Zan's Zone Blog

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Busy, Busy, Busy

04/25/09 02:29:55 | 5 Comments

This week has been a really strange one as I have been pottering back and forth between home, my Nieces and my Daughters. Not really knowing which house I will decide to sleep in each day until virtually the last minute.

My Sarah is moving on or around next weekend and of course there is a lot to do getting her all organised for that. On top of that she had to have a visit to the hospital for x-rays and MRI scans. This is for her knee. Many of us have hereditary "squidgy" knees, which cause us all problems in different degrees and Sarah in particular, but this present problem is because she has ripped/torn (whatever) her cartilage. She had the tests last night and is booked in for the op on the first knee on the 18th May, so she will be off of work for a couple of weeks after.

We went back to our signing classes last Wednesday, the first after the Easter hols, and I swear my brain had been emptied at some point during the previous 2 weeks. I could remember...

British Sign Lanuage Test (102)

04/01/09 12:06:46 | 11 Comments

I have just arrived back after taking my 2nd of 3 sign language tests that I must take this year. I have to say that it was pretty horrific.

As with the other test it was in front of a video and the video is then sent off to the examiners. It will be several weeks before we get the results back.

The 3 subjects we were allowed to choose from were.

The weather
About where we live
And about our hobbies and interests

I chose hobbies and interests. I am so angry with myself as I know I signed at least 50% lower than the standard I am capable of . It's not hard to make a pigs ear of it when one is so nervous as we all were. It doesn't matter how much one practices and studies, it only counts what one can show on the day, and I showed pretty poorly I think. George (Tutor) told me afterwards that I wasn't to worry, that I had certainly passed. Obviously he can't know by how much but at least I am confident that I have managed to...

Let's Play Catch Up

03/08/09 04:22:33 | 4 Comments

I haven't had time to sit and write a blog for a few days. I've had plenty of thoughts of bits I could have written about but never did get around to sitting down and blogging them. Maybe that was for the best as this blog is getting decidedly grumpy. So much so that I thought about changing it's name to Grumpy Old Woman, lol.

But now while I sit here with my very late breakfast of marmite toast and a cup of tea, and before I go jump in the shower and start my day for real (well it is Sunday after all) I thought I would play a little catch up.

Life as usual is treating me good. Today the sun is shining, albeit still quite cold, and I am feeling very content with myself.

The main thing on my mind at the moment is working hard to get through my next test (102) for my sign language on 1st April. I am starting to think in sign now though. Now, that doesn't mean that as I think I see the signs, it means that I am thinking in the order of sign....

I Passed the 101 for Sign Language

02/01/09 09:31:50 | 6 Comments

This is just a quicky to let all that were interested, know that I received a letter yesterday from the Education Department to say I had passed my first Sign Language test with top marks.

The highest score one could get was 18 and that's exactly what I got. Both my Daughter Sarah and GG Daughter Aimee also got the highest marks.

I would have been very disappointed if I had even dropped by one mark.

The next test, 102, will be during the second week of March. I have no hopes of getting top marks with that one as it is going to be so much harder. With that one there is a possibility of getting 40 marks but 20 will be a pass.

Now I just need to get stuck in and practice, practice, practice.

New Year Resolutions.

12/29/08 07:17:48 | 10 Comments

For what it's worth here are my New Year Resolutions for 2009. I wonder just how many I will stick to.

1) Instead of getting straight out of bed and on to the computer to have my first cup of tea in the mornings I am going to turn the news on the TV and sit in front of that instead. That way I will actually get up and do something as soon as I have had my tea instead of ending up for a couple of hours still playing on the web. I will then not get on the comp until I have at least had my shower and made myself presentable for the day.

2) I will start eating at proper times and regular intervals instead of totally forgetting to eat until I find myself feeling dizzy. This is one of my main failings and not at all healthy. I sometimes forget to eat until about 4 or 5 in the afternoon. I might have to start setting an alarm to go off when it's time to eat.

3) I must try to stop being so lazy. I need to get out and about more instead of having to be...

Sign Language Test 101

12/10/08 13:09:29 | 18 Comments

I had my first Sign Language test this evening. It's called the 101 because in the first year we have 3 tests. The 102 will be in end February/beginning of March and the 103 in May. Then we will break up for the Summer.

I am rather scared that not continuing it during the summer break I will forget all that I have learned but.........

This evening for the test there arrived a representative from the Dorset Education Authority to over see that the tests were being carried out correctly. She mentioned that she was thinking of organising summer classes if there were enough of us interested in it.

I don't know if this will cost extra or will come in with the original cost of paying for the whole year. I would imagine it will cost more actually.

I was very nervous before the test. It's done in front of a video camera so the examiner can look over it and check each step to make sure we could understand what was being said to us and that we...

Mock Sign Language Test Next Week

11/26/08 17:33:18 | 0 Comments

Next week we have our mock test ready for the real thing the week after.� This will be the first of three tests that we will have in this first year.

Our tutor has made a video for us running through what the test will consist of.� He is acting out the part of both himself and one of us.

Looking one way he is himself and he swings around when is acting as one of us students.

To pass the test we have to have 15 points out of 18.

A Test in 3 Weeks

11/19/08 15:54:17 | 2 Comments

Wow, only 3 weeks away from my first British Sign Language test. We have a total of 3 tests during the first year.

The first test covers as follows

How to meet and greet someone, asking how they are and telling them how you are.
How ask for someones name and give yours.
Discuss the weather, now, today, yesterday, maybe tomorrow, next week, etc, etc.
Discuss journeys, where you were going, how long it took, how you traveled, was the journey good or bad.
Ask and give directions in the minutest of detail.
Finger spelling.

In the last 6 weeks we have probably had to learn approximately 300 words and phrases.

Now we have 2 weeks to get it off pat ready for our test on the following week.

It's all hard work but such fun. I am so glad I signed up for it.

Making Friends

10/29/08 04:43:04 | 0 Comments

Well, I'm making a good start on rule 6 of "Things to do now that you're retired". Making friends.

In actual fact I am killing two birds with one stone, or maybe even three when one comes to think of it.

Getting out and about
Learning a new language
Making friends

For many years now my family have been my sole companionship. I haven't had friends for absolutely yonks. By taking up learning British Sign Language I am getting out one evening a week, learning a new language and also making friends.

The friendships started coming into it's own this week. Having had four lessons now, one of the women organised a practice evening for several of us for tonight at her house before our fifth lesson tomorrow evening.

It was very enjoyable. Not only are we, hopefully, going to learn a lot...

Maybe Getting a New Cycle

10/29/08 04:39:28 | 0 Comments

I'm not sure yet whether to spend money on a new cycle.

I have my electric tricycle but I only use that for toodling back and forth visiting the family and for shopping. When visiting the family it's so easy just to put my little dog in his basket on the back and he can come everywhere with me. For shopping it means that I can fill up the dog's basket, the basket on the front and if I am going to get quite a bit with an extra napsack on my back I can carry a full weeks shopping.

The downside is that charging it is a pain in the rear as I have nowhere to charge it under cover which means that the weather always has to be dry for the charging time. Being as how here in the UK we get a lot of rain it's a pain dodging in and out to get a full charge up and sometimes it isn't possible so I have to then make a phone call to either my Daughter or Niece to come over and get me.

There are times when I have just wanted to make a quick trip into...

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Busy, Busy, Busy

British Sign Lanuage Test (102)

Let's Play Catch Up

I Passed the 101 for Sign Language

New Year Resolutions.

Sign Language Test 101

Mock Sign Language Test Next Week

A Test in 3 Weeks

Making Friends

Maybe Getting a New Cycle