Personal Blogs

I saw this photograph on a book cover. I just thought that it captures well a deer in nature at this time of year.

Red Stag in Winter UK Giedrius@ Shutterstock.com

Welcome to Winter!
Like many areas in the Uk,  there is deep snow where I live.  Instead it feels like winter has arrived too early,  in autumn rather than winter! 
The row of trees in my garden are looking just like christmas trees all sparkling and covered in snow glinting in the pale sunlight.

I am working with my little lamp on as it is difficult to see as the light is fast fading outside.

I am getting to grips with TMA 2. Unfortunately my word count is coming up as 650 instead of 400!

I really like what I have written, it completely covers the question, to both part 1 and part 2, it sounds appropriate but I have used too many words!

What am I doing wrong? am I waffling too much?

Yes I probably am aren't I?

I was very pleased to find that my score for the ICMA was 95% so quite happy about that.

I probably could have done better,  but not bad considering what is  happening at home at the moment.

Now,  I have to concentrate on TMA 02 which is all about "Identity" so gathering notes and doing some reading.

I have been working through the exercises online and going through the questions of the icma. I have photocopied the icma text also the questions. It seems fairly easy, although I had to focus very carefully and pay attention to what the question is asking.

It has been a very busy time lately at home. I am sad that I do not have neither the time or the energy to take a long walk in nature at the moment and yet I long to do so but my duties have me bound up at home for a lot of the time.

One day I will be able to walk to my hearts content in the future,  and it is this thought keeps me going! 🙂

Anthropathology – study of sickness of human beings,
also known the 'Human condition.'

Humanity's Achievements

Human beings have adapted from being hunter gatherers, living in a natural environment to farming the land.

They have built villages,  towns and cities.  Constructed homes, industries,  traded with each other,  communicated and cooperated together to improve their communities.

Humanity's Destructiveness

However, despite being capable of  great achievements, humans have also become very destructive. Examples include greed, lies, rape, theft, murder, poverty, illnesses, wars, racism. They have stolen land and caused wars using the most sophisticated weapons against each other.

Studying subjects like Anthropathology, Religions, History Sociology,psychiatry, Psychology, Philosophy. This can help us to understand a lot about the problems facing humanity.

Strategies  For Reducing Destructive Actions

Human beings are capable of addressing their 'bad' conditions by joining collectively and making campaigns to bring about public awareness of the problems that we face today and find ways to change things for the 'good'.

Change is best tackled as a collaboration of people working together on challenging issues, such as environmental disasters, poverty, inequality,  diseases, and racism. Working together to bring about a better future for mankind.

I am finding it difficult to concentrate at the moment and my head is all over the place!

My husband has just had his operation and I am looking after him throughout his recovery. Making sure he stays in bed to rest and drink plenty of fluids.

I am very grateful for the Induction course at the beginning of this term because I was able to get off to a flying start. Hopefully if I lag behind a bit now I can soon catch up again. Thank you OU for giving us this very useful induction course!

I was delighted this week by the return of Maigret the🇨🇵 french detective series on Television (on talking pictures) On Wednesdays 9pm. 🕵️‍♂️🔎
I don't know why but the sound quality 📶seemed so much better this time around!
This is so important for me as I am a bit hard of hearing.👂 I found I could understand the french language much better. Maigret speaks quite slowish anyway and so I am easily able to understand him.

As well as this I enjoy a good detective story! I don't even mind if I have seen it before,  because I get the oportunity to remember the spoken language all over  again!

🔎 à bientôt ! 👋

At the moment I am finding my feet with this module and thinking about my study time table.  

Last year I could usually Study in the mornings and care for my son at the same time. There have been a lot of appointments lately also for my husband who needs another operation and all these appointments usually happen in the morning, so it looks like I am going to have to move my OU study study time table to the afternoons.
This arrangement will not be permanent (I think) but just for the time being.

Hopefully I can get back to the morning study,  but while everything is so hectic for the time being then I must just go with the flow.

On the positive side I managed to read some of the texts in the resources texts book. Still working through Block 1 there is a lot of information to study. I am so glad there was an induction ! it really gives me that extra time to get ahead and study everything I need to know. 👍

On TV begining last night, Fridays (More 4 at 9pm) there is a  good series starting. "The Chateau Murders" 🏰  it is a very good who - done -it! For those who like to play detectives🔎

Quite a modern film,  Set in Quebec Canada in a creepy but luxurious Hotel, someone is found murdered and set in concrete in the bath tub!
It is in the French language but has English subtitles,  so great for those of us who are trying to brush up on our French, or for lovers of crime fiction.📖

 The suspect could be any one of the guests staying in the hotel many of whom had the motive to murder, or was it an outsider?

Why not find out!!

A quiet sunny morning so I am able to have a good couple of hours studying. My son (who I am a carer for)  is on the computer doing his own thing. Thankfully all is calm in the house and in the neighbourhood. The noisy lawnmower nearby has by now stopped.

🌞☕  👩‍💻 🖥 📖⏰

Online I am still concentrating on Block1. Now I find if I click on "All weeks"  I can have full access to all Block 1, so this is good news! 

I have been able to look over a few sessions and try to grasp what needs to be done. I have already made some notes in my digital note book.
Drinking Coffee at the moment to keep myself alert. Learning lots of important things about sentences, paraphrasing, summarising and so on. This was all missing from my former education at school due to my being disrupted by my mothers illness.

These are all vitally important lessons for writing essays, especially so that I can avoid plagiarism ( which can so easily happen! ) Being able to change sentences around,  and use synonymns to change words, this can help when using other peoples pieces of writing, so that I don't copy it word for word. This is something I really need to learn so taking lots of notes!

I hope to finish reading Block 1 before the start of the term in October.
All this knowledge of sentence structures will be a good grounding, a solid foundation,  to then build upon as the course progresses.

I have received my printed text book for L185  English for Academic Purposes Online, and I have really enjoyed looking through it. There is something very  good about the feel of having a printed book version of the course to look at,  and to read the course materials. Having a book that I can easily pick up and put it down again rather than having to pause and having to save the page and close the computer down,  this  all takes time up,  so the book  will  be useful and readily available to hand whenever I want to read it, which is great!
🖥🖨
However, most of the coursework takes place online,  I am preparing for this by making sure my computer is all updated ready for tutorials.
     🧭 ⛵
Today I am  just familiarising myself with the contents of Block 1 (online)
I also have the interactive e-book for block 1 from 'Resources',  which will be a great help in understanding all the tasks.
The course looks interesting and I am looking forward to the forums opening,  in order to meet other students on this course. It will also be interesting to learn about other peoples experiences of studying.

I wish everyone the best and Happy studying!

📱On my Smartphone I can use Samsung notes, 📕 to write down any ideas. There is also a secure folder.   I have ReadEra to keep pdfs in and e-books and coursework related materials.
🎙
I have a voice recorder to record important information,  that I can then access later on. I still have my lap top which I have to make sure that I have it updated.  🖥

⬇️I can download tutorials and other documents.
As well as this, I can use the camera 📷for screen shots and for photo copying pages for reading off line.🖨

When I need a distraction or an inspiration,  I can always play music from my playlist through my earphones!📻 🎧 🎼

Wonder if it makes a cup of tea? ☕

Last year I had to have a deferral due to life/health circumstances. I also had Covid. Things had built up and I just couldn't cope, but  I am now back again and raring to go!

What did I do this summer?

• I picked bramble berries and apples  in my garden and made Jam. I also made apple and bramble berry crumble pudding.

• My friend and I walked to the next village (2 miles)  We carried on walking through the footpaths and found a lovely sunny spot for a picnic in the corner of a field near to a little stream. We had a lovely walk and saw some cows,  horses and  sheep on the way and the occasional rabbit!

• Visited my eldest son in City. Went for a McDonalds meal and had a sight seing tour!

• By kind permission I was allowed to play some Bach on the  church organ in a local village church.

• Read some good books which I borrowed  from the local library. These were on my "to read list."  I had read some of them before in the past,  but I wanted to re-read them again for English practise.

Austen
Bronte
Dickens
Elliot
Hardy

•  Translated a very small book in french into the english language just for language practise.

• Went out to celebrate our wedding anniversary this week, at the White Hart Hotel in the city, there we ate the most delicious pancakes with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and maple syrup, with a glass of bubbly of course!

•  I walked a lot everyday this summer including up a very steep incline. My husband pushed me hard to do it,  as I would never dared to do this by myself!

•  I think I might be becoming fitter again at last,  after having had the dreaded  Covid .  I must perservere and keep up the good work on exercising my muscles.

I had to have a deferral from studies due to family circumstances  (various operations to help and support my family with and my own health issues to deal with) I feel much better.

•  Now there is just this English module  L185 to get through in order to fulfill my dream of achieving a language Degree!

Good luck to everyone!