Repair Cafe

It's slightly warmer today, but overcast. A heat wave is approaching from southern Europe and the threat of extreme heat is being talked about in the news. I noticed the air temperature gradually rise during the afternoon as the cloud lifted and dispersed.

I had a good night's sleep with fewer disturbances than I'm used to, and felt the benefit from that with a clear head and sharper senses until the clot dispersal meds took effect and robbed me of the improvement. How come the medicine that's meant to reduce the risk of something really serious happening actually makes you feel worse?

After breakfast we went to Chapter Arts centre with three pairs of garden shears for sharpening at a busy session of the Repair Cafe Wales in the foyer. A team of volunteers register people sort out their requests and direct them to other volunteers with expertise at diagnosing and fixing things which no longer work, whether mechanical, electrical or a combination of both. Some items can be fixed by soldering a broken connection or replacing a readily available component. Others are unfixable, fit only for recycling. It's a great public service, run by skilled enthusiasts and people concerned about the environmental impact of waste generated by industrial society. 

A taciturn guy called Dave took our sets of shears outdoors to where an electric grinding wheel was set up for sharpening. The secateurs he sharpened by hand with a suitably tool. It reminded me of watching my father sharpening his garden shears when I was a boy. He had tools to use for maintaining his own equipment and the skills to use them. A few of these are still there in our domestic tool kit, a small family legacy. To my shame, I doubt I have the skill or experience to use them properly, let alone the confidence.

Clare cooked lunch while I was out. I walked for an hour  afterwards. I was charmed by a little girl as she rode ahead of her mother singing to herself "I'm riding in the park!" It reminded me of moments like that with our children at the same age. 

Since I last walked down to the end of the camp site nearest the cricket stadium, a large Holm Oak has been brought down by the wind, blocking the path. Alongside the Pontcanna Fields boundary wall is an avenue of these trees. A few others have shed large branches in recent years, probably weakened by spells of drought. They are heavy limbed evergreen trees, that flourish around the Mediterranean. They produce acorns and are quick to colonise any place where they are transported, making them an invasive species.

We had a long chat with Rachel on WhatsApp after supper. She's recently started doing gigs as a wedding singer recently, an interesting musical challenge. We're looking forward to her coming over to celebrate our diamond wedding and Clare's 81st birthday.

Ships passed through the Straight of Hormuz again today. Then Iran declared its closure in response to Israel bombing Southern Lebanon despite the cease-fire declared between Israel and Hezbollah. Contradictory messages are coming from America and Iran about what's happening on the ground. Trump meddles in a situation over which he has no control, declaring America will charge a 'guardian angel' toll to escort ships through the Straight. America hasn't delivered the change his warmongering promised, only stiffened Iranian resolve to resist. Peace talks continue in Switzerland, but can progress be possible while the situation in Lebanon is volatile and so violent as to cause outrage and non-cooperation from Iran?

The Israeli government is hostile to deal making going on, as it's considered to make concessions to Iran. Netanyahu is uncompromising in his determination to defeat Iran and destroy its power, contemptuous of diplomacy to end the war. Strikes by Iran and Hezbollah on Israel feed a national sense of insecurity. Netanyahu's resistance to appeals by Trump asserts that America doesn't call the tune in Israel's war. His extreme aggressive stance towards Iran and Hezbollah promotes himself as Israel's defender. As long as he's considered electable he avoids prosecution for corruption. He is motivated to be awkward in dealing with those he entered into an alliance with.

Meanwhile, Andy Burnham Mayor of Manchester, has been elected as MP for Makerfield with a majority big enough to see off all the right wing contenders. He's had a lot of political exposure in this past few months as a potential Prime Minister. Media criticism of Sir Keir Starmer has moved parliamentary Labour party colleagues to call for his resignation and effectively promote Burnham instead. He is popular and charismatic as a regional leader, though nobody knows how well he is likely to perform given the complexities of national leadership. The public, however, are unlikely to forget how these MPs deal with each other and switch loyalties pragmatically if not cynically. 

Slow motion

It's good to see more blue sky than cloud to start the day. I slept well again, though I'm slow to get going, even if I'm alert, as the medication seems to blunt my reactions and compels caution as a self protective instinct. The more sleep I get, the less worse I feel, but I'm still awake for two hours a night, emptying my bladder, not because I drink excessive amounts of liquid but my body is eliminating the irritating by-product of medication. It impairs quality of life, that's for sure. Clare's inflamed hip muscle is still painful, taking its time to settle down.

I didn't feel like going out this morning, so I started work on another Morning Prayer and Reflection. Then I made a savoury veg and canelli bean dish for lunch, and afterwards went to Tesco's to buy weekend groceries. Quite a heavy load to carry home slow and steady. We're both in slow motion today. I walked in Llandaff Fields before supper under an overcast sky. So disappointing when we're so close to the longest day.

Urged by Trump, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a cease-fire, in order not to endanger peace talks between America and Iran. Israel still occupies south Lebanon, and striking targets in response to attacks after the cease fire was meant to start. Relationships between Netanyahu and Trump are even further strained. Israel resents being told what to do, and pushes back against American pressure to restrain its lethal response. Over 3,700 civilians have been killed in Lebanon in the past four months and a thousand killed in Gaza during the so-called cease-fire with Hamas. 

I daresay it's difficult to control Hezbollah units embedded in their own country when they are being hounded by the Israelis and not necessarily communicating well with their Iranian sponsors. The flare up in fighting has led to a meeting cancellation between America and Iran. For the moment marine traffic through the Straight of Hormuz is still flowing, blockaded Iranian ports are open, but there's no certainty this will continue as long as the impulse to retaliation and revenge by all parties to the conflict controls the magnitude of the chaos.

Pink clouds decorate the sky at sunset as I bring my day to a close.

Nuffield clinic visit

I slept fairly well, and thanks to Clare, usually getting up before me and phoning the surgery on my behalf I was given a mid morning appointment with Dr Dyban, in which I was able to discuss the impact of my medication regimen and how to mitigate this by spacing differently ones with combined side effects that affect my quality of life. She reported back to UHW cardiology that I had been too poorly to attend for the fitting of a 24/7 blood pressure monitor, due to the effect of the clot dispersal medication, just in case the letter I sent had not been read and noted. It was a good conversation with no added prescription to take away with me, just a suggestion to take the blood pressure medication after lunch. My head is fairly clear, even if my blood pressure is high. As long as I relax and don't drive myself hard when I exercise I won't be making things worse. My shoulder joints have improved since my physio session with Clive yesterday. The numbness and tingling in my left arm hasn't gone away but doesn't vary in intensity so much as it did, perhaps because there's less pressure on nerve endings from stiff muscles. The strained right shoulder isn't so painful either.

America and Iran have signed a peace deal, but Israel continues to attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon despite the Memorandum of Understanding stating that Israel's occupation of Lebanon will not continue. Shipping may be moving through the Straight of Hormuz and the American blockade of Iranian ports may be lifted at the moment, but for how long? Israel isn't safe from attacks by Iran's allies whatever moves it makes. America and Israel did not succeed in sparking a successful revolt against the Iranian regime. The regime change they achieved resulted in a more hard line leadership, daring to resist Western might. 

Despite the destruction of much of its military hardware and infrastructure, Iran is still able to fire missiles at any American supporting Gulf state, and still holds the geographically strategic asset of the Straight of Hormuz. Leading Democrats assert that Trump didn't start the war with any plan of how it would end. Diplomatic negotiations are finally taking place, but America is now in a weaker position, having failed to think things through thoroughly, with Trump treating the whole affair like a deal making game show, relying on uncertainty, making things up as he goes along.

While I was out at the surgery Clare went shopping. I made a seafood paella for lunch on her return. It's the first time I've done that for a long while. My head was swimming, as is often the case late mornings, due to the impact of medication on my stomach. I feel better as soon as I start eating, but never feel hungry, just more light headed than usual. 

Once I added the mixture of fish pieces at the end of cooking the rice and veg, I 'irrigated' the paella with a generous dose of Sauvignon Blanc, as I didn't have a whole lemon to use. It tasted good. I allowed myself a glass to drink with lunch as well, thankfully without ill effect. It's pleasing to know I've not lost my touch in cooking one of my 'signature' dishes.

Again, I took my blood pressure pill after eating and noticed less ill effect than when I take it with the other meds in the morning. That's an encouraging finding confirming the value of Dr Dyban's suggestion.

Clare and I took a taxi to the Cardiff Bay Nuffield clinic at tea time for an appointment about her increasingly painful hip joint. Dr Mohenty the surgeon who did her hip replacement examined her and established that there was inflammation in the lining of a group of muscles at the top of the hip bone. He injected the area with a mixture of anti-inflammatory and anaesthetic drugs, and prescribed her more physiotherapy sessions. We missed a number nine bus that would have taken us to the bus interchange in the city centre, and ordered a taxi to take us home, just too late to hear 'The Archers' live, so we listened on BBC Sounds as we got supper ready.

I watched a couple of episodes of 'Panda', the rather eccentric downbeat family comedy detective series, with love stories, confusing to follow on times. I'm still not sure what to make of it. Lightweight escapist entertainment, observing relationships in a quirky way. And so to bed.

Election news

Another damp overcast day, but I had a good night's sleep, and posted today's YouTube Morning Prayer link to WhatsApp when I got up at nine. I went to the Eucharist at St Catherine's. There were a dozen of us this morning. I collected my medication prescription on the way home and cooked a savoury veg and tuna dish for lunch. Afterwards, Clare went to Peter for an acupuncture appointment and I went to Clive for an osteo-massage appointment. Somehow an element of chaos crept into the situation, starting with the fact that Clare had double booked herself for both. I took on her appointment with Clive as I was intending to have a treatment on my strained shoulder joint. So far so good. I turned up to his place, rang the bell but got no answer. I called him to check if I had the time right, got his answering machine and left a message explaining that something had gone wrong, then walked home. 

Half an hour later he called and offered me an appointment in half an hour's time. I retraced my steps, rang the bell and got no answer a second time. I realised something else must be wrong and called Clare again. Only then did I discover I had the incorrect house number in my appointment diary, and my Contacts file had no address for him at all! Anyway, this time he was expecting me, and gave me a treatment which was beneficial to both shoulders. His practice website is marked as closed. I think he may be winding down towards retirement and isn't taking any new clients.

When I returned I found Clare in bed. Her hip is giving her a lot of pain despite this afternoon's treatment. I took supper upstairs to her on a tray. I felt a bit nervous about doing this as I was feeling light headed, and a bit unsteady. Maybe it was just tiredness after quite a physical treatment. It's made a difference to my shoulders, that's for sure. Hopefully I'll feel better after another good night's sleep.

Traffic is moving through the Straight of Hormuz. Global oil reserves are critically low and will take months to replenish, also for the industrial economy as a whole to recover from shortages of other raw materials and export commodities. The US blockade on Iranian ports has  been lifted, and Iran has agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons programme. Negotiations about the destruction of its enriched uranium stocks overseen by the International Atomic Energy Agency will take place during the sixty day truce agreed in the 'Memorandum of Understanding' as the context for peace negotiations. Details are being slowly released, but it won't be signed until Friday. 

Things could still go wrong, and meanwhile Trump issues coercive threats to Iran to 'behave'. It's such foolish and demeaning talk when Iran has shown it still can close the Straights and perform retaliatory attacks to paralyse American supporting states in the Middle East. Uncertainty continues to prevail, as it has done for months.

The election of the Dean of Bangor Manon Ceidwen James as the next Bishop of Bangor was announced this evening. She was instrumental in the establishment of the St Padarn's Institute for ministerial training in the Church in Wales, the successor to St Michael's College in the same buildings in Llandaff. Following a troubled period in the life of Bangor Cathedral and Diocese she was appointed to help restore the Cathedral's reputation. She is now elected to the same role for the diocese, regarded as a safe pair of hands no doubt, entrusted to the sensitive task of rebuilding trust and confidence after a period of contention and dismay over the failure of leadership and erosion of authority in recent years.

Resilience

Another overcast and warm day. I failed to get a good night's sleep as painful trapped wind woke me up at first light. I took the platelet dispersal medication with breakfast and delayed taking the blood pressure pill to see what difference it made. Any time I don't get enough good sleep I expect to feel worse after taking all my meds. I was certainly aware this morning of how strong the ill effects of the former are, taken on its own. I took the blood pressure pill after lunch, and this didn't make me feel worse, just light headed with  thinking and senses less dulled than previously. 

I walked in Llandaff Fields for an hour. I saw a heron flying down the Taff and an egret wading near the weir. It's been a while since I've seen either bird and I was starting to wonder if they'd deserted us. A large tree trunk rests on the top edge of the weir. It was uprooted during winter storms and carried downstream when the Taff water level was very high. The water washed its roots clean of all soil within a short while of landing there. I thought it was dead and being leached of its sap by the water, but I noticed today that in several places on the trunk twigs have sprouted and bunches of young green leaves are flourishing. Such natural resilience!

When I got back home I slept in my arm chair for another hour. By supper time my head was even clearer. Rachel called. We chatted for an hour and a quarter on WhatsApp, and then it was time for bed.

Formalities relating to the truce between America and Iran will conclude with the Memorandum of Understanding due to be signed on Friday. Details of the content have not yet been released, much to the annoyance of Trump's critics. There's no clarity about how peace talks will work out. Trump is clear that Iran will not have nuclear weapons or the means to manufacture them. Details of the disposal of Iran's stock of enriched uranium are yet to be worked out fully, but at least the reinstatement of traffic through the Straight of Hormuz can proceed, provided that clearance of mines from the waterways can be achieved safely. Oil prices have dropped, and the price of related stocks has risen, but it will take time for the status quo ante to return. Trump has openly rebuked Netanyahu, as Israeli forces continue to bombard Beirut in its attempt to defeat Hezbollah. Iran regards this as violating the cease fire, adding continued uncertainty to a process overshadowed by mutual distrust.

Hormuz unblocked

Cloudy today, but warmer. I slept fairly well and woke up clear headed but that didn't last after taking my meds. The Prime Minister has announced a ban on social media for children under sixteen, in the light of the established harmful effects of addictive algorithms on young minds. It's about time this happened in my opinion. Every aspect of internet communication is capable of being exploited to hijack attention and make money from information gleaned about our interests and concerns. We're being manipulated by programming technology over which we have little control and even less accountability. 

AI puts us all at even greater risk of unforeseen unintended consequences from erroneous information and deliberate falsehoods. The spread of disinformation via 'fake news' on social media to deliver propaganda and  stir up unrest is already playing a part in cyber warfare. Recently a research team demonstrated the danger, planting fictional medical information with nonsensical citations from fake source material. It was picked up by AI bots and presented as authoritative without question. Painstaking verification of authentic data takes time, and the poison of misinformation spread by the internet can be potentially damaging and even dangerous meanwhile.

Iran and America signed the 'Memorandum of Understanding' agreement in Geneva, the immediate result of which will be the opening of the Straight of Hormuz to maritime traffic and the blockade of Iranian oil exporting ports will end. There will be a sixty day truce during which peace negotiations will take place, but there is little detail about what the talks are intended to achieve.

An estimated 750 ships are still trapped there since the war started with an estimated 20,000 seafarers between them. The agreement is being declared as a win for both sides. Iran has demonstrated its power to resist American might. Trump claims he's delivered a solution to a problem which his foolish ill-judged and very costly aggression caused. Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon continues and Hezbollah targets in Beirut are being bombed despite the the cease-fire. Will this 'Memorandum of Understanding' make it possible for a cease-fire to take hold and stabilise the situation? It remains to be seen.

Clare wanted to turn the big mattress on the double bed this morning and asked for my help. It turned out to be much more difficult than anticipated. The weakness of my strained right shoulder and aged muscles made heavy lifting too risky. We had to settle for turning the mattress around on its vertical axis instead of flipping it over horizontally. I hate getting old and losing the ability to do things I once took in my stride! When my brain clouds over with fatigue or the impact of medication, I notice how my cognitive function slows down. I make more typos, and when it's really poor, stop what I'm doing completely out of caution against making mistakes. It slows down anything I'm trying to get done, although my mind seems to continue to work at its usual pace, disconnected from the exterior world.

We had chickpea curry for lunch. I dozed in my armchair after eating, then walked for over an hour to clear my head. Clare had supper early and went out to choir practice. I watched a couple of episodes of 'Panda' and after that got ready for another early night.

Geneva in lockdown

A good night's sleep, waking up clear headed and refreshed to sunshine and warmer weather. After breakfast and taking the meds my head went foggy again. Is it something to do with the combined effect of the different drugs? I went to St Catherine's for the Parish Eucharist, while Clare and Kath went into town to check out a venue to hold our Diamond Wedding anniversary family feast. 

This afternoon, we had a phone call from our dear friend Gill Howie in Geneva to tell us she's moved into a retirement home in Grand Sacconnex. It's the first time we've spoken for a year. She couldn't get through to exchange greetings with us last Christmas because of the mess TalkTalk made of transferring our phone number to British Telecom. She said there'd only been an on-line service at Holy Trinity Geneva today as Geneva is on lock-down due to Trump's visit with the expectation of potentially violent protest against the war. 

Just as the cease fire was due to be signed between America and Iran in Geneva, Israel bombed Hezbollah targets in Lebanon again despite the ceasefire supposed to be in effect there. Inevitably this will delay the conclusion of the negotiations Trump has been touting for months. Trump has openly urged Netanyahu  not to attack Lebanon at this pivotal moment, but is he being listened to? A former Israeli ambassador to the USA expressed the view that Trump's annoyance with Israel reveals his recognition that Netanyahu is trying to undermine him. Whether it's true or not, it suggests he's not taking Trump seriously and misled him into making an alliance against Iran that has not delivered the success anticipated. Iran has emerged from the war stronger and more emboldened, while Israel now faces a less favourable regional balance It sounds to me like a retired diplomat speaking who disapproves of his country's leadership.

Kath left us for Kenilworth after lunch. Clare and I went to the Co-op to buy some coffee and kefir as we'd run out of both this morning. Then I walked in Llandaff Fields until supper time and resisting the temptation to watch telly, I got ready for bed early.