As It Happens...
I have a busy day ahead...a big final push regarding the tidying of the house so my mind is occupied.
There's some good stuff to listen to the radio, that may not seem much to some but it's ok with me...
My Mum's brother's wife and a couple of people who did stay in touch(Not in the sense of inviting me for a cup of tea)just a chat on the phone, they think that I am doing fine.
And hey they don't want to hear negative thoughts but even if you need support, eventually people drift away, they don't know what to say or again like us all they have their own lives to get on with. Their work, their children, their grandchildren, organisations they belong to and so on...
Now, my Auntie is often on her own especially when my Uncle goes to Spain for weeks at a time. They may seem reasonably well off but they too watch the pennies and have to keep cutting back on what they spend and what they can do so I wish sometimes people would not be so critical of me.
If in these hard times some are able to still get out in a car or visit family and friends they are fortunate, its the old saying "The Best Things In Life Really Are Free!" A starry sky, a flower, a baby's laugh, birdsong at dawn etc...where do you stop?
But again, my Auntie spends her time often for hours constantly cleaning and tidying the house, cooking meals, washing clothes(it keeps you busy but its still a routine)
Her pleasure is to read a book(sometimes in bed at perhaps 9pm)as she says "What am I sitting up for, in bed I am warm, comfortable" She could still be reading at 2am. During the day she is fortunate to have a little room with windows that look onto the garden so she can just spend hours looking at the garden. For some that might seem boring but she's happy. So even on a dull cold day she can still be quite warm and look at the garden.
My main pleasure is listening to music...You do what's right for you...
When working you are fortunate these days, if because of the long hours worked and being tired after having an evening meal and perhaps having an hour with your child before they go to bed(Unless they are older and out with friends or on the PC)you probably have 2-3 hours to do what you want to and most of the time families take the easy option of watching TV...
A trip to the cinema, theatre is a treat, these days you are more likely to watch a DVD. Even if you manage to perhaps make the effort at a weekend and have friends round and have a glass or two of wine, a couple of beers. Do people still entertain with Dinner Parties?
I couldn't be bothered with that myself!
I've got my interest in food again and today I planning on making for myself, mashed potato, vegetables, sliced turkey and gravy...that has to be a good sign...
I have some rather fancy yogurt's that I can snack on later too... this is all positive to me...
There's some good stuff to listen to the radio, that may not seem much to some but it's ok with me...
My Mum's brother's wife and a couple of people who did stay in touch(Not in the sense of inviting me for a cup of tea)just a chat on the phone, they think that I am doing fine.
And hey they don't want to hear negative thoughts but even if you need support, eventually people drift away, they don't know what to say or again like us all they have their own lives to get on with. Their work, their children, their grandchildren, organisations they belong to and so on...
Now, my Auntie is often on her own especially when my Uncle goes to Spain for weeks at a time. They may seem reasonably well off but they too watch the pennies and have to keep cutting back on what they spend and what they can do so I wish sometimes people would not be so critical of me.
If in these hard times some are able to still get out in a car or visit family and friends they are fortunate, its the old saying "The Best Things In Life Really Are Free!" A starry sky, a flower, a baby's laugh, birdsong at dawn etc...where do you stop?
But again, my Auntie spends her time often for hours constantly cleaning and tidying the house, cooking meals, washing clothes(it keeps you busy but its still a routine)
Her pleasure is to read a book(sometimes in bed at perhaps 9pm)as she says "What am I sitting up for, in bed I am warm, comfortable" She could still be reading at 2am. During the day she is fortunate to have a little room with windows that look onto the garden so she can just spend hours looking at the garden. For some that might seem boring but she's happy. So even on a dull cold day she can still be quite warm and look at the garden.
My main pleasure is listening to music...You do what's right for you...
When working you are fortunate these days, if because of the long hours worked and being tired after having an evening meal and perhaps having an hour with your child before they go to bed(Unless they are older and out with friends or on the PC)you probably have 2-3 hours to do what you want to and most of the time families take the easy option of watching TV...
A trip to the cinema, theatre is a treat, these days you are more likely to watch a DVD. Even if you manage to perhaps make the effort at a weekend and have friends round and have a glass or two of wine, a couple of beers. Do people still entertain with Dinner Parties?
I couldn't be bothered with that myself!
I've got my interest in food again and today I planning on making for myself, mashed potato, vegetables, sliced turkey and gravy...that has to be a good sign...
I have some rather fancy yogurt's that I can snack on later too... this is all positive to me...
posted by The Great Gildersleeve | 11:15 am
29 Comments:
Your Auntie sounds a bit like me, Gildy.
I was surprised to hear about your brother's wife. For some reason I had always thought that you were an only child.
Glad to hear that you are getting interested in food again. Always a good sign.
I was also surprised that you had a brother. You have always inferred that there was just you and your Mum and Dad Did your sister in law attend the funeral, or visit your Mum?
Anon, did you ever work for the DWP or the Gestapo (same thing really)?
Sory to be critical but you have a knack of making a question sound like an interrogation.
No VQ, I'm just a normal person and I'm sorry if I give that impression.
Gestapo hey........a horrible thing to be compared with. I remember them well from the war.
Sorry. I wasn't meaning to be offensive but you do have a certain knack.
Sorry, genuine mistake, I'll have to take a look at what I wrote and probably correct things, I would've spotted the error but not sitting over the pc, I did not see the omission before comments were posted.
The word that should've been included was "Mum's" brother's wife...who kept me company at the funeral.
You do come across in an agressive way, more demanding an answer, others ask questions or are critical but I do feel as though I am having a light shone in my eyes...
I don't mind questioning my beliefs or motives to some extent I do that writing a blog, a blog that is more like diary might actually make one more introspective, then again it can be a way to come to terms with a situation, a bit like when people used to write a list of points for or against.
All my life I have gone more down the positive route.
You see, Gildy, we hang on your every word! :-)
I'm feeling grumpy this week - Lord knows why! Next week, I'm away at the seaside with my cousin. Let's hope I come back more cheerful.
VQ,
It will do you good to get away and how fortunate that you have a cousin to stay with. I wish you lovely weather whilst you are there but its a change and some company.
It will probably be nice to have a break from the internet too.
I've assumed that you are staying with your cousin...you did not say that did you, you both may be staying in a hotel.
No. We are renting a cottage for a week on the Jurassic coast (Devon/Dorset area). She is even older and more grumpy than I but I take no notice.
I reckon I got a bargain with the train fare. By booking 12 weeks ahead, the RETURN rail fare from London to Devon was £33 each!
After having put up with each other for a whole week, we won't see each other again for a year.
Ha, ha,
At least you can please yourselves what you do together. That does seem a good price on the train fare...
Gildy, it's not really surprising that none of your relatives have invited you round for a cup of tea, seeing as you had none of them back to your place after your Mum's funeral !
Also I do get the impression who ever you talk to it's just one long moan about what an awful life you have, so of course they don't want to hear any more negative thoughts. Perhaps if you had a hobby, or something more interesting to talk about, you'd get invites from your relatives ( :
It's not one long moan but there aren't many people to ask me and I'm not going to suddenly land on someone.
This Auntie had always said she'd take care of me and thinks highly of me but she's in her late 70's, she'll have things to do and to get to where they live takes over an hour, the bus service isn't that good etc...
Who are all these relatives I was going to invite back after the funeral. Most wanted to get back home as soon as it was all over.
You just cannot drop this thing about not having a cup of tea, I was the only person coming home to my town and I sat in the hearse with the vicar and Funeral Director, it was the last service of the day even they wanted to get home...
Be careful Anon, you will be accused of being Gestapo like, and of course Gildy jumped in and agreed.......oh dear.
I must be kinder, I must be kinder!
What will you do when VQ is away on holiday? I do hope you enjoy it VQ, a holiday is a good pick me up. You strike me as being very kind, but believe you me, so am I.
I was shocked to see he had a brother's wife.......and it threw me. I was curious to see if she had been at the funeral being such a close relative. You must take more care Gildy, when you are typing about relatives.
No one is asking for kindness...my first error about relative's in years...and I would've corrected the mistake without being told...I was just a bit late in doing so...
I hate using a laptop keyboard...
I will cope, I am starting to do so now...
My mind is not straying back to whether Mum's care was all it could've been and though I'm not thinking of specific memories of Mum I am able to think of things that have to be done daily.
I hope I am a kind person, Anon but I'm only human and sometimes I have an 'off day' too. Today is one of them - for no particular reason.
I was a bit rude to you earlier. I'm sorry.
I don't understand, why should your elderly auntie in her late '70's say she'd take care of you ?
Do you need taking care of ? You must be over 20 years younger than her . Or does she mean she'll look after you financially & offer you a home ?
Why do I bother? You're such a cynical old bugger. Always reading or looking for hidden meanings. What makes you think they can do anything financially for me?
If you have any relatives they usually say they'll watch over you. She always liked Mum, Dad and myself...
Again, I have no idea which Anon I am replying to but I am replying to the comment where you suggest the offering of a home...in your dreams...Do you always look for an angle?
You're the one calling her elderly, is being in your 70's old these days?
Thank you VQ. I appreciate that. I have thought you kind, but Gildy just laps it up and whatever you suggest, he says he MAY DO.
It's a bit confusing now, because there could be three Anons, who are all concerned in their own way.
I agree with the last Anon, your Aunt will be struggling to look after herself in her late seventies. I look forward to seeing your reply to her.
I've been thinking about the mobility scooter, and as it's something to help you get out, I would think that's an essential piece of equipment and they would encourage you. The top and bottom of it is you don't want one, you would rather moan about taxi fares!
There is a lot here that I do not understand but do not want to pry into too much, to be honest.
In some ways i have some things in common with Gildy in that I too never broke away from my parent's apron strings and struck out on my own, hence I live in the house they had and indee the very one I was born in 74 years ago - say no more!
Nick
Thanks Nick,
Circumstances is just how its turned out, Mum never held me back, sometimes you can make your own luck, sometimes its what you are dealt.
In the present climate many are struggling and I not sure that if you have managed to save a little, financially you are any better off. Especially when the savings reduce or they stop you accessing possibly help.
I'm getting confused now. Can we have Anon 1, Anon 2 and Anon 3 please?
Or, better still, Tom, Nick and Harry.
P,S, That's cheered me up no end!
You have no idea Anon and have probably never had to jump through all the hoops and trick questions and if you ever had applied for help things are considerably different to when possibly you did.
As you say VQ it would be handy if each Anon took up a number or we are fortunate that some add a name like Jan, Carol and Nick And another has amended his profile so when he posts again, its less confusing.
Me, Nick also post on DS quite often under the LBC General Chit Chat thread.
See if you can guess who it is as, obviously I have a different persona there. Suffice to say, I am one of the LBC detractors - God, have I given the game away?
Nick
Well if you are who I think, you did say that you had changed the way you will post comments in future ;-)
Most won't know...if they did your real ID is still quite safe...an advantage of DS is that you can leave private messages which isn't possible here.
I was so pleased that LBC went nationwide via DAB it made me buy a DAB radio but now I hardly listen which is such a pity...but did get me in contact with some people I see as friends like you, VQ and Carol(You'll know them from the other place too)
Post a Comment
<< Home