It Was Christmas Day In The Workhouse . . .

The title for this post may seem a bit over-the-top, but, you have to admit, it's quite appropriate. For the time of year. But this isn't a workhouse. They went out sometime in the middle of the 19th century. Oh well, I did try. It mentions Christmas, but that's all.

Thursday. 10.25 a.m. I'm not doing anything in particular today. I've no need to go shopping, as I went to Aldi yesterday. I'm trying to wean myself off Sainsbury's because it seems ridiculous to spend more than I need to when Aldi (and, for that matter, Lidl.) is so much cheaper. Also, thinking about it, you get more for less in some cases. You need to have a £1 coin to use their trolleys at Aldi, which I had, and I made sure I rescued the coin from the trolley when I'd finished. You have fewer choices than in any of the big four supermarkets, making it faster to shop, not having to decide on, for example, what brand of instant coffee or breakfast cereal to choose. It's so much quieter, which was the first thing I noticed when I went through the door. No distractions, no loud music blaring out. You get through their checkouts so much quicker, because all of their products have large barcodes which the operators can scan really quickly and if you set up your shopping bags and put them in your empty trolley you can put your groceries straight into the bags and then pay and be out loading them into your car really quickly. It's a wonder none of the big main supermarkets doesn't use this system. If you compare, for example, Sainsbury's products, they have very small barcodes, which take some time to find, which slows down checkout.

Friday. 7.45 a.m. It's a bit wet and rainy this morning. I took Alfie out a bit earlier than usual, which meant I had to take my small torch to see what we were doing. I went out earlier because I have to get my washing in the machine before 8 o'clock.

9.20 a.m. My washing is now in the dryer. The rain is falling heavily. No sign of it stopping, and it's dull and overcast. In other words, a typical December day.

The sun did come out later in the day. Whoopee!

Christmas Eve. Saturday. 7.20 a.m. My goodness! My Friday blog post must have been the shortest on record! Well, the fact is, I did very little, so not much to write about.

9.55 a.m. I've been to Sainsbury's to get some last-minute bits and pieces. (I know, I said I wasn't going to go shopping there, but there were items I knew they'd have.) I thought it was a good idea to go early because it was likely to get crowded, with people following my example and shopping earlier rather than later. It wasn't particularly busy.

11.00 a.m. I bought Alfie some Christmassy treats. They look like bacon, but when I gave him one, he sniffed it, played with it for a while, and then tasted it. It took him a minute or two, and then he ate it. He's such a fussy little dog! I think it's because it was new. I give him the same food and the same treats, but try anything different and he doesn't appreciate it. A year ago I bought him mince pie-shaped treats, but he just wouldn't eat them. I have a feeling they are on the bookshelf, uneaten. I know, before you tell me off, I should never give a dog mince-pies, because the sultanas and mixed fruit they contain can be toxic and even lethal to them because they can't digest them.

I've just returned from taking out Alfie, and we walked around Oldbrook Green. The first time in a while, due to the weather. The sun was shining, although rather weakly.

It's All Action? . . .More like Inaction!

Monday.  2.25 p.m.  Action, did I hear you say? This is Dexter House we're talking about. I have mentioned the matter of the scooter stores, which were built outside against one outside wall of this building. They were constructed because the fire officer did an inspection of Dexter house some while ago, (probably before I moved in more than three years ago), and said that the electric mobility scooters which some tenants use, can't be stored in any of the common areas, mostly in the corridors. They have to be parked there at present, so they can be charged overnight. A great deal of money has been spent building these sheds, which have concrete floors, electric power points, lighting etc, but cannot be accessed from the main building because of ramps and special doors which can be opened automatically so that scooters can get in and out of the building, but nobody at Milton Keynes Council will take any responsibility for paying for the work to be done to install these doors. Total incompetence on the part of the Council to get this work completed. It rather defeats the point of having the sheds built. Meanwhile, it's a trip hazard to have doormats on the outside of flats!!!! Meanwhile, if there's a fire in this building, some of the exit routes are blocked by mobility scooters!!!

I took my car to Bleak Hall Motors for its service, which was booked for 10.00 a.m. I try to get to appointments early so, if there is a chance of them starting earlier, then it's always worthwhile.

The mechanics soon had it in the workshop and I just sat in the waiting room as there was no point going home. I could have walked, but then I would have had to walk back. I read one of my books, which I had taken, and my reading glasses (or, at least, one pair that were usable and not broken.) 

After about an hour and a half, I was told that the brake fluid needed topping up, so I agreed to have it done. The whole procedure was finished by 12.20 or thereabouts, so I paid and left. I wanted to post some Christmas cards, which at that point I hadn't purchased, but I thought I'd get the stamps first and so drove into Coffee Hall, which is opposite Bleak Hall. The post office in the One-Stop shop in Garraways has a post office inside, so that seemed the obvious, and closest place to get stamps. Unfortunately, on arrival, I discovered it was closed for lunch. From there I drove to Waitrose at Oakgrove and got the Christmas cards and a book of postage stamps and as I was driving back home along Chaffron Way I realized that I had left the Sainsbury's bag which I had taken with me to Bleak Hall Motors was still in their waiting area and so I drove all the way back, retrieved the bag containing my book and glasses and then drove home to have lunch which consisted of a sandwich which I had purchased in Waitrose.

Tuesday. 6.25 a.m. It's been raining during the night. I could hear it when I woke up at around 2 o'clock. 

4.40 p.m. The drive to Camphill this morning was virtually free from the aggressive drivers and the long queue getting across the various roundabouts on the way. I imagine this is due to schools being on holiday and parents not driving their little darlings to school.

It has been really sunny and mild today. Considering how cold it was barely a week ago, with snow on the ground and surfaces in some places slippery and covered in ice. It's almost like spring. 

After the usual check-in, we did a game which had a Christmas theme to it. We stood in two lines across the hall, facing each other, and as you were in pairs, facing each other, you had to pretend it was Christmas morning and were giving your opposite number a present, which you had to mime giving to them, and then they opened it and then they gave you a present. A great deal of fun and a good way to use your imagination.

Terrie, the leader of the drama workshop, got the cast of 'Twelfth Night' to do a run-through of the first act of the play. A bit rough around the edges, but everyone remembered most of their stuff, and it was done because it will be several weeks before there will be further rehearsals.

The rest of the day was fun (well, in general, the drama workshop at Camphill is fun in some way or  another .) 

After the tea break, Terrie announced that we were to play the game 'Taskmaster', which was originally on one of the UkTv channels but is now on Channel Four. The idea is that a panel of five contestants are given various tasks and each is scored and the contestant with the most points is the winner. Mitchell, who is a new member of the leadership team within the drama workshop, went off and filled a bag with all manner of items and then the contestants, who sat on the stage, had to guess what was in the bag by feeling it. 

Several more tasks were given to the contestants and after lunch, one more go with a different set of contestants. Then there was Camphill's 'Great British Bake-Off.' I was chosen to be Mary Berry and Mitchell was Paul Hollywood (who are judges in the television show, if you didn't already know.) We made a bit issue of tasting the two cakes which some of the Camphill residents had made, which being definitely over-the-top. The two teams of bakers had to mime making their cakes (similar to how it's done on the television show.) and then we had to mark the cakes. In the end, we decided (at least I decided.) That there wasn't a lot between the two bakes and said that it was an equal win for both.

The final hour of the day was divided between having a dance around in the hall to Christmas music and the final half-hour was taken up with Terrie telling one of her stories which were very interesting and entertaining, by 4 o'clock when the drama workshop ends, it was all 'Happy Christmas!' to all until the group meets up again on 11th January 2023.

No White Christmas! Good or Bad?

 Saturday. 8.10 a.m. Cold and snowy conditions continue here in Milton Keynes, but, according to BBC Breakfast, it's going to get warmer next week. So, if that's the case, we won't get a traditional 'White Christmas.' 

11.15 a.m. I needed to get an ice scraper and more de-icer spray. I managed to get a can of spray in Sainsbury's yesterday, but no scrapers to be had. So I thought it might be an idea to look elsewhere and then decided on going to Halford's. I drove to the store in Rooksley and had a good look around and eventually had to ask a staff member who directed me to the last remaining stocks of these essential winter items. I grabbed two bottles of de-icer, just in case I couldn't get any more later on as well as the scraper and paid. I had problems keying in my PIN on the card reader, and the lady on the till told me that the keys were worn down because of people using hand gel. Which made me think if that was what it did to buttons on a card reader, what would it do to the skin on your hands? I suppose it's because most of it is alcohol-based. Worrying.

From Halfords, I drove to Sainsbury's because I had to collect a repeat prescription from Lloyd's pharmacy, which is within the store. Upon arrival inside the store and eventually arriving at the pharmacy, I found a notice informing me that they weren't opening the pharmacy until 10.30, which meant I would either have to return home and come back until 10.30 to collect my prescription or wait within the store. I didn't want to go home and then come back, so I spent the 40 minutes browsing the store, bought a string of Christmas lights, which I had been looking for anyway and also bought a few items I knew I'd need. The prescription was important because I was concerned that the order wouldn't be made up in time for the Christmas holiday when everything closes for at least two weeks.

1.35 p.m. I've been out, and it appears that the snow is gradually melting away. I do hope so, as it makes life difficult underfoot.

Sunday. 9.45 a.m. Under normal circumstances, I would have driven off to church by now, but there is no service this morning. Instead, there is to be a carol service, with candles, I believe. My only problem would be that smoke, given off by the burning of candles, would cause me to cough, so I will watch it online instead.

It's certainly a good deal milder this morning. There are definite signs of a thaw. The next problem is likely to be flooding.

2.05 p.m. There's even less chance of there being a 'White Christmas because I have been out with Alfie and it's now raining, although very thin. The grass alongside Strudwick Drive is gradually disappearing, so if it keeps on in this way, tomorrow morning it will have completely disappeared.

Monday. 3.05 a.m. I am awake, well, almost. I needed the loo (What's changed in that department?) Once I'm awake, I can't always get back to sleep. So, no point attempting to sleep. I have a shave and that makes me even more wide awake, but worth it. I do my Bible reading, 'The Bible Through The Year With Nicky Gumble', which I have on my iPad. It's he who was one of the originators of the Alpha Course at Holy Trinity Brompton. 

I'm not sure about the weather, but, having looked out of the kitchen window when I did the washing up yesterday evening, I saw that most of the snow had disappeared. At that moment, I can hear the wind, whistling and roaring around the building. 

8.00 a.m. It's windy out. The snow is gone and it's so much milder. I'm glad because it means I don't have to scrape ice off the car before I drive off to Bleak Hall Motors so that it can have its annual service. 

Snow 'n' Ice and Industrial Action

Friday. 8.30 a.m. Yet another bitingly cold morning. My car is iced up, so I've been out to run it and start scraping the ice off the windows. I found a can of de-icer hidden behind the driver's seat but couldn't remove the cap. Once indoors, I managed to remove the cap and will now be able to use the spray to defrost the rest of the windows. I will help set up the playgroup for the last time this year. The scraper has now disappeared and it's annoying as it's useful to remove the ice. It makes it such an easy job.

1.15 p.m. I've been to the Oaktree Centre to help set up the Acorns playgroup. It was partially set up when I arrived and there was to be a Christmas party, well actually two sessions when usually there would be one, starting at 10.00 and the second at around 11.15. Lots of children of pre-school age, bought by parents and grandparents. I think most of them come from around the Shenley area of Milton Keynes. 

Friday. 8.05 a.m. So, here we are once again. The week has come around and it's Friday. The days seem to go past so fast. Hence, my washing is in the machine, and I'm watching  BBC Breakfast on television. It's cold, but there doesn't seem to be any further snow, thankfully. 

We are in the middle of strikes. The NHS has been crippled by industrial action by members of the Royal College of Nursing (strange that a college should have union powers. Do unions have powers? I thought there was legislation bought in when Margaret Thatcher was in government when she enacted legislation regarding striking. Probably something about secondary picketing, but I'm not sure.) I have to say I think nurses do need a pay rise, but the government, and not just this particular government, constantly throws vast amounts of cash at the NHS, so what happens? It would appear nothing. Probably paying for more bureaucrats, pen-pushers and so on, which have virtually no effect on the care of patients. Then, of course, the NHS was virtually closed down during the pandemic and many services were shut down. The entire economy was closed down during lockdowns, and vast pots of money were thrown at people to sit at home and do nothing.  This might explain why we now have rising prices and inflation, but nobody seems to realize that is partially the cause for all this. Politicians blame the war in Ukraine, which might have a part to play, but throwing money around as was done for two years has to be paid for at some point. 

I know full well how nurses work and their devotion to their jobs, having first-hand experience of being in a hospital on the two occasions I've had heart attacks. Not just then, but during the time Carol was diagnosed with cancer and especially the period she was having chemotherapy. The nurses never stopped. They didn't seem to have breaks, or, if they did, I was never aware of them. Totally professional. They are the people that keep the NHS going.

Then there are strikes on the railways. These union members are only going to destroy their own jobs because all this disruption will only put people off using the railway system and eventually their jobs will disappear with automation and other technology.

Finally, Royal Mail is being crippled by even more strikes. This will likely spoil many people's Christmases, due to parcels and cards and other items being delayed. But there are other services available, such as DHL, and Evri, which allow you to send parcels, and probably a good deal cheaper than Royal Mail. How many letters do people send nowadays? I very rarely get letters, but plenty of junk mail, which ends up in the recycling bin. I think most people use email for personal stuff. With a first-class stamp costing almost £1, you can see why people don't use it much. 

Grills 'n' Spills!

Tuesday. 6.30 a.m. I have a cold today. I have been sneezing a lot and as a consequence, I won't be going to Camphill. I don't think it's a good idea to go and then spread it around an already vulnerable group. 

I may just add, as a sort of footnote, that there may be grills, or at least a grill, mentioned in this post, but nothing about spills, whether slipping over in the ice and snow or any sort of spill requiring me to clear up something spilt. Just thought you'd like to know. Well, it's not a footnote, come to think of it, as it not at the foot of the post. Just to clear things up before I get into this post.

I purchased a George Foreman grill from Argos a few days ago. I had around £ 40 worth of vouchers, so I didn't actually pay with cash. I have mentioned the monthly men's breakfast which we have where we usually go somewhere such as Morrison's at Westcroft or The Fountain at Loughton but we had discussed having it in the café area at The Oaktree Centre once again. The main obstacle to this is not being able to use the kitchen, which is fully equipped but hasn't been gas safety certified. (Actually, it wouldn't be a problem if the certification didn't cost in the region of £250.) I thought that a George Foreman grill would be handy as you can cook paninis on it and some fried/grilled food such as sausages. 

Wednesday. 6.45 a.m. On Monday evening I was going to have pork chops for my evening meal and I usually sear them in a frying pan before I put them into the oven to cook through thoroughly. Because of having the George Foreman grill sitting on the shelf and unused and the fact I was determined to try it out for the first time, I got it out and set it up on the work surface in the kitchen. It didn't take it long to warm up and when it was ready I put the chops on it. But, as it began to cook, it produced steam and a bit of smoke, which set off the smoke/fire alarm. It didn't just go off in my flat but throughout Dexter House. I waved a tea towel under the fire alarm in the ceiling and I think it cleared the smoke. But thinking about it now, why did nobody come and see what set the alarm off? Fortunately, it didn't go off for too long, otherwise, we would have had a visit from the fire engines which is what usually happens when a fire alarm is set off. I was supposed to have an extractor fan fitted to my kitchen window by Mears, but I am still awaiting this installation so that this sort of thing doesn't happen. Pigs might fly!

Another box ticked. I have ordered my grandchildren's Christmas present from Smyth's website and the present will be delivered straight to their home in Worcester. It saves me having to go out and buy it and then wrap it and then go wherever (probably not a Post Office, because of the current strikes.) and have it sent by whatever means. All this was done at around 3 a.m. because I was wide awake and couldn't sleep.

10.10 a.m. Yet another snowy day, although we haven't had any more fall. Probably just as well. As I write, the sun is out and I have been out to clear the car of ice. I have sprayed the windows and had the heaters on, but I have mislaid the scraper. I'm keen to have it clear enough to see out properly as I am going to have the blood test at 11.20. I don't relish having needles stuck in my arm, as I must have explained in earlier posts. If it's done quickly, then I don't mind. It's when they say 'I can't find a vein' that it worries me. After I'd had my first heart attack back in 2006, they wanted to take blood and at one point the nurse (venipuncturist? Is that the correct name?) had a problem taking blood and wanted to take it from one of my hands. No way would I allow it. It would be far too painful. It should come from a fleshy part of your anatomy. They took it from my leg. I left the hospital with one arm looking black and blue where they'd attempted to take blood, and more like I'd been in some sort of accident, or a battle. Yes, the battle with a needle. All this because I have narrow veins and at one surgery they decided that they needed to use a needle which was really narrow and suitable for taking blood from babies!

1.45 p.m. I have been for my appointment to have blood taken for a blood test. It was scheduled for 11.20 a.m., but I almost always attempt to arrive at such appointments early, so that I can possibly be seen earlier. I signed in, using the computerized system, but then I had an urgent need for a toilet (I'm afraid age has a large part to play in this.) To be honest, I prefer to look for toilets on my own, without having to ask. Well, it can't be too difficult to find such facilities without having to ask. Most toilets are well enough signposted or at least, market 'Ladies' or 'Gents.' But when I had a wander, the only one I could find was locked. You needed a special Radar key, which I know about, having been a carer of people who require facilities and so have the special key with me for such an eventuality. But, in a doctor's surgery, you would imagine that toilets would be easily accessible without having to resort to such a key. So I had to go to the reception desk and ask where the nearest toilet was and was then told to use the Radar key, which was in a special container at the front of the reception desk. Which is what I did and was able to use the aforementioned facilities.

I returned to my seat in the waiting area and then someone came out calling for 'Mr Gillespie.' It made me look up, as my middle name is Gillespie, which was the surname on my maternal grandmother's side of my family. At one time I even double-barrelled it and called myself John Gillespie-Murdoeh, but looking back that sounds somewhat pretentious. I went with the nurse to the room and told her I would need to lie down to have the blood taken. So, I lay on the couch and she started to look for a vein in my right arm. It was then that I began to worry that she wouldn't be able to find a suitable vein and be able to take blood. She then decided to have a go at my left arm and after some effort, she did manage to take some blood. 

When I go for such an appointment, I am usually able to start some sort of conversation, but she wasn't going to communicate in any other way except about the job at hand. I find, in such situations, that some sort of rapport can elevate the tension, particularly as I have terrible experiences with giving blood (as mentioned earlier in this post. She seemed in rather an uncooperative mood and a bit glum, to say the least, but at least the blood sample was taken and I should get the result in a couple of days. I said 'perhaps I am bloodless' and 'I wouldn't make a very good vampire,' but to no avail. Never mind. Some falls on stony ground. I just have to accept that some people just don't appreciate my sense of humour, such as it is. 

Christmas Build-Up?

Sunday. 8.15 a.m. Yet another cold and frosty morning. I have dug out my gloves and woolly Oddballs hat before going out. My hands get freezing cold and can get really painful if I don't wear gloves in such conditions.

9.20 a.m. I have been out to defrost the car. Fortunately, I had the sense to buy some spray antifreeze the other day when I was in Sainsbury's and I also have a scraper, which makes the job easier. I don't think it was a particularly heavy frost, and the ice cleared easily. Also, putting on the car's heated windscreen helps considerably.

2.30 p.m. After our usual service at Shenley Christian Fellowship, we had a Christmas party. It was a bring-and-share meal, the idea being that a list of food was put up on a white board and if you could provide something on that list, you prepared it or bought it. I had tomato and cucumbers, cut up and put into one of my metal bowls, crisps, Twiglets and grapes to take. I went to Sainsbury's during the week to do a top-up shop and got most of those items, except Twiglets. Search as I might, there were none to be had. A bit like Lane, the butler in 'The Importance of Being Earnest, who responds to the question about cucumbers, which have been made for Algernon's aunt, Lady Bracknell, 'I went down to the market earlier and there were no cucumbers, not even for ready money.'

Not only is it bitingly cold today, but there's a thick fog covering all of Milton Keynes. It seems to have got worse as the day has progressed. It's just as well I don't have to drive far because I don't like driving in fog, especially when it's so thick you can only see a short distance ahead of you and definitely not on any Motorway. Also, with snow, it would be treacherous.

Monday. 6.30 a.m. I have a feeling we had a fall of snow overnight. I have yet to be outside, but I am waiting to go out and then will discover if that is correct.

8.50 a.m. There has definitely been quite a fall of snow overnight. When I took Alfie out at 7.35 we discovered a thick layer of snow on the grass alongside Strudwick Drive. My car has a blanket of snow on it as I gaze out of the window, and I will have to go down and brush it off. I have also been to take a few photographs with my iPhone and they have been uploaded onto Facebook.

1.10 a.m. I have been out to scrape off the snow from my car. I was surprised by how much there was and how thick it was. I wasn't preparing to go out in the car immediately, but I was thinking it might be a good idea to clear it before there's another snowstorm overnight and that it would need clearing off the car before I drive to Camphill tomorrow morning. I just hope it doesn't snow overnight nor that it freezes, which would make the job easier.

I had a telephone call this morning from one of the pharmacists at my doctor's surgery, Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre. I was actually expecting a doctor to ring. I thought we were going to discuss and review my medications but wasn't about that. I wanted to talk about the cough I keep having, due to the amount of phlegm I have at the back of my throat and the heartburn, which can feel almost exactly like how your body feels when you have a heart attack. She said I would need to speak to a GP and that I can make an appointment at around 7 p.m. for the next day. I also have to have a blood test and an appointment to have an amount of blood taken (not something I like, but still, it must be done.) so there can be a check on my kidney function. That is made for Wednesday morning at 11.20 a.m. Which means,  no food to be eaten beforehand.

I have booked my car into Bleakhall Motors for a service on Monday 19th December and this is at 8.00 a.m. I'm trying my best to keep the car in good mechanical order so having it serviced regularly seems a sensible idea to me.

6.20 p.m. I have just been watching a video on Vimeo, the video-sharing site, of the pantomime which the  Camphill theatre workshop did in July. I had heard all about it and would have gone to see it if I had been able to go to Camphill, but hadn't been able to because of the pandemic and having to wear a face mask. I am absolutely knocked out by the energy and enthusiasm that was put into the production. Everyone remembered their lines and gave such strong performances. A real winner. A great deal of hard work and effort went into the whole show.

Christmas Cheer?

 Saturday. 8.25 a.m. It's cold and frosty. I was out with my little mate, Alfie, just after  7.30. A frost on the grass and a large moon hovering in the chill sky. It was really large the other morning. I'm not sure of the name it gets at this time of year. I'll have to do a Google search. 

Done the Google search. It's called a Cold Moon. Boring really. It's because the weather gets colder. Not very original, then. 

So, we get more football coverage, due to England meeting France in the quarter-finals at the World Cup in Qatar at 7.00 this evening. No, I'm not interested, so won't be watching. There's far too much coverage, and it looks as if the whole country is totally obsessed with football. I know why, it's about money. Too much riding on it all, with adverting and sponsorship tied up with the sport. Going into Sainsbury's the other morning, it was shocking to see how many products are tied into it. They want you to make sure you have plenty of food to eat during the various games, particularly pizza, crisps, lager, and soft drinks such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi. It's not just in supermarkets, either. Turn on any of the commercial television stations, and the advertising connected to the World Cup is more or less at saturation point. If you want to avoid any form of advertising by watching catch-up, you can't avoid it as these forms of television viewing aren't free from commercial overkill. I suppose you can't blame the companies, because they're paid for by advertising, not just during programmes, but they have sponsorship wrapping around each programme, beginning and end and during the commercial breaks. 

10.40 a.m. I've been attempting to move my writing project forward. I think it's more of a serial instead of a novel, and it should be released in episodes, which is more or less how he began life. I wanted to create something, rather in the mould of a television soap, with multiple characters and storylines which interact with one another, but more likely weave in and out of a central storyline, which is how it's developing. 

I have taken Alfie out and have just got back indoors. It's cold enough for gloves and my Oddballs woolly hat (Oddballs being a company that sells clothing items, underwear, pyjamas, gloves and so on, and the profits go towards initially,  research for a cure for prostate cancer, but have also helped fund other cancer research for both men and women.) I wanted to walk around Oldbrook Green, although Alfie had other ideas and was determined to get home in the warm, but I had other ideas and insisted on our circular walk continuing. I had the idea to be thinking about how my writing project could move forward and come up with some sort of storyline which would introduce a new character who would be able to create some tension. So, I am using the method which Charles Dickens used, as he would walk for miles around London and this would be when he came up with storylines and characters. I can see that would be a good method and might suggest why so many of his novels are set in London. 

Sunday. 7.15 a.m. Did I say Christmas cheer in the title of this post? I can't say I'm particularly in any sort of mood for Christmas, particularly as today is the fourth anniversary of the passing of my lovely wife, Carol. She is sorely missed, and she was too young to die at 54. We had such a good life together and were always doing things together, laughing and visiting various places, going to National Trust properties, museums, theatres and many more places. Cancer is so cruel. More research needs to be done to find a cure for the various forms it takes. Far too many people have either died of cancer or not been diagnosed by the NHS due to the pandemic when the various cancer facilities were shut down. Totally crazy and not acceptable.

A Cold And Frosty Morning

Wednesday.10.40 a.m. A freezing and frosty morning when I took Alfie out after 7.30. I don't think it was such a surprise, as this is probably typical weather at this time of the year. Later, I went out to scrape ice off the car and put the heaters on to defrost the windscreen and rear window. Later still, I went to Sainsbury's and got a spray bottle of antifreeze, amongst other things.

Thursday. 6.40 a.m. I'm not sure how cold it is outside and whether I will need to defrost the car before I drive to the Oaktree Centre this morning. I am due to take Alfie out as soon as it gets light, probably around 7.30.

12.35 p.m. It turned out to be frosty and cold. The temperature has definitely fallen sharply. Considering how warm it's been throughout the summer and well into the autumn, it's quite a contrast.

Friday. 6.50 a.m. I had a terrible bout of heartburn when I went to bed last night. Having had two heart attacks, I have a good idea of what that feels like and the feeling of intense heartburn is very similar. In fact, the first time I had a heart attack, I actually thought it was no more than heartburn. It's in virtually the same place in your chest. I took one of my Gaviscon tablets, which fortunately I had in my medications' drawer, and it did subside eventually, but it was still frightening. Not having someone around immediately to support me was rather scary and then, had I actually had a heart attack, what would have happened to Alfie if I'd gone to the hospital then there was the prospect of being stuck in the hospital for a couple of days. Not something I was particularly looking forward to. I still don't know what set the heartburn off as I had eaten my meal two or more hours before. I have a medication review on Monday. I have my doctor telephoning me and I will discuss this then. Also, the troublesome cough I have I reckon is caused by one of my medications, possibly the Atorvostatin. I think is causing the phlegm at the back of my throat, which makes me cough. It just will not go away. It is very annoying and unpleasant.

7.55 a.m. It's frosty and cold once again. 

I have loaded the washing machine with clothes (well, what else would I load into a washing machine?) So, another hour or so before I remove it and put the load into the drier.

Alfie is now well and truly warm and comfortable on my bed. Well, who can blame him? He knows where it's best to sleep.

I am watching another episode of one of my all-time favourite television shows, 'The Avengers' on Britbox. It is very stylistic and typically 1960s entertainment. Mrs Peel, played by the late, great Diana Rigg, is a very positive female role model. No shrinking violet or your stereotypical female sidekick. The whole show is very tongue-in-cheek and doesn't take itself too seriously. 

Another Week Of Excitement? Don't Bank On It.

 Monday. 6.40 a.m. Here I am, early morning, in my sitting room (lounge to some. Makes me think of someone laying nonchalantly on a chaise lounge or sofa, literally lounging.) It's dark outside. I'm not good at this time of year. Lack of light or something.

10.10 a.m. There's an annoying sound outside in the street. It's a high-pitched drone. I think it's council workers cutting the hedges along Dexter Avenue. The hedges are definitely in need of a trim, but at the moment it's really getting on my nerves and not helping my concentration. It is a continuous drone sound, a single note that goes right through your head and, as a result, clears all the ideas you ever had out of your brain. Just horrible.

I have been transferring some more handwritten material onto word processing. It's a piece I started and had more or less forgotten. It relates to what I have already written, but you would call it 'meta.' That is,  set in a sort of parallel world of the central character of the longer piece (if that makes sense. Meta, referring to the fictional world.) Much like in Shakespeare, the 'play-within-a-play' in 'Hamlet' uses theatrical metaphors as a device. I'm not going to discuss it further on here as it is still in development and I don't want to give away any plot details.

Tuesday. 7.45 a.m. Did I say, a week of excitement? But this is Fogeyville (my name for Dexter House.) I don't think there's any likelihood of any sort of excitement, except for the regular Wednesday afternoon tea-and-biscuits session in the communal lounge. I did go the first week, and I attempted to start some sort of intelligent conversation, and I drew a complete blank. There's to be a Christmas party on Friday afternoon, but I will be elsewhere at that time.

It's another relatively mild morning, although I have found my gloves, and I'm wearing one of my long-sleeved Marks and Spencer Rugby shirts. Really warm. I wanted to iron it, using my steam iron, but it just won't work properly. It won't reach a high enough temperature and therefore produce steam to work efficiently, so it looks as if I'm going to have to replace it. Looking on the Argos website, I have discovered you can get a cordless steam iron, which would make things easier without the electric cable getting in the way. I did set up my ironing board in the kitchen, but there's so little space, it makes it very difficult. 

4.45 p.m. I've just got back from Camphill, after another good day in the theatre workshop. I'm so impressed by these people, most of whom have some form of learning disability. Some have real problems with communication, but they manage to get up on stage and perform, have to remember not just lines, but where to stand and then create a character. Just quite emotional. There's one lady who came in to see whether she would like to be part of the group, and, after only a couple of weeks, she's contributing, taking on a part and by now is really confident. The group works so well, and it's a real delight to be part of it all.

The Cold(er) Blasts of Wintery Weather

Thursday12.00 p.m. It's a good deal colder this morning. I thought there was ice on my car before I drove off to the Oaktree Centre at around 8.50 a.m. to help set up the playgroup, but it wasn't ice, just moisture, so that was a relief.

Friday. 9.15 a.m. The washing is in the dryer. It will take around 45 minutes before it is dry enough to remove and for me to hang my shirts in the wardrobe and the rest in the drawer unit. Then, with my shopping list in my hand, I will be off to Sainsbury's.

Yet another relatively mild morning. Totally unseasonal.

Saturday. 6.55 a.m. It's dark. Well, that's a surprise? No, well, it is usually at this time of the morning in early December. 

Sunday. 8.10 a.m. My posts on here are getting thinner and thinner. 

The weather is getting considerably colder as the days go by. What do you expect in December?

The World Cup is dominating everything at the moment. I am no fan of football, so it's something to avoid. It's not necessarily the football that I find annoying, but all the waffle they dole out, the constant chatter which is more like padding between the games and the fact that all three main television channels have games on at the same time. You get highly-paid, so-called pundits, such as Gary Lineker, rambling on incessantly, and then they have what I think you call 'vox-pops', where they go out into the streets and ask members of the public for their views. Totally irrelevant and meaningless. Not journalism at all. Crazy. 

12.30 p.m. We had café church at SCF this morning. In fact, I have just got back. The idea is to attract non-church-goers into the Oaktree Centre and there's free cake, coffee, tea and other goodies and games for the children to play and a time to chat with anyone and everyone and make friendships. I have spoken to several people I haven't met or even spoken to before and a good sense of community.

3.35 p.m. I have resubscribed to Britbox, the streaming service which is owned by all the major British television providers, BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5. There is a lot of classic drama on there, Doctor Who, Keeping Up Appearances, Fawlty Towers and more and quite a lot of original content. I was interested in watching the new series of 'Staged' the comedy starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen, which is set during the pandemic and imagines them staging a play via Zoom. The new series is exclusive to Britbox. At £5.99 a month it seems excellent value and the content is constantly changing, with stuff being taken off and new stuff being added.

6.25 p.m. I'm watching the BBC's 1970s serialization of 'I Claudius' on Britbox. This was one of the BBC's hits in its day. Derek Jacobi was Claudius, with a stammer. It is somewhat stagey by modern standards. No exteriors and definitely studio-bound, but that was the way television drama was made in the mid-1970s. It has stood the test of time remarkably well. They must have spent a lot on sets and costumes. Also made on tape rather than film. It's more like a filmed stage play. Derek Jacobi's makeup is a bit ropey. I don't know what age he was when he played the part of Claudius, but he's made to appear as an old man, who is telling the story. Other actors who appear are Sian Phillips as Claudius's mother, Brian Blessed, (here far more restrained than his usual 'shouty' acting in later programmes and films.) and John Hurt as Caligula. 

All The Right Notes . . . But Not Necessarily In The Right Order!

Monday. 9.30 a.m. It's bright and sunny and unseasonably mild. I can't believe we'll be in December in a couple of days.

Not a lot to report at present. 

Tuesday. 5.15 p.m. Monday may have been somewhat dull (well, life at Dexter House is somewhat mundane, to say the least.) but today has been exceptional.

It didn't start out particularly well. As I've mentioned earlier, the drive to Camphill can be somewhat nerve-wracking. Normally, at a later time of day, it would take no more than ten minutes, but with heavy traffic, it can take twice as long. This morning, as usual, I drove along Strudwick Drive and onto Chaffron Way, but this beast of an H.G.V. came right up behind me. It was not a pleasant experience to have this thing looming over me, very nearly touching the back bumper of my Renault and I was more than pleased that it didn't continue following me as it turn off to the left along Saxon Street at the Eaglestone Roundabout `(also known as 'Four Bridges.')

The traffic heading for the centre of Milton Keynes is heavy along Chaffron Way, Portway and Childs Way. Crossing the various roundabouts along Brickhill Street on the way to Camphill can be quite daunting because you have to judge when there is going to be a gap and then drive forward. It's not great for me, particularly as I was run into twice when I was a home carer and used to drive around Milton Keynes between the various calls I had early in the day. Then there are aggressive drivers, who think it's fine to come right up behind you as you drive (called, I believe, 'tailgating.') Then some drivers don't seem to think you need to stop and wait for traffic to pass on roundabouts and just carry on regardless, which is probably why I got to run into. 

Well, thinking about the drive to Camphill, it wasn't as stressful as it can be, but I'm thinking, 'I thought that Milton Keynes was supposed to not have traffic problems, gridlock and similar when it was being planned in the 1960s.' It certainly doesn't live up to that promise. Some of the roundabouts really need to have temporary traffic lights at critical times of day, which would surely cut the hold-ups with cars bumper to bumper.

At Camphill there are early signs of Christmas as some of the houses have lights strung up on their exterior and on the front of the house which is directly opposite the Chrysalis Theatre, which has the cafe on its ground floor, there are lights strung across the walkways and balconies and a very large central wreath of holly and other seasonal vegetation which is ringed with lights which will only look their best when it gets dark.

The theatre workshop group met in the crypt in the theatre, because the theatre upstairs was being used by another group which came in from outside Camphill, called Phoenix Rising. The crypt is quite a cramped space, which made it difficult to do some of the exercises which we have been doing over the past few weeks, and which I am only just managing to follow.  The art space, a room along the corridor from the crypt, was used so the group could do work on designing their costumes for Twelfth Night, but then I was required to take a couple within the group out for a walk because one of them, who is diabetic, had high blood sugar and some for of exercise, such as walking, will help reduce his blood sugar. So we went out and did a circuit of Camphill and along the Grand Union Canal and past the tree cathedral which I pass on Brickhill Street and then back into Camphill.

Terrie, the leader of the group, was taking each member of the cast of Twelfth Night, into the wardrobe department and going through costumes for each actor in the play. It was interesting seeing what costumes the gang either chose or were given to wear. As this show is supposed to be vaguely inspired by steampunk it was difficult to see the connection, or am I missing the point?

After lunch,  I went with the same set of guys for yet another walk, but this time it was the reverse of the morning's group. I must remember to take a G.T.N. spray, because I began to get a slight angina attack, probably set off by the fact that we were walking much too fast, but it soon settled down. When we got back to the crypt, the rest of the afternoon was spent learning a sea shanty which Mitchell, who is a new member of the leadership group, had written, and it was great to get a chance to sing with the group. Then Terrie started work with the gang in Act 2 of Twelfth Night. The gang is given a sort of outline of each scene and then they start to improvise the scenes and the dialogue. Terrie has got a written text, based loosely on the Shakespeare text. The whole day was absolutely brilliant and I must say, going to Camphill does help my mental health and the group are so friendly and supportive, not just of one another but each other. As a result of all the walking done during the day, I managed to clock up just over 12,000 steps.