Christmas sick, New Year OK and then who knows in 2008?

Hi all - I don't blog so often now. In December I was just too busy. I was very fraught until the week before Xmas when things started to clear. I managed to go to see a good film - "The Golden Compass". This has been big here in UK, though I know it's controversial - especially in the United States and Catholic countries, because of the anti-religion angle in the original story, His Dark Materials. Part 1 [the film] is mainly action/adventure, with amazing fantasy scenes and a fight between CGI enhanced armoured polar bears in the snow. I digress! This blog is mainly about my family over the so-called festive season. I saw 3 other movies over the period before then - the best was "Into the Wild" directed by Sean Penn, about a talented youth who takes off travelling around the USA to Alaska, where he dies, starving and accidentally poisoned by wild berries; this is a protest against his wealthy and non-understanding parents, who are punished by being terribly bereaved. I was very moved - it brought back memories of my late, brilliant daughter, and of my own son's torments. He is still not quite free of them - he still has nervous tics and angry moods.



Our Christmas was OK until late on Xmas Day - then I was hit while reading in bed, by the dreadful norovirus bug, at about 1 am - so strictly it was on Boxing Day. I was sick, and with diarrhoeia, about 6 times [at least] in the night. My husband D. asked if I needed a doctor - but what could they do? The next day I slept all day - I should have been cooking our modest chicken and trimmings. I was slightly better the next day [27th - my late daughter's birthday], though still delicate - I decided to roast the bird, with sausage meat, roast potatoes etc - then waited for my 2 family members to appear. T. came down - he felt sickish but managed to eat something. D. was just too ill - he came over sick at exactly that time, so never had anything of that meal, but some cold chicken 3 days later! Earlier on Christmas Day T. and I had been to a free Xmas Dinner at his church in Mortlake [I drove us there!] - we sat with a pleasant woman called Gloria who picked up 2 raffle prizes for us after we'd left. Most people there were the local elderly. The meal was fine - turkey and stuffing, with carrots and sprouts. I did not get sick off that meal, or what I ate at home - the germ is highly contagious, so I must have caught it off someone I met - maybe a choir member from my local church's Midnight Mass on the evening before? We will never know. It spoilt Christmas for us, and lowered all our mental states.



I only emerged properly from this sickness and depression on Jan. 31st. On the 30th T. was in a terrible mood, and I felt drained and still a bit sick. I went to my own church in London, and felt I had to disclose to people there how low I felt. I had prayer from 2 people I know - Sue and Rob. This improved things, but I could only eat a little food. On my coming home, D. and T. were still low or moody, and I again said the wrong things to T. I said sorry, but just had to sleep on it and wait for things to clear. It was so much better on Dec. 31st - T. lightened up and went to some AA meetings, and a special AA New Year booze-free disco for alcoholics. He said he finds Christmas a difficult time - it is often so for alcoholics [as he is] and their families. Also, D. really can't stand Christmas; he is an agnostic, though he likes the 9 Lessons & Carols service. Now his memory is so bad [early dementia], he can't recall what is going on. He forgot where he put my present - in the end I had to find it for him, and remind him to give it to me 4 days after Dec. 25th!! 2008 when it came gave us the opportunity for a fresh start - putting all that behind us. The TV showed lovely fireworks coming off the London Eye, a wonderful sight.


Since then I have done a few enjoyable things - on the 3rd T. and I went to see the musical production at Drury Lane Theatre [a famous old venue] in London, of The Lord of the Rings. T. is a real fan of the books and films; I also like them. The stage show was good, with effective scenery and changes of scene. The acting was OK or good - I liked the portrayal of Gollum - almost as good as in the film. A lot of the story was omitted to get it onto the stage in 3 hours - mostly from the 3rd book. The King of Rohan's daughter [forget her name!] was left out, so Aragorn only had a love interest with Arwen, the elf princess. I guess it made it simpler for little kids to engage with. The 'Orcs' were good, as were the Black Riders and the Ents [tree people, done by having actors on very long brown stilts]. Also they did amazing aerial acrobatics - elfin actors on trapezes or similar, floating in the air. Shelob the huge spider was great; very scary.


Since then I had my 'full' sister H. over to an enjoyable festive tea - with egg sandwiches, and lots of yummy cake and biscuits left, not eaten earlier, due to our sickness. I was up at my church again today - all was well. I start teaching again next week - I only have a few more lectures left until I retire, after May 2008! I have mixed feelings about that. But we have to deal with D's growing dementia problem - he is due for a serious test soon. This will be a CAT scan - I have to chase up the appointment. D gets very low and anxious - he says he lacks quality of life. I do not think it's come to that - yet. So I will have challenges ahead... But T. is doing well - he's been over 13 months free of any sort of alcohol, and coping with life so much better, in general. Perhaps the penny has at last dropped for him!


As one of my Xmas presents to my various family members, I had my best tiger photos printed onto T-shirts and mugs - it's vey effective; everyone liked them. I hope to see tigers again next November, in India - on a return 3rd trip, with T this time. In the meantime it is a question of getting on with family, working and 'volunteering' life - I hope D's problems do not increase more than they have already - or at least, not rapidly. Maybe further medication can / will help.

I will take our Christmas tree and decorations down tomorrow - a day late after 12th Night. I was out all of today, so another evening to enjoy our old 'traditional' coloured lights. Goodbye - a Happy 2008 to all, and may love and peace prevail [our world had a terrible time right up to late 2007 - Ms. Bhutto's death, Kenya in flames, Iraq still at war] ... - Love, Tigey