Sunday, 19th May, 2024
Beautiful morning – warm and sunny. The garden looks and feels lovely …. which is more than can be said for me. My wife’s lifelong ambition – largely achieved – has been to humiliate me.
This morning she had another go. Now well into my 70s, as she regularly points out, this morning she showed me how much my hair is thinning on top and increasingly showing grey. In my defence, I haven’t had an easy year and my body has been under attack. My hair has reacted to that stress. That’s my defence. Anyway, if you look closely, she has a few flecks of grey in her hair now as well.
Off to France in a couple of days if you fancy joining us, Dear Reader. Be nice to get out and wave the passport about again. Driving through the tunnel is something we have done so many times over the past 30 years since it was opened. To think I was only 43 and had lots of hair when it started!
Yet another trip to the Plant Centre this morning. The final purchase of the Summer is Sweet Basil seedlings which we will pot up, grow on and turn into Pesto as well as use in salads. Should have grown it from seed myself but didn’t get round to it. Always magical that these little things grow into such huge plants.
Monday, 20th May, 2024
Gorgeous morning. Looking forward to France tomorrow. The philosopher, Kierkegaard, said:
Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards …
I exemplify that observation. It is absolutely essential to understand and not deny one’s history even though we can only move forward in our lives. The trick is to integrate past, present and future so that we use our experience to progress. We cannot deny our past. We cannot airbrush it out not least because it lives indelibly inside us. My sister, Ruth, talks about not being interested in her past but you can bet she will celebrate her 77th birthday on Thursday just as she celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary and the birthdays of her children and grandchildren. These are signposts through her history and they are important calibrations of her lifetime.
The Blog helps me record and understand past, present and future. It is essentially me, my life in all its trivialities but it is informed by all the successes and tragedies that any 73 year old will have acquired and of all the people and places that have informed and intersected with my life.
Today, I had to go out and buy additional hosepiping so that I can now reach 200 meters as I water flowerbeds up and down my road. In my lifetime, we had a huge garden in my childhood home which Dad used to grow vegetables. When I married, I bought a house surrounded by an acre of garden in which I enjoyed growing vegetables. Clearly, I was using the experience of my childhood.
In our Greek home we had 4 acres of olive trees, fruit trees and vegetable growing areas. I loved the challenge of learning to grow things in that climate. We were taught to cultivate the shaded side of the house and create dust bowls which could be planted into and would hold the precious water rather than just let it evaporate in the intense sunshine.
Moving forward, it is time to look at the latest edition of the Apple iPads which were released last week. I have been dedicated to staying up to date, never becoming an old fogey and out of touch with the present future. I’ve had my iPad Pro for 5 years. We should not expect more than that of tablets or computers. It will cost me about £1500.00 and then I will have to buy a keyboard cover (£250.00) and a new iPad Air (£800.00) for Pauline. So, keeping up is expensive and yet £2,500.00 over 5 years is very reasonable.
Tuesday, 21st May, 2024
Up at 5.00 am on a warm and sunny morning. Out before 6.00 am and en route to the tunnel. Became increasingly overcast as we drove. The drive takes about 2 hours joining the M23, M25, M26, M20. At that time, it was all pretty quiet. The drive was relaxing and enjoyable. Listened to BBC R4 Today as usual. Before we knew it, we were there about 40 mins early.
The roads had been quiet and the Terminal was empty apart from a group of noisy school kids excitedly anticipating their trip day out.
We arrived in France about an hour earlier than expected. Off to Auchan and then Cité Europe where Pauline bought 3 pairs of shoes, some cooking pans and equipment and I bought £500.00 of wine to get me through June. We did a shop of things that are only done well en France: Saucisson, Fromages, Charcuterie, etc.. I bought pink Fizz for my friends and neighbours and we went outside to see the rain had begun to fall. It may have been wet but it was deliciously warm.
Drive back to the Tunnel Terminal. Our return time was confirmed and we sat in the car listening to political podcasts. Amazing how time flies when you’re occupied.
We were soon down to customs and Check-in in the rain. So few people doing the crossing. Not like full season. They check nothing nowadays. I was able to bring well over my allocation across without problem.
Home by 4.00 pm and I was restacking my wine racks while chef put together a lovely buffet supper of Confit Duck, Garlic Sausage, Cheese and biscuits plus salad. Going on a diet tomorrow. I’ve shared my wine with my friends. I always want to share my experiences with them too. Life is about sharing, isn’t it, Dear Reader?
Wednesday, 22nd May, 2024
Went to bed very tired last night. Probably more the wine tasting than the driving and the early start yesterday. Up at 7.00 am this morning to quite a grey start and it had obviously rained over night.
Racked my wine purchases. Each bottle costs about half the price it would be in the UK. It is better to buy quality wines under these circumstances. A £20.00 bottle of wine for £10.00 in France makes the journey well worth while. About 70 bottles each saving £10.00 per bottle is simple maths when you calculate the journey cost of around £150.00. Of course, I would have done it anyway just for the enjoyment and the quality food products we also bought like this delicious, white asparagus.
Driving back yesterday, the car provides me with lots of information like the speed limit and the speed I’m doing. I took this photo on my drive but, normally, the road speed sign will have been scanned and placed before me. My speed is set which is what (ACC) Adaptive Cruise Control means and whether I have Lane Keep Assist (LKAS) set, the miles I have to go, whether I’m driving on electric (EV) with the green line or petrol fuel.
So, I’m driving back on the M25 monitoring reasonably heavy traffic, all the information coming on three screens in the car and listening to a political podcast about the Tories chance of winning the upcoming election. And then the dreaded happened. A warning symbol popped up accompanied by a warning chime which meant a tyre or tyres’ pressure had fallen below the set rate.
Middle of the M25, rain starting to fall, 70mph with lots of spray from lorries in front was not a time I wanted to stop and check the tyres unless forced to. I monitored the balance of the car as I drove and it didn’t seem compromised so I completed the final 50 miles with this symbol dominating the display. Our tyres should be 35 psi – front and 32 psi – rear. This morning we checked the pressures and one tyre was just 0.5 psi down. In previous years we wouldn’t have even been aware of that for months. It dominated my mind throughout my drive back.
A calmer, more relaxed day today. PMQs to watch and the gripping dismantling of Paula Vennells, the former boss of the Post Office by a barrister in the Inquiry. I love it. Mind you, there are lots of weird things that I love. Still got to do my Gym routine. And now and at last ….a General Election on July 4th! WooHoo!!!
Thursday, 23rd May, 2024
Lovely, warm and sunny day. Good day for a birthday. Happy Birthday to my old sister, Ruth. Sunset Strip – 77 – today. We wish her a lovely day.
Up early to shop for garden products and to fill the car. Petrol has gone up again to 145.7 per litre or £6.63 per gallon. Can you imagine it? Inflation has generally come down but is predicted to rise again soon which is one reason why Sunak has called an early election. Things will definitely get worse as the year develops.
It was about the most inept presentation of a Prime Minister announcing a General Election that I have ever seen. He held all the cards. He could have presented from inside No 10. He could have presented outside this morning in the sunshine.
Instead, he chose to drown outside last night while being drowned out by protesters playing the Blair Election theme – Things Can Only Get Better. It’s going to be a fascinating 6 weeks. Got a Greek trip before that.
Thessaloniki is warming up. Walking in warm sunshine and hearing Greek voices, smelling Greek smells, being pampered by our hotel staff and eating Greek food – just bliss. Must contact my Northern friends and arrange a trip up there. Particularly, I must contact my friend in Royton who I haven’t spoken to for a while.
I wonder if this sort of thing affects you or is it just me, Dear Reader? I have no particular interest in competitive swimming in general or David Wilkie in particular but I remember him from the Olympics as a remarkably fit, young man. He died this week of cancer at the ripe old age of 70! Now 50 years ago, we would be thinking that he had lived a reasonable term but current expectations are that this is a life cut short. A man who has been super fit for much of his life is dead three years younger than me. As I say, it may only be me but I find such cases incredibly unsettling.
Friday, 24th May, 2024
Lovely, sunny morning. We are driving up to Surrey to see how P&C are. We have to be there in time to take them to a medical appointment for C. Yesterday I was horribly tired all day. Had to drag myself around and force myself to do things. I was so tired and had to beat myself up so hard that it made me emotional. It is something that has been happening to me since my cancer treatment.
I was so upset with myself yesterday that my wife did some research – something I’ve been avoiding. She found that it is quite normal for people who have undergone radiotherapy in general and men who have suffered prostate cancer in particular to suffer extreme fatigue during the treatment, increasing after the treatment and lasting up to a year before improving.
I hate the feeling of failure. It is my belligerent character which militates to fight it. I have reduced my exercise since the treatment. I still do my Gym routine but the 10 miles a day I was doing has ben reduced to 5 miles a day. Since the start of the year, I have only failed to achieve my target on an average of one day a month but it is still a big reduction. I was pleased to read that I am doing exactly what medics advise and forcing myself to continue exercising and walking in particular.
In Surrey, we are visiting P&C (aged 86 & 87) to take them to a doctor’s appointment. While they did, we visited a retirement development in the centre of West Byfleet. It is ideal for them – Independence with Community. Restaurants, shops, gymnasium and swimming pool all integrated. Easy access to trains to London plus buses and taxis anywhere they want to go. You can sell your house and then buy or rent an apartment. What’s not to like?
This afternoon, I ordered a new iPad Air and an iPad Pro from Apple UK. They tell us that they will be delivered ‘free’ by tomorrow afternoon. It won’t be ‘free’, of course. They have cost me £2447.00 but at least we will get new machines. We will next need to order new ones when we are 78, Dear Reader.
Saturday, 25th May, 2024
Glorious day which reached 22C/70F in the afternoon. I’m going to be doing I.T. and gardening. The new iPads are being delivered at Lunchtime – less than 24 hrs after they were ordered. Love it.
Now I’ve got to copy across everything from two, old machines to the two new ones. I then have to clean up the originals and return them to factory settings. Mine will then go off to Apple as a trade-in for about £300.00. The other will be taken up to Surrey to replace P’s broken iPad.
The warm sunshine will be replaced by rain over night both of which will be welcomed by the garden plants. The potatoes are doing really well and should be ready in July. The carrots and beetroot are looking fine and will be ready in the Autumn.
I took the risk of early planting with Green Beans and it is paying off. There is no chance of frost down here until November at the earliest so we can expect a good crop. I’ve got Basil seedlings in my cold frames and they will go out in mid-June. Looking forward to lots of sunshine to power them on. Just think, I will be harvesting all of this produce under a Labour Government …. a Labour Government. What Joy!!