Minds and Voices meet Suki Chan…….

After the chaos of the last few days I was so looking forward to some normality on Monday, to simply be ‘Wendy the chair monitor’ once more at Minds and Voices. I needed something familiar, familiar faces, familiar routine.

It wouldn’t quite be the normal it usually is as my lovely film maker friend, Suki Chan, was coming up from London to meet my playmates. Can’t remember if I’ve mentioned before, but we’re making a film which will have the intriguing title of “Conscious”, and we want to include some footage of me being with my second family.

I hadn’t been up at silly o’clock for some time and it was very strange. Having consciously to think not to make my flask of tea, and just make a cup…..sounds simple doesn’t it, but it isn’t when you’re routine is for a flask……..

As the taxi pulled up, she flashed her lights for me to see and I was on my way. It was such a gloriously clear morning. I so wished I could have walked and taken my camera. A beautiful sunrise developing one side and an almost full moon glowing on the other…….

We travelled in companiable silence until we reached my destination, the Saturday band stand…..I stood, once again wishing for my camera, but then remembered my phone 🙄

I got rather lost in time, snapping as I passed st Marys church softly lit at the end of the narrow street…

And as I reached the bus station, I checked my watch….9 minutes to go…plenty of time for one more piccie further along the street, as the sun was turning the sky into flames of oranges and reds…..

Suddenly coming out of my reverie, I quickly turned and headed back to the bus station, catching sight of the bus turning in. Wobbling as quickly as my legs could take me, I climbed on board and no sooner had I sat down, it left…phew!🥵

The windows on the bus were annoyingly steaming up – everyone stop breathing!!!! …as the sunrise was glorious.

The moon to our right, setting in a sky tinged with pink….just stunning but you’ll have to take my word for it 😂

The journey passed by in a blur as I just couldn’t tell where I was so gave up and played solitaire……as we neared York, and the day was dawning, I used my gloves to make peep holes in the window to see sparkling frost everywhere……cold yet beautiful 

As I got to York, the sky was beautiful and York looked stunning in the sunshine. 

I was meeting Suki opposite the station so ambled arcross the city, snapping as I went, walking passed the famous Bettys Tea Room…..

Heading towards the river….the sky crying out to be photographed…

Came to the river and one last photo, so still and reflective in the morning light…

Suki was waiting arms open for a hug. We hadn’t seen one another for a while as I’d had to cancel our filming visit to paradise in January when I broke my wrist 🙄….the purpose of todays visit was simply for her to get to know my playmates and tell them about our plan for a feature film that hopefully, would include some of them…….Damian soon arrived with Monica and we headed to the hall.

I could sense as I entered the hall, that this was still going to be a bad day for my head. All the tables and chairs were out and it took me a few seconds to work out how….stood there, trying to piece the jigsaw together, I then caught sight of Anna and her son and the final piece snapped into place. 

Introductions made, Suki settling in and people started to arrive, chatter and laugh….

I was so overwhelmed by peoples kindness. I’d sent each playmate that helped with my book by being interviewed, an early copy. One by one hugs were given and then Keith and his wife produced the most amazing gift that made my eyes leak with joy…..a painting he’d done of my bench in paradise 😍- even Suki recognised it straight away as my special place as that’s where we’re going to do some filming later in the year. 🥰

Other gifts followed – one of Bobs magical poems in a card and then a beautiful sparkly Robin broach from Brenda ……..

Our 30 minutes ‘faffing’ time seemed to be endless today. But gradually Damian brought us to order. There were more newbies there, so lovely to see, for them to join in this ‘specialness’. 

Before I introduced Suki and our plans, Bob read out one of his special poems about being together once more 🥰😢…and my eyes leaked once more….

We separated into groups and I took 6 of the newbies with dementia, just to get to know them. I found out so much about their past lives, the lives they had good and bad…..I just love hearing peoples history……..sadly my head wasn’t at it’s best and I struggled to concentrate and do what I was suppose to. Me thinks I’m just at my best 1-1…..maybe Anna should take that group next time and if there’s a quiet person or one who struggles in a group, maybe I could have a chat with them. One chappie finds group talk difficult and remained silent, but as soon as I went and sat with him, he became animated and told me his story too……..

Then Alan came along to our table to talk about his hand project

His plan is to make a huge banner with all our hands giving messages of different phrases to attract peoples attention about dementia. They’ll hang in the libraries hopefully where people pop in and out and will see it……….

It was at this point that everything started to go downhill….😳….my ipad suddenly told me it was nearly out of battery 🙈 so what happened after this, I havn’t a scooby doo…..🙄…..and I’m writing this the following morning 😵

I do know that me and Suki were photographed signing some documents…..as the photo tells me….

I can also see from my photos that it was Eddys birthday!

and the final one tells me, the lovely Monica serenaded us at some point

We obviously left and went our separate ways…..but that wasn’t the end of my problems though 🤯….having stayed much longer than I normally do, I was running on empty and just wanted to get home…..however, the bus had other plans……firstly the bus was late setting off from York…..AND then proceeded to break down in Pocklington 🤯🤯🤯………we had to wait for it to be mended and I eventually got home at 5.30 by which time I felt like a💀………

Should I have stayed at home that day in the calm?……wouldn’t have missed my playmates for anything…….