Deaf sentence...

I wish someone would invent a hearing aid that did not give me itchy ears, or make whistling noises. I had given up on them, but yesterday I went to a memorial service at which I hardly heard a single word. I complained to the ninety year old woman sitting next to me that everyone mumbled and didn`t speak up properly and she said she heard it all perfectly, so now I know it must be ME.  I am determined to get to grips with the ghastly things, start wearing them and be grateful.
On the plus side of the general deterioration front, I am walking in a sprightly manner again and hardly need a stick except for very muddy dog walks. The toe incident is just a far off memory.

Everyone  is saying Oh no, we are not sending cards this year, Oh no we are not  having turkey, we are all vegetarians now. Oh no, we dont`like Christmas pudding.   I wonder how it will all end.     We are having Secret Santa presents in our family,which will be a great relief to me, as I am such a hopeless wrapper upper and will only have to do a few, it doesn`t apply to the toddlers and babies of course,   It is all being organised in a complicated system on line, which may go wrong so I could receive a football kit or false eyelashes, or something.

Two things I like about this time of year are those great blowsy red poinsettias (from Lidls and very cheap) which simply light up the room and also Stollen  (Lidls again ) which is so delicious, and much nicer than Christmas cake though I will make one of those on Stir Up Sunday which is looming up.   I love the cakey cooking smell for all the hours it takes to cook.    

Spicing It Up

I am making plum and apple chutney today and the whole place is full of that spicy vinegary smell. I really enjoy doing it as you don`t have to worry about whether it will set like marmalade and you can put anything in it like ginger, cloves, cinnamon, just a bit of this, a bit of that. I find it is very useful to give as at  Christmas if you are suddenly handed a beautifully wrapped present you were not expecting..     I am lucky as kind villagers constantly give me bags of apples, or there are boxes of windfalls left outside houses.with a note saying` help yourself`.

I have seen two good films in the last week: Selma which was about Martin Luther King, and Suffragette, Both were about injustice and inequality and both showed such courageous people. There was  actual news film which made them even more poignant.

Going to the doctor`s in Ditchling is a really sociable experience I find. The waiting room is packed with familiar faces, the dog walking fraternity, and other oldies from the village.  We have such interesting conversations about our various aches and pains and treatments, and we almost reluctant to go in to the Dr when our names are called. Also they have installed a Do-It-Yourself blood pressure machine. You poke your arm into a dark hole and a ticket comes out the other end. We all enjoy doing that very much.     

Grand daughter G ran a Marathon last Saturday.  Twenty six miles around Eastbourne, Beachy Head, the Seven Sisters,, up and down the hills along the coast. I asked her if she felt like giving up half way and she said `Oh no, I loved it. Anyone can do it,  it`s all in the head, not the legs`. I`m not sure I agree with her, especially after the needle incident in my case, but it makes you think.

I was soaking my poorly foot in a bowl of hot salty water and jumped up to answer the phone, and managed to drop my handbag into the water, which resulted in a ruined mobile phone, address book, bus pass, and purse. I bought a new phone but I still can`t work out how to text on it so will have to wait to collar a grandchild to help me.

I am off to the museum in Brighton later today to do another performance of readings following the creative writing course a few months ago. There is never much of an audience, just a few mystified mums and toddlers and people wanting a bit of a sit down, so its not a big deal, but I love being in that museum. `.

I am still limping pathetically but I now have a proper grown up walking stick (green) given to me by brother P and also a warm coat from dear departed sister in law Phil, so I think affectionately of her as I go dog walking in the mornings with her coat and stick. I am enjoying the lighter mornings now especially with the wonderful autumn colours this year.