New paintings and regular art updates.
My old boy cat is getting thin. He is on medication for his heart, but that seems to be making him thinner. I don’t know his actual age because he was a rescue cat about 8 years ago. I didn’t find out his age then but he was fully grown. I’m having to accept he won’t be around for much longer. I’m giving him him lots of treats. He’s getting small meals but as often as he wants. I can’t make him eat but I can try and tempt him. At least he can sit in the sun if he wants.
I live on a steep street with limited parking outside terraced houses. The parking spaces are for residents only or their visitors. As long as you have a pass you should be OK.
Today started OK, I went out for a couple of hours then came back. I was able to park outside my house. I don’t have a disabled bay because I think you have to pay extra for it? Anyway, then I went to the doctors and then the pharmacy. Off to get some shopping from the supermarket because my fridge was empty. Fine..
But when I got home all the spare spaces were taken. I had to park 50 yards up the hill and carry the shopping and medication down, but I managed.
I decided to see if a space became available later. Yes! I walked up the hill, it was getting dark and I drove up and round a roundabout then back down. But I was followed down the hill by another car, it’s headlights dazzling me. As I got near to the space I realised it was too small. So I drove back up to the space I had been in all afternoon. But I know they would need their space, so I knocked on my neighbours door and asked them to move their car a yard or two so I could fit?
By then I was tired and grouchy. But I went up and down the hill again only to see someone else had slotted in the space! But there, lower down, was a smaller parking place?
I decided to try and park up, but I was on the wrong side of the road, driving into oncoming traffic, so round the corner, round the other roundabout. As I was coming back to my street I saw a friend. She helped me by seeing me back into the tiny space. Well sort of. I’m about two feet away from the pavement and my wing mirror is likely to be knocked off.
If one of the cars moves I’ll try and get a better position.
What fun!
Is my heart broken?
I have to find out..
A failure to function
I want to scream and shout!
How many more things
Can fall off, or break,
This last year has been awful
For goodness sake!
Each time I get over
One thing and another
Life comes and bites me
Will I ever recover?
What profession do you admire most and why?
I admire the skills and knowledge you need to practice medicine. That’s not just doctors and nurses, but radiographers, sonographers, physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational health, and not only those that deal with human health, but veterinary experts and their skills and knowledge that is essential to the care of so many animals. Without these skilled people how would many of us would survive? We would be plunged back into the pre industrial ages or further back in time perhaps to the dark ages, where scam remedies and quackery might take over.
Having knowledge of basic first aid is a good thing too. You never know you might save someone!
If you could un-invent something, what would it be?
Yes, I know that there are weapons that have as much power as nuclear bombs but they are big and heavy and more difficult to lob at your enemies. I think we should un-invent nuclear weapons.
I would still keep power stations if they were built with safety features that stop incidents like three mile island, chernobyl and fukushima. Mainly because of the horrific damage nuclear material can cause. It’s tasteless and does not smell and you can’t feel it, but it burns and causes cell damage and death.
Sometimes radioactive isotopes are used in medical techniques such as imaging areas affected by tumors or other illnesses. I would keep these substances. I’m glad that the elements were discovered by scientists such as Marie and Pierre Curie, but turning it into bombs was, I believe, a terrible mistake. I realise they ended the second world war but the worry is that mutually assured destruction is still a serious possibility.
What is something others do that sparks your admiration?
After my recent dealings with the NHS I have to share my admiration of the doctors, nurses and anciliary staff that work for it.
Many staff cared for my hubby, and he told me they were wonderfully caring, I can only echo this feeling.
I cannot say that all staff are the same, but the ones I met were so very helpful, I only wish we had sought medical advice earlier. But the illness he had was one that is difficult to detect and can be hard to treat.
The amount of knowledge and skills that they require is immense, having had some medical training myself I’m massively admiring of what they do. I only hope the NHS doesn’t fall apart under all the stresses and strains thrown at it by the pandemic, cost of living crisis, and cuts in funding including privatisation that robs it of some of its most important workers and skills.
My hubby is ill. If I’m not around much it’s because I’m sorting things out. I wasn’t going to say anything, but I just thought I should let people know.
At present I don’t know much. But I want to say how much I am grateful to the NHS. After ringing their helpline we were advised to go to Accident and Emergency. My hubby was triaged within half an hour. He was taken to a very busy set of cubicles. Blood was taken and he was given painkillers and seen by a doctor. I left after three hours because he was booked for a CT scan.
I saw him today on the ward. The nurses were so kind and supportive. I don’t know the prognosis but I’m hoping to get the information tomorrow. I’m very worried, but life is what it is. But I want to salute the NHS. Thank you.
What profession do you admire most and why?
The industrial revolution in Britain and Europe began the transformation of alchemy to science. Inventions were happening and knowledge became more and more important.
As instruments improved things like telescopes and microscopes gave us a better understanding of the micro and macro aspects of life and the universe. We could see smaller and smaller living organisms, such as unicellular plants and animals, and then bacteria and finally viruses.
That understanding gave us vaccinations and antibiotics and began to initiate preventative medicine instead of simply trying to deal with the ravages of Plague and poxes.
There are many branches of science where humans have delved into how things work. They may have started as a philosophical perspective, such as Geography and Meteorology, but then deeper understanding of the underlying issues. Dinosaurs and fossils were discovered. The age of the the Earth extended from the supposed 6000 years since the biblical flood backwards over millions, then billions of years.
Meanwhile Issac Newton was discovering the ‘clockwork’ universe. Where stars moved in their courses. What then happened took decades and centuries, but scientists like Einstein changed the modern world.
I’ve been watching “The Ascent of Man”, by Jacob Bronowski, talking about all the changes and revolutionary things that happened in the last few centuries. It not only covers discoveries, but also how destructive factories could be to humanity. Thankfully not all manufacturers treated their workforces so badly.
I conclusion there is simply too much to discuss about sciences, it is impossible to understand all their aspects. But hopefully we can use science to improve our world, even if it’s only to work out methods that are less destructive to nature.
What is the most important thing to carry with you all the time?
Yet again I have to be equivocal about this question. I mean I’m not deliberately being ambiguous, but there could be many answers depending on the person, their age, sex, health and the place they are at.
1. Fresh water /food
If you are alone and outside away from people, for instance on a walk it’s a good idea to take supplies. I imagine I won’t be far from transport, but what happens if you get lost?
2. Spare clothes/groundsheet
If you are out and about and lost you might not be able to find shelter if the weather deteriorates or it gets dark. You might have to stay put, so having extra clothes and something to make into a shelter could save you from exposure. We went camping one Easter and I had to wear two pairs of trousers and three jumpers because of the cold!
3. A map
Learn to read maps, if your phone goes flat and you can’t charge it how do you find your location?
4. Medication?
Even if you don’t expect to be out all day and night it’s better to be prepared. The older you are the more likely you are to need medicine. Don’t ignore it, and if necessary take out travel insurance.
5. Car keys?
Yes if I take the car with me, and house keys.
6. Medical alert.
If you take some medications then you need to take warning notifications with you. Similarly if you are allergic to food colourings, bee and wasp stings, or antibiotics it’s worth letting people know!
7. A sketchpad and something to draw with.
I’m an artist, what did you expect me to say?
I have pulled a ligament in my foot. I had the ambulance service out. The paramedics were lovely, but they could not take me into A&E. I’ve pulled a ligament so I they won’t xray me or put a plaster cast on. I’ve just got to bear weight on my foot and leg. I’m hobbling around. I’ve got a chair half way to the bathroom to give me a rest. Trouble is I’m drinking plenty of fluids! On painkillers. ðŸ˜
Mallaband-Brown