Sunday, 28th April, 2024
It’s raining. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. On this day a decade ago, I had two tasks. We were in our Greek home and I was going through the complex of routines in preparation for selling it – speaking to the Notary and visiting our Accountant, cultivating our Bank officials and having coffee with people who could potentially smooth our path.
I loved whiling away the hours drinking and talking problems/tactics through. After coffee on this day in 2014, we drove up to our favourite Supermarket in Apollonia – you can see it below. It doesn’t get much more rock-n-roll than that. The island Tesco – I’m sure you can see it Dear Reader. We were shopping for chicken, bell-peppers, onions and mushrooms.
I am cooking again today. It just happens to be … chicken, bell-peppers, onions and mushrooms. The circularity of life’s events always interests and amuses me with some, notable exceptions. Up in the North on Friday, one of my College associates is being buried. It seems to be happening with worrying frequency now. One year below me, he was always an ebullient Geordie. Like so many, he stayed to live and work around Ripon. My friend has told me that wearing College ties is the order of the day. That won’t be happening. Never had one anyway.
Monday, 29th April, 2024
Nearly the end of April already. Absolutely gorgeous morning. A morning to die for …. but I won’t. In fact, I’m doing all I can to avoid it. And I know you want to hear this, Dear Reader: this morning is National Bowel Screening Test.
I love the instruction to Squeeze to Open. Seems a bit personal. Anyway, my bowel has always been one of my best features. I will have to request the next one because I will be too old for an automatic one. Always a bit of a shock when I forward book appointments. This morning, I recorded today’s event on my online calendar and asked it to repeat the same event every two years into the future. I also told it to alert me 2 months before every second year so I can apply for the test. Whizzing across the calendar years to check it has recorded correctly, I stop at April 2026 (I will be 75.) and April 2028 (I will be 77.) and life rushes on.
Purely by chance, I was sent a photo of my favourite café that I featured yesterday but which was photographed last night. How magical a Greek island can seem at night time! Must go back. It is one of the two things I have to see again.
I know it is pathetic but I am still suffering the after effects of my cancer treatment and it is driving me mad. It has lowered my immunity and I am constantly sniffling on the edge of a cold. I am also tired all the time. Although I am still doing a couple of hours in the Gym each day, every minute of it is an effort whereas it used to be a joy. I am really struggling to do all the other activities I would normally do.
It has been worrying me for quite a while but help may be at hand. I had a scan recently and I have blood tests coming up – all things to quieten the worried well – but it appears that I have a low red blood cell count which is a consequence of radiotherapy and a symptom of Anaemia. I hope that’s all it is because it should then be easily treatable.
Tuesday, 30th April, 2024
April is dying but … it’s only Tuesday. This is turning out to be a very long week. M flew back to Tampa yesterday. She was upgraded to Business Class which, normally, would be a good move but she found herself sitting next to Nigel Farage. That’s enough to upset anyone although M is a very calm, people-person. Anyway, she got through the ordeal in time to be reunited with K who is celebrating a scary birthday.
Today, he is 59. Yes, I know he looks a lot older and that was years ago but we can’t all look young, can we Dear Reader?
I am struggling at the moment. I wrote about feeling tired all the time well, last night, Man-Flu hit me. Haven’t had anything like that for years. I really am a typical man when I do get it. Going to need a lot of TLC over the next 24 hrs. We’ve been discussing it and have come to the conclusion it might be as a result of my covid booster. I had SpikeVax (formally Moderna) and side effects do include shivering, chills, fatigue, joint pain. I really don’t know if I will manage my Gym session today. I will be furious with myself if I fail.
I was asked by one of my little sisters if I could provide some photos of our Grandparents – Mum’s parents. While I was going through my archive – where I keep the incriminating evidence on anyone I have ever met – I found this photo of our family home in the village of Repton taken in the big snow of 1955. Haven’t seen weather like that since. The house was built by my Grandfather and Great Grandfather in their burgeoning builders’ business, Sanders & Son.
My Dad died when I was 14 and Mum was left to juggle a family of 7 kids alone. Her one real joy was to go out ‘dancing’ and I was press ganged to be her +1. Haven’t seen this photo from 1967 since it was taken although I do remember how excruciating I found the experience. I never danced again.
Wednesday, 1st May, 2024
May again! Happy new month, Dear Reader. Don’t look back. April 2024 is sliding away on the conveyor belt of time. Sorry to whinge but I’m still feeling lifeless and terrible. I didn’t manage my Gym routine yesterday. Even my head was struggling to say I wanted to. Anyway, a higher power banned me from exercise and I was grateful for the excuse.
Whatever has suddenly hit me is extremely powerful and has not only sapped all my energy and made my muscles feel like they have given up but it given me a terrible headache, sore mouth, aching ears, feeling of overheating alternating with shivering. As I do my morning tasks, I think it is better than yesterday but still quite a long way to go. Hopefully back to normal by Friday.
We chose to major on herbs in cooking to cut down on salt which raises the blood pressure. It’s like all these changes, difficult at first but soon becomes the new routine. Now, if something is over seasoned, I can’t eat it. A lot of the herbs we use are of Mediterranean origin and particularly, Oregano, Basil, Sage, Thyme, Rosemary. Even Parsley came from Greece. The wet Winter has not helped them and I’ve had to replace quite a few. If I can stir myself, I am going out to the Garden Centre for a collection of replacement plants.
It’s been a difficult start to the year for Garden Centres with a very wet Spring. They have been receiving deliveries of plants from Holland and are visibly straining at the leash to sell them. Suddenly, the warm, dry weather has arrived and you can feel the release.
All is not well in the garden for plant sellers and buyers. As we drove in, a huge pantechnicon from Holland had parked up loaded with plants for the Centre to stock up and sell on. It is probably the last one to make it before today’s changes. Starting today, all fresh European plant and animal products being imported to the UK must be checked directly for diseases at the British border. This includes milk, meat – and flowers. Dutch flower and plant exporters expect days-long delays and believe that British consumers will soon have to pay more. These are some more of the benefits of Brexit.
We had 19C/66F yesterday in the garden and already at 10.30 am it is reading 20C/68F. We might break the magic 22C/70F barrier today.
Thursday, 2nd May, 2024
Oh what a night. It really was. Four hours of pyrotechnics. I never go to bed early but yesterday was an exception because I was feeling so awful. Lemsip and bed at 10.00 pm. Of course, I would choose the one night when the weather made sleep difficult. From Midnight until 4 in the morning, the bedroom was repeatedly lit up by huge flashes of lightning followed by rolling claps of thunder and intense bursts of rain. It was impossible to sleep through – although it was pointed out that I missed the first two hours being dead to the world. Well, I don’t know if I’ve told you but I’ve not been well.
When I got up, I found that the storm had really been quite severe but confined to the south. Damaged buildings on the beach side. Trains out of service because lines were down. Local media and even Sky featured stories and pictures about it. Outside our house, the world looked wonderfully fresh and clean with no damage at all. The sky was still grey.
The first duty after Breakfast was to go out and vote. We only had a Police & Crime Commissioner to elect today. We drove down to the Community Centre which was also being used for an exercise class and a Mother & Baby meeting. In fact, as we went in, I did have a chat with one baby about which way he was going to vote but he hadn’t decided. Sainsburys shopping and Fish Shop visit. Going to try to get a Gym session done today. Could be a big day tomorrow.
Friday, 3rd May, 2024
Didn’t sleep well, listened to the post election results/analysis which BBC R4 do so well. The results were pure humiliation of the Tories although there is no real sense that Sunak will be moved against. I was interested to find what effect the lunatic fringe led by Galloway would have in Rochdale. It was minimal with the barmy, WPB Party taking 2 seats off Labour who still held a huge overall control.
In our Town, Labour gained control of Adur and held Worthing. Up in North Yorkshire where Sunak’s own seat is, the new Mayor was taken by Labour which sends out an uncomfortable message to the little chap. Is it me or are Mayors looking younger?
It is ironic that just as I am beginning to feel a bit better, Pauline has woken feeling unwell and decided to test for Covid. Of course I did the same and ….. we both have Covid. Having gone all these years without a sign of it, we both tested positive this morning. Now, I understand why I felt like I’d hit a brick wall.
This rather changes plans. Pauline did a covid test because she was having a blood test this morning – now cancelled. I tested because … I did as I was told. Kevin wanted me to be in Leeds this afternoon for a funeral of one of our College friends. I certainly wasn’t well enough for that before this test.
Saturday, 4th May, 2024
Absolutely glorious day on which I really feel better … or at least better until I start doing things. My wife is really unwell today so, clearly, I infected her and she is on a recovery lag. Her reward is to have things that are prohibited normally but will cheer her up.
She is permanently skinny and doesn’t weigh much more than when we got married which is annoying. She loves carbohydrates but doesn’t indulge herself in order to help me. Today, she will have her forbidden favourites to cheer her up. Crumpets with morning coffee – or, in her case, water because that’s all she drinks and then Jacket Potato for Supper. For her, nirvana on a plate!
Hot sunshine and blue sky is just right for being outside in the garden. The beach will be far too busy and there is a rugby tournament going on at the Sports ground down the road with cars parked everywhere. When you’re free to go out every day, why would you choose a Bank Holiday weekend? I’ve been to the garden centre again this morning but most bedding plants are still being held back because of this unusual start to the season. I’m going to do some preparation work today because we can’t wait much longer.
My old friend, JohnR, is out in South Korea again with his wife visiting an Andy Warhol exhibition. You couldn’t get much more not Yorkshire than that. So admirable!
Spent a wonderful day in the garden in really hot sunshine. Lunch outside was just a bowl of the very best, Greek olive oil and homemade ‘dipping’ bread with an ice cold bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. What more could any man ask for? Oh, what a perfect day. I wish I could spend it with you, Dear Reader.
Supper in the garden this evening – Kalamari & Salad with Garlic Sauce. Dream on, Dear Reader. You should have been here. My joy would have beeen transmitted to you. It was magnified as we followed the local elections. First Andy Burnham in Manchester was given a 3rd term and then Sadiq Khan in London was given the same. Finally, against all the odds, Andy Street, totemic Tory mayor in the West Midlands, has been defeated by Labour. The Tories are totally gone. Praise the Lord … if you believe in him/her.