An old post revisited after 14 years
“ I had a coffee then went out to deliver some duck eggs which I had promised to drop off and I was glad that I did for as I turned into Bron Haul I caught a glimpse of Mrs Spriggs.
Now Mrs Spriggs (not her real name) is one of those very VERY old ladies that always sound as though she is crying when she talks.She has that slightly odd, wavering voice that carries literally for miles. and when I sometimes try to pass her when she is waiting for the morning bus into town, the dogs will often stop then sit and stare at her when she cries her very odd cries of welcome.Today, Mrs Spriggs was perched on top of a brand new shiny invalid scooter, complete with impressive wicker basket on the front. She was driving it at full tilt along the centre of the road,and even at a distance of say 50 yards, I could tell that her knuckles were white as the proverbial sheet.
Islwyn Thomas, himself in his late eighties, stood nearby and he gave me a small wave and a smile...
"watch this" , he quipped "this should be fun!"
Mrs Spriggs passed us, letting out a long moaning scream as she did so
I noticed that the scream had a definite Doppler effect to it
"I'm scccccaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrred!!!!!!!!!!!" she cried " this is all new to me!"
she turned the scooter around and in way of explanation as she made a second run she cried out again
"The scooter is on loan..I'm trying it out!!!.....but I can't get the hang of the kerbs!"
She mounted the pavement briefly near Stan and Kit's neat little bungalow and let out a long "oooooooooooohhhhhhh!" as she did so.
And as I stopped to watch... realising instantly that this was the stuff of all passable blogs!
Mrs Spriggs glided past yet again emitting another little scream like girls do on rollercoasters
As she "hand braked it by the junction of High Street, She informed Islwyn and myself rather breathlessly that the buggy needed to be returned by Friday so she had to practise when the weather was dry.
"How do I look on it?" she wailed as she made her third and final run
"precarious !" I said under my breath”
That'll be me in a year or so.
ReplyDeleteI hope she had a good time on that thing! It surely got her pulse racing!
ReplyDeleteHow brave Mrs. Spriggs was! Methinks I'd be screaming and breathless, too.
ReplyDeleteDid she get her own mobility scooter after this one that was on loan or not?
A memorable post.
Hugs!
Handbrake turns? Wow! A courageous woman.
ReplyDeleteWhen Mum spoke Welsh her voice carried across several fields, a mountain language.
A lethal weapon in the wrong hands. I was once attacked by a lady on one in a shop. I was waiting at the checkout and she drove straight into my ankles, backed up a little, then drove into me again. I had to forcibly push the scooter away, as she backed up for another go! Did she apologise? Nah!
ReplyDeleteAt least Mrs Spriggs was practising in the open (hopefully a quiet road) and not in a crowded shop. I hope she got the hang of it! xx
My dad got one of those after much fussing with his insurance. He tried it once, and it scared him so much, it sat in a corner. When I'd visit him, he'd sit on it, and I would run the controls while walking next to him. I'd also zip around the halls of his assisted living place at full speed to get his mail just because it was fun. Sheila
ReplyDeleteSounds like an accident waiting to happen.
ReplyDeleteDid she keep it? I hope so because she sounds a valiant creature. Sorry to hear about the diabetes. I'm wondering if I should get tested. I've put on a lot of weight while I was housebound pre op and now post op it is a bgr to get off. I'm thinking about the 800 calorie diet as a solution. A friend did it and is competely off her Type 2 meds.
ReplyDeleteHey Susan, I'm currently on the Fast 800 diet. I have lost 4.4 kg since 8th January, am not hungry, have not lost muscle, my brain fog has gone and I have heaps more energy. I also do TRE (Time restricted eating) I fast for 16 hours and eat in an 8 hour window. It suits me down to the ground. I would suggest you give it a go you have nothing to lose except unwanted pounds and maybe better bloodwork.
DeleteSusan, my hubby did it for quite a while when he was first diagnosed, but then as so many men do he let it slip and was back to square one. It was such a shame as once you get into the rhythm of it it really does work. I joined him for a while and felt fantastic. As Jo says TRE alongside it makes it even better and is also relatively easy to get into.
DeleteThank you Jo and Sue. How wonderful to get support from opposite sides of the world. Much appreciated.
DeleteJust before and just after my knee replacements, my hubby would take me to a large grocery store that had ride on shopping carts, where I would zoom around like a mad woman. The only problem was that most of what I wanted, I couldn’t reach from sitting. It was fun anyway until I was walking well again. Gigi
ReplyDeleteYour last thought made me laugh. What a great moment to witness.
ReplyDeleteOnce she got the hang of it, I bet she spend her time doing wheelies, donuts, and burning rubber!
ReplyDeleteA post verging on slapstick today.
ReplyDeleteGood for her!!!
ReplyDeleteGosh I could do with one of those, but I'm not as brave as Mrs Spriggs, and I wouldn't be screaming, it would most likely be a stream of four letter words as I lost control and sailed past all the dog walkers on our paths.
ReplyDeleteZooming down the middle of the road aboard a jet-propelled mobility scooter - I think I can guess how Mrs Spriggs departed this mortal life.
ReplyDeleteI bet I could make it corner on two wheels.
ReplyDeleteI live in a midsize city and I see people riding these on the city streets. It nearly gives me a heart attack just to watch them! But I applaud their tamping down the fear so that they can continue participating in life.
ReplyDeleteNina
This made me smile so much. It created such a vivid picture 😂
ReplyDelete