Stop there.  Your name is not Mary; you are not calling from Microsoft – go and get a proper job.  I’m busy.  Goodbye.

Stop there, person that is almost certainly not called Peter.  At what stage in your life did you decide to become a crook?  Suppose it was your grandmother who had picked up this phone and was even now installing your evil malware?  Now, I’m very busy – I need to get to the shops – go and rethink your life choices.

Hello.
Hello.  Now that winter’s here…

Now that winter’s here?  As I cycle into town – it’s a beautiful day for a ride; all blue skies and sunshine – I try to work out why even the densest of nuisance callers would open with the phrase “now that winter’s here.”   It’s the middle of August, for goodness sake!  Granted, it’s hardly been a barbecue summer but today, in fact, the weather is lovely.  I’m just going to drop some bits in at the charity shop and then plan to spend the afternoon in the garden.

I lock up the bike and head over to the Cancer Research Shop.  Where I am stopped in my tracks by this display:

To everything there is a season.  Or perhaps not.  The world has gone mad.  I blame Brexit.

Can I be the first to wish you a Happy New Year?

***

I’ve mentioned before how having PD has brought me into contact with some pretty amazing people.  One of those is Dr Jon Stamford who rejoices in the title of ‘Scientific and Advocate Communications Co-ordinator’ at the Cure Parkinson’s Trust.

Jon was working for twenty-odd years as a senior research scientist with a particular interest in the mechanisms of nerve functions in Parkinson’s, when he himself developed the condition, giving him something of a unique insight into the condition. He says “the first Parkinson’s patient I met was myself.”

I’ve heard Jon speak a few times at research events and have always been struck by the warmth and humour with which he shares his knowledge. I’m rather ashamed to say that I’ve only just stumbled across his blogs, which are definitely worth a read, whether or not you’re blessed with PD.  You can find here the blogs he writes linked to  his work with the Parkinson’s Movement and I’ve also popped a link to these on the sidebar of this blog.