Season’s kisses. Howard arrived with this huge bunch of mistletoe just before Christmas. It’s hanging in the kitchen ready for kissing duties and he took some of the berries to press into the bark of the ancient apple trees. Perhaps we’ll have our own crop one Christmas.
Two birds with one stone. The Government is dead keen to get us disabled people back to work and we’ve even had one Minister being very clear that we can work from home. On the other hand, it seems that the Home Office may need more staff to process the latest enormous backlog of legacy asylum applications. Here’s a marriage made in heaven: the Government can employ 1,000 disabled people to work at home and handle all those asylum claims. Yes, a few of us may need some adaptive equipment or even some help to do the work but that won’t cost the Home Office anything: the Department for Work and Pensions already has all the funding needed in the Access To Work scheme. There are still more bonuses: the Government will be at the forefront of the “Disability Confident” initiative setting an example to other employers and the Minister for Disabled People can crow about a success. Better still, asylum seekers will get earlier decisions, the costs of their B&B will reduce and more may be able to get jobs and make their own way in life. Lots more people working and improving the economy. Never mind just two birds, this is a whole flock.
Honours. Huge congratulations to the transport worker who received his MBE for saving the lives of 29 people with mental health conditions. Perhaps lives saved should be the key criteria when ex-Prime Ministers award peerages and knighthoods?
Recovering. Getting stronger and more mobile again after the vertebra fracture, hospitalisation and month of virus. Now able to get upstairs to bed though not been out except in an ambulance for 3+months. Bonus diagnoses: heart needs some medication plus diverticulosis. Is it even vaguely possible to describe either without sound-effects and hand-gestures? Hospital food had been nearly impossible to eat. No wonder the sous-chef was exhausted: daily travel and visits plus home-baking the bread and other delicacies I could stomach. Now the fog of medication is gradually being reduced too so my memory is returning. Happy New Year!