Manual handling

... or man handling the P. C. correct wording gets me ... one of the most frustrating aspects of Voluntary work on a ward is seeing patients askew in their discomfort on a bed ... the mutual knowledge sometimes that thy is not in the allowed to do ... in moving them into a more comfortable posture ... 

The discretion used to squish the pillows into a comfy position instead, without actually physically moving the said patient. Sometimes the electronic moving bed parts up and down cannot help, and certainly not for the pillows. The discretion too on who requires swift help by the right person, when staffing levels are a premium ... the staying put until help arrives to prevent the other safety issues caused by adhering rigidly to the regs. 

The buzzer button too can either be in puddles or askew too.  The twist of wires fun in the limited space untangle, can limit all this. Another obvious regulation that easy access to this button should be always so. It is not always so ..

Those who do not want to make a fuss, will wait until someone comes along ...  Those who get frustrated. The ones poignantly absolutely unaware of all this. And my original task in hand, all the while, to continue with ...

The more regular time out, in another environment where others are out of theirs awhile. One does not get attached to any one patient on this ward. The speed of turnover. This a good starting point of integration ... It does not stop the emotive scenes on a regular basis. The imprint however swift of those vulnerabilities, to respect this fact of privilege...

Especially some who  have no value of life directly or indirectly of human or animal so readily in other areas of life ...  ... ...

July Days

the dust clouds within, the sunshine that one gets smitten with ... 

The experience of the locality we take for granted. The local farm with an abundance of seasonal goodies on offer. The season of the purple fields before the harvest and distilling the oils within this crop of lavender. The amazing tingle on the senses ... sight, smell, the awe and wonder. 

Dad always with me

and those who gave us the encouraging times in the Guide movement. 

From June 2015 ...

The look out in new environments of all escape routes. It is as standard for Housekeep in certain meetings or journeys. And not for others.  The interface of safety instructions now again questioned after a towering inferno in real life. These are guidelines. The way a fire safety instructor only recently at a training day advising us of our fight or flight status when faced with these moments. He said that people do what is deemed silly but makes sense to them. They find people hidden in all manner of places when responding to a fire call... 

This is not understood in the outcry from a residential tower fire in recent unprecedented times. People would have been in the various hiding places to do what they deemed right for them in that should we face the hour of death when trapped.  ... 

There is the quandary too on a train, travelling in a metal box that might require sitting on the ledge and dropping down when no platform available... it is not always safe to stay on a train in a maybe situation... just as it is not safe safe to go out into a strange environment between platforms ... 

Rail, trail and now ...

.... under bridges; across from bridges ... either London town on the Thames, or on the border of Devon and Cornwall ... are only a few now seen in experiences again. Including the Millennium footbridge in a city, and the Challenge Anneka footbridge in a town. 

The ideas to make a collage of many themes in this continuous dip back in the pictorial images now coming together in chronological order. 

the first time crossing a rain soaked bridge in a car on a misty grey day. It is usually by coach now that I cross this particular river. Although up above is this same road bridge ... A view bridge to bridge from a train journey... 

I have much to keep me occupied that is more interesting of the muddled past. And keeping the Housekeep up on the new life happening! 

The breezes awash

this summer season The joy of getting out to do something more constant. It still brings difficulty when I alter the dynamics. 

One time I will be settled. Another time just to walk away from a life still not quite have my head around in flashes ... 

I am currently enjoying the warmth of the kisses of a breeze on skin still not quite used to the sun in places!!!

Tucked in

the corner of a Nurses station on a ward one day, stuffing envelopes with seven leaflets for the patients to transfer with them. The surreal experience of a time in the middle of a busy professional environment. 

A time where it impacts on being in a busy team once agin although in an alternate environment... The extended career gaps we can have, and the unintended severe career gaps too for those away from life altogether...

The inspirational stories of those before me ... of a really traumatic time of losing a whole family in a tragic prescription drug suicide mass killing of a known prior secondary school teacher to me, his son found his Mum killed by a loving family father, he was later found dead too. And a family not known to me ... the one who came across the scene of an unspeakable scenario, training to become a nurse from that experience from a time of near suicide for them too!!! 

Piers, Weirs, waterwheels and tears

and a lot of memories in names restored. The cove that was a favourite off the beaten track. 

The ones I did remember... A trip to  Cotehele with Dad ... his memories in his office, mine here. 

The name of parts of the moors from doing the Duke of Edinburgh... 

A receipt ffor something retrieved. The jewellery I still have worn in photos. The normality in some deceased belongings to mine, in all that we keep sorting in the deceased belongings which seems one on top another ... 

All the collecting together over this time in various big gaps to somethings just slotting into place ... a real mix that my daughter relayed time and again with those that saw. The clothes dumped from the photos we now have right down to all the accessories!!!! 

A time in an heritage museum of product labels, carrier bag styles of time in still within four walls we swept through one house in months of seasons and now finally doing mine!