23/12/2023 'Happy Christmas' by David

My first week at home after retirement has been very restful and satisfying. After pushing Alice out of bed so that she can go to work to enable me to continue to live the lifestyle that I am accustomed to, I have had a daily snooze, followed by breakfast in bed  then playing and sorting vinyl and watching old black and white films on TalkingPicturesTV. I've also made the first of many winter vegetable stews, to my mum's recipe, and finally got around to making jam out of the blackberries that I picked in the summer. 

Don't feel too sorry for Alice though, as I will do the cooking, the pot washing, the bins and the hoovering, like the proper little house husband I am going to become, and I will do as much as my body will allow me, for as long as I can.

I also, have lots of things to sort through prior to our impending house move, and I will need to gift, sell, or get rid of lots of items I had accumulated over the years. 

One aspect of being given a terminal diagnosis is that you no longer want or need to buy anything that you aren't going to be around to use. Recently I walked into a charity shop and I would usually go straight to look at the vinyl, the books and the clothes but I stopped myself and thought What is the point? 

I have so many records. I must have 500+ singles and 500+ albums, many of which I haven't played for years. I also have far too many books. Alice and I love books and we have an extensive collection, but I have lots of books that I have collected but never read, and as for clothes? Well, I have so many nice shirts, trousers and jumpers that I have rarely or never worn that I have been saving for nights when we are going out. But how many times do we actually go out? Twice a month, maybe three times? Basically, I need to get out more or be more selective with my wardrobe choices. 

With this in mind, after a few more dj sessions, I aim to play all my records at least one more time before I gift them to Alice, my daughters or friends. I am lining up all the books I really want to read by my bed, and I am putting all the nice shirts in a row in the wardrobe so that they all get their day in the sun, pub, restaurant, football match or gig.

I am also a bit of a hoarder and I'm conscious that it's unfair of me to leave Alice with all that I have collected over the years so I am sifting through the scrapbooks and notebooks, the football sticker albums and programmes, my Tintin, 2cv, and Sherlock Holmes collections, and all the stuff that I've bought on ebay over the years. I will be passing these items onto loved ones, friends or back to the charity shops. 

Anyone want a Jellikins wallet, a Charlie Brown Pez holder, a Wombles lightshade or a Smurfs lunchbox?

I actually went back into work this week to attend the final week of the Great Office Bake Off that my department have organised in my honour, to raise money for the MNDA. It was Christmas Bakes week and Alice and I made Christmas Dinner Stars, which was home made gluten free pastry with a vegan sausage and stuffing centre. We made 24 and they went like the proverbial hot cakes! The winner was a gorgeous and very well iced chocolate cake and over the 4 weeks, an amazing total of £400 was raised. All money that the MNDA receive goes towards assisting people like me to afford wheelchairs, their winter heating bills, adapted cars and homes, and making our lives as comfortable and worthwhile, for as long as possible. It also funds research into finding a cure to such a debilitating and vicious illness. 

On the fundraising theme, my friend, fiddle player, and MS sufferer Becky Haydock, organised a folk music concert on the island at Porchfield and raised over £600 for MNDA, and my daughter Anna has signed up to walk 15,000 steps every day in January for MNDA. If anyone would like to sign up and walk off the Christmas indulgence the link is

 https://fundraising.mndassociation.org/event/view/15000-steps-in-january

After my fall last week, I decided to take a week off from parkrun, which meant that Alice could run free like the wind and post a good time for a change but what did she do? She walked it! *d'oh*

I will be back running or more specifically jeffing at the Christmas day parkrun in Southampton and definitely holding on to Alice as I don't want to fall again. Jeffing, for non runners is a combination of run-walking, which for long distances is more energy efficient. It's named after a bloke called Jeff, obviously!

I took the opportunity to go over to the island to watch my hometown club Cowes FC beat Fareham 4-0 in the Wessex Premier League with my brother, and some other ex football teammates, and I stayed over with my lovely mum on Saturday night. We had our usual ginger wine toast to dad before bed.

Our Christmas jigsaw is nearly complete, which is just as well, as we need the table for our Christmas dinner. I think one more session on Christmas eve should do it, but I have to report that I had another mini meltdown this week. This will be my last Christmas on my own two feet and as such, next Christmas will be very different and although I know that I will have many good days ahead, it's hard coming to terms with the reality that there will unfortunately, be many more bad days. Alice was there to pick up the quivering mess off the floor, and I will never be able to express how much she means to me. She literally is everything I want and need x.

Well, it's nearly Christmas, so I will sign off by wishing everyone who follows this blog, a happy holiday season. 

Whoever, or whatever you do, or don't believe in, whether we are good friends, acquaintances or total strangers, you are all special to me.

Alice and I would like to thank you all for your continuing support as we go down this horrible road that will inevitably, only end one way. Your love, your best wishes, and your kind words mean so much to us both x x