Ghosties And Ghoulies And Long Legged Beasties

Just a gentle reminder.

Anne is not well today, she has picked up an infection. Another set back but hopefully a small one and certainly not as dramatic as the last one. Infections, especially just after transplant, are common so it seems Anne is just following the trend. Anne is getting the treatment she needs and I'm sure she will be fine in a couple of days.

My asthma symptoms have really improved over the last twenty four hours though I'm keeping up with the increased meds until at least tomorrow to ensure they don't come back. The enforced rest day did me the power of good and I spent the majority of it snoozing in the sun. Again by mid - late afternoon we had some cloud cover so I was forced back inside but at least I am getting to sun myself. It could easily have been day after day stuck inside watching the rain. I am grateful that I have been lucky so far.

Another thing I'm grateful for is the ability to sleep like the dead every night. Since I started my break I've fallen asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow and have no trouble sleeping past the early hours. I'm waking naturally between seven and eight and feeling refreshed. Another thing I've noticed is my appetite has improved. My stomach isn't constantly screwed up into a tense little knot and as a result I feel less nauseous and can eat more without feeling uncomfortable. I'm hopeful that this means I will be putting on some weight, even though what I'm eating is mostly home cooked and healthy, I haven't even looked at chocolate.

Andrew is out at uni again this morning, he managed to lift the 75k yesterday but in order to get it signed off he needs to do it more than once so he is back again this morning and will be in again on Friday. If he can lift 75k several times in succession with no problems the last bit of this year will be all done and dusted. Well apart from his placements that is, however he loves going out on the road and doesn't view it as 'work'. I suspect that will change the first time a drunk is sick over him.

Today I have small treat planned and I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm going to photograph one of the most haunted places in Bedfordshire. Now I firmly believe in ghosts because I've seen one, well more than one to be fair. I saw one when I was around ten. I was ill in bed and I woke up to find an old lady in Victorian clothing sitting by my bed watching me. She told me not to worry, that I would be fine and then read me a story as I went back to sleep. Dream? Hallucination of a child with a fever? Maybe, but when I told my mother and grandmother about it and described the old lady my grandmother turned very pale. I'd just described my great grandmother, right down to the pocket watch she always wore. I'd never, well not to my knowledge, seen any photos of my grandmother and my description was so vivid it seems impossible that I just made it up. A few years later I was given my great grandmother's pocket watch as a keepsake and still have it to this day.

The second sighting was when I was walking home very late one night on my own. Well this was a small Welsh village in the early eighties and we never though twice about walking miles in the dark on our own. I digress. Part of my journey took me through a tree tunnel and although the moon was out the branches were in full leaf so it was very dark. I always semi jogged through this bit and did so on this occasion. I was picking up a bit of speed when I became aware of footsteps behind me. I didn't look around I just tore through the tunnel as fast as I could. The other side of the tunnel opened out into a busy road so I stopped and looked around. There was a tall man standing behind me, he smiled said 'you're safe now' and turned around to go back. I watched him until he was almost half way then something behind me grabbed my attention. I turned back and he was gone. There was no way he could have got out of the tunnel that fast, I'd only turned for a second.

Since then whenever I've been really ill or have been in danger I see or 'feel' someone close to me. I never feel frightened just peaceful. Ghosts or angels or just pure hallucination born out of a stressful situation? Who knows but I prefer to think someone is watching out for me and while they are still around I'll come to no harm.

So back to the present. Although not scared of ghosts this is not a place that I'd willingly go in the dark or on my own. There is something not quite nice about it but it is also fascinating. Will I manage to capture a ghost? I doubt it but you never know, stranger things have happened.

In the news

It is the sixty year celebration of the Queen's coronation today and a big ceremony is taking place in Westminster Abbey. Unfortunately all eyes will be on Prince Phillip as he pulled out of an engagement last night due to being 'unwell'. Prince Phillip, who will be ninety two on Monday, has had a lot of health scares of late and certainly does not look as sprightly as he used to. He apparently has managed to attend this morning's occasion but there is a frailty about him these days that indicate he is fading fast. To be fair he is, at least in public, more sprightly than anyone his age could be expected to be. He certainly hasn't lost any of his mental agility or his sharp tongue. However he is an old man and the media and the public should respect that. I fear he may not be at the Queen's side much longer the way things are looking and I worry about how she will carry on without him.

For the past week I've been reading horror story after horror story about our failing A & E departments. I can't say that the NHS is entirely to blame when people are stupid enough to rush their toddler there to wipe dog poo of her shoe, yes, really, that did happen.

Apart from the terminally stupid and the 'I pay my taxes' brigade', who usually don't by the way, the main cause is the curtailing of GP opening times. In some practices you have to wait up to a fortnight to get an appointment. How on earth can that be right? Even my doctors surgery, who are brilliant and always see me on the day I ring up, have farmed their after hours service off to the local A&E. As a result coughs, colds, blisters and minor infection are now blocking beds in a department meant for the chronically ill and seriously injured. Waiting times are rocketing and ambulances are stacking up outside because they can't off load their patients. Normally when organisations get things drastically wrong it takes a death for someone to see sense and return things to a more sensible way of operating. Unfortunately there have already been deaths but no one is doing anything about it.

The photo's are from my last trip out enjoy.