Half-way through November, and I have been neglecting my blog! Well, a gloomy, dull month so far. I am feeling very dull and gloomy too, having made no headway with my request for disabled access on the pavement past my house. However, I am expecting information about obligations to provide such access, from our MSP. He will also , if I request it, make an approach to the chief executive of the council, on my behalf. I will see first what info, if any, he can give me. It is so frustrating to have to trail round such a circuitous path to get anywhere, when “a suppie cement” at the crossing would solve my problem. I think what annoys me most is the patronising way my request was dealt with. To tell me that someone would come to assess the needs! Good heavens, it’s not rocket science! My local councillor told him the situation, and anyway, all he had to do was ask the man who sweeps the pavement! Then to say I would be told “in due course” what steps, if any, would be taken! I have waited now for 17 weeks, and still there is no response. Shakespeare had it right when he wrote of “the insolence of office”. These people are paid (through my council tax!) to deliver a service. And as long as the tax-payers of Moray accept fifth-rate service, that is what they will get. Time to shout loud and clear? Maybe! Anyway, I fully expect that not a thing will be done till next financial year, if then! Just another 17 weeks to go, now!

When one’s life is circumscribed by a breathing disorder,it is very easy to give in to frustration. But it helps if you look for victories rather than defeats. My wee “buggy” gives me a measure of independence, and I get round the problems in this street by taking more circuitous routes! In the house, certain chores appear as enormous mountains, but by tackling them at the best time of day, and in small steps, the mountain becomes a series of small hills. I,luckily, was never obsessively “house-proud” otherwise life would be much worse!! If the hoovering isn’t as thorough as it used to be, well, so what? One of my least popular chores is ironing. So I try not to let the ironing-basket get over-full. At the moment, the ironing-board seems to have taken up permanent residence in the kitchen, away from its canny storage neuk in the utility-room. Thus I face the job with more equanimity! No board to humph around! All tasks involving physical movement have to be planned, as rushing around trying to do several things at once leaves me puffy-puffy! Of course it doesn’t always work out right. An unexpected phone-call or visitor puts my mini-schedule out of kilter and I am chasing my tail to catch up. But no matter. The important thing is not to give in. Somewhere out there on the great Web there must be support groups for COPD, so when my beloved daughter-in-law comes to visit, next month (only a week away! Hurray!) I shall ask her to research into this. It would be nice to share thoughts with people in a similar predicament! Only others so afflicted really understand. Walking in the other fellow’s shoes, and all that! Anyway, this is something to look forward to. And what brought all this on? Well, I have been reading some of the books by George Mackay Brown, the great Orkney author. And his “Letters from Hamnavoe” is the ultimate blog! So I felt inspired this morning to put finger to keyboard!