30 January 2015

Grave

Approaching Ecclesall Parish Church
Rotten. That's how I have been feeling most of this week. Cough-cough-coughing and finding it hard to get much sleep. For the first time ever, I  moved out of the marital bedchamber and buried myself beneath the covers in our daughter's bedroom. It didn't seem fair to disturb Shirley's sleep any more. So there I have languished with my evil cough, a glass of water, the bathroom radio and a roll of toilet paper for the capture of certain chewable bodily fluids - emanating from the chest I hasten to add.

Today, I fought through the snow to attend the Friday morning "drop-in" clinic at our local medical centre. The doctor prescribed some amoxicillin to address what has probably become a chest infection. Even as I tap this keyboard my airways are whistling and growling like an old steam engine.

But I felt well enough to take a little stroll in the neighbourhood after visiting the doctor. Lord, how I would love to plod ten miles in the countryside but not yet - a mile round the area was a more sensible ambulatory excursion. I went up to Ecclesall Church to check out Ken and Doris's grave. I blogged about them here.
Time marches on. The gravestone reminded me that Ken died in 1992 and that Doris followed him five years later. When the stone was first erected in 1993, it was clean and freshly made. Now it is showing signs of age and behind it there are rows of  graves which weren't there before. I am sure that nobody else ever visits Ken and Doris's final resting place for their only living relatives are in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. Today they were nicely blanketed in snow.
Banner Cross Hall seen from Ecclesall churchyard
I wandered home through the snowy streets to the dripping sound of gentle thawing. Earlier, at the local pharmacy, a massive avalanche of the white stuff crashed to the street from the building's roof. I was hoping that our Member of Parliament, Nicholas Clegg was buried underneath it but of course he is, as always, far from here. He has less integrity than politicians from the state of Georgia!

The short walk has done me good. Hopefully stepping in the right direction. Maybe one day soon I will feel properly healthy again - my normal self. Since August it has been a succession of things - bad knee, damaged ribs, long gout attack and now this damned chest infection. Oh, woe is me! Forgive me Lord for I know not what I do!
Tullibardine Road, Sheffield

31 comments:

  1. The Hallamshire is not a pretty building is it YP?

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  2. Here's wishing you a speedy recovery.

    You have twice as much snow as I have here.

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    1. God must be less angry with you Adrian.

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    2. I'm envious. I am sure I can wind him up a bit. Not too much I want snow not frogs.

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  3. Oh dear, I hope you will be better soon, YP.

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  4. Once again, look after yourself young man!! Glad to see the weather at least seems nice and bright - makes things just that little bit better.

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    1. "Young man"? I see why you followed that with two exclamation marks Brian. I bet you were giggling like a chimp when you wrote that!!

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  5. The snow is so pretty.
    Hope you feel better soon.

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    1. Thanks Helen. . The snow is also dangerous if you crash your car or fall on your ass.

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  6. I hope you recover quickly and that you will not have any more difficulties.

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    1. Part of me is wondering - what next? - Red.

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  7. You have had a go of bad health lately, Mr. Pudding. Shirley will be glad when you are fit and proper again, no doubt.

    I went back and read the story of your friends. Lovely people. It just shows what a kind and generous soul you are, my friend, that you keep looking after them from time to time as they rest.

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    1. My self-image has never previously included health issues. It is so irritating. Thanks for reading about Doris and Ken.

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  8. Hurrah!! Outside a last, even if it is for all the wrong reasons. Maybe your health problems will improve when the weather improves. Here's hoping.

    Ms Soup

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    1. I am going to be sensible when this damned chest infection is suppressed Ms Cockaleekie.

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  9. Both these posts - the current one and the one about Ken and Doris - made for very good reads and left me with a lot to think about.
    It never fails to please me how MUCH there is in the so-called "ordinary lives" of the "ordinary people" around us. One could fill rows and rows of books with their stories.

    I hope your health is going to improve again to the point of you being able to go on your great walks. Make sure you are fit by August, which is when my sister and I are going to be spending nearly 2 weeks in Ripon, and if you happen to be in that area then, we'll go walking together.

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    1. I have always thought that ordinary people's stories are far more interesting than the tales of the rich and famous. See you in North Yorkshire or you can visit me in my final resting place - next to Doris and Ken.

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  10. I like your photos, it doesn't snow around here, it looks a bit cold, I hope that you are feeling much better

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    1. Thanks Craig. Your Google+ page doesn't say where you are so I will imagine you are living in a desert.

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    2. Not far from Echuca in northern Victoria, Australia yp.

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  11. Eee bah gum YP thee needs to start taking more olive oil with thy breakfast.

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    1. Well if that is what has made you the Isle of Lewis's Charles Atlas, I shall give olive oil a try on my porridge.

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  12. It's so wonderful to meet and become friends with people like Ken and Doris. They are the gems, pure and simple.

    You take good care, Yorky...you don't want that chest cold of yours turning nastier....and that's an order, young fella! :)

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    1. Okay Matron, I will do as you have instructed. After all I can still remember what happened the last time I disobeyed you! My buttocks are still smarting.

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    2. Yeah...but you did come back for more...you did enjoy it! So stop your whingeing!!!!

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  13. Thank you for the introduction to Doris and Ken. You have done them proud. If I were less knowledgeable, I would be quite upset by your remark about certain people in my little corner of the world, but -- alas -- we both know that you are correct (I mean about politicians in Georgia -- you would know better than I do about Nick Clegg).

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    1. I am pleased that that cheeky little comment - intended principally for you - did not greatly inflame the famous Brague wrath.

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  14. Is there an echo in here??? :D

    Seriously, though, I love the melancholy blue light in the photo of the tombstone.

    And I hope you feel better soon. My husband has been dealing with a nasty cold/sinus infection for weeks now, and he's been miserable. Hopefully winter will pass quickly and some sunny spring days will be just the thing to make everyone feel better.

    Take care!

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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