2024 GENERAL REVIEW
As stated in the previous two posts, I have had to separate my annual end-of-year review into separate posts or the whole thing would be impossibly long! As it is, both the Art Course review and the general art review are pretty long. I’m hoping this post won’t be so long – it shouldn’t be, because most of my time this year does seem to have been taken up with art!
The following topics are in no particular order of importance – just what came to mind as I was writing, and going back over the year’s posts.
Outings
Cat Cafe
One of the most fun outings of the year was to the Cat Cafe in November. Lots of super-laid-back kitties for us to admire while we indulged in cakes and tea, and lots of fun chat with other visitors who of course were all cat people like us. A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon. My hubby is booking us in for another visit soon. We are hoping there will be more kittens for us to cuddle, like the first time.
A great shopping trip
I don’t get out shopping very often at all because my hubby has to take me, so when I do, I really go to town (pun intended)! I adore going round the charity shops. This time I picked up loads of real bargains – garments I would never wear and which wouldn’t fit me anyway – fabric stash for the studio, to make into bags and other goodies. I haven’t done anything with this lot yet because I’ve been so busy with the art course this year.
The main reason for the trip was to get my two cat drawings framed for presents (for my hubby and his friend). Very difficult to get rid of my hubby in the gallery so I could discuss the framing with the owner – one of the drawings was for my hubby’s 75th birthday and I wanted it to be a surprise.
Devon County Show
Our annual treat which coincides with my hubby’s birthday. I am ashamed to say that I have not got around to sorting and editing the photos of the event this year, so I didn’t do a blog post about it. Maybe in the coming year I’ll get it done and slot it in on the appropriate date on the blog! Anyway, a good day out as always, and we wowed the beautiful flower arrangements and admired the sheep and other farm animals. It’s my favourite day out of the year.
We didn’t have many outings this year, mostly because my hubby was poorly (more later) and I was so busy with the art course and other things. I was very happy to be at home – there’s always plenty to do and I am never bored, and never feel confined by the four walls. Outings are great fun when they happen, though.
Birthdays
I was 71 this year and my hubby gave me a gorgeous art inspiration book, a sourdough loaf and a cake!
He was 75 and I did the coloured pencil drawing of him cuddling with Beatrice, our previous kitty who was joined at the heart with him.
Kitties
Lily and Ruby are now 7 years old, which is hard to believe. They continue to thrive and bring us great joy, amusement and above all, affection every day. They love each other and cuddle up together regularly, and they have their little sibling rivalries at times.
I was extremely annoyed at Tesco this year (although I think it was really Purina, not Tesco) because they reduced the portion size of the cat food from 100g to 80g pouches. One person commented in the review section on Tesco’s online shopping site, “Have you put my cat on a diet?” I decided to do some online research and discovered Republic of Cats, who supply tailor-made food of high quality on a subscription basis, and we started them on that. After a few teething problems as we all got used to the new regime, they have settled down very well with it and are enjoying it immensely. It’s more expensive than the regular supermarket cat food but is far higher quality without the fillers and rubbish in most commercial food. The after-sales service is second to none and we got some helpful advice in the early days till we got their menus right.
Ruby continues to be very greedy and eats too fast and is often sick after meals. This has reduced since being on the new food (after a lot of sickness initially, with one flavour that didn’t agree with them – it affected Lily too) – as long as we can get Ruby to slow down. We bought a new feeding bowl for her to help with this and it’s made a big difference.
Vegetable oddities – conjoined twins!
I’m not sure what is going on – whether there’s something in the environment that’s causing it, but over the past year I have had an increasing number of what I call conjoined twin vegetables in my groceries. Here’s a selection.
Here’s a mushroom from last year to complete the set.
Weird, or what? This srt of thing really intrigues me!
My Christian faith
This year was a very special anniversary for me, as it was 40 years ago that I became a believer in Jesus on 22nd September 1984. To celebrate this anniversary I made myself a tiny “Bible” from some downloaded miniature book covers and Mediaeval book pages I got on Etsy. I embellished the cover with some little gems and painted the edges of the pages with gold.
It’s about 2 1/2 inches tall.
For the full meaning of what it is to be a Christian, please read my page “New Life in Christ” – tab at the top of this blog.
It is 100 percent, hands-down, the best thing that has ever happened to me in my whole life.
New/old car
We got our third Renault Kangoo this year. These vehicles are getting pretty scarce these days, and a lot of them get snapped up for conversion for disabled drivers. Our first car since I began using a wheelchair was a Fiat with a ramp at the back and my hubby never liked it. The Kangoos have all had a normal tailgate and we’ve got a crane fitted in the back so that my hubby can lift my wheelchair into the back with ease. The wheelchair itself is extremely lightweight and the regular wheels are quick-release, but I do not have the energy for un-assisted self-propulsion and have a power assist system fitted. The motors are in the wheel hubs and make the wheelchair extremely heavy. It’s a pain getting the wheels off and disconnecting the electrics, so the crane in the back of the car is brilliant. We got this car on Ebay as we have done before, and there was quite a bit wrong with it. My hubby worked with a lovely neighbour, as well as our usual car mechanic who does servicing and MOTs etc., to put the problems to rights, cannibalising parts from the old car which was then scrapped. It all works pretty well now, but we do realise that being pretty old, it’s not going to go on for ever and eventually my hubby is going to have to accept that more modern versions are a lot bigger, which he doesn’t want. The vehicle is ideal for us in so many ways – lots of storage space and room for all his gear when he goes out metal detecting, and even with the wheelchair in the back he can take 4 passengers. He also drives much better with an automatic gearbox which the past several cars have all had. The reason we got rid of the last one was because the gearbox was failing and it would cost silly money to get it repaired.
Health issues
Cataracts
Back in February I had my second cataract operation done, and after everything had healed up and I’d got my new glasses at last, my vision was improved beyond recognition. Nearly a year on, I am still trying not to take it for granted. It is the most amazing procedure, and done so quickly and you don’t even have to stay in hospital these days. I am still wearing glasses but that doesn’t worry me as I’ve worn them for so many years and am quite used to them. Everything is working just fine. The whole thing was quite an adventure, and the staff at the clinic were so interested to hear all about my Dad and how he operated on two tiger cubs with congenital cataracts back in the 1950s, which you can read all about here.
Colorectal
I have now been waiting six years (not joking) for my major abdominal surgery to repair my parastomal hernia for the third time, and to sew up my rear end (the infamous “Barbie Butt” operation – go figure!). I last saw the consultant (surgeon #3 on this long journey in Exeter – enter Clown World as you walk through its portals) at the beginning of August and have heard nothing since. My hubby says I must chase them up now we are into the New Year, and I suppose I must, but I am getting this sinking feeling that history is about to repeat itself and they will have again lost my records… I am seriously wondering whether this operation is ever going to happen.
M.E.
My M.E. plugs on much as usual. It’s defnitely better than it was in the early days after I was diagnosed in 2007 and I put this down in large measure to our change to a whole-food plant-based diet. My sleep is still awful and my diurnal clock all over the place, and my mobility isn’t brilliant. I use a wheelchair out and about and depend on my trolley in the house. I try to do all my work (cooking, other domestic stuff, office work) in the mornings even though I don’t get myself going very early, so that I can do creative stuff in the afternoons and evenings. I often have to take a nap late p.m. or early evening and if I’ve had a particularly busy morning I need to rest all afternoon or I will definitely suffer for it the following day. These days it is rare for me to be confined to the recliner in a state of total exhaustion all day, and I’m really thankful for that! I have got my meal planning and cooking down to a fine art now which definitely saves energy, and I have a pretty tight routine to enable me to function as I do. I am very dependent on my hubby for a lot of things, including any outings away from the house. He’s had a lot to cope with, with my various health issues over the years and I don’t know what I’d do without him!! M.E. is now so much part of our lives that we don’t think about it much but just manage it, and work our lives around it. You have to give these things house room and learn to co-habit with them – it is completely counter-intuitive to attempt to fight it all the time as so many people do. Management is key, and getting the right balance between activity and rest.
My hubby’s cancer
My hubby was diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, but he has responded very well to his treatment (radiotherapy and hormone therapy). They are very pleased with him. It has definitely taken its toll on him, though, as he has a lot less energy than previously and is looking older. I am pleased that he has cut down on quite a lot of his activities although he’s still pretty busy! He’s done very well, all things considered. He’s part of a self-help group locally and many of his fellow-sufferers have done a lot worse than he has.
Conclusion
I can’t think of anything else of note that has happened in the past year. Regarding what is going on in the world, and closer to home in our own country, I won’t even go there… The world has gone crazy. If it wasn’t for my Christian faith and my knowledge of the Bible, which prophesied thousands of years ago the events we are witnessing today, I would probably be just as scared and anxious as many are today who do not have this anchor, and core of peace in their heart.
Jesus said to His disciples, after describing to them what would happen at the end of the age, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28). He has promised to come for those of us who have put our faith in Him before the wrath of God is unleashed on a rebellious and unbelieving world – all the signs – the “birth pangs” as He described them, are now in place, and the end is very near. Now is the time to get right with God by putting your faith in the saving death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Please see my “New Life in Christ” page for full details.
