Freedom is Coming

I met my friend John from Sheffield this evening . He is on holiday in North Wales with his family. A family I know well but haven’t seen for a long time. His wife, a soft spoken Sheffielder I last saw at my wedding. His daughter at her wedding. 

Now the daughter has children of her own and I remembered when I first met her, the day I moved in next door to their terraced home in Hillsborough, when she was just a doe eyed beautiful child  

John’s wife hugged me when we met and I could feel her quiet affection for me. The fact that I hadn’t seen her since my wedding suddenly and strangely hurt a little and I jumped into slightly manic jolly mode to exorcise the feeling.

I was a fair way from home so didn’t stay late, 

But it was lovely to see them all.

On the way home found a lost CD in the glove compartment which Jamie out choir master ( with his RAF 1940s Moustache) had recorded for us two years ago now.

The South African song Freedom is Coming , was the one I found first

And I sang it at the top of my voice , for the three quarters of an hour drive home in the rain.

I so miss choir 

crocs

Dorothy chased Albert and knocked him over in an over exuberant moment of giddiness after I got home and so, tiredly I told her off quite vociferously, a wooden spoon waved angrily in hand.

She stormed off in a fit of pique, flinging herself dramatically onto the kitchen floor and without me knowing she has just chewed the heel straps from the back of one of my crocs

 

Whale

I have a new wooden whale in my kitchen I say

Of course you do you say 

Roses Around The Door

* thank you

I got home around 2 pm and found that I’d not stockpiled  antibiotics as I thought. It took me until 6 pm to  sort out a prescription from out of hours. 

I felt like shit until bedtime but I did sleep a broken , toilet visiting sleep

I feel better this morning

Washed out but better. 

I’m going to ask my urologist for long term antibiotic therapy.

I’m pottering around the cottage today.

The sweet peas look lovely on the wisteria arch with the  purple buddleia providing a striking backdrop. 

The climbing rose by the front door has burst into flower
 

I think I’m the owner of the only cottage that actually has roses around my door. Well to be honest roses and honeysuckle .

It looks lovely 

I’m a bit tired today…Dorothy and I mooched on the trendy couch…me reading , she snoring. 

Mary is upstairs on the bedroom window seat watching out for rabbits.

Then,only an hour ago.when I reviewed my junk folder emails , I saw that I was supposed to start an Opera Appreciation Course at the City Lit at lunchtime. I had forgotten about it as I was supposed to be travelling home from London today….what fun……every cloud has a silver lining ….

So fortified with a bucket of coffee, a big pee and another antibiotic I’m now set for some  culture 

* thank you to Keith from Sheffield for the t shirt you didn’t give me a return address for me to thank you properly ….I’m wearing it today x

Bloody Hell!

 Mave was right in his comment of yesterday

“ Rough” was exactly how I looked.

I looked rough because I was ill. 

Two long days on shifts on the hottest days of the year prior to almost two days walking around London had left me dehydrated. 

In the bustle of work and pleasure I had forgotten to drink and by Borough Market , I felt my lifelong nemesis, a rip roaring urine infection, set in. 

By the time I got back to my hotel to change for Nu’s get together I was passing blood and was shaky.

I am susceptible  to urine infections , for reasons I don’t need to go into here and I was angry at myself for the fuck up but I knew all I could do was to hole up in my hotel room and drink gallons of water .

So that’s what I’ve done, with around three hours sleep. 

An irritating end to a lovely couple of days and I’m feeling sorry for myself 

It always seems that I’ve pulled myself up by my bra straps only to come  crashing down in some sort of physical or mental jacuzzi ….

I missed Nu’s party and today I will miss a mutually flirty soho lunch and cinema at the Curzon  with my friend Alex which was a let down but the only thing I need now is to rehydrate, and take some prophylactic antibiotics I have at home 

….And rest

Hey fucking ho

Borough Market

 

The Photographer’s Gallery visited this morning.it’s tucked away just off Oxford Street. Then clothes shopping. Then Tate Modern briefly, before meeting my great niece Ellie at Borough Market.

I’m knackered and just having a coffee before tubing it across town to Ealing to meet Nu

I had a Ginger Pig scotch egg for lunch.

I could hardly carry it

"Prayer" from Come From Away

I have seen Come From Away before, but I haven’t seen an audience so hungry in their enjoyment on what was on offer. The comedy musical had a standing ovation first time I saw it but last night’s performance had everyone on their feet well before the last song had been sung.

Even the actors looked surprised.

I think Come From Away with its message about finding goodness in adversity had a resonance with a post lockdown audience. It’s a feel good sticking plaster in a sometimes ugly world 

Revisiting An Old Friend

On my way through Chinatown soho

Tomorrow, after some shopping I will meet up with Nu and a lot of old faces.

Today, I’m on my own

London was hot this morning, but not as drastically hot, by all accounts as yesterday.  I popped down the Northern line to Waterloo and ambled under the trees on Southbank’s Queen’s Walk, where I drank coffee and watched people for an age. 

From there I mooched back into town, had a drink in Soho and perused the bookshops and arty bespoke shops down the side streets of Covent Garden

I am now having an early dinner at Dishoom on upper St Martin’s Lane before I go to the theatre.

Dishoom was a favourite restaurant when I was married. 

It was nice to reclaim it again.

Going to a restaurant on my own is another milestone for me. Before I’ve always had the cushion of friends to buffer that feeling that I am a singleton. But today, I’ve grabbed the bull by the horns and booked myself a table…FOR ONE !!! 

It’s all rather New York….well that’s what I’m telling myself anyway.

Dishoom has delightful food.

I’ve ordered the spicy lamb chops, the house black daal, the gunpowder potatoes and a Naan.

My iPad is my buffer, but to be honest, I realise that no one gives a flying fuck if I’m sat on my own or with Sarah Jessica Parker. 

I’ve told you already that I’m returning for a second visit to see Come From Away tonight. The musical has reopened just yesterday and I adored its story of kindness and hope amid the chaos and destruction of 9/11, when I first saw it.

For those few that don’t know, Come From Away explores several themes and stories set during 9/11 where over seven thousand people were stranded from  38 planes in the small Newfoundland town of Gander. The townsfolk had to house and feed AND clothe the passengers during those very dark days in 2001 and that story makes for an uplifting, tale of the goodness of people.

Hot

The heat wave continues 

Little sleep….bit cranky 

 

Ruth

 God it’s hot 

I’ve just joined all of UK social media by mentioning this 

I can complain a bit because I’ve just done 12.5 hours in PPE 

I SMELL like a sumo’s nappy.

Thank you to manager Emma who arranged for some Italian ice cream to be dropped off for staff and patients xx it was bliss 

It was 9.30 pm when I sat down after work, the dogs are panting in the 21 degree evening heat 

The house is ready for Ruth to take over tomorrow when I’m off to London

This is my friend Ruth

A lifesaver, my dog baby sitter , hospice nurse extraordinaire, mindfulness advocate and loyal friend 

I love this photo of her and mary

Agapanthus

 Hospice flower Beds

Best Laid Plans

 

Come From Away

I’m going to London again on Friday.

I will be returning on Monday.

Originally the weekend was more or less sorted. 

Friday was geek day with my nephew Leo, ( we had obtained tickets for comic con for an exhausting 8 hours looking at super heroes and zombie killers ) and Saturday night was booked Nuala’s post covid friends from far-from_away…get together. 

Sunday I’m planning to meet a friend Alex for art house cinema and soho drinks…so the bare bones planned seemed an electric mixture which I could dovetail with some niche London on-my-own things.

Covid has meant Geek day is cancelled until November ( my nephew was incredibly sanguine about it all) and Nu’s party has been cancelled due to track and trace.

Undaunted I’m filling in the gaps 

So people give me some ideas…fucking hell I'm still going

I have pockets of Friday, Sat and Sunday to fill…..Friday night I’m going to see The musical Come From Away again and Saturday night will still be “Nuala” time but apart from a few hours on Sunday afternoon with Alex , I have lots of time to do interesting things….so what do you suggest? 

I’m working all day. tomorrow , so will have only tomorrow night to sort out my ( your) ideas

What fun….

Can’t wait …..

What do you recommend ? 

Hey ho xx

The gayer the better xx

Warm

 This was the view of Llandudno this early morning

Glorious. I'm back at work