Monday, October 31, 2005

TIME AND PLACE

My post site will be quiet for a few days as I shall be away for however long it takes -

The offer of a phone call when I am staying nearby to my husband who will be in hospital next week, 120 miles away from home, gave me a warm feeling which was soon dispelled when the reason for the call was to give me details of where to find a particular cheese.

There are a number of kindly people who are offering me diverting activity if I wish it, offering company with a coffee, a visit to their homes so I do not sit alone and so on. Visiting the hospital will take up large chunks of time, which will be my main purpose for being in the area, and apart from that, I too have all sorts of things I can keep myself occupied with during the times I will not be at the hospital. Hunting out and purchasing cheese will not be high on my agenda.

The reason for the distance involved is that our regional hospital with a number of major specialist departments (not all by any means) is based in the nearest city which is a 240 miles round trip from home. The journey is along quite difficult roads, some being quite alpine in parts, with the requisite hairpin bends. The road carries heavy traffic and it is not suited to modern requirements. Our small county hospital based 20 miles away, has only one true specialist service, gynaecology and maternity, which will definitely not meet my husband’s needs!

When you live in a remote area you do help out with all sorts of requests in the ordinary course of events: that’s part of community life. I have even found myself in a Laura Ashley store in the city, at the time a neighbour of an in-law was on the phone requesting a design sample of wallpaper, which the store would not normally have posted. I trotted out with my purchase and the design sample in the same bag.

There is a time and a place…

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