Patrick Thompson

On 19th October 2015 my lovely nephew Keith passed away. 13 months after realising he had a tumour on his right temple and getting emergency surgery, through many long months of chemotherapy & radiotherapy, through many gallons of tears and words of hope his bravery & tolerance was tested to the limits. His beautiful little daughter often climbed up onto his bed to 'snuggle' up to him, sometimes saying he needed a 'Power-Hug'. Through hundreds of hospital tests & visits, clinic's and therapeutic courses we all took a part in this young mans journey. Often the sadness & tears inside me got pretty close to drowning me in emotional trauma.
Just over a month ago I sat with his little girl as we watched millions of stars twinkle in a black night sky, her daddy was being bathed by two wonderful carers. We tried, with lots of laughter, to count all of the stars before our gaze. Almost in an adult calm voice she said, "Grandma is a big shiny~star, just over there near the very top of the sky near heaven." I watched her gorgeous hazel eyes scanning the stars, wondering just how much she actually knew about her fathers situation and inevitable passing. Just before we came back indoors her face glanced back up at the stars and she said quietly "Night-night Nanny Lorraine, save a cosy space next to you for daddy!"

Two weeks ago my wife and I went for an almost ritualistic visit to the hospice to see Keith. The earlier visit just 20 hours previous had shown he was beginning to sleep more and begin to loose control of many of his bodily functions, an undignified trauma indeed. We walked steadily but calmly towards his bed, he lay cushioned amongst many pillows and patterned shawls & bedrugs. His bloated face soon began to light with a smile, he recognized us there, I sat close by his head and spoke quietly to him. My words were personal, to him alone, I saw his eyes twinkle and a slight smile briefly went across his face. He mumbled very slowly but clearly, "It was good mostly, my girl is my treasure, the love you have given is my reward, I love you unk." He went into a sleep. We waited a while and just watched his calmness as he slept. Each of us allowed a few tears to escape and roll down saddened cheeks. After about 25 minutes Keith woke and smiled, he moved his head very slightly, he whispered quietly to me "Stars, beautiful can you see, there's a space there!"

My old body was wracked with a grief I haven't known in many a long year. October 19th at 6:35am my wonderful nephew slipped away, in his dads arms and with just one slight gasp. I will see that star, it will shine ever brighter and more amazing than any other… except slightly less than it's mother!

One moment, one life, all too soon gone, never take your days for granted, they are just borrowed.

Surprise, surprise! I didn't think there would be any 'real' surprises in my daily life now at almost 65 years old. Maybe I have just become too settled into a routine life & regular habits on a daily basis, it would seem that almost everything has happened either to me or to people I love (or have loved!). Most days I need to sit for a few minutes after my eyes first open to even decide what today actually is! I pop around 21 tablets into my body every day & just about manage to bumble around without banging into anything, falling over anything and succeeding in remembering at least 3 consecutive things that pass through my cloudy brain!
Having to cope with my own ailments & those of my darling wife is a ritual that needs at least one of us to be 'on top of' without question at some stage of the day. Our chemist delivers our drugs & medications so regularly that the delivery driver doesn't even notice now if we have clothes on or not! Our lovely niece pops in at least once per week, (often more) to spend 4 or 5 hours with us, she relishes some naturist living space too since she became a single mother again, her son loves being here too when opportunity comes around.
The surprise that we had today was in fact 2 surprises about the same person, we still can't figure which one actually surprised us most though?
Our local vicar has been resident at our parish for over 25 years (that's around 23 years more than us! [in this parish}), it was told to us that he often leads naturist rambles across Yorkshire & is often first to get naked! secondly we were told, (all in the same conversation) that he is actually homosexual and lives part of each week with his long term partner in another part of town!
Should we be surprised at either fact? Should we have assumed that either fact might be possible or impossible?
Should we have even had any reason to contemplate either fact at all? We will for certain always be more 'on guard' in future when a leading figure in local community politics comes to our home and utters the words "Surprise Surprise"

99.9% of all naturists I have met in more than 60 years (in the real world NOT on-line)of enjoying a natural unclothed living, when & where possible, have said they longed for an opportunity to live entirely naked whenever they choose to. That was always what seemed to be a rational & sensible choice, for naturists. BUT, what they failed to take notice of is that there is likely to be a majority of the entire world population, that would still not want nakedness around them or in their own life.
If the law of your own country decreed that you could be naked 24/7 if you choose to be so, regardless of whoever else should feel 'offended.. assaulted.. threatened.. disturbed' at anytime, would you still walk naked freely? If you heard abuse hurled at you, if you risked physical attack, (with the law in your favour), if you were likely to get threats against your loved ones & friends, would you still walk naked freely?
Yes there could be resorts & open parkland area's, yes there could be stores & transport systems all available to naked people, also equally available to clothed people, how would that affect your own options?
We all say we would fight for freedom for naked people. When the option is there, when the time actually arrives (in your own lifetime) what would be your own choice be?
If you could actually be NAKED 24/7. . . would you?
Are You Real?

My sister Lorraine died in 1996 after a very tragic accident caused massive damage to her head & brain. At the hospital where she had been taken her situation was explained to me in graphic detail by a neuro-surgeon. I was given the heart rending task of agreeing to her life support system being disconnected. For a moment or two I held her hand, I spoke to her and asked her to take love with her where ever her soul who be, I told her that all of our life together I have loved her and as her big brother, protected & cared for her. Now at this final moment of her earth bound time I was not letting her go, I was simply sending her into her next life form. A tear in her eye rolled out and down to my lips as I kissed her, I wished her safe journey & said my last goodbye to my love, my sister Lorraine.
Now, here, today in September 2015 I still speak to her, I always have, I always will. She watches & makes her new life known to me. My father passed over way back in 1959, in September! I speak to him. My sister Kathryn passed over in 1981, a beautiful flame haired hearty spirit, now she is truly a spirit, she has sought others to share on earth. My lovely warm mother, Rosie, passed over in 1996, she comes to listen & share advice from dad.
Spirits are our connection to our loves, our own very souls, a piece of my own heart & spirit is in their being.
So yes there are spirits, there is a whole different existence, my other soul mate & very piece of me Lorraine is there with many of my other parts. They come to visit, they appear for a second, a whisp of air, an almost invisible small cloud of silver dust. A feeling, a sensation, they come to visit. By their own way they speak too, the real way of understanding, for me, is to accept, to listen, to feel & to know.
My step into their time & existence will come, when my time is done here, when the love and peace is greater with the spirits, then I will go.

I think there is a word that is often used too easily, applied all too often in a very casual way. In some cases I suppose it can be easily accepted that a very casual acquaintance can be called 'friend'. I would agree more readily that a person who has known you personally for a long time is better described as a 'friend'. I have a more definitive idea of what I would call a true 'FRIEND'. If I have known someone who understands me, my thoughts & moods, if they accept my reasoned discussions without stomping off in temper, if they can hold a conversation without being judgemental or prejudiced, if they are totally prepared to be a support & tower of strength in difficult times, then they are a FRIEND. If I talk with a careless disregard a friend will correct me, if I tell a joke of 'doubtful' taste or make a unguarded statement that required more thought, a friend will calmly just stop my tracks and make me aware of my errors. In the reverse this friend will also accept my regard for them, my caution on their behalf, my sense of caring and protection for my friend, my desire for good things and happiness to come the way of them.
I do use the word 'friend' casually too, but maybe we ought to have a better way of 'grading' our casual friends and then our 'true friends'. It is possible to respect casual friends & to trust them of course, but where is the distinction?
I can only say in my own defence that I say I do respect & trust casual friends & rely on mutual integrity & respect, but unless I actually know them as close intimate friends, then I will carry on using a very casual term 'friend'. To those who I have known, trusted, respected and cared about for a long time, those who have equally held me in respect & high regard through difficult periods, those are my trusted FRIENDS. My certain and loved ones, my TRUE FRIENDS.

It may not be an accepted idea generally, but I do believe that my relatives that have passed away many years ago, are still around in spirit form. Not in any harmful or fearful way, but as a guiding & caring feeling, sense or presence. I know when my late mother or dad is in the same place as me. I know when either of my passed sisters have come into our place. My wife also senses when her deceased mother or father have visited us. My dad died in 1959 when I was only 8 years old, my mum died in 1996. I lost a sister in 1981 and another in 1995. The loss each time has of course been very devastating and without doubt an indelible imprint was left on my life. My dad was possibly the first deep sadness that I felt and really took some understanding. It wasn't just my young age or the sadness & uncontrollable tears that my sister & my mum shed at the time, or that I had to assume a 'man of the house' position as soon as I left school in 1966, that placed the loss deep in my soul. I somehow knew even then that I hadn't truly & totally lost my dad, what I have lost is the earthly connection with his physical presence. When Kathryn died in my arms from cervical cancer I cried, mainly because that evil disease had taken her very personality away first. Her death in some odd way was a blessing, her earthly body was left behind in its 'unclean' state.
Lorraine died in 1995 due to a tragic accident, I had to agree to her life support machine being disconnected, so that she could leave her (blood) flooded brain and tormented body behind. She broke my heart, her passing truly hurt me in a very deep way. We had grown through childhood together, about 18 months between our birthdays but closer than air together in each and every day we shared.
My mother never knew of Lorraine's passing when she died in 1996, or did she? Her depleted and weakened body had suffered for many years but finally gave in to the effects of a stroke. That lost look of emptiness in her eyes told us all she would soon be leaving too. But did she? Did my sisters leave me? Did my dad vanish from existence all those years ago? NO!
Each night (almost every one anyway) I say "Goodnight Dad" because I know he listens, his spirit does. My mother keeps a watchful presence & Lorraine blows a breeze across my naked skin many times a day. My mother-In-law Vera is around at times too, she was an incredible and definite marker in my world, she talks from the spirit times to us. We don't hear voices or see mists or shadows, but we know, I know, life isn't ended in death. It is an exchange, another move to a time & place we will all come to know. A place connected to now through love. My wife & I both understand that connection and feel it. So to all I love that have passed I say goodnight, when I say "Goodnight Dad!"

Many weeks ago in a casual conversation with a neighbour it was one of those moments when we both had an answer to a quiz poser, locked deep in our subconscious mind, really starting to irritate us both. After about 30 minutes of debating this question whilst walking back from our Saturday "Stroll", I decided to type the question into a search engine on my PC. Just as I typed, "Who played 'Jed Clampett' in the 1960's-70's TV show 'The Beverley HillBillies'?" when a voice very clear & masculine said "Buddy Ebsen". I turned quickly in my chair to make sure no-one had entered the room, I made sure there was no speaker volume on my PC, then I realised… the voice I had heard was without a doubt… my long deceased dad! He used to watch that show with me.!.
How did I hear his voice? How did he know I was searching for that name? How did I get that answer whilst I was still typing?
It was a quick answer indeed, a very spooky answer too !

Out of the corner of my eye a shadow passes, or was it? Sitting at my computer I see my wife looking over my shoulder, or was it?
I sit in my armchair and reach forward to pick up my coffee, then before my fingers get to the mug it lifts up at least 2 inches above the arm, it moves out to my right and away from the chair arm, then in one swift but decisive move it tips over pours out the coffee and throws forwards to the floor! My wife calmly says "Why did you knock over the coffee cup?". I can only stare in credulity, I speak carefully so that my wife can clearly accept what just happened. " The pool of coffee is on the floor to my right, the mug is on the floor at least 2 feet in front of me, my hand is still only just raised off the chair arm, why would I pour the coffee onto the floor here & throw the mug there?"
I speak to my wife as I go into the bathroom, she is coming along towards the bathroom, I say, "I need the toilet now, can you wait a couple of moments?" I get no reply so I go ahead and do what I had planned to do! Soon afterwards I go to seek out my wife, she is no where to be seen in the house. Soon afterwards I see her coming towards our front door having just got out of a neighbours car? When she comes in I ask where she had come from just now. She answers "I went out to the supermarket with my friend, you were snoozing in the chair an hour ago!" I told her I had just spoken to her near our bathroom. She looked at me as if I were insane, she insisted "No you didn't, I was just at the supermarket, I have my friend who can agree and confirm it, I don't know who… or what you spoke to!"

These are samples of mysterious moments we experience, are they unique? Do you want to read more? Can you tell me of similar things that you have experienced? Not other peoples stories please, just your own.

In a short while I will add a blog about some of the experiences shared between my wife & myself. We are in our 60's and only married in our 40's. We have so much in common in many varied ways, but one very definite common ground is our belief that there are very friendly spirits with us, also some mischievous ones!
From a fleeting 'Over the shoulder' visitation to an eerie all encompassing mist & coldness. When I write this blog in full there will be so much more detail. So be aware, this is truth from our own life, not from film or book, from our own home and married life together. Read on… if you truly want to. Coming soon… Coffee poured out, brush thrown, & chicken leg eating spectre!

Some people are stunned to silence, some have a nervous laugh and mutter something like "oh really, are you serious?". Some just say "Ok, that's fine, no problem." A very few look disgusted and march away.
I never make a secret of the fact that I prefer to be naked in my own house, I pre-warn people who make phone enquiries about coming to see me or my wife. I tell people who are likely to come to our door as casual visitors that I will be naked, if someone comes to the door unexpectedly I stay partly behind the door (which is solid wood) and say "I am naked, I prefer to stay naked, do you want to come in?"
We have our groceries delivered from a major supermarket and none of their delivery drivers have objected to seeing a nude male when they come. We have our tablets & injections delivered from our chemist by a courier/van driver who also has no objections to nudity. My wife regularly orders clothing items from various on-line companies, who have a female courier calling to our address, she is a fabulous married mum of four who also has no problems with my nakedness.
Maintenance electricians worked on my kitchen refit last spring (2014) and for 3 days none of their staff (male & female)objected to my nudity or my wife's early morning bare chested appearances.
In short, I think I can honestly say that by being 100% honest and direct about my 'Naturist' lifestyle preferances up front, and by being mindful of those who may 'accidently' call at our door, 85% of people are quite willing to accept nudity in the home. Provided that they can feel comfortable and not threatened by the nakedness they usually stay & chat to the point that everyone (including me!) forgets that I am nude!
I have only one rule that will never change, if a non-naturist is coming and bringing any person who is under 16 years old, then I will get clothes on if the visit is important. So where children are involved (of non-naturists) there will be NO nakedness.
So if you or anyone in your home has any doubts about living naked, you may wish to adopt my method of doing so. If you need to speak to anyone intending to come (including family!) just say "I have a warning.. I'm naked!"

Printed copies of animal pictures, mainly cute dogs & cats, seem to be a craze in our house recently. Also along a communal corridor several 3D images of animals & flowers have appeared on walls, neatly framed. I must say that the 3D effects on some photo's can be really impressive. We haven't got around to actual human beings in any of the framed coloured fantasia images either, even a strange looking gothic print has me hypnotised by it's extra dimensional appearance.
I have assisted in the fixing of these onto our walls, in the hope that some nicely posed naturist photo's could be considered. I don't think 3D is likely though in these if they actually appear on any surface at all. I know we have to tread carefully with our decorative desires, the overall effect of a room can be spoilt with a few ill chosen images. We have studied the variety that adorn the corridors, but somehow they can't qualify for our own abode. We seek inspiration, but a steady troll along the Ethernet-highways can lead to some very peculiar posed prints showing up.

Around the home there are many tasks that need doing daily & all of them can be completed naked without danger. (Frying pan catastrophe's are well noted as are burns from open oven doors!). I would hesitate to say what job is actually best done without clothes, but one we do every 6 to 8 months is redecorating at least one room. In many past years it was one way of making decorating 'bearable' to use a pun! No amount of misplaced emulsion or paint caused a problem we couldn't solve in the shower, no amount of yucky wall-paper paste was a problem to a rub down with a warm wet cloth!
This year however we faced a problem that we didn't know how we could overcome. Due to a disabling illness I am no longer able to physically do the painting & papering that I almost enjoyed. The easy answer of course is to get someone in to do it. Relatives who could do a reasonable job at least every 8 months were very scarce indeed. Specially any that would mind us both being naked for the duration. After a few selected questions to carefully selected friends we were given the name of a professional decorator who could come and do any room for us almost any weekend. We decided to phone him and get a price quote, my wife said I should also quiz him about his views of 'home naturism'. I somehow knew that question was going to be mine to pose, not hers, as she said it would be quite difficult & probably misleading for her to ask "Do you object to me being naked while you are at our home?"
I soon got into conversation with the likely candidate for the decorating tasks, his very friendly attitude & even better price quote made it a very good conversation, up to the point where I just had to mention nudity. I gathered up my 'respectable' persona, I took a couple of suitably deep breathes, then asked, "How do you feel about doing our decorating if my wife & I are totally naked throughout?"
For what seemed quite a while there was a silence, then came a laugh, he said almost quite casually, "That is just no problem whatsoever, in fact I was asked just two days ago how I would react if naturists asked me to work for them, it seems we've both been 'set-up' doesn't it!" It was my turn to be silent, then I too relaxed into the chat, saying "Yes I agree, of course you will stay clothed, we will most likely be naked and then we'll all have the opportunity to tell one certain person that their devious plan backfired!"

So it was that we overcame our decorating difficulties, had a very happy weekend watching someone else work and got kind of revenge on a so called 'friend'. The only comment I made to that friend was "Yes Rick did the job for us, it is always better done naked!" The friend was literally speechless, not knowing if Rick had got nude or not! Revenge Is Sweet!

We just had a few days break in Great Yarmouth. The hotel was actually just a basic bed & breakfast place, the actual building was in drastic/urgent need of total renovation. The staff though were wonderful, very professional & so friendly. I sat chatting to one waitress who lived in at the hotel. During our chat I told her that I was a naturist and I preferred to be naked most of the time. She revealed that it was a dream of hers to actually be brave enough to do her own house cleaning nude. Out of the blue I found myself (my wife was there with me) saying, "Well you can come and clean our room naked if you want to?" There was a silence for a few seconds, then suddenly she said "Yes, ok let's go right now!" In less than 5 minutes all three of us were in our room. The waitress watched as we both stripped, her face went bright red and we could see her actually trembling with nervous fear.
It was then she suddenly began to undress, she got out of her blouse and bra quite easily, then she unbuttoned her skirt and it fell to the floor. She laughed nervously and said she apologised for her "Granny-Pants". Then she was shaking so visibly I was about to tell her to stop if she was so frightened. Then in a frantic rush and almost so fast she nearly fell over, she pushed down her knickers & tights.
She was so unnerved as she stood there nude, my wife just said, "Go to our bathroom and get dressed again at your own pace, that's been an achievement for you, don't push yourself too much. Five minutes later she dashed from our room fully dressed and quite nervous still. We saw her a couple of days later and she was much happier, she said she was going to do her own housework naked at the weekend, she said her husband was initially furious that she had got naked in our hotel room, but agreed that it was her choice and the nude housework was going to be his pleasure also!

I don't know who has a problem with unwanted people coming to the door, but one of the advantages of being naked at such times is that they don't stay too long! (usually!). I know by now who I can answer the door naked to, also who would react quite badly if I did so. It's when unexpected callers come or when people come at a very awkward time. I saw two very well dressed men (suits & white shirts, black ties) loitering at our gate, a sure sign that religion peddlars were about to blight me. I waited by the door in my full regalia that mother nature gave me, (NUDE) watching through my spy-hole door lense. I saw the men open the gate and then debate which one of them was coming in first. As I estimated when they would get to the door I waited for just the right moment to pull it open. I took a breath and in one swift move I yanked open the door and rasped "Go Away You God-Botherers!". Much to my surprise my elderly female neighbour stood there.. in quite a state of perplexed shock!
Moments later she scurried away and the two suited gents stood roaring with laughter!
I guess that was one win to them & one defeat to me and my tactics!

"You didn't notice I was not wearing clothes? Well I am pleased but not surprised." was a sentence I never thought I would find myself saying in daily routine life. This past few days we have had to have various workmen & decorators in our property, some times it's felt like the place isn't really our own. We had three assorted labourers & an electrician here yesterday, they were here by 8 am. I didn't bother putting clothes on in my own home, which is quite usual, although my wife has a ritualistic barrage for me when we are having other people in for different reasons. I hadn't realised that several days ago I had spent many naked hours lounging around whilst the bricklayers were busy in my extension kitchen.
This morning I stood talking to 4 workers and offered to make coffee's for them. That's when the unusual conversation started. The big burly builder just commented that as I had been naked so much during their time here, that it had become a 'normal' scene. It is somehow refreshing to know that a 'naked lifestyle' can very soon become "unnoticed" and therefore perfectly 'acceptable'.
Life can be odd!

I used to think that 'normal people' would not take too kindly to nudity right in their own line of vision as it were. The sight of a naked person when you are not quite expecting it must surely take you 'out of your comfort zone' I guessed. About 2 years ago when my wife and I realised that to some extent we were going to be much more restricted in our mobility, much more confined to our immediate locality, that we made a joint conscious decision to begin living each and every day 'just for us'! That is to say that from eyes opening in the morning to eyes closing at bedtime we would make our own choices & decisions priority. Part of these choices was the one that said either one of us, or both of us, could spend as much time naked each day as we felt the need to. Now obviously there has to be some restrictions that 'society' places upon us. We can't go outdoors into public places nude, we must be careful how we use our garden without clothes. BUT.. indoors, in OUR spaces we can do just as we please!
Yes we do have visitors both family and friends, yes we do have neighbours sometimes knocking at the door and we have parcel deliveries, post deliveries & even Tesco grocery deliveries. The one rule within our house is that we are naked by choice if indeed that is our choice, family & friends visit by choice too. The majority of our family accept our social nudity, as do the other visitors. We say (if we need to) at the door, "We are naked, do you want to come, or do you choose to leave?" Many come in and soon 'acclimatise' to the situation. Neighbours who just happen to come to the door take 'pot-luck' and accept that. We came to an agreement with our grocery provider that they would contact us if any of their delivery staff had any objection to delivering to naked people, probably just a naked male. In over 20 months and many weekly deliveries we have not had a single complaint or refusal to deliver by them.
In short my perception that 'normal people' would be offended by nakedness in their midst seems to have been wrong! We are surprised its true, but then again we are in our own zone, we do give options, we are sometimes clothed. BUT.. we much prefer our new found freedom, we prefer… barely living!

If I was to give any advice to anyone who wants to be naked at home, but have worries about what neighbours or other unexpected prying folk might say, I would just say, "Don't Worry, Be Happy!" In your own home (inside) you can be naked as much as you want to be. If neighbours or passers by can see directly into your home invest in vertical blinds or fine mesh net curtains, two other alternatives for the more thrifty & determined nudist are, 1) rearrange your furniture so that for the most of your day you are not in direct line of view from the window, 2) just do nothing other than be careful when you get up and walk around.
Our way of dealing with inquisitive neighbours and impromptu callers was to just be honest, proud & loud, (well not loud!) tell anyone who needs to know "We are naturists, we prefer to be totally naked within our own home, we will cover if a guest insists on it, but we much prefer that you don't insist, after all it is our home & our life, see us naked or stay away" It may seem direct & harsh, but in reality it actually does work, our neighbours now accept without 'peeping' and on rare occasions they actually come in for a few moments.
It isn't easy we know to settle to a comfortable home naturist regime, even seasoned naturists will say that you must put clothes on to be polite to visitors etc; But our point is that our home is our life, when we go to another persons home we respect their lifestyle choices or stay away. We don't ask anyone to get naked, just accept us naked.
Give it a try, be happy!

The one thing guaranteed to get me agitated in almost any part of my life, in any building, in any setting, is being kept waiting way past an appointment time, without being given an explanation or a reason for the wait. I may be old fashioned but I still firmly believe in politeness & respect. People make appointments for me at doctors, hospitals & various medical venues, I make every effort to be at least 10 minutes early at the allotted place. Many (far too many) times I am sat there slowly raising my blood pressure & getting very uncomfortable on some awful plastic seat. All I ask is that one of two things should happen. 1) The appointment happens on time! OR 2)Someone takes a few moments to explain to me why I am being kept waiting and what the new time of appointment completion will be. I don't think that is unreasonable. In fact either one of those two preferred events are much (very much) better than my anger being vented on some receptionist or ill informed 'messenger'. My consultant eventually turned up for our 1:30pm appointment at 2:45pm, calm & breezy to the point of being flippant! He chuckled as he described the "…almost overwhelming…" lunch he had just enjoyed even though his morning had been just ".. frightful…" When I asked why I hadn't been told about his delay, he said with gusto.. "I knew the slight delay would be alright, the staff are usually busy enough anyway without my phone calls."
Is the age of good manners, courtesy & punctuality all gone now? Where is the common respect for each other? Even in other 'Non-Appointment' situations it is commonplace for much more disregard for anything that requires an apology or a brief word of explanation. Manners cost nothing, as my parents taught me. Rant Over !

My niece & her 10 year old son were staying with us, that's fine they are naturists too. They have a very active, loud, busy lifestyle, we are quiet, not good! We get along fine because they unwind, calm down & spend time just relaxing, mostly! One lovely moment though happened when they didn't know we were back home early from an appointment. Unusually the place seemed very quiet as my wife and I came into the lounge, it was still odd as we looked in both bedrooms and found no-one, then I looked in our patio, there fast asleep and naked was our niece, sat on the floor next to her but with his head resting on her stomach, her son lay equally naked & fast asleep too. A really peaceful serene image. We took advantage of the quiet to sit and have a coffee in calm surroundings. A short time later as we went to investigate both were just beginning to rouse from their mid-afternoon siesta, the stillness was beginning to end!

<p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I was recently asked if I had ever been the only naked person in a room full of clothed people. I didn't really think it was an odd question and had no problem answering but it did also remind me of one time when my ex-partner was the only clothed person in a room full of nudes! She was definately overdressed & determined not to undress, her recent hysterectomy op had certainly made her feel conspicuous and very 'self-aware'. Many friends in that room knew about her situation and made her feel at ease, but one very 'abrupt' mannered person just kept muttering things like "You're supposed to be a naturist, we've seen it all before!" or "It's an operation, it isn't an amputation, get over it!" Of course the evening ended in tears for her,the grouch made her cry & didn't seem to care.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I have been the only naked person in a room, on several different times. One was when I had overslept while staying at my mothers apartment, after my shower I walked naked through to the lounge, there to my surprise were my sister, her three children aged between 6 & 12, my mother & her twin sister, my uncle & two neighbours (female). I sat and enjoyed a coffee and chatter before going to get dressed.  I felt ok because I was among friends & family. It does of course depend on the kind of situation you find yourself in, clothed or naked, sadly my ex-partner in her unfortunate experience wasn't entirely among friends, there was one very 'unfriendly' person there.</span></p>

We sat having a snack of biscuits & other little nibbles, four of us just being lazy in a rare warm afternoons sun. As often happens we each made pathetic attempts to 'suck in' that extra roll of flesh that seems to have appeared since last autumn. Being naked makes us more exposed than is often realised! My friends wife has an uncanny ability to ask that question, that makes your brain search frantically at the speed of light, for an answer that is neither stupid or too truthful as to sound crazy! She looked at us each attempting to not notice the aforesaid bulges, she asked quietly, "When you get naked, who is it for?" Really meaning that almost subconscious pose we all adopt each time we stand up or sit down, that attempt to look lean & healthy, that hopeful stance that says 'I still haven't added any extra pounds!' But just who are we fooling? Who is this naked self exposing thing for? Do we truly care how healthy (or unhealthy?) we look? Are we on a fitness trip anyway being a part of this naturist world that we created? Do we get naked purely for ourselves and the freedom of no clothes? or do we have another motive?

Sadly as I enter my 62nd year I find I suffer more with pain from my crumbling bones, a medical fact not an feeling. I have had various tests, x-rays, scans, probes etc etc and now I pop pain killer pills by the number every day. I know that doctors do whatever they can for me, my wife is a perfect nurse & companion. I have the attention of 2 women who come to my home solely to make sure I have a thorough shower! So there are benefits! The reason I write this blog though is to open up a discussion on the effects (or non-effects) of the sun & heat on a collection of aches & pains. All too often we hear people say that a time outside in the sun & heat helps stop the pain, it makes them feel better, it calms down the flare-ups of debilitating agonies. I question this conception, does it actually do any real good to put my weary body out there in the sun, or is it just a "feel good factor"? Yes I know I enjoy the sun on my naked torso, though many look away when my aged & hairy flesh is exposed, but are there any real quality health benefits?

I wonder how many people are truly home naturists? I don't mean how many take all their clothes off at home, because lets face it that would be everybody! No, I mean how many people try to live 24/7 as naturists? When neighbours or family pop around true home naturists stay naked, making only minor concessions for the really shy or unsettled visitor. The reason I ask is quite simple, we are home naturists and we are now finding we're getting much more acceptance and less negative comments. Maybe people are now used to seeing so much bared flesh when they call in to see us, and 'see us' they do! We sat chatting to a family friend and a neighbour yesterday for almost 3 hours, as our neighbour was about to leave she asked "Do you mind if I tell you something quite personal?" my mind raced as I tried to anticipate, she paused for a moment then said, "I may be speaking out of turn as a neighbour but do you know you've got a small brown mark on your left bum cheek?" This was one of those moments when I didn't know if I should laugh or not? I smiled as I answered "Yes I do know, thank you so much for being concerned enough to ask, it's not a problem to worry over it's a birth mark I've had all my life!" With a huge sigh of relief she said " Oh great, I felt awkward as a neighbour commenting on your bare backside but at least I do see things!" After she had gone I strangely felt so contented that even neighbours were able to see my total nakedness and appreciate what they see as changes to my body. So you see, there can be advantages to being a true "Home Naturist".