The Boreham Woodpusher

Sar-el Volunteering in the Israeli Army was founded in 1982 and attracts an eclectic mix of around 4,000 people every year from over 30 countries. Despite being a regular visitor to Israel, I only heard about this scheme 2 years ago. I enjoy doing meaningful volunteering, but dislike committees, so it sounded ideal. Volunteers range in age - 16 to 80+! - including both Jews and non-Jews. There are heath and personal forms to fill in before you go, including agreeing not to discuss religion or politics on base (yippee). You pay your own way, and hand over a 200 shekel fee for the privilege. I volunteered over the winter bank holiday period for the last 2 years, being sent both times to the medical logistics base. Tasks like maintenance, painting and even putting away sukkahs can wait for another trip to a different base. Arriving on base, a pile of army uniforms greeted us from which to pick our work apparel. Personally, trouser length was OK, but waist size was appropriate for someon...

I have no ambitions to be a Mental Health blogger - that does not define me. This one-off blog looks at my recent journey to address Costochondritis, and its ugly sibling, Anxiety. Costochondritis  is an inflammation of the cartilage in the rib cage. It affects females more than males (70% vs 30%), and bloggers and vloggers on this condition are predominantly  younger women. When it is severe, it causes unpleasant discomfort in the chest, and lifting objects causes pain.  This blog by Welshmummy   sums it up the very well. She has gone down the CBD oil route to alleviate it. Very best of luck to her, but CBD Oil only addresses the symptoms, not the underlying cause. I first had Costo in the Summer of 2007 and needed 6 weeks off work, acupuncture  and medication (antidepressants, propralonol) to get back to work. I had  generally  been OKish for the next 12 years, but October 2019 saw an nasty flare up in the centre and side of my ribs, that moved a...