Giving thanks for the life of Robert Armin late of The Ship. Robert quoted something that I think he read on a banner at a Pride parade, "Being straight is not normal, just common!". I stitched it on a small banner and gave it to a gay friend for Christmas.
If it weren't for Robert posting I may never have come across this saying, which has so delighted my friend..
Giving thanks for the shipmates here who gave so much support and care to me last Christmas when my plans to go away were scuppered by lockdown. It's a kindness that I have not forgotten and the memories of the warmth often heartens me.
I too am grateful for the community of the Ship. I had not heard that excellent saying, @Huia , but will be making a note of it for possible future use.
Christmas Day yesterday included a video call with a relative - we had posted each other presents, everyone was pleased with them, we had a happy chat.
Two Christmasses ago, we were effectively estranged from this relative. In March 2020, I realised that the relative's situation in a time of Covid was precarious. Relative was C.E.V., living alone, with a long history of having quarrelled with most of the wider family, and several neighbours. I contemplated the ramifications if our relative died of Covid whilst we were estranged, and made contact. My motivation was entirely selfish.
It hasn't been easy, but at some point we agreed that there was commitment on both sides to repairing the relationship and that we would talk things through every time we fell out. Amazingly we are forging a good relationship.
Yesterday felt like a wee miracle - two years ago we could not envisage ever being able to chat and laugh together like that.
Yesterday I went for my second eyejab and got to see the scan showing the change from my initial scan, and wow! I started off with a bulge in the macula - for bulge read a sort of dome shape like a small burial barrow at the time it was built. It is now at the stage where the archaeologists come along and have to use ground radar to find where it has been ploughed down by the farmer! I can still see the blurry blob, much fainter, and a slight wobbling of straight lines - that was much worse before the first jab. But very much deserving thanks.
I know this sounds a bit weird, but I am grateful for the reappearance of brown sugar on the supermarket shelves here again. As I explained on another thread, it was withdrawn from sale here before Christmas due to being contaminated by lead. Now I can make rum and raisin muffins and have a go at Curiosity Killed's peanut butter loaf. But not before I make my brother's belated Christmas cake, which won't happen until Thursday when the forecast temperature is about 18 C, instead of the high 20s.
I'm obviously not the only one who has been waiting for it -there were only 4 bags left when I took my one.
I'm hugely grateful to a small windfall ! I had an email from HMRC saying that I had underpaid my tax and so my tax code was changing for the worse. I called to query it and spoke to such a lovely lady - who confirmed that there was a bit of wrong info on my file and she changed it retrospectively so now there are some £££ coming back to me and not so much of a chunk to be paid monthly. She was such a nice lady in the process and was clearly really happy to be delivering such news.
Compulsory savings! Do they pay interest on the money they misappropriated? I would imagine telling people they had money coming would be a more pleasant than telling them they had to fork out more.
There's a big push here to get people to have their booster shots with the threat of various new strains of the Plague, and, in addition a dose of Pfizer has been approved for younger children, so vaccination clinics here are all set to be inundated next week. I hate being in large crowds so I rang my GP to see if my usual medical practice were offering them, but they don't re-open until next week so I gave up and went to the library instead. On the way I found a small pharmacy that was offering jabs so curled up patiently in a corner with my book. About an hour later I emerged and carried on to the library. The extra wait was due to the pharmacist being constantly interrupted - but it was quiet and I had my book so it was OK.)
I'm so relieved not to have that hanging over my head any more.
I hope he enjoyed it. I have a lovely photo of my son the first day we took him to a beach. The look on his face says I didn't know there was this much joy in the world.
The locksmith yesterday, who was not only able to open my two boxes, but was able to create a new key for the Victorian money box working back from the lock. I did not know there was such a skill in the world! I effused over him. He apologised for not being able to do it for the file box, but that is such a trivial lock that I am not surprised.
And rejoicing again. The bunch of keys dropped out of the pocket of a pair of trousers as I went to put them on! Why they didn't drop out when I hung them up is a mystery. Like the mystery surrounding a number of the keys. What are they for, and what did I keep them for?
I'm thankful that I was able to get a Pfizer booster shot this morning on a farm where the mobile clinic staff were doing vaccinations. The rutted gravel road there was a nightmare -- we had to stop and shove a boulder aside on the steep bank where you ford the river, but the ancient 4x4 vehicle coped well enough, and it is cooler today so waiting near packing sheds wasn't too uncomfortable, orchards with ripening apples all around us. Farm workers queuing and distancing, most receiving their first vaccinations.
My second vaccination hadn't been recorded on the national computer system and the handwritten card was unreadable, but the nursing sister knows me because I taught her brother in an adult literacy class seven years ago, so she said cheerfully she would believe me rather than 'something on a screen'. No side effects so far and it was pleasant to get out and travel around through the countryside.
Hats off to the Prince of Wales for getting involved in the project to commission portrait photographs and paintings of holocaust survivors. His daughter-in-law got involved too.
Great rejoicing that HelpfulOfficeManager was 1) in work yesterday & 2) mindful to overlook an out of date passport.
This ensuring a swift registration at a nearer health centre.
Slightly emotional with thanksgiving - my amazing consultant from over 10 years ago is agreeing to see me again - after a flare up of my epilepsy, even tho I am no longer in her area. I had seen a consultant locally - who transpired to be a c*ck and so I hunted my old consultant down. i didn't think after all this time she would remember me, and it was an even longer shot that she might agree to a consultation but I am heartened and so so grateful for such kindness in the NHS.
Electricity! Our village and the next along lost power at 10am this morning. We were told that it might be tomorrow before it was fixed, but at 6pm, the lights came back on.
Further P&T for hot coffee!
So glad you got it back @North East Quine. Our lights flickered a lot this morning, but we never quite lost power, so I am also grateful. And have laid in new matches as this won’t be over properly till into next week.
We had candles in jars in the bathroom and kitchen (both cat-free zones) but I didn't want to risk candles anywhere Elizabeth might knock them over. I had a string of battery powered Christmas lights strung along our bannister, which was pretty, and I have left them in situ. Plus a string of battery powered purple bat lights from Hallowe'en in my bedroom.
We have torches and other battery lights as well. The main issue was the lack of coffee!
Having posted on the Prayer thread about Little Beaky's current health issue, I wanted to come here to celebrate some amazing news they received last week.
After the catastrophic brain damage from his birth trauma they were told that in addition to the Cerebral Palsy he would have little to no sight at all. Due to Covid they have not seen the eye specialist for three years so they expected more of the same at his appointment last week.
But something amazing has happened. The consultant said that all the sensory work they have done with him has paid off and his damaged brain has developed new pathways and his eyes (which are structurally sound) are tracking and responding!!
This is a game changer and means that he will potentially be able use communication devices activated by the eyes.
So thankful!
Having posted on the Prayer thread about Little Beaky's current health issue, I wanted to come here to celebrate some amazing news they received last week.
After the catastrophic brain damage from his birth trauma they were told that in addition to the Cerebral Palsy he would have little to no sight at all. Due to Covid they have not seen the eye specialist for three years so they expected more of the same at his appointment last week.
But something amazing has happened. The consultant said that all the sensory work they have done with him has paid off and his damaged brain has developed new pathways and his eyes (which are structurally sound) are tracking and responding!!
This is a game changer and means that he will potentially be able use communication devices activated by the eyes.
So thankful!
Comments
If it weren't for Robert posting I may never have come across this saying, which has so delighted my friend..
Two Christmasses ago, we were effectively estranged from this relative. In March 2020, I realised that the relative's situation in a time of Covid was precarious. Relative was C.E.V., living alone, with a long history of having quarrelled with most of the wider family, and several neighbours. I contemplated the ramifications if our relative died of Covid whilst we were estranged, and made contact. My motivation was entirely selfish.
It hasn't been easy, but at some point we agreed that there was commitment on both sides to repairing the relationship and that we would talk things through every time we fell out. Amazingly we are forging a good relationship.
Yesterday felt like a wee miracle - two years ago we could not envisage ever being able to chat and laugh together like that.
My mum's leg ulcers healed up this year!
Gratitude and relief that our Omicron infection rates in South Africa seem to be falling. Sick friends all recovering, too.
I'm obviously not the only one who has been waiting for it -there were only 4 bags left when I took my one.
I'm hugely grateful to a small windfall ! I had an email from HMRC saying that I had underpaid my tax and so my tax code was changing for the worse. I called to query it and spoke to such a lovely lady - who confirmed that there was a bit of wrong info on my file and she changed it retrospectively so now there are some £££ coming back to me and not so much of a chunk to be paid monthly. She was such a nice lady in the process and was clearly really happy to be delivering such news.
There's a big push here to get people to have their booster shots with the threat of various new strains of the Plague, and, in addition a dose of Pfizer has been approved for younger children, so vaccination clinics here are all set to be inundated next week. I hate being in large crowds so I rang my GP to see if my usual medical practice were offering them, but they don't re-open until next week so I gave up and went to the library instead. On the way I found a small pharmacy that was offering jabs so curled up patiently in a corner with my book. About an hour later I emerged and carried on to the library. The extra wait was due to the pharmacist being constantly interrupted - but it was quiet and I had my book so it was OK.)
I'm so relieved not to have that hanging over my head any more.
Great news, but we're both almost teary about it.
I'm thankful that I was able to get a Pfizer booster shot this morning on a farm where the mobile clinic staff were doing vaccinations. The rutted gravel road there was a nightmare -- we had to stop and shove a boulder aside on the steep bank where you ford the river, but the ancient 4x4 vehicle coped well enough, and it is cooler today so waiting near packing sheds wasn't too uncomfortable, orchards with ripening apples all around us. Farm workers queuing and distancing, most receiving their first vaccinations.
My second vaccination hadn't been recorded on the national computer system and the handwritten card was unreadable, but the nursing sister knows me because I taught her brother in an adult literacy class seven years ago, so she said cheerfully she would believe me rather than 'something on a screen'. No side effects so far and it was pleasant to get out and travel around through the countryside.
This ensuring a swift registration at a nearer health centre.
Further P&T for hot coffee!
We have torches and other battery lights as well. The main issue was the lack of coffee!
After the catastrophic brain damage from his birth trauma they were told that in addition to the Cerebral Palsy he would have little to no sight at all. Due to Covid they have not seen the eye specialist for three years so they expected more of the same at his appointment last week.
But something amazing has happened. The consultant said that all the sensory work they have done with him has paid off and his damaged brain has developed new pathways and his eyes (which are structurally sound) are tracking and responding!!
This is a game changer and means that he will potentially be able use communication devices activated by the eyes.
So thankful!