Life Returns to Normal

It started off very cloudy, but now the sun has started to come out; there is, however, a cold wind.

It was really very good to get back to Church again after finding it too difficult to face the walk after the fall - every step with my right foot seemed to jar my sore rib. When I said to our minister how good it was to be back and that I had had rather a nasty fall, he quipped "as long as it wasn't a fall from grace". Of course, I had to try to top that by saying "Grace was nowhere near at the time!"

Outside the Church grounds are only 2 disabled parking bays, with a small space in front of the second one. When I got there this morning the first bay was occupied and the non-disabled bay was occupied. It was very disappointing to note that the car in the first bay displayed no disabled sticker, and what's more to add insult to injury was not being used by any of the congregation. It also had been parked right to the front of the bay meaning that it was rather a small space left for the second disabled bay.

I was rather proud of myself that I got in.

I would love to invest in a load of stickers (of the kind that are not too easy to peel off) to stick on the windscreens of cars that are illegally parked in disabled bays. Some people are so selfish.

Anyway,that apart it was a good service. I had expected the Sunday School to be back, but not yet. Two others who live in this block of flats were also there - we usually sit together, but quite often one or more of us is absent. We are all getting older, although the other two are MUCH older than me.

It is a fair indication of how long it has been since I made it to Church that there were two editions of Life and Work waiting for me.

Now that I am home, the sun is shining, which is good to see.

Sisters, Sisters.....

.....never were there such devoted sisters.

Think of the Beverly Sisters (if you are old enough)

This morning started bright and early with a trip to the local District General Hospital with friend J, who had an outpatient appointment.Not long after that, Best Sister called bearing gifts (Timeo danaos et dona farentes?), in fact she brought a bottle of Noilly Prat, which is my favourite vermouth, which she bought in a big store in big City which is not so rapacious as the one beginning with a T or the one beginning with an A (neither of which stock it.)

We had a great blether, which extended over two cups of tea and a golden krispie cake together with a slice of chocolate cake from J.

Here, I found road works going on in our car park (of which we were not notified) and which are seemingly due to electricity cable laying. I thought this had been done over a year ago, but apparently that time the job was not done properly. Hope it is done properly this time as a number of new residents have come with cars, so that the pressure on the car park is increasing. The car park is too small to have designated parking places, sadly.

NOTHING!

(That is what my sister says as saying "nothing" loudly)

After the best sister in the world left, J came down to tell me how she got on at OPD. She was there for an hour and a half, and it has now been agreed that she is to join a group for treatment, though there will be a waiting list , probably of 10 weeks or so.

It is a long time, but still at least a positive response.

Church?

First of all my apologies for forgetting the update about the bread (pay attention at the back there!). I had been meaning for some time to try the substitution of butter for oil from a flavour point of view. However, to my mind there was no significant difference – certainly when you think about cholesterol levels…... so it is back to using oil again,

I set my alarm for this morning just to make sure I didn’t sleep in for Church. I know that sounds ridiculous when the service is at 11am, but some nights I waken about 4 o’clock with my feet burning. If I have no appointments in the morning, I quite often get up to my computer and read some of the blogs I have in my favourites, then go back to a nice cool bed and usually fall asleep and can then sleep on quite late. Since I got Amitriptyline 20mg for the foot pain, this has happened less frequently, but the alarm is to “mak siccar”*

This phrase which is a famous saying in Scotland arose when, in Dumfries, Robert Bruce stabbed John Comyn over his perceived treachery and said “I doubt I have killed him” One of his followers said “I mak siccar” and went to check. As Comyn was injured but not dead, he stabbed him to the heart for Bruce. I can’t remember the date, but it was before Robert the Bruce’s Coronation in 1306.

I hope I am justified in saying it is famous in Scotland; certainly in my young day (oh how I was determined never to use that phrase!) schoolchildren in Scotland were all taught Scottish History as well as English and British History. It would be very sad if the rich heritage of our past were to be lost to Scots children.

Okay, so I get all dressed for Church and head off nice and early and drive into the last disabled parking bay; this meant the car was facing away from the road, so I decided to turn it round. Just as I was about to pull back in to the bay, someone else took it. Chiz, chiz, chiz. Sadly this meant I was unable to go to Church today as my balance is still somewhat poor and I could not manage a longer walk.

I think I shall have to try the 9.30am service next week (we have no evening service) although I prefer the 11am one which has the choir, but the numbers are fewer and I think I shall have a better chance of securing a place.
* I’ll make sure