Silent suppport

One of the most wonderful, and the worst, parts of my holiday was discovering how glorious it is to be looked after - to have my food brought and prepared, the washing up and vacuuming done, my bed made and rubbish removed, clean sheets and towels and the bathroom spick and span. I'd not realised quite what hard work these simple everyday tasks have become until I didn't have to do them for a while and, as I've neither the personal charm nor the disposable income to experience that sense of being cared for on a regular basis I thought I'd give thanks today for the ways in which taking care of myself is made easier than it might be... So I give thanks for the government helping me with money because I struggle so and that I don't have any expensive habits to gobble it up! For my freezer and fridge, for shops fairly near by and the internet to help me stock them. For my vacuum cleaner, immersion heater and washing machine and for my sofa, bed, books and TV waiting kindly for when I give up!

Being transported to beautiful places and back was probably the greatest delight. So I give thanks that the area I live in is pretty beautiful too, that I have a bus pass for days when I can get to and from the stops and the taxi fare for short journeys sometimes when not. I give thanks that sometimes I can still walk a little way without a great deal of pain or exhaustion. I give thanks that the pain and exhaustion sometimes takes a while to kick in so that I can do things at the time and regret it later...today was one of those days and I'm grateful I got to the bus to the shop that was saving those comfy shoes for me, and back to get a quick late lunch, before feeling I must lie down immediately and snooze! I give thanks for an unexpected patch of silence in the neighbourhood for this crucial time...not even the pigeons cooed (well, not that I could tell anyway!)

I give thanks for spotting a whale shaped wind vane and this little gargoyle in a garden wall...