What's the Story in Dalamory

Dentist again

freda — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:41:13 +0000

What I want to know is why does going to the dentist give you a pain in the shoulder? Was it being tensed up against the chair trying to get away from the multitudinous number of drills he used? Or was it trying to avoid the automatic reaction to give said dentist a thump in the jaw? I must explain that this in no way reflects on his skill. He is one of the good guys, but years of near terror caused by some of his predecessors take their toil. The worst was one who looked about fourteen – and I am not exaggerating.

As you can tell, an outing to visit the dentist can be quite entertaining. There was I trying hard not to be too anxious – fair do’s, he had warned me he didn’t know what he would find once he started excavating the offending molar. Anyway, ping! All of a sudden there is one poor crippled dentist with part of my tooth in his eye. High drama ensued……. dare I say it was a “man-chip”? After some coming and going and a full-scale eye wash out we were ready to resume the digging. Of course by then I found myself wondering if the anaesthetic would be worn off. Thankfully this was not the case and modern glue meant that the tooth has lived to fight another day.

Unfortunately I did not get off completely and have been warned that all may not be well. Thus a follow-up is scheduled for the end of the month. It remains to be seen whether my cobalt plate beds in or not. So I am feeling a tad bruised and in need of gentling. Indeed I am considering instituting a pre-birthday month of treats. Well, it’s a thought.

Enforced break

freda — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:28:00 +0000

It is good to be back in blogland again. The last week or two have been an enforced rest, courtesy of power cuts, email cuts and blog-hosting problems. It is strange how unsettling it has felt, and now that all is working I don’t seem to have anything to say – except to have a little moan. In truth, the space should have given me the chance to think about my whole purpose in blogging. Unfortunately, the inability to send or receive emails has been much more problematic – the consequent stress nearly shutting out the resting benefits.

In other words, it has all been a bit of a damp squib. I’ve not even been keeping up with online news and blogs. And all of a sudden January is coming to its end; the days are lengthening and the air is somehow heavier…… a bit the way I feel with online bills and banking to see to.

Aha! I’ve worked it out; as so often happens when writing things out, the answer pops into my head. My body/mind/soul are getting ready for the annual spring-clean. That’s why the air itself feels in suspense. And it is a good enough excuse to hover on the cusp a bit longer. I’ve not seen the signs of spring like friko, but I am going to look harder.

My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece

freda — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:49:44 +0000

We had another power cut yesterday – 10 hours in total; that is the ninth significant outage this winter. It was less stressful than previously because I was enjoying Annabel Pitcher’s debut novel – My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece. I was well into the story, enthralled by the voice of the storyteller, (10yr old Jamie,) before discovering that it is actually written for children. No wonder the language was sharp and clear…… no wonder there was little swearing.

Thanks to a new LED lantern it was easy enough to read the print and quite fun to be able to read for a long period without interruption. The narrator’s point of view took me right back to my own childhood; what at first seemed like a fudge of commentary on the story, became eventually a rounded out picture of a family living through tragedy, crisis and grief.

The book is no namby pandy botch-up of a story about loss. It tackles prejudice on all sorts of levels. All in all I was impressed at the craft of the writer. It reminds me slightly of The curious incident of the dog in the night……… but only in the sense that the story-teller’s voice unfolds in tune with his understanding and emotional growth.

Interestingly, I was given this book by our Mobile Librarian – I suspect someone else’s mistake is my gain. It leads me on to think of reading some other children’s literature. Any ideas and views? (Apart from Harry Potter of course!)

Women again (0)
A Perfect Day – and yet….. (8)

Turning the corner

freda — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:52:51 +0000

Today it is dull, dark, damp and cold…….. despite winter’s dismal try to make us feel that we are going further and further into the wintry mire, I can sense that we are turning the corner towards the hope of spring. If the pre-Christmas season was one of frantic shopping, this post traumatic season is all about starting to try and get things back to a semblance of normality. Lots of things aren’t working – three bits of repair needed on the campervan alone. This has necessitated multiple phone calls, (a salesman left and didn’t leave a proper message about ordering parts.) But the magic of digital photos and email meant that the bits can hopefully be ordered up without a 225 mile round trip twice.

The shower has needed unblocked, the floors cleared of the last of the Christmas tinsel lingering in corners and even the spare room is dusted off and ready for the next visitors. In actual fact I am trying to write myself into a coping mood, for next week begins the rounds of hairdresser, dentist and vet (Misty’s routine vaccination – I’ve been wondering whether she might need counselling sessions for my choice of her new coat – see the comments.) I’m using the technique of splatting thoughts onto the page, and hoping that some of it makes sense.

So – what does this afternoon bring? More paperclog unclogging? A walk in the confused countryside? I suspect it might be a gentle potter at the edges of my mind…… and wherever that takes me. How about you? How do you deal with jaded January?

Christmas Coat

freda — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:18:29 +0000

Misty looks as if she is saying - I enjoyed opening the present but I’m not so sure about wearing it!

Paperclog

freda — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:37:24 +0000

The post-Christmas paperclog is causing me much concern. This afternoon has reminded me of working back in an office. When life got too overwhelming I used to deliberately make myself slow down, take one piece of paper off the top and deal with it and keep going like that………. sometimes till late in the night.

Life couldn’t get like that in retirement could it? I hear the echo of many voices in my head saying…….Of course it could. So this afternoon I have managed to reduce the total of nine inches high of paper, down to six and a bit inches. There has been a measure of satisfaction, and I managed to resist the temptation to go faster and faster to try and finish it off. Those days are long gone.

A few more days and all shall be tamed. All shall be well and all manner of things…….. as Julian of Norwich said. Thus I surmise that God is in the paperclog and lowly things.

Hereafter

freda — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:14:55 +0000

Hereafter is proof that I tend to disagree with film critics on whether or not a film rates highly or not. The advantage to that, is that I sat down to watch the film without too much anticipation, though it quickly became clear from the quality of the direction that this was going to be an interesting movie. But then when Steven Spielberg is involved as Producer and Clint Eastwood as Director, there is rarely cause for disappointment.

This is a beguiling film incorporating three story-lines from different parts of the world and involving three principal characters. One strand concerns a retired, but genuine psychic, played by Matt Damon and is set in San Francisco; the second is the circumstances surrounding a near-drowning in a tsunami in the Far East, and is set mainly in France; the third strand is about disadvantaged teenaged twins in the East End of London. The plot lures the viewer along as each character and story is gradually revealed. One is also led to speculate as to how these three strands can ever be brought together.

In time, this is exactly what happens, with poignant and hopeful results. I don’t want to give anything further away, because if you enjoy whimsical realism, then you would probably enjoy this. The viewer has to work at making connections and that is part of its charm.

I give it eight out of ten and would be interested to know if anyone else has heard of it.

How to train your dragon (3)

A Luddite

freda — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:08:21 +0000

It’s been a strange old week – yet more power cuts. I’m afraid it has led to some grumpiness, more from me than HBTW. I really am grateful for the quality of life we have in Scotland, but not having a shower in the morning makes me feel like a dlg. (dirty little gnome – oops is that being politically insensitive to gnomes?)

What I want to talk about is the negative attributes of the internet. Come to think of it I am not really sure that the internet can be thought of as having a separate identity. Anyway, I was talking with someone this week who confesses that they are a true Luddite where computer technology is concerned. I was struggling to be sympathetic to this view until this illustration came up.

Someone in London presses a button (computer key) and buys a million shares from a firm in China; ten minutes later the shares increase by £x – the London holder of the shares sells at a profit of £x never having moved from their desk. Thus the whole of the world economy ends up going round in circles and imaginary/real become confused and prices fluctuate on a whim.

I’m not sure if I am explaining myself very well. Take a simpler example: violent computer games leading to violence. In fact this is starting to happen where drones are controlled from one country and piloted to the enemy causing perhaps widespread destruction and violence. The drone commander is totally isolated from the consequences of their action.

I had to start to admit that there is something to think about in all of this, though I would hate to do without modern technology, even if it does lead us all into the realms of ethics that we never envisaged. I was going to ask – What do you think? – but if you are reading this you are probably like me and are committed to “progress.”

A novel nativity

freda — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:55:58 +0000

As I start to pack away the Fontanini Nativity for another year, I thought you might like to see the one over at Rev Elizabeth – see here.

Resolutions?

freda — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:12:21 +0000

It’s getting a bit late for resolutions – whether to make them or not. I’m more interested in seeing what other bloggers are up to, though I have one observation.

Which is more likely to succed?

I resolve to play the piano every day
or
I resolve to practise the piano more.

And No, I haven’t started either yet.

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What's the Story in Dalamory

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