Sunday, May 3, 2015

A Different Sort Of Training

One of my sons and his girlfriend turned up last night for dinner. I hadn't seen them for about a week and it struck me as Becky walked through the door that something was different.

Being almost a senior (but not quite ready to claim that title yet), I did what I'm assuming lots of other not-quite-seniors do. I went through a list in my head of possibilities. When I finally worked out that her hair looked a bit different (in a good way) I had a little argument in my head.

"I think she's done something with her hair. The colours the same, I think. It's shorter. At least I think it's shorter. Was it this short last week? It might have been. Oh no, has it been shorter for a long time and I just haven't noticed? What sort of almost-mother-in-law am I that I don't notice that she's had a hair cut?!! "

It was about this point that Becky asked if we hadn't noticed that she'd had her hair cut. And I said I had but I don't think I sounded too convincing. And that's because I hadn't convinced myself that I knew what I thought I knew.

I'm always second-guessing myself these days. I just don't trust my spaghetti-strainer of a brain to be accurate like I think it used to be. Or maybe even that is just a figment of my imagination. Someone can ask me if I've heard about ... (fill in the blanks) and I'll say no because my mind is just that - full of blanks and halfway through the story I realise I've heard it all before.

I suppose it doesn't mean my brain's totally gone if there are some dim memories.

I've ramped up my efforts to try to sustain what I still have left. I know exercise is good for the brain and I've definitely got that covered. I've been doing crosswords and sudoku for a while but I've read (and remembered - will wonders never cease) that it's learning new things that is the key. So the new thing I've added is brain training. Specifically Lumosity via an app on my phone.

I've been doing my daily training sessions for a couple of weeks now and I think it's working. Today I remembered my entire shopping list of four things, plus a couple of extras that spontaneously came to mind, without having to consult my shopping list.

The reason that I didn't consult my shopping list? Well I'd left it at home. Forgot it!

And for those of you who are wondering how Becky's birthday cake went.


Finally I'm happy with my drips! The peanut brittle wasn't great - too granular and not brittle enough. But the peanut butter mousse (made with peanut butter, cream cheese, vanilla and double cream) was really, really good! Pity I forgot that I'm lactose intolerant while I was making and taste-testing it.

Maybe I need to be doing twice daily brain training.

12 comments:

  1. I'm too scared to do brain training lol. The cake looks fab-u-lous!

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  2. Congratulations! I think you can easily compete on Masterchef Australia with the best of them. You'll have to work on the Lumosity first though. (What happens when that, like the crosswords and sudoku, gets to be too easy for you?)

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  3. Your drips are fab! Heck the entire cake is fab! I thought Becky was going to have some other news...

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  4. I need to do some brain training. My mother is an obsessive crossword-puzzler. I find I struggle to remember words (for things) a lot lately which is scary when I'm still in my 40s.

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  5. If my wife doesn't worn me that she's having her hair cut I don't notice!

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  6. Good job on the memory training! And lovely cake!

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  7. I tried those luminosity things and I was useless! But I did a volunteer test thing for a psychology thesis and my memory was deemed brilliant for a woman of my years. I just conveniently forget things I want to forget :)

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  8. Oh I forgot, the cake is divine!

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  9. I have that app on my phone too! Oh, I forgot what a master baker you are!! This looks and sounds divine!

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  10. Becky is lucky to have a MIL that is such a great baker. What a birthday treat you made her.

    I have the same thing except I do remember things but I often tell things twice to the same person because I don't remember I told it before. And in my case halfway through my story I remember and say "oh, I think I told you that before, right?" and I always did LOL.

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  11. That is a fabulous cake! I keep hearing ads for brain training on the radio. I've meant to check it out, but I keep forgetting...

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  12. I could use some memory training, too. Your cake looks divine!!!

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Thanks for taking the time to comment. I love hearing from you.