Sunday, 4th September, 2022
Another lovely warm and sunny day 22C/70F at midday. The garden is still looking very colourful and fruitful. I’m just hoping the nights stay as warm for a while longer. In Greece most things overwintered quite happily. My photo memory bank threw this up today for this day in 2013.
The Callistemon or Bottlebrush flowered perpetually outside our bedroom window. One year later, on this day, we were in Norfolk – Hunstanton, Wells-Next-the Sea and the lavender fields of Heacham.
Today, in sunny Sussex, there is no time to rest. Targets have to be achieved, Tasks completed. I’ve done the 11 mile requirement. Pauline is making Beetroot Chutney – huge Kilner Jars of it. I’ve picked yet more tomatoes. We are currently up to about 8kgs of cherry tomatoes. Don’t know what we are going to do with them all.
I tried to buy a baby in Sainsburys on Friday. A young Mum was pushing a new-born in a shopping trolley. I quietly said to my wife, I’ll have one of those. The young Mum said I could have hers for ‘free’ for a night so she could sleep but my wife banned me.
Just to turn the knife in the wound, Kevin sent me this video of 4 little hooligans who he spent Saturday afternoon with.
Monday, 5th September, 2022
What a night we had! Two hours of sheet lightning and torrential rain. Strangely, not much thunder. By 2.00 am it had passed but this morning there were reports of some areas near us being without power for a while and our walk showed probably why.
Bits of tree everywhere and a big clear-up to come. At least we got lots of water which will save me a job. Even so, it’s turned out to be a lovely day today. Hot and sunny with 27C/81F. Perfect to enjoy eating outside.
Although, as you know, I have very few friends, Kev sent me this photo of an old friend who I haven’t seen in person for 50 years. He lives in Yorkshire but has a home in France like all right-minded people do. I’m currently on a wine-free month so would have found this red wine-fest a bit difficult. Apparently, they had a boozy lunch in Leeds.
I had a long email from Dr. John who I’m meeting in October and a contact from Dave Weatherly in Bolton who tried to argue that he isn’t ‘old’ at the age of 72. Of course he isn’t!
One of the young lads I mentored at school before I left sent a photo of his new biro as he bemoaned the start of the new term today. I have been retired for 13 years and he is now Head of Department so I didn’t do too badly for him but I wouldn’t swap places for anything. He tells me that all marking and correction (whatever that is) is now done in Green because Red is too daunting for the pupils. I am not of this world!
Tuesday, 6th September, 2022
Night time seems to be the occasion for thunder, lightning and torrential rain at the moment. It was so wet and dramatic, I almost thought I was in Wales which, as everyone knows, only people who can swim are allowed to enter. Last night the house roof, the patio and the car were pressure washed and floodlit for a couple of hours again.
This spectacular shot was posted by a Worthing photographer this morning. Wish I’d been there to see it but I was hiding in the garden.
Out early this morning for our car’s Year 1 Service. We get great service from Honda and have done for the last 40 years. They are at the forefront of customer service. Our car has ‘free’ servicing for 3 years and we can always book it in when we want and have a ‘free’ valet as well.
The service + valet took about 1.5 hrs and we chose to go for a walk instead of sitting around. We live in a former Horticultural area which is fast becoming urbanised but still has large tracts of farmland. This area always reminds me of Northern France and, of course, they are not far apart. We are twinned with the French port of Ouistreham.
Heard from John R., Kevin and Julie this morning all just pottering on with their days. In Retirement, we all have to struggle to stay relevant. Some are better at it than others. Today, we had to meet an insulation installer who is going to fit out our Garage/Gym next week so that we get through any winter without concerns about the temperature of the electronics in the Apparatus and, of course, the all important wine collection!
Wednesday, 7th September, 2022
Nice morning, warm with sunshine. Looking back, things were quite similar on this day last year. Taking Pauline out to the Beautician’s for a Facial. On this day last year, I was doing exactly the same thing.
Last night, we weren’t aware of a storm but just a couple of miles away on the beach, a local photographer captured this lovely shot.
Back in the Here & Now, the political scene has lurched from a joke to the ridiculous. This graphic is currently doing the rounds on Twitter and Whatsapp. I shared it with at least 150 friends and relatives yesterday.
The Gym roof will be started on Monday with the insulation installers coming early. They are the ones who worked on our original home build which is pleasing. We ultimately rejected the spray, expandable foam option and chose this preformed and cut insulation blocks packed between the rafters. The whole job will come in at under £3,000.00 which is less than we’d originally estimated.
Thursday, 8th September, 2022
Heavy rain over night again. Warm and sunny this morning. This is exactly how the world should be organised. Yesterday, Pauline had a ‘Facial’ at the Beautician’s. I have no idea what that means but women do it apparently. She was told that a patch or lesion on her jaw line needed further investigation as a potential carcinoma so we were up early this morning to make an appointment at the surgery.
Like so many surgeries across the country, ours is under constant pressure. Making appointments is a fractious business. At 7.00 am, one can send a message to the surgery and attach photos if needed. I took the photos yesterday and coached Pauline through how to attach them. At 7.00 am, she logged on but the system was ‘CLOSED’. The next choice is to ring the surgery from 8.00 am and, exactly on time she rang to get an immediate recorded message that there were no appointments left.
Put on hold for 35 minutes with that terrible muzak, she finally got through to a receptionist who admitted that they were so under pressure that they had closed all avenues for patients to book online. She was sent a link by text to respond with photos. The website is flashy but the e-service is not.
Received a Direct Message from Chris Dagg last night. It contained a picture which was heavy in symbolism. She wrote:
These are items from our recent celebration, including the cork from the Möet you and Pauline, so generously sent us. The beads represent 50 years , silver, pearl, ruby and gold years plus the pinks and blue for our babies! The goblet with two rings around the stem which don’t come off, carved from one piece of wood.
Nice words!
Friday, 9th September, 2022
Lovely, warm and sporadically sunny day. Out to Lidl to corner the market of Almond Milk … again. Managed to clear the shelves of 16 litres which will last me about 3 weeks. If you haven’t already, go out and try it. It is very healthy and deliciously rewarding.
Back at the ranch, harvest festival production is reaching a peak. In the last few days, Pauline has produced Raspberry, Strawberry and Victoria Plum Jams, Beetroot and Tomato Chutneys, Bottled Cherry Tomatoes with Garlic & Thyme plus a batch of loaves. We’ll never eat it all particularly as we’ll be away for three months.
Typical of the Queen to die. She’s ruined the television schedules for the next fortnight. Not even sport to watch. It will mean Netflix and Amazon Prime will be highly used instead. I am not a fan of science fiction normally but I am currently watching a series of Dramas written by Charlie Brooker under the banner, Black Mirror.
They are set in a Digital Dystopia which is close enough to current IT developments to draw me in. The internet of everything …. Gone Mad. I know people who would hate it and others who are almost there already. The latest Drama features a Dating App which ultimately selects your perfect partner after subjecting you to numerous long and short term encounters and recording your reactions to those relationships. Fascinatingly scary!
My Garmin Connect Exercise App which links my watch to my phone today awarded me the 60-Day Goal Getter Badge. They think I’m a 5 year old winning a gold star. Anyway, I’m already on a 120 day streak so it’s pointless. I quite like getting a badge, though!
Saturday, 10th September, 2022
Lovely morning but feeling a bit sad today. Don’t know why but I knew it when I found myself listening to James Taylor for the first time for ages. Music is the food of sadness and sometimes carries exactly the phrase to destroy me. You just call out my name …
It is quite incredible to remember but it is 16 years since Pauline’s brother, Jack died unexpectedly in hospital of a late diagnosed brain tumour just like our friend, Frank recently. The passage of time in 16 years feels both long and short. I think of what I’ve done in 16 years and it feels quite a long, full period. I think back 16 years to visiting Jack in hospital and it feels like no time at all. I know I get more boring by the day and am often accused of living in the past but I would remind you of Churchill’s observation: The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you can see.
Kevin is going for his next operation on Monday and is clearly rather anxious. I’ve told Chris to prepare his plastic pants in readiness. I’m sure he’ll be fine. Yesterday he wanted to know if I had to wear an oxygen mask. As I told him, I have no memory. One minute I was talking and the next minute naked ladies were dancing past me …
I was talking to Julie yesterday because she has suffered a small stroke, been put on statins which are now found to be harming her liver. She has to go back to controlling cholesterol through diet alone. Actually, that sort of diet is really enjoyable. She lives in a fishing port like I do. She should have access to the very best protein through fresh fish. Oily fish is the best protein one can eat for good cholesterol. (Am I boring you?) I love salmon, tuna, mackerel, kippers all of which are really healthy protein.
Read in the digital copy of our local newspaper – the Worthing Argus – that the longest tunnel in the UK could be built along the congested A27. Wonderful, I thought until I read that it could be ready for construction by 2045! This is scary! I would/will be 94 before they even start building it. My ambition is to drive through it in a new car. You are all welcome to join me! I will not be old!!