Thirsty work

What a morning! The phone starts ringing at 9.15am. It's my Aunt Ivy. She rings every fortnight just to keep in touch & let me know all is still well with her & hers. She's well into her 80s now, but still going around looking after the "old people" who live near by. How she has the energy I don't know!

After that I ring Dave C, a friend & member of Geriatrics' Corner. We're having a big Christmas dinner at the beginning of December. There will be 15-6 of us altogether. The Pub would like us to give menu orders, so I'm collecting the details. I only need Dave & his wife, Linda's decision, then I can put in the list. Dave promises to pop in this week to let me know. That only leaves Phil the Wizardman, the possible 16th member, but he's not decided what's happening with his girlfriend. She lives quite a distance away. At present, he's not sure who's visiting who, or if they're even seeing each other that weekend.

I then phone another couple of friends, this time from the village we lived in for many years, in order to invite them over for a meal. We haven't seen Ellie & Ged for a while. Ged had an operation on his foot earlier in the year & has been slowly re-learning how to walk. We usually meet up sometime around Xmas for a meal & a chat. The Fox fancies cooking this time. Unfortunately Ellie is out & she's in charge of their social calendar - it's always pretty full as they have several grandchildren to look after, on top of which Ellie is a lay reader & always busy visiting the sick & elderly in the area. So now we wait for her return call.

Next I try to ring MK to see how he's doing. No answer so I leave a message to say I'll ring back later. I go to start peeling the potatoes for dinner. I barely get everything out ready to begin peeling, when the phone goes. MK. He's managed by himself to press a redial button. It's great to hear his voice. He's obviously feeling much more himself. He's had enough of feeling sorry for himself & is once more ready to take on the task of living. 3 cheers! We've all been worrying about him. He stays on the phone for quite a while.

I finally get back to the potatoes & peel two when the phone goes. Yet another friend from where we used to live. Another long chat. She just thought she hadn't spoken to me for a while. Life for her has changed in recent years, as her husband has taken early retirement due to ill-health. He was a ship's engineer, regularly at sea on the ferries to the Isle of Man. Unfortunately his back will take no more of the lifting & straining involved. Luckily, now he's ceased work & can take life easier, his back has ceased to be the big problem it used to be. He seems to have settled down to his life of leisure & she has adjusted to having him at home all the time.

I finally get the spuds done. I look at my watch. It's already 12.15pm. That means I've been on the phone for 3 hours, virtually non-stop. No wonder I'm so thirsty!