Season's Greetings

I've been tucked up in bed with my cat because I was too unwell to join the family Christmas celebrations but I hope you have been luckier and are having a wonderful day.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Yes, We Do Care

Nearly every day something appears in my Facebook news feed along the lines of 'You people were all upset about Paris but you're not saying anything about Aleppo. You just don't care.'

I'm sorry but that's hardly fair. Every night on the news we see horrific images of the suffering of the innocent in Aleppo just as we see and hear about the horrors being perpetrated by ISIS in other parts of the Middle East. We do know about it and we care about it but it's outside our control. We can't do anything to ease this suffering however much we might want to. In the case of Aleppo it's part of a civil war and the conflict between the rebels and their own government with their external allies. ISIS is something different, of course, being driven by religious fanaticism, but again there is nothing we personally can do to assist those caught up in it. It doesn't mean that what these poor unfortunates are living through does not break our hearts - it does - and if we could do anything to help I for one - and I'm sure many others - would.

So don't assume we don't care. It's just that we can't do anything but donate to those organisations giving humanitarian aid and hope and pray that things will improve.

Things I Have learned While Confined to Bed

One thing that happens when I'm sick in bed is that I watch a lot of terrible day time television. This means this time I have learned that many advertising writers think we are idiots.

For example because it's Christmas we have gift suggestions. Oh dear heaven do we have gift suggestions - and what suggestions they are.

A few examples:
Apparently what we all need above all else are items for personal grooming because it's always nice to be reminded that we are not taking care of ourselves. Our hair looks so terrible we need ways to improve it, we are not doing enough to remove unwanted body hair and our feet are such a mess we absolutely need to have special devices to remove the rough parts - and yes, there have been ads for all these. Obviously we would appreciate presents that remind us of these failings because we are either too incompetent or too mean to supply ourselves with these necessities or haven't realised what a mess we look.

Then, of course there are the always welcomed household appliances. Nothing says Christmas like an iron, microwave or vacuum cleaner.

Or perhaps you'd like to receive a garden hose with special fittings - because you're either incapable of watering a garden properly or haven't been trying hard enough and your garden is dying.

All of these are products I've seen advertised as suitable Christmas gifts but how anyone could have thought any were a good idea escapes me.

Still Not Having Fun

So last time I posted I assumed I'd soon be back to normal after my emeregency hospital adventure. It turns out I was wrong.

I was starting to get back on my feet  - between intensive physiotherapy sessions (an important part of my shoulder recovery) I'd even managed a visit to the shops to make a start on my Christmas shopping and actually had the Christmas tree up and decorated - when I started to feel really unwell. After two days of struggling to even get out of bed, I went to the doctor. It turned out I had a raging fever - no wonder I felt so bad - and I was sent off for pathology tests and then given a course of antibiotics.

Five days on and I'm only just starting to feel a little bit better but nowhere near able to do anything more than shower and spend a few minutes looking at my slowly dying garden before I end up back in bed.

Unless things improve very soon I'm none too sure that I'll even get to our big family Christmas dinner - and for someone who LOVES Christmas this is a serious worry.

It's the Season

when we're supposed to be cheery, right? The trouble is this year has not been one of our best. Apart from the arrival of another little grandchild there's been little to want to remember. Pisces and I have both been plagued with health issues that have taken their toll in many ways. At times just getting through each day has been a challenge.

I've just been writing the Christmas newsletter we send out to family and friends every year and frankly it makes pretty depressing reading. Given that - and since I could also do with some cheering up - here are some pretties from my garden.

I don't pretend to be a great photographer but this sampling of spring flowers gives me joy. I hope it does the same for you.

Happy Kitty

Since I've been home and convalescing I've been crashing quite often to the delight of my cat. He apparently missed me badly while I was in hospital and moped around not even talking to Pisces and going off his food.

Since I got home his favourite position is pressed right up against my hip. I tried to take a photo but unfortunately when you are lying down with a cat glued to you this is what you get.

Somewhat warped, isn't it, with Puss's rear end and body looking huge and his head looking as if it's somehow shrunken. Just so you know he's really quite a well proportioned and handsome fellow this is what he really looks like.

Much better, don't you think.