Sunday 30 June 2019

30th June

Yesterday Vick and I did Qi Gong in a leafy Brighton park with a nice slim teacher.  We moved slowly and felt a kind of magic from connecting to the heavens and the earth, corny as that may sound.  It was dangerously hot, but we didn't collapse and faint.  Then we sat on a squashy leather sofa and drank fizzy elderflower cordial.
In the afternoon I stumbled into a "grief circle" which was part of an  Extinction Rebellion event, campaigning against climate change.  We took turns to speak about anger and sadness and guilt and fear to do with the damage to the planet.  The woman who ran it felt that by talking about grief and connecting with each other it turns into the expression of love. 
Josie





Jeremy Hunt calls himself an entrepreneur.  I looked him up on Wikipedia and he has several failed enterprises but it doesn't matter as he has loads of money. One of his bright ideas was making marmalade and selling it to the Japanese.  They didn't like it.  In spite of everything, I find that rather endearing.  I have a mental picture of him in a steamy kitchen stirring vats of boiling oranges and spitting sugar and trying to get a decent set.  On the other hand, there is loathsome Boris, making buses out of old boxes.  He paints them red and likes putting the happy people inside.  What a pair.  Neither fills me with confidence.
The lovely sunshine has driven thoughts of Brexit from my head, and it has been all strawberries and meals in people's gardens and gin and tonics with the Dumbrellites. 
I haven't got much get up and go but I think the Qi Gong did me good.
Vicky

Tuesday 25 June 2019

25th June


I have just come back from an egg and chips lunch at the Stanmer tearooms with dear friend F.   This is one of the delights of life, driving over the Beacon on a summers day and through lovely Stanmer Park,  then sitting in the doggy heaven of the tearooms eating a delicious and tasty lunch and having good chats.

I`ll tell you one thing about getting a terminal diagnosis:   It makes you enjoy things more than ever before: small things like the field of poppies along the Beacon Road, my boiled egg for breakfast. Oh and my amazing cleaners. A gang of four women turn up every fortnight and utterly transform my tiny bungalow. It positively sparkles with cleanness and smells polishy and lavendery. 
   
I went to the Quaker Poetry group last night. The topic was Simon Armitage.  All the poems that were brought were sad and depressing, many were tragic.  I had thought he was quite a jolly bloke when I went to a reading he gave in Grasmere a couple of years ago.  I still think he is a good choice for our new Poet Laureate   
Vicky


I have just come back from work at the hospital.  It was reassuring to be back in the great NHS machine after my week off last week, and there are lots of lovely people there.  
I am hoping to take a six-month career break starting from the end of September, so I can keep Vick out of hospital if she gets ill.  If she remains as independent as she is now, I have no idea what I'll be doing, but it is nice just to be together, even if we are watching Escape to the Country and playing scrabble in the afternoon.
I had a spiritual experience last Friday for the summer solstice, watching the sun suddenly emerge at Dawn from a hilltop in Lewes, while pipes were played.  I was genuinely amazed.  I thought it would never appear.
A childhood friend and I also swam in Ardingly Reservoir another night, under a moody grey sky.  It was great to feel so small and insignificant.
Josie


Thursday 13 June 2019

From Vick and Josie

VICK

Daughter Josie has persuaded me to restart the blog.  Thought it may be useful for updates.
As many of you know, I have had a health crisis recently and know that my days are numbered.  Well, everyone's days are numbered really but it has been spelt out distinctly a few days ago.  I am strangely relieved by this as I do not have to have any operations or treatments or make any difficult decisions.  Recently I have been working as a volunteer at the local hospice charity shop and now have been told that I can go to the hospice as a punter to do art activities and have hand massages and suchlike.  It is a lovely place up the road with a couple of nice friendly donkeys outside the door.  But I feel perfectly well at the moment and am just Carrying On.

JOSIE

Apart from having the stomach churners, I am trying to get a grip and summon up the courage to deal with the journey ahead.  My whole career as a palliative nurse specialist feels as if it has been leading up to this point.  My mum and I are very close and talk all the time so parting will be hell but I've got to put up with it and make the most of every day things like nice cups of tea.
Don't worry, this blog will not all be doom and gloom; we just want to communicate and express stuff at this time.


18/6/19

Vicky...


I'm beginning to wonder if it is all a huge mistake as I'm feeling surprisingly well, quite sprightly in fact.  I have a sneaking suspicion I will be around too long and everyone will be sick of the sight of me.
Nevertheless, Josie and I have spent the morning Sorting Things Out.  And we both feel better for it.  There will not be any arguments afterwards about whether I would like a tree or a bench or whatever.  Josie has a week off work so she came to my beautiful choir this morning.  Thankfully she loved it as much as I do.  We sing simple unaccompanied songs for an hour every Tuesday morning.  It is one of those unique groups that are an inspiration.  I am so lucky to be part of it.

Josie 
I am feeling decidedly calmer and more philosophical, mainly because my mum is so undramatic and normal, it is ever so reassuring.  Having the week off is good.  
Things That Help Me Are;
  1. The view of the plump pink roses and old green trees from Vick's sofa
  2. Making bread
  3. Swimming
  4. Singing
  5. Talking to friends.
The trouble, is I keep forgetting things.  I went for a swim this morning but forgot my costume so got told off for swimming in vest and knickers by the strict lifeguard.
The funny thing is, we are all going to leave this party in the end.  That is weirdly comforting