24 June 2012
The day after the Clavering Fete is traditionally Rose Day.
‘My lovely” has entered various categories for the last three years and on each occasion has been placed in the first three. This year, the weather has been so foul that the roses are not as advanced as they should be and where they have managed to bloom they had been ruined by the wind and rain. However, undeterred Alice has submitted entries in the single bloom and vase of five blooms categories but without much expectation of a prize this year. So you can imagine her surprise and delight when she entered the village Hall, just-in-time to hear her name called out, having won first prize in the vase of five blooms.. I must admit there were rather splendid – deep pink, old-fashioned rose, Madame Isaac Pereiere (Bourbon) As, in the past, we have always tried to give the modest prize money (£5 this year) to Peter’ the gardener’ he has always refused it.
I always thought they held the horticultural show on the same day but apparently this is scheduled for July. I suppose that would be rather late for roses but is ideal for the largest parsnip; the longest carrot or the largest marrow and all the other range of perfect vegetables.
We are now about one month in with our, night carers, Lillian, Wendy and Sylvia. I want to record what a blessing this has turned out to be. There is no doubt that when I am in pain in bed at night it can become excruciating – it was last night – and had we been under the old regime of me hanging on until I could bear it no longer and then sounding the alarm for ‘my lovely”, I really do not think we would have lasted very long. There is one thing in calling a nurse almost every hour to turn you and make you comfortable and another in waking up your wife at the same hourly intervals. She would very soon sicken of this demand on her sleep. However kindly she was this broken sleep pattern could not be maintained indefinitely. The joy of having these three ladies is that it is their job and they rarely do more than two nights consecutively. Therefore the instant I wake up in pain. I had no compunction in using the alarm button. The night carers seem almost please to have something to do. We usually have a little chat whilst I rest on my back before they turn me to lie on my side. Having said that I cannot thank our lucky stars too much when I say that this new arrangement, has certainly changed our lives for the good and we are extremely grateful.
I gave my mother and Richard a Skype call this morning that we were plagued by the old problem. We could either both see each other and not hear or hear with one or other of us being blanked out. I overcame this by using the telephone for voice and Skype for the pictures but that’s not how it is supposed to work. I tried several combinations and couldn’t seem to overcome the problem, so I will have to rope in assistance of someone more experienced in Skyping.
Today is shown in my diary as Midsummer’s Day. The weather forecast is for a temperature of 18°C, and 60% chance of precipitation (rain!)
At the moment I’m much more interested in the forecast for Tuesday as Smiler is standing by to take me to the golf club. At present the forecast is good, partly cloudy, a high of 22°C and only a 30% chance of precipitation, so the way things are at present, it is all systems go, bearing in mind I have only been to the club once this year and already the days are shortening and before we know where we are we will be in autumn.