Journal Entries
kif's mum
Posted Jan 17, 2005
We are having new carpets so stuff has to be moved out of the living room and packed up until the carpet is laid. Our house looks a bit like a charity shop as we have books ornaments tapes and records all over the place. We have hundreds of records and tapes so my job today was to clear out the tapes and records and box them up so we can move the music centre. The records weigh a ton and after shifting a few boxes of them I decided to have a rest and while I was sitting down I looked at some of the tapes. One was inscribed 'Christmas message 1991'. So I put it on and it turned out to be my Mother, who was at that time living in New Zealand. She was 91 years old when she made the tape and she died in 1997. Her voice was as clear and beautiful as I remembered her. It was strange listening to her chattering away and cracking jokes, and if I closed my eyes it was as if she was in the room with me. It dawned on me as I was listening how fortunate we are to have these wonderful modern inventions. We can see our loved ones on video tape, hear them on audio, and we can leave our voices and images behind when we go.
I was moved to take out the video tape of The Son's wedding and watch The Lost Boy laughing and and giggling with his girl friend. I wanted The Boss to see it with me but she can't bear it, however I sat and realised how fortunate we were to have him for as long as we did. I only hope that some of the stuff I have with my words, voice and video will be watched by my grandchildren when I am gone and they will be able to see what fun we had together. Memory does fade and I have no movies of my Mother but I do have her voice and that makes me glad.
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Latest reply: Jan 17, 2005
Friday 14th January
Posted Jan 13, 2005
A couple of weeks before Christmas I was in Mc.D's with my grandchildren and bumped into a man who was a customer when I had the cafe ten years ago, he had become a bit more than just a customer and a bit less than a bosom pal I liked him and we had a few laughs when he came in. I knew he had given up his job as a driving instructor a few years ago because of ill health. I had seen him in town a few times and we chatted. He had a disease named Huntintons chorea and it affected his nervous system and he said people often thought he was drunk.
On this occasion he was slurring his words and shaking quite badly. My grandchildren were fascinated and listened to him talk of his illness with a degree of sadness. While the children were busy eating he told me that he spent his days catching buses and just riding them to anywhere as his wife had decided she did not want him in the house by day. He also said that she had told him she wished he would kill himself and get out of the way. There were tears as he told me this. I was at a loss for words and the conversation moved on to more mundane matters.
Today is Cornishman day. The local paper is out. In a small paragraph on the second page I read that my friend had been struck and killed by a train whilst standing on the track. I am sad.
It has been a cold but sunny day and The Boss and I drove the North Coast Road to Perranporth for a cup of tea. It was a lovely drive and there were few cars on the road so it was pleasant to drive slowly and enjoy the scenery without being tooted at.
Seeing the picture of Harry Windsor wearing a swastika did not really surprise me, it just reminded me that our monarchy is still basically fascist as it, and most of the British aristocracy were, before world war two.
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Latest reply: Jan 13, 2005
9th Jan 2005
Posted Jan 10, 2005
What a performance I have had with this computer
it got so stuffed up I had a friend come in to re formatt it. Now it is really fast BUT the scanner doesn't work, and I have no sound so I can't play my favourite games
My pal is coming on Wednesday to put it right
,if he can
I now have something called msn messenger installed but I don't know anyone else who has it(other than my pal who did the formatt for me) and I talk to him on the 'phone mostly.
We have had a bit of wind lately, one morning I found my greenhouse lying in the garden path fortunately the panes are plastic not glass so I just had to put it back together, nothing broken.
All the family are well, especially The Boss, who is a walking miracle. Not that she can walk far, but she is fitter than she has been for years.
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I feel pretty good. I might even start to keep the journal regularly again. I have enjoyed going back to see what we did last summer and have been able to jog The Boss' memory about stuff, so it has come in useful.
Neither The Son nor I will be in the Dads Army production. I discovered that my this years O.U.work is really heavy, and with my commitments to the writers circle and the Wednesday group I decided I wouldn't be able to manage the time. And because I decided against, The Son backed out. He said he wouldn't make a pratt of himself if I wasn't going to also
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The winter has been quite mild and my garden is full of colour. The daffodils are out far too early as is the wallflower. Primroses are in bloom and the red cammelias are beautiful.
I have made one lasagne bed, got the idea from U.G
and it is going to be so much easier to work as it is quite high. My David Austin roses have settled in nicely,and are coming into leaf already which is a bit soon, especially if we have a late frost. It was Teuchter who told where I could get the roses I wanted so my garden improvements are hootoo inspired.
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Latest reply: Jan 10, 2005
January 1st. 2005
Posted Jan 1, 2005
We awoke to find a thick Cornish 'peculiar' had smothered the village. As we had decided to drive to Camborne to buy a carpet we were not best pleased. The fog usually lifts about three miles inland but not this morning. We were the other side of Penzance before we could see any distance. However we were delighted to find that the carpet shop were running a new years day sale and the carpet we had set our hearts on had been reduced. it was pouring with rain by the time we reached Camborne so instead of going on for a drive we came home. Tomorrow is The Boss' birthday and all the family came in this afternoon with an enourmous bouquet for her. Roses orchids lilies carnations and somethings that look like lilies but aren't
The house looks like a florist's shop and The Boss is thrilled. I just bought her a handbag! We had to take down the Christmas tree and some of the Christmassy ornamentdto get all the vases and bowls of flowers in. We then pulled all the crackers and the Y.G.S. and I had a fight over the toy in one we pulled and he won it turned out to be a powder compact
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The 'phone has been red hot all day and there has been lots of laughing. For us a good start to the new year. For others
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Latest reply: Jan 1, 2005
The last of 2004
Posted Jan 1, 2005
Here I am watching the year drip away in the corner of my P.C. and thought I would add a few bits to my journal.
My little house is warm and dry. There are fairy lights around the door. Daffodils in bloom in the garden. The Boss is sleeping up stairs, cosy in bed without pain. My son and grandchildren are at a party in Sennen and have 'phoned their good wishes. Outside Fireworks are rocketing across the sky scattering exploding multi-coloured stars. Seeing the old year out with a bang. I have the curtains back and the window open;I have a childlike fascination with fire works.
In a few minutes hundreds of local people will gather in the village square and stand around our Christmas tree and sing carols. We use to go up at one time but now many of the singers are more than a little drunk so we stay home. here the year will drift out much the same as it has for years gone by.
It is those in South East Asia that come to my mind now. I watch with horror the scenes on the television screen and feel helpless. As most of us on hootoo will do I am sure, I have sent something to fr @salvationarmy.org.uk as they have workers there on the ground already and it will be put to good use immediately. That address can be cut and pasted into a search endingfor people who want to know more. It goes to remind me how fortunate I am, I have The Lost Boy and I can visit,lay flowers, and talk to him. Thousands of poor souls are left not knowing where there loved ones are. i am alive, if a little creaky, The Boss has been cured of a deadly illness. My family are happy healthy and have all their needs met. How can I feel truly unhappy when I am so blessed.
This afternoon I walked from Pendeen Church to the light house, and then along the cliffs to Portheras beach. The sun shone, and the wind was kind to me. The sea did not look cruel, gentle rollers with white crestsand the wind just whipping anough spray into the air for me to taste it. Salt without the crisps.
I started this lournal yhinking I could useto to argue with The Boss about past events she says I never remember(a kind of aide memoir) and I also thought it would interest my grandchildren. However it just morphed into somewher I chat to people I don't know and they have become friends. I have had wonderful news from U.G which brought tears to this stupid old mans eyes, and I have had good wishes from others including my bestest enemy on the mix 3 thread Quack who is such a wit and makes me 
with laughter at someof his postings
ItIs Time HAPPY NEW YEAR
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Latest reply: Jan 1, 2005
kif
Researcher U716488
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