Study Day

 

I was’nt looking forward to the study day if I was honest. It a new mandatory  one centred around mentorship and relates to student nurse support. 

To be honest I seldom see a student nurse nowadays and in my 42 years as a nurse I must have mentored hundreds, but I need to do the training! Again! 

So be it.

So I chose a two day course which I could complete from home.

Teams was downloaded

The Welsh were walked. 

And with a mug of coffee in hand with the art wall tastefully on show behind me. I waited to be logged in

This was at 9.24 am

Suddenly was a loud crack from the village transformer outside the school. 

The electric went off and dogs near the green started to bark

God is Good I said to myself 

The village Facebook page burst into life with messages about the power outage, some on the top part of Trelawnyd had their electricity restored within minutes. 

It’s going on three pm and there is nothing where I am

The Welsh have gone to Trendy Carol’s as planned and I cleaned the kitchen and have scrubbed the patio clear of detritus. 

I repotted geranium, and petunias, and planted out the wisteria , Ann had given me for my birthday. 

I watered the dry planters and gave Flower Show Programmes to Animal Helper Pat who called over the kitchen wall to say hello.

So the day hasn’t been a total bust.

How could it?

It feels like a summer’s day 

The Disney Rule

 The weakness in my arm continues undiagnosed. I have had to temper my frustration with an acceptance that most nhs care is somewhat slow and disjointed. 

I have, off my own back, referred myself to a Welsh Government initiative which provides free therapy time for people returning to work and this morning I met Jessimy my case manager ( yes I have a case manager!!!!!) who couldn’t have been nicer and bingo, next week I meet with a physio who is a specialist in shoulder and muscle injuries.

I’m compensating in the use of my arm , but it still is weak and I had an embarrassing time the other day, with noticeable trouble lifting a heavy set of fire logs in the supermarket in order for the clerk to scan it.

Let’s hope the physio can work their magic.

After meeting Jessimy, I drove to Dyserth to meet Chic Eleanor for lunch

She was in fine form, full of good humour and warmth, 

When she says goodbye, she always hugs

And she never stops hugging until you do.

This always  reminds me of this discussion of The Disney Rule

A good lesson for us all

One Day

 

A quiet day , it’s cold tonight, 

So cold that I’ve made butter bean and chorizo soup

And cold enough for Bun to knee sit

Watching Zulu Dawn 

Humm preferred Zulu

Where’s Nigel Green when you needed him

Date

 I told you I had been on a sort of date yesterday.

It was an impromptu meeting arranged after a brief and light social media conversation.

And unlike that awful last date I had after Covid 

( 2 hours of my life I will never get back in one lifetime)

I enjoyed chatting with this new guy for over two hours.

He was attractive, obviously bright,  somewhat serious but interesting

And for the first time, in a long while I thought I’d like to chat to him again.

As we left the cafe, he turned and gave me a hug and suddenly I read the room

I felt as though I had come to the end of an interview, where I was told subtlety I hadn’t got the job

And a good natured goodbye, had just been issued.

A text later confirmed my non verbal cue

And although I’m not beating myself ( or him) up for anything

I do feel a little deflated today

Hey ho

Ps

 

Pride

 A gay dad explains Pride to his son

Nothing else needs saying

There’s nothing sadder than a damp Drag Queen

 

I went to Prestatyn Pride to support.

Sometimes you forget how parochial the coastal towns are in their thinking, but several comments on the event’s Facebook page reinforced to me, attitudes I thought went out in the 1990 s.

Last night I found myself answering questions like

Why can’t there be straight Pride?

What’s it teaching our kids ?

And finally

Why do you gays need to celebrate having sex?

( chance would be a fine thing)

The parade was led by a very uncomfortable looking mayor and his droopy flag, and comprised of around sixty people, which is a start I suppose. A local pub had organised the days’ entertainment , and the place looked crowded enough.

Sadly it pissed down

Janet met me and Roger to watch. And I’m  now sat in the storyhouse in Chester on a sort of date

Unexpected and welcomed

Hey ho

Moon River

 The West Cheshire Hospital in Chester was the old asylum. Before that it was called Diva, the Roman word for the city. Essentially it comprised of the main 1829 Georgian building with scores of satellite two story wards connected by brick built corridors which gave visitors the sense  that you were in fact underground.Those corridors were long and dark a creepy and as a student nurse, I negotiated them always in a hurry.

One night, after 8 pm, in winter, I was walking up that corridor from Whitby ward, when I heard singing. A woman was singing Moon River gently to herself somewhere ahead of me. The voice was elderly and faltering, but because of the acoustics had a certain emotional power to it and every time I turned a corner I expected to see a patient , who was probably late for curfew, walking back to her ward.

But I saw no one

I just heard the voice always a little way ahead 

Two drifters off to see the world,

There’s such a lot of world to see

We’re after the same rainbows end 

Waiting round the bend 

My Huckleberry friend

Moon River

And me”

And it stopped when I reached the main corridor and the sliding green door which lead to the nurses home, beyond the Church.