
No musings here yesterday. The 11th day of the 11th month was spent in quiet reflection and remembrance as it is every year.
Today arrived in a bluster of icy wind and rain however by 09:20 the rain the rain had waltzed off on the wings the wind to terrorise another village leaving me able to get out for my morning waddle to the end of the street and back. I knew there'd not be any sitting on the Friendship Bench today, just plain too cold. What I didn't know when I headed out was that I would not get back home until 11:00. My goodness, the longest I have been out the house since my visit the hospital to get my cast changed 2 weeks ago. I can't tell you how fantastic it was!
It all came about through the kindness of my neighbour who, as she saw me hobbling back up my garden path, invited me in for a coffee.
"Jack," she called, "would you like to come on in and have a coffee and a chinwag? Give you a bit of company as well as change of scenery and all shorten your day, too."
She is aware of the challenges of being in one place pretty much all the time and how long the days can be as her husband is disabled. She knows what it means to him when he manages to get out into the car for a trip to the supermarket where he can sit and have a coffee whilst she does the shopping.
We had a delightful time. Our conversation ranged from chatter about what's going on in the village to politics and the upcoming election and onto the Great War and the Second World War and her relative's experiences here in the village and my family's experiences under the Occupation in Jersey. We talked and we laughed and it was truly wonderful.
Absolutely unexpected, her awareness and understanding and company truly brightened my day.