Thursday 14 February 2013

Saved - maybe for this

One gets all philosophical occasionally, when one has been saved, not once but twice by the wonders of modern medicine.  Twice? I hear you say.  Well techically speaking if it were not for the little tablet of thyroxine that I swallow every day, my body would by now have ground to a halt.  When presented by my GP with the prospect of popping a pill every day, I asked: what will happen if I don't?  Your body will eventually grind to halt said he.
So as I contemplate the twice-gratefulness which I have for the NHS, I often wonder why. Why me?  Was it the diet? Was it the counselling? Was it simply that I psychologically I wasn't ready to leave?  And, in moments when I wonder if there really is a great CEO in the sky, who through some amazing stroke of organisation, charts each task, each thought of mine, I contemplate that maybe there is some important mission for which my saving was necessary.

It could be that it's tonight when once again I appear before the development control committee of our local council and once again I point out that the council's officers don't know what they're talking about - and am able to prove it this time with a photograph.  I know that the current activity which I and many of my neighbours are engaged in has been an enormous waste of time for all concerned.  Hundreds, probably thousands of pounds, have been expended - and months down the line we're no further forward. 

So once more we charge into battle, once more we will hear the officers speak about things that they have refused (well, there's no other possible explanation) to investigate sufficiently.  We should win this round hands down particularly (she says with her tongue fimrly in her cheek)  if this is the reason I've been saved. Otherwise, why bother? But there again..... I'll post when I know.

Friday 8 February 2013

Green shoots of optimism

It's very difficult to remain optimistic while the storms of ice and snow rage round us or when unrelenting gloom fails to lift.  But optimistic I am - about all sorts of things.  There's green shoots in my garden and I'm not finding it too difficult to eat less.  Yes, I've put on weight - now back to size 18. I did so enjoy that move to 16 and in some cases 14, plus I've bought a mother-of-the-bride outfit which goes on - but only just and not very prettily at the moment.

After a very gloomy January economically I'm seeing signs amongst those in business that I know that there really are green shoots.  For a start, I've done very little work in the last year. My expenses will greatly outweigh my income - yet I've had to quote twice in the last week and have been awarded one small job.  Another I think I would have got had it not been for an unfortunately-positioned holiday,  A little bit of real work would be nice.  That's not to say I'm not very busy every day - I don't stop.  But I don't earn any money. With savings depreciating more than inflation, I'd like to be able to ensure an even keel.

On the health front, I'm in very good shape.  Every now and then I receive a reminder of what's happened and I feel the sharp stab of eventual mortality. But apart from that everything in my garden is sunny and very rosy.