Yesterday...

A day of neither something or nothing...A day which had me doing as little as possible for medical reasons and more than ever one that makes me realise a hospital visit is ever closer.

On the positive side...and how often can you do this(wealth is relative)

I purchased my supply of vitamins that I was getting low on and the local pharmacy was offering a 3 for 2 promotion...you pay for two and the third(the cheapest) of what you buy is free!

Well, normally that saving though welcome usually only works out at around £5 for me but I found a new item that I have heard such a lot about but they cost 10.99 each. So I purchased two boxes(that's two months supply. And the other item which last three months costs me £9.99 but technically because the cheapest item is free, that was.

Now depending on how you look at it...that meant that the other two items were reduced to £6.99 each or you could pretend one of those items were practically free if you take the £9.99 off.

I couldn't get a taxi to finish my small shop so saved approx £3 and so when I went to the Supermarket what I had saved on vitamins and the taxi fare paid for the first bottle of Champagne I have purchased n my life. And a bottle of wine.

I have no idea if it is great champagne except the price label says it is worth £19 and they were selling it at £10.

I only purchased one bottle. My main shopping seeing that New Year is just around the corner and shops are closed and I am trying to avoid too many trips away from home I wanted to be sure I had enough bread and milk in the home.

The worst part of the night waiting 40 minutes for a taxi to get home. One lady asked if she could share my taxi(it couldn't be done)if she's lived practically in a road near me possibly but she was on the other side of town and that would delay or make the other taxi's late for everyone else. I don't know what she did but the earliest they could offer her a taxi was roughly the same length of time as I had to wait. I have to say usually they come and get me virtually as soon as phone so when they are unable to they must be busy or having problems because of road conditions.

Back to the vitamins...I've not gone overboard on vitamins and minerals through my life...believing that I should get all that I require in my diet from the fruit and vegetables that I eat, besides it's also a pleasure to enjoy the food that is giving you all that goodness.

But I suppose suffering with various ailments and conditions, you'll try anything. I usually take a vitamin C with Zinc or Vitamin C with perhaps Rose hip, Vitamin B Complex for nerves and the like. The rest are not really Vitamins but may have some vitamins as a by product...Selenium(with A, C and E)which may help protect the Prostate gland, Cranberry to help the Unirary system, Garlic which is good for the blood and possibly reduces cholesterol(which due my medication probably)is high and now a new product that has been doing well in Europe and has finally reached my town which contains Lycopene which is found in Tomatoes. It has been said that you can get more Lycopene in the sauce in a can of Baked Beans or in a bottle of Tomato Ketchup.

However, these capsules contain the equivalent of six large ripe tomatoes. Now it would take some going to eat 6 Tomatoes each day and if you could, it would cost quite a lot more than buying this product. The days I eat any tomatoes in a salad or sandwich I may give these capsules a miss on that day so I don't overdose. After all it says on the box take only one capsule per day and do not exceed the dosage.

Wish they could cure my hernia or improve my eyesight problems...but all these may stop the eyesight getting worse. I should really eat more Spinach and perhaps will introduce it more into my diet in the new year, it has been proven to help with many eye troubles. So what have I to lose?

I am not suggesting that you buy any of these items/products nor am I endorsing them. In fact I may actually be doing myself some harm with some of the items I am taking as some reports that have been published have suggested too much of something can actually harm and even I may think again and reduce or stop taking some of what I have been taking. I still prefer to obtain vitamins and minerals naturally in my food and diet.

Lyc-O-Mato

It's Going To Happen...

I do listen to quite a lot of radio drama(which still happens in the UK thanks to the BBC)and I used to go to the theatre a lot but it's been many years since I have done so for various reasons.

I don't watch so much drama on TV, then again I don't watch as many films as I used to.

However, I have found over the years before knowing who wrote the works that I have enjoyed certain authors/playwrights have been behind them. They have been born, brought up and lived in the North East of England so much of their work have characters that are based in the North and talk with Northern accents. In many ways they are stereotypes of how Northerners are supposed to be but they are always written with affection and so tongue in cheek. Their worlds are a bit weird and quirky as experienced in the series being replayed on another BBC radio station at present called "Winston Comes Back" written by Peter Tinniswood but he'll always be known for/associated with the TV series "I Never Knew You Cared!" and a character called Uncle Mort.

Sadly both of the writers I am thinking of are no longer with us and I had no idea that the other one Mike Stott had passed away earlier this year. The BBC is broadcasting his final radio work this week entitled "My Mad Grandad" For some time I had been wondering why I was not hearing any of his works on radio. One series I enjoyed some years ago was about an Estate Agent's Office and called "Bunn & Co"

Hopefully, their works will be repeated for many years to come.

Merry Christmas...

And if you don't celebrate this time of year, Happy Holidays to you. There is no reason why at this time of year we can wish each other all the best for peace and happiness.

An early start(I was in a lovely sleep)and Mum came along to my bedroom and asked if she could have a cup of tea so I eventually woke up enough to do that but in doing so I was surprised to hear a greeting on the radio to Mum and myself from Sally and Rosie my friends in London which I would've missed otherwise.

And for various reasons I have still not returned to my bed. As for that cup of tea(it became coffee)and a few minutes ago when I popped in to see how Mum is she is in a deep sleep and that drink is still untouched. But at least that means that I heard the greeting.

It's a quiet day...no presents to open but we'll buy something in one of the sales on the Internet perhaps. And it will be delivered when the mail gets back to normal.

It's still cold outside and there is still some snow on the ground but no more has fallen through the night but I have no plans to go outside for the next few days. It's just nice to be together and still here for another year after what happened earlier in the year and how things could've been.

That's the most important thing of all.

I think we are having our Christmas meal tonight, we have usually had it around 1pm-2pm but not today. It's more a case of what not to include in the menu and I am sure that something will not be eaten because of the dates on certain items but not such a problem with the fresh food.

I think it will be baby spouts, baby carrots, turnip, roast potatoes, stuffing, roast parsnips with a honey and mustard glacé, turkey, Yorkshire puddings and some cocktail sausages...I think that's enough to be going on with. Followed by either mince pies with a fancy cream or Christmas pudding with vanilla custard.

So if we have anything this afternoon it will be very light. I am sitting here debating whether to have breakfast or at least a bacon buttie. And I may go out of my way to make an alcoholic drink later but what cocktail to make I have so many recipes and choices of booze. Or I can even make a non alcoholic version of many.

I'd like to say that there is a lot of good programmes to sit and watch on television but I'm not impressed and I suspect most of my entertainment will be from the radio.

I may have my medical problem to sort out but I'm still determined to enjoy my Christmas. I have kind of set things in motion to sort it out...my Dr saw me resting in the town centre yesterday and came over and shook my hand and wished me and Mum all the best(and yes you guessed it)any health professional cannot get away from talking medicine and he's told me to come in and see him when the festive season is over(he understands why I have left it over this period)and we'll get it sorted then.

Only one mini disaster so far, I managed to break a mini-disc for one of my recorders today and so far it refuses to play so I'll always be wondering what is on it and what I am missing and whether I have already saved it to my computer or it's lost forever. I'll keep trying to get it to work, with my luck it is something I will be sorry to lose.

So not an exciting day so far but a relaxing one.

Again all the best to you and yours...

Would You Like A Drink?

Of course like all substances too much of something can be bad for you. Some of us cannot handle certain substances on health grounds because each of us are different or some of us have addictive personalities.

We have had loads of campaigns and again just as with climate change many reports in the media about obesity, drug abuse, alcohol abuse and so on.

There is some evidence in recent months that for whatever reason things have been improving on the subject of people becoming overweight and that things may be changing and that's from charities and organisations that work in that field.

I keep hearing at present that the authorities are worried about people drinking too much. And they talk of increasing the price of booze to put it out of the reach of people who will be harmed but I do not drink much if at all and most of the time I might agree that one thing that probably discourages me the most is the cost. So that might work but you are also in doing that stopping or spoiling the enjoyment of those(the majority)that drink responsibly and that seems unfair to me.

In many cases drink divides people mainly for a number of reasons and often it is something that you either like or dislike. There is a little bit of hypocrisy on the Government's attitude to drink in that it raises a lot of tax revenue and if that was not available because people cut back on what they buy that would have to be found elsewhere.

If you are irresponsible and going to buy cheap booze and sit around in gangs in a local park that may have to be discouraged where possible and it's always gone on...alcohol abuse was far worse in times gone by there are many books written about what life was like in Victorian times for example.

I would be naive to believe that those considered as being middle or upper class are not capable of mishandling alcohol. But that is true of anything.

Many people socialise and drink on special occasions, Weddings, Anniversary's, Birthdays etc...perhaps with friends if you are having a meal in a restaurant.

Now the Government Medical advisor has decided to wade into the area of alcohol regarding when it is safe for young people to drink and I think that is set at around 18 years. That may be fair enough but in many countries children and teenagers are allowed a little(and it is a little)with their meal or it might be watered down but this attitude is seen as stopping alcohol as being seen as forbidden fruit. If handled correctly hopefully when you become an adult you will handle it responsibly. In countries around the Mediterranean drink is seen very much differently to some others. Just as their diet is too often using much more vegetables, spices, olive oil and so on. It should be seen as part of the whole experience.

Today, he is suggesting that parents should not allow any child under the age of 16 any access to any alcohol ever.

I think if you are a responsible household a little watered down booze only "Now and Again" does no harm whatsoever. I also think you'll will find that many children are curious and often if they are given a little sip, they often dislike it and it puts them off wanting any alcohol. They are probably more happy with a drink of pop, a fruit juice or a drink of squash or even water.

Opinion Piece From The Daily Telegraph

Doom And Gloom...

In a week where the media has gone overboard about climate change/global warming and there has been a big conference in Denmark where Governments from around the world try to justify and explain that the world is warming up and we have to save the planet with often harebrained schemes that will cost eye watering amounts of money...I find myself virtually avoiding anything written or said about it.

I am not suggesting that I do not see or agree that things are not changing but I am sensible enough to know that whilst just possibly Humans do affect the environment and we should all think of ways to make infinite resources last longer or recycle etc...

However, the Earth always has and always will go through cycles where it is warmer or colder and certain areas will be affect this time and not the next.

The science is not settled in many cases, many of the models being used to estimate what will happen in future years is flawed and it's a guesstimate. It's if the world warms up by 1 degree, this will happen. The operative word being "If"

When I was growing up we were being told that we were likely to be heading again towards another ice age.

Unfortunately, many television news reports are not giving both sides of the argument or using language that is unbiased so many people just let what is said wash over them and do not question what they are being told take it as fact. I object to asking questions meaning that the Prime Minister calls us "Flat Earthers" which is comparing us to those who believed that the World was flat. The difference being that could be proved.

A silly example of how you can be taken in by how something is written...

A recent article about a pop star with a high profile in the UK at present said "Most men would like to sleep with her" there was no reference to which survey or study that had come from if any. In general some readers might take that as a fact but I see it as the writer of that article using her own view as fact that cannot be proved or disproved. It probably should not be used at all but might be acceptable if you changed it to "Many men would like to sleep with her" There is a subtle difference in the inference.

Some people who demonstrate and push for action to be taken to save the planet are no doubt genuine in their beliefs and you cannot criticise anyone in that situation but the cause has been hijacked.

There are loads of conflicting theories out there and they are not all silly and worth dismissing nor are the people who put them forward.

You have to look no further than the immediate solar system that we are part of and the surrounding planets, suns and stars. Sunspots, stars and suns collapsing, solar flares flying off the sun, the angle of the Earth's axis, the slowing down of the world as it turns, the world is more water than land and some land masses are and always have been lower and higher than others so they would always be affected(I do not dismiss the suffering of anyone living in such areas)

There is evidence(I listened to a series of programmes on the BBC World Service suggesting)that some dessert areas are starting to become green again so perhaps all that is happening is that areas that have been green and food has been plentiful will reverse.

And there is again some evidence to suggest that pollution and carbon which is feared by many experts can stop harmful things getting through our atmosphere so it protects and it could be that some of what is good for the environment is stopped from being lost because in some instances being colder could be a threat to our well being.

The Earth has been hotter before and it has been colder. In the UK's past it has been said that the South of England had vineyards and that was only in the 1800's.

And we haven't even talked about natural disasters that could change things very quickly, Earthquakes, Tsunam's and volcanic eruptions.

There are many blogs, websites and books worth reading and looking at that have given far more detail to the subject of climate change than I can ever hope to, it is very complicated.

Unfortunately, some of the most vocal on the topic and being full of doom and gloom are very selective in what they say and put forward as their reasons for their opinion.

One of the most vocal on the topic(I'm not going to mention him here)but it is said in many many places just recently gave a speech at the conference in Denmark and someone who supplied and worked on a report with him and was quoted in the speech criticised what was said and later on it had to be retracted.

This same person who talks about everyone reducing their use of power and their carbon footprint jets all over the world making speeches and they say that his home uses more power than many households do in a year.

There is a lot of do as I say and not do as I do.

In this same week once again the utility company that supplies our power have given us 4 free energy saving light bulbs but they are all slow in lighting up when switched on they are not immediate. They are classed as the equivalent to soft lighting(most people want a bright light and find low light affects there eyes)and especially people such as myself whose eyesight is not what it should be. Most are still a strange shape so they are unsuitable for purpose and finally most people need at least for a centre light in a room a 100-150watt bulb and those supplied for free are said to be roughly equivalent to a 60 or 65watt bulb so they are going to be very dim.

Why don't they supply some at least similar to a 100watt? Or if they are dimmer because of them being in soft white, supply some that are more powerful perhaps 120watt or higher because when they are used the effect will be reduced because of the way the bulbs are manufactured.

I am afraid that the more this topic comes up on the news I am avoiding it, I could quite understand people becoming bored with my own opinions on the subject and even for being criticised because if you do not keep informed on such matters what right do I have to have an opinion?