Last blast of summer

Wow, we are heading for Autumn. A new school year and the first day of nursery school for Ezra-Mae – a big milestone in her life! Where has this year gone? One of the things I really appreciate here in the UK is the seasons. Now, it is more obvious that the nights are drawing in and it gets darker earlier and earlier. In less than a month, sunset will be 7pm – almost an hour earlier than now! I look back on this year as a blur.

Village cricket - closer than the camera shows

I sat and watched a village cricket match this last weekend - this being probably the last one of summer. The first team to bat were in the ascendency. They were tonking the ball all over the green. The wicket keeper was probably responsible for at least a third of the runs but undaunted a boy of about 11 years old ran all over the ground picking up and returning the long balls. It was a joy to watch on a Saturday afternoon.

I do have so much to look forward to as we head for colder days – a trip to Greece, meeting friends, tennis matches and lots more swimming. There are a few downsides though. I have just got the results of the X-ray on my right heel. It’s official, I have a Haglund’s deformity. My heel has a special name – how nice -  and I know I am not being fussy when it really hurts. It only took the NHS from June til now to find this out.

As everybody does, I looked it up on good old Google. It means an operation – something to look forward to, or not. With the speed the NHS moves I will probably have it sorted just before I’m 70. I cannot wear some of my shoes and this will be a bigger problem when the weather gets colder. A swollen heel forces my toe against the front of my shoe and now I am getting a sore toenail as well.

A Haglund’s deformity could be genetic or the result of too much running around. A lot of the time it is not too bad but it can keep me awake at night. This is a very big niggle and another little issue that arises with old age. I have started practising going upstairs backwards on my bottom again in preparation for my aftercare. I did this when I had my knees done and the physio at Gleneagles got me walking up stairs two hours after I came round from my op. I am expecting a similar speedy recovery from this one – fingers crossed.

And… while in recovery I’ll be able to watch all those TV crime dramas where at least three people get murdered each episode. When I pass through typical English villages, I see them as potential sets for murderous intent where competent but flawed detectives always get their suspect. On reflection, I probably don’t need to watch any at all as I already know the outcome.

A village already named for murderous intent

However, I have mulled over the idea that it could be a good government policy to share these programmes internationally. With each village having at least three murders an episode it must put the UK in a dark light where danger lurks on the tiniest village green. It would certainly make potential asylum seekers think twice about the danger they would face in our fair land. Just a thought!