Deirdre Geraghty

I am having a quiet Christmas this year. Just me and my cats, the television guide and a bottle of wine. My son and his partner take it in turns with their families and we were together last year but I will see them soon.

I went into panic – l had just recharged my windows phone when a message came up that Microsoft wanted to update it. So very nervously l clicked on ‘install now’ and prayed for the next twenty minutes that it wouldn’t ask me anything l didn’t understand which it has done in the past. At the end of it l had photographs l hadn’t taken and Cortana which I believe is a reminder service. I will ask my son about it next time I see him.

I have put on a lot of weight over the past year. I have been getting slowly bigger and know l have been eating extra things that I shouldn’t. But after Christmas l will get it in hand.

My son sent me a message about the lunch we will be having when they visit. He sent me the link and I tried to use it on my tablet to see the menu. A little box came up – l think it was asking ‘adobe reader’ or ‘chrome’ – l don’t know the answer to that – and whether always or just once – l don’t know the answer to that. My poor son must be getting fed up with me asking him questions.

I am back to arguing with myself this morning. On the one hand l would like to pop out to the corner shop sometime in the next few days – on the other hand it is very cold and I don’t want to be caught out of breath outside and be unable to get home. That has happened to me several times in the past and is the reason I tend to just stay home in the winter. I shall just keep on watching the weather reports.

I was just sitting here quietly, watching TV, when my two cats started chasing each other around the room, firstly Lily chasing Molly and then the other way around. They take no notice of me and use me as just another part of the furniture to be ran across. Then Molly gets a little rough and Lily starts hissing – time for me to step in and tell them not to fight. What sisters!

I try to go upstairs as early as possible at night. Not only because in this weather it is warmer upstairs but also because when I am upstairs l feel so much safer and less exposed than sitting downstairs. I love sitting in my bedroom with a drink and the cats and the television on. I also have an upstairs bathroom now – what a luxury!

My son let me know how to access my website emails and I checked them this morning. It seems l get one or two emails a year on it so today I read the last few years’ messages. I must apologise to everybody who has written to me on it and I promise I will check more often in the future.

It is such a relief to have all my Christmas shopping done including my groceries ordered. It is quite worrying not knowing when it will be too cold for me to venture out. Emphysema and asthma are no fun in this cold weather especially when you are going uphill.

I had been arguing with myself about whether to go to the craft group at Silver Road Community Centre. I really wanted to go but I had convinced myself that the people there didn’t like me. That is a reflection from my past and nothing to do with the people there so I pushed myself to go. I had a really good time and had a second attempt at making a Xmas tree. This time I was more successful. I left there with a Xmas card and a Xmas hug and was really glad l went.