Filed words

Nuisances of life 7

I thought it was exceedingly unjust: the only person there who didn’t drink because he was driving home had his car crashed into the next morning – makes you sick doesn’t it.

We have been having an unadulterated diet of BSE and CJD on the radio, at every time we hear the news (and how often we do seem to hear the same items during the day). I hope that it doesn’t worry you too much. I must say I have been surprised how many mad cows there are. … Our government here seems to vary in their opinions from day to day, first one day banning all semen from Britain, and then issuing statements that we can’t possibly have any trouble because we have never had a case of BSE, and then the next day demanding that supermarkets remove from their shelves all products which contain any beef product from UK, and so on… It’s a gloomy subject to discuss, anyway, especially when I know so little about it, really!

I had forgotten that we had such heavy rain as to be separately memorable on the day we went to lunch with X, who I agree behaved very badly that day. I think he must have had a couple of quick ones while waiting for us, or something. Anyway, nil nisi bonum… he died a couple of years or so ago.

Last Sunday we had the Annual meeting and this week another issue of the monthly mag is due to the printer (and hasn’t been started at lunchtime Wednesday) so there is still no peace for the wicked! And at the moment my attention is slightly divided because I’m illegally taping bits of the Messiah from some records which are due back to the library with a horrifying penalty if they are kept overtime… PS The tape ran out just before the last chorus!

You’ll never believe what our batty son-in-law has done now, pulling a nail out of the wall with a hammer it came away suddenly and he’s concussed himself; evidently he wasn’t too bad the next day but they went to a party in the evening and ‘had a few drinks’ and the next day he doctor sent him off to have x-rays: all clear there but he had to stay in bed two days. Some mothers do have ‘em!

She got home the day before and found a police car outside, evidently someone had broken into the [student] house and pulled al the drawers out and helped himself to a glass of wine and gone off without anything. I hope they don’t miss things later. The police were very impressed with all their chains on doors and things but made a lovely parting remark which didn’t sink in until after they’d left – one of them said looking at their rather odd collection of house plants – ‘you can get out the rest of your pot plants when we’ve gone’!!

Keeping fit 2

I stopped doing yoga for a while there in the summer, but I started it again just recently. My body really appreciates this. Apart from anything else, I really find my body needs exercise in the winter, because all during the rest of the year I am outside about 90% of the time, and I really feel sedentary when I have to stay inside during the winter so much. I work away at the meditation. X said once, ‘It’s so hard to stop the barrel of chattering monkey inside my head.’ My sentiments precisely!

X went jogging with the dog before breakfast (believe it or not Y and the children have started too, all on Y’s idea after a big ad pushing the benefits).

For the umpteenth time this year he’s home – this time believe it or not because he’s tired and can’t stop sleeping. He slept 19 hours a day for 5 days and was much better for the weekend! and borrowed the car to go and see a house with 1.5 acres miles away on Monday – and now Wednesday is still in bed as he has to go and see the Dr. today to find out the results of all the blood tests he had last week.

Have I written since we went bowling in the hall? Apart from one 17 year old boy who comes with his father I was the youngest. One woman – about 4’ nothing – was 80 and frightfully good – she plays 3 times a week!

My golf (my 4^th round in 5 years) was the expected disaster – 6 holes in 39! The first hole went okay. We bypassed the 2^nd at the suggestion of the people in front, who obviously feared for their life (quite unjustified as I seldom manage to raise the ball above ankle level). The 3^rd and 4^th holes followed my usual pattern of 2 to the green and 5 more to putt. On the 5^th I struck 2 triumphant blows to get to the green before I found myself suddenly surrounded by whizzing balls and irate golfers – I was approaching the wrong green at 90 degrees to the fairway! I beat a hasty retreat to the 7^th hole and completed the next 3 with more speed than skill, anxious to keep well ahead of the vengeance of the indignant ruffled golfers behind me.

Grandchildren 2

I’m having X – I think I’ll be flattened at the end – he’s at the all-go stage – quite adorable tho’ – just like Harpo Marx!

Last week was mostly devoted to maintaining life and sanity through a five day visit by X – well, perhaps that’s overstating the case a bit – but he is a very loud little boy – though equable: his ‘OK’ when bidden not to do something is reason itself and nothing to do with the fact that he will be back doing whatever it was 15 seconds after your back is turned.

We did eventually get an enormous letter from X saying (outlined in three colours) how angry she had been feeling about some remarks Y had made way back last October.

X has been in to see me twice – he’s cut his hair 2” long and had it dyed bright orange – it’s different!

The boys had been warned not to waken me, and their mother heard one get up at 6.30 a.m. so she investigated and found X sitting by the door watching me. About 7 I heard them and kept quiet and hoped they might go away; all went quiet so I opened my eyes and found all 3 of them about 2 feet away watching me!!

X is reported to have another boyfriend – about whom her father did not sound altogether excited on the phone. We only hope that she is not sleeping with them all but don’t suppose we are going to find out.

Our visit to the circus went off well. I only hope they don’t try some of the balancing tricks; they’ve already climbed a tree with the rope I gave them and then tried to hack it down with X’s chopper whilst up the tree!

They were there too and X, with another enormous bruise on her forehead, which has at least produced one new word in her vocabulary: ‘door’, which she apparently ran into.

Fears

She got a birthday invitation today and after looking pleased she suddenly said, ‘No – balloons’ and refuses to consider going, so traumatised is she on the subject! Oh dear. I’ve promise to ask Y’s mum if there’ll be balloons, so we’ll see.

Altho’ sad that yet another old friend has left I feel it was a joy for her – she always worried she would go the way of her mother and aunts with what, I suspect, now is known as Alzheimer’s Disease.

I took the infants to see the animals in the field – poor X strapped in a pushchair nearly went berserk when the 4 calves as high as my hip loomed over her agog to get at our paper bag of goodies – I had to find a young enough couple who knew how to unbuckle the straps to get her out.

I was worried to see from your writing that you look either very tired or not very well at the moment. Try to get a real break in the two weeks off which are coming up. [Amateur graphologist!]

I really think X is fast heading for a full-scale nervous breakdown (to put it politely – my inclination is to say loony bin!). She swears, cusses, kicks and bosses them all and then gives them large unwanted presents so she can claim what she wants from them ’after all I’ve done for you’! Yes, I know I’m a cow but she makes me sick.

We have two couples coming to dinner Saturday night. I’m so bad at entertaining, the very thought of it has removed all my nails on one hand tonight.

You may be infuriated with your doctor’s ‘well you seem to be all right’, but that’s not as bad as my recent doctor who had the absolutely infuriating habit of listening to my dissertation of symptoms (said in a flat, unstressed voice so as not to give emphasis to those that smell of coronary or whatever) and then asking ‘what would you like me to say is wrong with you?’!

Strikes

We haven’t had any proper letters for two days and I suspect the rail strikers – the last straw was when some little jumped up Union man who looks like that rag and bone father on TV said the public could go to hell – why should 4,000 railway men lose their jobs (reduction is numbers of guards on freight trains because they’re in the red, like most firms). At least he put some of his mates’ backs up so it could be a good thing.

Couldn’t agree more about the strike and I think all the staff everywhere are fed up with it. Our people all seem to have stopped bothering about days of action and such like and even the most militant only just sit and mutter together in a corner of the staff canteen at lunch time instead of doing a militant picket or something!

Trust

The man on the main road has closed down owing me money – but as he’s now been made the executive manager of something he hopes to be able to pay off all his debts bit-bit; he’s so nice, and his wife, and so believable, but I do have expenses plus plus – and he’s lost all the thousands he put into the set-up thinking it was paying for the land, transfer of deeds, etc. All the same it seems incredible that 3 or 4 adults left it all to the lawyer to arrange without checking before some 4 years were up and all the money used by the lawyer who’s gone bankrupt.

We went to see X but she seemed to have gone away, leaving the usual message visible through the hall window, on the floor: ‘Back in five minutes. Come in, Y. Z about somewhere.’ I remember her telling me months ago that they never lock any of their doors, but just keep this message where it is easily seen.

Valuables

I was taking two pieces of silver to be valued by a different person as the one who’d done them valued them far less than the last valuation. she told me the [candlesticks] were 1902, and I said I understood they were George III. I was given a long explanation about there not being a King’s head on it therefore… but I pointed out that one of the letters wasn’t what she’d written down and she had another look. Very interesting – she then turned to the date I thought in her fascinating book on silver marks and there for some 50 or more years there were no monarchs’ heads, and we found the maker’s name and that there were a pair of his candlesticks in one of the London museums, can’t remember which.

I don’t mind in the least if you can find a market for the brooch as soon as possible – I would have done the same except that my mother actually had it altered for my 21^st present so that it has some significance in that way. But I can remember her wonderful spirit without it, and she would like you to have the benefit now while you can enjoy it, and so would I.

I saw a bit in the paper about a stamp that had spent some time in the sea and was rescued and v. special, and remembered I had one like that – and as I last ‘did’ my stamps 10 years ago, was faced by a mound of bits ready to be organised. Of course over an hour later I find it in a special book for 1^st day covers etc. Unfortunately it was a different country and some years later, but still…

Alternative medicine

I’m going to a hypnotherapist to try and get rid of my asthma. A chap I met said it completely cured him. X tells me apparently the bloke I used to go to was one and couldn’t hypnotise me but I don’t recall his ever trying to! [Perhaps he did and succeeded!] Anyway I do hope it at least helps.

It’s most odd but he sleeps much better and longer since I’ve had my ioniser, I find it helps me much more if I keep it on all the time, instead of just night, I’ve certainly been better and clearer in the head since I’ve had it.

Have you heard of the virus that if it strikes whilst you’re taking EnteroVioform gives you some horrible disease that withers your hands and feet – nasty. X made me throw all my supplies away.

She was looking very wan, and I’m very worried about her. She’s had another very bad asthma attack, and had to rush off to get an even stronger spray thing. X packed her off to an acupuncturist at $10 a time, with no avail, except she had about 20 needles a time pushed into her, and still he smokes all over her and won’t have a window open.

She went to try and help another acquaintance with the position of her bed, because she has pulled some muscle which is not getting better, and X has a theory about not sleeping where water runs under the bed, as you know.

After death/ news of death 5

I am so sorry – X gave me your news and I hope by the time you get this you will have recovered a bit from this sad and traumatic time – and the long journey. When your mother dies it is the end of part of your life and feels very strange – even at my age I can remember.

I was so sad to hear of X’s death. She was such a spirited and lively person. My oldest sister can recall that at the marriage of my parents she was ‘the most beautiful person there, young, vibrant and full of fun’. Grieving is, of course something that is very important, but I can say in my case, now it is a few years after my own mother’s death, that although I still miss her a lot, the ache and emptiness has faded to be replaced by a gratefulness for having had such a wonderful mother.

I lose track of people’s ages but I’m personally much in favour of getting away before the problems set in.

It’s a pity to have get rid of books – I parted with hundreds and am always wanting them! It must be horrid for you clearing the house out – it’s such a link with the past.

I am so sorry about what happened. But glad that X didn’t suffer long – I am afraid the end comes to us all. In fact I, ten years older than X, am ready and waiting. Even if I enjoy life, I can’t think that I am doing much good.

Pranks 2

They had a great disappointment two weeks ago – a new mutual friend sent an official looking invitation to her birthday tea – neatly written out and looking most ‘properly done’. Luckily, I took them and went in to see the mother – who knew nothing about it (the birthday in question being months away). However, the pair of them were surprisingly grown up about the whole thing (i.e. they didn’t burst into tears till they were out of sight of the house). The child had even been given two presents by friends who were unable to come, which she had hidden in her room. The poor mother was so embarrassed!

A v v odd thing happened to me last week: the phone went and an odd voice assured me I’d won the lottery. I’ve never bought a ticket and I said they had the wrong number. They quoted the right phone number and said, ‘then it must be you – you silly old goat’. If I’d had a ticket, you can imagine how disappointed I’d have been, a mean trick.

X had given the boys a gorgeous length of yellow nylon rope – thick enough to tow a car, and hopefully too thick for them strangle each other. Y took charge of this, tied Z on the other end of it and started a bit of mountaineering up the bank at one end of the playground – ending up ten minutes later with poor Z more or less strung up, lying on his back with the rope round his legs preventing him from getting up again, as it was up round a tree and Y’s weight on the other end. However, we managed to avert panic by talking fast and telling him how well he had managed the rope, and how it had stopped him falling all the way down and what a good rope it was – all of which he accepted after a time! [And from another account] We took the boys down to the park where Y and Z managed to get themselves tangled up with a rope and a tree and a bank – all upside-down. By great reliance on the inability of a 3-year-old for logical thought we persuaded them it was terribly lucky they had the rope since they’d have fallen down the bank otherwise (the fact they’d never have got tangled up didn’t come into it!)