Deathly impact

The Christmas decorations have once more been taken down. We usually wait until the 12^th day, the 6^th of January. However, this year they’ve come down early. Somehow any cheer they brought sounded hollow in view of the news of Dave’s death.

It’s surprising how hard it’s hit. We’ve never known him that well, despite the fact we’ve been neighbours over 10 years. On the other hand we’ve never not got on with him either. He was quiet a quiet man. When the Fox had his stroke a few years ago, Dave was the first to turn up & offer me a lift to the hospital or any other chauffeuring I might need. I was outside waiting for a friend to come to take me to the hospital at the time – the ambulance had not been able to cope with taking a wheelchair in!

We seem to have seen so many films/TV dramas about old age & death, heard so many radio programmes on the theme, over the festive period. We are aware that the Fox hits his 65^th this year & so becomes an Old Age Pensioner – wow, that makes him sound ancient. Neither of us is in the best of health & are steadily concluding we’d best get on with enjoying ourselves now before it’s too late. So we’re turning over holidays in our mind & hope to get to the travel agents to collect some brochures later today.