Thursday 28 March 2024

I've got a lot of time for this woman!

 Have you by chance read what Ann Widdecombe has said recently to GB news.

The former MP said...  Quote....'Firstly I think you should stop lumping all old people together. There's enormous difference between  someone in their 60s, who almost certainly comes from the age of computers and someone in their 90s, who struggles a bit and whose brain doesn't work as fast as it used to and is afraid of new technology. There's an enormous difference. I'm sick of hearing the word pensioners as if we're all the last stages of an illness.

 Secondly is that,  very sophisticated stuff you wouldn't expect them to do, like on line Banking is fairly simple to do and  can be mastered by most people and most people have access to the younger generation, who can show them what to do if they can't.  I say Just get on with it!'

End of quote...

Then last evening I had a text from my DD thanking me for their Easter card and a 'ha ha ha,' for my explanation of down loading an app. to know the time in Chandigarh India. where my grand daughter is. I had sent her instructions of how to find one because she said she couldn't... in stages..eg, ... On yr phone, Search for the World Clock, tap and open, then scroll through options, then chose the option Asia, tap and open, then chose the town nearest to ... etc then blah blah.. I did reply by saying I might be 81, but you forgot I taught computers when I was teaching and had given her step by step instructions assuming she knew nothing!! Ha ha. and also Dh's job was IT.. I use my computer for everything.. and nothing phases me! Criky I know younger people who can't blog, are afraid of emailing and think their phones are annoying when their phone won't do something. I've said, its you, not the phone!

What do you think if you're an older person?

I do admire Ann Widdecombe but her books/novels,  are awful in my opinion!

Chrisxx

Wednesday 27 March 2024

Where does it go?


Isn't this an amazing photo my friend's daughter K, who is very artistic took it. As a child, did you ever blow one of these to tell the time?
I knew K when she was young and her sister, because when their mum started working, I was her port of call, if one of them was ill and couldn't go to school.

I was a stay at mum, as most mums were in the 70's and 80's and my friend was very good to me and supported me, when I was going through a rough patch in my marriage, so I was more than happy to help out.
Both girls had a lot of time off school, and so spent a lot of time with me and I got to know them well. 

On K's 14th birthday I bought her some nail polish, as she always played with pens colouring her nails.. She was delighted and said she'd do her toe nails the same colour. I innocently said, how wonderful they would look, especially as she had smooth young legs, and quick as a flash, she said she shaved them.. Her mum was shocked and upset.. she started to cry, because she thought her little girl was suddenly grown up.
Several cups of tea later, with her girls watching TV with my children, my friend and I talked and we both realised our children were growing up.
Today K is a mother and a young grandmother. When she left school she became a Shop Window Dresser. She's still very artistic and as well as her photography, she draws and paints.

We can all feel the same about our children, I can't believe my grand daughter is 30 this year. At the moment she's in India working for her Accountancy firm! How can that be, only the other day she was making cakes in my kitchen, more mixture on her face than in the cake papers!
Time flies and whoosh, all we have left is memories; so enjoy every moment and laugh a lot!
Keep smiling!

Chrisxx

Tuesday 26 March 2024

Chinese Whispers!

 

                                                             


Aren't these lovely, I bought them yesterday, a present to myself, silk orchids in a shiny pot! But I just thought they'd look nice on our coffee table and they do! Sometimes you have to treat yourself.

Once again, I've had the most dreadful urinary infection, I was prescribed some anti-biotics last week and took the whole course, but last night I was hardly in bed. It seemed like they hadn't work. 

So Dh tried to phone the surgery at the 8:00 o'clock scramble time, but as usual couldn't get through, so 9 ish we gave up, altho I felt like screaming. Anyway I phoned after 10 and was number 9! When I did get through, I asked for an emergency appointment. I had to answer questions and was told I would have a phone call back; I made sure I had her name.

Phone call back was the same receptionist, who told me that she had spoken to the contact person, who spoke to the Duty Dr. Criky I thought its 'Chinese Whispers!' 

But I was prescribed different anti-biotics and for a longer time. 

It's not easy to be ill, and know you can't get to see a Dr. How have we come to this state of affairs?

I've just read an article on chronic UTIs and there is a call for less anti-biotics in favour for an anti-bacterial called Hiprex. I was prescribed it once by # 9 Dr, I'm saying #9 because she was the 9th Dr I'd spoken to since we'd lived here. I've spoken to a few more since then. I'll try after Easter to get a routine appointment and ask for it. I've tried buying it and can't! 

In the mean time I'll take what I'm given and treat myself, altho Dh would have bought those silk orchids if I'd said I'd like them... but there's a book I have my eye on, so I might mention it to him!!

Chrisxx

Monday 25 March 2024

Afternoon tele or ??

 What did you so before daytime tele? I asked this of some friends of mine of a similar age to me. And would you believe it, we all did housework bits, mostly ironing.

I realised that I did the same and also in summer I did the garden. There wasn't day time tele, in fact I didn't know there was any, some time in the 1980's, I remember my DD coming home from UNI and wanting to watch Neighbours, it was on TV during the day.

But I still didn't watch TV during the day. Once I started teaching, full time work took up my time and in the evenings, I marked books and did my lesson  planning. 

But in lockdown we watched a lot of tele, and since then, I like to watch some afternoon programmes like 'Escape to the Country' And we binge some films on wet afternoons.. and I read.

And that's what I realised I never did during the day years ago, I didn't sit down and read during the day. I felt guilty if I sat down to read? Can you believe that, I didn't read during the day? What a waste of reading time!

All those years I could have been reading; these days I read all the time!

What do you do in an afternoon, housework, garden, or going out?

Do you read during the day? At the moment I'm reading this book...

Something totally different to the Kristin Hannah book, and I'm enjoying it, #20 this year, so you see I do read a lot.

Chrisxx

Sunday 24 March 2024

Palm Sunday



I was in Israel in 2002, so walked the road where 2000 years before people had stood and waved palm leaves and shouted Hosanna for a man riding a donkey.
It seems a lot longer ago, when I was there, and now there is war and destruction there.
The shortest verse in the Bible is 'Jesus Wept' (John 11.35)

Chrisxx

An amazing read.

 This is the 4th book I've read by Kristin Hannah and have loved everyone.  This is a powerful story of friendship, marriage, being a parent and the effect of war on families.

The characters become so real to you, as you read through the story. Jolene and Tami are best friends who met when they both became  soldiers in the US National Guard. They are very close, even lived next door to each when they married. 

Jolene and husband, Michael appear to have a perfect marriage, but things start to go wrong when she is deployed to Iraq.. You're swept along in their lives and of their children and the way it is written, the dialogue just flows. 
The story was fast paced full of emotional and I had tears in my eyes as I read, Seeing a war through the eyes of a woman, the experiences, and the story of the horror of war gave me, a fresh look of a modern war; of things I've never known. 
I kept thinking how could women face the conditions they found themselves in and how amazingly proud their families must be; Jolene a pilot of a Black Hawk helicopter.

While some people might think the children weren't perfect, Betsy 12 years of age especially had some problems, but that's how families are.
I couldn't put this book down, it tore at my heart strings and I wanted to scream at some of the characters, to say, wake up look at what you have, be grateful and be 'nice.' 
The Author had spoken to members of the Military in her research,  so there was a truthfulness about the horrors of modern warfare and how it was used in the Iraq war. Frightening that it happened and how soldiers have such courage and to whom we have so much to be grateful for.
This story will stay with me for quite a while, a roller coaster of love, war, families, hardship, loneliness, suffering  and the friendship of two women.
I hope you'll read this book and enjoy it as much as I have.

Chrisxx

Saturday 23 March 2024

Royal news.

 Catherine, Princess of Wales has very bravely given a televised interview announcing that she has been diagnosed with cancer.

She explained that William and herself, wanted to make sure that their children were told first to allay their fears and to make sure they understood. And this why she hasn't spoken about her illness at an earlier time.

 


It seems her original operation wasn't for cancer, but on examination after the operation, it was discovered.
She is receiving treatment for the cancer and also medication as a preventative and she is well.
She did look very pale, but as beautiful as ever.

I should think, another reason that she has chosen to speak now, is because of all the wild rumours. Let's hope now people will stop and give her space to recover and leave her alone.
This wasn't my intended post today,  but how could I not write about our beautiful Princess of Wales.
We're all praying for her and for her successful treatment and for a complete recovery.

Chrisxx

Friday 22 March 2024

It's started already!

 You might say, what has started.... all the promises of.....if you vote for us! Well I've lived long enough to know, it doesn't matter who gets into the driving seat of power in Parliament, the policies are guided by one thing and one thing alone, MONEY.

Carl Marx said... the root of everything is money.

If there isn't enough in the coffers, there's no change. Unless they borrow from ??

During lockdown there was the furlough scheme, the money was borrowed and we're still paying it back. It was certainly needed.

When I was training to be a nurse 1960, my very first monthly wage packet held just over £7, that was after board and lodge, tax etc was taken. This in 2024 is approx. £2,300, before stoppages,. This is the lowest band. However, they start off with the bill of their degree fees to repay.  

The basic wage of a Dr is approx. £52,000. P.A  No one would say they're not worth their wages, and we're all very appreciative of their services when we need it.

As a retired  teacher I know how hard teachers work, their starting salary is approx £30,000 P.A 

When you look at the figures and like me,  you've lived 8 decades, it seems that their salaries are good.. however with the rise in the cost of living they certainly are not.

And what about social workers and all others, who are providing us with their services?

Does anyone in UK remember what you could buy for just a £1? Once upon a time!

I could get.....

A loaf of bread. Half a pound of butter, Pot of jam, Pint of milk and a Packet of biscuits.  

Today you can get a loaf for 75p or possibly cheaper if you shop around and the rest? Well, it will all cost more than a pound, of course it will, how ever did we ever think we'd need food banks?

So promises of any Party in Government aren't worth anything.. they are just 'paper' promises.

Our present PM, Rishi Sunak has said he'll uphold the Triple lock, so OAPs will get an annual rise, equal to the rise in the cost of living.

It would be good if he did, but I doubt he knows how Old Age Pensioners live. I remember the scandal of the MP Paul Scully, who didn't know the cost of a pint of milk. Does Rishi know the problem of trying to live, when the money you earn doesn't cover all your living expenses. 

One of Dh's daughter works for Christians Against Poverty, a charity to help people who are not managing, because their household  bills are more than their salaries, and that doesn't include food.

The majority of our MPs, probably all of them have never been on the 'Breadline' but they give us promises, which they can't keep. 

 And as the saying goes..'And they walk among us!

Chrisxx

Thursday 21 March 2024

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who wrote comments about blogging, it was so interesting to read, especially those of you who don't have your  own blog. I have noticed that there are bloggers who reply to comments, but I think if I did that I'd never get off my lap top.  
And I agree its sad when a blogger stops because of trolls and even sadder when they've passed away. I've known 5 who have and I was always really sad for  them and their families.

I try to think of different things to write about, at the moment I'm horrified at the malicious talk about Princess Catherine. To allay a lot of fears, she and William, went walk-about near to where they live. Its been suggested that it wasn't her, but a lookalike!! And shock horror William wasn't wearing a wedding ring?? He's never worn one, and it was explained some time ago that the 'Royal' men don't wear wedding rings. Why do people start these rumours? I think personally, shoot me down if you wish, but they are a lovely couple and are trying to do their jobs as Royals. They are very loving parents and take time out of their Royal Duties in school holidays to give their time to their children. 

And just because they're beautiful, here is a photo of Artic White Daffodils.(not my photo) I had these growing in my front trough last year.......

.......and popped the bulbs in a dry pot in the shed, to grow this year and forgot all about them, until at the weekend I found them. So I have potted them up and they look as though they are growing, yea! 
They cost a bit more than yellow daffs, but I spare no expense if its for my garden. Just wish I could do more, but my age is catching up with me and I can't do a lot of things I used to be able to.

Chrisxx

Wednesday 20 March 2024

We've made a weekend

When Dh first retired and joined me at home, we found we never had a day off; there was always something to do in the house. So we decided to have Thursdays as a hobby day!

I sewed quilts and Dh made wine.. we sometimes spilled over into another day if we were in the  middle of something, I'd tack some fabric and Dh designed his labels on his laptop for his wine. It worked really well. On Sundays we were involved in our own churches.

Since moving here, we were for a while over burdened with trying to get straight; builders and workmen have dominated our first two years here. But now we are more or less straight, we had our garage roof replaced last month and I'm  just sorting out a decorator for the outside walls.. and that will be it, unless there is a hole in the roof or the boiler blows up, we are not having anything else done! We do have a couple of bags ready for a charity shop in the hall and we'll pop them there, next time we're in town. 

So we can sort of relax. 

But now we belong to a choir, and SW and a book group and different U3a groups, some weeks we only have Saturday and Sundays at home! 

                       So we have a weekend again!

And so the garden had some attention last weekend.


There are the daffs I planted back on one really cold November day, looking rather nice and the scent from the orange centered ones is beautiful.
We've had some really sunny days and I spent a few hours outside potting on some seedlings and some self seeded foxgloves, popped them all in my little plastic greenhouse to bring them on. It was a very pleasant afternoon, and I felt warm!

Dh dug up a huge clump of pink geraniums and we've put them under a bit of our Copper Beech hedge, where it's a bit sparse. Hopefully it will block it up against cats. Since we now don't have a dog, we've had some cat 'mess' in our veg patch. 

And I sat outside yesterday and Dh brought me a cuppa and a piece of Weetabix cake. (SW recipe) He'd made it in the morning when I was dozing.
It was delicious, not quite a fruit cake, but the taste is near enough to satisfy the taste buds. And I was very grateful for his thoughtfulness.
Since the news of my friend's death, I've been a bit flat. 
Life's hard isn't it? As a Christian I do believe I have God's help to get through things, but I do waver some days and sleep doesn't come easy.
Chrisxx