Kudos if you read ALL of this...
So, Christmas day.
Christmas Lunch
We went out for lunch with my grandma (mums side) today. She's 87 (i think), very frail. We went to a pub and had the most lovely xmas lunch. I had (brace yourselves..!):
- glass of champagne, glass of coke
- a plate of warm mushrooms on a bed of salad with rosemary and red onion sauce stuff
- warm freshly baked bread and butter (OMG IS THERE ANYTHING MORE DELICIOUS?!?!!)
- a pasty-like thing with (goats?)cheese and veg inside (yummier than it sounds!), roast potatoes, stuffing, roast parsnip (and there was veg and new potatoes, but was too full for them!)
- chocolate pudding with hot chocolate sauce in the middle, and cream
- cup of tea, mini mince pie, 2 petit fours
It was YUMMY. And we had crackers and stuff, and free drinks, and the people working there were really friendly. My grandma absolutely loved it.
Grandma, and how i'm awed by her
Spending time with my grandma makes me see some of the best and worst in the world. My grandmas life looks like absolute hell to me. She's so old that she's severely disabled, very weak, constantly ill, in pain, lonely (especially since my grandad died last year). Today she was suffering after having a fall a few days ago - bruises and grazes all down her side, and she's got cataracts so she can barely see, and she's on a high dose of steroids so she's swollen up. In the past few years the amount she's been through medically is astounding - diabetes and all its complications, her heart kept stopping meant she collapsed continuously, fracturing her skull 3 times, breaking her leg, and cracking her head open so severely she needed 16 stitches and 3 pints of blood, plus cataracts and arthritus, etc etc. She can't easily read, or sew, or go out, or see the TV, or anything. Often the only people she sees each day are her carers who come in each morning and evening.
Sounds horrifying, yeah? But then there's the positive side. Having such a reduced quality of life means that little things give her enormous pleasure. Like our trip out for lunch today she's been looking forward to for weeks. She really likes being tucked up in bed to watch TV in the evening, and can answer questions on The Weakest Link really well. She's determined to stay as independent as she possibly can, so she continues to cook her own meals, even though it would be so easy to have Meals On Wheels or microwave meals. Her resiliance, determination and positivity are incredible, and put me completely to shame. She also comes into contact with some of the most caring people. A couple of her carers brought her christmas presents, she was offered a trip to a Salvation Army christmas dinner, and people are so kind to her. There's no requirement for people to help the elderly, and they are frustrating, so it's really cheering to see that people do. My dad does a little to help out (which is comendable considering he has absolutely no obligations to her considering he's not even her son) - setting up her new TV, taking her on the occasional shopping trip, etc.
Grandmas fascinating stories
My grandma told us some stories this afternoon. They were fascinating.
She told us that when she was a small child in the 20s she lived in poverty, she was extremely malnourished and often ill (nearly dying multiple times). She went to school only until she was 11, and was in and out of hospital and convalescent homes. When she was 3 her dad took her from Coventry to Margate, and in Margate she was delivered to a convent to live with nuns for a month, to quite literally be fed-up. The nuns fed her until she was so fat that her coat was bursting at the seams, and then she was sent home (back to semi-starvation again). But the interesting thing was - she was sent home on her own, at 3 years old, on the train!!!! Margate to Coventry is 180 miles by road, but she went by train, and must have changed in London! She had a label tied round her neck and was left in the care of the guards on the train, who saw her from one train to another. One guard bought her a cup of tea on the train, and she thought this was the height of luxury (her parents couldn't afford the 6p tea would cost). She told us about how when she was about 8 she was living in a convalescent home with several other girls. Every day they were on their best behaviour because whoever was the best behaved would get to push a dolls pram (made of wicker) for a week.
And when she was 14 her mum sent her to work in a factory, which was basically not much more than a sweatshop. She was 15 when she met my grandad (who was 25), on a double-date. As soon as he saw her he decided he wanted to marry her, though she was put off him for a while because of the huge age difference. But he wooed her and she was engaged to him at 16 and married at 17. They were married 67 years.
And i was thinking about these stories, and how hugely different life is now. A 3-year-old travelling solo across the country?? Not anymore - i think you have to be at least 16 to travel alone. Little girls on best behaviour to push a dolls pram?? Not anymore - children are so swamped in material possessions that the most simplistic bribery would never work. A 14-year-old entering slave-labour?? Really no.
My Loot
This evening we went home, and ate tea whilst watching Dr Who's Christmas Special, and Wallace and Gromits Christmas Special. And i ate an entire chocolate santa. I feel sick, obviously.
And we opened presents. For once i've got good presents!!!!! Usually i have a few where i think "eugh wat", but not this time really. I have lots of chocolate, lots of books, some CDs (The Killers, Razorlight, Alphabeat, Plain White Ts...YES), and some other random stuff (including an oven glove, an amazing salamander-shaped lamp, perfume, magazine subscriptions, etc).
New Years resolutions
I'm feeling like it's time for change. Over-indulgence getting to me i guess. I want to sort out all my crap (going to uni makes you realise quite how few material possessions you really need, and how much shit you own), lose weight (sorry), and handle christmas differently next year (ethics ahoy - something like no presents, or donations to charity in my name, and i do the same for others, or go back to homemade gifts). And i can see so much self-improvement i want to do - thinking about new years resolutions - but have too much i want to change!!
Christmas Lunch
We went out for lunch with my grandma (mums side) today. She's 87 (i think), very frail. We went to a pub and had the most lovely xmas lunch. I had (brace yourselves..!):
- glass of champagne, glass of coke
- a plate of warm mushrooms on a bed of salad with rosemary and red onion sauce stuff
- warm freshly baked bread and butter (OMG IS THERE ANYTHING MORE DELICIOUS?!?!!)
- a pasty-like thing with (goats?)cheese and veg inside (yummier than it sounds!), roast potatoes, stuffing, roast parsnip (and there was veg and new potatoes, but was too full for them!)
- chocolate pudding with hot chocolate sauce in the middle, and cream
- cup of tea, mini mince pie, 2 petit fours
It was YUMMY. And we had crackers and stuff, and free drinks, and the people working there were really friendly. My grandma absolutely loved it.
Grandma, and how i'm awed by her
Spending time with my grandma makes me see some of the best and worst in the world. My grandmas life looks like absolute hell to me. She's so old that she's severely disabled, very weak, constantly ill, in pain, lonely (especially since my grandad died last year). Today she was suffering after having a fall a few days ago - bruises and grazes all down her side, and she's got cataracts so she can barely see, and she's on a high dose of steroids so she's swollen up. In the past few years the amount she's been through medically is astounding - diabetes and all its complications, her heart kept stopping meant she collapsed continuously, fracturing her skull 3 times, breaking her leg, and cracking her head open so severely she needed 16 stitches and 3 pints of blood, plus cataracts and arthritus, etc etc. She can't easily read, or sew, or go out, or see the TV, or anything. Often the only people she sees each day are her carers who come in each morning and evening.
Sounds horrifying, yeah? But then there's the positive side. Having such a reduced quality of life means that little things give her enormous pleasure. Like our trip out for lunch today she's been looking forward to for weeks. She really likes being tucked up in bed to watch TV in the evening, and can answer questions on The Weakest Link really well. She's determined to stay as independent as she possibly can, so she continues to cook her own meals, even though it would be so easy to have Meals On Wheels or microwave meals. Her resiliance, determination and positivity are incredible, and put me completely to shame. She also comes into contact with some of the most caring people. A couple of her carers brought her christmas presents, she was offered a trip to a Salvation Army christmas dinner, and people are so kind to her. There's no requirement for people to help the elderly, and they are frustrating, so it's really cheering to see that people do. My dad does a little to help out (which is comendable considering he has absolutely no obligations to her considering he's not even her son) - setting up her new TV, taking her on the occasional shopping trip, etc.
Grandmas fascinating stories
My grandma told us some stories this afternoon. They were fascinating.
She told us that when she was a small child in the 20s she lived in poverty, she was extremely malnourished and often ill (nearly dying multiple times). She went to school only until she was 11, and was in and out of hospital and convalescent homes. When she was 3 her dad took her from Coventry to Margate, and in Margate she was delivered to a convent to live with nuns for a month, to quite literally be fed-up. The nuns fed her until she was so fat that her coat was bursting at the seams, and then she was sent home (back to semi-starvation again). But the interesting thing was - she was sent home on her own, at 3 years old, on the train!!!! Margate to Coventry is 180 miles by road, but she went by train, and must have changed in London! She had a label tied round her neck and was left in the care of the guards on the train, who saw her from one train to another. One guard bought her a cup of tea on the train, and she thought this was the height of luxury (her parents couldn't afford the 6p tea would cost). She told us about how when she was about 8 she was living in a convalescent home with several other girls. Every day they were on their best behaviour because whoever was the best behaved would get to push a dolls pram (made of wicker) for a week.
And when she was 14 her mum sent her to work in a factory, which was basically not much more than a sweatshop. She was 15 when she met my grandad (who was 25), on a double-date. As soon as he saw her he decided he wanted to marry her, though she was put off him for a while because of the huge age difference. But he wooed her and she was engaged to him at 16 and married at 17. They were married 67 years.
And i was thinking about these stories, and how hugely different life is now. A 3-year-old travelling solo across the country?? Not anymore - i think you have to be at least 16 to travel alone. Little girls on best behaviour to push a dolls pram?? Not anymore - children are so swamped in material possessions that the most simplistic bribery would never work. A 14-year-old entering slave-labour?? Really no.
My Loot
This evening we went home, and ate tea whilst watching Dr Who's Christmas Special, and Wallace and Gromits Christmas Special. And i ate an entire chocolate santa. I feel sick, obviously.
And we opened presents. For once i've got good presents!!!!! Usually i have a few where i think "eugh wat", but not this time really. I have lots of chocolate, lots of books, some CDs (The Killers, Razorlight, Alphabeat, Plain White Ts...YES), and some other random stuff (including an oven glove, an amazing salamander-shaped lamp, perfume, magazine subscriptions, etc).
New Years resolutions
I'm feeling like it's time for change. Over-indulgence getting to me i guess. I want to sort out all my crap (going to uni makes you realise quite how few material possessions you really need, and how much shit you own), lose weight (sorry), and handle christmas differently next year (ethics ahoy - something like no presents, or donations to charity in my name, and i do the same for others, or go back to homemade gifts). And i can see so much self-improvement i want to do - thinking about new years resolutions - but have too much i want to change!!