This is such a beautiful building, so calm and so peaceful. Just the place for a Christmas concert/sing along for those with dementia. They call it a ‘relaxed’ performance.
Happy Birthday to our oldest grandchild – Frankie – no longer a teenager. All grown up and just completing her first term at University in London. A bit different from rural Devon.
The night was not good as I awoke at some particularly stupidly early time. And, of course, needed a coffee. Which I made and enjoyed. And T got one too, along with some chocolate brioche which he presumably enjoyed because they disappeared.
I performed my ward rounds, flexed and fell asleep again, woke up and showered and dressed.
My sense of no hurry to put my trousers on was sharply disturbed when DCI arrived to put their garden furniture cushions in the loft. The cushions had been sitting around warming up in our spare room to take the edge off any lingering dampness. He also brought us a new toy – their redundant Nespresso machine.
I had a few jobs to do: washing; dish washer; rubbish; bins; walk H; sort house keys; wrap Frankie’s present.
H and I had a short walk around and about Streatley Rec and I returned to get T up. Pen arrived from Devon to go to Dorchester with us.
Sadly for her, some selfish person/s had allowed their dog to shit in our drive and Pen had the misfortune to step in it. This is the third such event in as many weeks. Tracey has had it happen too. I believe it’s a local dog, walked by a local person. probably mid morning because DCI had been here earlier and had not walked in it.
I had had the presence of mind to book a table at the George Hotel before the sing along for lunch for the three of us.
We were last there a couple of years ago. Boy! Has it changed. Masterly renovations have turned this hotch potch of ancient and fascinating buildings and their add ons into a comfortable and elegant place to eat and stay.
Dorchester is a very old and not very large village, squatting in the middle of which is its Abbey. (And the alpaca farm) A beautiful building with a museum, a one time school, and a place to stay.
We thoroughly enjoyed lunch and then the concert. T is only playing with food at the moment; he is eating very little, unless it is a biscuit or something sweet. If I put out a plate of cheese, sausage, grapes, a tangerine, that usually gets eaten over two or three hours. Cakes and sweets slip down more quickly.
But, it was noticeable that during the sing along, he could remember the words for every Christmas Carol or song with which he had ever been familiar. He can’t remember what he did for a living for the last 40 years !
The concert had two live musicians, violin, piano, oboe and a singer. We had a mixture of seasonal music to enjoy along with Christmas carols and songs with which to join in. It was quite moving and very lovely.
And very well attended by a variety of ancients with wheel chairs, sticks or rollators. And two babies! It was all a little bit special.
The Last Supper above was a rather fascinating sculpture – a mosaic of recycled keys from keyboards. With a lovely smooth and tactile feel to it.
T was very tired so I brought him home after the concert and Pen returned to Devon. It was a long way to drive for just a few hours but I know she has no regrets.
BUT – silly me- I had forgotten to go to Waitrose to pick up the bedside lamp I had ordered for T. His familiar old daylight lamp broke a few days ago and he needed a brighter one than the temporary replacement I found.
I needed to ascertain what bulb to buy, and the internet didn’t really help because the reference number didn’t match the bulbs on sale. So I tried to open the packaging to check the actual lamp. It was like playing pass the parcel – there were so many boxes- what a waste of a few trees. I finally unpacked enough of it, mid-Waitrose, to discover what bulb I needed. Bingo! Job done.
It had been more or less luck that meant I selected the correct bulb and so I could finally return home.
But I’m pleased to say that the light is the same as the one on my side of the bed, but the colour came as a surprise. But quite apt!
Thought for the Day
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