Approaching Christmas

Monday. 10.25 a.m. It's a rather overcast and gloomy day. Certainly not as bad as it was a couple of days ago, but not what you would call inviting, by any stretch of the imagination. I have been to Sainsbury's, basically to top things up which were running low.

Tuesday. 2.55 p.m. I went to the Bridge Builder offices to complete my D.B.S. application. It appeared to go without a hitch, and I will have to wait until the certificate comes through before I can go further with my volunteering with Bridge Builder.

It is a wet and cold day. It has been raining more or less continuously since this morning.

Wednesday. 12.40 p.m. It was quite icy and slippery along the path towards Oldbrook Green when I went out with Alfie at around 7.25 this morning. It was quite deceptive and the leaves need to be more helpful. It really is about time that the Council workmen sweep them up. If they don't, they will begin to decompose and then become a hazard, becoming slippery, and then they will have to answer to those who fall over as a result.

I am learning the monologue I have been given as part of the Bridge Builder 'Christmas Cracked' presentation which we are taking into local Primary Schools. I have to wait until my D.B.S. certificate comes through before I can go to school. It's one of the formalities you now have to go through because of the possibility of someone abusing children. It's a sad world we live in, but without this piece of paper, you aren't allowed in and schools would want to see this.

Sunday. 8.45 a.m. I haven't written anything on here for a while. I did say in an earlier post that I wouldn't be writing much from now on.

Tuesday. 8.40 a.m. Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of Carol's passing. I was invited to a Christmas meal at The Barn by Ross. He had texted me about this, which was for the Monday Club people. It was a really pleasant meal. I'm not used to eating a full meal at midday because I always have my meal in the evening so in that respect it was great to not have to make a meal in the evening.

Apparently today it was four years ago since the General Election. I had forgotten this fact (not that I'm that bothered one way or the other.) But Sir Kier Starmer, the Labour Party leader, was on BBC Breakfast, when I put the television on at around 7.15. He was speaking from Milton Keynes, but I wasn't sure where he was. From what I could see in the background, it looked like a warehouse.

Wednesday. 2.15 p.m. At 9 o'clock, my car was booked to have an oil change. The traffic driving there was a good deal quieter than I was expecting, especially at the roundabout crossing Standing Way. I sat in the waiting area as the work was done, and it was ready to drive away at around 9.50. Paid and went home.

As I write this, it's really windy and wet outside. 

4.30 p.m. We have had a group from M.K.C.C. ( Milton Keynes Christian Centre) come to give the tenants here at Dexter House, me included, a really great Christmas teaparty. My friends Margaret and John, who go to Shenley Christian Centre (and it would appear, M.K.C.C. I knew John from when I was a helper on Alpha, which was run at M.K.C.C.) Part of the proceedings was a quiz and I won quite a haul of prizes!

Saturday. 12.30 p.m. I went with group from Shenley Christian Fellowship to the Nut and Squirrel in Westcroft for a Christmas meal. The group was made of of mostly those who are in some way or other involved with the Acorns playgroup. We were scheduled to meet at 7.30, but some people were ill, I think probably with covid.

Two ladies were already sitting at the table when I arrived, and the rest of the party arrived over the next half-hour or so. But, due to some of the staff at the Nut and Squirrel ringing in sick, only one waiter was available to do the waiting duties. Not just for our party, but, it would appear, for the rest of the restaurant, and, for what I would tell, serving behind the bar. He was literally rushed off his feet for the entire evening.

Anything Goes!

 Wednesday. 8.35 a.m. A bright, but chilly, morning.

Thursday. 8.35 a.m. It's quite frosty and cold this morning. A good deal colder than yesterday morning. The car windows are frozen over, so I have been to scrape some of the ice off, so I can drive to the Oaktree Centre after 9o'clock for our regular Bible study.

I got the printed bank statement with my address on it in the post yesterday morning from Nationwide. I wasn't expecting it, so it means my D.B.S. can be completed at Bridge Builder on Tuesday.

Friday. 10.15 a.m. It's yet another frosty and cold morning, but it's also foggy. You can't see the central shopping centre from my kitchen window, because the fog is so thick. It doesn't look as if it's going to clear at all today.

I am watching David Tennant in the central role in the Royal Shakespeare Company's  production of 'Hamlet.' Patrick Stewart plays Claudius as well as The Ghost. As they are meant to be brothers, it makes sense. It is on the BBC iPlayer, as part of the 400th anniversary celebrations for the publication of the First Shakespeare Folio. There are quite a few programmes on Shakespeare, a three-part drama/documentary on Shakespeare's life, which is very good, and I have discovered a lot of new stuff, one fact being that one of the Gunpowder plotters was a relative of Shakespeare and was executed because of his involvement. Also, a Simon Shama series about the Bard.

I might have mentioned this before, elsewhere in these blog posts, but I am something of a Shakespeare fanatic. I also 'collect' productions of Hamlet. I can't now remember how many I've seen, over the years, besides being an A.S.M. on a production when I was at Liverpool Playhouse in 1971. Carol and I went to see a National Theatre production of the play, which had Rory Kinnear in the central role. I find it intriguing to see how many ways it can be staged. It never seems to lose its power. They have more recently staged what's called 'gender blind' (not sure if that's the right term though.) with Maxine Peake playing Hamlet, although, in that production, I wasn't sure she was a 'he' or 'she'. Thinking about it, having second thoughts, her version might have been transexual. Thinking further, in Shakespeare's time, the female roles would have been played by male youths, because women were forbidden from appearing on stage. Some of the other roles have been gender-swapped, such as Polonius, becoming Polonia. 

Sunday. 12.30 p.m. It is a particularly unpleasant and wet day. I have just returned from the Oaktree Centre. I was scheduled to do tea and coffee, but an entire family were doing just that, so I had time to chat as it was what is called 'Cafe Church', which means there was no workshop, but a time of fellowship. 

My friends Margaret and Mike had invited me to lunch, so I came home to take Alfie out and as I got to my front door, I discovered a parcel, from Evri. It was difficult to read the label because the print was so tiny, so I had to get my reading glasses, but someone had put the wrong address on it. It was for the flat opposite. 

Getting Wintery!

Wednesday. 8.10 a.m. Yesterday I took my application form to Bridge Builder. Next week I will return and they will apply for my D.B.S. check (Disclosure and Barring Service.), so I can work with children in the schools they visit.

Thursday. 7.45 a.m. It was an amazing sunset as I took Alfie out at around 7.20. The whole sky was blazing red. I would have taken a few photographs, but it would have finished by the time I'd returned to my flat and picked up my phone or camera.

Friday. 3.00 p.m. I have been taking Mirtazapine for around a month. It is an anti-depressant and it helps me sleep. I will admit here that I have been going through a depressive episode for the past couple of months. I had been taking these tablets for around a week when I went to Worcester, and the Saturday afternoon I was there I felt awful and wasn't particularly sociable. For the first few days, I felt horrible and wasn't sure I wanted to go on taking them, but I persisted with them as they were going to take several weeks before I felt any sort of benefit. I am sleeping far better now, and the depression has lifted to some extent. 

I was told by the doctor who prescribed Mirtazapine that I would have to have a review before a new prescription was given. I rang the surgery several weeks ago to book an appointment with the doctor to review this medication before the current course ended. The telephone review was to be with the surgery's pharmacist, and she would ring me this morning, which she did. I told her how I was getting on with the medication, and she gave me a prescription and the new anti-depressants would be reviewed after three months. I didn't want the prescription to go to Lloyds Direct, because it was likely that I wouldn't get the next course of tablets. It might take a week, or even more, for them to arrive in the post. So, the prescription went to Boots pharmacy, next door to Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre. I drove to the pharmacy and managed to collect the medication, which means that I can keep on with them when the current course ends on Tuesday.

My car needs servicing. I usually get it done at this time of the year and the digital system keeps on reminding me of the fact the car needs servicing. It also needs the oil changing and there is a small light which has come on the dashboard which I've not seen before. I should get my Winter Fuel Payment any day now and that will be used to pay for the servicing. As a result, I won't be driving the car until the service has been done. This cash was usually in my bank account around now, but it seems it was later because I checked my bank account. I will just have to be patient until it is in my account and then book the service with a local garage. 

From Boots pharmacy, I walked the short distance to the surgery to ask at the reception for my blood test result, which was done exactly two weeks ago. It turns out my cholesterol level is normal, which would be 5 or less, with the label on the result, 'no further action,' which is a relief.

Saturday. 8.10 a.m. A cold morning, with a light frost on the grass when I took Alfie out at around 7.15.

Monday. 8.55 a.m. It must have been raining at night because the leaves appeared to be wet when I took Alfie out.

6.05 p.m. I had my first Zoom meeting with the Social History group of U3A. I just found out there were Zoom meetings like this recently. It was about letters, letter-writing and communication in general. It was very interesting and I found out a great deal. I had trouble connecting, basically, because I was given the wrong ID code and password, but, when I went on email, I got the correct information.

Tuesday. 6.30 p.m. I've been to the Bridge Builder office in Bletchley to start my D.B.S. application. Unfortunately, I need a printout of my bank statement. The other documents are suitable and used to prove my identity. I have since printed out my bank statement from the Nationwide website.

The rest of the afternoon was spent doing a safeguarding training. I  have done similar training, having worked in care in various situations. 

Bright and Sunny!

Wednesday. 8.55 a.m. It's a bright and sunny morning, although it's not as warm as expected. I have taken the cage which Alfie sits in when he goes anywhere in the car. I've had it when I took him to the lady who looked after him when I went to Worcester, and it was in the car all the way there and back and because I'm about to go to Sainsbury's, it makes more space to put shopping in.

10.40 a.m. What a performance! I've just got back from Sainsbury's. The traveller is closed, the 'down' one, and when you've finished your shopping trip, you have to go down to the car park in the lift. Then the self-service till I used was playing up. I'm scanning everything correctly, but the confounded thing stops working and keeps on telling me 'item in the wrong place' or something else. Frustrating, to say the least. It means a member of staff has to come and sort out the blasted machine, so I can continue to scan and get finished and then go home with my shopping.

Friday. 1.05 p.m. You may have noticed that I haven't been posting such regular posts on here lately. I just think I want to spend less time writing this. So, please don't expect such regular posts from now on.

I haven't mentioned that I went for the interview at Bridge Builder last Tuesday afternoon. It seemed to go well. A lovely team. I am in the process of filling in an application form and asking people at church to give me references. The business relating to the 'incident' at Camphill regarding Halloween is still to be resolved. I have a meeting on 27th November. I will not be returning to work in the theatre workshop.

I have completed reading the sixth and final book in the Peter Ackroyd series 'History of England.' The first one in the series is called 'Foundation', the second is called Tudors', the third is called Civil War', the fourth is called 'Revolution', the fifth is called 'Dominion' and the sixth, and final volume is called 'Innovation.' 

Saturday. 12.30 p.m. Anything but 'bright and sunny', which is what I used as this post's title. It is windy and there is intermittent rain. Taking Alfie out, we have to negotiate the leaves which cover the grass alongside Strudwick Drive and I had to step aside as an electric scooter shoots by and barely gives me space on the path. Two people are riding it, which I'm sure isn't such a good idea as they're probably intended to have only one rider on board.

Monday. 1.25 p.m. A reasonably mild and sunny day.

I attempted to ring Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre to get the result for the blood test I did over a week ago, but I spent over 45 minutes hanging on, with that horrible music repeating over and over that I gave up and didn't get through. Maddening.

Then we had the fire alarm going off at around 12.15. It was eventually turned off when the fire engine arrived. Why can't they merely throw a switch somewhere to turn it off? Crazy. The thing is so loud that it gives me a headache.

I have cleaned my fridge out. The shelves were getting dirty, bits of bread, crumbs and so on. Each shelf was taken out and rinsed in the sink and then replaced. Great to have it clean again and somewhat therapeutic to have that done.

Back Home

Tuesday. 1.35 p.m. I mentioned the fact that my washing got stuck inside the tumble drier on Friday before I was due to drive to Worcester. Well, the good news is that it has all been removed from the machine, although the drier isn't repaired. 

It's bright and sunny out. Thankfully, no wind or pouring rain. Let's just hope it stays that way, at least for a couple of weeks or so.

Thursday. 8.15 a.m. A wind and rain-free morning. I just hope it remains that way for at least the weekend.

I wasn't going to mention this, but I think I ought to. Two Tuesdays ago, which was Hallowe'en, I wasn't going to go to Camphill. But then I decided that I would go and drive there after 9 o'clock. As I walked into the Chrysalis Theatre, people were unloading pumpkins from a car parked outside. It was obvious that Halloween was going to be the centre of things and no work on drama was going to take place. So, I said to Terrie, the lady who leads the performing arts workshop, that, as a Christian, I 'didn't do Halloween.' She replied that it would be all Halloween stuff and that, if that was the case, I had better go home, which is what I did.

I didn't think any more about this situation until I got to Worcester on Friday evening and was looking at emails on my phone when I came across an email from the lady in charge of volunteers. It said that being a 'diverse' community, all 'religions' were included, and that my reaction was 'inappropriate.' The email was something of a shock and made me really upset. I don't remember that Halloween was a religion, but that doesn't seem to make a difference. I have given five years of my time (excluding lockdowns) for nothing, as a volunteer. I have no end of experience which the theatre group has benefitted from, and many relationships made and built on since I started there. The email said that maybe 'Camphill isn't the place for you.' Not true. I have set up an interview with Julia, the lady in charge of volunteers on 27th November, and I will apologize, even though I can't see that I've done anything wrong by stating my feelings towards Halloween. I can't be a true Christian and be dabbling in Halloween and all it stands for.

I have since contacted Bridge Builders, which is based in Milton Keynes and have an interview this Tuesday, to discuss being a volunteer for them. I will wait and see what this interview produces, which will mean I won't be going back to Camphill.

1.45 p.m. We prayed about the above situation at Camphill. The prayer group knows the situation. I have to walk away from Camphill without any sort of ill feeling, which is necessary if I am to expect a reference from them.

I have been to find Bridge Builder's office in Bletchley, just opposite IKEA. Very easy to find, and it makes it easier to know exactly where it is when I go for my interview there on Tuesday afternoon.

Friday. 1.00 p.m. I have been to Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre to have blood taken, so it can be tested for cholesterol. As I may have mentioned in an earlier post here, I have a problem with this procedure, because the nurse usually has a problem finding a vein. It went well, and I should get the result in about a week.