I wonder how many of you have walked down memory lane recently. No I don’t mean in the true physical sense, for the door to that option isn’t always accessible to you, when you have COPD.
I was thinking more about taking a walk, down the pathways of your mind. Now there’s a route that is most always accessible in just a blink of an eye.
Recently I have been going through a few rough days with the COPD, mobility and shortness of breath being a big problem most of the time, despite doing the exercises. Ever since I was diagnosed with COPD I have been trying to get some education about just what it is that I am dealing with and how best to deal with it. ~ That is, above and beyond knowing the fact that I smoked for far too many years.
I have spent lots of time at the COPD International forum, where everybody there suffers the same disease that I do and many a whole lot worse. The differences being most all of the people there are at varying levels of this monster. I have learned a lot about COPD in those forums and heard first hand from other patients about their experiences. To hear some of their stories can be very sad and yet the majority of the people are a cheerful bunch, who take what they are given and do their best to work with that.
Their main fight really is just to stay alive from day to day and try to hold the line with this disease. I have also learned, by going to rehab courses also through my doctor and local hospital services. The internet too is an invaluable tool and source of information. So much so, I am now in a much better position to not only fight this thing, but to find ways to live longer with it too, but I digress.
One day last week I was sitting enjoying the peace and quiet and watching the birds, but inevitably my eyes started to close. I shook myself back to reality but continued to sit. I was short of breath again and my congestion in addition was causing me so many problems. It also caused me to start thinking about my youngest brother who died about two years go.
Looking back I realize now that he had died of COPD. I can remember him using inhalers long before I had even begun to suffer any breathing problems. He had though, never talked to me about his health situation. I remember one day we went out and started walking to go into town. We had only reached the bottom of the street when my brother suddenly started having an attack. He could not breath and worse, he had left his inhalers on the table in the house. For a few valuable seconds I didn’t know what was going on with him. Then the penny dropped and I took off like a shot to get his stuff from the house and get back to him as soon as I could. After a short period of time he recovered himself so were able to continue our walk. When I talked to him about it he said he was well and ok now.
~ That’s when I thought yes, well till the next time. ~
I think about those things sometimes in my travels down memory lane.
Even now, I can still close my eyes and visualize the way he struggled and shockingly ~ I sometimes see myself, as I am today. ~ I have come to the conclusion that if only I had known at that time, and better yet ~ had he known.
Just maybe he might have managed his illness a bit better. Perhaps with a little help and education, he would still be here today.
~ Maybe. ~ The world is always full of maybes. ~
C’ya
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Up The ‘Pool!
Got another email! Boy this could get to be a habit! Actually it is no surprise for we have had ongoing contact because of the ancestry documents we’re working on.
The little surprise about this one though was, it was accompanied with a video tape. The tape showed something that I had not really followed in fifty years! My Nephew, all dressed up ready to go to London and go fanatically football crazy, a thing they seem to do quite often in England, over their National sport. Much like hockey in Canada and the States and of course Major league baseball!
Today the Soccer team from my old home town is playing at Wembley stadium! It is a championship game to decide which team gets promoted to the next higher division, and their opponent is Yoevil Town. I haven’t watched or taken interest in Blackpool soccer since I came to Canada, I know that is shameful! I guess that’s because they never show those kind of games on TV over here other than the premiership games, so it is easy to lose interest.
On top of that though, ever since Blackpool won the F.A. cup in 1953 which is now known as ‘Sir Stanley Matthews final’ .
Blackpool have over the years gone steadily downhill, which is kind of reminiscent of the last time the Toronto Maple leafs won the Stanley Cup!
I don’t get paranoid over such things, but I’m beginning to think of it as 'The curse of the Stanley’s!' All in good fun though. I am sure I will hear all about the ‘game’ long after it’s over. ~ Win or lose! So let’s go Blackpool, let’s see you do what the Maple leafs seem unable to do, ~ Take care of business! ~
Lunchtime!
Update:
They Won!!
Blackpool 2 Yeovil 0
C’ya
The little surprise about this one though was, it was accompanied with a video tape. The tape showed something that I had not really followed in fifty years! My Nephew, all dressed up ready to go to London and go fanatically football crazy, a thing they seem to do quite often in England, over their National sport. Much like hockey in Canada and the States and of course Major league baseball!
Today the Soccer team from my old home town is playing at Wembley stadium! It is a championship game to decide which team gets promoted to the next higher division, and their opponent is Yoevil Town. I haven’t watched or taken interest in Blackpool soccer since I came to Canada, I know that is shameful! I guess that’s because they never show those kind of games on TV over here other than the premiership games, so it is easy to lose interest.
On top of that though, ever since Blackpool won the F.A. cup in 1953 which is now known as ‘Sir Stanley Matthews final’ .
Blackpool have over the years gone steadily downhill, which is kind of reminiscent of the last time the Toronto Maple leafs won the Stanley Cup!
I don’t get paranoid over such things, but I’m beginning to think of it as 'The curse of the Stanley’s!' All in good fun though. I am sure I will hear all about the ‘game’ long after it’s over. ~ Win or lose! So let’s go Blackpool, let’s see you do what the Maple leafs seem unable to do, ~ Take care of business! ~
Lunchtime!
Update:
They Won!!
Blackpool 2 Yeovil 0
C’ya
Friday, May 25, 2007
The Picture On The Wall
Ancestry
I had a pleasant surprise not too long ago. It was an email basically, from someone I didn’t know. It turned out though, that through a series of circumstances, I find I am now a relative of this lady. My brother had some kids, two boys and a girl. They are long ago grown up to be adults, and my brother is now deceased. It seems that one of his boys met a girl and they had a child between them, a girl. The email was from the girls mother and she asked me if I could help her out with some information. She is trying to put one of these ancestry records together to give to her daughter, that way she will always have a keepsake of her roots. Seeing as I am the last surviving member of my immediate family, I would be her only direct living source of help.
It is amazing really what turns up once you get started into something like that. With the documentation that I was able to come up with along with Julie. We have put together information going as far back as six generations. The very thought of that blows me away, on top of that I had photographs of most all of them so far. Thanks to Julie, there is a whole new aspect of my life that I had overlooked until she opened that door.
Of course what seems so ironical is, I have been writing about a lot of family things in my blog. I have a large picture of my biological father, grandfather and grandmother. Of course also pictures of my mother and other members of my family and some kids. That’s quite a pot of Irish stew! Even though we’re not Irish, at least at this point it would be closer to Welsh.
With the picture of my Father, there is a story attached to that. My dad died when I was a baby of two, and my mother never remarried until I was ten. I had never seen a picture of my father before not ever! In 1969 my step-father died, so I flew home for his funeral. Whenever I went to England I always made it a 3 week trip or else it wasn’t worth the expense of going from here. My mother called me into the sitting room before I left to come back here. She had something to show me that she had kept hidden all my life. It was the picture of my biological father hidden behind another picture, it had been hanging on that wall all those years! I was almost 37 yrs old at that time and she had never said a word about it. Now with the advent of her death, I have that picture today. Pretty strange no matter how you want to look at it. Even after all these years I am still amazed.
Tea time!
C’ya
I had a pleasant surprise not too long ago. It was an email basically, from someone I didn’t know. It turned out though, that through a series of circumstances, I find I am now a relative of this lady. My brother had some kids, two boys and a girl. They are long ago grown up to be adults, and my brother is now deceased. It seems that one of his boys met a girl and they had a child between them, a girl. The email was from the girls mother and she asked me if I could help her out with some information. She is trying to put one of these ancestry records together to give to her daughter, that way she will always have a keepsake of her roots. Seeing as I am the last surviving member of my immediate family, I would be her only direct living source of help.
It is amazing really what turns up once you get started into something like that. With the documentation that I was able to come up with along with Julie. We have put together information going as far back as six generations. The very thought of that blows me away, on top of that I had photographs of most all of them so far. Thanks to Julie, there is a whole new aspect of my life that I had overlooked until she opened that door.
Of course what seems so ironical is, I have been writing about a lot of family things in my blog. I have a large picture of my biological father, grandfather and grandmother. Of course also pictures of my mother and other members of my family and some kids. That’s quite a pot of Irish stew! Even though we’re not Irish, at least at this point it would be closer to Welsh.
With the picture of my Father, there is a story attached to that. My dad died when I was a baby of two, and my mother never remarried until I was ten. I had never seen a picture of my father before not ever! In 1969 my step-father died, so I flew home for his funeral. Whenever I went to England I always made it a 3 week trip or else it wasn’t worth the expense of going from here. My mother called me into the sitting room before I left to come back here. She had something to show me that she had kept hidden all my life. It was the picture of my biological father hidden behind another picture, it had been hanging on that wall all those years! I was almost 37 yrs old at that time and she had never said a word about it. Now with the advent of her death, I have that picture today. Pretty strange no matter how you want to look at it. Even after all these years I am still amazed.
Tea time!
C’ya
Thursday, May 24, 2007
I’ve been Tagged!
TAGGED!
The rules are: once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog with six weird, unique or unusual facts or habits about yourself.... at the end, you need to choose six people to be tagged and list their names and why you chose them.... don't forget to send them each a comment that says, "you have been tagged....go read my latest blog...."
1) Being an Englishman, I drink too much tea and like to make French Fry sandwiches. Two pieces of buttered bread with fries in between. In England they call a sandwich ’A Butty’ …….Yummy!!
2) I have been told by no fewer than three women that I have Sexy FEET! A definite turn on!
3) I can’t stand the ‘Simpson’s’ I’d rather watch ‘The Bugs Bunny show!’
4) I have an excellent memory for detailed stuff and numbers. At times though I forget what I had for supper last night!
5) When in the army years ago, I once volunteered for action. My first words when I arrived were: “Gee what the h*ll am I doing here, I could get killed!”
6) I like to have lots of ‘toys’ computers, DVD player, Digital camera’s etc. I never take the time to learn how to use them properly. The wife does that for me.
Now my six tags are!
Andrew I know you are a busy guy, but you are the first blog I read each day. Your life stories read like an adventure series.
Augs Casa You are a very likeable guy, your comments are always a bright ray of sunshine on what could be a dismal day.
SJ You are the one of a kind friend everybody should have in their life. Thoughtful, kind, and ever caring regardless of your own life’s situation.
Marthyan A new found friend whose writing I sincerely admire and enjoy, a fellow poet. A bright star on a new stage!
Margie I think everyone is familiar with Margie and her writing, simply sensational poetry. I know you are a busy lady having a break right now. But you just got Tagged!!
Blue Gardenia Our paths have only crossed a couple of times, but I still remember that beautiful blog you wrote, “The Waitress”. Very nice romantic piece.
The rules are: once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog with six weird, unique or unusual facts or habits about yourself.... at the end, you need to choose six people to be tagged and list their names and why you chose them.... don't forget to send them each a comment that says, "you have been tagged....go read my latest blog...."
1) Being an Englishman, I drink too much tea and like to make French Fry sandwiches. Two pieces of buttered bread with fries in between. In England they call a sandwich ’A Butty’ …….Yummy!!
2) I have been told by no fewer than three women that I have Sexy FEET! A definite turn on!
3) I can’t stand the ‘Simpson’s’ I’d rather watch ‘The Bugs Bunny show!’
4) I have an excellent memory for detailed stuff and numbers. At times though I forget what I had for supper last night!
5) When in the army years ago, I once volunteered for action. My first words when I arrived were: “Gee what the h*ll am I doing here, I could get killed!”
6) I like to have lots of ‘toys’ computers, DVD player, Digital camera’s etc. I never take the time to learn how to use them properly. The wife does that for me.
Now my six tags are!
Andrew I know you are a busy guy, but you are the first blog I read each day. Your life stories read like an adventure series.
Augs Casa You are a very likeable guy, your comments are always a bright ray of sunshine on what could be a dismal day.
SJ You are the one of a kind friend everybody should have in their life. Thoughtful, kind, and ever caring regardless of your own life’s situation.
Marthyan A new found friend whose writing I sincerely admire and enjoy, a fellow poet. A bright star on a new stage!
Margie I think everyone is familiar with Margie and her writing, simply sensational poetry. I know you are a busy lady having a break right now. But you just got Tagged!!
Blue Gardenia Our paths have only crossed a couple of times, but I still remember that beautiful blog you wrote, “The Waitress”. Very nice romantic piece.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Eyes Of A child ~ part 4
The war had been on now for a few months and Christmas was upon us. Quite frankly I can’t really recall if we even had a Christmas that year, or for a few years. With all the regulations about house lights and blackouts (windows being covered so as to show no light outside, because of air raids) and a constant shortage of supplies of any kind, it’s doubtful that much of anything was observed for some time, except the ache in your heart.
With the outbreak of the war, no father and times of poverty, there really wasn’t very much Christmas spirit to speak of. I do remember mom taking us kids to see a pantomime (live) show, which I believe starred Tommie Handley from the “ITMA Radio fame”. ( remember, there was no television in those times either! Just Radio ) . I’m not sure if the pantomime was “Puss in Boots’ that year, for they did do a lot of those shows where we lived in Blackpool. Of course because of the war even some of those were somewhat restricted in numbers for a while.
(Fred Yule, Tommy Handley and Hattie Jacques, ITMA 1947))
I can of course remember seeing and almost bumping into Vera Lynn one time as she came out of the Palace Ballroom building. We were out with mom on the promenade, going someplace nearby when she came down the steps from the building. Vera Lynn was an entertainer, a singer. She performed shows, sang with a band and they played her song’s on the radio all the time. When you heard her voice you knew right away who it was, she had such a distinguished sound to her singing. She became a legend with the armed forces during the war.
So Christmas came and went and nothing changed from what had now become the norm. I don’t think we even got any snow that winter, but then I later learned that because we were living by the seaside snow didn’t last too long, because the salt air melted it quickly. Winter or not, us kids wore short pants year round anyway! (Shorts in North America) Talk about cold legs!
That was the custom of the times in England. Possibly it still is to a point, even today. Long pants came a bit later for kids. I think it was when a kid got to be about 11 years old and moving into another school level.
I still went to my makeshift school though and also attended the Sunday school, coupled with Sunday church services as a boy choir member. Speaking of choirboys. Boys will be boys, as the old cliché goes.
Like any other kids someone will always be up to a little mischief once in a while. This particular Sunday we were all gathered at the church for Sunday service as usual. Normally things went along like clockwork, today however we had been hanging around waiting, for the choirmaster had gone somewhere. We had been dressed a while now ready for the entrance parade as we called it. Naturally it wasn’t long before some of the kids started fidgeting. As a result one of the kids had been playing with matches. He had this piece of string which he had lit then blew out, now it was just smoldering. There he was swinging this thing around when the choirmaster walked in on us. Not knowing what to do in his panic, the kid stuffed the string into his coat pocket on the clothes hanger and off we went into the church.
The service started and we sang a couple of hymns and a psalm. Just about the time the vicar was going to announce a prayer, one of the congregation gave out a yell, “Fire!” Turning, we saw that there was smoke billowing out from the back room entrance to the pews. Meanwhile one kid in particular had turned a somewhat unhealthy shade of green! That episode promptly brought the service to a temporary halt while someone rushed out and checked things out. That didn’t make that kid feel much better, for he knew I’m sure that he was in for something not so good!
Fortunately it turned out to be not too serious, a small fire and lots of smoke. Things were very quickly brought under control.
Thus Endeth The Lesson!
~ongoing~
C’ya
With the outbreak of the war, no father and times of poverty, there really wasn’t very much Christmas spirit to speak of. I do remember mom taking us kids to see a pantomime (live) show, which I believe starred Tommie Handley from the “ITMA Radio fame”. ( remember, there was no television in those times either! Just Radio ) . I’m not sure if the pantomime was “Puss in Boots’ that year, for they did do a lot of those shows where we lived in Blackpool. Of course because of the war even some of those were somewhat restricted in numbers for a while.
(Fred Yule, Tommy Handley and Hattie Jacques, ITMA 1947))
I can of course remember seeing and almost bumping into Vera Lynn one time as she came out of the Palace Ballroom building. We were out with mom on the promenade, going someplace nearby when she came down the steps from the building. Vera Lynn was an entertainer, a singer. She performed shows, sang with a band and they played her song’s on the radio all the time. When you heard her voice you knew right away who it was, she had such a distinguished sound to her singing. She became a legend with the armed forces during the war.
So Christmas came and went and nothing changed from what had now become the norm. I don’t think we even got any snow that winter, but then I later learned that because we were living by the seaside snow didn’t last too long, because the salt air melted it quickly. Winter or not, us kids wore short pants year round anyway! (Shorts in North America) Talk about cold legs!
That was the custom of the times in England. Possibly it still is to a point, even today. Long pants came a bit later for kids. I think it was when a kid got to be about 11 years old and moving into another school level.
I still went to my makeshift school though and also attended the Sunday school, coupled with Sunday church services as a boy choir member. Speaking of choirboys. Boys will be boys, as the old cliché goes.
Like any other kids someone will always be up to a little mischief once in a while. This particular Sunday we were all gathered at the church for Sunday service as usual. Normally things went along like clockwork, today however we had been hanging around waiting, for the choirmaster had gone somewhere. We had been dressed a while now ready for the entrance parade as we called it. Naturally it wasn’t long before some of the kids started fidgeting. As a result one of the kids had been playing with matches. He had this piece of string which he had lit then blew out, now it was just smoldering. There he was swinging this thing around when the choirmaster walked in on us. Not knowing what to do in his panic, the kid stuffed the string into his coat pocket on the clothes hanger and off we went into the church.
The service started and we sang a couple of hymns and a psalm. Just about the time the vicar was going to announce a prayer, one of the congregation gave out a yell, “Fire!” Turning, we saw that there was smoke billowing out from the back room entrance to the pews. Meanwhile one kid in particular had turned a somewhat unhealthy shade of green! That episode promptly brought the service to a temporary halt while someone rushed out and checked things out. That didn’t make that kid feel much better, for he knew I’m sure that he was in for something not so good!
Fortunately it turned out to be not too serious, a small fire and lots of smoke. Things were very quickly brought under control.
Thus Endeth The Lesson!
~ongoing~
C’ya
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Another Hex-change!
Talk about boiled over! Can you believe that ‘Sherlock Holmes arch enemy Professor James Moriarty' has struck again!? Remember the new kettle? Yes! It did it again! The lid came up and would not go down or stay down, I wonder if it sounding so loud when it was on had anything to do with that! So harness the horses! One more time we headed out for the store and can you believe, once again another assumed name! Yeah you got it Moriarty. “Hand‘s up!! This is an up stick!! No exchanges this time if you please! Just give us the money.”
Next stop was at a different store this time. My woman shrouded in mystery emerged after much hunting for half an hour, triumphantly brandishing yet another new shiny kettle! Headed towards me almost skipping, a bright smile all over her face. ~ (This is the new kettle)
Meantime outside the store, I’m waiting in the truck. Suddenly I realize that I am out of oxygen! Both Elizabeth and I had forgotten that I was near close to empty, and Lo and behold! she was in the store! Well never say die!
I start to struggle with the spare tank which is jammed behind the passenger seat of the truck. Then I have a wrestling match, trying to get the empty one out of the retaining bag. By the time Elizabeth got back I had just about finished the exchange and myself in the process! She let out a gasp when she saw me, realizing that she too had forgot.
Of course I teased her a bit about helping me get a foot into the box! “No” she said, “you already had both feet in the box, I just hauled you out in the nick of time!“ Then we both cracked up! Jeeze! Can I ever win one!?
Wouldn’t you know! When we got home and finally got to try the new stainless steel kettle, the first boil was nice and quiet. The wife grinning all over her face just had to put the hex on it. “Isn’t that so nice and quiet? Of course the next pot we boiled the kettle sounded as loud as a freight train!
Ah well, at least for now it still works.
C'ya
Next stop was at a different store this time. My woman shrouded in mystery emerged after much hunting for half an hour, triumphantly brandishing yet another new shiny kettle! Headed towards me almost skipping, a bright smile all over her face. ~ (This is the new kettle)
Meantime outside the store, I’m waiting in the truck. Suddenly I realize that I am out of oxygen! Both Elizabeth and I had forgotten that I was near close to empty, and Lo and behold! she was in the store! Well never say die!
I start to struggle with the spare tank which is jammed behind the passenger seat of the truck. Then I have a wrestling match, trying to get the empty one out of the retaining bag. By the time Elizabeth got back I had just about finished the exchange and myself in the process! She let out a gasp when she saw me, realizing that she too had forgot.
Of course I teased her a bit about helping me get a foot into the box! “No” she said, “you already had both feet in the box, I just hauled you out in the nick of time!“ Then we both cracked up! Jeeze! Can I ever win one!?
Wouldn’t you know! When we got home and finally got to try the new stainless steel kettle, the first boil was nice and quiet. The wife grinning all over her face just had to put the hex on it. “Isn’t that so nice and quiet? Of course the next pot we boiled the kettle sounded as loud as a freight train!
Ah well, at least for now it still works.
C'ya
Thursday, May 17, 2007
COPD ~ What’s in a Regulator
Tuesday was the last day for the rehab program again. On this occasion I finally managed to make it, which lately is a miracle in itself! Tuesday is also the day that my delivery of oxygen arrives. This week my guy came with a new surprise, a new and different type of regulator for portable use.
I had always been on a continuous flow line before, this one is what they call a pulse feed. That means you only get oxygen when the body calls for it. Inhale, exhale. It has been said that on continuous feed using a cannula, a patient only gets 60% of the oxygen and loses the rest, what a waste. Tuesday and each day since I have been trying out this new gadget. The amazing result is, instead of a small tank only lasting 3 ½ hours, ~ with the pulse the tank lasts for 10 hours! Being on impulse feed also means you get all 100% of the oxygen that you inhale. Amazing indeed!
Boy! Why can’t they invent something like this for Auto gasoline consumption! Now THAT would really be something!
After rehab was over, I was waiting for the wife to bring the truck round from the parking lot. As I stood there and older couple also came along and greeted me. He was a member of the rehab group but I really hadn't talked much with him at all during the program, his wife was with him for support. One thing had led to another and imagine my amazement when I found that they both were in their eighties! For some strange reason the 2nd world war came up. It seems that both this couple were war survivors and she a POW at that! Wow! We got talking about that topic and my blog topics, he in turn related he was writing a book based on his wartime experiences. As the wife arrived, they had to get going for the couple had a board meeting to attend. Wishing them luck, I walked away shaking my head. Such a small world! Such beautiful people.
C'ya
I had always been on a continuous flow line before, this one is what they call a pulse feed. That means you only get oxygen when the body calls for it. Inhale, exhale. It has been said that on continuous feed using a cannula, a patient only gets 60% of the oxygen and loses the rest, what a waste. Tuesday and each day since I have been trying out this new gadget. The amazing result is, instead of a small tank only lasting 3 ½ hours, ~ with the pulse the tank lasts for 10 hours! Being on impulse feed also means you get all 100% of the oxygen that you inhale. Amazing indeed!
Boy! Why can’t they invent something like this for Auto gasoline consumption! Now THAT would really be something!
After rehab was over, I was waiting for the wife to bring the truck round from the parking lot. As I stood there and older couple also came along and greeted me. He was a member of the rehab group but I really hadn't talked much with him at all during the program, his wife was with him for support. One thing had led to another and imagine my amazement when I found that they both were in their eighties! For some strange reason the 2nd world war came up. It seems that both this couple were war survivors and she a POW at that! Wow! We got talking about that topic and my blog topics, he in turn related he was writing a book based on his wartime experiences. As the wife arrived, they had to get going for the couple had a board meeting to attend. Wishing them luck, I walked away shaking my head. Such a small world! Such beautiful people.
C'ya
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Eyes Of A Child ~ Part 3
I was still smiling and looking at my new found treasure, the bible that I had received from Mrs Thompson whilst collecting salvage for the war effort. I took a few minutes to just flip through the bible and look at all the maps of the days when Jesus was so prominent in his jouney's preaching, that alone was so exciting. Tucking it away inside my jacket I continued around the rest of the houses in the street. Pretty soon I had filled two sacks with books etc for the war effort, which I promptly took home ready for pick up.
It was inevitable that after all the trauma of the events that had taken place, pretty soon it would be time when the kids would have to be put back into some sort of school environment. It had been some little time since I was in a school because of the evacuation. In those day’s in England, proper school started when you were 4 years old for there was no kindergarten or pre-school in place. This break was a nice holiday if one could call it that. You had of course to overlook all the heartbreak, upsets, and the reasons behind this whole business. Looking back now at my time of life, it seems a little easier, but then a lump comes in my throat, the true reality of those times are still so very real.
At the top of the street was a beautiful Grey stone church, named St. Paul’s. Right next door to the church was the vicarage where the vicar resided and next to that was the church Sunday school.
This then I was told, is where we would be schooled, at least until we could all be integrated into the regular school system.
Where I used to go to school in Manchester before the war evacuation, they served school dinners at noontime on tables covered with blue and white or pink and white gingham tablecloths. There was a dish they served that I grew to like very much. From what I can remember about it, it was canned corn beef cooked up in a large pot along with lots and lots of onions and I think some water with grated carrots, maybe a bit of grated turnip too. I don’t know if it was seasoned at all. I didn’t know anything about cooking at that time but it really tasted delicious. Mind you, any food tastes good when you’re a little kid! It was a big school too and in walking distance from where I lived.
This church then would be quite a change after that place, for this makeshift school had no school equipment at all.
It was while at that temporary school set up that I got my first experience of wartime rationing. I had to take lunch to school. Most times this consisted of margarine on 3 slices of cold toast wrapped up in wax paper, there was no stretch & seal in those days. After a while I actually I got to really like that for lunch. I can still remember just how good that toast tasted, for it seemed to have quite a different taste with it being cold.
The next shock I think you could call it, was there were no seats, no desks or anything of that nature that you would expect to find in a classroom.
What we did have was a large room that would hold quite a few kids. That was another thing too, this class would be made up of kids of all different ages from 4 right up to 9years old. The floor became our desk, our place to sit, even our place to have a nap when whoever was teaching us deemed it was time to nap! Somehow it would seem, we got through those tricky days and believe me there were many.
I think it was while we attended that school set up, that the vicar seizing the opportunity, got lots of new recruits for Sunday school and even had us go to church services. I can’t say it was such a bad thing, for eventually I became a member of the church choir.
This meant dressing up in all those funny outfits that choir people wear. I enjoyed that immensely, besides thinking that we all looked so Angelic and Innocent. Not So!
To be cont’d in part 4
C’ya
Monday, May 7, 2007
Vampire Day!
Today had us up bright and early, or at least I was. I figured I had to do my usual routine, and if I got back in bed I’d be there forever We had to be out of here early today, wife’s orders! Today is Vampire day; for today we both had to go and get some blood-work done. Normally I would amble into the lab around noon-time. Today however; we have to be early because the wife had to fast for her tests. Mine are just the normal stuff, nip in, needle in, out and skip out!
Elizabeth’s idea was, if we get there just after they open the doors, no one will be there and we will be in and out. Well that sounds good and I can understand her being anxious, because she had to fast and she is already getting hungry! Bottom line is, we get there and we are # 7 & 8 in line, I rest my case!
Did I mention that my wife is really quite squeamish when it comes to needles? Well I tell her; this is my lab that we are at not her old one. Lab people here are on the local dart team and really know how to hit the mark!
Surprisingly the line moved along very quickly and soon, “#7 You’re next!” I moved along not wishing the wife to suffer too soon. Imagine my surprise when I came out, only to find her gone! Apparently more then one technician was working and #8 had already gone in, ~ The wife!
I never heard any hair raising screams so I figured she was either in there or else she had left the scene. Surprise, Surprise! Out came Elizabeth all smiles, telling me I was right, they did do a good number for her. Big sigh of relief on my part! I have been known to bend the truth a little before, especially if it means easing her fears. Vampires 2 Good Guys 2 ~ What a good start to the day. ~
C’ya
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Lazy Weekend
After being under the weather for so long, it makes a nice change to just sit back and take it easy for a day or two. Yesterday we decided to go out to the stores for a short while. For a change it was the wife’s leg that was in question and not me. Things went well for her and she went around with a smile on her face because of it.
Last weekend the superintendent here, recharged the water softener unit for the building with salt. Of course we were unaware of this; that is until I went to rinse my mouth out after doing my medications. Talk about gag! I felt like I had swallowed an ocean, sadly it remained like that all week. I was talking with the super on Friday and mentioned it to him. It surprised me to hear that nobody else had told him of this fiasco, which prompted him to say “ I suspected the unit was going and now that confirms it!” I grimaced “It is seventeen years old you know!”
Yesterday while we were shopping we picked up 3x 24 bottles of spring water. We were running low and because of the salt-water incident I am now using bottled water to rinse my mouth besides, it was on sale at a good price.
This morning we were just sat there having a lazy time of it, me on the computer drinking my tea and Elizabeth over doing stuff after getting out of the shower. Suddenly ‘The patented squeal” “Look, Look, look at the feeder! I wondered what the hell I was supposed to be looking at! I got out of my seat and took a peek. Well I’ll be! ~ I couldn’t believe it and we both said “what the heck is that!?” What we saw was a bird that neither of us had seen around here before, and the wife not ever.
(clickable thumbnail)
A remarkable thing was though; earlier today we thought we had heard a different bird singing. But then it sort of changed to a different sound almost like that of a running shoe squeaking on a hardwood floor, then back to the singing. We couldn’t see anything so we just dismissed the incident at that time.
Because this is not the first time that we have had to scramble to identify a bird, we have links to bird places for that purpose. We both attacked our task and got to it. The end result was that the bird turns out to be a “Rose Breasted Grosbeak” a member of the Cardinal family of birds. Now the Cardinals we have had before, in fact we seem to have two sets of them resident year round now. After checking out the new addition, our area seems to be the breeding ground for the RBG. The only thing that puzzles me is, why have we not seen them here before now? However; we will take what we have and be thankful for that. We consider ourselves very lucky to have the abundant numbers of bird species that we have here most year round. Which kind of makes this a little bit of paradise on a nice lazy weekend.
C’ya
Last weekend the superintendent here, recharged the water softener unit for the building with salt. Of course we were unaware of this; that is until I went to rinse my mouth out after doing my medications. Talk about gag! I felt like I had swallowed an ocean, sadly it remained like that all week. I was talking with the super on Friday and mentioned it to him. It surprised me to hear that nobody else had told him of this fiasco, which prompted him to say “ I suspected the unit was going and now that confirms it!” I grimaced “It is seventeen years old you know!”
Yesterday while we were shopping we picked up 3x 24 bottles of spring water. We were running low and because of the salt-water incident I am now using bottled water to rinse my mouth besides, it was on sale at a good price.
This morning we were just sat there having a lazy time of it, me on the computer drinking my tea and Elizabeth over doing stuff after getting out of the shower. Suddenly ‘The patented squeal” “Look, Look, look at the feeder! I wondered what the hell I was supposed to be looking at! I got out of my seat and took a peek. Well I’ll be! ~ I couldn’t believe it and we both said “what the heck is that!?” What we saw was a bird that neither of us had seen around here before, and the wife not ever.
(clickable thumbnail)
A remarkable thing was though; earlier today we thought we had heard a different bird singing. But then it sort of changed to a different sound almost like that of a running shoe squeaking on a hardwood floor, then back to the singing. We couldn’t see anything so we just dismissed the incident at that time.
Because this is not the first time that we have had to scramble to identify a bird, we have links to bird places for that purpose. We both attacked our task and got to it. The end result was that the bird turns out to be a “Rose Breasted Grosbeak” a member of the Cardinal family of birds. Now the Cardinals we have had before, in fact we seem to have two sets of them resident year round now. After checking out the new addition, our area seems to be the breeding ground for the RBG. The only thing that puzzles me is, why have we not seen them here before now? However; we will take what we have and be thankful for that. We consider ourselves very lucky to have the abundant numbers of bird species that we have here most year round. Which kind of makes this a little bit of paradise on a nice lazy weekend.
C’ya
Saturday, May 5, 2007
My Haiku
Thought to have a light hearted change. This is my Haiku. More of my poetry not on my site.
Perched on the tip
Of a. motionless pen-
An unwritten word
Standing in,
A state of undress-
Fall trees.
Closed my eyes
Memories invade-
A silent tear falls.
Blades of grass
Often I think of you-
On a cold Winters night.
September 11..
A Tragedy - Forever Etched-
Into the Fabric - Of Time.
Snared, in the petals of a Long Dried Rose
A Tear …. A Memory-
Of a Moment in Time.
North Star Brilliant, in a Blue night Sky
There you stand-
On the threshold of a Dream.
Light shards, pierce.
The early morning Night-
Another Day – A New Tomorrow.
C'ya
Perched on the tip
Of a. motionless pen-
An unwritten word
Standing in,
A state of undress-
Fall trees.
Closed my eyes
Memories invade-
A silent tear falls.
Blades of grass
Often I think of you-
On a cold Winters night.
September 11..
A Tragedy - Forever Etched-
Into the Fabric - Of Time.
Snared, in the petals of a Long Dried Rose
A Tear …. A Memory-
Of a Moment in Time.
North Star Brilliant, in a Blue night Sky
There you stand-
On the threshold of a Dream.
Light shards, pierce.
The early morning Night-
Another Day – A New Tomorrow.
C'ya
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Oh! Calamity! What Have Ye Done Now!
Well that does it!!. I’m going to change my May Day to Calamity Day!
Yes it has been a little like that today! I guess things have been a bit of a carry over with this stinking cold. Turns out it was a Sinus infection flu combo which now after 14 days has traveled to my chest. More antibiotics! Last night I was up all night because of too many trips to the bathroom. I’m thinking now that my doctor hates me! I have pills for this and puffers for that and liquids for the languished, the list goes on.
If it wasn’t so pathetic it could be laughable, my wife laughs all the time.
Between the two of us we have had a nightmare of a couple of weeks. This weekend we actually thought we were making some ground. That was until all hell broke loose here tonight! Elizabeth likes to do her workouts in the evening using bar bells, ankle weights and therabands.
Because we have been ill she had got behind and was trying to make up for lost time. I don’t know what I was doing when I first heard her yell!
Anyway there she was wailing away and holding her leg! “It hurts! My leg hurts! I don’t know what I did but I can’t move!” Well you can imagine how swift I could move because of my COPD and not being able to breathe!
Talk about the odd couple! We have them beat hands down!
I turned in my office chair and wheeled myself over to where she was still wobbling! She looked at me with that pained injured animal look on her face, you know; that look you sometimes see with a poor pooch who had its tail mashed under a Mack truck! I get her sat down, protesting every inch of the way down into a chair. I checked the leg out and saw nothing unusual. ‘You have to try and slowly ease some movement into the leg’ I tell her. “I can’t move” says she letting out another squeal! Meanwhile I am giving her a lecture on overdoing it with the exercises so soon after being sick. I rhymed on about maybe she twisted something and the sciatic nerve is acting up! Time passes and somehow she settles down and starts to feel a bit easier. Meantime I am gasping after the unexpected exertion, and trying to get my breath back, so I take off to the bathroom and just sit there.
You have to laugh sometimes for it is so easy to forget that at all times, I have this fifty foot line hanging from my face delivering oxygen. Wherever I go it goes with me, sometimes I feel like a rejected ant eater!
So! I am sat on the throne resting and Elizabeth is sitting on her office chair. You know the kind, the ones with wheels on it, this way at least the wife could be a little mobile.
Suddenly, knock. Knock. We both look up at the same time! Oh my God! I can’t move, I cannot breathe. Elizabeth is there in her night-dress! Guess who is going to answer the door! “Just a minute” the wife yells out, I never saw that chair move so fast in my life! She reaches into the bedroom and grabs my housecoat! “Coming!” She makes it to the door and then, “Oh my goodness Eric’s in the bathroom, please come in Janet” the wife pushes the bathroom door closed as she wheels by, knocking some oxygen bottle’s over that were sat by the wall.
Janet sits on the futon Elizabeth maneuver’s her chair and I make an entrance from the hallway. I think Janet arriving brought a brief semblance of sanity to the house.
At least Janet must think we are not too crazy around here, for she still visits! After Janet left bedlam returns once more, as in turning I ran over Elizabeth’s foot with my chair wheels! I think I acquired a new name? Yelp!!
But my goodness what will tomorrow bring! ~ ! ~ We have to go out, guess who is doing the driving! ~
C’ya
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Boiling Point
Once again we sally forth! ~
A few days ago our electric kettle gave up the ghost. Like as if there hasn’t been enough on the plate lately, I could gag!
(An Englishman’s got to have a cup of tea you know!)
Believe me when you’ve boiled water in a pot on the stove a few times you know when it’s time to draw the line!
Yesterday I was at the doctors for a prescription. The office is adjacent to the mall so we called in Walmart and picked up a new kettle. We got home with our new prize and the wife, all smiles went through the procedure to get it ready for use.
The kettle was a very nice design and purred beautifully the first two times we used it. However, the third time Elizabeth went to make tea the kettle was so noisy! The wife just flipped and was not too pleased I can tell you. To cut a long story we had to take it back for an exchange; that alone would satisfy the good woman, of course I could but not resist with the old ‘but what if?’ She assured me if the next one was noisy then she would accept that they were all that way.
Today we had to go out and take care of some business for the wife. Besides that she wanted to call in and pick out some material to make a dress, so what better time than to take care of the offending kettle!
Mission accomplished, we arrive home with the new replacement kettle! There is no need to go further with this account. ~ You know the ending!
Well I just had to know for sure, came the wife’s last comment on the subject. I smiled. ~ I know and love my wife. ~
We were just finishing off after supper when Elizabeth suddenly said, I used a different name you know! ~ What? My mind was elsewhere and the business of the kettle were long gone in my book. Well they do ask for a name when you return things she said. I looked at her quizzically, and said why not use your own name? well I didn’t want to do that because I don’t want them to think I’m always returning stuff! Came her reply. Raising an eyebrow I said, how the heck would they even remember you from all the thousands of other customers! ~
~ Silence, and that sweet look! ~
C’ya
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