Deirdre Geraghty

Not long after l got back from having a cuppa with my neighbour John and his young son Tom my back started hurting. I don’t remember doing anything to cause it but this morning it has really seized up and is really painful. I am having to cancel my trip to the corner shop which my very kind neighbour Zoe is going to do for me.

I am having trouble with writing a post on my tablet again so just have to work out where everything is all over again.

I overslept this morning. I put on the BBC much later than usual and there is a car chase and police helicopters and a siege in France and more people dead in the Charlie Hebdo case. I will catch the News later.

I was very shocked to hear about the Islamic terrorist attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. The killing of 12 people is tragic but the freedom of the press is so important and many people protested as much around the world.  I am typing this on my old computer as the app on my tablet has disappeared.

Lawrence the postman often parcels and letters with me and more often than not l have to get hold of the recipient even though they receive a card telling them that I have their post. That quite often means I am unable to go upstairs until I have managed to deliver their post.

Yesterday I went to the surgery to be fitted with a blood pressure monitor. I was all strapped up with a band around my arm which was connected up to a unit on my waist. Every 20 minutes it puffed up and was very tight around my arm whilst it read my blood pressure. This went on all afternoon so I clock watched right up until 10 pm when I could take it off and go to bed. I am so sore this morning and I am very glad to have taken it back.

I woke up early this morning – well, about 4.10 am – and I put on the BBC to watch the news. I had my coffee and cereal in bed and then did my hour on my bike in 20 minute increments. Then, as l often do, l watched early morning ‘Breakfast’ . l thought what a bad example is shown by the female presenters (on all channels) who sit there wearing high heeled shoes. These shoes hurt the feet, can cause physical damage, are unsafe and the wearing of them are a bad socialisation for our youngsters.

I don’t often feel low – the small amount of antidepressant and the antipsychotic l take usually helps with that and the planet is such an amazing place for us to live on. My life – though a bit lonely at times – is good these days and, purely by accident, l have been born in a really good time and place to live. I am very lucky!

I had been trying to work out the best day to go into the City Centre. I had to go in for blood tests and also to go to Marks and Spencer to spend the voucher my ex-husband and his partner had sent me for Christmas. So I decided to do it all yesterday. I went in early by cab when it wasn’t too busy and got home by cab before 10.00 with a new jumper, bed socks and rose flavoured toiletries. The only way l can go that far is by cab these days.

My cleaner, Chani, has left me now. She is starting a new job with training at Mencap where she will train to become a support worker for people with learning difficulties. I am delighted for her but will miss her very much. We were on the same wavelength and I really liked her.