I recently treated myself to a gorgeous Tarot Deck called Ink & Intuition, which is available to buy on Amazon here.
With all the talk of another lockdown and the tier system, for the first time since I can remember, I have done nothing to celebrate Samhain.
Well apart from a self-tarot reading for the next 12 months. Here is what the future has instore for me:
- November, December & January – The Sun, Daylight. Peace. Contentment. Devotion. Work’s rewards. Accomplishment. Joy. Please. Love. Success. Engagement. Team efforts bringing good results.
- February, March & April – 3 of Swords, Disruptive forces. Incompatibility. Heartache. Distance. Absence. Alienation. Unrest. Confusion. Delay. Loss of bearings. Loss of moral compass. Resolving a moral dilemma. Victory through right actions. The healing power of pure intentions. No pain, no gain.
- May, June & July – King of Wands, Estate owner or manager. Wise. Conscientious. Educated. Pillar of the community. Good mediator. Devoted, loyal. Good conscience.
- August, September & October – Justice, Balance. Equilibrium. Equality. Symmetry. Harmony. Integrity. Honour. Fairness. Neutrality. Moderation. Attraction and repulsion polarity. Oversensitivity.
At a time when the world is in chaos it can be difficult to look forward into the future. Especially as no one knows what it will look like. There’s a feeling of a loss of control over one’s life. But there is hope.
The future is full of infinite possibilities, because it has not yet happened. With this in mind I’ll be making plans to ensure the year ahead is a happy one and one to remember.
Blog soon,
Antony
Sunday 1 November 2020
 Diabetes/Health Logo Illustration. Copyright © Sye Watts/Antony Simpson, 2014. |
I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes a decade ago. You can read my story of how I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes here.
In the last decade not much has changed. I’m still testing my blood sugars 2-3 times a day. I’ve used various BM monitoring meters over this time, but they’ve all essentially done the same job. I’ve recently switched to the TEE2 Blood Glucose Meter by Spirit Healthcare Ltd which is one of a few that connects to desktop computers and produces reports on BM readings. Tracking trends and so forth. I will review this meter on my blog in due course. I’m still injecting myself with artificial insulin 4 times a day. I’m still going for annual podiatry checks, annual retinopathy screening and annual diabetic review appointments with my GP and Practice Nurse. |
Over the last decade there’s been countless reports in the media of better treatments or even potential cures for diabetes. But so far, nothing has materialised.
My hope for the future is that one day I’ll be healthy again. Let’s hope that the next decade brings better treatments and perhaps even a cure.
Write soon,
Antony
You can learn more about diabetes by visiting these external links:
- Diabetes – NHS Choices
- Type 1 diabetes – NHS Choices
- Testing – Diabetes UK
- Foot care and diabetes – NHS Choices
- Diabetes – Diabetic eye screening – NHS Choices
Monday 30 January 2017
 Please note: This is the new book cover. I couldn’t find a high resolution image of the old cover, which I bought and much prefer. |
State of Wonder is a masterpiece novel, written by true wordsmith Ann Patchett. Patchett is unbelievably talented and this book left me with a feeling of Wow.
State of Wonder starts with the death of Anders Eckman, a Research Doctor for pharmaceutical company Vogel. He was in the Amazon searching for Dr. Swenson, who had gone AWOL. Marina Singh, Anders’ colleague, goes on a journey to the Amazon to uncover the mystery surrounding his death. On this journey, Marina will have to confront her past, learn the progress of Dr. Swenson’s research in the present, with the hopes that the life-long fertility drug will save Vogel’s future. But what she finds is so much more than what she expected. Marina goes on a journey that transforms her from within. State of Wonder readers will forget to eat, go to bed later than normal and completely lose track of time. Purely because they are driven to read on by all aspects of this brilliant story: the plot, the description and the characters. |
The complexity of the plot is utterly captivating, completely compelling and has some great twists. Every aspect of this book’s plot is strong: the beginning, middle and end. Patchett’s superb description in State of Wonder sent my imagination into overdrive and immersed me fully into that beautiful but deadly part of the world.
Patchett’s characters are brilliantly crafted. Patchett explores a range ethical issues through her characters perspectives and gives some interesting points of view. These points of view are consistent with her characters and leave the reader plenty to think over, long after they have finished reading the book. State of Wonder is one of those rare books that leaves the reader feeling somehow changed inside.
State of Wonder is beyond marvellous. It is probably the best work of fiction that I’ve read in years. If I had to rate it out of 5 stars, I’d give it 6 stars.
State of Wonder far exceeded any expectations I had for it. My copy of the book had the old book cover which was both fantastic and appealing. I don’t know what the publishers were thinking with the new book cover (pictured above). It looks cheap and does nothing to attract a potential reader. If you’re thinking about picking up this novel, ignore any feelings about the cover and do. It is an essential read for any lover of fiction.
I cannot heap enough praise on Patchett for this novel. State of Wonder will leave readers in a State of Wonder. See what I did there? Despite this play on words, that is actually how a reader will feel when he or she finishes the book.
State of Wonder is available to buy on Amazon and at all good bookshops.
Blog soon,
Antony
Sunday 16 October 2016
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Antony Simpson - Author, Blogger, Nurse & Witch.
Author of eight books.
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