I remember watching this video many years ago in England. My mother’s remark was “I didn’t know spaghetti grew on trees”. Of course she didn’t know, she was a Brit. Did I believe it? No really but it did not surprise me that spaghetti actuially grew on trees. I think most of the Brits were not surprised.
It was on 1st April that the film was shown on a BBC political programme, featureing the havest which actually took place, according to the film, in the Italian part of Switzerland. Since living in Switzerland I wanted to harvest spaghetti, but ever foud the plants.
RDP Tuesday: Hissy Fit
No hissy fit photo, I no longer have my hissy fit photos. I had to cancel my photo programme some time ago, and have lost them all. I can now show photos that are new. Yes, I threw a hissy fit when I lost my thousands of photos. However, life goes on and I have to deal with todays problems.
Todays hissy fit was due to our supid idiotic Swiss Telephone company. I had two bank accounts. Son No. 2 said it would be better with just one, and he was right (him being the jurist in the family). However not so easy as I had a couple of accounts with direct debit that I had to organise, easier said than done. The biggest problem was our national telephone company who are so stupid that they sent me twice the wrong document to complete and my telephone invoice was still charged on the account I want to cancel. At last after two months, I had someone on the telephone from the Swisscom that understood what I wanted and she sent me the corrent document which I sent to my bank and they have confirmed that everything is now in order. Today I got a telephone from the Swisscom telling me that I had the wrong IBAN No. on the form I completed. I then threw my hissy fit on the phone and told the lady that I now have the right No. thanks to receiving the correct form, and the bank confirmed this to me on the telephone and everything is OK, so she should check this as they sent me the wrong docment twice. They will call me back in a few days to confirm this. How stupid can you get, and I pay these people to look after my telephone invoice and organise it for me.
Life is really difficult when you are on your own and have no-one to support you in such official business. I just hope that my other two accounts with direct ebit are now in order. I am slowly losing my temper with these people. I know I am not perfect with official matters but I am not stupid and I am gradually losing my temper.
And the photo above was also a problem, although thre smoke is no longer to be seen. At midday the alarm siren sounded in our area, very loud and unless it is an exercise to see if it is operating, it is an emergency. As we had no previous waring for a siren exercise I realised it could be something dangerous. Checking on my iPhone I saw that there was a smoke alarm in a few villages, South from ours, so for us no big problem. However, the warning was on my phone and people living in the area were instructed to close their windows and doors and stay in due to possible problems with smoke suffocation. It seems that now everything is OK I am glad it was not in our direct area.
RDP Monday: Tonic
One of my neighbours brought me this wonderfull Easter Arrangement. I gave it water and a day later I had the first daffodil flowers. It is a miniature daffodil but just perfect. The water seemed to be the right tonic to bring it to flowering.
It is certainly perfect for brightening up the dull weather days we have at the moment. There were also a few miniature chocolate bunnies in the arrangment, but they are now waiting to be eaten.
RDP Sunday: Carefree
The clouds wander scross our Jura mountains opposite with no bother.
Not a care in the world except for the fact that I still feel the bruises from my fall two days ago, but a couple of tablets cure all evils I hope. And so I am having a relaxing Sunday, not planning to go anywhere, it is safer but, yes, I had a telephone call from the golden oldie home where Mr. Swiss is.
Again he fell out of his bed. Luckily no damage done and no injuries, but they always tell me when something happens. It seems that falling is something that happens in our golden years. Mr. Swiss seems to fall out of his bed quite often, although I know why. He still has the feeling he is twenty years younger and can do everything on his own, like leaving his bed to get into his wheelchair instead of calling for assistance. He sometimes does not even realise that he needs a wheelchair.
It is going to be a busy week with the Easter holidays approaching. Holidays are an inconvenience for me and I am glad when they disappear. Coping with the extra shopping is annoying, especially as veryone seems to have the feeling they are suffering from hunger and buy everything. but I have already got my Easter chcolate bunny.
The Accident
Yesterday it was time to have another accident, although I did no want this accident and for a while I had to make sure that I was still a person and not just a body laying on a cold concrete floor in darkness.
I was busy unpacking my grocery delivery from the store and this week, being almost Easter, I had quite a large delivery. There were a few items I had to prepare for freezing and luckily I have two refrigerators in the apartment, as well as a deepfreeze in the cellar, although it all needs organisation. My No 1 son was not at home, he was at a concert in town, although I was glad. I did not have to rush, could take my time and cooking an evening meal was not neessary, I had already eaten my lunch at midday and my son was eating in the restaurant. Then came the final work to take a few items into the cellar for the freezer. I took the lift, arrived in the cellar and it happened: the light went out, I was in darkness. We have a timer on the light. I knew where I was, at least I thought so. I felt ny way along the wall, at least I though it was a wall, but no, it was a corner and after the corner, there was ……… nothing. I fell, landed on my back and bumped my head. When I fall in such a way there is no way I can stand up. I was laying helpless on the cold stone floor and had no idea where I was.
First of all a quick body check. Yes my head had the beginnings of a small bump, it was manageable and no blood on my fingers when I touhed it and there I was alone in the dark at 9.00 in the evening. What do you do? I shouted in a loud clear voice “HELP” actually “HILFE” in German. Not once, not twice, but often. I was alone and must admit, scared. And then I head steps and voices. Someone had heard my call(s) for help and my wonderful neighbours appeared, him and her. The first reaction was that the husband asked if I was badly hurt and if he could help lift me into an upright position. He tried and it worked and I was standing on my feet again with my walker which I had with me.
They both helped me to the lift and brought me to my appartment where I at last could sit on a chair and check my body, although I was more shaken than anything. And then I realised I was prepared for such an occasion and was wearing my emergency watch. I pressed the button and almost immediately had contact to the central station for help. The lady greeted me by name on my watch and asked what has happend. I told her the problem and she said she would immediately inform our helper. A few minutes later I had a telephone from the local first aid, we call them Samariter, with the promise she was now on her way and would arrive in the next 15 minutes. My neighbours then left me as they also had to be somewhere else, although they called me after a while on the phone to ask how I was. By then I was sitting on my chair waiting for the arrival of Samariter help. Luckily my appartment is never locked and I also had an extra key in my postbox under a code that the helpers have to release the key-
Everything under control and the help had arrived in my appartment. It was a young lady and she knew exactly what to do. She first of all did a body check and attended to the bump on my head. There was a small cut there, but not too bad and she treated it for me. After a body check there were no broken bones, thank goodness, although I had a bruised feeling on my back. I was completely shaken by the experience. Eventually the Samariter lady stayed with me and helped me to get ready for bed. By then I was feeling more like a human being. I managed to get ready myself and clean my teeth. She had a look in my medicine cabinet and found exactly the right medicine to take, helping with pain and also for the swelling. Somehow I managed to have a quite night. I just had to be careful how to lay in bed.
This morning I awoke not knowing how it would work, but luckily I felt able to move. Of course I had a feeling that I was bruised all over, my head hurt when I touch it, but the bump had gone. I just had to be careful how I moved, my back was huring, but I had no brusing and now I am sitting at my desk writing. My usual morning help arrived to help with my shower and as he also works for the Samariter organisation he was full in the picture what had happened yesterday.
What did I learn from this experience. The main thing was to take my telephone with me everywhere, especially where it could become a dark place, as it has a built in light. The main problem was that I fell on my back and that could have had dire consquences. It seems that my injurues were a bessing in disguise (at least I think that it how it is said) and apart from my nerves, the injuries were manageable.
I have now bored you enough with my stupid accident and now look forward to a peaceful normal evening with no excitement. My no. 1 son is back home, but I deided not to tell him what happened. He is autistic, would not really understand the seriousness of what happened. Having MS is not so good sometimes.
RDP Saturday: Bashful
I think Santa had shaved off his beard after Christmas so he was hiding his face from the camera. His carriage is ready to return him to wherever his lives during the year. It used to be Greenland, but there were rumours that it will be invaded from another would be Chief, with red hair and not a beard. His deer is waiting for the journey to pull the carriage.
RDP Friday: Achievement
Every year my wonderful neighbour presents me with a Poinsettia at Christmas. This year it lost all the leaves a week later, but I did not give up and I noticed one by one little leaves were again arriving. Today in March it is on its was to recovery.
Otherwise I have had a few achievements today. My weekly online order for groceries will be arriving this evening. I usually have quite a stress, putting the groceries away in the fridge and sorting them in their various places as well as cooking the evening meal, but today no problem. My No. 1 son will not be here this evening, there is a concert in his local restaurant and I will be alone this evening. I have already cooked my midday meal and this evening there will be no rush, and I can take my time.
I was also busy sorting keys to my appartment. Our section of the estate will be getting new locks on the door and we must give up our keys on a certain date, and will have new keys for the new lock. I managed to gather all six keys which will be replaced. My No. 2 son will send his key in time, so no problem. I had no problem with my keys, but some of the appartments were having touble as they no longer fitted in the lock so well. I have noted it in my iPhone diary so that I do not forget.
https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2026/03/27/rdp-friday-achievement/
Keeping in Touch – daily thoughts.
For a while I was absent. Left my writing and just read a book instead usually. One day I realised I needed this opportuity to write something, anything, just to give me something to think about and so I have returned. I missed my contacts here, and so here I am again.
I am glad I have returned, even if I only write. I have spent my life doing something, working, bringing up the kids, just keeping myself busy. Now I have realised that I needed this, filling up the void that is left when you no longer have a driving force to get something done.
And so now I make sure I have something to do, although housework is not the answer and so I write again. Perhaps rubbish, perhaps a purpose in my age, who knows, Even the radio plays an important part in my daily efforts I no longer watch the television, somhow it bores me with a false fabrication of life, but a radio. It brings me news, even if it does have a Swiss influence. We are a neutral country, our wars are mainly with each other, various political parties who never agree, a small degree of world politics. Countries rarely agree with each other, but I keep in touch. Hear what happens over the pond, get annoyed with various political leaders (not to mention names) I am a Biritish refugeee, no longer visit the country of my origin, and honestly speaking do not want to.
I am now 99,99% Swiss, although a few percent is probably still British, even if it only my mother tongue. I think Swiss, talk Swiss, and vote Swiss (when I bother to vote). In the background I hear the radio – the Swiss station. My husband is Swiss, although sometimes I think I am more Swiss than he is. He is now in a golden oldie home so I am left alone in my own four walls – with one of my sons, who is actually autistic, but he alwas surprises me with his logic with a difference.
And now enough for the day, tomorrow comes soon enough with hopefully no snow, we had enough today.
RDP Thursday: Egregious
And another word that is not in my vocabulary, thank goodness for Internet. However, today is an egregious day, so much so that even my photo of the falling snow this morning became egregegious. I must have been shaking from the cold that everything became blurred. There was snow on this early Spring morning already on the ground and then it stopped to begin again a few minutes later and so has been the day. Luckily tempereatures are above 0° C, and it melted quick quckly.
I managed to visit Mr. Swiss this afternoon for half an hour during a pause in the snow and afterwards the rain. Mr. Swiss was convinced I had told him I was going to Lausanne yesterday. I can be glad when I manage to visit him in his golden oldie home which is just along the road. Sometimes he seems to live in another world, but it is a nice world full of imagination. Lausanne would be at least 2 hours away from where I live by train. It is a nice town, I have been there now and again, but am now too old and immobile for such journeys.
Here is a clearer photo of the garden showing some snow drops falling. My daffodils did not like them so much and began to hang their heads with the weight of the snow. Now the sun is shining, so I have no idea what the weather is doing. I suppose it is typical April weather.
RDP Wednesday: Blousy
How’s that for a shirt (blouse) collection. They all now belong to my No. 1 son, who likes to wear a shirt. It is quite a selection, but mostly inherited from Mr. Swiss. Mr. Swiss is no longer size XL, but now M. having lost almost 20 Kilo in weight in his golden oldie age and so the shirts no longer fit. However, son No. 1 has inherited his size from me, and so the shirts fit perfectectly, me being on the taller side as son No. 1.
The positive from Mr. Swiss is that he always has good taste and bought good quality. His shirts have good names and good quality, although I do not think that No. 1 Son realises that so much. He likes to wear them and has enough to last for many years. They look a bit pushed together, but his clothes cupboard was not made for so many and I do not like to fold them after ironing – too much work.
Otherwise a busy day today. Word Press decided to give me work as I got the message to change my background picture to something different as it will no longer be supported. Luckily it was not such a complicated work and was done in a few minutes. I was not so fussy what type of background, and there was a selection from some nice bright colours.
Our little village also now has its own web site, something that many villages are now getting, where we can post any ideas we might have and even photos. I am at the moment just having a look. I might one day also post something – who knows?
It is a cold rainy day today, no weather for going anywhere and I am glad to be at home.
Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss 