Re-make?

We watched the fairly recent film of “Dad’s Army” not long ago. We tried our best to ignore the change of faces & enjoy the film despite the original TV series. Some actors such as Bill Nighy & Michael Gambon did do reasonably well. I can’t even complain about Catherine Zeta Jones. However the film lacked any real humour. It fell flat. Allusions to post-World War II films such as “From Here to Eternity” as Pike kissed his girl on the beach, seemed irrelevant. The reality of Pike being Wilson & Mrs Pike’s son was explicit rather than suggested. It lacked subtlety. All in all we were disappointed.

 

Last night we watched an old episode of the original TV series. As Mainwaring struggled to cope with his band of men dressed as Germans for a propaganda film but spreading panic throughout the area of a German invasion, we burst out laughing. It remains as good, as fresh & funny, as ever.

 

I just don’t see the point of re-doing a thing unless you can improve it. This film certainly didn’t do that. But then I often I feel that about re-makes. Rarely do they work. Just occasionally they do.

Lasagne again

I’ve finally got the lasagne all but ready for the oven this evening. It’s a different one from the one I made the other week. It’s chicken again, only this time there is also bacon & onions. The sauce is a mixture of stock & milk so it should be still be quite creamy. There are mushrooms on the top. It will be covered with a soured cream/yoghurt (depending on which is the healthiest looking & tasting by this evening) & egg mix plus some grated cheese.

 

I had intended to make it yesterday. However, it was a sweltering hot day & I had a late appointment at Preston Hospital. We decided on a salad. It’s just as well. Despite my appointment being at 4.15pm there were delays & confusion at first. We finally got on the motorway home at 5.50pm. By then I was exhausted & relieved to just have to put a few ingredients on the plate – tinned tuna, tinned red kidney beans, a tomato, some beetroot & a ring or two of red onion - & butter some bread. The Fox made up the vinaigrette dressing & sliced the onion. He also set the table. We sat outside to eat. By the time we’d finished it was after 8pm, long after my pumpkin time these days. I usually get changed ready for bed nearer 7pm.

 

I’ve now got my full rota of radiotherapy sessions. Most of them are at sensible times but others are not. I’ve got one at 5.15pm. Heaven knows what I will be like after that! On the other extreme, there’s one for 9.30am. Still the treatment is under way & so far all is well.

Last time?

It is suggested that last night should be the last night of applause for the NHS & other essential workers. I will miss them. It has been the highlight of our rather isolated life. It has been an opportunity to get to know some of our neighbours better, to help solve one another’s problems. We would be happy to  be continuing longer. And certainly I feel the need to show thanks to the NHS regardless of the virus. I would have been dead long ago without it.

 

But maybe it is the right time. Life is starting to get back to normal. At last, from next week family & friends in groups of 6 can be seen outside. More & more people are returning to work as shops & other businesses start up again.

 

The three things I’m really looking forward to doing are firstly to get a new battery for my watch. The old battery gave up about the second day of lock down. I’ve had to depend on my mother’s old wind-up one.

 

Secondly I long to get to the dentist to get this tooth properly filled. There are days when I‘ve had a dull ache in my mouth all day.

 

But finally, & possibly above all, the possibility of seeing friends & family again is truly wonderful. However, I shall endeavour to self-isolate a while longer to ensure I stay fit & well to complete this course of radiotherapy. But once that is over, we’re intending to invite friends over for drinks in the garden. There’s plenty of room for us to social distance & it will be lovely to see them all again. Then I will really begin to feel life is getting back to normal once more.