31 March 2016 natter

EXTREME – now that’s a good word with which to start! The dictionary defines it as ‘maximum, highest, intense, severe’. The reason it’s come to mind just now is because it’s often used in describing my lifestyle and I suppose it’s true – gardening, house alterations, exercise, cooking and ironing for family, volunteering, dog sitting etc. etc. Unfortunately, I’ve had to apply the word this month to being ill. Yes, the cheek of it! Not a cold but severe ‘flu, when I felt quite pleased to be able to get out of bed to the bathroom without falling over even though I had to hang on to the wall. It started early in March so that this month’s natter is going to be a very much reduced piece but there was one lovely moment at the beginning of March.

The joys of easy village living were brought home to me again at the beginning of the month when I took the bus to a large town about an hour away. A diversion had been set up for bridge repairs and when some school girls got on, the driver realised the temporary route would bypass their school so he just drove cross-country and dropped them off at school and then rejoined the temporary route some miles further on. Can’t imagine anything like that happening in any town or city that I know of!

My son and his family bought me a ticket for the Davis Cup on the 4^th of the month. My son took the day off work and was my companion for the day – that in itself a real treat. In spite of the fact that there hitches in our travel arrangements (no trains!), as a tennis fan, it was a wonderful day. On 12^th March, I’d been so looking forward to being part of Julie’s team promoting FABS, but I was already quite ill on the day and would have been no advert for healthy anything really. I’m looking forward to picking up the pieces and following Julie’s latest venture; she really is flying now!!

Think it’s worth mentioning how careful we have to be – even when dealing with large companies. I took out a one year contract with a gas and electricity provider and the word “fixed” was applied to the price. It turned out that it did not mean that the price was fixed but the date on which the standing order would be auctioned each month. Needless to say, I left them at the end of the year and am now busy warning everyone I can not to get involved with this national company.

Continuing the trend of broken house bits etc. my central heating stopped working on the 20^th – not good timing in view of my illness. I telephoned a very good gas engineer who was with me at 10.30 the next morning and rescued me. Rounded the week off with a visit from a plumber who also resolved problems in that department.

The end of the month has ended on a happy note however. My son’s birthday was celebrated on 29^th March and my grandson’s on the 30^th; a double celebration for me. I was well enough to have two lots of birthday cake!

I have chosen 23^rd April for my Awareness Day. We can’t have too much patriotism and St. George’s Day is a good enough reason to remember this tradition. Of course, it is also Shakespeare’s birthday too – another important date in our history.

Ending on a high note, it was time to alter the clocks on the 27^th. The joy of those extra daylight hours! Apart from anything else, daylight certainly lightens the mood and that, together with the rebirth of nature, makes it a happy time. I’m just so pleased to have reached the end of March and look forward to more healthy and happy extremes.