17:00 Idag er det hitsange fra 1947, jeg hører mens jeg tilbagelægger mine
sædvanlige 6 miles (10 km) på min kondicykel og stirrer ud af vinduet på vores
dejlige baghave. Jeg prøver at huske året 1947, men jeg er sikker på, jeg på 1
år ikke brugte en masse tid på at lytte til radio for at nyde disse slags store
romantiske ballader. Jeg kan ikke undgå at bemærke, at mange af årets hitsange
først lød i periodens musikale film. Sangene virker ganske kedelige nu –
krigstidens Big Bang lyd var stadig populær.
Jeg kan ikke huske min afdøde lillesøster Kathys fødsel i november 1947 –
jeg var kun 20 mdr gammel. Jeg tror, at der var en lidt større aldersforskel i
Lois’s tilfælde, og hun kan huske sin mor komme hjem fra hospitalet med Lois’s afdøde
lillebror, Andrew.
Krigen var sluttet for 2 år tidligere og der må have været en meget
afslappet stemning, da mine forældre tog mig, som enebarn, på ferie til
badebyen Bournemouth i september. Hvordan føltes det at gennemleve 6 års krig
og bombekampagner? Lois og jeg vil aldrig virkelig vide svaret på dette
spørgsmål, selvom vi nu og da prøver at forestille os det.
1947Bournemouth:
jeg sidder, som hvidhåret enebarn, på min mors skød
på
stranden i badebyen Bournemouth, sammen med min far.
I
forgrunden ser vi familiens ven, Margaret Twelves, og hendes 2 sønner,
Peter
og Timothy. Min mor var 7 mdr gravid med Kathy, min kommende lillesøster.
18:00 Lois og jeg spiser aftensmad og bagefter ser lidt fjernsyn. De viser tv-quizzen
University Challenge, et af de få tv-programmer, der ikke er egnede til meget
dumme mennesker ha ha ha.
I aften dyster et hold bestående af 4 studerende fra Bristol University
dyster mod et lignende hold fra Trinity College, Cambridge.
Det er meget vigtigt for Lois og mig at ”dyste” selv mod begge hold, ved at
svare så mange svar rigtigt som muligt, fordi det giver os lidt selvtillid, at
vi endnu ikke lider af demens – uha! Hvordan spotter man, at demens begynder at
være et problem? Det ved vi ikke. Et ”problem” med alderdom er, tror jeg, at
man bliver lidt mere afslappet, og det uudtalte spørgsmål ”hvad rager det mig?”
gør én lidt mere ligeglad med ting, som man bekymrede sig over, da man var
yngre. Så man nogle gange ikke gider at forpligte ting til hukommelsen måske.
Ved slutningen af aftenens quiz er vi ganske tilfredse med vores ”præstation”
mod disse 2 unge hold, og der er mindst et spørgsmål, vi svarer rigtigt på, som
begge hold ikke kan: identitet af floden, hvor Wolf-øen og resten af den
såkaldte ”1000 øer”-gruppe ligger – Lois og jeg ved, at det rigtige svar er St
Lawrence floden – hurra! Selvfølgelig må vi indrømme, at vi i 1984 har besøgt
floden, men det er små triumfer som disse, der holder vores hoveder over vandet
ha ha ha. Stakkels os!!!!!
disse 8 unge hjerner mislykkes at svare spørgsmålet rigtigt
en stor katastrofe for
dem, og en lille triumf for 2 gamle krager som Lois og mig
– du godeste, vi er blevet så overfladiske!
Tilbageblik til 1984. Vi besøger
St Lawrence floden i Canada.
Hvor ser Lois dog ung ud – du godeste, tiden
flyver!
21:00 Vi fortsætter med at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser en interessant
dokumentarfilm, der handler om Prins William og Prins Harry og deres minder om
deres mor, Prinsesse Diana.
En meget rørende film, selvom mange af programmets ”afsløringer” allerede er
blevet lækket til pressen. Filmen er meget lange (90 minutter), så vi beslutter
kun at se den første time, og optage resten for at se i morgen.
Programmet fremviser de to prinsers syn på deres mor, en syn, der
selvfølgelig er meget positiv. For vores vedkommende er det meget rørende at
blive mindet om Dianas forfriskende venlighed og charme, og hendes jordnære
egenskaber. Igennem de to prinser har hun bidraget med noget godt og frisk til
den kongelige families gener, synes vi, og hjulpet den med at overleve
fremtidens kriser forhåbentlig.
Lois og jeg var nogle gange kritiske overfor prinsessen. Hun kritiserede
pressens påtrængende karakter, men hun udnyttede også pressen af og til, når
det tjente hendes formål.
22:00 Vi går i seng. Jeg læser 9 sider af min sengetidbog om James,
hertugen af Monmouth, før jeg glider over i søvnen – zzzzz!!!!
04:30 Jeg står tidligt op og laver én af mine rutinemæssige danske
ordforrådtest.
Jeg kigger lidt på nettet. Alison, vores datter i København, og Ed, hendes
mand, har lagt et charmerende billede af familien op på Facebook. De spiste
aftensmad for 2 dage siden – deres sidste aften i England, før de i går rejste
til Holland for at tilbringe en uge i et feriehus ude på landet.
Alison, Ed, og deres 3 børn om deres sidste aften
i
England, før de rejste til Holland.
De har lige tilbragt en dejlig uge i grevskabet Norfolk. Lois og jeg håber,
at ugen vil få dem til at genoverveje deres plan om at flytte andetsteds i
verden, når Eds job i København ophører ved slutningen af året. Kan det være,
at de er blevet forført til at flytte tilbage til England – det håber Lois og
jeg, men det er sandsynligvis kun ønsketænkning – pokkers!!!
08:15 Jeg hopper tilbage op i sengen til Lois og vi drikker vores morgenté.
Vi går i bad og bagefter spiser vi morgenmad.
10:00 Min ven, ”Magyar” Mike, kommer og vi lærer ungarsk i en time. Vi
læser en interessant lektion i vores nuværende lærebog, men jeg er helt sikker
på, at Mike finder det sværere og sværere at forstå bogens ordforråd og
grammatik – uha! Jeg foreslår, at vi skifter lærebøger og prøve at bruge noget
lidt nemmere – du godeste!
Vores nuværende lærebog var udgivet først i 1960’erne, og det er
interessant at se, hvor meget rygning dengang spillede en stor rolle i
personlige møder og andre sociale kontekster. Tre unge mænd mødes og snakker i
en lejlighed, og der er en morsom scene, hvor de fucker det op da de prøver at
tænde deres cigaretter – de kan først ikke finde tændstikker, de taber tændstikker
på gulvet, de samler dem op osv. Idéen af scenen er at forklare brugen af
positionelle præpositioner og adverb, og er meget opfindsom.
Der er en morsom samtale, hvor en af de unge mænd tilbyder sine venner
nogle bulgariske cigaretter. Hans venner siger nej tak – de ryger kun et
bestemt (ungarsk) mærke: Kossuth. Mike
og jeg finder det meget komisk, at der skulle være en mærke, der hedder Kossuth
– Lajos Kossuth var en velanset ungarsk politiker. Det ville være det samme med
for eksempel hypotetiske engelske cigaretter, der kan hedde måske
Cromwell-cigaretter, eller Gladstone-cigaretter. Er dette virkelig komisk? Nå, Mike
og mig, vi er enkle mænd med enkle hjerner – uha!
11:00 Mike skal af sted. Jeg graver min eksemplar af Gunnlaugs saga frem og
læser et par sider på det oprindelige oldislandsk. Gunnlaug, sagaens helt,
deltager i en rutinemæssigt møde af landets folketing, hvor han udfordrer
Hrafn, sin kærlighedsrival, til en duel på en speciel ø, hvor disse kampe
finder sted.
Gunnlaug var før i tiden forlovet med Helga, Islands smukkeste kvinde, men
Hrafn benyttede muligheden, under Gunnlaugs fravær i England, for at gifte sig
med Helga (med hendes fars tilladelse naturligvis). Helga havde ikke ingen
medbestemmelse i sagen – Island var en mands verden ha ha ha! Men hun hævner
sig på Hrafn ved at afvise ham sex, så det er Helga 1 Hrafn 0 på det nuværende
tidspunkt. Stakkels Hrafn!!!!
Helgas hævn - Hrafn har giftet sig med Helga mod hendes vilje, men hun hævner
sig
mod
sin mand ved at afvise sex med ham – stakkels Hrafn!!!!!
13:00 Vi spiser frokost på terrassen og vi snakker om Sarahs seneste
Whatsapp-besked. Sarah, vores datter i Australien, har sendt os et charmerende
billede af sine (næsten) 4-årige tvillinger på deres første kunstklasse, som
Lois og jeg har betalt for, som fødselsdaggave – de fylder 4 år i morgen, den
26.
Sarahs tvillinger, Lily og Jessica, vores børnebørn
deltager i deres første kunstklasse i Australien
Sarah vil have Lois og mig til at flytte til Australien, hvilket er en idé,
vi ikke holder ret meget af. Men Lois siger i dag, at det imidlertid rører
hendes hjerte, hver gang hun ser billeder af tvillingerne eller taler med dem
på Skype.
Men vi bliver pludselig klar over, at hvis vi flyttede til Australien,
ville vi have et stort problem med Minx, Alisons 17-årige kat, som flyttede ind
hos os, da Alisons familie for 5 år siden bosatte sig i Danmark.
14:00 Jeg går i seng for at tage mig en kort eftermiddagslur.
15:00 Jeg står op og vi kører ind i landsbyen. Vi smutter ind hos apoteket
for at hente Lois’s kolesterolpiller. Det er underligt at tænke, at jeg selv
ikke mere skal tage regelmæssig medicin. I 8 år tog jeg blodtrykpiller, men
sidste måned fortalte min læge mig, at det ikke længere var nødvendigt, ”hvilket
sker ikke ret ofte”, sagde hun. Det virker lidt som en drøm – det er ganske svært
at tro.
16:00 Jeg kigger lidt på nettet. Alison, vores datter i København, har lagt
nogle charmerende billeder af deres hollandske sommerhus op på Instagram.
det hollandske feriehus, hvor Alison i denne uge
bor
sammen med sin familie
Lois og jeg spekulerede for nogle dage siden på, at Alison og Ed havde
valgt det centrale Holland at bo i en uge i, fordi de gerne ville udforske
området – Ed har muligheden for at påtage sig et job i det centrale Holland.
Men nu kan jeg se, at sommerhuset er i nærheden af byen Enspijk, der er ikke
ret tæt på Zwolle, hvor Eds potentielle job ville være. Så endnu en teori bider
i græsset – uha!!!
Lois og jeg vil bare måtte se kendsgerningerne i øjnene – Eds næste job
kunne være hvor som helst i verden, og vi vil bare måtte være tålmodige –
yikes!!!!
English translation
17:00 Today it's hit songs from
1947 that I listen to while I'm clocking up my usual 6 miles (10 km) on my exercise
bike and staring out of the window at our lovely back garden. I'm trying to
remember the year 1947, but I'm sure that at 1 year(s) of age I did not spend a
lot of time listening to the radio to enjoy these kinds of great romantic
ballads. I cannot help noticing that many of the year's hit songs were first
heard in the period's musical films. The songs seem pretty boring now - the war
time's Big Bang sound was still popular.
I do not remember my late younger sister
Kathy being born in November 1947 - I was only 20 months old. I think there was
a slightly greater age difference in Lois's case and she can remember her
mother coming home from the hospital with her late younger brother, Andrew.
The war had ended two years
earlier and there must have been a very relaxed atmosphere when my parents took
me as an only child on holiday to the seaside resort of Bournemouth in
September. How did it feel to live through 6 years of war and bombing raids?
Lois and I will never really know the answer to this question, even though we
occasionally try to imagine it.
I sit, a snowy-haired only
child, on my mother's lap
on the beach at the seaside resort of
Bournemouth, along with my father.
In the foreground we see the family's
friend, Margaret Twelves, and her 2 sons,
Peter and Timothy. My mother was then 7 months
pregnant with Kathy, my future little sister.
18:00 Lois and I have dinner and
afterwards watch a little television. The TV quiz "University
Challenge" is on, one of the few television programmes that are not
suitable for very stupid people ha ha ha.
Tonight a team of 4 students from
Bristol University takes on a similar team from Trinity College, Cambridge.
It is very important for Lois and
myself to compete ourselves against both teams, by answering as many answers
correctly as possible, because it gives us some confidence that we are not yet
suffering from dementia - oh dear! How do you spot that dementia is beginning
to be a problem? We don't know. One "problem" of old age is, I think,
getting a little more relaxed, and the unspoken question, "What's it to
me?" makes one a little more indifferent to things that you worried about
when you were younger. So sometimes you do not always bother to commit things to
memory perhaps.
At the end of the evening's quiz
we are quite happy with our "performance" against these 2 young
teams, and there is at least one question we answer correctly, that both teams
cannot: the identity of the river where Wolf Island and the rest of the
so-called "1000 islands" group lies - Lois and I know the right
answer is the St Lawrence River - hurrah! Of course, we have to admit that we
visited the river in 1984, but it is little triumphs like these that keep our
heads above water ha ha ha. Poor us !!!!!
These 8 young brains fail to
answer the question correctly
A big disaster for them (???) and a little
triumph for 2 old crows like Lois and me
- good grief, we have become so shallow!
Flashback to 1984. We visit
the St Lawrence River in Canada.
How young Lois looks - my goodness, time
flies!
21:00 We carry on watching a bit
of television.
An interesting documentary is on,
all about Prince William and Prince Harry and their memories of their mother,
Princess Diana.
A very moving film, though many
of the programme's "revelations" have already been leaked to the
press. The film is very long (90 minutes), so we decide to see only the first
hour and record the rest to see tomorrow.
The programme shows the view the two princes have of their mother, a view that of course is very positive.
For us, it is very touching to be reminded of Diana's refreshing kindness and
charm and her down-to-earth qualities. Through the two princes she has
contributed something good and healthy to the genes of the royal family, we
think, and will perhaps help it to survive future crises hopefully.
Lois and I were sometimes
critical of the princess. She attacked the intrusive nature of the press, but
she also used the press occasionally when it served her purpose.
22:00 We go to bed. I read 9
pages of my bedtime book about James, Duke of Monmouth, before I drift off to
sleep - zzzzz !!!!
04:30 I get up early and do one
of my routine Danish vocabulary tests.
I take a little look online. Alison,
our daughter in Copenhagen, and Ed, her husband, have posted a charming picture
of the family up on Facebook. They were eating dinner 2 days ago - their last
night in England before they travelled to Holland yesterday to spend a week in
a holiday home in the country.
Alison, Ed, and their 3 children
on their last night
in England before they travelled on to Holland.
They have just spent a lovely
week in the county of Norfolk. Lois and I hope that the week will make them
reconsider their plan to move elsewhere in the world when Ed's job in
Copenhagen finishes at the end of the year. Could it be that they have been
seduced into moving back to England - that's what Lois and I are hoping, but it's
probably only wishful thinking - damn !!!
08:15 I jump back into bed with
Lois and we drink our morning tea. We go in the shower and afterwards we eat
breakfast.
10:00 My friend,
"Magyar" Mike, comes and we study Hungarian for an hour. We read an
interesting lesson in our current textbook, but I'm sure that Mike is finding
it harder and harder to understand the book's vocabulary and grammar - oh dear!
I suggest to him that we change textbooks and try to use something a little
easier - my goodness!
Our current textbook was
published in the early 1960s, and it is interesting to see how much smoking
played a major role then in personal meetings and other social contexts. Three
young men meet and talk in an apartment and there is a fun scene where they try
to light their cigarettes - they cannot find any matches, then they drop the
matches on the floor, they pick them up, etc. The idea of the scene is to
explain the use of positional prepositions and adverbs and is very inventive.
There is a fun conversation where
one of the young men offers his friends some Bulgarian cigarettes. His friends
say no thanks - they only smoke a particular (Hungarian) brand: Kossuth. Mike
and I find it very comical that there should be a brand called Kossuth - Lajos
Kossuth was a well-known 19th century Hungarian politician. It would be the same with, for
example, hypothetical English cigarettes, which might be called Cromwell
cigarettes, or Gladstone cigarettes. Is it really amusing? Well, Mike and me,
we are simple men with simple minds - oh dear !
11:00 Mike has to leave. I dig
out my copy of Gunnlaug's saga and read a few pages in the original Old
Icelandic. Gunnlaug, the hero of the saga, attends a routine meeting of the
country's parliament, where he challenges Hrafn, his love rival, to a duel on a
special island where these fights take place.
Gunnlaug was himself previously
engaged to Helga, the most beautiful woman in Iceland, but Hrafn used an
opportunity, during Gunnlaug's absence in England, to marry Helga himself (with
her father's permission of course). Helga had no say in the matter - Iceland
was a man's world ha ha ha! But she revenges herself on Hrafn by refusing him
sex, so it's Helga 1, Hrafn 0 at the present moment. Poor Hrafn!!!!
Helga's revenge - Hrafn has married
Helga against her will, but she takes
her revenge on her husband by refusing him
sex - poor Hrafn!!!!!
13:00 We eat lunch on the terrace
and we talk about Sarah's latest whatsapp message. Sarah, our daughter in
Australia, has sent us a charming picture of her (almost) 4-year-old twins at
the first session of their art class, which Lois and I have paid for as a
birthday present - they turn 4 years old tomorrow, the 26th.
Sarah's twins, Lily and
Jessica, our grandchildren
attending their first art class in Australia
Sarah wants Lois and me to move
to Australia, which is an idea we do not much care for. But Lois says today,
however, that it touches her heart every time she sees pictures of the twins or
talks with them on Skype.
But we suddenly realise that if
we moved to Australia, we would have a big problem with Minx, Alison's
17-year-old cat, who moved in with us when Alison's family settled in Denmark 5
years ago. Oh dear!
14:00 I go to bed and take a
short afternoon nap.
15:00 I get up and we drive into
the village. We drop in at the pharmacy to pick up Lois's cholesterol pills.
It's strange to think that I myself do not need to take regular medicine any
more. For 8 years I took blood pressure pills, but last month my doctor told me
that it was no longer necessary, "which does not happen very often,"
she said. It seems a bit like a dream - it's pretty hard to believe.
16:00 I take a little look
online. Alison, our daughter in Copenhagen, has posted some charming pictures
of their Dutch cottage on Instagram.
the Dutch holiday house,
where this week Alison
is staying with her family
Lois and I wondered a few days
ago that Alison and Ed may have chosen central Holland to stay in for a week
because they wanted to explore the area - Ed has the opportunity of a job in
central Holland. But now I can see that the cottage is actually near the town
of Enspijk, which is not that close to Zwolle, where Ed's potential job would
be. So another theory bites the dust - oh dear!!!
Lois and I will just have to face
the facts - Ed's next job could be anywhere in the world and we will just have
to be patient - yikes !!!!
