Today, new years eve.. and at last I have visited Sherwood Forest! 

It's about blooming time, to be honest isn't it! With a name like Marian! 

Felt like I was coming back to a spiritual home! Well, not sure about that exactly , but it was an absolutely stunning day, 1°c when we left, didn't get much warmer, frost lay under foot, and stayed there all day... I think we arrived about 10:30 and didn't leave until about 14:30...

And a wonderful mince pie flavored coffee, very yum, and glad it was far enough away couldn't repeat too often! 

Had lunch in a restaurant in site after a good long walk.. 

Then walked some more...

I've been a bit absent without leave, because last weekend, away in Matlock for the Christmas market I didn't feel too well... And Monday last week, came down with flu, badly, I guess it's good I had my flu vaccination or it could have been much much worse and I can't imagine that! I did manage to cook Christmas dinner, but not eat much.. 

My ribs were hurting, or what holds them together? Whichever, I was in so much pain.

So, all in all, be glad to get rid of this year, not all of it of course.. 

There has been wonderful days, my trips back home to Spain, my wonderful visit with family in the states for my birthday...

Family days friends days... 

Laughter tears, worry... Had my colorectal surgery, that was after I had Covid, my boob squash test came back all good! Me falling in the street and probably badly hurt my right knee cap, it's still bruised!?! Oh and I fell down the stairs a bit didn't it! Back before my first colonoscopy! Forgot that!! Been quite a year of hospital visits and A&E!! 

Then this flu, still coughing badly, still hurts!

Now, onwards and upwards friends family near and far..

Thank you for hanging out with me amongst these pages of mine... Of listening to another year of this that and goodness knows what! 

For patiently reading, often between the lines.. as I skip and hide around my sentences..

I have unmade phone calls, missed text messages, and way too many people I should have called this year, time waits for no man, or woman, so I must pull my finger out and shift my ass into gear in January! This procrastination must stop!

M.

What matters is to leave in the past the moments of life that have finished

Paulo Coelho

Mmmm.. and that will never be me, I can't leave the past where it is .. it is still part of me, who I am... 

Happy New Year everyone, thank you...

Okay, now going to difficult to back track, my cold from whenever came back, as the flu, yes the real flu, not that 'man' flu thingy!

I know I went for a walk with my friend, we had a coffee in the bar right at the far end of town.... or was it the day we got chips from Franco's at Aberavon?  Not sure, that's still foggy, either way, I felt as if my cough was coming back... it was Tuesday, from last week!  On the Monday evening my bp dropped stupidly, so low with my heart rate down to only 40 beats a minute, sounds low! Its normally 48.... but that extra bit made me feel really wobbly and woosey and I couldn't talk straight for five minutes I was so light headed!

Wednesday went out during the day to get groceries etc, went into a favorite shop of mine in Fforestfach and I couldn't walk any further, had no interest, and was just so tired out and exhausted, and that night the flu came..... Whhhooooooo, it came in the night and took my mind! A high fever and crazy dreams and hallucinations!  Wednesday I slept on and off all day, totally out of it, Thursday I was awake more, but so dizzy, and that has been the same since really!

Saturday morning I was coughing so much it hurt across my chest and back, stabbing tight pains, I called the doctor, but it was either too late, or just closed, called NHSD, and spoke with someone, who spoke with someone else, then a nurse, who put me through to a paramedic, who sent another paramedic out to me!!!!  He arrived in 3 minutes, swiftly followed five minutes later by an ambulance!!!

There was me, pj's, fluffy dressing gown, no make up, pale and listless!  What a mess, from now on I am going to be like a Dallas girl, made up, dressed up, and ready for the cameras!!!  Anyway, I digress!  After some tests he wanted to send me off to hospital, so he took me, the nearest one was already full at A&E, so he took me to the next nearest, some half hour away down the M4....

I couldn't get hold of Franco, at work, no contact number.... luckily I had been able to actually get dressed, but that was it, I arrived about 12:30ish, and was released at about 4:30, I had chest xray, and bloods taken, given some strong meds for a lung infection, but nothing worse thank goodness, I felt like I was wasting all they're time, but apparently when you have heart probs you have to be careful of pneumonia and the medic thought I sounded pluristic! My friend came and picked me up, thank goodness, and got back about 6:20 I think....

Even up to this morning my head is still dizzy and woozy, but Pippa had a trip to the vets this morning, and I went out for the first time, since the jaunt on Saturday!  Took Pip out for a walk, as I hadn't given her any food and her water was gone she was running around whining for food and wondering what was going on!  So off we went bright and early, just after 7:30am!!! Ugh!  Franco picked us up about ten past eight, and off to vets on the other side of town.... we left her there for some dental treatment and picked her up about 3pm, she is now like me, dizzy and woozy!

Without her in the house earlier, it was very strange, so empty... I can't imagine her not being there at all, eight years of coming home to her welcoming barking and jumping and expecting the tickle on her tummy, and scratch behind her ears....

From childhood's hour I have not been
As others were; I have not seen
As others saw; I could not bring
My passions from a common spring.
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow; I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone;
And all I loved, I loved alone.
Then- in my childhood, in the dawn
Of a most stormy life- was drawn
From every depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still:
From the torrent, or the fountain,
From the red cliff of the mountain,
From the sun that round me rolled
In its autumn tint of gold,
From the lightning in the sky
As it passed me flying by,
From the thunder and the storm,
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view.

Alone by Edgar Allan Poe

Source: Alone by Edgar Allan Poe, Famous Sad Poems http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/famous/poem/alone-by-edgar-allan-poe#ixzz2M7axpgpS
www.FamilyFriendPoems.com

TTFN
Marian