Twelve

Blimey O'Reilly! You know those safety warnings about getting too close high seas breaking on shore? Well to catch the train here you have to duck underneath them or scuttle behind the waiting room door as they crash over the building on the other side of the track and land on the platform beside you! I give thanks I like this sort of thing.. and for it reminding of taking my young son out on the jetty at Aberystwyth to play chicken with the waves. I have been told often enough now this was irresponsible maternal behaviour now, thank you...don't forget it is also irresistible fun and demonstrated the importance of a little light risk taking now and then to get your kicks for a father free boy who didn't play sport. Good comeback at the eh? Shame I didn't think of it at the time...

I always try to combine a hospital trip with something else to make the most of the journeying and to take the taste of the treatment fear away, and yesterday gave thanks for this time acquiring some cheap shelf brackets and a length of curtain track for the kitchen window. I was tempted by a blind for the bathroom but can't afford to buy or manage to carry everything at once plus I thought the track would survive the wind and rain better. Besides it made for some double takes and jolly quips at the clinic arriving like Nanook of the North with a length of white plastic instead of a fishing spear. I always think if I make everyone laugh they'll take my high spirits into account when assessing the state of my health. OK, I know they don't really...but you do have to be feeling pretty good physically to traipse around the county in freezing rain on foot and bus and train arrive still in reasonable humour. There are many days I couldn't so I give thanks it was a day I could.

I give thanks the consultant declared fish and chips on the way home a good idea, and for winning a game of public transport roulette putting my efforts into getting straight to a particular bus stop instead of checking to see if a bus might be meant to be there or if an alternative route might make more sense. I could see it as I turned the corner in the dusk and driving snow....and I give great thanks for a slow moving queue of passengers so I had time to hobble to the end!

Today I've been mostly very tired, very sore...and very busy, so I give thanks for all I've got done. For the black swans on a little white island this morning, and for the roads and pavements I went on being clear. It's been an unusually communicative day for me, and I give thanks at the face to face bit at the Revive meeting being closest to Jenny and Jo for easy chat. Jo has just had an offer accepted on a bungalow and I give thanks for Jenny suggesting she might like my boxes as I empty them. Not been a lot of that today, but I may have found people to pay me to take away stuff the previous occupants left behind, which would make up nicely or the estate agents mucking up their removal...