A touch of cheer

All the gales & rain of the last week has decimated the snowdrops. The white petals are in tatters. Fortunately the miniature daffodils have come to the fore. Their sunny yellow faces bring cheer to the back garden as the deep purple against the pale gold crocuses do in the front.

My life was cheered also by a card that came in the post at the weekend. It was a get well card, featuring a blue tit at his/her nest box. It was from my former employers. I last worked for them over 25 years ago now. It is nice to know they still think of us from time to time. This is clearly a response to the note I put in our Christmas card to them & equally, from time to time, since then they must have thought of me.

Plans, or lack of them

I sometimes think we must be a sad disappointment to some of our friends. Our lives are very quiet these days, going around in a fairly small circle of activity.

We were at the golf club yesterday with our Friday set of friends. One arrived later than us. During the course of our conversation, he duly asked what plans we had for the weekend.

“Plans?” I thought. We don’t do plans often. My only plan was sea bass for dinner today, bed changing & sorting out washing & the Fox is cooking some tuna curry for Sunday. I didn’t think those were the sort of plans he meant so simply said none.

We frequently get asked such questions. My usual reaction is nothing special, just everyday living. We’re not great planners. We usually decide last minute on the basis of how we’re feeling. Holidays abroad do take a bit more planning but we’re not thinking of anything like that at the moment. We’re still waiting for the itchy feet to tell us it’s time to start looking.

The medical appointments have started to arrive. I’m off to see how the radiotherapy has done at the end of March. All I can say now is one spot of peeling seems to have stopped so I’m thinking I can stop moisturising that area. The other area is still peeling, looks pretty naff but doesn’t weep or feel sore. That area I will continue to moisturise for a while yet. I am now feeling considerably more comfortable. I suspect before long they will want to do a mammogram to see how things are inside. After all, the tumour that was removed was only discoverable by that means as it hadn’t grown sufficiently to form a surface lump. I suspect only when that is done will I know if all is well. Meanwhile I try to forget the problem, put on my best smile & get on with living.

Doris

Storm Doris hit yesterday. We were surprised to see the windows of the golf club restaurant all shuttered up. When we got inside we learnt why. The wind had been so severe, that the double glazing had ended up rattling in the frames, wind whistling in all around the edges, so they’d put the shutters down to help protect the glass. They feared it would all come crashing in on diners.

We couldn’t help being grateful for the double glazing we put in a couple of years ago. It wasn’t the cheapest lot but it is good. Despite the force of Doris I had sat completing my jigsaw with none of the draught on my hands I used to feel.

Admittedly the golf club does get the full brunt of the gales as they hurtle up the Bay. The clubhouse is set on a rising just on the landside of the coastal road. There is nothing in between to break the force. Indeed as the winds come off the water, they rise to come on the land straight into the clubhouse. It’s often breezy there when nothing else moves. Our home, on the other hand, is in a dip with high cliffs between us & the water so much of the force of the wind is dissipated.

After our afternoon session, chatting to our cruise-loving friends, we set off home, along the prom. The sight before us was awesome. The sky above the water was a dark air force blue. Higher up was the usual bright blue colour of the sky. This was just the thick bank of threatening cloud. Across the darkness floated the odd white wisps of clouds, just emphasising the darkness, & blueness, of the clouds that dominated the scene. It seemed quite unworldly.

Today I’m relieved to say the weather seems far calmer. The sky is bright blue. The sun is shining. All seems peaceful as though nothing had happened yesterday. All that remains is the drop in temperature, & my is it cold.