In Sainsbury's this morning I bumped into the secretary of a school where I did a few months supply last year. Last time I met her, she told me that one of the staff was very ill in hospital.
"How's Xxxxx?" I asked.
"He passed away last month," she said sadly.
My shopping was piling up at the checkout behind me as I listened to her. I had only worked with him for a few months but he had been friendly (not all the staff had made the effort) and was just a pleasant, easygoing man, always ready with a joke or a lighthearted comment.
I turned back to my shopping and the cashier.
"It puts things into perspective, hearing of someone dying," I remarked as she waited for me to catch up with packing my shopping. (I never can get them to do it for me!)
She looked at me blankly and did not reply.
Leg problems
Keith has been off work for two days. For a workaholic like him, this is a sad indication that all is definitely not well with him healthwise. Yesterday he actually called the doctor, who told him he has a blood infection and needed to go to hospital to have intravenous anti-biotics.
"No way, Jose," replied Keith (or words to that effect.) "Can't I just have tablets and stay at home?"
Given the current lack of confidence in our health service, and particularly the problems of omnipresent superbugs, the plea was possibly not that daft and the doc agreed, on condition that Keith rings him in a couple of days to report progress.
Of course Sod's Law dictated that he should fall ill on the day of his outpatient appointment to see the specialist about his ankle (broken in March and still not right), so no doubt he will have to wait another couple of months for his next one. Happy days!
"No way, Jose," replied Keith (or words to that effect.) "Can't I just have tablets and stay at home?"
Given the current lack of confidence in our health service, and particularly the problems of omnipresent superbugs, the plea was possibly not that daft and the doc agreed, on condition that Keith rings him in a couple of days to report progress.
Of course Sod's Law dictated that he should fall ill on the day of his outpatient appointment to see the specialist about his ankle (broken in March and still not right), so no doubt he will have to wait another couple of months for his next one. Happy days!
The Aftermath
Some of the children were anxious today. They had heard from their parents that the school would now definitely be closing.
"Will you still be staying here, Miss?" asked one of the older girls. "You won't be leaving us in the middle of Year 6?"
Others were worried that they would have to leave the school almost immediately. Many of the younger ones didn't really understand what was happening but were aware that something was in the air. The aim was, and is, to keep everything normal (whatever that is) and to reassure both parents and children. So we spent part of our staff meeting composing a letter to the parents from all the staff.
"As long as your children are here, so will we be," we said, "and we'll have a year to remember."
"Will you still be staying here, Miss?" asked one of the older girls. "You won't be leaving us in the middle of Year 6?"
Others were worried that they would have to leave the school almost immediately. Many of the younger ones didn't really understand what was happening but were aware that something was in the air. The aim was, and is, to keep everything normal (whatever that is) and to reassure both parents and children. So we spent part of our staff meeting composing a letter to the parents from all the staff.
"As long as your children are here, so will we be," we said, "and we'll have a year to remember."
Collective noun for soya?
"I'm doing the shopping online this week," Keith announced, rolling up his sleeves at the computer. He began to go through the list...
"Soya milk?" he asked.
"Yes, please, three."
"I wonder what a soya looks like?" he mused.
"As big as a sheep? Would we have room for one on the lawn?"
"Maybe one, but not a herd."
"Is it a herd of soya? Maybe it's a flock."
"No, it's a shower - definitely a shower of soya," he announced firmly. "They have 27 legs and they're black and white."
"Would we have enough grass for a shower of soya to feed on?" I wondered.
"They don't eat grass, they eat coal grit. They live in south Wales because they like the coal grit there better than up here in the north. It's not gritty enough here. Now, what about yogourt?"
It's reassuring to know that one can have these intellectual discussions chez Jennyta...innit?
"Soya milk?" he asked.
"Yes, please, three."
"I wonder what a soya looks like?" he mused.
"As big as a sheep? Would we have room for one on the lawn?"
"Maybe one, but not a herd."
"Is it a herd of soya? Maybe it's a flock."
"No, it's a shower - definitely a shower of soya," he announced firmly. "They have 27 legs and they're black and white."
"Would we have enough grass for a shower of soya to feed on?" I wondered.
"They don't eat grass, they eat coal grit. They live in south Wales because they like the coal grit there better than up here in the north. It's not gritty enough here. Now, what about yogourt?"
It's reassuring to know that one can have these intellectual discussions chez Jennyta...innit?
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