'It doesn’t owe us anything,’ we told each other, when our teenaged tumble drier conked out earlier this year. We said the same about the very cheap and very old toaster which gave up the ghost after many years of faithful service, but we weren’t best pleased when a relatively youthful coffee machine ground to a roaring, spitting halt.
When, one by one, the appliances we purchased when we moved here ten years ago - including a couple of big ticket items - mutinied and left us for good, it started to feel personal. But on a brighter note, we’re new best friends with the delivery men from ao.com as they’re such regular visitors here.
Three weeks ago, I was having the time of my life at my ninth Llanelli Half Marathon. I love this challenging course which which leads down to and follows along the scenic waterfront. It was cold, it was wet and a hail storm almost flattened me, but it’s always so exhilarating to be out there in such wild elements. The exceptionally windy conditions, with gusts of 50 mph, were, however, a bit like trying to push a steamroller backwards. I didn't realise the toll it was taking on me until just after the halfway point when I turned and tried to run downhill. Only to realise I couldn’t; my left knee simply wouldn’t work.
There’s a first time for everything, it seems. In over two decades of running, I’ve never had to retire from a race before, but I didn’t want to make my injury worse. It’s probably an iliotibial band flare up from overuse so I’ve rested, stretched and can now run on the flat again so hopefully I’m on the mend. Tom, over the same period, has been knocked flat by a hideous cold followed by a tooth/sinus infection. Last Friday, feeling the need for a change of scenery, we went on a very rare trip to a retail outlet… and naturally, our eleven-year-old car broke down in the middle of heavy traffic just as we were about to join the motorway.
Heavy rain, lashing against the glass, woke up me last night. For a while I lay there in the dark listening to the wind and feeling quite vulnerable in our house which sits on a hill above the sea. Dawn brought a bright, cold day. I went for a chilly swim, felt the sun on my face and counted my blessings. I am keenly aware that any problems we have are nothing compared to what so many people are suffering. Still, had we known all the expenses coming, we wouldn’t have bought our bargain swimming pool and I’m so grateful that we did. I’ve watched the leaves turn to gold, seen kites and buzzards hovering in the sky above and this week, I’ve been regularly serenaded by a robin which perches on next door’s apple tree and sings its winter song. Nothing lasts forever - bad and good times alike - all we can do is find the joy in small moments and make the most of every precious hour.
Comments
Much appreciated, Westerwitch x