You're back again then for more ramblings of a simple work-shy picture peddlar. So we'll start with Desirée
from Argentina- Miriam’s pen pal who paid a return visit to us in February, and what a delight she was. All you French exchange sufferers will know what hard work the shy foreign teenagers can be, but Desi was a pleasure. We all enjoyed her visit.
ate in February, Valerie and I had a few days in Belgium. We were visiting
the First World War trenches and cemeteries around the Ypres Salient- a
very moving, informative and worthwhile trip, and an enjoyable holiday break, too. My lasting memory is the sheer number of cemeteries; we seemed always to be in sight of at least one.
iriam finished her 6th form course with 3 ‘A’s-French, Spanish and Psychology. She’s now spending a Gap year living and working in London. She shares a flat (Regents Park- 2mins) with two other girls, and works in a Christian run (Oasis) hostel in Peckham, for under-privileged young women, teaching them life skills, prior to rehabilitation into society. She has four ‘guests’ under her wing, all younger than her! It’s a 12 month contract, after which she will go to university, where and what for, to be announced. Boy-friend, Simon, is also in London- a lay reader at All Souls’, Langham Place (the TV & Radio church) prior to playing PC49 at the Met from July-ish.
ohn finished his university course with a ‘B Eng’. We went to see him graduate, and came away very proud and very happy. He now lives in a superior apartment in Nottingham, and works for ’Pipex’, very big and famous internet service provider. Never heard of ‘em. Sorry.
alerie’s phasing back to full time work went very smoothly but too quickly. By the time she was full time, she was already overloaded. Consider this; mornings are required to be given over completely to numeracy and literacy, yet Valerie was required to fit in four more subjects, associated paperwork in your own time, culminating in a 12hr working day, plus Saturdays and Sundays, then – surprise, surprise!- 3 am, glassy eyed hysterics and near total meltdown. I was several minutes establishing contact. So she is now off sick (stress) until her very understanding GP says different. I’m sorry to bang on about it but whenever I think about it I just want to give somebody a hard kicking! Just a short postscript and then I’ll shut up- The Temp called in to take over, looked at the work load and said ’No wonder she’s stressed; I’m not touching that lot!’
for me, my shoulder replacement was a huge success, and I’m now booked in fortwo new hips, probably March. We did have another break at half term.We had a tour ofthe Normandy Invasion Beaches and Caen battle area; again, very satisfying and rewarding.
ot a good year for trade- consistently 30% down but everyone was in the same boat, so it’s nothing personal. Just hope for better things to come. Meanwhile we’ve still got the price of a few loaves and a couple of jugs, so we’ll get by. Miriam and John will both touch base some time over Christmas, and Wimbledon Wendy may be here too, but no dates written in yet.
f course, having my exhibition, my ‘Christmas Annual’ does point up Advent in a big way, does help develop the preparation muscles along the right lines, but when it goes well, we have to say ‘Hang on; we’ve only done Advent. We’ve still got the real work to do'. I can’t begin to think about Christmas shopping until my till stops ringing, and not having full visitors dates puts half the catering on hold. But nothing stops the excitement build up. Oh well, my Grandma always said I was a fool. She was probably right, but I’ll be a jolly excited and happy fool, so there!
Merry Christmas from Valerie and Neil.