Like a snail I'm slowing coming back

Had a break from blogging for some time. For the past few months life's been a bit chaotic - the extreme cold weather has also been affecting these arthritic old bones - have to accept age is catching me. Decided to reduce some of my community activities to reduce stress levels. I'm not standing for reelection as a Governor of the Camden and Islington Foundation Mental Health Trust. There are just not enough hours in day to take on all the committee work load as well of the Resident Forum. Even helping in the shop across the road is now only the odd hour - Need also to be available to look after the grandchildren the odd days and especially in the school hols. Easier for me to go to their house even if the journey takes me nearly two hours.

Just before Christmas I accompanied the independent inspector to some of Partners residents properties. What an eye opener. That together with some of the Residents case loads taken on by the forum really got to me - it's difficult to be hard faced when people need help in trying to resolve a problem when they feel officialdom is not listening to them. A hard slog at times but just to see the smiles on people faces and the thank you cards is enough to make it worthwhile. Keep saying I won't take on more cases but as soon the next one come ups I know I'll find myself unable to refuse.

Now that the meetings are held at the Town Hall so many residents are turning up with their problems. Makes the meetings a bit more lively, though for the last two I've had to jig the agenda around so they can have their say.

Never thought there would come a time when I would avoid shopping - find it so much easier to shop online. To add complications to my life my computer 'old friend' finally packed up. Meant I had to go out and purchase one off the shelf in hurry. Had to bite my tongue when looking at the various model specifications, young sales assistance tried to tell me what I should have completely ignoring my requirements. The look on their face when I started to ask them technical stuff was priceless. Management intervened , I ordered what I needed and they offered to deliver free of charge. Meant an additional weeks delay but it was that or looking for a taxi to lug all the boxes home.

Back up and running with one of those video cameras, early last Sunday I automatically reacted to the online bell ringing. I'm sitting in my dressing gown looking like something the cat dragged in and my cousin Richard in Aus appeared om the screen sitting in the brilliant sunshine with his swimming pool behind him and a great boxer dog jumping around. What a laugh. Took me ages to work out how to just have the voice and not the visual online screen image. Sure won't make that mistake again.

Richard bless him was concerned not having heard from me for some time - my cousin buddy who is researching his part of the family tree on the other side of the globe. The family all over the world are so excited that I finally solved the 120 year old mystery as to who was the real father of my grandfather Claud and his brother Wallace. With London Baptism records now online was able to work out who he was with the strange combination of names. So odd to think that all the Wooldridges in the family should really be Hambers. After seeing the two properties in Islington where great gran Blanche lived after her first husband died wondered how she could have afforded them. Now we know a family of Military Officers and Gentlemen going back generations - so odd these days to see profession lively on 'own means'.

Found one of the relations who confirmed all the facts - George made me laugh by saying he was doing the Hamber tree before he himself becomes an Ancestor. In his mid 80's he is wonder with facts and records.

Was supposed to my turn to write the British Blog roundup this weekend - I completely forgot. A quick swop so now I'll have to compose myself for next weekend.