Eternal Refuge

I heard this morning that Queen Camilla is unable to attend an official function ... as she was in November.  Both of which were due to an ongoing chest infection ... I know exactly what she feels like!  I feel the bugs are chasing me round in circles ... I am going to try one more day of the cold/flu remedy and then if needed, will go back on the penicillin.

I felt pretty wiped out over the weekend, and basically worked Saturday evening and slept much of the rest of the time.

I ended up working for a few hours yesterday as a favour.  Although when the carpark machines broke I did wonder why I had offered to do it!  Normally in 4 hours I would clear about 50 cars for those with disabled badges, carers cards etc  .... The last hour I was in I had to sort out over 100 cars ... I do wonder what everyone else did.  It is an independent company, and as I usually say, they are not "user friendly"!!

As ever Christmas is even more muddled than normal.  I haven't started writing cards etc ... but I am pretty sure I end up with a bit of a melt-down about this time every year and get myself organised in time.




30 Have you ever participated in a ‘Secret Santa’ (either at work or with your friends/family)?
N0 -never really been in a situation of knowing other workers well enough as I move around from shift to shift

1. Are you good at wrapping presents?
No - I can even argue with a book or a box!

2. Is there anything you don’t like but can’t bear to part with in your house?
There isn't enough space to list everything - I am a hoarder and have so much sentimental stuff.
For example - Granddad's (and my Great Uncle's) medal, Mum & Dad's wedding photos, clocks belonging to 2 of my great-grandfathers ... the list goes on.
I am wearing a ring that was first worn by my great-grandmother and I am the 4th generation.

3. In 1961 Dutchman Anton Geesink became the first non-Japanese judo world champion. Have you ever studied any martial arts?
I did Judo for 7 years ... Jack, my teacher, worked with the British #1's at the time. One great thing I did learn was how to fall correctly ... when I was run over at 21, and then falling off horses, including once when at gallop, I walked away without too serious an injury. Thanks Jack.




Right, let's get this posted ... will try and catch up with you all a bit later x

But am seeing my sports masseur later .... hopefully a general massage, as well as some work on my injured leg, which is certainly very sore at present.

I have also had my annual thyroxine blood tests, so should get those results in a day or two.  So I have a bandage on my elbow, as well as one or a finger (where it lost a battle with a tin can) ... so all in all I am certainly falling apart at present.

I managed to basically get my conservatory cleaned, so that was a positive day ... now in spare moments I have some ironing to do, and tea to make to take to work with me.  So there's plenty to keep me out of mischief today.

Hope you are all having a fun day ... but before I go off pottering ...


10 – Stay Up All Night Night: When was the last time you stayed up all (or most of) the night on purpose (e.g. not because you were tending to an ill child or suffering from insomnia)?
Easy, easy, easy answer - September 16th - 17th 2022 ... and here is the proof (that's me bottom right walking towards the camera)





Right, let's get going - have a fun day, will catch up tomorrow x

When I last posted (on the 27th August), I genuinely expected to be back later that day to catch up with you all ... but, NO ... my internet had other plans for me.

So, as of 1 hour ago I am finally back on line ... 5 engineering visits, including digging the road up (and diverting traffic) and the fault has been found.

I had hoped to post a note on my LJ when I was at work, but LJ (& DW) were both blocked by the NHS, so couldn't let you know.  As I don't have a posh phone I couldn't even get on line that way ... so sorry ... and I have missed you, and LJ.

So much has happened in that time ...

England has a new monarch, and I am not afraid to admit that I cried when I heard the news about The Queen.  And on the Friday before the funeral (a week after she died) I went up to London and joined a 13 hour queue to pay my last respects to her.  I then went on to Green Park to see the flowers.  A very long trip, but so special, and I wouldn't have missed it for anything.  Last night I had dinner with Tim & Claire, who had gone the following day and it was great to compare notes.  She will be missed.  God Save The King.

The day of the funeral (just at the end) I got a taxi to the city, travelled to London and have just spent an amazing week in Turkey ... travelling hundreds of miles, and taking hundreds of phots ... yes, I will share.

Today is the 7th anniversary of Mum passing away (Dad's was at the beginning of the month, 6 years for him), and I can't believe it.  If the weather stays OK, I may walk up to the cemetery, although it would probably be better if I didn't.  When I flew to Turkey my bad ankle swelled to double it's size, and has yet to go down!

I won't catch up with the missing month of meme, as I want to get the photos posted ... but will start with yesterday as that was the day I got back home after my trip, so ...



28. What’s the closest thing to a castle you’ve been in?
I am English, and a sightseer ... I have been in loads of castles. Last one was Totnes, back in the summer

29. What were the circumstances the last time you were hoarse?
I do occasionally get a sore throat and if bad enough it will make me hoarse, but not for many years now.


Right, well I am going to post this brief summary of my missing month, and will promise, internet permitting, I will catch up with you all later ... and get some photos up, as well

Hope that you are all well x

Sundays, as you know, are a day I keep special ... thus I never turn on the pc. Well late-ish on Saturday I heard that our Church had decided to cancel our morning service and extend the "big lunch" to a brunch, that was in the building due to the weather. However, for me (which I know is "old fashioned") it isn't something I wanted to go to. Sundays, as far as possible, should be about Church/worship/etc.  Very few people agree with me, which is fine, but that is my choice.

So I decided to go to the Chapel that I used to attend in Newton Abbot, while Mum & Dad were alive.  So I let Christine know, and she suggested we had lunch before I drove home.  So it was nice seeing those from my Chapel again, and catching up with them.  Then a nice walk round the town before lunch ... and then a drive home.  Not long after I got home I had a text from Tim & Claire to say they may pop in later as they were going to a garden party in their road, and then thought a  walk would be a nice end to their weekend.  However just over an hour later I had a phone call from Claire to ask if I had been drinking, as their neighbours daughter had been taken ill and there was a delay in ambulances so (as she wasn't a full emergency) could I give her & her daughter a lift to the hospital as through 111 she had an appt to see a doctor.  So I drove to their road, picked up the neighbour and drove about 5 miles to collect the girl (and her very large dog), before heading back to drop the dog off with Tim, and then take them to casualty.

I came back to Tim & Claires and they ended up giving me tea ... so in the end it was getting on for 9pm by the time I got home.

So, an unusual, busy, but nice way to finish my jubilee weekend.

I hope you all had a good weekend, and for those in in UK managed to catch up with some of the TV coverage, as well as celebrate assorted things.

It was lovely seeing the Queen each day, however briefly ... but the true classic was learning what she kept in her handbag ... yes, a marmalade sandwich!



If you didn't see that statr to the Saturday concert, then you really missed a show.  I have tried to find the full clip, but the best I could find is here at the Daily Mail website ... so frustrating because it is one of those videos I could literally watch again & again.

Congratulations Ma'am ... you have a few more days to go to reach the #2 longest reigns in the world for all time.  Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thialand has so far, reigned 6 days longer ... but she has 2 years to go to beat Louis XIV, as you can see here


Well I never did catch up with you all, so that's a job for later.  But, before I disappear, for a time -



6. What could you do a 40-minute presentation on with no (or very little) preparation?
I have given a talk about being an osteopath in the past, so could again.
But, without any thought I could talk about my faith, or some sections of WWI & WWII history.  Or maybe about London, in general


Right, I need to get on - catch up later x

It was certainly a week of no-shows ... 2 clinics, and both were missing people.  Yesterday we had 2, although as somehow the clinic had a double booked slot we were glad one of those was missing.  The theory is with the new computer system that was implimented just before Covid that this should never happen ... well, put it this way it's not the first time we have had 2 people booked into the same time slot (and I don't suppose it will be the last)

Yesterday after work I walked up to the local Church because after much cancelleling,/.bad weather etc I met up with another volunteer with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission - so good to meet up with him and to decide what work will be needed there.

Then in the evening I watched the iPlayer to look at the Thanksgiving service for Prince Philip.  I am so glad that The Queen was able to get there ... as well as Prince Philip's family from Europe, all his immediate family (except Prince Harry), and the 51 visiting Royalty (although sadly the King of Norway had Covid, so had to pull out).

Now I have just got back from a lovely walk ... my friend Ceri pickd me up and we went to Exmouth, met Ana and had a walk ... and then we had sausage & chips ... and now back home.  What a great time ... and here are some photos ...
























Chips


Now, I want to make some icons ... but before that -


29. If you found out a close friend or relative was doing something illegal, what, if anything, would you do about it?
I would hope that I would speak to them ... but it's never happened to me, and you never know how you would truly react

30. If you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big-picture person or a detail-oriented person?
Big picture


Right, that's me up to date again ... will catch up with you later x

Thank you for being such a tower of strength thoughout your 70 years on the throne. Wishing you God's richest blessing on your in your future day of service.

With best wishes for your health and happiness

Sadly I have just heard the news the Prince Philip passed away this morning at Windsor.

Below is the statement from the palace:

“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.

“Further announcements will be made in due course.

“The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”

I feel very lost - but not as much as The Queen I am sure.  My thoughts and prayers are with her

Maundy Thursday is a special day in the Christian calender, in England. For Christians around the world it is the day that Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with His desciples. But in England it is also the time when The Sovereign gives a gift of money to a number of deserving people. The first Maundy Money ceremony took place in the reign of Charles II, when the king gave people undated hammered coins in 1662. The coins were a four penny, three penny, two penny and one penny piece. By 1670 the king started giving out a dated set of all four coins.

And today was no different with the monarch honouring a string of community heroes with symbolic Royal Maundy service coins despite the Westminster Abbey event being unable to be held due to Covid.

In a letter, the Queen wrote her "personal thanks" to the recipients, adding: "I am sure you will be sad, as I am, that present circumstances make it impossible for that Service to take place.

"I hope however that this Maundy Gift will remind you for years to come that your efforts have been truly appreciated."

During the Royal Maundy service, the Queen would have distributed Maundy money to 95 men and 95 women - as she will be 95 on April 21 this year. The money is a red purse contains a small gift of ordinary coins totalling £5.50, and a white purse contains 95p in silver Maundy coins. Maundy coins are specially minted and are legal tender.

However due to Covid, the event was cancelled for the second year in a row.


Well i am a bit later today as I had to wait around for a phonecall from my doctor.  So having done this scribble while waiting, I am now going to finish and have a walk - I may not go too far as clinic was very "full on" - again nice people, but they all seemed to have assorted health problems that left us very delayed in finishing.

But, as ever -

1. Do you have any channels you regularly watch on YouTube?
Yes & no!  I watch our Church service "live" ona  Sunday morning, but it is also on a You Tube Channel - Pinhoe Road Baptist Church, Exeter

Queen Elizabeth Breaks Another Record — and It Took 25,000 Days to Do It

July 18 marks 68 years, five months and 12 days since the Queen succeeded to the throne following the death of her father, King George VI





Those pictures were taken, yesterday, of her knighting Captain Tom Moore. For those who don't know, on 6 April 2020, at the age of 99, he began to walk laps of his garden in aid of NHS Charities Together, with the goal of raising £1,000 by his hundredth birthday. On the morning of his hundredth birthday the total raised by his walk passed £30 million, and by the time the campaign closed at the end of that day had increased to over £32.79 million.

The full story can be read at Captain Tom

Well, I'm back - I had a great (almost) week in London.  I visited loads of museums, etc.  However the reason I went the days I did was so that I could be at The Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday, and also visit The Field of Remembrance at St Margaret's Westminster

I went to The Field of Remembrance on the Friday morning, and planted crosses of remembrance for Dad, both my Grandfathers, as well as 2 friends ....

( Remembering the family )


On Remembrance Sunday I stood on Whitehall to be at The Cenotaph to observe the 2 minutes silence, as well as taking part in the service and watching the march past

( We Will Remember Them )


They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.