Some of the grandchildren, as a treat for the school holidays, spent a day and night staying at a hotel. It was such a blessing for them especially because their Mum and Dad had organized it free with points, they had earned from a loyalty program. Aubrey, who is eight, was impressed with the luggage trolley which delivered their overnight bags to the room. She commented that it was just like in the movies.  Then they went and got a milkshake downstairs and Aubrey commented, “Wow! This is luxury!” She wanted to get a photo in the foyer. In the morning after breakfast, (where they had ‘coco pops’ cereal and…

Oh, a letter I just received from an acquaintance showed me that we do not know someone else’s journey, so be careful about judging others. I thought that I had been dumped. A friendship that had started well just stopped. The friend seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth. Well, she sort of really had. Her life on earth changed after she fell ill with Glandular Fever. She had had it for a while before the doctors found what was causing the fatigue, the depression, the mood swings….. Now I know some of these symptoms are not typical glandular fever ones, but the virus affected her pituitary…

Chronic pain is such a pain. Excuse the pun. It makes you feel physically fatigued, sometimes brain fogged. It so often stops you doing normal things around the house.  At times you feel like your whole life evolves around the pain. The levels of pain are always there but exacerbated at different times, doing different things seems to be debilitating. I’m not complaining. So many people, children, elderly put up with so much more chronic pain than me. I feel for them. I have more compassion nowadays due to my discomfort. During the day I can distract myself at times but at night when all is quiet, I toss and…

Little children are so perceptive. They listen and understand way more than we think. There are also certain ages when their questions surprise you. You often wonder what started this train of thought? At the office just recently Willow, who is my six-year-old granddaughter, came with her Mum to work. She had been sick and was recovering, just left with a lingering cough. (Since covid you cannot send them to school if they have a cough.) She was quietly colouring in at a spare desk when she got up and walked over to her Mum. “Mum, you is the Boss here?” After her Mum replied she walked over to John’s…

The wind was howling, blowing into all the crevices it could find.  The 12-foot trees were bending backwards with the force of the wind.  The windows were rattling in their tracks. It seemed worse in the night-time when there were no other noises to distract my ears. As I looked out the big windows at the back of our house, I could see my pot plants had no hope. Scattered across the pavement. New plants that I had just procured and planted in our new garden were getting a beating. But there was no way I could protect them.  They were open to the elements of the weather. Thank goodness…