Good morning Mick and all GN's on a very still greyish morning but looks as though some sunshine is getting up now, here in North Yorkshire.
Well I say good morning but a good start to my day it was not!! I woke up yelling about 5am with awful cramp and a locked leg, which meant I struggled to get out of bed and get onto the cold kitchen floor. Horrible start to my morning, and hope that I didnt wake my neighbour upstairs!! Even when this spasm stopped, my leg tends to give little shudders, to remind me to move very carefully or it will start again. Not at all the way I planned to start my day, I had wanted to be up early but not like this!!
I had to just sit for a while before I dared move about, so put the tv on, on silent and thought of you Mick , as the cycling was on! Still full of aches and pains, - my back did not approve of having to move quickly this morning and my knees are definitely on strike and complaining about my backs behaviour as I am not walking normally. So rather an old crock today.
Yesterday I had a very quiet day at home. I am taking the antibiotics as directed and trying to be a bit rested as I have to face the operation tomorrow, and am not in the best of health to start with. However most importantly the cough seems to be receding so thankfully havent had to cancel and wait yet more endless weeks. The thought of being able to see normally , and to be able to be out and about and driving is balancing against the tightening of the stomach at the thought of the claustrophobic things over my face!!
So yesterday, I really plodded along. Saw no one and no one rang, but was happy to take things slowly in my own order. Doesnt look much tidier , to an outsider, but I have been pleased to get up to date with the local paper, make notes of appointments etc on the calendar, tidy things away and actually have the kitchen looking clean and tidy and not as though it should be condemned by the health inspectors for the mess and disorder! I also have a choice of trousers and T shirts now, so I am very slowly getting myself sorted out, and catching up from the holiday.
After the rather brutal start to the morning I am calming down and thinking of plans for today. I would like to just get stuff ready and go to Saltburn and enjoy the peace and quiet there. To be able to look at the sea and listen to radio 3 on the way etc. But I need to wait until Upfront open at 10am, as I need to confirm the arrangements for tomorrow. Make sure that the driver is booked and the time etc., Dont want any slipups messing the arrangements. So once I have done that, I will get a little shopping - fresh bread etc- and then, fingers crossed be off to the coast. There is plenty needs doing here still of course, but I will be spending enough time from tomorrow, trying to deal with things, without bending or lifting anything heavy etc etc., so I am going to make the most of today. To soothe my conscience I am going to take 2 plastic bags filled with papers and letters with me, to go through thoroughly, which I can do just as well at the seaside as here. I am getting into efficiency mode now and will have my calendar with me to add appointments etc so that I can keep track of what I am supposed to be doing.
It is the start of the show season after the harvest and I have always loved them, enjoying all the old things, horse jumping and showing, the poultry tent and the handicrafts etc. ~At least I get something good from my wretched back and waking very early. I get all my picnic, chair etc etc ready and am usually one of the first on the field a it opens. That enables me to pick my spot and set up camp, where I can settle for the day, with picnic, binoculars and show schedule. Then I make a much needed coffee and sit perusing the order and deciding how I shall get round etc. Always feel a bit irritated when they have horses showing in two rings and even I cant watch both at the same time. I am usually one of the last to leave as well so do get the most from my day, but I am afraid the cost is going up so much this year that I will have to pick and choose what I can go to.
Of course top of the list is my local and beloved show in Muker. It is always held the first wednesday in September and for me is the absolute best of shows. There will be all the usual things in the tents, the very good plant and bulb people who I always get my winter hyacinths and more from. Then picking my usual spot (I am surprised there isnt a plaque marking my spot from many years in the same place!) I shall set up camp for the day. Muker silver band will be getting ready for a long days playing, I will catch up with old friends from the choir and those I used to take to hospital. The runners will be girding their loins for a fantastic fell race and I will have my binoculars at the ready , and sometimes heart in mouth, as I watch they charging down the steep hillside, jumping through the scree etc. We always have several different running groups and all ages and it is a big event for everyone. So if any of you want to really enjoy a lovely country show and are up in our region , you will have a great day, and if you should get up here anytime, I would love the opportunity to put a face to a name and would be happy to meet you for coffee and could take you for a ride to little places you might not know. I have tried in the past to see if there were any GN's round here for a meet up, but of course we are a large county and havent so far found anyone to be able to meet up with.
For me this is always a start to the year, rather than spring. As a teacher and lecturer, this time of year is sorting out and getting ready for the start of term wherever I am. Then of course , when my son was young, that balancing act of getting all his new school clothes and shoes ready, between wanting to get sorted and also knowing how he could put a spurt in growth on and not wanting to buy too early and find his shoes hardly lasted him a month. Coming from a farming background, by now would hope that the harvest was in and the tension and weather watching would be over for another year. Then the ploughing would start and animals got ready for show day. The chance to see other farming families who had also been too busy to have time to socialise and the fun and still fierce rivalry with the stock at the show.
So yes it is another start to the year rather than spring time. I still feel a little sad to be going to the show alone, and think of my husband especially at this time. We wen to shows for years and as he became less well, went to fewer shows but never missed Muker or Stockesley show, having our favourite place to set up. When he wasnt so good, I would drive and set up camp, bringing his chair out first so that he could sit and survey everywhere, being able to watch the main ring and look up for the fell racing. He would be ensconced there all day and I would go too and fro, checking out the tents and catching up with friends from the choir etc. We would have our picnic all organised and I would tell him what was very good in various tents and then he could choose what he felt able to go round. I miss him still so much, but when I am there will have many happy memories of our times there and he always entered the photo competitions winning prizes often. There are always different classes of photos, so may be one of local bridges over the river etc. He would take great pictures and my role would be to think of good captions to put to some of the pictures. A marvellous picture won a prize and we never knew how it managed to do it.
We had a bird table with a roof on it, and put it in the middle of the lawn, well away from hedges and hiding places so that the birds could come safely to it. It was set on a bare pole and with no help to get up the pole. We looked out one day and saw a neighbours black and white cat actually up the pole inside the bird table, with tail hanging down outside and his face glaring at us. No idea how it managed to do that but it was stuffed inside the roof bulging out of the sides. Brian very quickly grabbed his camera and took a great picture of it. So that was a winner in its class with my caption underneath it
"I taught I saw a puddy tat a creeping up on me"
If you remember that old song,
Oh, sadly they have announced that Tom Lehrer died yesterday. I loved his anarchic songs, and used to sing them myself - especially at a christmas do for a dancing group I used to go to, and gave exhibition Pas a Doble's to. Of course it had to be The Masochism Tango!! If you dont know his work I urge you to listen to things like "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" He was so clever at putting acid and shocking words to pleasant music, so you might be half listening to the song and suddenly do a double take at the words. Of course his singing the elements was another great one.!! Well I shall be remembering him as I sing in the car and no one can hear the shocking lyrics. RIP Tom, you gave much pleasure to many of us.
Well Bach before 7 is playing and reminding me it is time to make a start. Bach and a lovely cup of coffee, allow me to restart my morning in a decent manner. I have been waffling on long enough. Hope everyone has a decent day and do make a moment to listen to some Tom Lehrer. Many of you wont be old enough to remember him I suppose but in I think it was the 60's I think it was his heyday. He would be making a great sarcastic song up about that lunatic Trump if he was around today. Enjoy your day
