Friday, February 13, 2009
It's Friday again
"Round like a circle in a spiral like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning on an ever-spinning reel......."
Life is a spiral as we constantly revolve round the key events in our lives.
Each time around we approach things differently as we gain knowledge and maturity. Sometimes we may not even recognise that we have travelled the pathway before, because we have changed.
I could be referring to deeply philosophical things or big events here, but really I am not.
Yes, the seasons constantly circle round and gradually we are heading towards the Spring again.
But today feels like I am turning in a small circle - the day is so like what has gone before.
The house is full of the presence of Jim and the lad.
The work goes on.
Last year it was kitchens, the year before it was windows and now it is the bathroom.
The work is not yet finished - Jim estimated he would be with us for 4 days. So, we have an incomplete bathroom for the weekend.
The wash basin is now installed. The shower is almost finished and Jim has left things so that I can use it to wash my hair.
Even after Monday the bathroom will be incomplete because of all the finishing off that will be for Bill to do.
The pile of dead tea bags by the kettle in the kitchen grows high during the day and the atmosphere is generally very good.
Last Friday we had no Jim with us - but we did have Sylvie.
Today we went and did a bit of shopping in Tesco - cat food mainly.
Last week we had used Asda - no store loyalty for us!
And not for Sylvie either. We bumped into her once again.
She was having some difficulties.
She had had chemotherapy on Monday and Tuesday and this time the effects have been worse. She could hardly move her hands - I remember that so well.
It is a strange sensation - how can hands and feet that feel so numb also feel so tingly and painful?
My toes still have that feeling. It will never go away now.
At the check out we were the recipients of a lovely random act of kindness. It cost no money, but put money into our coffers.
At the moment Tesco are giving vouchers for 5p off a litre of petrol - if you spend enough. You have to spend £50 and we were a bit short of that. Yes, OK - it was a bit more than just cat food!
The stranger behind us - offered us some of her shopping to put through with ours and then Bill and the woman sorted out the finances.
So, next time we get petrol (I mean fuel, since we are diesel powered) we can save quite a bit.
We met up with Sylvie - and once again she came back with us for a cup of tea - and of course Jim and the lad were more than ready for another cup!
We have made sure that Sylvie now has our phone number.
She was telling of a little problem during the week, that we could have solved quickly.
She has ulcers on the back of her throat - I recall those too. She had a bottle of mouthwash to help with the ulcer problem, but couldn't get it open. It was covered with a shrink wrapped plastic. It took her ages, with her bad hands, to cut through the plastic with a small tool.
This afternoon I have been cooking.
Now, as I said yesterday, I am no masterchef and sometimes allow others to prepare the food for me - providing I have checked the ingredients on the packet.
But I am drawn as if by a magnet to the bargain bay in the supermarket - where things are at their sell by date.
Today I bought a large amount of good smoked haddock (non dyed) for £2.
This afternoon I prepared a fish pie, topped with mash potatoes.
It took quite a while with lots of stages - and lots of washing up!
But it was triumph!
And the best thing is that we have used just half of it and so tomorrow's meal is already prepared and made a bargain an even better bargain.
So, I feel my life and my brain have been circling round old things, like chemotherapy, house improvements, Sylvie and cooking like the dutiful housewife.
The weather has been reasonable - no rain, some sunny spells, but still quite cold.
It should be the same tomorrow, so we will get up early and go out hunting at Ford for more interesting things to sell in the shop and on EBay.
I expect we will have breakfast in Littlehampton again.
I shall now go and watch QI - Quite Interesting and very amusing.
Goodnight.
Never ending or beginning on an ever-spinning reel......."
Life is a spiral as we constantly revolve round the key events in our lives.
Each time around we approach things differently as we gain knowledge and maturity. Sometimes we may not even recognise that we have travelled the pathway before, because we have changed.
I could be referring to deeply philosophical things or big events here, but really I am not.
Yes, the seasons constantly circle round and gradually we are heading towards the Spring again.
But today feels like I am turning in a small circle - the day is so like what has gone before.
The house is full of the presence of Jim and the lad.
The work goes on.
Last year it was kitchens, the year before it was windows and now it is the bathroom.
The work is not yet finished - Jim estimated he would be with us for 4 days. So, we have an incomplete bathroom for the weekend.
The wash basin is now installed. The shower is almost finished and Jim has left things so that I can use it to wash my hair.
Even after Monday the bathroom will be incomplete because of all the finishing off that will be for Bill to do.
The pile of dead tea bags by the kettle in the kitchen grows high during the day and the atmosphere is generally very good.
Last Friday we had no Jim with us - but we did have Sylvie.
Today we went and did a bit of shopping in Tesco - cat food mainly.
Last week we had used Asda - no store loyalty for us!
And not for Sylvie either. We bumped into her once again.
She was having some difficulties.
She had had chemotherapy on Monday and Tuesday and this time the effects have been worse. She could hardly move her hands - I remember that so well.
It is a strange sensation - how can hands and feet that feel so numb also feel so tingly and painful?
My toes still have that feeling. It will never go away now.
At the check out we were the recipients of a lovely random act of kindness. It cost no money, but put money into our coffers.
At the moment Tesco are giving vouchers for 5p off a litre of petrol - if you spend enough. You have to spend £50 and we were a bit short of that. Yes, OK - it was a bit more than just cat food!
The stranger behind us - offered us some of her shopping to put through with ours and then Bill and the woman sorted out the finances.
So, next time we get petrol (I mean fuel, since we are diesel powered) we can save quite a bit.
We met up with Sylvie - and once again she came back with us for a cup of tea - and of course Jim and the lad were more than ready for another cup!
We have made sure that Sylvie now has our phone number.
She was telling of a little problem during the week, that we could have solved quickly.
She has ulcers on the back of her throat - I recall those too. She had a bottle of mouthwash to help with the ulcer problem, but couldn't get it open. It was covered with a shrink wrapped plastic. It took her ages, with her bad hands, to cut through the plastic with a small tool.
This afternoon I have been cooking.
Now, as I said yesterday, I am no masterchef and sometimes allow others to prepare the food for me - providing I have checked the ingredients on the packet.
But I am drawn as if by a magnet to the bargain bay in the supermarket - where things are at their sell by date.
Today I bought a large amount of good smoked haddock (non dyed) for £2.
This afternoon I prepared a fish pie, topped with mash potatoes.
It took quite a while with lots of stages - and lots of washing up!
But it was triumph!
And the best thing is that we have used just half of it and so tomorrow's meal is already prepared and made a bargain an even better bargain.
So, I feel my life and my brain have been circling round old things, like chemotherapy, house improvements, Sylvie and cooking like the dutiful housewife.
The weather has been reasonable - no rain, some sunny spells, but still quite cold.
It should be the same tomorrow, so we will get up early and go out hunting at Ford for more interesting things to sell in the shop and on EBay.
I expect we will have breakfast in Littlehampton again.
I shall now go and watch QI - Quite Interesting and very amusing.
Goodnight.
