What's the Story in Dalamory » ageing

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freda — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:45:29 +0000

This is a wonderful film to watch with children I should imagine. OK I confess, HBTW and I watched it on our own. Who needs mindless violence, gratuitous sex and dialogue you can’t understand when you can have an adventure story with a moral in the tail, plus loads of quirky characters, especially the dogs and the big bird?

The moral tale is about giving time to one another, the pack of dogs are truly wonderful and are easily diverted from bad things by producing a ball to play with.

Basically, a young couple fall in love and get married. Ellie, the wife, dreams of going off on adventures and exploring the world. Somehow, ordinary life gets in the way. When Ellie dies her husband decides to have the adventure himself in her memory. Russell, a young Wilderness Explorer (akin to the boy scouts/cubs) gets involved. The evil to be overcome is that of a curmudgeonly, previously famous explorer who is engaged in nefarious black deeds for his own ends.

The film is entertaining, and has beguilingly beautiful graphics and characters. It brings out the inner child (no bad thing) whilst at the same time giving meaning to the process of ageing and loss. I would happily watch it again – but then I was hooked on the dogs.

You’ve got to laugh

freda — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 16:11:48 +0000

Thanks to Schmidleysscribbling for this cartoon:

God’s memory?

freda — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:00:15 +0000

A sprightly 60-year-old woman was walking along 5th Avenue when she heard a voice from above:

“You will live to be 100.”

She looked around but didn’t see anyone. Again she heard the voice: “You will live to be 100.”

Boy, she thought to herself, that was the voice of God!

And then she thought it over: I’ve got 40 more years to live! Might as well make the most of them.

So off she went to the plastic surgeon. She got everything fixed, from head to toe. She was going to be as gorgeous as a 20-year-old. She was ready for her new second life.

When she left the plastic surgeon’s office after her final checkup, she walked across the street, got hit by a bus, died, and found herself in heaven.

She complained to God, “You told me I would live to be 100! I was supposed to have had 40 more years! So how come you let that bus kill me?”.

God looked over at her and replied, “Oh, sorry. I didn’t recognize you.”

Thanks to Wounded Bird

Giving and caring

freda — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:38:31 +0000

This is a very poignant little video. You may find it beautiful like I did – it resulted in a cathartic release of tears, particularly appropriate to my worries over the NHS. On the other hand, skip it if you feel too fragile. By the way, I would be interested to know what you think.

Up (3)
Lesley’s Challenge (2)
Less aggressive treatment for the elderly (13)
Blog round up (3)
Sunshine in my life (2)

Time for an NHS rant

freda — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:54:20 +0000

Sometimes this little ranty person appears and has a stomp about. That’s the way I feel today; in fact, it has been brewing for a few days. My experiences of the NHS go back over many years and come from personal stays in hospital, local GP cover at health centres, visiting relatives and parishioners in hospital and being with people who are dying. In addition, I spent a vivid few days and nights working as a nursing auxiliary. (I was trying to boost the family budget.) That last foray into the world of hospital work was pretty terrifying and exhausing. My training was minimal, yet at times I was left to look after 30 patients in a Nightingale ward. Nightmare.

Before getting back to the rant I have to say that much of my contact with the NHS has been positive, though there has been significant cause for grumble, particularly with regard to hospital staff and their lack of attention to patients needing help. I can understand why nurses who as a rule are university trained, feel that their job should not be to empty bedpans and feed elderly and incapable geriatrics. Indeed, health care workers (like the old auxiliaries) are being employed at the rate of 3 to 1 qualified nurses. It makes me uneasy to think that health workers are left to deal with the hands-on nursing like washing, toileting, eating…. whilst the qualified nurses are more paper-orientated and responsible for complicated procedures, tests and medication.

Nursing to me, is about keeping a patient comfortable, with the basics of life provided for in a caring and dignified manner. The stories we have been hearing have been about the exact opposite, and doctors have been forced to “write-up” their patients for water to drink. I suppose I have poor memories of dying parents and I therefore worry about myself and my friends needing hospital care. The government seems to allocate more and more funds, yet the basics have shifted so that people are cases needing treatment rather than individuals who need care.

The sad thing is that I can rant, as have lots of others in newspapers and blogs; but what I want to know is when will it get better?

There – that’s my rant over. What do you think?

Wii Fit update

freda — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:03:39 +0000

Things are looking up. I got cross at the Wii Fit’s predictions re age etc yesterday, so deleted all the information and started again. This time I was “aged” as 43.

Now why did it immediately make me feel better?

A lifelong reader

freda — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:05:52 +0000

Of course a “reader” in the context of a blog is entirely different to a reader of books. I am both a blog reader and an avid lover of books and all things bookish. Now I don’t want you to think of me as someone with a large head and small body, dark-framed glasses and a pile of manuscripts all around……… though come to think of it, that is not so far off the mark.

In actual fact, from as long as I can remember I devoured books. They formed the background to my life; I was the typical child in bed at night with book and torch under the covers half-listening for the footsteps and the opening of the bedroom door. Oh it was so worth the inevitable scolding.

Nowadays I tend to fall asleep – whilst the book drops heavily onto my knee. Sometimes if the dog is in the way there is a muffled grrrrr. Many a time I lose the plot and have to revert to an earlier page. Now, to what shall I attribute this unfortunate tendency? I suspect that multiple medications don’t help, and there is not much I can do about that. If I pick up a so called “trashy” novel, (Jeffrey Archer or Katie Fjord for instance) I can whiz through the story in no time; however something more taxing causes me problems.

Whilst lightly musing upon the problem I looked around at the many bookcases with books literally spilling out of the shelves. Then I realised a potential solution, I could re-read all my well-loved collection; that way surely even if I dozed off I could semi-remember the plot. It is a possibility.

If you are a lifelong reader, how do you manage?

Chilling

freda — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 10:22:06 +0000

It’s sometimes difficult to keep up with internet-speak, text-speak, online chatting terms and so forth. But one word I love to hear the grandchildren use so happily is “chilling”. This is not the way they describe a bad experience at school or a particularly frightening film, rather it is a complete kidnapping of the world to mean the essence of relaxation and happiness. In a sense it is kind of what I am doing right now. Usually when at my computer at home there is a hustle and bustle of keys and near-frantic activity as I do half a dozen things at once – checking mail, looking at news and weather, bringing blog up to date and reading the 100 or so I look at intermittently – oh yes, I might also be checking items on ebay and doing an online order for shoes.

No wonder computing is tiring.

Each year when I go on holiday I decide to post a few items in advance and hope that my faithful readers will forgive me for not responding to specific comments that need a reply. This year, #3 Son and his family are in residence so I am more relaxed about sharing details of our hols. I suspect lots of bloggers are wary of advertising their absence, which is probably daft. The last person who is likely to be reading a winsome load of nothingness is a potential burglar.

Anyway, campsite wifi tends to be slow, the laptop is elderly with many and various quirks, (like me) so the whole process has to be slowed down. Thus, I press a key to find a website, then look round at the gentle process of everyday chores around me. People are collecting water, tightening guy-ropes, shaking out carpets from caravans and so on. HBTW is sitting guarding the washing whilst happily reading his kindle. Wood pigeons whoo-whooo…. and the wind rustles the trees in the high hedge next to me. I muse on the fact that I forgot a cable and cannot therefore share photos, so word pictures will have to do.

The motorhome is filled with the scent of lavender – purchases from the lavender farm we visited yesterday. Today we are too lazy to do much but a few chores……. such is the joy of a campervanning holiday. Tomorrow it is off to a national park for a few days. There may or may not be wifi there, but one thing we do know is that there is a pub next door. That means a release from cooking and dishes.

Being away and being lazy about newspapers has meant I have been rather isolated from the News of the World and the surrounding issues. No bad thing, I suspect, though I suppose I should use some online time to catch up.

That’s all the news from Sherrif Hutton today, Misty sends her love and says to tell you all that she is enjoying her holiday but could she please have less walks today.

Nostalgia year by year

freda — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 10:39:36 +0000

Wimbledon evokes nostalgia year on year, and this year is no exception. The only thing that is different is that the pleasure and memories increase. I scan the faces of the crowd looking for celebrities and imagine my Dad sitting next to me in front of the wide-screen HD TV; he would be marvelling at the technology as well as the increased pace of the game. My mother was a reasonably good club player as well, her forte at Wimbledon time was a plate of cucumber sandwiches and some shop-bought strawberry tarts. The curtains would be drawn to keep out the light and the food and tea passed amongst us. At the time we lived in outer London, so everything seemed very near.

As for me……… well Dalamory is dismal, damp and dreary today so it is the ideal time to stay indoors and watch the tournament which should be in the sun.

PS – The quickstep is going a storm…..

Wimbledon and Tennis and a bit of nostalgia (4)
Up (3)
You’ve got to laugh (5)
God’s memory? (4)
New step (6)

Lesley’s Challenge

freda — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 09:36:50 +0000

Revd Lesley is celebrating 100,000 visits milestone on her blog, and she issues a challenge that we all help spread the love by sharing 4 interesting things about ourselves and then link to 4 favourite blogs. I don’t usually join in with these suggestions, but as Lesley is one of my favourite bloggers – she says things the way they are – I thought it would be a chance to introduce her to others as well.

Interesting things about me: – a hard one but here goes

I once danced on the table at a 50th birthday party – and I hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol (or drugs!)
On a memorable occasion, just before a wedding on the top of a hill, the wind blew the marriage lines away. Fortunately, I was able to run after them….. robes flying in the gale. Oh yes, and I caught them.
My best friend when I was in primary school emigrated to Australia. Now I can’t even remember her name, but then I felt as if my world had come to an end.
My English Gran told me to call her Auntie, and I was a bit scared of her.

Four bloggers I like to visit: the caveat is that I enjoy all the blogs I read, so these four are important for other reasons.

Friko’s Blog frikosmusings.blogspot.com because her writing is of such a consistently high standard; she challenges me and makes me think.
Kelvin’s Blog thurible.net because he keeps me up to date with all things Anglican as well as the Scottish Episcopal Church. He says things the way he sees them, and often makes me laugh.
Sara’s Blog www.saralovesdogs.blogspot.com because I have gradually fallen in love with her and her dogs. She is so patient and has such fun with her Shelties and posts lots of photos and videos.
Time Goes By, Ronni Bennet’s blog for all things on ageing and living well.

What's the Story in Dalamory » ageing

Up

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