It’s customary for this retirement blog to review the year nearly gone by at about this point. In order to make this as realistic a view as possible I have been rereading this blog from a year ago and of course checking with my diary. If you’re going to engage in this kind of activity it’s certainly helpful to have at least the diary (and if possible the blog) as the basis for your review. I have a tendency to look back, not quite in anger, but at least with a kind of negativity, so rereading keeps me on what might be described as ‘an even keel’ or honest.
I have not always been enamoured of the year that’s nearly gone. In fact if I was scoring this last year (another one of my little foibles) I would struggle to give it anything above 6.5 on a ten point scale. You might think that’s OK but, as somebody who has managed 7s and 8s over the last few years, it’s only just within acceptable limits.
So it’s something of a comfort to look back on last year (the year of my two operations and recovery) and realise that this year is better. There I’ve said it and now can I justify such foot-loose optimism? I’ll try. Christmas was pleasant enough with attic club reinstated (look it up) and a measure of my improvement.
I suppose overall my health has been better than last year especially reading about my trials and tribulations with my catheter. My peeing is better, either that or I’ve learned to live with my (caught) short-comings. Either will do I suppose. Mrs Summerhouse has had her health issues but she continues on, same with the dogs even though they’re older than both of us in dog / human years.
Before I get too carried away with positivity let me say that my balance issues have been worse. A lot of checks of one kind or another but no resolution thus far. I carry this with me into the New Year. Probably my diabetes scores have been somewhat worse and a change of drugs hasn’t helped, in fact in some ways they’ve made matters worse. My strategy for this health issue is shall we say, under review. So the jury is out but an additional worry is that my current diabetes medication seems to be affecting my kidneys with CKD now on the horizon. Look it up if you’re interested. I’m just adding it to my list.
Not sounding much like even a 6.5 is it? And while we’re reviewing the year’s score and thinking of revising it downwards let me say at least I’ve managed another year and I’m now 76. An age when it is possible to ascribe any health condition to old age. Nothing unlucky in that just the way things are when you are indisputably old. I’ve had friends who haven’t made it this far, now that’s unlucky.
Other life areas present a mixed picture. For example, I’ve been really poor with my physiotherapy exercises but managed two walks totalling an hour every day with the dogs. With my music. I have, after trying last term to regularly attend folk fiddle / guitar sessions, finally given in. The challenge for next year will be to find some form of musical substitute perhaps in my attic with my fairly new recording equipment See above with apologies for repeat image but it’s a symbol of optimism). I’ll keep you informed how this side of things works out.
This last year was a poor one for the vineyard. A combination of poor weather and my poor physical health meant no harvest and of course no wine. The fact that other British vineyards had a similarly lean time helps a bit but even though that favourite expression of my grandma’s, ‘misery loves company’, applies here, it’s only of limited comfort. Next year I’m hoping to hand over much of the running to my son in law and my daughter so I hope the vineyard will live on in some form.*
As for travel, well not too bad. We’ve managed trips to Derbyshire and the barn / vineyard and even a trip to Scarborough and a night in a hotel. But that’s about it. Next year the challenge will be whether we can get further afield and for longer. Probably not Ireland, sadly, but maybe Scotland or Wales. In the meantime my writing these blogs is going OK with an output of one every two weeks. So that’s a positive. So maybe the 6.5 is about right all things considered.
*I’ve just read an article about vineyards in Scandinavia, quite inspiring and if they can do it, well so can we. I will try and write a blog about this as I’m nearing 100 blogs on the vineyard and it would be nice to get my century. Talking of sport, football specifically my life-long squeeze, Nottingham Forest, are doing exceptionally well so far this season (second place), we will see if this continues next year. And with that positive flourish I’ll finish except to say a happy and healthy new year to all of us.