Never too old to learn…….

No, I am still not old enough for my bus pass Dear Reader, but I’ll never be too old to learn . The planned topic today has been completely turned on it’s head …why, you ask ……well, because I was also turned on my head ( in a fashion and I should add, in a totally unplanned way) on Saturday evening . Let me explain ….

Not really … it’s the stairway to our roof terrace . My brother and sister in law ( before you correct me, yes I know I don’t have a brother and he is my brother in law – there’s just too many “in laws” if I say it correctly) ….now where was I ? Oh yes, they’re staying with us …so as is my want , I had planned a curry evening on Saturday. I had done the full works …or as full as you can without going to Iceland ( the shop not the country), the English shop or travelling afar to find an Indian supermarket. It was lovely weather so we were eating upstairs on the roof terrace ….starters finished , down I went to get the chicken bhuna which was in a cast iron casserole. I put said casserole on a large thick wooden bread board and set off on my way up to the roof. Don’t ask why I needed a bread board Dear Reader …..it’s obvious……the casserole would have melted the table of course! Oh you didn’t know, the table is plastic! Yes I know I should have taken them up separately- bread board first of course- but haven’t you got to know me yet? No ..Mrs Can do here did it all at once ..I got no further than step number 5 when my centre of gravity shifted backwards with the weight in front of me, and I set off in reverse, closely followed by a hot chicken bhuna ( in case you’re wondering not spicey hot ….though that is hardly relevant, is it?) Very quickly , though I felt as if the world had slowed to a snails pace, I was laid on the floor at the bottom of those steps 🙈🙈🙈 ( the curry had splashed all over the walls so BIL who described it as a Jackson Pollock…( that’s not his real name , it’s Andrew , but the initials make the word Brother in Law …. still with me ) started clearing it up .

The DB , who was completely shaken as you will imagine was with me…..watched over by SIL …no that doesn’t work , Jan, and a totally upset Millie . An ambulance is mentioned ….but despite the gravity of the fall, Mrs Can do did a self assessment and decided no need for one …neck ok, head ( surprisingly) also ok, I could move and feel both legs, and talk ( it takes a lot to shut me up as you know..!)

So I was taken to my bed where I stayed for a couple of hours… I was very shaken ( as was everyone else , but at least they got to try the curry , although appetites were reduced) . I did get up later …what do you do when you fall off a horse? You get straight back on it ( well only if you want to I suppose!) …so I knew I had to climb back up the stairway to heaven. I did of course manage it ….. bent forwards a bit like the Hunchback of Notre Dame…..had a coffee and then went back to bed….where surprisingly I managed to sleep!

I would be lying if I said I had no injuries …my left shoulder girdle took the brunt of my fall and it has been far from comfortable ( an understatement- you know I’m a hugger, wobetide anyone approaching with the intent of grabbing me in an embrace…..) though I’ve strapped it up with the help of the DB, You Tube, tape and long lost ( though fortunately not completely) physio knowledge. That has made a big difference …and I was back up and doing stuff the next morning. Why you may ask…….in truth because I know how lucky I was to walk away from that fall……I lost a special friend several years ago from falling backwards off a steep step. So..I wasn’t going to give in to any of that …life is to be lived and appreciated every minute you have.

“What have you learnt ?“ I hear you cry. For a start, I won’t be carrying large hot dishes on a heavy wooden board up to the roof terrace again….if I’m carrying anything up there I will always have a hand free to hold the hand rail. If you come to stay you may find your salad or meal is delivered to you on the roof in a supermarket carrier bag…….

The DB would tell you that I’d had a few glasses of grape juice ( fermented of course…) in the afternoon and a gin and tonic before dinner . That is true …but I have climbed up and down those stairs many times before having similarly imbibed…. but never fallen……

I wanted to share this with you because despite my light hearted take ( now) it has been a very scary experience for all of us .Hopefully next week won’t be as action packed and I can tell you about my veterinary experiences which was supposed to be today’s topic!

I’m going to leave you with a photo that pulls me up sharp every time I look at it…

So on Saturday I clearly wasn’t at the front of that queue …but we are all in the queue, we just don’t know whereabouts . So despite my injury, it’s time to get on with life and enjoy!

Hasta la proxima…..