Month: November 2022

As we walked home this evening from an afternoon’s natter at Pete and Dawn’s we noticed a nearly-full Moon and a sparklingly white star nearby. Of course, we knew what it was! “Erm… is that the North Star?” I wondered. “Nah, don’t be daft,” said John. “North is the other way.” Oh yes! Silly me! “Maybe Venus? Or Sirius?” Well, it was none of those, was it? It was Jupiter. And gosh, isn’t it splendid? Clear sky; luminous Moon; and a glistening Jupiter. Made our walk home something very special.

By then, though, John was beginning to tire. The end of a busy day and with his afternoon nap interrupted, he felt weary as he put one foot in front of the other. Unlike his activity yesterday when he seemed to be on top form.

He has been invited to join in on a pulmonary rehabilitation course and the assessment was yesterday. Like every self-respecting physical assessment, he did a bleep test, much to his delight. And he came out of it quite well, so he’s really looking forward to settling into the course which starts next week. Fingers crossed it ups his fitness levels, and with it his breathing levels. We’d like to hear less Darth Vader and more Luke Skywalker please.

The busy day today, however, had involved John taking a trip into Solihull all by himself. I had waved him goodbye at 9 o’clock as I toddled off to yoga. “Are you sure I don’t need to come back early from yoga and take you?” I’d asked. No, he was fine. He would manage OK, thank you very much.

And he did, of course – except that he couldn’t find his disabled badge. He phoned me. And phoned me again – because naturally, being the keeper of said badge normally, I’d know where it was. Being at yoga however, I didn’t have my phone with me. Anyway, he had to set off without it. And then had to walk from the Mell Square car park to Boots Hearing Centre in Mill Lane as a result. Not far, but an effort.

Made me laugh when he got home. “Why did you phone me?” I asked. “I couldn’t find my badge,” John replied. “Oh…..” I gazed around the room. There it was, on the little table by John’s chair! Grrr…… how irritating not to have noticed it! Ah well, I am sure the exercise did him good!!

Take care everyone. God bless.

Oh, and by the way, Susie Dent’s Word of the Day is: ‘huff-cap’ (1600s): a headstrong swaggerer; one who blusters into situations and frequently creates chaos. Can’t think who she might be thinking of?

Being a lover of all things detailed, I have put off doing the blog since we got back from our holiday. We had such a good time with our lovely family that there seemed to be far too much detail swilling round in my head to get it into a blog.

However, I have disciplined myself today and I will try to summarise. Hah! That’ll be first, won’t it?

So here we are: The House We Stayed In.

I thought The House deserved capital letters because it looks magnificent, doesn’t it? When I showed Mum today she said it looked a ‘very serviceable’ house. Made me smile – look it up, people. It’s certainly not how I would describe it looks!! Hehehe.

We all arrived in dribs and drabs – John and me, and all the Kenilworth contingent, arrived on the Friday; Andrew joined us on the Sunday; and Ellie and Catherine joined us on the Tuesday. At that point it was a full house……..including the ghost that Michael and others were convinced inhabited the building!!

Anyway, it was marvellous. And it’s the little things, isn’t it, that make it?

For example, the wonderful sound of children charging all along the mezzanine landing and back again, giggling and enjoying their game; practising their skills; exercising their lungs and bodies without a care in the world – ah, bliss. That sound – just so marvellous. Just makes you so happy.

Or the concentration of every adult in the house puzzling over the jigsaw, to get it finished by the end of the week – and the crazy triumph once it was done!

And the family meals – at the house, whether offered by the chef we hired in or ordered from the take away; in the pub; in the park or on a picnic bench – were brilliant ways to cement our love of being together.

We paddled in the sea; walked along the river; quad-biked; wandered round a stately home; hot-tubbed; spa-ed; girly-shopped; wine-tasted magnificent wines; sampled scrumptious cheese; played chess; went crabbing; even had a family photo-shoot and…..oh, just everything!!! We did it all.

Here’s the quad-biking crew. They had even broader smiles on their faces when they came home – they had had such a good time!!

Apparently, highlights of the holiday were: i) watching John and me play chess…… it seemed that we looked very happy! What do you think?

And ii) the children fighting over a ride or play on John’s scooter….. clearly driving John to drink!! Tee-hee.

Since we got back at the weekend, we have all fallen back into our standard routines very quickly and are all wishing we were back on holiday. Never mind, here’s to the next one!

Take care everyone.