A Lifestyle Choice

My cousins in sunnier times

At Stoke Bruene 

The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has recently said  - among other inciteful things - that living in a tent and being homeless is a lifestyle choice. Who would have thought that anyone prefers to live in a flimsy tent in all weathers. In Milton Keynes there are a fair few who huddle in doorways or under bridges. The weather has taken a turn for the worse this week - torrential rain and dropping temperatures. This must make those homeless people's existence even more unbearable. What a ridiculous woman our Home Secretary is.

 I have been back in the UK nearly four years and still miserable skies make me think twice about setting off on my bike. I did so the other day. I set off for the swimming pool to do my lengths, got splattered with mud, pedalled through the sort of rain that makes you very wet, swam and then cycled home in the same conditions. I was annoyed with myself. Why do I do these silly things time and time again. I never learn. Maybe this is my lifestyle choice?

Also, wrapping myself up in my winter coat which friends say makes me look like Nanook of the North or wearing warm scarves causes little problems for me. I might be protected from all weather but I now have a collection of odd earrings. I have lost so many odd dangly ones as they get caught on the fur or my scarf that I am in mind to make wearing odd ones a lifestyle choice. Having said this, I once lost an earring on a bike ride and found it in the middle of the road on my way home and I lost another one a couple of weekends ago and found it outside two days later. So all is not lost. I can match up on ocassions still. 

Being wih friends and family has filled this week with joy. My cousin, Adrian and his wife Chris stayed for four days and then on Friday I spent a night at Jeremy and Diane's. This is a really good lifestyle choice. Making connections is so important for us old folk. We certainly had a laugh playing games while my cousins were around - Spoons with an international twist! My friends from the arse end of the village came over to make up the party. 

I heard it on the radio that as we get old we need to socialise and exercise. I am seriously working on both. Someone please tell me how much exercise is necessary. 

I am about to lose my Ukrainian guests after nine months. Nataliia is pregnant and of course wants to be in her own place and this will happen next week. In some ways I will be glad to have my kitchen all to myself but I know I will miss having her and Nicholas around. Nicholas has said that they are my pets and also that I run a free Airbnb as so many people come to visit. They too will be back to to say hi, I'm sure. This is a lifestyle choice I wish to keep up - always happy to host!