OK, I know - its ages since I blogged.
Today has been quite a special one and that is something for a woman in her mid fifties to say. Last year I went white water rafting and visited my home from 50 years previously. What was so special about today? Well - this is a wimp's confession!
I am terrified of going to the dentist and last week whilst enjoying the French Pyrenees, I chewed on something rather hard in the French muesli and heard a crack. Yes, it was a broken tooth. It wasn't too painful, but I sent a text message to my daughter and asked her to make an appointment with our dentist. Message came back - appointment with The Critch at 12 on Monday. Great - soft food between Thursady and Monday, but OK that was possible. Well, I turned up today and for the first time he looked at the damage and did that thing that plumbers usually do - suck the air in between their teeth and say that it doesn't look too good. He pulled out the broken part of the tooth, then dug out the old filling and did some more plumbing sound effects. Our relationship goes back about 25 years or more, he knows I am terrified, but also that I hate not knowing the truth. So I said, "Out?"
"Oh, yes."
"Bugger!"
His assistant was very new and did not speak English as her first language, so the next part of our conversation must have been bewildering! I told him he was supposed to care for me and not turn me into a toothless old hag. Sympathy was what was needed. All I got was a Monty Python re-enactement and then we laughed hysterically. Poor girl, she didn't understand the jokes. However, two injections later, a little drilling and then he tugged the remains of the tooth out. That was easily understood! What I didn't tell either of them was that this was the first time I had been to the dentist to have a tooth taken out on my own. The last time was as a child in Treharris, when I ran out of the surgery and down the street. The idea crossed my mind today, but somehow I felt it was not the answer today. Perhaps I have started to grow up!
The other new experience was that of cooking mussels. I have never cooked them before (late starter again!) but these came from the Norfolk coast when we walking there this week-end. I followed the recipe and hey presto they were delicious! For me that is a very new experience, cooking fish (yes, I know, they are crustaceans) has never been something I have ever done. But today was a success. Wow! I shall try them again and see if it was a one off, or if it will work again.
The other experience was realising how incredibly lucky I am. My sister talked about her husband's cousin from New Orleans who is dying from Cancer, a man in his early thirties who has fought the effects of the flooding of that city, but is losing the fight against this awful illness. His wife has had to grow up so quickly - to learn how to run a business, nurse a man with bowel cancer and also face the fact that after he dies whe may well have nowhere to live.
So, my thoughts go out to all those fighting an illness. I wish you all success and some healthy life to come.
I am terrified of going to the dentist and last week whilst enjoying the French Pyrenees, I chewed on something rather hard in the French muesli and heard a crack. Yes, it was a broken tooth. It wasn't too painful, but I sent a text message to my daughter and asked her to make an appointment with our dentist. Message came back - appointment with The Critch at 12 on Monday. Great - soft food between Thursady and Monday, but OK that was possible. Well, I turned up today and for the first time he looked at the damage and did that thing that plumbers usually do - suck the air in between their teeth and say that it doesn't look too good. He pulled out the broken part of the tooth, then dug out the old filling and did some more plumbing sound effects. Our relationship goes back about 25 years or more, he knows I am terrified, but also that I hate not knowing the truth. So I said, "Out?"
"Oh, yes."
"Bugger!"
His assistant was very new and did not speak English as her first language, so the next part of our conversation must have been bewildering! I told him he was supposed to care for me and not turn me into a toothless old hag. Sympathy was what was needed. All I got was a Monty Python re-enactement and then we laughed hysterically. Poor girl, she didn't understand the jokes. However, two injections later, a little drilling and then he tugged the remains of the tooth out. That was easily understood! What I didn't tell either of them was that this was the first time I had been to the dentist to have a tooth taken out on my own. The last time was as a child in Treharris, when I ran out of the surgery and down the street. The idea crossed my mind today, but somehow I felt it was not the answer today. Perhaps I have started to grow up!
The other new experience was that of cooking mussels. I have never cooked them before (late starter again!) but these came from the Norfolk coast when we walking there this week-end. I followed the recipe and hey presto they were delicious! For me that is a very new experience, cooking fish (yes, I know, they are crustaceans) has never been something I have ever done. But today was a success. Wow! I shall try them again and see if it was a one off, or if it will work again.
The other experience was realising how incredibly lucky I am. My sister talked about her husband's cousin from New Orleans who is dying from Cancer, a man in his early thirties who has fought the effects of the flooding of that city, but is losing the fight against this awful illness. His wife has had to grow up so quickly - to learn how to run a business, nurse a man with bowel cancer and also face the fact that after he dies whe may well have nowhere to live.
So, my thoughts go out to all those fighting an illness. I wish you all success and some healthy life to come.
posted by Liz at 19:57
1 Comments:
I am very proud of you going to the dentist. I understand your being scared. If I went, I would want to be under sedation.
I have never eaten a mussel, but love the song Cockles & Mussels! Alive, Alive O! Good for you for cooking something new!
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