Morning folks, good news to start, number 17 on my April Fool 40th List has been ticked off – I have officially donated my 50th pint. Purely to humour my fellow Mad Hatter, Paul Morris, his usual Hancock classic quote ‘a pint, that’s nearly an armful’ which he says every time I donate, and yes, I laugh every time he says it! Thanks to the National Blood Donors scheme - I have now given 50 arms full! It has only taken me 22 years – bless, the nurse who said I didn’t look old enough to be collecting my 50th award. I received a beautiful, and I do mean beautiful pen in an embossed case. Never have I given so much for a pen, just hope the folks that have received from me have used it well and not wasted a drop. Actually, while we’re talking about blood donors, I’ll share a funny story about my last present, some five years ago.
I’d given my 40th pint and the nurse was fussing over me being ‘so good, I’ll go and get you a little gift’. So, off she pops and returns holding a specially designed coffee coaster of grey slate, on which is embossed the NHS logo amidst the various blood types. I was well chuffed. I went home boasting to hubby that he wasn’t to use my new coaster as I had earn it by giving 40 pints - he at that time was on about his 13th donation. Anyway, for an hour or two, I made a song and dance about having my coffee mug on my special coaster. By which time my bragging was wearing a little thin. Hubby goes out to his blood donor appointment – yep, I know very ‘his and hers’ stuff. Anyway, after an hour he returns and literally skips down the driveway. He enters the house with his usual greetings, all very happy and smiley – goes straight into the kitchen to make two coffees. Of course, on distributing the hot drinks, he places mine on my now prominently placed coffee coaster, before sitting down to drink his. In a flash, he whips from his pocket an identical blood donors coffee coaster of grey slate. He can hardly speak for laughing at my immediate explosion of ‘How have you got that?’ – ‘There was one left in the box, the nurse didn’t want to take it back - seeing as I was the last donation, she asked if I wanted it!’ See what comes of bragging? I digress but hey, sharing is good.
Anyhow, my week has been pretty awesome. I attended university on Monday and whilst waiting for the proceedings to start polished four poems – admittedly, I did look pretty anti-social but hey, the other students were all moaning, so I didn’t miss much.
Tuesday, saw me at home all day with a bad head but, I made the most of the evening by having a good clear out of the junk from my desk and filing cabinet – I felt the urge to get ready for that New Year/new inspiration injection.
Wednesday evening, I attended my Mad Hatters’ group – which opted for an early night at 10:30, which I’ve planned to have as one of my New Year resolutions. As I’m getting up at 5:30am each day there have been times this year when the group have deprived me of my much needed beauty sleep. I received positive feedback on four poems from the shoe collection – I couldn’t for the life of me recall all the footwear titles, which only confirms what I’ve said about reciting my work – I simply can’t remember it.
Thursday evening was the Grace Dieu Christmas Quiz and supper - a small gathering, but enjoyable all the same. I surprised myself with how many correct answers I dragged from the back of my dusty memory - there was no way Ian Dury and the blockheads were being forgotten, that was certain. As for my guessing the famous person with just the dates 1917 to 1963 – I thought that was easy, apparently not according to my fellow team mates – but hey, I gained five points for the correct answer. Answer at the bottom of blog, just in case you wish to play along.
Friday morning saw an encounter on the daily dog walk that had me in tears. Just one of those small, seemingly insignificant moments in life when the harshness of reality hits home and without a word, a simple gesture tells you everything. It left me reeling in pity for this person that society should treat him so badly, that he expected everyone to treat him that way – I hadn’t and his reaction caused my tears. So much so, I thought about him all morning at work and spent my lunch hour scribbling words to release what I’d felt in a heart beat – the result being a tiny poem.
Whilst I mention poetry, I have to say, the last five weeks have proved to be the most productive flow of poetry in my life. Since 27th October, I have drafted and polished 26 poems, including today’s. Amazing what you can achieve whilst dog walking twice a day!
I’ve snatched a few hours of ‘Her’ here and there this week and am planning for my Christmas break which begins on 16th December – yay!
Anyhow, I shall continue to plod, plod, plod until the 16th – then it will be full steam ahead until 31st (which just happens to be our wedding anniversary, arrrr).
My plans for this weekend revolve about ‘Her’ and a three thousand word essay for university regards the behaviour of pupils – something tells me I could write ten thousand on the later.
I have finished reading Sarah Water’s ‘The Little Stranger’; oh it got scary at the end, made me go all goose bumpy. My full attention is back to Eliot’s 'Middlemarch' which I must, must, must finish as it is number 7 on the April Fool 40th list.
And finally, this little blog has received 1000 hits world wide – that might not sound much to some, but given that this is my small contribution to the internet, I am very proud. The actual 1000th hit was in America – so kisses and thanks whoever you are. I do appreciate all your visits – where ever you are based and hope you can follow me on Twitter by searching for odwyer_author. Enjoy!
Answer to quiz question - JFK 1917-1963
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