Journal Entries
The BEEG Problem
Posted Jul 13, 2003
Oh dear.
I really do not know what to do.After having found this quite wonderful development on the net. Found a really lovely two-bedroomed apartment both ensuite I now find that........The owners will not allow anyone to have SKY TV.
I know it sound stupid and silly so say that that is a great disadvantage. But I happen to love music, sport, art, political discussins, foreign films, ballet plays.....These I simply hardly get on any of the four local channels and probably not on the cable channel.
I rarely go out at night. I am too old to be invited out to dinner parties. I spend most of my days on my own. I feel that my SKY channel actually keeps me interested and alive and on the ball. I don't particularly like Richard Murdoch but he has supplied me with an enormous amount of entertainment at home since I have been in a wheelchair.
Now it seems that the owners of the development Berkeley Homes, flatly refuse to allow any of the owners of the apartments to have a dish. I can certainly understand that they do not want thousands of dishes all over their beautiful new walls. On the other hand it seems that SKY have got a new communal dish that will service those who want that facility.
Can I live without SKY? What a question. I have great problems reading now because of my eyes. Sometimes I can hardly use my computer.I can no longer knit because my hands and fingers are so painful. I do love that apartment and it seems the right thing to do.
It seems such a feeble excuse to say that I need to have TV. If I could read even half as easily and as fast as I used to be able to do before I had these problems I would not hesitate. I really wonder however whether I shall just not stagnate and become really old and miserable without the debate, the excitment of downhill racing and snooker and golf and rugby and tennis.Not to mention the fact that I have seen both Fonteyn and Nureyev dancing. I have seen all the wonderful ballets of the Kirov company. I hope to see Segovia next week playing. Something I had hoped to do whilst he was alive.
Can I live without all these cultural stimulations which I receive by subscribing to the ArtWorld? Which I receive via the SKY
satellite
Wimbledon, Roland Garros, the American and Australian open tennis. The Olympuic Games The marvellous skiiing which I watch avidly during winter. The Tour de France whch brought back such nostalgic memories of my childhood when I watched it in my sitting room in Cape Town.
Can I live without that excitement which Eurosport offers me through SKY?.
Even the tragedies of the wars in the Middle East. I remember that I was in South AFrica during the first war and thinking to myself.
"This is extraordinary. In many ways it was obscene, but here I am, sitting at home, watching whilst a war is being fought."
I also remember thinking that it could possibly put governments off fighting wars in the future.
Sadly that has not happened, but it has possibly played a role in the huge criticism which has occurred over this second war against Iraq.
I get enraged at times; I am enchanted at times; I an sentimental at others. All these emotions make my adrenalin flow and I am sure help to keep me willing to go on "fighting the good fight".of life.
Perhaps the powers that be will change their minds. Certainly I am deeply appreciative of the fact that there are condenser extractors on every window ( ever heard of those?); that all the fittings are of the highest quality. But can I spend every evening alone without the distraction that my TV offers me? I wonder.
That my friends is my dilemma. and I really feel very ashamed to even mention it when so many people are homeless and here am I winghing about being able to receive TV.
Sadly it is the truth,
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Latest reply: Jul 13, 2003
At Last......
Posted Jul 9, 2003
These last few weeks have been a period of great deliberation and decision making. I have been unhappy about the area where I live for some years but have tried to make the best out of it. The crunch came about three weeks ago, and K. and M my friend and I started wandering around Kent trying to find alternative accommodation.
I was horrified at the prices and then Hey presto!. I somehow managed to find something on the web. And my darling brother has agreed to let K. and I change our place of residence and move to a lovely new development called Leybourne Lakes which is near Maidstone.Facilities are much better there for K., and I shall have a lovely new two bedroomed, two bathroomed flat with a marvellous deck where I can have both my pots and my hanging baskets (which are looking absolutely wonderful this year.) No thanks to me. I bought them at a garden show at Tonbridge and they were made by a nurseryman at Faversham. Fortunately I have his name and will get new ones next year. I do not have a green house so it is very diffcult to get them planted and floweirng in our summer.
It is going to mean a lot of packing and sorting and hopefully weeding out of the clutter of ten years in England. Amazing how much one collects.
I have also spoken to Zarquhon 
and am going to meet both her and little in two weeks time. I am really excited about it. I shall always welcome visitors in my new home, so hope thatsome of you will call on me. I think the suroundings are so beautiful and Leeds Castle and Aylesford Priory are two lovely places near by.
So forgive me if for the nedxt few weeks I seem to be doing more packing than spending time on hootoo. |I am afraid that I shall be calling off my trip to South Africa. I really cannot indulge myself to that extent.
I send you much affectionate 
I feel that my wonderful 75th birthday party really gave me the courage to take this step.
We also managed to squeeze in a visit to Arundel Castle and Arundel Cathedral. How splendid they are. The the marvellous walk under the huge trees along the banks of the Arun were quite incredibly beautiful. There were games of croquet and bowls being played on the impeccable green grass. It was so peaceful and beautiful I came back refreshred and so grateful to be alive and well.
AR1 
Discuss this Journal entry [51]
Latest reply: Jul 9, 2003
A perfect alfresco lunch
Posted Jun 9, 2003
This morning when K. and I were having our breakfast he said that he would love to go to the lakes for a picnic today. It is a beautiful day - the sun is shining there is a very gentle breeze and apart from having to be here when my bath lady came I had nothing else on.
We set off to go and get ourselves a picnic lunch. A small roast chicken at Sainsbury's, baguette of French bread,two cool drinks and a small portion of sliced assorted melons.
We decided to go to Eynsford, a really beautiful little Kentish village outside Sevenoaks and on the banks of the river Darenth. We had a beautiful drive there. The beeches are all wonderfully green and the rest of the countryside is luxuriating in the lovely weather we have been having. We were fortunate enough to find a parking place right next to the fairly swift flowing river, and next to a very small weir. Three ducks lolloped along and once they had flown into the water became immensely graceful multicoloured queens of their environment,
After we had eaten a really super lunch we drove back along every single byway I could find. The result was a kaleidescope of a myriad shades of green, with the occasional white cow parsley and the lovely fragrant white flowers of the elder urging me to have one more bash at making elderflower cordial - the most delicious thirst-quenching drink.
We drove along narrow lanes where if a car was coming in the opposite direction one of us had to try and squeeze as close to the hedgerow as possible hoping not to encouter any briars in the process. When we stopped we could actually hear the birds singing.
Wonderful lunch. wonderful day and K. was a perfect companion.
We are both so blessed and I thought of you all and your prayers and good wishes and I blessed and thanked you all.
With
AR1
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Latest reply: Jun 9, 2003
Dawn of my 76th year.
Posted Jun 3, 2003
And now my dear friends.
I am going to write "Fin: The end" and the date 3rd June 2003 at the bottom of all my party threads and I am going to print them out.
Thank you for everything that you have done for me this last year and may all you wish for youelves become a reality - even though it is such fun in virtual form.!!
With
AR1
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Latest reply: Jun 3, 2003
Wonderful Party
Posted May 28, 2003
Oh my dear friends, 
What a wonderful wonderful party. Thank you so much. I feel all geared up to go on to be a 100 - Honest!!. And that is the first time that I have felt that.
My real life parties were also the greatest fun. I had my first visitor at 12.00 noon. It was a 94 year old friend of mine. We drank my first 
of the day (I only stopped at 10.00 that night. I must admit that my body was very cross about it and I had to look after it carefully for the next few days hence my silence!!)
I was most tremendously spoilt and received some wonderful gifts. Carefully chosen with much thought. I have two beautiful phaelenopsis orchids, bouquets of freesias, sweetpeas, marvellous mixed bunches of flowers, a fantastic standard fuschia, beautiful very gay clothes from New York, perfume, fantastic hand cream, sugar-free marzipan and chocolates (well nearly!!) OH! I was so spoilt.
I went to the doctor yesterday. He was so pleased with me as my BP was quite fantastic - (in spite of the alchohol - probably because of the alchohol!!)
So here we go onto another happy time. And of course the best news of the lot is that K. is slowly but surely making progress.
So now, I am full of plans. To finish as much of my biography of my dear Barnabas Shaw my wonderful Methodist Missionary as I can before I go to South Africa at the beginning of next year. To finish redecorating my living room. To tidy my study (boy is that a job) and to look forward to my patio garden becoming a blaze of beautiful colour for the summer.
Thank you again all of you for everything you have done for me.
Your loving
AR1 loving her new fishtail and swimming with increased vigour and enthusiasm to the next milestone in her life - firmly and with gratitude, purpose and joy in her heart.
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Latest reply: May 28, 2003
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