ideas

I have had some lovely comments, it is most exciting to find people have actually found and read my blog. Thank all of you.
Shoes! These have been a nightmare finding pairs. The answer is simple, clip them together with a good clothes peg as soon as you take them off.
Decided to go down to our lovely Indian grocer where I found a new face. Harry the young helper had gone back to India to 'find' himself, but hope he comes back! So I asked Sheshu for copper and brass cleaner. He searched the breads. 'No no its a cleaning stuff like silver cleaner'. 'Ah ! yes, but no silver cleaner.' I replied 'Oh yes in a blue bottle.' He found it, Great I said and near it will be the copper end brass cleaner. Out came silver liquid,then gold cleaner , so I suggested Brasso and we ere there. 'Now peppered ham'. 'Ah poppadams this way' , No and very clearly peppered ham, but I knew more or less where it was kept! 'lastly water biscuits,but he offered me chocolate and every other sort,so gave that up and suggested oat cakes, a mistake as he rushed excitedly to cakes and bread, but we finally found them and a queue of grinning customers. We remained friends and he escorted me over the road. I was exausted!

A few years ago I planted a small bambo-one that pandas eat! outside a south facing window,expressly to see which way the wind , if any, is blowing. It is now over 6ft and shaved like a mop, I can see it black against the bright water and sky dancing like a dervish,I love it! Living in a flat it is quite difficult to tell the weather without unbolting the outside door in winter I find that colour contrast is useful, and the cooker top is black and the worktops white. Put a white mug on the black top,pour wateron to coffee and you can gauge when it is full enough by the remaing white rim. You can get a pinger to put on the rim which is useful. I also have the prettiest of talking watches hanging on a chain. It is circular with a wonderful edgeing which makes it look antique.

Deciding to go shopping in Sloane Square, I have to cross a major road with three way traffic. There is only an island I can safely reach, and there I am stranded until some kind person will rescue me! I take this route as only one bus stops here, so I do not have to run up and down asking the numbers! The drivers are usually foreign Someone will always tell me where to get off. If not meeting a friend I find an assistant to take me up in the lift. Waiting for an assistant to serve me I decided to look and feel the hats and discovered there was now a long counter under them displaying gloves and bags, I also thought i saw a store detective eyeing me so thought I would have some fun! So moving along I tried on hats and picked up various articles. I could see a movement on the other side, and in the end I decided to give her a broad smile. She was still there so I peered closer and discovered it was myself! There was a cleverly hidden mirror. I started to laugh until I saw assistants regarding me rather strangely.

digi box

At last the sun is out and the howling wind gone from the river. So a good day to meet a friend for lunch so no need to make much supper. Striding down the pavement to the club where there no roads to cross, a man passing asked if I was water divining? We had a laugh, and I greplied- this is not a forked hazel but a rare solid bamboo! Thats a new one! Returning home, Ijust avoided eating a soggy tea bag I had not felt on a tea plate where I had put asmall bun!
Another good gadget is the talking digital TV box. It reads out the numbers as you press the buttons, and also on some programs, a voice fills in silent parts , mostly well done but it can be annoying, but on the whole useful. It can be switched off but difficult to put on again in fact impossible for me as I discovered when a grandson had been staying!

disaster

What with the floods, rain, and the BBC axing one of the best digital radio stations,a disastrous start to the week.It was called One Word, and had a wonderful variety of excelent programs, reading or acting classic books plays poetry book and film reviews and so on. There is still BBC 7 which is good and seems to be improving. It is listed in the Radio Times and is often an alternative to the TV! Shopping can be tricky as I like to feel materials which sometimes start moving! Stroking some lovely Salukis at a lunch party, I moved across the roon, and when talking to a friend , put my hand down to continue stroking a dog, ruffling its it turned out to be a guest sitting on a stool.

scent

After a dark and miserable looking day, the sun suddenly burst out lighting the up river so out to the local grocer - he is so kind he always takes me across the bus ridden road. Leaving the flat,down six steps,across the courtyard feeling the edges with my two sticks,there is a disgusting smell of fox. He nust have been there fairly recently according to the height of his scent. I think he trotts all the way down the road to Hurlingham Club to join his friends who have a field day by the lake where the fat ducks are so well fed by members! So on to our main gate where there is a wonderful scent - mimoso, spring must be coming, our winter flowering tree must be flowering I hope not too soon!

help

St Dunstans have been ,my lifeline. They are the most wonderful support,without them I doubt that I should be writing something like this! I had started learning the computor with the local council which was slow and frustating, the poor instructer
had too many pupils all at different . levels. And then I found a most special "guru" and his huge dog, a partially sighted roaming RNIB helper , so with him and St Dunstans who help in so many ways I am very lucky. There was an amusing incident at a Chelsea Fair last summer,when being taken round by a friend who was describing the stalls, came to hats.I stepped forward as I could see the outline of a large black hat against the white of the tent. Below it appeard to be a very fluffy white hat, so thought I would feel it and carefully put my hand on it - to ny surprise it spoke saying Are you going to bless me? I quickly responded I am so sorry but bless you my son! We had a good laugh together, he was an elderly man with white fluffy hair sitt on a chair! The only one to be embarressed was my friend.

hints

I had a narrow escape a few years ago when my sight was making odd jumps , I was walking my little dog in the park on an incredibly bright day. It is always difficult to see on days like this, and searching for a dogloo letter box which I had been told was black, I thought I saw one in the deep shade of a tree. Approaching cautiously,I started to get out the bag when to my horror it moved! Luckily he did not see me. The (bin) had been a man bending over wearing black jeans!
in case you do not knowthis useful tip, you might like to know that there is a the tiny raised spot on the number 5 on every land line and cordless telephone, and gate entry dial and pin number dial, but not sure about mobile phones. Once 5 is located it is easy to find any other number!

today

2 Jan and it dawned grey and miserable looking,but light was on the river- a very high tide. Creeping out of bed to make coffee amd let in cat - she is too heavy to let sleep with me as she has to be around ones neck! She then jumps into an empty bath and waits for me to run a dash of cold water which she greedily licks up with any lingering bath oil ! I then carefully walk around the flat with bare feet to inspect any thing on the floor that should not be there! Then a lovein with cat