Lørdag den 23. september 2017

Lois spotter en interessant artikel i ”The Week”-tidsskriftet, der handler om en   kommende madfestival i Margaret Bay regionen af Western Australia, hvor vores datter bor sammen med sin familie. Det lyder meget godt, så jeg scanner artiklen i og sende den til hende og Francis via email. Sidste år deltog Nigella Lawson og Rick Stein i festivalen.

 Tilbageblik til juni 2016: Lois og jeg besøger Margaret Bay-regionen

sammen med vores datter, Sarah og hendes små tvillinger.

vi besøger en vingård i regionen, hvor de tilbyder gratis appelsiner, 

hvilket tvillingerne var meget glade for

Nigella Lawson i Margaret Bay-regionen sidste år

En masse mænd fantaserer om Nigellas frodige former, men jeg fantaserer om de kremede desserter, vi ser hende mæske sig i så sensuel, i sær nu, hvor vi prøver at spise sundt.

Måske de australske festivalbilletter vil være for dyre for Sarah og Francis, i betragtning af, at kendisser deltager, men jeg ved, at Francis, vores svigersøn, er meget til madlavning, så det kan være, at de vil spare penge sammen for at købe billetter, men det er jeg ikke helt sikker på.

10:30 Lois indvilliger i at lave mad i dag for at give mig en fridag. Jeg mistænker, hun er blevet godt træt af mine studerende-retter – uha!

11:00 Vi går en kort tur i nabolaget, rundt omkring på den lokale fodboldbane, så Lois kan få lidt motion. Hun er lidt begrænset for tiden, fordi hun skal klare eftervirkningerne af sin øjenoperation, der foregik for 8 dage siden.

Vi går en kort tur rundt omkring på det lokale fodboldbane,

så Lois kan få lidt motion efter sin øjenoperation

12:00 Jeg hopper op på min kondicykel og tilbagelægger endnu 6 miles (10km), med spændingkontrol skruet op fra 1 til 2 for modstand, som i går. Det føles som om, jeg cykler op ad en lidt skrå hældning.

At cykle er meget kedeligt, så derfor tænder jeg for min smartphone og hører gamle sange på YouTube, mens jeg cykler. Hver gang jeg cykler, stiller jeg året ét eller to år tilbage, og i formiddag hører jeg 1935s bedste hitsange.

Desværre har jeg ikke hørt nogle af disse sange før. Sangene lyder ganske intetsigende og meget mere gammeldags, end selve 1936s sange, af en eller anden grund. Jeg får det indtryk af, at 1936 var starten på den moderne æra, når det kommer til mere spændende musik.

I 1935 var krigen stadig 4 år væk, men Hitler fortsatte med at bryde et efter et af de tilsagne, Tyskland gav efter den 1. verdenskrig – yikes! Men jeg synes ikke, folk i England bekymrede for meget over det – stor fejl !!!!

Jeg graver mine forældres fotoalbummer frem og kigger på 1935s fotos. Min mor var 15 år og hendes forældre var flyttet 1-2 år tidligere fra Glamorgan i Syd-Wales til Oxford, hvor der var meget flere arbejdepladser.  Jeg mistænker, hun dengang stadig talte med en walesisk accent. Hun havde fået et job som ekspeditrice i en af de lokale butikker.

Jeg har nogle fotoer af hende, taget under påskeferien, da hun ville have nødt en tiltrængt pause fra arbejde. Vi ser hende sammen med nogle af sine søstre og også 2 lokale drenge. En af drengene var Alan, som hun var lidt lun på, men som droppede hende af en eller anden grund.

Det er rart at se hende fjolle rundt og få det sjovt, som 15-årig, før livet blev mere seriøst.

min mor (15 år, på venstre) sammen med Ruth, sin storsøster (17)

og en lokal dreng (Alan, som min mor var lun på)

Webbers,  en stormagasin i Oxford, hvor min mor arbejdede

i midten af 1930’erne. Den blev lukket i 1975.

12:30 Efter min ”cykeltur”, dyrker jeg lidt mild vægtsløftning . Eksperterne siger, at det er vigtigt at dyrke muskeltræning, hvis man ønsker at ældes langsommere. Jeg pakker også en dynamometer ud, som jeg købte på nettet for et par år siden, men som jeg aldrig har prøvet. Da jeg bestilte den, led jeg af højt blodtryk, men Sarah, min læge, fortalt mig for 2 måneder siden, at jeg ikke længere lider af det. Så derfor nu er jeg usikker på, om jeg er nødt til at bruge den, eller ej. Man siger, at håndgreb øvelser hjælper med at sænke blodtryk, men er de også nyttige, hvis man ønsker at ældes langsommere og sænke ens kropsalder? Det er jeg ikke helt sikker på.

Men jeg må for enhver pris undgå at blive til en ”kropsalder fanatiker” – det ville være en katastrofe for mine håb om at få et succesfuldt, pulserende socialt liv, det ved jeg med sikkerhed!!!

12:45 Vi spiser frokost, og bagefter går jeg i seng for at tage mig en gigantisk eftermiddagslur.

16:00 Jeg står op og drikker en kop te i sofaen. Vi snakker lidt. Lois er for tiden lidt bekymret over, at hun engang imellem i de seneste 3 uger har lidt af perioder af hurtig hjertebanken, som hun har lidt af af og til i mange år – hendes læge har sagt, at det ikke er noget alvorligt eller farligt, men hjertebanken ikke desto mindre opriver hende meget, hvilket er helt forståeligt.

Tja, jeg er ikke en læge ha ha ha! Men i mit hoved lyder det som et tilfælde af pludselig afslapning efter en synderligt stressende periode, hvilket er er problem,  jeg selv nu og da har lidt af. Der har for nylig været to årsager til stress i hendes liv, det første var sidste uges øjenoperation for grå stær, som hun i flere måneder er blevet lidt optaget af.

Den anden nylige årsag til stress har været hendes kirkes pop-up shop i midten af byen Tewkesbury. Hun har flere gange indvilliget i at hjælpe med at bemande shoppen, til dels fordi flertallet af kirkemedlemmerne kviede ved at blive involveret. Men det var langt ude af hendes comfortzone – hun er grundlæggende introvert, selvom ikke så meget som mig ha ha ha.     

Begge årsager til stress er i de sidste to uger forsvundet: hun har haft sin øjenoperation, der synes at have været vellykket, og pop-up shoppen har lukket. Jeg mener, at hendes krop nu skal vænne sig gradvist til en ny, mere afslappet situation, og det tager tid. Men jeg er ikke en læge ha ha ha!

Jeg har på fornemmelse, at jeg har kunnet berolige hende, eller det håber jeg i hvert fald.

18:00 Vi spiser aftensmad og derefter lytter vi lidt til radio, et interessant program, ”Den sidste ord”, som jeg i går optog på vores NowTV-enhed.  Lois og jeg har for vane at høre dette program hver uge, fordi vi ønsker at finde ud af, om nogen i de seneste 1-2 uger døde eller ej (jeg har bemærket, at der i de fleste uger sker nøjagtig 5 dødsfald).

David Shepherd, den populære kunstner, døde desværre den 19. september. Han var den slags kunster, som kritikerne foragter, men hvis malerier sælges godt i tusindvis af eksemplarer. Mange af hans malerier blev solgt af Boots, Storbritanniens største apotekskæde, hvilket betød, ifølge kunstkritikkerne, at malerierne var garanterede for at stå som indbegrebet af dårlig smag – uha!

Min mor købte et billede af to ponyer ved en vandfald, som hun så i det lokale Boots-apotek, og det var temmelig behageligt – det mår jeg indrømme.

Shepherds berømte maleri af en elefant hænger på væggen i mange tusindvis af huse, formoder jeg. Det hang  også i stuen af ”Delboy”, den ganske lurvede hovedfigur af den gamle BBC-sitcom ”Only Fools and Horses.

 stuen af den ganske lurvede Delboys hus i den gamle BBC-sitcom,

”Only Fools and Horses”, hvor Shepherds berømte elefant-maleri

hang på væggen efter Delboys såkaldte ”renovering” – uha!

Pointen er, hvilket ville du hellere have på væggen i din stue, Shepherds elefant eller for eksempel Munch’s ”Skriget”?

”Skriget” – ikke så pænt som Shepherd’s ”Elefant” –

ingen tviv om det !!!!!

Lois har en lidt besynderlige forbindelse med Shepherd. Da hun arbejdede på et lokale plejehjem, lige før hun i 2006 gik på pension, havde hun en kvindelige chef, en varm og frodig walisisk kvinde, der også havde et deltidsjob i restauranten af det tidligere Coop-stormagasin midt i byen. En dag smuttede Shepherds stedbror ind i restauranten, og, hvis jeg husker godt, var der øjeblikkelig super-hed kemi mellem dem. Lois’s chef forlod sin mand kort efter, og flyttede ind med stedbroren. Er derefter hørte Lois nu og da om de seneste nyheder af Shepherds kunstværker. Hvor er dog livet mærkeligt nogle gange!

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzzz!!!!!

English translation

Lois spots an interesting article in the "The Week" magazine, all about an upcoming food festival in the Margaret Bay region of Western Australia, where our daughter lives with her family. It sounds very good, so I scan the article in and send it to her via email. Last year, Nigella Lawson and Rick Stein took part in the festival.

Flashback to June 2016: Lois and I visit the Margaret Bay region

together with our daughter, Sarah and her little twins.

We visit a vineyard in the region,where they offer free oranges, 

which the twins were very happy about

Nigella Lawson in the Margaret Bay Region last year

A lot of men fantasize about Nigella's buxom figure, but I fantasize about the creamy desserts we see her gorging herself on so sensually, especially now that we to trying to eat healthily.

Maybe the Australian festival tickets will be too expensive given that celebrities are taking part, but I know that Francis, our son-in-law, is into food and cooking so they may save up some money to buy tickets, but that's something I'm not quite sure about.

10:30 Lois volunteers to cook today to give me a day off. I suspect she's got heartily sick of my student dishes - oh dear!

11:00 We go for a short walk in the neighborhood, around the local football pitch, so Lois can get some exercise. She is a bit limited for the time being because she has to cope with the effects of her eye surgery that took place 8 days ago.

We go for a short walk around the local football pitch,

so Lois can get a little exercise after her eye surgery

12:00 I hop up on my exercise bike and clock up another 6 miles (10km), with tension control turned up from 1 to 2 for resistance, like yesterday. It feels like I'm cycling up a gentle slope.

Cycling is very boring, so I turn on my smartphone and listen to old songs on YouTube while cycling. Every time I cycle, I set the year one or two years back, and this morning I listen to 1935's best hit songs.

Unfortunately, I have not heard any of these songs before. The songs sound quite bland and much more old-fashioned than the songs of 1936, for some reason. I get the impression that 1936 was the start of the modern era when it comes to more exciting music.

In 1935, the war was still 4 years away, but Hitler was continuing to break, one after the other, the commitments that Germany gave after the First World War - yikes! But I do not think people in England were worrying too much about that - big mistake !!!!

I dig out my parents' photo albums and look at 1935's photos. My mother was 15 years old and her parents had moved 1-2 years earlier from Glamorgan in South Wales to Oxford, where there were a lot more workplaces. I suspect she still spoke with a Welsh accent. She had got a job as a shop assistant in one of the local shops.

I have some pictures of her, taken during the Easter holidays, when she would have had a much needed break from work. We see her together with some of her sisters and also 2 local boys. One of the boys was Alan, whom she was a little sweet on, but who dumped her for some reason.

But it's nice to see her fooling around and having fun, as a 15 year old, before life became more serious.

My mother (at15 years of age) together with Ruth,

her big sister (17) and a local boy (Alan, that she was a bit sweet on)

Webber's, a department store in Oxford where my mother worked

in the mid 1930s. It closed in 1975.

12:30 After my "bike ride", I go in for a little mild weightlifting. Experts say it's important to do muscle training if you want to age more slowly. I also unpack a dynamometer that I bought online a few years ago, but have never tried. When I ordered it, I suffered from high blood pressure, but Sarah, my doctor, told me 2 months ago that I no longer suffer from it. So now I'm unsure if I need to use it or not. It is said that hand grip exercises help to lower blood pressure, but are they also useful if you just want to age more slowly and lower your body-age? I'm not entirely sure.

But I must at all costs avoid turning into a "body-age bore" - it would be a disaster for my hopes for getting a successful, pulsating social life, that's something I know for sure !!!.

12:45 We have lunch and after that I go to bed and take a gigantic afternoon nap.

16:00 I get up and we have a cup of tea on the couch. We chat a little. Lois is currently a little worried because from time to time in the past 3 weeks she has been suffering from periods of rapid heartbeat, something she has suffered from intermittently for many years - her doctor has said that it is not serious or dangerous, but the palpitations nevertheless upset her a lot, which is quite understandable.

Well, I'm not a doctor ha ha ha! But in my head it sounds like a case of sudden relaxation after a very stressful period, which is a problem I sometimes suffer from. There have recently been two reasons for stress in her life. The first was last week's eye surgery for cataracts, which she has been preoccupied with for several months.

The second recent reason for stress has been her church's pop-up shop in the centre of Tewkesbury. She has repeatedly volunteered to help man the shop, in part because the majority of church members shied away from getting involved. But it was way out of her comfort zone - she's basically an introvert, though not as much as me ha ha ha.

Both causes of stress have disappeared in the last two weeks: she has had her eye surgery, which seems to have been successful, and the pop-up shop has closed. I think her body now has to gradually get used to a new, more relaxed situation, and it takes time. But I'm not a doctor ha ha ha!

I have the feeling that I have been able to reassure her, or at least I hope so.

18:00 We have dinner and then listen to the radio, an interesting programme, "The Last Word" that I recorded on our NowTV device yesterday. Lois and I have the habit of listening to this programme every week because we want to find out if anyone has died in the last 1-2 weeks or not (I have noticed that most weeks exactly 5 deaths occur).

David Shepherd, the popular artist, died on September 19th. He was the kind of artist that the critics despise, but whose paintings sell well, and in many thousands of copies. Many of his paintings were sold by Boots, the UK's largest pharmacy chain, which meant, according to the art critics, that the paintings were guaranteed to be the epitome of bad taste - oh dear!

My mother bought a picture of two ponies by a waterfall, which she saw in the local Boots pharmacy, and that was quite pleasant, I have to admit.

Shepherd's famous painting of an elephant hangs on the wall in many thousands of houses, I suspect. It also hung in the living room of "Delboy", the rather shabby and squalid main character of the old BBC sitcom "Only Fools and Horses."

The living room of the shabby Delboy's house in the old BBC sitcom,

"Only Fools and Horses", where Shepherd's famous elephant painting

hung on the wall after Delboy's so-called "renovation" – oh dear!

The point is, which would you rather have on the wall in your living room, Shepherd's elephant or, for example, Munch's "The Scream"?

Munch’s “The Scream”: not as nice as Shepherd’s “Elephant”

no doubt about that!

Lois has a bit of a strange connection with Shepherd. When working at a local nursing home just before retiring in 2006, she had a female boss, a warm and buxom Welshwoman, who also had a part-time job in the restaurant at the former Coop department store in the town centre.

One day, Shepherd's step-brother popped into the restaurant and, if I remember rightly, there was instant super-hot chemistry between them. Lois's boss left her husband shortly after and moved in with the stepbrother. And after that, Lois used to hear the latest news about Shepherd's works of art now and then. How strange life is sometimes!

22:00 We go to bed - zzzzzzz !!!!!