Diary summary week ending 10th July

[BushInn1746]

Further to my comment yesterday in response to comments about 2019.

The first confirmed England, UK, death was in January 2020 where Covid-19 was present in a retained lung tissue sample ...

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-daughter-of-uk-man-who-died-from-covid-19-in-january-attacks-china-for-cover-up-12067060

"Peter Attwood, 84, from Chatham, Kent, died in hospital on 30 January, after falling ill soon before Christmas with a cough and fever.
...

This is believed to make Mr Attwood the first known death from COVID-19 outside China, coming just 19 days after the first reported casualty from the disease in the city where it is believed to have originated, Wuhan."

Mark

[louisa maud]

It was  never confirmed as to what I had Christmas 2019, it  wasn't flu or a very bad cold but whatever it it wasn't  nice  àt, I will  never know.

LM

[radstockjeff]

Not an easy week. We had a long trip to West Wales for my sister-i-law's funeral on Friday. Mark, our eldest, came down to us on Thursday by train from London and then drove us down to Narberth on Friday , 150 miles door to door. I could not have managed that all in one go theses days.
Had not seen my brother for a while, although we keep in touch regularly by phone (he is not very computer savvy) and noticed how very much older he now looked, but he coped very well. A simple service and nice tribute read by him. No hymns but appropriate music.
It was nice to meet up with both family and friends, some of whom I had not seen for years.
Good for Mark to reconnect again with his two cousins, hopefully to maintain contact better than what seems to be a very normal phenomenon in our family.
Wiht the second anniversary of Nick's passing approaching it was a particularly testing time, but we got through it.
And so after socialising at a local hotel we set off back home in time for Mark to catch his train back to London.

[brigidmac]

What a lot of interesting posts to keep up with

Pharma I love your Scottish poems ! Do share more .

In answer to the question about sign language .my grandfather s brother went deaf with meningitis so the whole family learnt sign language .

My grandfather taught me and my elder sister the alphabet + how to sign " go to work on an egg" which was a popular advert at the time .

I don't know how I maintained the knowledge from childhood but when I started work as a carer in 2007 there was a deaf person with learning differences. His sign language was a mixture of official BSL British sign language,+ communication made up with his mother because he grew up in an era when sign language was discouraged and children had to learn to lip read and articulate. Unfortunately his articulation was very poor but he could read and write so we also communicated in note form
My company held training days in Makaton
( simple sign language) + we quickly picked up useful signs / words  for "toilet .biscuit. friend  hello .please .thank you ,calm down .drink . Goodbye" . From the courses and from interaction with  non verbal or semi verbal people .
Plus some  vocabulary from their eclectic  interests " swimming .bullseye .chocolate .cake . Orange . Dog. horse . light "

I decided to attend level 1 BSL at night school with my sister . My job made sure that time was kept free on rota and paid for the course and the exam but not my time .

 that was great revision . I wanted to keep practicing so started doing  story telling and poems in sign language learning a few words each time .

I phone my mums cousin when I get stuck
Her deaf father married her  deafborn. mother so the children ..(all hearing )grew up fluent in BSL in  fact this lady became a sign language interpreter on TV and was instrumental in changes in policy and signing vocabulary .

[pharmaT]

The Courthoose Staps

Aw life tae see amang the thrang
Lawer, assizer, and those they say did wrang
There’s a feart witness, worrit, it’s hard
At least there’s the polis staunin guard
Inside sit the Shirras in wig and gown
Ready to announce if guid evidence has been foun

Neervous fowk calm themsels wi a fag
Or try to look busy wi a tabloid rag
The time can be pit aff nae longer
Up tae the door we must wauner
Running the Gauntlet o aw the smeuk
Tryin no tae run intae fowk

Inside despite aw the fowk it feels sae quate
A warrant fur ye issued if ye be late
In front o the shirra an aith afore ye depone
Please nae be lang I wanna be gang home
Feels like hoors but it’s soon ower
Back oot to the staps afore half fower.

Forgive and Forget

They say ye must forgive and forget
It’s really the only way they will let
You must be a good Christian and offer remission
No requirement for them to offer contrition
Please open your eyes and see they are usin
Your belief in forgiveness to continue abusin

When ye leave it’s not the abuse ye are losin
But more the mode of control ye are movin
Ye see an abuser will say ye stole
Loss of his belongings he cannae thole
Disnae see ye as a person o yer ain
Just an object to destroy or regain

How can ye forget when ye need tae be watchin
On yer guard for the next plan he be hatchin
What is it yer meant tae forgive?
When he still expects that way ye tae live
When she has aready a massive price paid
Why on her should  all the responsibility laid?

 A Decent Mum

Noo listen carefully this can be confusin
No matter hoo lang this question ye’ve been musing
Fir a tightrope ye must walk, a narrow path
If title o decent mum ye want tae have
Noo a day lang ye must be at hame
While earning loads in yer ain name
Cook a yer meals yersel from scratch
But no miss oot on the latest product, natch
Hair, nails and make-up perfectly done
Spend  time on yersel, Well yer neglectsome
Teach yer kids everything ye can mind
But but let ‘em play alone or they’ll be behind
Pick them up in a nice, classy car
Just make sure ye didn’t tak it too far
Spend plenty o money so nae body thinks yer poor
While been prudent and savvy that’s for sure
Take loads o holidays they must be abroad
But to slumming it at home ye must also gie a nod
A decent mum must be like baby bear’s porridge
Fir the Goldilocks judges are mighty savage.
 

[pharmaT]

Yesterday, took wee one to order her new bike yesterday.  Then we got ice cream before we headed back home.  Actually had some sun so got washing hung out, and caught up with washing as had not enough space to dry washing when it was raining outside.

More cleaning today and a takeaway treat for dinner.  I know that makes me a bad mum but I do usually cook,

[louisa maud]

No, in my opinion that is  not a bad  mum, who is monitoring what  you feed your children with,..?  an occasional take away is a treat , the children will  enjoy it, don't  put  yourself  down PT

LM

[Viktoria]

It was  never confirmed as to what I had Christmas 2019, it  wasn't flu or a very bad cold but whatever it it wasn't  nice  àt,all, I will  never know.
It lasted nine weeks.
LM

yes LM,I too had the worst flu  I had  ever had that year.
My little dog had reached the end of her life  but I could not have gone out with her.
I’d had my flu jab too.
Had  she been alive I could not have walked her.
It lasted nine weeks too.


Glorious day here -washing dry so quickly .
Chicken for tea.
Son might do it ,he is quite a good cook.
Strawberries and cream for dessert.

So few of our family left now Jeff, and not all really close.

Pharma, it was really good to see you back again in positive mood.
So resist the impulse to run yourself down , we care about each other on RC don’t we?  You will make me sad again !
Just value yourself more and join in the fun and laughter 
People know you do a good job ,truly.
I can “ translate” your dialect poems, Deep ,old Lancashire dialect is not far from that you have used .
Interesting .
Cheerio.
Viktoria.

[brigidmac]

Jeff so sorry to hear about your sister in law
I posted at same time as you so missed your post .

I hope this week will be easier .

To those concerned about my friends lack of passport
Apparently there's no internet on the cruise ship but they somehow managed to post 2 photos on FB of the ship and 1 of some crew members so they must have got on board .

Pharma your poems are amazing . They'd be great read aloud .I especially liked the court house and decent mother ones

I'm going to perform spoken word  again on 23rd July and on 8th August . I LL do the poem and stories  I know the signs  to already. .