17.6.19

Well, that was a Monday and a half! Week ago the Monday started pleasantly enough with sunshine and light breeze. A friend visited and we had lunch on the terrace, it was lovely, just warm enough. Then the breeze got up and we came in. Is that rain? Yes, let’s put the cover back on the table. Then all hell broke loose. I have never seen hail storm like that. It was battering the porch glass ceiling, there was thunder and lightning. Katie was trying to hide behind sofa (space of 4 inches), a quivering wreck. The path at the front of the house turned white. I was hoping the hail wouldn’t dent the car. That lasted maybe 20 minutes. It could have been 10 minutes but felt much longer. After the storm I went to the studio to get something and called for assistance. There was a river running on the studio floor, water was pouring in through the wee utility room ceiling, dripped from the lamp fitting. The friend and I mopped up as much as we could. It looked like a blockage in the valley between the studio and house. There was some rubbish and an awful lot of hail in the gutter and that could have made the water overflow the lead flashing. I hoped. That’d have to be cleared asap. No 1 daughter insists there should be someone supervising me when I climb ladders, trees, so the friend came back the next day. While we had the ladder out he cleared the rest of the gutters. Unfortunately I had just filled the dog food bin and water had been running into that too, and into the bag of BBQ charcoal. Dog food porridge had to go out and the charcoal is drying in the wood shed. Here’s hoping warm enough weather to use it… Nae luck so far. 

Eye saga continues.

Last Thursday I went for the check up for the touch of glaucoma I have in one eye. The girl took the eye pressures and said …”I see you are on the drops”… Well, actually no… I am not good at taking medication regularly so I thought I’ll see first if the readings have changed…  They hadn’t. Then she said they have a laser machine on trial. She’d talk to the doc and see if I’d be suitable candidate for the operation, to sort out the pressure. Doc Bennett says the op seems to work better for people who haven’t been taking the drops. Ha! There is some advantage in being a lazy wimp. She phoned the next day and asked if I can go to the hospital on Monday – today. Yes, I’ll be there even if I had to be brought in on a stretcher. Once again, I can’t fault the NHS here. Doc B pointed the laser into my eye. Zap ping zap ping zap ping  zap ping went the green light and accompanying noise, and it was done. Fab. In six weeks we’ll see if it has worked. If not, I’ll have to start taking the drops which would be a nuisance, but there is no alternative. I need my eyes.

Spring Fling.

It was good. Saturday and Sunday were very busy and but Monday was waste of brushing the hair and putting on the make up. On the other hand it gave me time to talk to my sister-in-law who was visiting me. It was good to see people who I had met before and to meet new people. Talking to people proved once again – banter during the SF is so good you don’t need TV comedy. The last people to come in on Sunday told me to put on the fluffy slippers (I had under the table). They probably saw me hirpling and spotted the slippers… I gratefully obliged. Frock, fish nets and fluffy slippers – could start a trend. The weekend means a lot of pressure, to produce something new but socially alone it is worth it. When you are in solitary confinement the rest of the working time it is fun to meet the SF crowd.

23.6.19

Midsummer is past. It is a non event here and again, I was alone, sipping wine and reading the paper, went to bed early. 

In Finland it is the biggest celebration of the year. They celebrate the most day light in the year. Even the newspapers don’t appear the next day.  I phoned Mother and asked the figures for drownings this year but she didn’t know. Everybody aspires to a holiday cottage on the lakeside and as there are thousands of lakes there is plenty space. They migrate to their cottage at Midsummer, with family, friends. The problem is that in the evening having been taking refreshments they’d take the boat to see the neighbour  next door or neighbour on the opposite side of the lake. In the light of the evening and night they’d stand up and holler from the boat to the neighbour, that they are on their way. And then splash, they go overboard. Well, that used to be the case in the past but nowadays the mobiles make it possible to phone the friend first to see if they are in. Not many holiday cottages had phone lines. It was escape from the usual, total relaxation when nobody could get in touch with you easily. Just the company, sauna, beer, and good food. Sounds like heaven to me too, except I’d have wine, or champagne.