Distractions

  

After my last blog entry and the continuation of anxiety and consequent loss of sleep, I'd like to think that I employed that good old tactic known as distraction. Others might perceive it as being the evolutionary flight response.

We spent two days in York, staying in a hotel overnight to make sure we well and truly escaped the issues haunting us. As well as taking in its ever growing Christmas Market and a fantastic evening meal out, it was a great opportunity to visit the Art Gallery and museums when most people were choosing to indulge in that popular December pastime of Christmas shopping, enabling us to enjoy crowd-free exhibits. The latest exhibition at the art gallery is entitled "The Art of Wallpaper: Morris & Co." Humour me, I wasn't sure what to expect, but we actually found the history of wallpaper and the framed samples fascinating.

Amongst our various visits, we also called in at The Yorkshire Museum. I have to say it has changed significantly since I was last in there when the Eldest and Youngest were both children. Gone are the cases and cases of objects and instead the themed areas really do tell a story and to the extent that it wasn't so difficult to imagine Yorkshire with its Jurassic coast and dinosaur inhabitants. The Roman mosaic floor that used to be displayed on a wall and is the centrepiece of the display of York in Roman times, is once again laid on the ground and no peering at it from afar, so long as you remove your shoes, you are permitted to walk on it. Talk about connecting with the past! The original Anglo-Saxon helmet, discovered hidden in a well, when the excavation of Viking York took place is also on display, prompting a long discussion with one of the helpful museum staff with nobody else around to vie for her attention.

 

Then, two days later I was off by train to see the family in London. Most of my time there I was occupied with Grandotty who was suffering from a fearful cold but I also got to meet up with the Youngest for a trip to Kew Gardens. If it was roughly twenty years since I had visited the Yorkshire Museum, I quickly realised that my last visit to Kew was over forty years ago and apart from the magnificent Palm House and the red brick wall around the perimeter, I honestly couldn't remember it at all. Even the Great Pagoda eluded my memory so reacquainting was well overdue. Despite the time of the year we were treated to a beautiful blue sky, albeit chilly day which was perfect for strolling the gardens and enabled us to appreciate the warmth of the glass houses and even linger under the dome of The Hive where the sound effects are driven by real bees.

 

Of course, you can't put off the inevitable and the following week I was obliged to return and face the demons. Needless to say Grandotty gifted me her cold, so when Mister E and I went to the site meeting that I referred to in my last post, I was noticeably sniffling and shivering. As it was I didn't have to play the part of the sick and wretched victim, as somewhat embarrassingly for them (although I recall no apology) the Project Manager and the Company Director conceded "human error" on a number of counts and their strategy for reinstatement has been amended to our satisfaction. Whether they can deliver is another question but work starts again on site tomorrow, so I guess we shall soon find out!

In the meantime, Christmas preparations and celebrations are providing me with an alternative diversion. If I divulge that I have now eaten a roast turkey dinner three days in a row, you will appreciate the extent to which I am invoking the distraction technique. In fact, something of a record on my part the tree has been up and decorated for a week and presents have been bought and wrapped. If I keep this up, I'll have no idea what to do with myself on Christmas Eve!