Now you are all thinking "at last the idiot has run out of things to write about. Hooray." But not so. There may be some hidden meaning or deep psychological reason for the sound of my sneeze changing. Then again I might just be mentioning it to make you smile or feel as if you want to sneeze!
There I used an exclamation mark at the end of that sentence, something I rarely do as people tend to overuse them. We used to know them as dogs' cocks in the trade.
Have you noticed that I've already written over 100 words without saying anything? Yes this is going to be a blog full of waffle.
I have to say at the moment I feel a bit flat and I'm sure many of you do too. The hectic run up to Christmas is over, the chaos of Christmas is over and we are in the nether lands between Christmas and the New Year when everything seems to calm down before the pace picks up again.
I spent some of yesterday morning on the February edition of Hethersett Herald. The other four fifths pointed out that surely I could take a few days off as it's not due out until the end of January. But as I pointed out things don't swing that way. I have to work on the new one as soon as the old one is out. It's very much an ongoing process. That is particularly the case with the next one which will be edition 100.
So I need to look back at some of the stories we have covered over the last eight and a bit years. Things like the is it open or is it shut saga of the village King's Head, the sudden closure without warning of Hethersett Old Hall School, the expansion of the village, the Beast from the East and of course lockdown.
But back to the sneeze. I seem to have regular sneezing fits - an allergy of some kind perhaps. Once I start I can go on for 10 or 12. They used to be ear shattering raucous but I have learnt to curb my enthusiasm and now my sneezes are more of an implode than an explode.
I can't remember when I decided to cut the volume of the sneezes with a converted effort but they are now more like a whinney rather than a roar.
Yesterday was a horrible grey and wet day but we were determined to go out for a while, so walked down to the Methodist Church where they do Wednesday coffee. On the way there we wanted to drop off a bottle of wine but we weren't sure of the number of the house. So we guessed and got no answer. So we thought that we might have the wrong house and knocked on one two doors away. My day was made by the response.
The door was opened by a lady who recognised me as the purveyor of quality blogs. Yep I made that up. The bit about the purveyor and not the bit about the door being opened. That was real.
Maureen smiled and said "I read your blogs. They are so interesting and enjoyable. I read them over a cup of coffee," or words to that affect. It was lovely.
Lots of people read the blogs over a cup of coffee. Some even get through two cups. They must be very slow readers or quick drinkers.
At the church we had a cup of coffee and a chat and I pondered in the church setting about Christmas services and I have to say I feel a bit jaded after quite a number this year.
My problem is finding a balance between ancient and modern. Everyone likes a traditional carol service but do we want every service to be traditional? For me singing well known carols with well know tunes tens of times a year means those pieces lose their meaning and just become repetitive. Are we really singing them or more going through the motions?
Same with the standard Christmas readings. Have they lost their meaning because we have heard them all so many times before and we no longer listen to what is being read.
I would love to attend a really modern contemporary Christmas service of contemporary readings, poetry and music and something away from the mainstream which can become slightly hackneyed. What do people think ?
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The Bank of Dave was back being interviewed on Breakfast Television yesterday morning.
For those who have been on a desert island or the trifle islands which are better known as dessert islands, The Bank of Dave started in Burnley in Lancashire.
Dave Fishwick (yes his real name) opened his own bank in competition with the big boys who immediately tried without success to shut him down.
Now he gives loans to local people, helps start new businesses, offers mortgages and much much more. If he makes any money he gives it away to charity. We all need a Dave in our lives it's just a good idea his name isn't Richard. You might have to think about that a bit.
The Bank of Dave was the subject of a hugely entertaining film early in 2023. Now there is news that Bank of Dave 2 will soon be filmed. It will include how he took on some of the big so called pay day lenders who charged me extortionate amounts of interest. Unlike his local football team, Dave isn't accustomed to losing.