… and then John therapied me!

I’ll do this chronologically. Coming home from the Swinton I seemed to have the whole summer stretching ahead of me with lots of lovely hours to fill with as I liked. I emailed the man who does the parish website to say I could get on with it now.

I forgot that on the Friday morning I had a coffee morning in Hedon with the Creative Writing group. We had a lovely time and Stella has an amazing house and garden both full of character.

Right, I’m free now I thought. I knew that sometime over the weekend Ali and Eric were bringing the kids down, and John and I were taking them on to Oxford for a week with Martin and Fiona. She rang and asked if they could come on the Friday. That was really lovely, but I had to rush round sorting out bedding again having only just finished putting it away from the last time.

We had a really lovely weekend, just pottering really. Kids cycling around Kieran can almost cycle. On the Sunday there was no one to do Children’s Liturgy so I had to do it unprepared. That was fine, but the kids deserve better. Ali and Liam came and Ali thinks our church is ‘mental’. Well it is so homely and warm and welcoming. Very unlike the enormous St Mirrin’s in Paisley.

Anyway, we had a quick tea with M and F, and left the four of them going for a cycle in the woods while we drove home through torrential rain. Then, the first thing that really upset me kicked in. John wasn’t well coming home and only just had enough strength to get out of the car and in to bed. He had a temperature. He had been sick on the Saturday night, but put it down to stuffing himself with choccies. (If anyone has an addictive personality John has!) I was going to call the doctor at one stage, but  paracetamol, a wet flannel and the fan brought his temperature down.

I didn’t sleep well during the night, and got up for a cup of tea about 2am, so I overslept this morning and was woken by the postman delivering a new tripod. Haven’t had a chance to open it yet.

That’s cos I had to take John’s car in towards Hull for a service. I dropped off car and drove to chemist at Brough for more paracetamol and a proper thermometer, as I can’t get on with our one. (Strips that change colour.) My mobile rang, and it was the garage saying Motability refused to sanction the car service as it had been done recently. I obediently returned the courtesy car and drove home fuming about the wasted morning. It was nearly 11am.

John (quite rightly as it turned out) said the car hadn’t been serviced, it had had a ‘visual check’ to make sure the body work was ok. This is where I nearly cried. I had been near to tears on the way home.

I said no way am I going back to Hessle today with the car, so the service is now booked for Friday 7th.

Of course the real reason  iam upset is that John is unwell, and we’re not sure if the abscesses are returning. I have said I’m ringing the doctor today. We need to know. It’s just that he dreads going back to hospital for weeks. I’m hoping our local doctor can take a swab and if the wound is infected can put him on anti-biotics to clear it up. The worst scenario is hospitalisation.

Anyway , although I was trying to be strong for John I was near to tears, and he had to be strong for me! He’s the one who sorted out the garage. (Not their fault - Motability’s) and re-arranged everything, even though he is still a bit unwell. Proper thermometer registered 38 degrees which isn’t too bad I think. I still use farhenheit in my mind.

Anyway, (again) It’s now 11.40 and the house is a tip after the weekend. I’m having a coffee, and John must be ill as he only wanted tea. (And two hobnobs!)

Final anyway - I’ll be in touch.