Diary summary week ending 26th November

[Viktoria]

I too give monetary gifts,and little querky  things that don’t cost much at all.

Flash Harry now has his own bank account ,£8-00- he firmly believes he has more money than his aunty’s fiancé - who will have said” Gosh that is more than I have!”.
I have thousands of pounds in small change . It gets so heavy in my purse so have a clear out and bag it up ready for the bank and put it in his account I have for him.
Must start one for Kyra.

Well stew to prepare and must do some housework ,living room shelves for books and ornaments need a good clean they go high up so a ladders job.
Books dusted and ornaments washed.Almost all Cut glass.
I keep my silver stuff in s glass cabinet ,clean the silver and wash in lux soap flakes and it dors not tarnish at all, but does look better for a clean.
Well must get cracking .
Look after yourselves folks.
Can’t believe we are so close to Christmas.
Viktoria.

[louisa maud]

Viktoria, please don't climb ladders if you are in on your own,  try to make sure your son is at hand.

LM

[Viktoria]

Son is here L.M but I only did bottom and middle shelves one side , washed the glassware from there, left the highest ,son might do them for me .
Not really high but as you say ladders and  old ladies!
Will do other side asap.

Got a phone call from Fairfield Hospital, to go for an Echogram, on Friday.
On Monday  I only had Electrocardiograms ,  where you have lots of stickers on you.
I think they insert something ,sometimes ,probably down your oesophagus
to see the back of your heart,a sort of XRay, for an Echogram.
I am being looked after.

Stewed steak for  tea, I might make dumplings ,herby ones.

Yes Candleflame, I really do not enjoy Christmas so much at all ,even with the Great grandchildren ,I realise I enjoyed it as we were all together, my husband was here and prepared the veges and washing up to keep the decks clear.
It was lovely ,his Mum did a dinner but quite simple , nothing like my Mum’s yet both were from very humble backgrounds , Mum’s was my ideal.

I hate us not being all together.
But I am not alone, I did that a couple of years ago ,during Covid ,the works,
sent photos so the family could see I had made a proper Christmas dinner.
My family as I was were brought up on home made,cake puddings and mincemeat I liked doing the mince pies.

What strange times we live in! But over centuries there have been many changes from the ancient “ Yule”

Cheerio.
Viktoria.

[Viktoria]

Well Saturday is here again,shopping to do and tomorrow band concert in Church.
Had my Echogram yesterday at Fairfield Hospital, will get a letter explaining the changes that have taken place since my last one .
The technician did explain there was evidence of the significant damage from my heart attack in 2009 , and further changes .
My Dr too will get a copy so I expect more or different drugs .
I am being looked after so I can’t ask for more.

My friend of 66 years,has been a but cool recently as I have mentioned ,so yesterday evening I phoned as no answer to emails.
She was bright and seemed O.K. But then the bombshell, she had just got news - yesterday evening- then I phoned and she told me her eldest son who was my eldest son’s playmate had just died.
He was 66 on 14 th of this month , she had just got the news herself and only knew it was something to do with his lungs.

I stayed talking a little while but she needed to take in that dreadful news so I ended the call.
I will ring today just to check she is alright, an eminently sensible person
but  what sadness.

She lives on The Gower Peninsular, Crofty on the N.Coast.
Her second son on the South ,but very near so he will be a tremendous help to her.
Her late son , gosh that brings it home - was married twice .
Each marriage twins, boy and
girl the first and twin boys the second but one nine pounds at birth the other four and a half .
There is still a great difference in build .

I wish I was not so far away, but I am so can only do what I can from here.

Hope all are well, and being looked after .
Freezing this morning,put extra out on bird table and hanging feeders ,water is frozen but sun shining so it will melt . Cheerio ,off to shop and get a card
for my friend.
What a sad Christmas it will be for her.
I must count my blessings.

Viktoria.

[River Tyne Lass]

Hi Viktoria,
I am sorry to hear your news from the technician but I am glad to hear that you expect that they can look after you with more or different drugs.  It is amazing how much medical science has come on these days in all fields.
I am very sorry to hear about your friends news about her son.   Sixty six seems like no age, really, these days.  Yes, what a sad Christmas this will be for her.  This is very sad for her and for you as her friend and because of the memories you share.
I understand what it feels like to feel helpless to help much.  However, you can uphold her in your prayers.
My Grandson is having 'trreatment' at the moment - he is the close relative I have been talking about.  I have been asking lots of different people to pray for him and you know, I think this is making a difference.  He seems to be going in the right direction.  There seems to be hope and I believe the prayers of many people are upholding him and his parents, my Son and Dil.
My friend who has family in Gaza has been finding out about more deaths in her family..  She has always been a very strong resilient type but is quite broken right now and can no longer work under the extreme stress.
Yes, you are certainly right Viktoria when you talk about counting our blessings.
Take care, you are marvellous in always keeping positive and in thinking of others .. even the little birds.  God Bless.
I'm off to see SiL now  so will have to dash as runniing behind already.

[Viktoria]

Thanks R T L, I am not a great one for showing emotion ,well in public but it can backfire sometimes .
When my husband died suddenly ,I knew the great ordeal he had been spared ,was not driving as he had been at the same time the day before .
Children coming out of schools along our route.!
He just dropped,in the kitchen making me a cup of tea as I had just come back from walking the dog .
Had he been driving it doesn’t bear thinking about,he had just got the letter to say he could continue to drive !
I think that needs tightening up .
My son asked if I would be O.K ,as he was leaving after the funeral .
I said yes I didn’t mind my own company ,so he would not worry about me ,but he took that to mean I would not miss his Dad!
He does ,I feel have many if the character traits of Asperger’s syndrome and takes everything literally.
I imagine he thought I did not care ,when that of course was not true.

We were not brought up to fuss, or show emotion in public  so my grieving was all in private ,had my son remembered the Eulogy I wrote ,and read in
Church he would have understood differently .
But a husband ,very ill with a great ordeal looming ,quite old - just gone in a second was in my opinion a blessing ,for him.
We did not have to see him go through that ordeal ,for which I am grateful.
My friend’s son ,so much younger and totally unexpected ,not having seen him for nearly a year is different ,and must be unbearable.

Yes quite a few on R.C have had bereavements ,in the recent past,it does help to share and even with strangers in that we have never met them but who have become friends because we exchange messages it is very supportive.
I have a card and must now think what to say in it .
Less is more sometimes I feel ,so I’ll be quite brief .
What a shame though ,a real shame.
Thanks for your kind words folks,I have known him from him being a little baby,six months younger than my eldest .
He was 66 on November 14 th.
Well must write and post the card.
Take care everyone and thanks again .
Viktoria.
.

[River Tyne Lass]

Viktoria, you have always written so well  of your husband that I have no doubt he must have been a very good and kind man.  I think it does come across that you miss him but I think you are a real survivor type, thankfully, and this enables you to carry on through whatever life throws at you and  be able to make the best of things.  Which is a very good thing and I would imagine your husband would have wanted you to be happy and be able to carry on without him.
I'm sure you will come up with just the right thing to say in your friend's card - you are good with words.  I hope you all enjoy the band concert at Church tomorrow.

[River Tyne Lass]

There was a man a bit funny like when I got to the bus stand in my home town en route to visiting SiL today.
He seemed a friendly type and was making small talk with an elderly woman at the stand.  At first I thought he knew her as he kept referring to her as "Betty".  However, after a little bit she scowled at him and said "And I'm not called Betty - do you think I look like a Betty?!". He said " Oh, I thought you were .. well, .. Mary then?". She then snapped "I'm not called Mary either!".  After this he began talking to me and also addressed me as either Betty' or 'Mary'.  I decided not to dispute it even though these aren't my names either.
One thing he said to me was "Are you going to the bingo today, Betty?".  I just said " No" and I briefly thought about adding "Do I look like somebody who would go to the bingo!"  I didn't though as I suspected that he probably wasn't someone on a wind up. 

I was amazed to find that the bus actually came on time tonight for once on way home from SiL's village!

[Viktoria]

I wonder if he had confusion and memory loss?
Also perhaps by addressing someone by name - not necessarily their’s , in the hope they understand, it is less rude to speak to a stranger at a bus stop.
Some people get no social interaction other than times like that.
A  great pity really.

Well I put:- “With our sincere sympathy at this very sad time  ,and in memory  of a lovely little boy who grew to be a fine man, just like his father.
They are together now. “


My sons knew him ,well were playmates, but not met for a good few years.
I will send a donation to whatever charity they choose.
It will be a cremation so flowers will be wasted, I can send some to my friend though, after the funeral so there is no confusion .                                   THer daughter in law and grandsons  will know what they want for their husband and father’s funeral.
Oh how sad, 66.
Thanks for the kind words.
 Look after yourselves .
Viktoria.