Doing family history all week, especially when on good connection in hairdresser. Looking at pictures of Grandmother, when came across one of her in profile, holding my father or Uncle. Smiling. Chin thrust forward and suddenly, “Oh so that’s where it comes from! The family chin!” Shared by many of us. My late Uncle and me, for two.
Same thing with the ears. Pic of Grandfather and Great Uncle and OH! There they are! the family lugholes! Grandfather to my Dad to me!
Good things this week. (Many)
1. Offer on Mother’s house just ten days after going to market
2. Got hair coloured and grey covered hurrah
3. 3 alcohol free days
4. Began tedious business of Accounts 2017 to March 2018. Strangely therapeutic.
5. Rode with C and D Tuesday night with the sun and beautiful blue sea in view. Such mesmerising countryside.
1. Got into “The system” ref hip replacement. Physio team. Referral to orthopaedic team has been made. Most importantly there was a parking space, just the one, outside the hospital. How that gladdens my old heart,.
6. Had final bereavement counselling session with Cruse and had a damn good cry. Wrote something in preparation and cried a lot while readings it to the counsellor. amazingly make up remained intact. Also found a parking space just outside the shop, So wonderful. Was advised on this final session to “Cherish yourself as she (the adored departed one) did. Tune out all the negativity and disapproval vibes going on at home and love yourself as she loved you” Not sure I have ever had a more wonderful thing said to me. Went out and in shop front paused to buy some essential oils with which to rub my hands at night. Used to do it, used to love the smell. ‘Bergamot, lavender, ~Geranium etc.
7. Got final half of rent in from one half of tenants making full months rent, Hurrah I am in funds again. No more fear of using credit card.
8. Had bank loan approved. Will be in funds in that respect as of 8th Oct. Time to pay a few bills.
9. Got summer toenail varnish taken off. Time to let ’em breathe. Booked a podiatry session.
10. Ewe lamb is doing well in his overseas sojourn and has a job interview in UK next week and is excited. Also has a new dating app, which is yielding prominent results.
11. Baked a cake with river sprite for her school project. Very impressed at how she can cook now, She made royal icing and decorated. Wrestled it into a cake tin and she and all her friends loved it. Got her to do some chores i.e. put her surf boaed away for winter and exercise her pony.
12. Tenant in one of my flats has agreed to stay on. Hurrah! Investment in new roof and insulation has apparently paid off. So time consuming and disturbingly awful having to attract new tenants, do interview, pay for inventory estate agents commission etc etc
13. Did some “trainin’ at work. Intolerably boring. I was openly grimacing. Fire doors, extinguishers, bending knees to lift. Wash thumbs and finger webs, Yes we KNOW ALL THAT. Good to sign it off though. Fortunately not busted by clinical nurse woman who came and did spot check of hand hygiene. Nothing said about my acrylic nails.
14. Did 3 days at work this week. GREAT for finances. On Friday had a whole list of patients – “Innies” and although say it myself, did it really well. Some nice conversations. Work is so important. However grumpy, stressed and “I am too old for this” I feel must always get out to work. The basic, human contact with people outside the home and just trying do any sort of good or be in the slightest way useful, is the most important thing in life however little one feels like doing itl.
15. Had a pop back at someone having minor “go” at me during my Friday, voluntary gig. Felt so good. She ticked me off and asked me to clean up the kitchen while simultaneously serving at the front of house. Could not do both, I pointed out and front of house surely takes precedence? . “But there is a balance and you should try” she replied. Did not take it lying down. Jordan Petersen would have been proud, “I was serving someone” I said. Then loudly so she could hear and with emphasis as I squirted the high pressure jet into the dirty coffee cups and beakers “Always so very appreciative of the Volunteers – aren’t you Colleen?” Glad I stood my ground.
16. Deflected tenants who said on Tuesday they wanted – gas – the sofas in the flat replaced! 2 days after moving in. Utter cheeky buggers! A lot of emails to and fro’ were exchanged, carefully constructed by me and factual, sending various supporting documents and think they are now firmly back in their box. Have agreed they will buy their own new sofas and I insist these must be left at end of tenancy. Will come back to me with their ideas. The basis for any Landlord tenant relationship, says my chum “J”, must be fear. The tenant should fear the Landlord to a greater or lesser degree but fear must be generated and this balance should be achieved at the outset” I have girded my loins accordingly. Will sally forth with all guns blazing in all tenant related matters, forthwith,
17. Have grown to love my peacocks. Really like going down there through the wet grass and the overloaded, bloated apple trees m of a morning and hearing their little “cluck” as they strut about. Love the peahen’s greenish neck and diadem head dress. Love his rich, royal -blue and turquoise plumage and the way his tail feathers are sprouting out at the back under his tail.
18. Was transported back 50 years this week when looking at family photos. There was one of my Grandmother as a child from early 1900’s with 2 sisters dressed up and holding sun, moon and star wands. How charming – I thought – then the synapses and neurons in my brain ground and clicked and whirred and dredged. was this…something? My brow furrowed and instead of flicking on through the pictures gradually I realised I had seen that one before and with her as it was explained to me, sitting on her knee, all those many years ago. The human brain is a wonderful thing. Once seen a thing is never forgotten, I realised it was a picture from my long lost childhood. “That is me with Aunty Helen and Lisa and….” I could hear her voice from half a century back .I could not remember what was said but such a powerful memory of my Grandmother ,now long dead, welled up.
1. Tv has been replaced, thanks to my efforts. We have the children’s set up intact again. All initiated by me. New chest freezer too. Initiated by OFT. Guests for dinner Friday night, self confessed, “Convicts” (Aussies) who thrilled the children by talking about the ground “thick with wallabies and ‘roos in the sunset on night out in the Country”. Cooked them a Sheherds Pie and Apple gateau. They asked if I had been to Aus. I said yes but not lately looking tartly at OFT who cringed and simpered and would not meet my eye. Blazed on. Described how I was refused permission to join on grounds it was, “too expensive” and then he spent the same amount of money getting sand school put in. Squirm squirm and “cant really remember what happened” from him. “Well let me refresh your memory” I am getting very fierce in my late, middle age.
2. OFT says he will pay for “Winter tyres” on my car. Apparently it is going to be tough one…again. He is afraid of being marooned or of me being marooned, so we have to spend more time together, UGH Fate worse than death.
19. Bad things this week. Not many. Groundworks going on at home under the supervision of OFT who has been carrying cups of coffee out to the workers spilling and slopping as he makes the long trek to the digger area. For goodness sake why not use the kettle in the shed and get them to make their own I wonder. So much of his time is occupied in virtue signalling it must be exhausting. Street Angel, House Devil. Never was a phrase more apt than when applied to the gruesome OFT
20. None of those people have to be subjected to his gold, grey- green , snake like eyes and 24 hour disdainful looks as we occupants of the house do. The crew include a glamorous girl with white blond long hair who has a pet jack Russell concealed in the chest area of her hoodie and who drives the roller and or dump truck! Well done her, There are however dump truck tracks in the Orchard which I would NOT have allowed. They have started unaccountably early, i.e 0645 HRS each day and even caught OFT on the hop the other day popping their head into kitchen at 0700hrs as we were in middle of school day breakfast. I pulled my dressing gown closer round me and said, tartly, “I will see if he is up this early” and went slowly upstairs to find him in shower. Was infuriated on Weds that one of the trucks, huge and red that was at our home all day, departed at 1600 hrs and refused to give way as I tried to exit the car park and get in front of him and then refused to let me overtake although there were numerous opportunities, and he was going same way as me. Blocking the road and slow for such a long time. So selfish. Made me a few mins late for hair appointment which I badly needed. Looked out for him onsite, for rest of week and planned to publicly remonstrate. Not taking that lying down for sure – inconsiderate, selfish truck driving brute, but he was never to be seen again. Had obviously dumped his load and disappeared forever up the A 38 towards Exeter.
The River Files 