To sort a Google Sheet by a column:

1. Click on the column you want (eg B for last name or N for membership number)

   

2. In the menu bar, select Data
3. Then Sort Sheet
   It will offer you the selected column
4. Click Sort Sheet by… to rearrange in alphabetical order

That’s all you need!  Go give it a try.

Violet and tough
Hold my breath as the colour
fades like hopes for peace

It’s well-known why Hadrian’s Wall was built – to mark very definitely the boundary of the Roman Empire – the area directly administered by Rome – and in Britannia the Wall was built coast to coast, with milecastles and forts along its route. Apparently Chesters – and other forts – were built as an afterthought and part of the already-built wall had to be torn down for the fort to be built. Meanwhile forts not on the Wall were abandoned – although not Vindolanda which continued to thrive and be redeveloped.

There are many events along the Wall for its 1900th anniversary and I have been making my own special tour. I’ve spent a few days in Carlisle where I’ve never been before. There is not much of the Wall left at that end, but you can stop in a small garden on the banks of the Solway Firth and pause for a while to think about those people so long ago.

Then this summer we made a visit to Vindolanda (more on that separately), and the special Night Attack! event put on by English Heritage at the Chesters Fort (Cilurnum). While we gently mocked ourselves, drinking elderflower wine as children toasted marshmallows, it was fun to then watch a re-enactment of an attack by a (small) raiding party of Picts on a (small) garrison of Roman soldiers – who were of course in the process of building the fort which is why the walls are so low…  The enthusiasm of the re-enactors was compelling and it’s always fun to mine the knowledge they have picked up as they aim to be as authentic as possible.

I’ve been to more polished performances, but none with the passion and authenticity they were bringing to the proceedings. It was, after all, a battle! First they re-enacted a religious ceremony with a soldier-priest making offerings to Mithras, and then the attack happened, and the Roman soldiers attempted their historically accurate battle formations. I learned a lot. I didn’t know, for example, that there were multiple types of Roman armour, and any one soldier on the frontier might have had different types of plate or chain mail and probably natural coloured tunics – not only the solid plate armour and red tunics that we tend to see in classic images. And the centurion had “medals of honour” which basically looked like Celtic torcs – so you can see how those evolved from dangling the real thing off their costumes after despatching a Celtic noble, to the Roman army making medals in the same kind of design.

Then we walked around the Chesters ruins in the dark, flashing our torches into dark corners. It was certainly atmospheric and made it easier to imagine the past. I do love English Heritage’s events. And I definitely recommend the elderflower wine!

“Water makes you happier, more connected and better at what you do,”
Wallace J Nichols

The effects of nature, in its green form, has been well researched as a boost to mental health. Just walking in the woods can raise your mood. Increasingly, particularly since the pandemic, water has been discovered to also be beneficial to health and happiness.

Of course, we’ve always known this. But wild swimming or cold water swimming (as all outdoor swimming is in the UK!) is one activity that’s gaining in popularity all the time. On the coast, it’s been noticeable how many more swimmers (and paddleboards, kayakers and surfers) there have been since 2019.

Float to Live – the RNLI slogan to keep safe when in difficulty swimming

Organised mental health swims and mindful dips are now a regular occurrence and swimming friendship groups (often of older women) have grown in membership all over the country. There’ll be one near you, probably with a quirky name…

There are of course dangers in swimming carelessly, and there have sadly been deaths, but like any other outdoor activity, once properly researched and prepared for, the benefits far outweigh the downsides. Those near the coast are lucky enough to have access to the sea. It is a shame that there are so few places inland that can be used freely to swim. The campaign for allowing clean and safe inland swimming is very reminiscent of the early rambling movement.

Sue, of course, as part of her interest in technobiophilia, finds similar connections in the online world. It is called “surfing the internet” after all. But I think for now I’ll stick to the real thing. I’m off for a swim… (properly equipped of course!).

1. Starting the day

Waking slowly if possible, practising a body awareness, thinking of a goal, an intention or a word for the day and reflecting briefly, slowly on what it means.

2. Mindful eating

Pausing before starting to eat. Like saying grace. Eating slowly, being aware of each taste, flavour, texture. Trying to be relaxed. Taking sips of water. And not eating too much!

3. Pausing in nature

Stopping somewhere green, or on the beach, paddling in the sea, and listening, being aware only of the moment and the place for a few minutes.

4. Dark breathing

Another of my daily habits is to put a warm compress on my eyes twice a day to help tackle dry eyes, so I use the ten minutes as an opportunity for a breathing exercise, e.g., breathing in through my nose (assuming it’s not blocked up at this time of year through mild hayfever!) and out through my mouth. Or in through one nostril and out through the other, then letting my breath settle into its own rhythm, trying NOT to think about it too much, just being aware of it, noticing the changes in my body as I breathe in and out. It’s surprisingly hard!

5. Exercise

Walking or swimming, in a mindful way. Excerise is good for everything!

6. Mindful driving

Now this one is tough. When driving I usually mutter under my breath about the idiots around me. To drive mindfully means to take the slow lane, let people in, break in good time. While driving is a good time to practice smiling too. (I’m trying to realign the wrinkles so my face doesn’t look so severe! If you see me beaming inanely now you know why!)

Responding to recent news (and also to a prompt of “Fallen angel”):

They hoped he was great
A sunny halo round his head
Fallen now, he lies…

So here’s a Wrting prompt: Write a haiku responding to something in the news!

That got me thinking about the version of the song that we used to sing as children and I started Googling. But nowhere can I find the exact version that my Dad taught us – probably from his mountaineering days.  So I’ve strained my memory, and here it is, I think:

Show me the way to go home
I’m tired and I want to go to bed.
Well I had a little drink about an hour ago
And it’s gone right to my head!
Wherever I may roam,
On land or sea or foam,
You will always hear me singing this song.
Show me the way to go home!

Indicate the way to my habitual abode
I am fatigued and I wish to retire.
Well I had a gin and tonic 60 minutes ago
And it’s risen to my cerebellum.
Wherever I may infrequently perambulate
On land or sea or effervescent vapour.
You will always hear me melodiously harmonising.
Indicate the way to my habitual abode!

At one point in this book Granny Weatherwax is bored and restless and in a state I very much recognise in myself quite often:

“There seemed to be so much to do that she couldn’t bring herself to do any of it”

But that’s another story!

Obviously there are many people, places and things I love more than this hobby, but I do love the chance to settle down and create.  It helps me relax and unwind. It’s a mindful practice. It occupies my brain just enough to forget all my other concerns, but not so much that it creates new worries!

I’m not even very good at it – and I even forgot to take photos of the last three cards I made. Maybe I’ll try to make the same again – although one was very specially designed for someone I love…

I love my crafting
Mindfully cutting, sticking,
colouring: breathe out!

And I wish I knew where to find thhe social media summary images of the challenges. If anyone knows, please let me know!