Valentine

 I’ve never bothered too much about Valentine’s Day
And today I realise that I never will.
At 63 I’ve given up on the idea of romance in its most romantic of terms now.
And that’s fine
It’s also realistic, and positive 
Concentrate on other things
On friends and family , 
Work and study, 
Pastimes and new experiences
Hey ho

There’s hope For All Of Us

 


Renée Zellweger has always made a lovable Bridget Jones. She is everyone, every woman and every man , she is flawed, sweet, well meaning and oh so lucky. Now a widow, she has two children who love her, an urban family that adore her, a beautiful quirky home in  romanticised London and a 29 year old boyfriend ….she also has a Randy wisecracking friend and baby sitter ( Hugh Grant) on wonderful form btw , a down to earth stand in GP (a scene stealing Emma Thompson) and a glam tv front woman (Josette Simon) below who brings the house down with a simple well timed  fuck off.


Emma Thompson

It’s a funny , and properly funny and strangely sad film, which has a lot to say about grief and the power of friendships as it does about romance, hope and reinvention .

She’s a hopeful hero who I cried buckets over

Bridget gives us all hope.

Hope that any of us ordinary folk can be happy at the end of the day .

Hands

 I have a new doctor.
He’s thorough, polite, unhurried and personable 
I like and respect him and healthcare is not the chore it once was. 
I watched him tap away at his computer and realised that he had tiny hands.
A surgeon’s hands I thought
My blood results are fine
Pity the doctor’s remit doesn’t cover diabetes
The nurse hasn’t impressed me as yet.



September 5

 

Magaro

 I didn’t know the story behind the live reporting of the hostage fiasco that was the 1972 Munich Olympics. Sure I knew that 11 Israeli athletes and their coaches were held at gunpoint by members of the black September terrorist group and that all of the hostages were killed mainly due to the inept response by the German police, but what I didn’t know what it was the first international terrorist attack that was filmed and reported on live television. 

September 5 is a gripping, claustrophobic and taunt retelling of the story from the perspective of the American ABC on site sports department team, who assumed responsibility ( over the US based News Team) to run and report the drama.

Although a professional tv team, the technicians and producers, were totally out of their depth , however they did rise to the occasion ( helped by a quick thinking and cool German interpreter Leonie Benench.) 

Rookie producer Geoffrey Mason ( a sexy, intense John Magaro) leads the team well through the crisis supported by the always interesting Peter Sarsgaard as his tv veteran boss, and everything is filmed by hand held cameras giving the film an authentic 1970s feel to it. 

The inexperience of the sports reporters showed in one pivotal moment when they all suddenly realised that the terrorists were actually gaining the upper hand by watching their live feed on tvs in the Olympic village

. A  Chilling and terrifying moment in an impressive historical drama

I loved it

Can I Thrust By …..I’m a Diabetic ?


 The dietitian over faced me with information today.
Teaching wasn’t her forte

My head was reeling and by the time she explained what whole foods where I could have stuck an avocado up my arse and called myself a salad. 

When I got up to leave she asked me what I’d got planned for the rest of the day 
She didn’t laugh when I told her I was off to McDonald’s 
Ps I wasn’t btw

I have my insulin and needles but no one yet to officially teach me what to do with them.
Thank goodness my blood sugars are more stable this week , at least I have enough energy to get out of bed.
I went to the surgery for a blood pressure check and the nursing assistant told me it was dangerously high
I’m not bleeding surprised I told her but had the presence of mind to give her a collection of my blood pressure readings taken from the week at home, which placated her

No one in primary care today seemed to have a sense of humour today 

Hey ho

It’s a start


 It’s chilly, 
On one of those murky, winter days when everything feels damp and cold and miserable.
Mrs Trellis was out in her winter coat and erect bobble hat. But she was the only one in the village I saw, as everyone else were hidden away behind curtains and blinds backed by the cheerful glow of lamps and fires.
It is a night for fires, and throws and for wrapping my lovely green cashmere scarf around my head like a 
Bedouin.
It’s not a good look
But it’s warm 
The twins are in front of the fire and I’m pleased that Bun walked over to sit on my knee next to Roger who was so surprised he showed Goo goo eyes whoever was watching.
They sat together for twenty minutes
It’s a start
A busy week ahead , 
Too busy

Dean Martin & Caterina Valente - One Note Samba


Enjoy

Thank You

 Cro, took the opportunity in his morning blog post to thank people in his past for kindnesses they had done for him.

It made for an interesting read, and cathartic one all told. 

Over coffee I made a mental list
It was interesting as it meandered.

I wish I told my grandparents just how important they were as they moulded me into the best version of myself I could be, whilst at the same time thanking my parents for doing the bet they could with what skills they had.
Thank you to the unknown man who saved my life in a Spanish swimming pool in 1972
Thank you to the birdlike Miss Betts and the sexy Mr Smiler who shared their love of writing stories at Prestatyn High School
And Thank You Mr Brint my tutor in psychiatry who showed me that men could be soft as putty
Thank you to Ally who took me to my first opera at the Grand in Leeds
And thank you to Robert who made my first kiss with a man as sweet as it could be.
Thank you to too many nurses who have moulded my career and my practice 
And to Ceri who helped me see that death wasn’t so frightening a prospect when you are dying
Thank you to that British Rail employee who was kind to me after I foolishly went to my father in laws funeral 
And thank you to my sisters who are constants in a life lived.

I am grateful that I could go on
And on
And on