I have come home to an empty house because Shirley and her sister Carolyn are away for the weekend in a big house in Quorn, Leicestershire. There they are meeting up with ten of their cousins - all women. It has become something of an annual tradition. By the way, the village's name predates the vegetarian food company "Quorn", to which it gave its name, by a few centuries.
On Thursday afternoon my son-in-law's grandfather Brian died at the age of ninety four down in Stratford-upon-Avon. He drove his wife to the supermarket on Tuesday. He lived in his own home. Brian enjoyed good health all his life but in early April he was struck down by Covid and afterwards complained of feeling more tired than usual. I imagine that there was a connection between his unexpected demise and the coronavirus but this will probably never be confirmed.
Also on Thursday my Sunday quiz team reconvened in a Toby Carvery pub-restaurant on the edge of the city to celebrate our friend Mick's sixty fifth birthday. He is our James Bond expert and also pretty hot on pop music and film dates. It was a great slap-up meal which we all savoured. It had been a long time since any of us had had a Toby Carvery because the one just up the road from us was converted to an upmarket steak house six years ago. By coincidence I had a 50% discount voucher for Thursday's meal. Yorkshiremen love to save money whenever they can.
In relation to my brother Simon, I was pleased to make contact with the East Yorkshire MacMillan nursing service this morning. In fact, I spoke to the itinerant senior nurse who will be Simon's main contact in the weeks and possibly months ahead. She sounded lovely - experienced, very caring and capable. She plans to visit Simon next week. I hope he gets on with her.
Well that's my latest blogosphere offering finished - my 4045th blogpost of all time. I am trying to keep the production line churning and not miss out many days this year.
Cool animated graphic post name. There will have been many such deaths among old people who won't be counted as Covid death statistics but should be. Hmm, a dozen female relatives who probably only see each other once a year. I would not want to be there.
ReplyDeleteNor me Andrew. Quorn will be infected with gossip.
DeleteThe best "stuff" here is looking after Phoebe.
ReplyDeleteYou are right Keith. She is a joy.
DeleteBrian sounds like he had a lovely life. Still, it's hard when someone passes.
ReplyDeleteHe was a skilled civil engineer and lived with his family for long periods abroad in Fiji, Iran and Malawi. He drove up a hundred miles to Frances and Stew's wedding at the age of 92.
DeleteWhat a nice tradition for Shirley and her cousins!
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to believe that Phoebe is 16 months already. It seems just a short time ago that I was checking your blog multiple times a day just to see if she'd arrived yet.
Time marches on. I can hear the bootsteps in the road.
DeleteA blog post with a mixture of emotions but mainly happy ones. Have a good weekend YP, but don't go off the rails while Shirley is not there.
ReplyDeleteFancy a night in Sheffield ADDY? It can be our little secret.
DeleteThis was a lot of stuff to report. Thank you for keeping us updated on Phoebe, your brother Simon and other things going on in your life.
ReplyDeleteStill driving and living in one's own home at the age of 94 is quite an achievement. It must be hard for his widow now to be without someone who was her companion for such a long time.
Hazel was his second wife. I think they were together for around thirty years. His car was German - a shiny Mercedes called Fritz.
DeleteI enjoyed reading about your Stuff. I am always interested to hear about other people's lives.. Or is that just being nosy?
ReplyDeleteNo. It's being JayCee!
DeleteYour blogosphere statistics are amazing. Your the Dixie Dean of prolific blog writing.
ReplyDeleteI am just an old windbag.
DeleteI love seeing my cousins, especially the shared memories. Shirley must be having a great time.
ReplyDeleteAs regards the sad subject of the inevitability of death, I think those who go suddenly and unexpectedly are the lucky ones. My great-grandpa came in from the garden feeling a bit tired, sat down and died. A friend died of a sudden heart attack he would have known very little about. But the lingering suffering of your brother Simon is right at the other end of the scale, awful to watch and bear.
PS I find your animated gif header rather irritating.
Come to think of it, I find that animated gif irritating too so I will change it especially for you. I would prefer Brian's death to Simon's.
DeleteOnly yesterday I was thinking that we haven't had a report about Phoebe lately - or photos. Sad that she has lost a Grandpa already. I never knew either of mine, one died before I was born, and the other when I was just a toddler, so I don't think their loss had a profound effect on me.
ReplyDeleteStuff is interesting - little tit-bits of news and comments, and easier on the blogger I should imagine.
Phoebe has in fact just lost a great grandfather Carol - not a grandfather.
DeleteGlad to hear that Simon's care is getting sorted.
ReplyDeleteWhy have we not seen any pictures of darling Phoebe in so long?
Sad to hear about Brian's grandfather but at the age of 94, something is going to take us.
I just looked and tomorrow will be my fifteenth blogoversary. Good Lord.
Okay. I will post pictures of Phoebe real soon. By the way, Brian was the name of Stewart's grandfather.
DeleteEnjoyed all of the family news you have shared, Neil. Congrats on your long legacy of blogposts! Quite an achievement!
ReplyDeleteWhen I started in June 2005, I never imagined I would be blogging this long... Seventeen years!
DeleteI'm glad the babysitting went well and Simon is getting the care he needs. (Assuming he likes this nurse!) I had no idea that Quorn (the food) was named after a place! I thought they just made it up because it sounds a bit food-like, reminiscent of corn.
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly what I thought but I was wrong.
DeleteIt's always so delightful to spend time with the grandkids. Even when my grandson is having a melt down, he's still cute. Tantrumy Twos. I think that along the way we'll discover many lasting effects or consequences from Covid and probably none of them positive. :(
ReplyDelete