Wednesday 22nd January - hot and cold

 I am cold this evening! I'm wearing three layers and a warm scarf and a poncho! It's that damp seeping cold, a speciality of English weather at this time of year. 

The mad thing is that we're watching 'Landscape Painter of the Year'. They are painting at Hampton Court on 'one of the hottest days of the year', struggling to control the paint in the heat, fanning themselves, flapping their clothes to try and cool themselves a little. 

It is a reminder that there will be warmer weather. Do not despair; one day I will be wearing just a t-shirt, without a jumper and a fleece on top!

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There's no way I'm going out and doing anything in the garden at the moment. Not until it's not so cold. But that's fine, according to my almanac

People who use the phases of the moon to inform their plans for seed sowing should be letting well alone until the end of this the month;

I don't think I've got anything that needs pruning, I've never checked my soil for pH levels, the weeds don't look to bad... both the garden and I can have a dormant period...

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Psalm 23, first half of verse 6 in the Message paraphrase;

So, perhaps I should sit still for a bit so that God's beauty and love can catch up with me...

Tuesday 21st January - modern tech is wonderful/annoying

 Yesterday I wanted to query sonething with the GP surgery... just a quick question regarding a blood test request form that I wasn't expecting... I am more than happy to sit in a phone queue reading my book, or making a cup of tea, and after some time (usually not too long) have a short conversation with the receptionist...

All change!  They have moved over to a completely online system for appointments, queries, prescription requests (although I had been doing these online for years). 

My father’s surgery uses a similar online system so I wasn't totally in the dark, but utterly was all a bit unexpected. Even so, it took me about fifteen minutes to wend my way through the different pages and menus until I reached the point where could type in name/address/date of birth/telephone number/security information... and then the one line query...

Very reminiscent of shopping in IKEA - I remember the important thing is to remember where the short cut to the cafe is... 

Aaargh....that's what I find myself saying after a while in IKEA, and, yesterday, after ten minutes on the surgery website!

but I did get a clear answer to my query within a few hours.

I think I'll revisit the surgery website and do a few practice runs,  hopefully without actually sending the request, to get used to it. I wouldn't like to try using it if I was actually unwell..!

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But technology can be wonderful too;

The number of London hospital clinic appointments I have attended over zoom have saved me hours and hours of long journeys and associated expense.

Today my brother and I sorted out most of the arrangements for my father’s funeral on a zoom call with the local funeral directors, saving my brother a three hour drive each way. Easy! We'll do the same when we meet the celebrant in a few days. 

We've done most of the communication with family and friends via email; when my mother died 9 years ago I spent every night on the phone for a week, as well as sending out scores of letters. That was exhausting at the time.

Back to zoom; since everyone started using it in 2020, I've seen far more of far-flung family and friends in the past 5 years than before, especially geing able to reconnect with my cousins

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We've come a long way since 'the old days'. Notice I didn't say 'good old days', because, in spite of the frustrations with technology, I would say that the benefits of zoom, email, WhatsApp, text, online shopping, and, dare I say it, even this new online access to the surgery (once I've got to grips with it) are all a great benefit to us.

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Psalm 23, from the Message; it's the other half of verse 5 today (the first two lines were yesterday's portion)

It's all sustaining stuff...

Monday 20th January

 I finished my book, 'Turning Point' by Freya North this morning. Well, it's been a while since a book made my eyes fill... but I'm glad I read it. I'll reread it sometime for sure. It's a romantic story, a fair bit of sx but I tend to skip past those bits to get on with the story.

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All the same, reading was a good way to fill another cold dreary morning. I was resigned to more of the samey grey weather, but then, unexpectedly, the sun shone for an hour and it was like that moment in 'The Wizard of Oz'

Do you remember the first time you saw it? At my convent prep school, they used to show the whole school a film as a treat on Mother Superior's Feast Day. It was usually one of Bambi, Alice in Wonderland or The Wizard of Oz. I found all of them too scary and frightening and spent most of the time under my chair trying not to watch, so I have very patchy memories; the Cheshire Cat, none of Bambi, and the bit where they sing 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road. And, of course, the bit where Dorothy opens the door and the disappointingly black-and-white film becoming brilliant colour.

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Today's Psalm 23, in the Message paraphrase (for a change) verse 5 begins 

Six courses - I call that lavish...

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