and expect it to work. Too much spinach in one vegetable mix was a disaster, though fortunately my partner’s son loved it! Phew! I clearly had to become much more discerning about the recipes I chose.

All the cookery books were delved into and a selection of soups chosen to work my way through, with a series of stars to decide which ones to repeat. After all if soup and fruit were the only things the poor man was going to have to eat every week day, then he should at least enjoy it, right? Now we are talking about a curry connoisseur here – a male with a decided penchant for spicy food. So all soups with lots of pepper or curry powder were a magnet for him. Mulligatawny is a favourite so far. His theory is that spice decreases hunger pangs. Anyone else agree? Soups that were full of meat and vegetables unprocessed did not work so well as he can’t pour them out of a flask very easily.

At this point I can well imagine all the cooks in the house thinking, well that’s all very well, but it’s a lot of work when you can pick up a can in the supermarket. Absolutely – I agree wholeheartedly! However, most cans/packets are laden with preservatives and salts and the flavour compared to home made is definitely lacking. Neither is it expensive to make soups. The best soups you can buy are the fresh ones in the cartons, and they range from around £1.35 - £2.00 depending on flavour and supermarket. (At one carton a day, that’s up to £10 a week). Whether that is acceptable to your budget is of course for you to decide.

But my main criteria for making the soup myself was I could control exactly what went into them. I could substitute any fattening substance for one that was less so – low fat yoghurt for cream for example, without detracting from the flavours. I can add roughage from fresh vegetables, include ones that neither of us like particularly (celery especially!) and not even notice they are there. And mostly I can just chop it all up (or use the dicer on the food processor), add it to the saucepan, go away and leave it all to simmer for a while and then come back and whirl it through the food processor once more before adding the final seasoning and measuring and freezing. Oh and I get to try them out as well.

Has he lost any weight? Well yes, he has. About 9 pounds so far. Slow but sure – although he is starting to introduce some exercise as well, treadmill and some light weights. Sorry guys, but you do actually have to work a little as well to burn off those calories. He has cut out all bread – at least the lunchtime sandwich variety – and only has the odd slice when we entertain or go out.

I can think of worse ways to lose weight, can’t you?

If you’re interested in soups – for a diet or otherwise – email me at the blog email address and I will send you my collection of tried and trusted soup recipes.

Gap year late

2008-02-20T13:58:00.000-08:00

Some friends of mine are taking a gap year this year, travelling the world - literally - over some ten months and keeping an online record of their travels and experiences as they go. The usual time to do this is after leaving University or maybe before, sometimes taking a year out during Uni to travel and do some work experience at the same time. Penny and Stuart (or StuPendus, as their blog is called!) are doing it late, in their fifties. Stuart has retired early - lucky man - Penny was able to take time out from work, both children had left home and so they grabbed their chance, proving that it is never too late to do such things. You can dip into their blog at http://realtravel.com/the_world-trips-i5281378.html if you are interested in life on the road in your fifties. They are currently in India.

I think such people are an inspiration and prove that you can do anything you want, whenever you want if you really want it enough. We can't all afford to travel the world for a year, but we can certainly go to different places and experience more of life if we choose to.

Britain needs leaders like this!

2008-02-14T03:11:00.000-08:00

I am not much of a political animal, but little things get under your skin from time to time don't they? I was born and bred in this country, but spent my childhood years growing up in Singapore which taught me a greater tolerance for other cultures and races than I might otherwise have had. It also taught me that when you are in another country you respect the laws and customs of that country. Hence the following which arrived in an email this morning really struck a chord. See what you think . . .

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks. Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.' 'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom' 'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!' 'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.' 'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.' 'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.' 'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'

Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, American /Englishcitizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths. If you agree, please copy and past this and SEND IT ON.

Intro & the Menopause

2008-02-08T04:44:00.000-08:00

'A what? A Blog? Why does anyone want to set up a blog?' The main question posed when I suggested doing such a thing. Why indeed? Well I could keep a diary I suppose, or I could write long boring letters to my friends - who would probably think I was off my trolley and what the heck was I talking about anyway . . . or I could set up a blog. Much more fun I thought. A mini adventure into the cyber world. Throw my thoughts out and see what they might catch. A bit like cosmic fishing. I have a real fascination with the possibilities of cosmic consciousness and energy. But more about that another time . . .

So here we are, a blog of my own, for all and sundry to peruse. In the Billy Connelly style of counselling, that is venting to anyone who will listen (or in this case read) about the things I observe - mind you if you are under 50 you really shouldn't be here, you should be tucked up in bed with a bedtime story, or possibly on MySpace - grownups only here please.

Have you noticed as you reach this stage in life that you make more noise as you go through your day. I don't mean like kids, shouting and shrieking when they are playing, I mean involuntary groans as you get out of a chair or bend down to pick things up, creaky knees as you climb the stairs, cracking joints and the like - I'm sure you have - not to mention wind in it's various forms. A friend of mine kindly pointed out that this only gets worse with age - great I thought, (he is such a comfort to me) nothing like announcing your arrival in a room with a small trumpet fanfare! So you develop little strategies to deal with such things. Talking loudly as you enter said room, or clattering things which may be to hand. After all you don't always have control over such actions do you . . . ? The wind I mean.

Alongside this is the dreaded menopause - men can switch the football on now - I always swore I would not bore for England on the subject and couldn't understand why my sister made such a fuss about little things like hot flashes (sorry 'mini tropical vacations'!). I have since had to apologise to her and eat my words. She, poor soul, is still having symptons after 12 years! Not an encouraging sign. Who'd be a woman at this stage and various others in our lives? For some three plus years now I have tried just about every product recommended or listed for dealing with this 'side-effect' and would be grateful to hear from anyone who has found something that actually works! My partner tells me he doesn't need an electric blanket anymore, he just lies next to me and soaks up the heat! Trouble is the extremes are so volatile and he cannot understand how I can be boiling one minute and freezing the next! Just this last weekend we had a BBQ (yes the weather was good enough!) for family and a few friends and I was a constant source of amusement as my jumper came off, went on, came off, went on . . .

A female friend of mine who is also suffering somewhat from menopausal symptons tells me she could easily commit murder for no accountable reason - her husband has yet to learn when to duck and sets himself up for a number of falls over the course of the weekend when she is home. As she says 'fortunately with my job I am away all week otherwise I would have been locked up by now!'

Still other friends breeze through this time with almost no symptons at all - lucky, lucky people! They too, cannot understand why I am full of energy one minute and fast asleep the next. It 'never happened' to them. So I am currently researching like mad to find yet more solutions to the dreaded 'hot flashes'. I'll keep you posted.