COMMENTS ON CWC Sept 2020 🥰 MEMORIES 🥰

jesi23

Welcome to the COMMENTS Thread.

Please post all comments in this thread, and keep the main thread reserved for your ENTRIES

_{underlined link is direct link to the entries thread}.

Topic for SEPTEMBER 2020 🥰 MEMORIES 🥰

This month’s topic was chosen by @killian12

She said in last month’s COMMENTS thread:
”Yes, memories - we all have lots of them, happy and some not so.
Hey, maybe that could be a suggestion for a new topic - Memories. (Unless it’s already been done?) 🌈” I liked the idea! If it has been done, it was at least a couple of years ago, and we are ALL creating NEW memories ALL THE TIME!

As always, the topic is subject to your personal interpretations and a variety of approaches are possible!

Entries should be your own work; if you decide to post anything written by someone else, please acknowledge their authorship.
Only your first entry will be considered; you can submit ‘non-entries’ (labelled as such) in this thread if you wish.

Please keep to a maximum 1500 words
winner will be decided at the end of the month on the basis of ‘reactions’ received
No prizes except the satisfaction of appreciation and the joy of writing
Please one entry per member
No abusive language please

Thank you to everyone who gets involved in this month’s CWC whether in submitting entries or in reading and commenting.

Everyone’s contributions are valuable and make this what it is!

I am looking forward to reading your entries and discussions this month! Jes

_{_🤡}

. . . _{NEXT MONTH: A TURNING POINT suggested by @amejoy}

killian12

jesi23
Hi jesi
Not posted for a few weeks (have had family issues to get sorted out).
Anyway, you can only imagine how humbled I felt when I read that my suggestion, “Memories”, had been chosen for this month’s topic.
I won’t be contributing myself - though, like everyone, I have so many memories I probably COULD write a book!
Good luck to all contributors. I look forward to reading your entries over the next few days. 😊

killian12

jesi23
Have just read your piece Jes.
A very memorable story telling us about parts of your life. Thank you for sharing some of your very personal memories.
Music I can relate to. I love music. And the memories it brings can be quite staggering.
As a young girl my family acquired an old upright piano from the local doctor. I was sent for lessons to a spinster lady, Miss Aitken. I can still see her face and the quaint room she had set up as the piano room in her little cottage.
A bit older, at secondary school, I was in the chorus of several Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. Loved that.
Then, as a young woman, joined an adult choir. Genre of music was mixed, but I always remember performing Handel’s Messiah.
Of course, there is music at funerals. How emotional for you to have made a pre recorded tape. That will stay with you forever I’m sure.
I was fascinated with the age 23 and all the different permutations (is that the right word?). So clever.
Yes, we should all feel blessed.
Thank you. ❤

polowoman

jesi23 - Hi Jes, I’ve just had a mad moment and posted a reply to @ja11 on the Entries thread. I have used soft delete so it’s not evident without clicking on the dots and have now copied and pasted it into this Comments thread. However, I was wondering if I should contact the giffgaff staff to have it removed or just leave it as is. Many thanks for your advice and sorry for the error, I can’t believe I did that after all the times I had to request the transfer to Comments from Entries of wrongly posted messages when I hosted the CWC!!

jesi23

@frenchielove sorry about that, I did the Entries thread first by mistake so I didn’t have a COMMENTS thread link ready when I posted it. I have corrected that now!

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frenchielove

jesi23 was @amejoy our winner for last month?

jesi23

frenchielove

Yes. @amejoy had 7 reactions and @caro120 and I had 5 reactions each
Of course, I thought the priority was trying to get the new threads up first …

Been to leg ulcer clinic on 1st; landlady came 2nd; still going through the proposed tenancy agreement as well; didn’t get much sleep Wednesday night thinking about it; also still working on getting flat ‘defragmented’ getting ‘clutter’ organised in too little space! _{_🤡}

frenchielove

jesi23 bless you, I wasn’t having a go, merely asking so I could congratulate the winner

caro120

jesi23

horrible moving, especially if not feeling too great. how long have you had leg ulcer? had friend of mums seemed to have had it for decades but was back in the 80’s, expect have made many medical advancements since then. very painful for her, she was stylish dresser then various things happened and then that to deal with.

Have you just moved or getting organised to do so? hope settle soon and find a place for things

jesi23

We are moved back into our ‘refurbished’ studio flat from the temporary flat down the corridor where we have been ‘stuck’ while work ceased during the Lockdown but need to find homes for things not put away but lived with for over six months while in limbo.

I’ve replied to your PD.

_{_🤡}

polowoman

jesi23 - So pleased you have made the move back and hope you are getting your flat organised again. Moving is always an ordeal, even if it is only along the corridor, but at least you can take your time to arrange things and get everything in its place.

Your leg ulcer is certain to be sore and painful but hope you are getting some relief now. I remember the Leg Ulcer Clinic when I worked at the hospital and understand the doctors and nurses there did help to make them more bearable for patients. Hope it all goes well for you. Take it easy and every opportunity to put your feet up and rest your leg.

amejoy

@polowoman Unexpected and entertaining - I’ve just enjoyed reading Isla’s autobiography. Thank you for this upbeat tale of penguin life.

polowoman

amejoy - Many thanks and so glad you enjoyed Isla’s trip down Memory Lane. Rather like you, I like to approach a title from an different angle, so delighted Isla’s autobiography was unexpected. 😀 🐧

Congratulations on being our August winner with your very inventive entry. As I said before, it has ring of the past - the mid 20th century - and seemed very authentic. I hope you will be contributing another of your writing masterpieces to this month’s CWC.

frenchielove

polowoman what a lovely read, many thanks ❤️

amejoy

polowoman Thanks. I’m working on a contribution, but am in a bit of a narrative knot and may have to try idea no.2 instead!

killian12

polowoman
Hi Lauretta
Oh, I so enjoyed reading Isla’s tale.
It could’ve been the dialogue for one of David Attenborough’s nature documentaries.
It also reminded me of the animation film “Happy Feet”.
Loved all the relationships Isla had - with her keepers, the other penguins, and, of course, the special one she had with her beloved George. In love, newlyweds, parents, and, then, the old married couple - her nagging him about the pebbles, exasperated - but she loved him to bits.
She experienced all different emotions, just like we humans.
It was heartwarming, Lauretta - just my cup of tea.
Thank you and well done. 💟

jesi23

polowoman Your leg ulcer is certain to be sore and painful

My ‘leg ulcer’ was a hole in my leg from walking into a foot rest for playing guitar way back in October 2018 which just failed to heal (definition of ‘leg ulcer’ by the way: not necessarily nasty and yuck). I was referred to leg ulcer clinic in the spring of 2019, and the nurse treated the wound with manuka honey dressings and compression bandages, and it was healed by September, just requiring wearing compression stockings: liners with compression value of 10mmHg.

Now I am prescribed compression stocking liners to prevent the legs breaking down again, which need replacing every six months. This was my second follow up appointment, and as my Doppler Test remains reasonable and I am only using one layer of compression, she said I can go to GP every six months for new compression stocking liners rather than come see her, unless I get any further wounds that don’t heal. I do elevate my legs all night and when I remember during day, and religiously wear the stockings, so I must be doing something right.

Yesterday I sneezed for about 10minutes straight and nose started running again, so once again had to postpone today’s Dentist Appointment for another month … it was initially cancelled in May. _{_🤡}

polowoman

jesi23 - Relieved to hear your leg ulcer is on the mend and not as nasty and yucky as I had imagined, though still not pleasant. I am sure that persevering with the treatment will resolve it eventually. but it’s already been a long haul for you. Sorry you had to postpone your dental appt again but let’s hope it will be third time lucky next month. I have now booked flu jabs for husband and me for next month. With queuing in the car park, to maintain social distancing, just hope it won’t be raining on the day. Good luck with everything and thank you again for making the CWC a thread I always look forward to visiting. Btw, I already have an idea for next month’s theme so will see how than goes when I begin to write it.

polowoman

frenchielove - Many thanks for your kind words - so glad you enjoyed Isla’s “adventures”. Am hoping to read an entry from you this month - all good things are worth the wait!

polowoman

amejoy - You’ll get there in the end, and at least you have a second idea to fall back on. Whichever idea you use, I am sure it will be another very readable story. Good luck and, as I said to @frenchielove, all good things are worth the wait.

polowoman

amejoy - Have been bit busy over the last few days, including having an emergency fridge defrosting job with our no-defrost fridge! As a result, I haven’t had an opportunity to ready your entry yet but will do soon and will get back to you on here after that. I am really looking forward to reading it - your writing is always original and well crafted and I am sure your latest is no exception. Will chat again soon - have a great day!

serving_n_a_j

polowoman

Well… I’ve posted - memories of a Spitfire pilot. It’s a topic I have researched and read about extensively. I hope you enjoy.

serving_n_a_j

Well, my contribution is up, @ikhra_h ! You gave me the idea when you said write someone else’s memories so I did. The topic is a favourite of mine and one I have researched and read about extensively. I hope you enjoy the posting. 😄

frenchielove

Fantastic entry serving_n_a_j really enjoyed that, my dad often talks about the Spitfires and the war, he was training in the engineering side, so got to work on some of them.

ikhra_h

serving_n_a_j Can’t wait! I’m jumping over now!

polowoman

serving_n_a_j - Haven’t been online for a couple of days but delighted to see you have posted an entry. Am looking forward to reading it but will do so later when I can give it my full attention. Many thanks for letting me know. It sounds an interesting topic and I am sure I shall learn much from it.

serving_n_a_j

amejoy

serving_n_a_j My goodness Bud had a rough time of it! I was gripped as once again he was in peril. Thanks for that.

If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend First Light by Geoffrey Wellum, which is an astonishing first hand account of being a young pilot in The Battle Of Britain and other wartime flying experiences.

polowoman

serving_n_a_j - Your very-well researched piece is so enlightening, with more than a ring of authenticity, brought to us from Bernard (Bud) Flanagan’s perspective. It can’t be easy to write on a subject such as this with no personal experience but you have managed to give a clear view of his wartime assignments, showing his apprehension, fear and extreme courage throughout and I feel he is typical of the RAF fighter pilots in World War II. All seemed to support each other back on terra firma but when in the air they were alone, facing the dangers, while making split second decisions. We should all be grateful to them for the contributions they made to the war effort and the bravery with which they carried out their duties and endured dire injuries when shot down, some sadly being killed in the fray. With this year marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, these recollections of an RAF hero are very apt and help us to envisage some of the terrors these young men went through and it is to be hoped that in future such bravery will not be needed as war will be a horrifying memory, not a reality. However, I feel this is a forlorn hope.

killian12

serving_n_a_j
Well I enjoyed that!
I liked the way you composed it, using direct speech all the way through - makes it so personal for the character I think.
First thing that crossed my mind (before you mentioned it) was the Battle of Britain, it being the 80th Anniversary.
When my family were young, we used to go to a big air display at RAF Leuchars (north east coast of Scotland) at this time of year. It was commemorating the Battle of Britain. Great memories for us!
I also remember organising a cinema trip to Edinburgh with my classmates to see the film, way back in 1969. More memories!
As a young pilot Bud was very excited, no fear of the dangers - the adrenalin must have been flowing.
Then, all his “mishaps” (not the right word for such horrors)!
We had a hospital here in West Lothian, Bangour General Hospital, which was set up for the war wounded, specializing in the treatment of burns. It was only meant to be a temporary hospital but became our local hospital for many years. The unit was nationally renowned for it’s brilliance for years to come.
Another memory for me!
You and Bud have given us a history lesson - thank you.
“Lest We Forget”. 💟

serving_n_a_j

Thank you. It’s good to get an endorsement from someone with some background knowledge so your comment was appreciated frenchielove. Spits were in service with the RAF until the early 1950s when jet aircraft (the Gloster Meteor) took over with Fighter Command and were used in foreign air forces and for reconnaissance with the RAF until even later. It’s a great story for a small aeroplane and its development. By the way did you know there is a Haynes Manual (the people who do manuals for DIY car repairers) for the basic Spitfire?