Close examination

I give thanks the orthoptist has decided she doesn't need to gaze into my eyes any more. She's a nice enough woman but one less set of appointments to keep is fine by me!

For another fine day, which made the tortuous wait for buses to and from the hospital rather more pleasant than it might have been. For not being stuck in the traffic in a car.

For a fishcake and a takeaway tea for my lunch, and the total for the two being £1.40! For finding a quietish spot on the rather busy back beach, where locals in the know go when the east wind is blowing.

For enjoying the textures of ebbing tide and weedy shore, before a fresh group of freshly examined teenagers gathered nearby for another question and answer post mortem session. Yesterday on the bus it was boys discussing physics papers (I think), and today it was girls who'd just been asked to compare and contrast language in poetry and analyse the use of  correspondence by Mr Darcy, Mr Collins, Elizabeth et al. I give thanks I no longer have to interpret literature according to the current educational trends...it never was my strong point. In fact I was thrown out of class for suggesting my own point of view was as valid as the teacher's...and still give thanks for finding at uni thirty plus years later academia had finally caught up with me!

I give thanks for being very taken with the flat I went to see this afternoon, though I've still not got a buyer for mine. I'd have been tempted to take it otherwise and it's not really terribly practical...but I could imagine living very happily there nonetheless. Oh well, sometimes you come across something that feels kind of right but the timing isn't quite Will have to wait and see. Actually reading back through this post it's almost all about waiting isn't it? I give thanks I'm good at that...