Grannymar

Rhea at The Boomer Chronicles asked on Wednesday 2^nd January Should Celebrities Who’ve Had Strokes Retire? She opened with this statement:

I feel bad about saying this, but was I the only one cringing as Dick Clark galumphed his way through his annual New Year’s Eve broadcast from Times Square? The effects of his 2004 stroke were in evidence.

I wanted to add my thoughts on the subject at the time, but a senior moment would not allow me to recall a name I needed! I have to admit that I was distracted by a phone call and forgot about my desire to comment for the remainder of the day.

On Thursday LifeTwo blogs by Wesley picked up the subject and asked the same question. He went on to say

“I do feel that the less that stroke victims (or any other disease) are stigmatised the better for all. Mr. Clark had to relearn how to walk and talk and if part of his motivation for doing so was a desire to get back to his regular life then more power to him.”

Unstable health has prevented me from working in gainful employment for the past 5-6 years. I in no way feel ready for the grave! I have my say and interact with people through my blog and various forms of modern technology. Unfortunately the modern world we live in today allows for isolationism. We work, write, speak, shop and all but sleep through computers. It is possible to go for a week or longer without seeing another living soul.

When young and healthy and in a work situation it is easier to think and make regular arrangements for social activities. I have to admit that I miss the social interaction with work colleagues: the laughter to ease a tense work situation, the support when something proves difficult and the praise and sense of achievement for a job well done, and the laughter… yes the laughter at all the little silly things we all do from time to time.

We all become distracted with day to day normal life and those, who for some reason are out of the loop become forgotten. It is not intentional, just the way life is.

If we start excluding people because they suffer the effects of a stroke we are in danger of encouraging the snowball syndrome. Stroke victims today, epileptics tomorrow! We may not agree with the ideas of Professor Stephen Hawking who has had motor neuron disease for practically all his adult life. Yet it has not prevented him from having a family, and being successful in his field of work. Thanks are due to Jane his wife, his children, and a large number of other people and organisations. The condition has progressed more slowly for Stephen than is often the case. But it shows that no one need lose hope of doing something worthwhile.

A day without laughter is a day wasted. If that is the case then I have wasted two whole days. Perhaps its the weather and the lack of sunshine. I keep telling myself that it is, but in my heart of hearts I know that it is the approach of the jingly jangle season. No matter where you go you are deafened with ‘Sleigh Bells Ringing’ when in fact the only thing ringing are cash registers.

Everyone suddenly becomes so busy and can be heard chanting ‘I must do….’, ‘I have to do….’ or ‘We were invited to… and can’t get out of it!’ People rush about buying smelly soap for Auntie Jean when what she really needs is a bloody good meal and a couple of hours of attention. Does Uncle Peter have to have socks again for the twentieth time? Have you ever sat and listened to what he would really like? It might surprise you if you did.

Any day now I will be asked a question, well to be truthful I have been asked several times already “I suppose you will be going south for Christmas”? That is the way they ask questions in this town. I have a daughter down there and they assume that I will drive down to annoy her for the festive season. Why would I do that? Elly is newly married and has to be allowed to put her own stamp on how to spend Christmas.

I have had invitations over the years but having listened to various friends moan about having to invite mother, mother-in-law, sister, cousin or aunt when all they want is to be alone with their family, I decided that the best place for me was here in my own little castle. Inviting somebody one year might be wonderful, repeaping it year in and year out can become a drag for all concerned. I will get up when I like, cook the food I like, when I like, light the fire, have a drink and toast all my loved ones and friends, read a book or listen to some nice music and I can always watch a DVD on the computer even if I have no TV.

So if you meet me on the street don’t ask! Just wish me a nice quiet Christmas and you will have a friend for life.

May your Christmas be just the way you like it!

Over the past few months I have been naughty! Not really naughty, just a teeny-weeny, little bit.

I Grannymar am a Kleptomaniac!

You see I have developed a liking for reading other folks Blogs. They cover a wide spectrum and are not all listed in my Blogroll. Perhaps one of these days I might find the time to sort it out. So how can that be naughty?

I steal phrases or sentences I like. My collection is growing.

Today for fun I wondered if I used all of them what kind of post it would turn out to be. So here goes, and (((((HUGS))))))))) to everyone I stole from. See if you recognise a few words that belong to you:

#~#~#~#

I find myself in a strange space today as Mother Winter breathes crisp air into our my lungs, but my bathroom smells like a bucketful of barnacles that have been rotting for a week in the belly of a whale. There was no excuse for this, so I had to get down to some serious cleaning.

As I scrubbed I sang a little ditty to myself. At this stage I must confess that the only place I dare sing is in the bathroom. I didn’t ‘do’ music at school. Since I couldn’t carry a tune in my head, there was little point of me carrying a violin. As I sang croaked, my mind wandered to “Mushroom Meg”. In the town where I was born, bred and buttered, you were nobody unless you had a nickname! Mushroom Meg was at school with me, in fact we shared a desk. She called me “frost frogs”. Her granny who was German told her “This is the way people in Germany are called when they easily get cold!”

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things. Today I remembered something important! It was Mushroom Meg‘s Happy Mummmbledy-somethingth Brithday!

As we grew up she had all the signs of too much junk food and lack of exercise. She never realised that a tube of lipstick or the latest handbag and shoes can never make-up up for dry skin, dull hair lack-lustre eyes and a tired overweight body!

It is quite a few months since the last time we met for lunch; she had poor health for a year or two. I was afraid to hug her too hard because she seemed so very tiny and fragile. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. So I phoned Mushroom Meg with my usual birthday greeting: Yay for annual continuation days! (Birthdays) We talked of things we “coulda-woulda-shoulda” done, and she told me about her sister “Lucy Leek”

I can no longer hear the name Lucy Leek without becoming incandescent with rage about something or other. Lucy Leek has very strange ideas. She seems to think when you pay cash into a bank it goes in their safe wrapped up in rubber bands with your name on until you need to withdraw it again. Her attitude could use a little adjustment, when our dear Lucy Leek gets something into her mind hell and high water won’t stop her trying to force her ideas on her audience. I certainly could use a bit more patience with her.

So things are going stingingly in Funnymoon-land. Elly called to tell me she had an emergency trip to doctor as an insect bite has flared up badly. Thanks to the EU health card that we should all carry, the visit was free.

All the travelling reminded me of something I have discovered about a sense of place. It is that you can travel the country, seeing, touching, tasting, talking to people, participating in their community events and come to know something about each one.

The most important discovery of all, however, is that place truly resides within your heart and soul and memories.

As When the sun sets on this day, remember that God, in his infinite low sodium wisdom, loves you! And for what it’s worth- I do too!