Life is full of little rituals, especially when you are a golden oldie and have nothing better to do than carry on regardless. The first thing I do in the morning when I awake is stretch over to my mobile phone, on the night table, and give it resuscitation from the electric current to ensure that it is full power when I am return to the land of the living. I sleep on afterwards. When I regain complete consciousness, rise and hobble onto to my loading station in my computer room. The next part in my operations centre is to make sure my iPad and Kindle live through another day, so they are also fed with electricity. It is a daily routine. My iPad would probably not last until the next day without it. My Kindle can actually manage a few days without being recharged, but doing it daily means I do not have to think about it.

My Apple computer needs half an hour at the most when I have finished with it. That is why I love my apple. I do not have to hang it onto the electricity all the time because it has a reserve of at least 10 hours. My windows system collapses after an hour if it is not plugged in. Through the night both are resting on a shelf, with no problem, waiting for the day ahead in times of need. At the moment it is early morning and I am working on my Windows machine which is plugged in, next to the kitchen table. My telephone only reached 97% this morning as I hugged the bed a little longer and overslept the recharging time.

Another ritual has become taking a photo of the morning sky, although lately there is not very much happening. Window mornings can either bring a surprise with a wonderful colourful sunrise, or be drab and boring. Lately they have been very drab. It is wet everywhere: a little bit of snow mixed in, but mainly rain and it will probably stay that way. Actually it does not surprise me, as we rarely actually have a white Christmas. It usually arrives after the new year. It was then the time when we were in the work force, and driving off to work in the deepest snow and ice was not fun. However, these days are now behind us and driving off is earliest at 10.00 a.m. when the roads have been cleared of any snowy bumps and lumps.

Yesterday Mr. Swiss had an appointment at the local hospital to see the specialist for a back injection to help relieve the pain he has (photo of the local hospital). Afterwards he did not feel much relief, but slowly it is getting a little better, but not perfect. He has the second injection at the end of this week so we are hoping for the best. When we go shopping we have to work out who pushes the trolley for support. Growing old is not fun, you are confronted with all sorts of things that you did not expect. My dad was never one to complain, but I noticed the changes he had with age. He always refused a stick at first, and adamently declined a zimerframe. Eventually he completely had to rely on the zimer frame. I realised it was a sign of age, but never thought it might be a sign of my age. When you are young these things seem to be in another world.

And now for a normal more relaxing day. Mr. Swiss is planning on a safari to the supermarket for a few bits and pieces and I am planning on a tour of the appartment accompanied by my trusty sidekicks, the vacuum cleaner and mop, with an interval spent at the ironing board as I now have the bed linen to iron. However, no big problem as I do it to the accompaniment of my online iPad radio. Oh, the thrills of a golden oldie life.

Enjoy the day, be kind to your online appliances, you might need them and have fun with them.