Getting especially addicted to the AI option on my phone! But certainly gets my All Bran bright and Christmas sparkly!

So, yesterday, the dark day of November 10th, I shouldn't be maudlin.. Apologies.. time heals they say? But I'd like to meet these people, see how their life experiences have differed from mine..

'I know how you feel; yes I can imagine; this is my advice; this is how I would manage your problem' 

Yeah, walk in the shoes of people who have had to overcome parts of their lives that have broken them .. and I don't just mean me, of course not .. People have, and are, suffering way more than me, and you.  We have no real idea... If you're reading this you're a very lucky person in so many ways...

Sorry head in weird place me thinks, today!

Time to change, the subject!

Saw these Christmas sweaters in Asda just now, made me want to buy them and get back to work at Overseas, where the view from the shop doorway is the Mediterranean.. Christmas tunes blaring from the speakers all day, every day of December, dancing down the aisles in our Christmas sweaters.. Yep, miss work, miss my friends there, miss many of the customers.. Probably why I hang out around supermarkets now! Seeing small insights small similarities, makes me smile... Good memories.

Even those people coming in complaining the advent calendars had run out and no more stock coming in... Well, after three months of being in store they would be gone, right! 

Then the mince pies on the counter, 50/50 ratio more or less, in those that love them, from September to December, and those that hate them, complaining about them even being there for sale!?!

We must waste so much of our lives complaining about what we don't like, don't want... Instead of being grateful and happy about the good things we have, can see, can feel...

Oops, dropped back down to wherever I began my post! Is this what All Bran does!! Lols 

Okay, got my surgery report yesterday, thankfully at last, nothing gory coming up, no red flags and warning bells!

The LST/NG was removed en bloc, taken as one piece, that means, less risk of leaving anything unwanted, they used a technique which mentioned an ESD speedboat!?! And nine clips used!!

Anyways, they did it, I'm healing and all good!

I feel like a good walk along a river bank or through a forest, wellies on and squelching through the mulch.. that wonderful earthy smell I missed of England when living in Spain .. I need to fill up on some positive effects of nature, breathe and pause, and breathe some more..

It did rain last night and stopped this morning before I went out.. But, I am also feeling really tired, I couldn't fall asleep last night, then as usually follows, awoke too early!

M.

I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me.

Joshua Graham

Going to get myself up in a minute! Been listening to a book for a couple of hours, nipped down for a coffee, but need to shake myself up, get up, have my rusk and warm milk and then get down to Asda! Need some more soup! And maybe a yoghurt, can't get much softer than yoghurts! 

Stomach is hurting again sitting so maybe getting up and moving about will help now.

You know I Googled that strange dreamlike weird thing when I couldn't sleep the other night.. had some strange meanings.. which I won't bother you with!! Lols 

Sat now, second cup of coffee, and first Farley's Rusk under my belt! I have already called City hospital, a really helpful guy is going to print out and send me my report, which the system in the Queens Med had been unable to do on Monday, and he also advised me on what other soft foods I can eat until Saturday! Very helpful...

I am dressed and ready for my short walk, wish me luck! Lols, well it'll be too late by the time you read this maybe!

It could be years!! 

Music track today, and it's John Lewis's Christmas 2025 advert.. 

I realized just now watching a Christmas Advert on TV, I have missed these adverts, not having seen the Christmas Adverts for so long, or only intermittently.. 

I guess some people may say "Christmas ads! Ooerrr again already!."

But, some of them are so beautifully thought out and made.. Small stories.. straight to the heart ..

M.

The dead don't disappear 

Not while they're loved..

Quote from an episode of Strike 

January 2021, home.

Test kit this morning faulty, so awaiting new kits to arrive today! Still feeling crappy, dizzy, weak and my right eye is so sore.

It's reminding me of the awful eye infection I had June 2020, when I ended up having a call with the eye department of Coventry Hospital and my wonderful client paying for a taxi to bring me my medication, penicillin! Doctor on the phone said I could have lost my vision in that eye had I not done something about it.. I had had two earlier infections, the two months preceding this worse one, and only been given cream for my eye... But then, who knew it was something worse.

So today, actually a poem, from one of the Pod casts about a spy in France during WW2..

It says on Google it's is now commonly used for funerals 

***

The life that I have is all that I have

And the life that I have is yours.

The love that I have of the life that I have

Is yours and yours and yours.

A sleep I shall have

A rest I shall have,

Yet death will be but a pause,

For the peace of my years in the long green grass

Will be yours and yours and yours.

Leo Marks (1920--2001) was an English poet, playwright/screenwriter (he wrote the excellent Peeping Tom) and cryptographer. He showed a fondness for codebreaker from a young age, and during World War II worked for the SOE--the British espionage agency given the task of helping resistance movements in Occupied France.

***

The kits came yesterday afternoon! I'm negative now!! 

And also now it's Friday afternoon, I went to bed about 7pm last night and woke up at 8am! Two things COVID have helped me with a) my ankles are not swelling up now! Laying down all day and night definitely helps with swollen ankles! It's my heart meds by the way!! And instead of my anklet being either close fitting or too tight, I've been able to fit three fingers under the cord, laying against my ankle together not one on the of the other!! Obviously!! 

And 2) I've slept! Not something I can normally do! 

And yes the two things a) and 2) were on purpose to make you laugh! And now I see you didn't even notice! 

Today this morning I went down to Asda, was tiring and wobbly and weird to be out in the world after six days, I felt very zombie like.. and the world looked different somehow, coming back was heavy going, it's up hill, but only just, nothing like back home.. 

Oh in Asda, I bought a Kraken (as in Kraken rum,) glass, a spare for my son, couldn't complete my purchases until an assistant came to check on a flagged product. I said the only thing I have is a glass? Is there an age limit now for buying glasses! We laughed! Apparently so she said! Saying it was for my son she said 'well, make sure he only drinks squash from it then!' I said, he's 45!! 

I've spent the rest of the day doing nothing much, but have remained downstairs all day, so that's a bonus, see if I can manage to stay awake until 8 tonight!

M.

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult.

Seneca - BC-65 AD - Philosopher

Great Yarmouth Part 2 of 3

 

Above and below, Great Yarmouth from Tuesday.. 

There's a great perimeter walk around here, through forest, no vans, it's nice... 

Then yesterday we went to Hemsby! Wonderful Hemsby, I am so sure I have been back since when the boys were young.. kept having a déjà vu feeling...

But after wracking my mind, give up, I'll either remember or not! 

We drove in, down Beach Road where we used to stay in the chalets, in the '80's .. The plates usually with silver fish, things usually a bit not completely okay... Never dirty, but more well used, old... 

Was like walking down memory lane, made me a bit melancholy, and missed my mom, more...

Bought some rock, and fudge, and white and pink sugary sweet thing...

Found a bear, on the beach .. 

We went for a long walk along the beach, turned back around and walked back.

After the sweet store... we spent some time in a play area, then had a warm drink in a place I'm sure I've been in... Was like seeing a memory, but can't pin it down!!

Kids and I had steaming hot chocolate, very yum!

After Hemsby we stopped over for lunch at McD's in Great Yarmouth, and a few bits in the supermarket next door Asda! Of course!! 

 

Then back to Havens, we booked and collected fish and chips!

M.

Yesterday the first thing I did when I got off the coach in Nottingham was go to Gregg's.. I had been craving a bacon and cheese wrap, turnover? I think turnover.. So this is what I had to have.. It was just after 10am.. so that and a flat white coffee eating in! It was soooo good!

Randomly the map above.. I was on the main road here in the coach and laughed because of the name of this adjoining road... Bye pass road! Not Bypass.. actually bye pass road! So had to check it out on maps immediately.. how odd!

Yesterday afternoon we went to The Range, I had also missed this store and as soon as I walked in I could have bought a thousand things! Halloween and Christmas had both started in there!! Bizarrely, or not, depending on one's way of thinking! 

So many things there and really only looked around a third of it! 

We walked there and back, I was fairly tired by then! 

I then popped into Asda and the family went on home ahead of me.. I needed a few bits, I bought a three pack of my now favourite Desperados, couldn't find that, and at the self service an alarm went off, you know, just in case I was under age! Guy came along and just put in his pin to clear the sale.. I said, "okay okay, I know I'm old enough but give me a glance first eh!" He laughed! 

I had an early night, slept well, what with the early morning start, travel, walking and strong pain meds at bed time! 

Today, we walked to The Range again, nothing to do with me!! Just had to go back.. 

And later on around the Forest park.. quite a wind picked up, but it was so good to feel the cool breeze..

Although I heard it rained back home yesterday! 

All in all not a bad weather day for a bank holiday!

M.

My self isolation cup! I bought it in Asda the other day, and will only use this now until I'm home...

Heard a plane fly overhead, sounds different somehow, so much less noise everywhere.. like after a heavy snowfall; or like the silence when the electricity has gone off, the constant noise we don't even here anymore is stilled.. And everything sounds... still.  Peaceful.

The plane reminds me of the many dystopian movies.. Where something awful has happened, a pandemic, a zombie apocalypse, a futuristic story..

And at the end.. When they think there is no hope.. Overhead a plane.. And they know.. Life continues.

That there is hope.

Purloined, I believe!

Around us the world is struggling, badly, infected, deaths.

Isolated people.
At the placement.. The first week I felt really alone, I know I was amongst others in the house, but I felt alone.

How it must be for people on their own I can't imagine, especially in apartments.

My flight was cancelled, of course, if I had no work I could have got back home as I'm a resident there.

If there are still limitations at the end of July I'll use that option, either for flight, or by bus!

Already checked, I can get a coach London Victoria to Paris, Paris to Bilboa, and from there to Malaga, and my car at the airport!!!
Incurring charges every day!!

TTFN
Marian