CBT, lunch, a quiz, + planning a short story course

I was up early this morning to go and see Rachael, the lady who’s been helping me, using CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). I thought that would be the last session, but she wants me to go back at the end of March so we can produce a relapse pack – ideas, resources and so on for use if I start to feel depressed, or drift backwards. We spent most of today’s session working on one of my problem areas – the difference between showing off or boasting, and self promotion. With the book coming out at the end of March, I need to talk to people, make connections, do what I can to help market it – that means promoting myself so that people will want to read what I have written. I was brought up thinking that whatever I did was not good enough. My parents were never proud of anything I did. Somewhere along the line I learned that talking about your achievements was bad. I learned this lesson so well that I have NEVER put one of photos into a frame, let alone displayed it on a wall, even though my work was good enough to be accept by a top photographic agency (FLPA). I have never put any of my paintings up either. I was so scared of looking boastful or showing off. This attitude makes putting a web site together extremely hard which is why I asked for Rachael’s help. I had to go out again at lunch time as Good Neighbours puts on a thank you lunch for all its volunteers. There was an excellent hot and cold buffet which I took rather too much advantage of. Right now, I’ve stopped weighing myself as I know I will be putting on weight while I wait for John to move out. I also know I can shift it once he’s gone. Nobody came to the quiz/mind games group, so I toured the charity shops before coming home. I found a decent CD called Electric Dreams with tracks from Soft Cell and The Eurythmics, and so on. I’m bidding on a music system on eBay as John will be taking the small one with him when he goes and I want a replacement for my new den. In between my two outings, I wrote a silly little story, just for fun more than anything, which I’ve just sent to Oz as it’s the type of think they might go for. I also put together an outline for a proposed short story course to be run over a weekend in Leeds, hopefully in November if the woman organising it approves it. It’s such a big topic, but hopefully she will go ahead with the idea. Once I get over the nerves, I very much enjoy teaching and talking to groups and would really like to build up that area of my work so fingers crossed. Now for a challenge. At the lunch, this little quiz was handed round. The answers are all parts of the body. For example, the clue might be ‘a young cow’ to which the answer would be calf. 1. With lids 2. With caps 3. Some people bite them 4. Two established measures (2 answers) 5. A small flat fish 6. a lot of shellfish 7. Places of worship 8. Lofty trees 9. weapons of war 10. a large wooden box 11. weather cocks 12. Impudence 13. refuse 14. a head of corn 15. sticky substance 16. students. I will post the answers in a day or two. It’s just gone seven and I’m feeling bushed so I’m going to turn off and slump in front of the TV until it’s time for bed (after I’ve washed up that is). I knew I’d forget something – I’ve also herd from the library. I’m going to talk to a new writers group based at Leeds Central Library in March.