It’s been a week. A busy, busy week to be sure. So busy that I feel like the proverbial one-armed wallpaper hanger my brother Steph is continually comparing himself to. It’s been a week of chemotherapy treatments for Nick, a “minor” surgical procedure for Lady Penelope which has meant that I have been providing most of the taxi services to get Annabelle to school in Warwick each day. Phew, I am going to have to take a nap.
Penny’s surgery on Tuesday was a Fasciectomy to address her Dupuytren’s Contracture on her left hand. Although she has it on both hands, it’s not really hampered her all that much until recently. It develops so gradually that I’m sure one unconsciously finds ways of coping. It only really became a “problem” when we were travelling in southeast Asia – immigration officers wanted to scan her fingerprints and one or two got quite upset when she couldn’t place all her fingers on the glass at once. It’s a genetic condition – Pen’s father had quite severely affected fingers on both hands.
She’s in very good company – Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan & Mitt Romney all had it along with Bill Nighy, Paul Newman, Frank Sinatra, Bill Murray and John Elway, amongst others.
It’s also commonly known as the Viking disease as its highest incidence is recorded in Iceland and Scandinavia. In a Norwegian study of 15,950 citizens, Dupuytren’s disease was present in 10.5% of men and in 3.2% of women. In a large 1962 review of published figures, P. F. Early arrayed the countries of European stock in order of incidence of Dupuytren’s disease: Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States. He also commented that the incidence in Australia, Canada, England, and Wales was similar since their populations are of basically English stock, which may itself represent a diluted strain of Danish (Viking) stock.
Thankfully, the surgery went well but it has put her out of commission for TWO to FOUR WEEKS! Of course, that means I have to do everything around here! No change there then.
Our Nick had another chemo infusion on Wednesday – it’s always a tough few days for him afterwards – keep sending those positive thoughts his way, please.
It happens to be his birthday on Tuesday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY! He should be in good enough shape to go out to dinner with a group of friends this coming weekend. They’re going to The Woodsman in Stratford which looks like a decent enough place. Indeed, it looks like my kind of place so we’ll have to give it a try sometime.
It’s also Max’s birthday on Saturday so Happy Birthday to him too!
I ran across the following on social media somewhere, both of which make a similar point – the invasion of Venezuela and the capture of ships in international waters, the extra-judicial kidnapping and incarceration of the Venezuelan President and the murders of US citizens whilst protesting mimic the actions of fascist Germany and, ultimately, is prompted by oil. Not that long ago the US used to fight piracy. Now, it seems, the US is the pirate.
And finally, I ran across the following by Michael Rosen on Facebook after wading through an avalanche of anti-immigration nonsense.
We’re All Human
It’s good sometimes to think
of all human beings as the same.
We’re born, we drink, we eat, we live
we love, we die.We’re all the same, we might say.
But then there are times
when I think, but are we?
Are we the same?Take this:
I often think about other countries
especially those I’ve been to or lived in:
France, Scotland, Australia, Ireland, Germany
Wales, Italy, the US, Netherlands.
I think of mountains, valleys, shops,
people, languages, beaches, food.But now,
pressing on me from the News
are ways that some other people think
about other countries.I hear how they think about Gaza,
Greenland, Venezuela,
These are not places to visit
or discover or learn about.
They are places to seize,
invade, control, exploit.
The people are not people to chat with
sit and eat with
to swap stories with.
They are to be shot, bombed,
despised, removed.Clearly, those who think like this
don’t think of us as the same:
being born, drinking, eating, living,
loving and dying.They think that the people
in the countries they want to seize
and control
are in the way,
obstacles,
hindrances.So what kind of person
thinks like this?
Who are you?
I know you’re human
but what kind of human are you?Michael Rosen
Most/many/some/one or two of you will know that Michael Rosen is a children’s author, poet, presenter, political columnist, broadcaster, activist, and academic. He’s a professor of children’s literature in the Department of Educational Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London and has written more than 200 books for children and adults. He served as Children’s Laureate from June 2007 to June 2009 and won the 2023 PEN Pinter Prize, awarded by English PEN, for his “fearless” body of work.
All of which reminded me of Paula Cleary’s poem Look from a different angle which we’ve shared before.
I live in the land of Angles
Of Saxons
Of Jutes
Of Celts
Of Romans
Of Normans
Of ScandinaviansI live in the land that was
Shaped by thousands of generations of
Fortune hunters
Treasure seekers
Wanderers and sailors
Conquerors and settlers
Warriors and lovers
Chancers and traders
Looking for a better lifeIn waves and on waves
They came and they came
And we are the product of them all
Yet we have the nerve
and the ignorance
and memory loss
which makes a few of us spew hatred towards
‘People in boats’
That they are somehow different from the people
Who shaped and made our isle
We. Are. All. Descended. from. people. in. boats.Paula Cleary
And finally, finally how about this I ran across yesterday . . .
Meanwhile, keep breathing, keep happy, keep smiling, keep exercising, be good, be careful, and keep safe. And, be gentle to wasps and bees – we need all the pollinators we can get. And, hold your loved ones close.
Lots of love to you all,
Greg